WIPW

I am coping with a broken rib and have been unable to get to a Doctor to get my Vit B injection.  Everything is happening in slow motion at the moment.  I have very little ligament left in my knees, (which I knew) after operations for non cancerous growths in the knee cavities.  I am always careful because I know that I could fall.  My knees have been very painful lately but I know that more operations would leave me with even less ligament so will not have them done and just put up with the pain.  I really don't know how I came to fall, I must have turned sideways and down I went.  Onto the hard concrete, Ouch.

So work is all in slow motion as well.

I have got all the stitching finished for the Kogin bag but have to put it together, thinking that through is a bit of a challenge at the moment.

I have drawn up a rough design for a new applique and need to sit and refine it.  (Looking at that I think I have an idea how to solve my Kogin pattern printing problem.)

 

And I have an idea hatching for a Boro (Kantha) Class.  I have made some book-covers before as gifts  I think they might make an interesting class.

After travelling in South East Asia I was surprised just how wide spread this type of stitching was.  I found the same kind of work in India, Mirimar, Thailand, and Vietnam.  The big difference was the colours of the fabrics.  All used the indigo colour but in India they used bright coloured fabric.  It leaves a lot of scope for what I could do.

WIPW

It is coming to the end of term so working on assignments with my grand daughter on her home schooling takes up a lot of my time and has taken over most of my space. (Maths has changed a lot since I was at school and she is far better than me at Japanese.)

I am stitching a new Kogin piece for next years class.  My computer with the drawing program got replaced with a new computer for Monique and I have nothing to draw those types of designs on.  The drawing program I have does great vector drawings but doesn't print a grid.  I might just have to learn how to use illustrator, which is super expensive.

So it is back to the graph paper but I still find stitch and see just as good.  I am using an old design but am adapting it to fit the fabric I have.   Allana used the same design in it's original form on one of the bags she stitched.

My version is similar but my space is smaller.

A lot of trail and error, then reverse sewing.  But I think I have got it now.  I'm sure this is how the old people did this work.  They didn't have computer programs or even graph paper to work out their designs.  It might have been easier to just cut a larger piece of fabric!

WIPW

I am working on my Kogin class.  I started with an edge to edge design but as I stitched it out realised that the counting would be too hard for some people.  With this in mind I extracted the centre design and have just stitched that part, to begin.  I am also using the very last of my old cotton.  (The manufacturers reduced the metreage in the skein for the new cotton.)  And you know like all older threads it tends to knot, so I will be happy when that is used up.

The knitting is back out of the bag again.  This is being knitted in one piece, no seams.  I put the sleeve onto 4 needles as I think that it will be easier to manage.

The native grass that I planted near one of the bird baths actually has flowers.  So pretty.  I will have to think about that as an embroidery design.  I have that AGM to night and will be glad to see the back of that.

WIPW

Well as you can see from the last couple of posts I am drawing patterns for new embroideries.  I haven't been able to put my mind to this for ages but that Japanese fabric gave me so many ideas.  Then, I walk the dog twice a day and this takes me through the bush.  I never actually 'saw' some of the things that have now claimed my attention.  Amazing what one little thing can start.

So I am working on another small embroidery, this time of some gum leaves.  I was taken by the fact that the colours were the same as some thread that I had in my thread box, this is a Stef Francis thread.  The leaves are just gum leaves but the shapes and colours caught my attention.  It may not work out, but I will give it a try.

My knitting is still here.  It has been unpulled and re- knitted a number of times but now I am up to the sleeves.  As the weather is on the turn I think this will be for next winter, so I have made it a little larger.

And I'm still working on the backing for the quilt.   I have to use the left over fabric so it will be almost another quilt!

WIPW

Well, I have finished the quilt top, still the backing and the quilting to go. 

But I am so pleased with the result.  I added borders that make the quilt a perfect size for a single bed, with a decent over-hang.

I also love the fabric I found for the outer border. 

It is a Japanese print of an embroidered fabric.  I am going to draw up some of these motives and see what they look like when they are stitched out.

Now for the backing.

WIPW

Oh Boy,  I have been out of action for nearly 2 weeks after that injection.  I thought that I was recovering towards the end of last week but it just got worse.  I normally have high blood pressure but the bottom dropped out of that.  I managed to drop 5.5Kg in the week but was able to have an 'invalids' meal tonight.  I haven't done much over the last week.  But, when I could I knitted and that is starting to grow.

I bought a new 'mouse' for my grand daughter Jasmine, the 9y.o.  I don't think it has a name as yet.  It is a Danish mouse, very expensive because it was imported, but, very cute.  Jasmine has the most vivid imagination so I know this mouse will have amazing adventures.

She is from the Maileg Company, who I discovered years ago when in Denmark.  I saw this little lady in a gift shop and had to have her.  She sleeps in a matchbox.

And I was asked for a new quilt and pillow but they had to be different, so I complied.

And could she have a new dress and could it be pink or purple.  So even though I was ill I made a pink dress.

And the other request was for some coat-hangers for her clothes, so grandpa had to make coat-hangers and I had to give up a pin box to put them in.

I have a feeling I might be asked for more clothes for the mouse with no name.

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Out of action

due to adverse reaction to COVID 19  vaccination.  Better than getting the virus though.

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Work is starting on the new quilt, first steps.  I am not going to hurry this one.  I have been thinking I might make it a 'quilt as you go' project.  The squares do lend themselves to that.  I have a weekend comming up at Toowoomba at the end of the month so I will prepare all these squares to sew there.

I have taken the first steps on Monique's cardigan.  I am still having trouble working out that pattern.

And I have those dogs to finish, but, I can't remember where I put the pattern or  the pieces for them!  Just found the pattern in the photocopier and the pieces were in their little bowl.  (senior moment.)

I am also setting up a Kogin piece for my demonstration at the Guild's "World Embroiderers' Day" demonstration.  (I mustn't let myself be carried away by it.)  I am going to confine myself to a couple of small pinch purses and have some kits on hand to sell as well.  (I think I can put those together for under $15.00.)

There is plenty of variety here and enough to keep me busy.

WIPW

Firstly, the shawl is finished and blocked.  I changed the pattern slightly so achieve the fit I wanted.  I'm going to get a lot of wear out of this one.

Next, lots of reverse sewing. That disaster quilt just has to come undone and I have to be so careful unpicking it because all the seams are on the bias.

I have worked out how to save it, with the help of my friend Angela.  Lots of text messages later we agreed on this mock-up I came up with.

The extra squares in red on the body are appliqued in place and although the piping in the picture is actually masking tape I was able to get some fabric fairly near this colour.  I intend to bind it in this as well.

And whilst in the fabric shop I saw this display of Riley Blake fabrics.

I have just the quilt for it in my mind, I just have to draw it up and work out how much fabric I need.

WIPW

We are back in lock down for 3 days so  I think I will take the time on the sewing machine. 

I have a new donation quilt on the design board.   I just can't remember what I was going to do with this so I'm trying the "Hidden Wells" block using Teresa's method.  

I remember this block from the books of Mary Ellen Hopkins, like "You can sit on my quilt".  I still have those old books.

The wool has arrived from Scotland so I can get back to the shawl.

And the swatch I knitted for the Bendigo Woollen Mills wool will require smaller needles.  I will have to wait until I can get out to buy those.

And all the parts of the first dog are knitted so he has to be put together.

I think I have more work than just the three days of the lock down.