Indian Chief, 30th June.

Changed my mind about waiting until next Tuesday. Here he is now.

The Indian is on the move again!

I have been participating in a Better Health Group every Tuesday for six weeks, and each week we create an 'action plan' - a goal to achieve within the coming week. It usually relates to our health goals, i.e. drink 1 litre of water a day, exercise twice daily, walk for 30 minutes daily, and so on. But last week our leader suggested we make our goal something related to a hobby or interest. My first thought was of course stitching, then I had to decide which project. There was nothing I could guarantee to finish within the week, so I chose to work one hour each day on my dear old Indian Chief.
On Tuesday, I worked on it for one hour. On Wednesday, one and a half hours. Thursday I didn't stitch at all, and today I've been stitching on and off all night, stopping for cups of tea, trips to the loo, checking emails, etc. So I guess I've done well over one hour. I can see what I've achieved in four days, but when I look at how much more has to be done to finish it...well, maybe in another year or so? I'll post a photo here next Tuesday to show where I'm at. The last time I posted a pic of him was on May 8th here

eBay and Golliwogs

eBay can be such a dangerous place on the internet, especially for people like me who should not be there at all. I've been pretty good lately, only have a quick look once or twice a month, and if I don't see anything worth bidding for, well it's a good day for my bank account. But now and then, something will catch my eye, one thing will lead to another and before I know it, I've bid on half a dozen auctions! In the past two weeks, I have won two peacock linens (still coming from USA), a 1930's apron, an unfinished apron, a table centrepiece, the tablecloth that is shown below, and earlier tonight, a tea cosy.
Now, I have hundreds of tea cosies in my collection, but this one is quite different. It isn't antique, it is hand knitted by a lady who makes dolls and teacosies using golliwog faces. They are so CUTE!!! Have a look at their website: www.gollydownunder

New tablecloth via eBay

This is a full size table cloth (I draped it over a small table for the photo), and the condition is superb. The stitching is lovely - see below. Closeup detail

Aprons have been updated.

Just to let you know that my Aprons blog has been updated. I've added two more categories to it - floral and Australiana. The link is on the side bar here.

Just a simple Thank You.

I have been doing a Better Health group course, organised by our local council. It runs for six weeks, and we have two facilitators, who are youngish (under 30?) girls, very serious about their role, and very patient with us 'oldies' when we waffle on about our problems! Next week is the final week, and I wanted to show the girls how much I have appreciated all their work, so I stitched this little thank you card.

Hidden talents of a friend.

One of my blogging friends in country Victoria, mostly posts jokes on her blog, along with anecdotes about her day to day life. She happened to mention to me that she used to do a bit of embroidery, and I asked her to show some of it on her blog. Well, talk about hidden talents! I think she should create a new blog just to showcase her stitching - it is stunning! Go take a look: Jen's Chronicles

Finished item!!

It seems ages since I posted a photo of a project that I've finished. I'm still working on the Indian Chief and kitten doiley, but there is no deadline on them as they are for me. But I have now completed this little apron for a lady in the USA who is also a collector of vintage textiles, aprons in particular. We started emailing each other last year and agreed to do an apron swap. I told her I would stitch something for her and she was delighted that it would be handmade just for her (although like me, she wouldn't have cared if it was a thrift shop buy!). So here it is: I had this plain white cotton half apron in my stash without any particular plans for it, and decided to use one of my many Aunt Martha transfers for the design. I think it looks rather cute!

New additions to the Collection.

I received a parcel of goodies today from Susan at T-Cozy. She had shown this delightful teacloth set on her blog and I asked if it was for sale. She said yes, so I sent payment off immediately and here it is: This is one corner of the cloth, with one of the matching napkins (there are four the same) The next two photos are the design in opposite corners, and the last pic is of the whole cloth. Isn't it darling!

Finally! My new blog just for Aprons!

It has taken all week, but I finally got two of my friends to model all my aprons while I ironed each one and photographed it. Next I had to transfer all the photos from the digital camera to my computer, sort them all into categories and then label each pic. Finally I created the new blog, and you can see it here. (For future reference, I've put a link to it on the sidebar here, with my other blogs.) Do you know, I'm rather chuffed about all this. Fancy somebody my age being so clever with this technology...LAUGH OUT LOUD!!! What a hoot...I am not really so clever. Most of you who read my humble blogs have the most wonderful artistic blogs, everchanging templates and all the bells and whistles. I'm not even going to try to equal you - just happy to sit back and admire what you do! Hope you enjoy my new one!

A new addition to my Gallery.

My friend Sharon discovered this in one of her favourite opshops, and told me about it. I didn't get there until a few weeks later, and fortunately it was still there. I bought a few other things as well, and the shop assistant must have got a bit flustered, because she ended up charging me about $4 for this! I have done one of these Black Cat designs myself, and have two more charts waiting to be done. This is not one of them, but I just had to have it on my wall with mine, even though I haven't stitched it. The Embroiderer has worked it beautifully, but the frame has been knocked around, so I will probably have it reframed one day. This is the one I've done:

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.