The crochet continues, we are now onto week 2, I was a bit late starting.
I am finding lots of odd balls of wool around the house now that I am looking for them.
A bit of Kogin. Because of 'habit' I always write an evaluation of each class I teach with the aim of improving it. I think I have another project here.
I have finished my first Shakespeare Sonnets piece for January but I need a frame for it so it will keep until next week. So now I am looking at what I will stitch for February and have to admit I am not making a lot of headway. I have had a nasty infection since Xmas and that does cloud the mind. (That's my excuse anyway.)
But I am working an a portrait as part of the Suzie Vikery online workshop I have taken part it.
Still a lot to do on this one and I may toss it out and start again.
I have started some small embroideries that I will eventually make into greeting cards. The are counted thread work and just enough to keep the mind engaged and concentrating whilst stitching.
And then I sleep.
I have 3 three items on my work table at the moment.
My Shakespeare inspired piece for January, and that is not too far off a finish.
What I am also pleased about is how quickly my brain adjusted to 'Old English'. I have to be careful that I don't start talking like that! (I find myself sitting reading the sonnets and just loving the beauty of the words, over and over again.)
I keep looking at this quilt on the board, I need to get back to that as well.
And I have to decide just what this little cross stitch is going to be used in?
And I am on day I of my portraits class, so just a start here.
So we are 4 days into advent and although I thought I was organised I am deep in stitching my Xmas presents and challenge pieces for the three stitching groups to which I belong.
Each group has a system where instead of making presents for everyone, which I still sometimes do, you go into a draw and just make one present. That is still 3 items to be completed and there are those other presents to do as well.
For my cottage quilting group the challenge was to use spots, stripes and I think checks. The person who's name we pulled out of the hat was to tell us what they wanted. My person said "just make anything you would like". (Very helpful!!). As I bought a bundle of diaries for 2025 I decided on a book cover. (There are 6 or 7 under construction.)
I did have a false start because I forgot to look at list of favourite fabrics each person liked. I started with brights when in fact she likes pastels. (The bright one will be for someone else.)
I was going to embroider her name on the cover but decided to stitch a small portrait instead.
I like this book cover and if she doesn't like it the printed cover of the dairy is very pretty anyway.
Back to work.
Toys - A Cat.
This is a free pattern from Tilda"s world.
This is my version in which I got the pattern around the wrong way and instead of the seam being on the side it is at the front. I made a real mess' but I think it is still use-able. (My cancer treatment wiped out all the tricks I had learnt to manage my dyslexia. ) I intend to stitch this again and get the pattern right!
There are 10 animals in the series, all equally adorable. One a month for 2025?
A small stitched portrait of a friend, as part of the 12 book-covers I have on the go.
And for the first time in the past 2 years I find I can crochet again. So the tops of a hand towels for the kitchen.
I live in hope that I might be able to knit again.
And I have finished stitching some Kogin motives to go into those book covers.
I didn't realise I had been so busy until I wrote it all down!
The 2025 dairies are bought.
I have all the fabrics ready.
I just have to make the covers. I want to include a small embroidered patch on each one and have been looking at the designs of Yumiko Higuchi.
I am waiting for this book to arrive. (I already have a stack of her books.)
I think I will just stitch them all and then find a use for them.
I am filling my bags with goodies starting with tissue cases.
I thought about having closures on them but know that kids will just loose them fairly quickly, still they are pretty and not having to worry about getting the clips to close will suit kids. Next I have 6 pencil cases to make.
I am staying put for a couple of days to get my head back together. Those vaccinations have taken a toll on my body, so simple things till the end of the week.
It doesn't look a lot but these bags have taken over a week to complete.
They are made from free "Manufactures Soft Furnishing Samples" that came from Hana's Department Store in Toowoomba. This is an old fashioned country Department Store, a wonderful range of stock and great service. The fabric is a bit heavier than dress fabric and this makes it suitable for kids library bags. The pockets on the front have a velcro closure and this fabric was a velvet kind of knit. That had to be stabalized before I could applique the letters on and it still moved around a bit.
I made the straps different lengths so they would be suitable for a range of age groups. The next thing I need is some supplies to go in each bag. These are all off to Care Kits for Kids.
I am back to a limited amount of sewing and am working on the 6 book bags that will be a donation to "Care Kits for Kids." I had to think about the best way to do the pocket on the front as I was using a mixture of fabrics to construct this. I wanted to applique the word books on the pocket but the fabric was a knit and had a stretch. I ended up using a contrast fabric and used a double sided sticky interfacing to get it into place. I then used an iron on interfacing to give the fabric some rigidity and a button hole stitch to attach the letters. This took forever and my back up machine has lost the ability to engage the 'mirror' function so I seemed to be sewing in a counter intuitive way.
I also received a donation of books for my Patchwork Group and am deciding which ones should be added to the library. I know all these books had great sentimental value for the previous owner but some are dated and some a bit damaged. Hard decisions here.
I have also been getting my standby machine ready to go in for service. To this end I have stitched out a sample. I had a ring from the repair man so my main machine should be here by the end of the week. Because of ill health and the distance involved in getting the machine to a service I have missed a couple of years. No more. It will be serviced once every year now. I just couldn't afford the replacement price.
As to embroidery, well, I bought a kit in an Op shop for $1 but I have found the old thread almost impossible to work with.
Now that I have replaced that thread it should progress. These will be for luggage tags for my donations to "Care Kits for Kids."
And talking about this group, I met one of the founders at the Embroiderers' Guild. She is a new member. Small world!
At the moment I am trying to keep my hand still. The finger is healing and I have the bandage off now.
So all the progress has been in "my mind".
Once I can sew again I intend to make library bags for kids from this lovely fabric I was gifted. It is a manufacturer's sample.
Talking of samples, how about this Sanderson fabric?
Costs a bomb but is hand guided crewel embroidery on linen.
There is a lot of inspiration on this website.
The weather has been playing havoc with my health so I decided to have some small pieces that I could work on and after given another Kogin class recently, this is what I decided to do.
It is amazing how quickly the number I have stitched grow. A bit like rabbits.
I sorted out all the left over pieces and threads and find I am 2 short on 3 sets of 6 coasters. I am going to have to cut into another piece of fabric. If I have to do that I think I should plan some other pieces.
I also finished my knitting bag and managed to fix the machine stitching mistake without having to cover it over.
The beads on the end of the ties are some I bought a number of years ago when visiting India. (I knew I would find a use for them!)