EGV Summer School.

The Embroiderers Guild of Vic. closes down over January, but runs a Summer School for the members, who sign up for it early in December. I decided to enrol in one of this year's workshops, and now wish I'd joined up for more! I thoroughly enjoyed my two days at the Guild with tutor Wanda, and a dozen other ladies. Our class was called "Embroidered Gardens or Landscapes", in which we learnt how to apply paint to fabric, then embroider details of a scene on to it. I have messed around with painting calico, and stitching random patterns on it, but this was a chance to learn to do it properly.
Wanda supplied the fabric (Clydella) and the paints, and we had to bring a photo or picture, our threads and sewing necessities. I couldn't find a photo of a garden or landscape that appealed to me, so I took this picture from a Japanese calendar. Which I folded in half to use this side of the picture.
The first step was to draw a sketch of how we wanted our picture to look, defining the background, midground and foreground. Then we wet our piece of fabric, and applied paint in the colours and areas we'd chosen to match our pictures. This was then dried with a hairdrier, and ironed to set the colour. This took about an hour, with much laughter as we moved around the table with tubes of paint and checked each other's fabrics. This is what mine looked like: The next step was choosing the threads to match the painted fabric, as well as extra colours needed to embroider our pictures.
Wanda showed us how to start stitching the background, and most of us completed that by the end of the first day. Mine shows the mountains in the background and the outlines of the ravine and trees on the right.
The next day, Wanda looked over our work and made suggestions for added stitching where she thought it would enhance the picture. By midmorning, I had filled the trees at the top with French knots, and couched threads down for the tree trunks at the foot of the picture.
We moved onto stitching the midground area, and by the end of the day, most of us were finishing off the foreground and highlights of our pictures. During the afternoon, Wanda also gave us a demonstration of how to frame our work, from stretching the fabric over board and lacing it, to selecting a frame. All in all, a very useful and enjoyable workshop.
By 3 pm, this is where I was at. All this needs to finish it is the foliage on the trees at the bottom, plus a few more seed stitches and lines on the ravine to fill in the blank spaces.
Our class room. Wanda has done many of these embroidered pictures over the years, and had about twenty on display to inspire us. These are just two of them.

New Year resolution, or goals for 2011.

I was making up a new list of things to do this year, and went back a year ago on this blog to refresh my memory of what UFOs I had listed back then, that I wanted to finish. There were seven listed on the blog post, but I added a couple more throughout the year. I had two CQ blocks to finish, a bookmark, Aussie RR sampler, Xmas RR sampler, Calico redwork bag, Peacock duchess set, Semco blackwork kit, and the cross stitch map of Australia. I finished all bar the last three items. So my 2011 list starts with those three, but they won't be first off the rank as far as finishing them. I can manage the duchess set, and probably the map of Australia, but the blackwork project will probably stay on the back burner for a few more years...
My UFO list 'to do' this year is as follows:
*Peacock Duchess set
*Art deco tea cosy (this was given to me by someone at the Guild, and it only needs an hour or so to finish the embroidery)
*Bluebird supper cloth (another project started by someone, that ended up in an opshop or on Ebay, I can't remember) which needs about 10 minutes of stitching to finish.
* cross stitch map of Australia
*a small cross stitch of baby Lorikeets, which a friend gave me about 10 years ago. I only re-discovered it a few months ago, and as the friend has since passed away, I would like to finish it for sentimental reasons.

New Projects - I'd like to have these done in time to enter them in one or both of our Homecrafts shows later this year.
*Japanese Crane fabric quilted wall hanging
*Owls wall hanging (a kit purchased at a craft show last year)
*a patchwork throw or wall hanging made from my collection of men's ties. I'd also like to make Ken's niece's daughters a small quilt each, featuring Sunbonnet Sue, but that will be low on the list of priorities, as I doubt if I'll have time after attempting everything else on this list!

Friendship stitchery

Cheryl gave me this little stitchery kit for Christmas, and apologised for not actually stitching it for me. I told her not to fret over it - I would do it myself. It only took me a couple of days. I haven't decided what to do with it - maybe frame it, or sew it on to something else, or use it in a block for a patchwork project.

Christmas gifts of stitching.

I was delighted to receive some handworked gifts for Christmas this year. This fabric postcard is from MaryLou in Canada - one of my cyberspace friends on Stitchin Fingers. We weren't in a swap, so this was a nice surprise in the mail just before Christmas.
Ken and I drove up to Bendigo on the day after Boxing Day, and on the way home, we dropped in to see LeeAnn and Rob at Malmsbury. They invited us to stay for a barbecue tea, and presented us with gifts as well! Mine included these beautiful patchwork place mats, and the gingham apron with a crocheted Dolly Varden design - gorgeous!

CQ goodies from Pam K.

For a few years, I have been reading the blog of Pam Kellogg, and it was largely her influence that got me started on crazy patchwork, although I don't embellish my projects to the extent that Pam does. Her stitching and beadwork is fantastic! Knowing she loves collecting lace, I've been buying laces whenever I see them at opshops, and every now and then I post her a parcel of laces, just 'cos she is a lovely lady! She is also a very generous person, and as well as sending me American needlework magazines that aren't available here, she has also sent me several examples of her stunning CQ works. I purchased one from her Etsy shop, but the other three she has sent out of the goodness of her heart. I recently asked her permission to post pictures of them on my blog, and she said that was fine with her. So here they are, and to dear Pam, thank you very much again for your generosity and friendship. My best wishes to you and hubby for a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. (BTW, I've just mailed another package to you!)
This is actually a 12" square wall hanging - Red Hat Society theme.
Pink and Black cushion with cord to hang.
Slightly larger cushion with peacock theme.
Cell phone pouch, also using a peacock theme. Can you tell, we both love anything with peacocks!

I'm back online!!

This is the best Xmas present I could have wished for this week - to have the internet back! I'll write more about that particular trauma on my other blog, but for this blog, here is my last minute Xmas gift to my mate Cheryl. She has had a very stressful year, particularly at work, so I figured she'd appreciate the sentiments on this. After I took this photo, I made it up into a small wall hanging with 20 minutes to spare before she arrived here to swap Xmas gifts. She absolutely loved this!! Said she would be hanging it in her office the next day, but would bring it home again - doesn't want it to disappear from her office!

Happy Xmas and see you around sometime

I just posted on my other blog that we have lost internet connection at home, so I'm doing this at a friend's house. Telstra have been massively unco-operative, and I don't know when or if we'll ever get back online, so I just want to wish my blog friends all the best for Xmas and The New Year.

Last minute Fabric postcard

The Postcard Group on Stitchin Fingers didn't have a Christmas swap organised, so I jumped in last week and said we still have time to do one. There are six of us - three Aussies and three overseas, so I've paired each Aussie up with a 'foreigner', and my partner is Sheila in Scotland. Here is my fabric postcard which will be mailed tomorrow (Monday 13th) and hopefully, will arrive before the 25th. If I'd had a few more days, I would have added beads and sequins to liven up the stitching, but I think the Smiley button cheers it up a bit!
Completely unrelated to this post, but not worth creating a new one: I've just posted pics of a new apron on my Aprons blog for anyone who is interested.

Two little Christmas gifts.

Two down, one to go. Now that I've given one of these to Val, I can post a photo. The other one is for a friend who doesn't read blogs, so she won't see this in advance of me giving it to to her. I'm frantically working on the third one, and hope to post a pic next week. If it doesn't get finished in time for Christmas, the recipient will get it for her birthday next year! She doesn't know I'm doing it, so she won't know the difference - that's the best thing about surprise gifts, isn't it!

Fabric postcard received.

Linda in the UK sent me this gorgeous cupcakes postcard. I was supposed to make a cupcakes themed postcard for Sharon, but I had a blonde/senior moment and forgot it was cupcakes, and made mine a teacup theme (see previous post). Luckily for me, Sharon said she liked it anyway, so I didn't have to make a new one!

Fabric postcard.

I swore I wasn't going to participate in any exchanges this year, but when I saw the topic for a postcard exchange on Stitchin Fingers was to be 'teacups', I just had to go for it! I've just finished this little card for Sharon in country Victoria, and am waiting for her to send me her address so I can mail it to her. In the meantime, I'm waiting on one to arrive from Linda.

I am in shock!

Of the nine items I entered in the Lilydale Show this weekend, six won a prize! Three firsts - Biscornu, Japanese Doll wall hanging, and Redwork lady calico bag.
Two Second Prizes: Peacock Crazy Patchwork Block and the Black Cats patchwork wall hanging.
My Teacup crazy patchwork block won a Third Prize.
So you ask, why am I so surprised? Well, they must have different judges at these shows, or perhaps it is because my work is up against work by different people. OK, the Biscornu won first place in its category in both shows. Maybe they'd never seen one before! The Redwork lady came second at Whittlesea. The Japanese doll hanging didn't get placed at Whittlesea, but a first at Lilydale? I was flabbergasted because of all the entries, this was just a quick easy kit that I bought at a craft show!! Took me about an hour to do!
The Peacock CQ block came third at Whittlesea, and second at Lilydale. The teacup CQ wasn't placed at Whittlesea, but got a third at Lilydale. There was no other example of Crazy Patchwork at either show. As for my Black Cats, I entered that at Whittlesea two years ago and it wasn't placed. It was a last minute decision to enter it at Lilydale this year, so I was tickled pink to see it placed!
Lilydale is a smaller show than Whittlesea; here is the Homecrafts Pavilion.
They didn't have many quilts compared to Whittlesea, where the quilts were hung on the walls and from the rafters.
Some of the framed cross stitch displays - absolutely stunning work.
One display section with mixed needlecrafts such as crochet, tatting, embroidery, and small cross stitch.
There were several stallholders demonstrating their craft - I thought this was a great idea.
All in all, it was a fun day. Perfect weather, spent with a fun girlfriend who talked me into having a couple of tattoos on my arms! You'll have to see my other blog if you want to know more about THAT! ;-)

Cross stitch gift and strip patchwork

I've gone off the rails again...the UFOs are languishing at the bottom of my WIP basket. Hey, I have to have a break occasionally! Anyway, Christmas is coming, and I've got gifts to stitch. This one is supposed to be for a mobile phone cover, but I'm tossing up as to whether I'll do that, or put it in a little frame for the recipient to put on her desk at work.
I sometimes buy mens' ties at opshops to use for patchwork, and have a box of them now. My friend Helen is helping me remove the linings and cut them up. When I saw a pattern on the net (it has also been in magazines), for quilt blocks using strips of left over fabrics, I decided the technique would be a great way of using some of my ties stash. Yesterday I felt like playing, so I cut strips of tie fabric and did this block, which is actually four six inch square blocks sewn together to make one.

Next Show!

I dropped off some of my embroideries to the Lilydale Showgrounds today. I had seven of the nine that I'd entered at Whittlesea, but when I mentioned to the steward that I had two more items in my car (I'd been showing them to a friend earlier), she said "Bring them in!" The ladies said they were happy to accept last minute entries, as their numbers were down this year, so I added my Black Cats patchwork wall hanging, and the Romantic Dancers bookmark (I wasn't going to enter that, as it had just won at Whittlesea, but the steward said that didn't matter - this was Lilydale!) There were several people in the queue behind me, and when they heard my discussion with the stewards, they said "Oh, we've got more in our car too!" so off they went and retrieved their extras. For anyone in Melbourne reading this, The Lilydale Show is on this weekend at the showgrounds which are two blocks behind Maroondah Highway, just past the railway line.

Photos of my winning works.

Well, I came home with two first prizes, two seconds and one third - and $34 in prize money. While I am chuffed about all this, I need to explain to you that five prizes don't make me the best of the best! Local shows like this are a starting point for the big time shows such as Melbourne or Sydney Agricultural shows, and they (the local ones) don't attract the amount of work that the state competitions do. Several people have said to me in past years that if more people don't enter the needlecraft sections of these shows, they are likely to be closed, as it is not worth judging one or two items in some categories. For instance, although my bookmark won first prize, there was only two bookmarks entered! And the biscornu was in a section called "Cross stitch items not in any other category", and mine was the only entry, so I got first prize! Still, it is a buzz to see one's work up there on view for all to see, with certificates attached, regardless of whether it is the only one in its category ;-)
The two cross stitched bookmarks entered - mine is the black and white one.
These three are all mine - funny how they put them all together. The larger peacock on the right hand is the 2nd prize winner here - it is stitched on linen, whereas the others are on Aida. My Biscornu - the design is Pam Kellogg's - waving to Pam!
My three patchwork blocks, all together again. The centre block (peacock) has 3rd prize in this category.
This one was a real surprise - second prize for simple redwork! Waving to Bronwyn Hayes - thanks for your cute pattern ;-)
I took many more photos of the other crafts in the Homecraft Pavilion at the Show, but I'll post them on another blog tomorrow if I get time. Thanks to all my dear friends who have left congratulatory messages. If you have never put your work into a show, DO IT! If I can win something, anybody can!

Great excitement here!

I just spoke to a friend who visited the Whittlesea show yesterday, and she told me that four of my pieces have won prizes - two first prizes!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll be going there later today to collect my items, and will try to get some photos to post here tonight. I should have waited until then, but I'm tickled pink!
Another Melbourne blogger is also very excited, with good reason! She made a crazy patchwork quilt, which has been sold for $70,000! What a fantastic achievement - firstly to make this quilt (I doubt if I'd have the skill or the patience) and secondly to sell it to someone who obviously appreciates the countless hours of work and materials that go into such a project. Go here for a look, and leave a message of congrats. for Robyne!

Tapestry Guild of Victoria show

Last week I attended the Tapestry Guild annual show, which was fantastic as always. I've posted 10 photos on my 'Needlecraft Shows' blog, but for some reason, I can't get the rest of my photos on there. I'll try again in a few days, but in the meantime, do have a look at some of the best cross stitch and needlepoint I've ever seen.

Not much sewing going on here.

I've lost my mojo at the moment. My hands ache almost all the time, and stitching gets harder and slower. As does typing on the computer. I've taken up Tai Chi with a friend, as it is said to be good for people with arthritis, although I don't know if it will help my hands. The other thing that isn't helping is my old computer and ME operating system. I'm finding that I can't open up more and more websites, including some of my favourite blogs, because their upmarket systems don't recognise mine any more. So, for anyone on my sidebar here who thinks I have deserted them, I haven't. I see a bit of your blogs, then my pc just freezes, and I can't leave comments. I guess the day is coming when I'll have to give in and upgrade my computer. Sigh....So lately I've been spending more time reading than stitching or blogging. I've done a bit on the Sailing Ship commission, as that is only back stitch, and I've got it on a frame, so it isn't so hard on my hands.
We spent a couple of days in Sydney last week, and Ken's cousin looked after our house, so I stitched up a fridge magnet to say 'thank you'. Cousin doesn't tell anybody her age, so I'm hoping she'll appreciate the sentiments here!

Embroidered Doyley holder

I've mentioned my blog friend Sylvia here before. She collects Royal memorabilia, and I've added a few small pieces to her collection recently, for which she swaps some of her embroidered items. The Coronation hair pins I mentioned in the previous post attracted Sylvia's attention, and we arranged a swap. I think I got the better bargain, and she thinks she does, so it was another very satisfactory exchange. She sent me this gorgeous embroidered "Doyley" holder:

L'ucello's in Melbourne.

l'ucello is a vintage haberdashery store in Melbourne's CBD - I wrote a post about it earlier this year, although I hadn't been there myself. But last week on a visit to town with a friend, we made a quick detour there, and it was very worthwhile! I didn't have my camera with me, but I found another blog that has photos of l'ucello's interior, so go here for a peep. I'm sure any of you in Melbourne reading this, will dive in there as soon as you get the chance! I purchased a few little goodies in our quick visit:
A card with hairpins dating back to the Queen's coronation in 1953, and a section of very old woven band of fabric, possibly dating back to WW1. Kim at l'ucello said she intended to check this out at either the Shrine or Anzac House.
Half a metre of this darling fabric! My friend Julie asked what I was going to do with it. Julie is not a craft person, so she doesn't understand STASH!
****Note to Sylvia**** If you are interested in those hairpins, let me know!