Kitten doiley incomplete.

I put this picture on to my other non-stitching blog in error yesterday but as there are comments on it already, I'll leave it there, and just reproduce it here, for those readers who just look at this blog for my linen. As this was given to me with no embroidery instructions, I'm taking the easy way and just using the basic stitches like lazy daisy and outline stitch. Poor kitty looks a bit cross-eyed because of the way the black stitching lies on the yellow of the right eye! I had to use my limited imagination with colours too...a red plush velvet couch sounded nice, and kitty is black because we have a black one of our own. I'm still not sure what colour to do the flowers. With the red couch, purple cushion, and green leaves, I'm reluctant to bring too much more colour into it. I thought a yellow/orange combination. Any suggestions?

What's new, pussycat?

Well, I've done a bit more on the Indian, but I won't photograph it again until it's worth looking at. You would have to look closely to see what I have done since the last picture I posted here a couple of weeks ago. I can't carry this project with me if I go somewhere like a doctor's waiting room - it is far too big. So I carry a smaller project in my handbag, and in the last six months that has been an old doiley someone gave me, with a cat on a couch, surrounded by flowers. I've done about half of it now, and I wasn't going to post a photo until it is finished, but this blog has been so dead lately as far as pictures go, I may as well scan the doiley and post it here, just to liven the blog up a bit!
Good news for you apron lovers! A while ago, I was thinking about splitting this blog into a number of blogs for different themes or articles. I got all my aprons out recently for a show, and haven't hung them up again yet. So I decided while they were still lying around, I may as well get on with photographing them all and putting them on an 'Apron Blog'. I would have started this last week, but couldn't find a model. All my friends who would have come around to do that, were all out! They have since said "Just ask!", so hopefully in the next week or so, I will get it organised.

Duchess Set.

I haven't won anything on eBay worth showing here for a while, until this pretty Duchess set arrived. This is the centrepiece, ...and the matching doilies.

Update on Indian Chief UFO/WISP Challenge

I said in the previous post that I wasn't going to bother photographing this, but I had the camera out tonight for something else, and as this blog has been so boring lately with no photos, I thought I may as well post a recent piccie of The Chief.

It's been so quiet here lately.

I was wondering the other day as I often do, where the hell does my time go? I work three days a week (and not all day) and the other two days are usually taken up running messages that can't be done on the weekends, catching up with friends, doing my volunteer visits, and so on. Stitching? Haven't done much for ages until today, and I spent a satisfactory hour on my Indian Chief. I didn't bother photographing it, as I doubt if anyone reading this blog would notice a difference from the last photo I posted here. The only other item I've been stitching occasionally is a black cat on a doiley. It was given to me with about one quarter worked, and it is so cute, I keep it on hand to take with me when I'm expecting to have some spare time, waiting for a doctor, etc. But again, not worth photographing until it is nearly finished, and that is a few months off at least.
Because we are trying to keep our spending under control, I haven't been bidding on eBay much lately. And if I do get sucked in, I don't get carried away in a bidding war any more. If an item goes beyond $20, I let it go, no matter how much I want it - can't have everything! I have a couple of nice old doilies coming in the mail shortly; they were both under $20! So once they arrive, I'll scan them and post them here.

My response to recent comments.

Because there are several comments on my posts that I wish to reply to, I am creating a new post to answer them, otherwise my replies get lost in scrolling! Maggie ann: I think most of the bloggers in our sphere are of a similar age group - somewhere between 40 and 60, with a few either side. We seem to have similar opinions and interests, that younger generations would not understand. Pam: I'm happy that you're happy! A peacock stitched by you?? That would be FANTASTIC! Lee-Ann: Ken and I are sorry to hear that Rob caught the bug so badly. Don't mind about the opshop day - there are sure to be many more opportunities to do that! Judy: I have done most of my cross stitch on 14ct Aida, because that is the material that is suppplied with most kits. But I am happy working on 28ct or 32ct even weave, as I love the effect of the material.

Gifts to and from blogging friends.

Pam K and I have been happily swapping this past year - she likes our Aussie magazines and lace, and I like her cross stitch magazines! Today I received these beautiful even weave coloured fabrics 'to play with' as Pam put it....PLAY with? I don't think so - I'm already planning what to stitch on them and it will be in deadly earnest!! And here is some more lace that I found today at Savers - it will be on its way very soon, Pam!

Check this site out - a great tutorial resource!

Whilst surfing everyone else's links, I discovered this fantastic blog which shows video clips of how to work embroidery stitches. There is lots of other embroidery related information on Mary's blog as well, but I know I will be returning to the video library of stitches over and over again, as I've already figured out some of the more complex stitches that I couldn't pick up from books. So if you are like me -love to embroider, but can't get to grips with some of the stitches, visit Needle'N'Thread - I'll bet you will spend much time there in the future!

Crinoline lady traycloth.

One of my closest friends gave me this gorgeous little cloth for my birthday - thank you Sandra! The design is the same at each end.

Flying Ducks centrepiece.

Found this beautifully stitched centrepiece in an antique shop today for $2. They had a couple of table cloths there as well, but not as well stitched, so I left those.

A very profitable month!

This past month has seen my linen collection expanded quite substantially by various means: Ken's Mum, Opshops, eBay and on Tuesday a gift of UFOs from one of my colleagues at the Embroiderer's Guild. The first Tuesday of each month is my volunteer day in their office, and there are usually one or two other ladies with me. We each have our own tasks, but once the gallery is tidied, and the phone isn't ringing, we sit and stitch, or check out the latest books and magazines in the library. Most of the other ladies know I collect vintage linens, and one of them is also a collector, especially of aprons. On Tuesday she handed me a bag full of items, explaining that she was having a clean out of her stuff and thought I might like some of it. I was so pleased - especially because the two unfinished cloths had all the stranded cotton needed to finish them! Here they are: An unusual centrepiece - quite old I think. One end nearly finished, the other end about half done. It will need to have the edge crocheted. Half finished supper cloth. I'm confident of finishing off this little piece. The only stitches are buttonhole, stem and satin - easy-peasy! And the crocheted edge is beautifully done. Funny how some people used to work the edge before they started the embroidery...a lot of my vintage UFOs are like that. This cloth has only a small amount stitched. The material is a light brown coloured kind of rayon - it doesn't feel like linen or cotton. Closeup of the corner that has been nearly completed. I doubt if I will ever complete this cloth - I couldn't match that fantastic stitching! This is a 'new' completely unworked supper cloth, with a Robin and apple blossom in each corner. Unfortunately, no instructions for colours or stitches, but W. said she will help me work that out. This is a close up of one corner. W. collects aprons like I do, but she decided not to keep this one, so I gained it for my collection.

I've been op-shopping again!

Remember the one I left behind on Tuesday, because I'd run out of cash? Well it was still there today. Now I couldn't leave it behind again, could I? ..and look at what I found today! (Sorry, yesterday - it was Wednesday, and is now Thursday, 1 a.m.) Lace for Pam, ties for Barb, books and linen for me!! I tried a couple of times to photograph this lace, but this is the best of a poor lot. There are two lots of apricot coloured lace, one of pink, and a couple of rolls of white. These are the ties all on the clothes line. Ken has since added a few of his own that he no longer wants - I'm just glad he didn't want any of these in exchange! Pam, I've put close-up photos on Patra's Other Place for you.

Op Shop finds - Vintage UFO's!!!

I hadn't been to our local Brotherhood Opshop for a few months, but decided to check them out today, looking for lace for Pam and ties for Barbara. There was no lace and only a few ties, but surprise, surprise! I found these, for $1.40 each - bargains! Especially the two with the original instruction sheets - very hard to find these days. There was one more, but I only had $5 in my wallet, so I had to leave that. I doubt if it will still be there if I go back in a day or two, but it might be worth checking.

Nothing of any interest here, but..

..I have been taking lots of photos, but not of linen! I'm all linenned out at the moment. I have done a little on my Indian UFO Challenge, but not enough to photograph for an update report. There is actually one new cloth, but because it has a peacock on it, I've put it on my Peacocks blog.
The other photos are all of furred and feathered friends, and they can be found here.

Bluebirds tray cloth.

A nice little traycloth or centrepiece doiley, hand stitched with bluebirds.

White table topper with violets.

This is a delightful little cloth, all the more so because it only cost about $2! I say 'about' $2, because I bought three items for $5, and this was one. The detail closeup doesn't show the stitching clearly, so I will scan one section of the cloth one day for a better picture. It is stitched on Jobelan even weave (according to the label still attached to the cloth).

Orange bordered supper cloth.

I love these old cloths which have a woven coloured border and hand embroidery in the centre; I've accumulated quite a few now. This one is beautifully stitched; almost looks like machine stitching, but no, it has been handstitched by an expert.

Damask cloth with embroidery.

This is a most unusual cloth; well, it is the first one of its kind I have in my collection! I have heard of people stitching on to Damask cloths, and I have always assumed they would be embellishing the woven design. But in this case, the stitcher has obviously ironed a design from a transfer on to each corner and in the centre of her damask cloth and simply stitched it regardless of the completely different woven pattern! A very pretty cloth - I was very pleased to pay just $5 for it!

Blue cross stitch table topper.

Nice clean little table topper - blue cross stitch on white evenweave fabric.

I've been op-shopping!!

Do you know that old saying "It never rains, but it pours"? Well it certainly did for me, and I'm not referring to the wet stuff that falls out of the sky occasionally! Pam K. and I have been swapping craft magazines and other goodies, and I know she loves lace, so I decided to look for some yesterday. Another weird thing that happens (it's called Murphy's Law!) is that you see a certain thing all over the place when you don't want to buy it, but when you do want it, there is none to be found! I have always seen bags of old laces in most of my regular haunts, but yesterday - ZILCH. However!! I got lucky in linen. This is where I went, and what I found: Savers Charity Store: No lace, two tablecloths. Brotherhood of St. Lawrence: No lace, no cloths. Vinnies: One roll of lace for 50c. Red Cross: No lace, two supper cloths and a doiley. Local church op shop: No lace, one suppercloth. And I haven't found any linen in any of those op(thrift) shops for months! Here is one of the cloths on my line, and a closeup of the detail. It cost me all of $5. The others are soaking overnight, so I'll have piccies very soon!