knit,stitch,distress!

 

Well,that was the intention!
(I was attempting to follow Helen Cowna's directions as I'd blogged on Thursday,March 16.)

But.........
Yet again I've learned that I should read
re-read, and
read again....
before starting a project.

I knit the Sari yarn block......no problem there!
I laid the knit block on a toning cotton fabric block;I overlaid the Sari block with a couple of layers of (synthetic) sheers,and then--------
instead of using a heat gun,I attacked it all with a soldering iron!

Okay,I distressed the block.......without a doubt; But.......
for starters,I should never have laid such a light coloured fabric over the darker ones,and
NEXT time,I'll read the directions,and use a heat gun!

In the meantime,I'll see if I can excise that upper light coloured layer.
Watch this space.................. 

kurliskottage: March 17: The day for the wearing of the green

kurliskottage: March 17: The day for the wearing of the green

Photo of photocopy

 
The photocopy was one of those WET copies made in 1982 and is of the "Passengers' Contract Ticket" dated 14 April 1898.
It was the contract for my grandfather to travel as a Third class Passenger (steerage?) on the steamship Oruba from Tilbury (Port of London) to Albany,Western Australia, for the princely sum of 15 Guineas.
The contract also includes a listing of the weekly Sale of Provisions for each adult Third Class passenger,even down to listing an allowance of 21 quarts of water.
Talk about a BASIC diet: flour,bread,salt beef,suet,Rice,peas(dried split peas is my guess,sugar,treacle,cheese,oatmeal........... 

Needle Felting

I think I mentioned that I received a (dry) Needle felting kit from Rita the other day.
What I didn't say was that I have never actually seen needle felting "in the flesh";
I've only seen pics on the Web,and I do have troubles conceptualising the HOW of new tecniques.
So,despite the fact that I haven't shown you whatis the kit I present my first attempts.
Because I wanted to produce a tree for a particular project that's what I started with!
The choice of dark brown felt sheeting for the background was nota good idea,but I thought a non woven background fabric maight be helpful.

Then I thought that a chunky abstract piece might be a better/easier idea

Sari yarn

 

About six weeks ago I purchased several skeins of Sari yarn with the intention of using it in embellishing my CQ projects.
However, an aricle by Helen Cowans on "knit STITCH & Distress" in QA magazine issue 20 caused me to do a re-think!

If I wanted to test her procedure,I needed to knit up some sari yarn first.
Some of you may be wondering,what IS Sari yarn?

It's a yarn spun in Nepal using threads from the waste of the Sari looms in India.
Usually 100% silk,it can also contain rayon combined with silk sometimes and it can be purchased in different grades........I think mine was a low grade,juding by the uneven threadwhich varied from tightly wound and extremely thin,to very loose and bulky, and requiring care in handling so the thread doesn't fall apart.

Beautiful and soft to work with,I can imagine it being used in scrumbling because of its glorious colourings.........each hank is a different combination of colours.

Anyway,being a bower-bird from way back I hunted through my knitting needle collection from mother and Mother-in law,found a pair of 10mm needles and loosely knitted the skeins together.

Next step is to find and liberate from my fabric stash some synthetic sheer fabrics for upper layers and a toning fabric in silk or cotton(natural fibres for the foundation) 

Buttons

 
A butterfly,red hat and a pair of thongs!

My booty after visiting with a new (for me) quilting group today.
One of the quilters is also a potter,and she crafts these buttons in ironstone.

There were butterflies,gumnuts,pigs,chooks,billy cans,honey pots(like Pooh bear loves) jam jars,flowers,gum leaves.

Thank goodness I have short arms and deep pockets!

Unfortunately S does not have a computer,so no web site,but if my friends are interested................... 

Thongs;flip-flops,whatever!

 
Don't you LOVE them!!
3/8 inch wide by 1.25 inches long.......I can see them replacing the ones I made (a la Annie W) on my Summer bra.

Next time I'll buy the pink pair!! 

Buttons

 
I visited the Mountain Quilters at Peachester today,and found that one of the members makes her own ironstone buttons.
I mentioned to Shirley that I was always looking for buttons for my CQ,and she showed me two shopping bags full!

I reckon I showed great restraint in "only" buying these....
I mean to say: HOW could anyone resist these thongs?
(there's always another Wednesday) 

Tuesday update

Link
No pics today.....well,none at this point!
Yesterday I completed a few more postcards for the Rocky Mountain Quilters/SouthernCross Crazies Swap,and the Craft club swap;
A trial one is stamped and addressed to try out its luck in the postal world and will mail it later today.
The pink lady heart is ready to go south to Sandie;
Mother Goose redwork blocks will also brave Ozpost today;I hand quilted the Candlewicked Balloon block last night,and today our postie arrived with my order from Rita at www.needlefelting.com so of course I wanna go PLAY............

Bad hair day

 
The pic shows Alice's "hair" and lemon Alice band pinned in position;
The queen now has a crown and needs finishing off,but Alice's hair----!!! (yuk)