Fabric postcards and Artists Trading Cards.

I'm really hooked on these miniatures! I finished off my Teacup postcard tonight, and have already made up two more little blocks. I also finished two ATCs for a Yahoo Group swap that I am in. The first two photos are of an ATC and a postcard that I received in today's mail. The pink ATC is from Susan M. in the U.K. and the green postcard is from Laura in the U.S.A. Thank you both, ladies! Here is my Teacup postcard, finished at last. And here is the block for a teapot FPC. I hand stitched the background fabrics onto the backing fabric, then used Pellon to iron a sticky backing onto the teapot, before I cut it out and ironed it on to the block. The theme for the April Yahoo swap is Colours Of The Rainbow, or Spring Flowers. I decided to make a kind of rainbow effect with colours, using various colours of laces, And finally, here are the last two Yahoo ATCs:

Op shop bargains!

I've sworn off eBay since I reduced my working hours in order to care for my mother-in-law who came to live with us in January. Four hours a week in my original job as a Carer doesn't allow me to spend up big on vintage linen like I did a few years ago, and even though I receive an allowance from the Government for being an at-home Carer as well, it isn't enough to make a difference to my spending. So I satisfy myself with an occasional op-shop jaunt, and sometimes I strike gold! Here is what I found today:
This framed piece of embroidery is so beautifully stitched I just had to have it for $3! I would have paid more if the shop had a higher price on it, as it is just an unusual design. I rarely see embroidered fish - cross stitch designs, yes, and seahorses, but nothing like this. And doesn't the frame match perfectly?

The cashier at Vinnies remarked on this, saying what a nice cushion cover it would make for $5. I replied that it was not going to be a cushion cover in my home! I washed it in woolwash after I'd taken this photo, and it looks even better now. A stunning sample of tapestry/needlepoint stitches in a variety of wools and cottons.
Finally, this lone hankie for $1. It is Lagartera work in the corner, isn't it?

Block for my next fabric postcard.

The Yahoo group for swapping fabric postcards is keeping me on my toes, but I love it! The more I do, the faster I become at setting the blocks up. Here is the next one which was supposed to be sent out this week, but my exchange partner knows I have been delayed. I did this last night and this morning, and hope to embellish it and get it in the mail next week.

One finished, another started.

I did say that I had to get this one done soon! I did the seams and beading late last night, and finished it off today. Hubby-who-knows-nothing-about-stitching inspected this tonight and said "That blue butterfly would look better in the opposite corner on the dark red material. It looks empty over there". Well, halloooo smarty pants! Don't you ever run out of ideas and time??
I have organised a Round Robin on our Cross Stitchin Fingers Group on the Stitchin Fingers website. There are six of us, and instead of dividing a piece of square fabric into 3 up and 3 down sections, I decided to have the six sections all in a row, and turn the finished RR into a table runner. I've chosen teapots and cups for my theme, and the design I've started stitching is a Delft Teapot. I know you can't see much here, but this is really just to show the other members of our RR group what I am doing.

Mini patchwork for my Japanese friend.

This is the finished product of the crazy patchwork piece I made for my Japanese friend, who is 90 years old. I do not do as much embellishment on my patchwork as most of the more experienced CQ stitchers. I haven't got the time or the talent, for a start! But I also feel that any more embellishment on a small piece like this would have been overdoing it. When I presented it to my friend last week, she didn't realise I was giving it to her until she saw what I had written on the back. She was quite overcome, near to tears. It is always a pleasure to make a gift for someone who show such depths of appreciation.

My current projects.

You'd never think this is a Lyrebird, would you? Well, it will be, when it's finished. Assisi work for a friend's 60th birthday.
This is a rooster and one chick. The unfinished bit on the left will be the hen and another chick. I started this because it is something easy that I can pick up when I want to work on something without concentrating too much.
This is the block for a postcard which replaces one that was lost in the mail. I need to finish this very soon!!
My elderly Japanese friend loves to see what I am working on, so I thought I would surprise her on my next visit, by showing her this, then telling her I'm doing it for her. I used fabrics with Japanese designs.
************************************************* Needless to say, this is not my work. My friend Louise found it in an opshop and thougtht I would like it in my collection. She thought right, LOL!

Lincraft Greensborough is closing down.

Lincraft is a chain of stores that specialise in fabrics of all kinds - dressmaking, quilting, embroidery fabrics, wools, cottons, and so on. I was very disappointed to discover that our local Lincraft shop in Greensborough has lost the lease to their premises, and will be moving out later this year. Spotlight in Box Hill is the nearest crafts supply store to me now...or is there one in Doncaster? Lincraft was having a closing down sale last week, so I took advantage of this and bought some interfacing, some cute buttons, and a skein of DMC cotton that was lying in the button box. All in all, about $10.

Fabric postcards and ATCs.

I was running late for my Yahoo postcard exchange, so yesterday being Sunday, the day of rest, I decided to spend the afternoon making my postcard. MIL sat with me at the kitchen table, reading a book and looking up now and then to see how I was going. I was really pleased with myself to finish it - just goes to show what you can do if you put your mind to it. For once, Ken had his own agenda, doing small maintenance jobs around the house which he'd been putting off because it was just too hot over the past few weeks. So he wasn't pestering me for food and drinks, or wanting to go somewhere! I'm not making any apologies about the unfinished look here - I ran out of green thread on my needle at the bottom right hand corner, and didn't have time to re-thread and finish it. I might do that before I post it. And the edges look a bit frayed - so? I'll trim them!
This postcard and the two ATCs were sent to me by Susan Lantz, the lady who organised the Cyber Fibre exhibition I mentioned some time ago. I was very surprised to receive these from her, as we'd had a misunderstanding, and I sent her a rude email because she hadn't responded to my emails! But once she'd explained her position, I apologised profusely, and thought that was the end of the matter. Then these arrived!!! Thank you very much Susan - you are a very generous spirited lady.

Another UFO completed.

I hate myself when I have started to make a gift for a friend, but don't finish it in time for the occasion. Last year, I started stitching this Tea towel for a friend in Germany, who is a great fan of Andre Rieu. Her birthday is in April, and this was supposed to be finished for her birthday....2008, not 2009! I'd told her I was working on something, but didn't give any details, so it will be a surprise. A bit silly, I know, but I couldn't resist the Waltz connection to Andre! As I wrote to my friend, I'm sure he has never played a "Vegetable Waltz"!

Fabric postcards and aprons.

I finished my Coffee postcard today, and will be mailing it to Janny in the Netherlands tomorrow (I have trimmed the edges since I took this picture!) Today I received this lovely fabric postcard from Helen in the U.K. - she was my swap partner for the Green Postcard swap on a Yahoo Group. She also enclosed this gorgeous lot of 'bling' as an apology because the first FPC she sent never arrived - how generous is that?!
Aprons? Ah ha, you will have to go here to see my latest find!

Starting another Fabric postcard.

If you go back a few posts here, you will find an ATC I made, featuring a cup of coffee. That fabric was from a man's tie that I found in an opshop, and snapped up immediately, realising the possibilities of the design! I am now incorporating some more of that tie in my latest Fabric postcard, which is destined for Janny in the Netherlands. Here is what I have done so far. I've got a bit more embellishing to do, then it will be mailed. My 96 year old MIL who lives with us now, is fascinated by these little miniature works of fabric art. I showed her this one from the start, making the block, then choosing the bits of lace and buttons to finish it off. She says they never had anything like that in her days of embroidery - just ordinary old fancy work on traced linen, crochet and tatting. ORDINARY OLD??? Understatement of the century!
I've also started another Asissi stitching project, which will take quite some time, as I'm teaching a non-stitching friend to do it and we are 'stitching in tandem'. Not worth photographing anything yet, but as we get more done, I post some pics.

A new fabric postcard, and a unique sampler.

Before I show off my new postcard, I want to tell my readers here about a neat sampler that one of my blog pals has recently completed. It is made up of different stitches of "Chicken Scratch" - you know, the one you do on gingham. I've always loved this style of embroidery - simple, rustic, country, whatever you think - it reminds me of the aprons my mother wore, and the little supper cloths she and her friends had in their linen cupboards. Jane (Miss 376) has made this sampler - go to her blog here to have a look!
OK, now for my latest postcard! I was delighted to receive this today from Janny in The Netherlands as a one to one exchange. Due to my circumstances at home right now, I'm behind in my stitching commitments, but I have all the bits to get going - I just need the time to do it!

My postcard for Liz.

Guess I shouldn't be posting this, because if Liz sees it, my postcard won't be a surprise. Never mind, it shouldn't be long in arriving at her home.

Fabric postcard.

I received this gorgeous fabric postcard yesterday from "Liz" in the USA. We are exchange partners in a Yahoo Swap Group. I've still working on hers...life has got in the way of my stitching lately, but hopefully I'll soon have more time to myself to catch up!

Late Christmas surprise in the mail.

Happy New Year to all my stitching blog friends! I received a gorgeous biscornu in the mail on Dec. 31 - nice way to end the year! (She also sent the beaded thingy - sweet!) Shari in Canada posted this to me way back in October, for a Stitchin Fingers exchange. She'd received mine in good time, but hers apparently got sent by surface mail. As I said to her...dingbats (working in the post office over there!)

Stitchin' Christmas gifts!

How well my friends know me, and how well they indulge me! I usually received a few 'embroidery-type' gifts for Christmas, and this year was no exception. Sharon gave me three lovely gifts - a miniature teapot (not shown here), a Cross Stitch book, and a square of linen printed with one of my favourite themes - old fashioned lady in her garden. I look after a 90 year old lady in my job, and when I showed her this, she promptly suggested which stitches I should use (and yes, I will be taking her advice!)

Finished ATCs.

Here are those ATCs again - the Doggie one had to be cut down a bit, but other than that there is no change. The Cup of Coffee block is now embellished and ready to go to a new owner. If you click on the picture, it will show up in more detail.

Some more miniature patchwork

Well, Textile ATCs actually. I have a collection of men's ties that I've picked up at opshops over the years, thinking I would do something with the lovely and sometimes unusual fabrics they are made of. I cut a piece from two of them to include in these ATCs: This blue tie had these cute Dalmation puppies all over it, in red hearts! I'm also planning to make an FPC (Fabric post card) using these. On this ATC I've appliqued the pup to red fabric, and used blanket stitch to secure it. The side bits are dark blue ric rac over-stitched with pale blue floss. The tie I used for the ATC below has these single coffee cups as well as groups on it, and again I'm planning a FPC using the larger motif. This ATC is just a basic block so far. I will embellish the seams, and use beads to secure the lace.

Another little project completed.

This Fabric postcard completes another swap project. The swap Group members were instructed to stitch something 'Green' this month, so I played around with my fabric scraps, trims, beads and sequins and came up with this. I'm posting it to the U.K. tomorrow and hopefully I'll receive my partner's 'Green' postcard by return mail soon!

LeeAnn's Christmas gifts.

These are part of LeeAnn's Christmas gift to me. She also gave me a beautiful ornament, which is on my other (non stitching) blog. Three hand stitched hand towels - lovely!
A treasure from China or Japan - a bamboo and paper parasol, embroidered with flowers in silk. Below is a close up of the embroidery.
LeeAnn is one of the most thoughtful and generous people I know. She knows exactly what people are interested in, and searches in lots of places for just the right gifts for her friends. Thank you HEAPS, dear friend!!