Fabric postcard from Canada.

I have just received the most beautiful fabric postcard from Mary Lou in Canada - this is for the November exchange in the Yahoo Group we belong to. I don't know if this picture can convey the work put into this, but the card is padded, with two autumn leaves stitched on with beads and sequins. Thank you very much, Mary Lou!

Retro Tablecloths

I accompanied Ken and his sister to their family home last weekend, to start cleaning out the house in order to put it on the market. I've written a post about it on my other blog, but decided post these photos here, as they might appeal to the people who read this blog instead of Patra's Other Place. We found all these tablecloths and doilies in the kitchen drawers, badly stained and in some cases torn. SIL was going to throw them out, saying nobody would want them. They aren't embroidered, but they are very 'retro' (I don't use that word as a rule, but apparently it is the 'in' word to describe anything from the forties and fifties), and I have seen them sell well at auctions etc. Printed tablecloths used to be found by the dozen at Savers and other opshops years ago, but they rarely turn up there now. I spent a couple of days soaking, washing and ironing these cloths, and I'm very happy with the way they've come up. I don't know if I'll keep any of them; I'll ask SIL if she wants them, and if she doesn't, I'll probably sell them. If I keep any, this is the one I would choose. Love the cups and saucers design!

Extra! Extra!

Sorry about that silly title - I'm just chuffed about finding I had another little award coming to me from the Whittlesea Show. Thank you very much for your congratulations comments on my previous post; please don't feel obliged to comment again on this one - it's just a commendation! I have deleted the photo of Cat Stretching in the previous post, and replaced it here with one of it in the new frame, alongside the certificate. The other certificate is a "Commended" award for the Assisi Leaf coaster I did for the EGV Challenge last year.

Whittlesea Show

Last year I entered one of my cross stitch projects (Indian Chief) into the Craft Section of the Whittlesea Show. It didn't win anything, but it was fun to see it on display with all the other embroidered pieces. This year, my friend Cheryl asked me again if I was going to enter anything, and at first I said no, I haven't done anything worth while. Then I thought what the heck - I'll just put a few of this year's completed projects in - why not? Nothing to lose. So on the closing day for entries, I submitted paperwork for the Assisi Lyrebird, the Stretching Cat, Assisi Leaf Coaster and two embroidered tea towels. I put the Stretching Cat into another frame so it looked a bit less tizzy.
Last Thursday, Cheryl and I drove up to Whittlesea with our bits and pieces. Cheryl had half a dozen items, as well as four for her Mum and a couple of quilts for her neighbour. I had my recently completed Three Black Cats patchwork with me to show Cheryl; I'd finished that too late to enter into the Show. But when we got there, Cheryl persuaded me to take it inside and ask if the stewards would accept a late entry. The Show schedule states that they will not accept late entries, but the two elderly ladies at the desk scoffed at the rules and said "We'll just add you to the list, dearie!"
I didn't get to the Show yesterday, but Cheryl did, and I phoned her to ask how we all went. She and her mum had won a couple of awards, and I won a third place for my Stretching Cat!! I was amazed to hear that; of all my entries, this was the simplest project which took only a couple of hours to stitch. What a buzz. I'm collecting all our stuff late this afternoon as Cheryl has to work...I haven't told Ken yet that we are collecting half a dozen quilts as well as the framed stuff belonging to Cheryl and I!

Late item!

I should have included this in the previous post, but I was so tired last night, after I'd posted three pictures and comments I just forgot I had another one! Liz in Kansas posted me a Halloween FPC a few weeks ago, and it arrived on Friday. It should have arrived long before now, so I don't know where it got held up, but it was worth waiting for - thanks heaps, Liz! This was a Yahoo group swap.

Oddments.

My Teapots Robin. I have sewn a narrow border, followed by a wider border with teacups fabric. I will then used a an offwhite homespun as the backing and for binding. My darling friend Sharon bought this for me as an RAK, knowing how much I love owls. I asked Jude, my patchwork teacher, what she would do with this, and she said Trapunto. Any guesses about that? I found this at an op shop for $3. I've seen this pattern in books and often thought I'd like to stitch it. Well, I don't have to do it myself now. Done and nicely framed, just for me! LOL, not really..

In my mail box.

On Monday I received in the mail a book which I was waiting for, and a postcard that was VERY early! I'd ordered this book from Amazon.com after borrowing it from my library a few months ago and deciding I had to have my own copy. I'd started listing all the patterns I wanted to copy, then realised it would be far more sensible just to buy the book!
The fabric postcard is from Barbara in the USA, who organised a 'fall/autumn' swap on the Stitchin Fingers FPC group. There are ten of us and we have to make one FPC for everyone else in the group. I think Barbara got a head start on the rest of us! I love the way she has cut the leaves out of felt, and stitched them on to the fabric base using metallic thread for the leaf veins.

Three Black Cats Patchwork finished.

I've been putting off finishing this project for weeks, because I wasn't sure how to do the edge. But I made up my mind that I'd finish the darn thing this weekend, one way or another, and I'm glad I persisted. Mostly because I have had this project for so long, and was ITCHING to have it done and displayed in the house. But as well as that, I badly wanted to get it finished and out of the UFO basket. I've made up my mind to get stuck into the UFOs that are lying around my craft room; I'm sick to death of seeing them. They stare at me, making me feel guilty when I start a new project. Do you feel like that - as if your UFOs have eyes that follow you around the house, and cry piteously when you shove them rudely to the bottom of your WIP basket? I've even made a list of mine, and will take great pleasure in crossing each item off when I've completed it. One down, 200 to go! No, actually about a dozen.

Halloween fabric postcards, ATCs...

We have been busy at the Stitchin Fingers website, swapping ATCs and FPCs with a Halloween Theme. Here is what I have received so far: Cute fabric postcard from Leslie in the U.K.
And a cute ATC from Maria in Spain - The FPCs and ATC I made for these swaps are here. I am expecting another FPC from Liz in Kansas - that is for our Yahoo postcard group. Ahhh..the joys of simple stitching!