PSI for Fiber Art Traders.

Remember the film a few years back...."Super size me" ?
Well, PSI (or Plus sized inchies") are slightly super- sized Inchies ;
These are 24 1.5 inch squares that left me today on their way to the USA.

With my recent run in the last six months of four or five packages apparently never reaching their destination I can only hope the postal pixies behave this time.
My colour scheme for this series was basically midnight blue and silver.........

So,how did that rusty pink square slip in?
I wanted to try enclosing an Australian stamp in Angelina film and I only hadsome "desert sunset sparkle" left.

By the way,Fiber Art Traders aka FAT celebrates it's second birthday today.
Happy birthday to Nj (the List momma) and all the others who have made this such a caring,sharing MAD place.

Postcards

Three postcards ready for travel!
Three are needle felted and hand embellished;the fourth was an experiment.

The second card showing the pheasant ? peacock ?
(I'm not really sure what it is) .........was constructed using a paper cutout I purchased in Beijing back in 1999.
At the time I found these cutouts,I had no idea how or what to use them for!

A week or so back I purchased some Misty fuse------
so,using a dark mottled green for background I placed a small piece of black Misty Fuse centrally.
Over that went the bird;and covering all I used some black bridal tulle.

Baking parchment over it all protected the various bits as I fused all together with the iron.
Some machine quilting to anchor the Angelina and outline stitch around the bird.

Next time,I'll take more time and care and do a better job of outline stitching the bird.

For now.......at least I have an idea how to finally use my Beijing purchase!

Plus sized Inchies P.S.I.

Another project I'm working on........for the Fibre Art Traders (aka FAT) are these "plus sized Inchies".

Instead of constructing and embellishing one inch fabric and fibre squares as I attempted for Textile_Challenges,these are each 1.5 inch square---a much easier size.

Also,instead of needing to make several batches in different colours, it was required that we make 25 squares in the colour of choice.
As I'm already waiting for Inchies in midnight blue and silver,I chose to repeat this in order that I can combine the two sizes.

I also learned by experience, that if I wished to used a stabiliser or batting,something like a (soft) Pellon was preferable if I wished to hand embellish rather than by machine.

I've used several fabrics: velvet,lame' type fabric and a taffeta.
Embellishments include hot fix Swarovski crystals;
laser mesh;
Angelina fibres
Beading in various shapes,FME with metallic silver thread,and some handstitched silver DMC.

Jaws & friends

Let's go kite flying

"Let's go fly a kite....................
Up where the air is bright
Let's all go Fly a Kite"



This weekend was the annual Festival of Kites at Clontarf on the Redcliffe Peninsula.

This festival brings together both amateur and "professiona' kite flyers and is so popular that this year,flying was by invitation only.

It was held on the foreshore of Clontarf in Pelican Beach.........the weather was perfect (from a specator's viewpoint anyway:
Temperature about 27 moderate south to nor easterly breezes,blue blue skies with a frosting of high cloud---------

and were those kites Spectacular!
(I really do need to improve my photographic skills before next year)

Tiny treasures

Two more sets of tiny treasures aka "Inchies" arrived in my post box this week.
The upper set ,from Carol C in Scotland arrived today:
Carol has used varied means to embellish the one inch squares and I'm hoping to hear from her how the middle one in the middle row,and the left hand one in the third row were done.
The one in the second row has a (shaded) blue texture........Xpandaprint or something else?

The lower one reminds me of spilt silver solder,with a filigree silver bead superimposed.















These nine travelled from Patsy M in Colorado:
Unfortunately my flash is a bit heavy handed..will have to try again!

Patsy has chosen mainly denim for her inchies;and on some has also used foils to great effect.
Silver braid
stars
fringing
a silver palm tree and a beaded spray,and three foiled squares each featuring either a clear deep blue shell,butterfly or gemstone complete the set.

When I first signed up for this swap,I had no idea how I would assemble my treasures.......
Thankfully I'm starting to get ideas.

Nearly there

After one or two near disasters..........when my spirit of "what if" took action before my brain,here it is: needlefelted and ready for some quilting and extra embellishment.

You may remember that I used a painted nappy/diaper liner for the foundation cloth?

In a rush of enthusiasm I decided to see what effect I'd get if I sprayed the piece with a mist of water and steam pressed it........

Trust me,
don't do it!

(Having used the fibre a few weeks ago for heat treated fibre beads,you'd think I'd have remembered what happened!)

Melted holes in the foundation didnt I!

Anyway the piece was saved by needle felting the lot to a piece of batting and then adding more wool roving.

I think this would make a good cover for my garden journal.

Inchies...A Textile Challenge

Another challenge from the Textile_challenge group was to make a series of "Inchies"--

Similar to a mini ATC ,these Inchies were to be one inch square!

(Give me the ATC format of 2.5 by 3.5 inches ANYDAY!)

Anyway,here's three of the sets completed....
I must go photograph the fourth and fifth sets too!




TURQUOISE










LAVENDER/PINK





















RED!



Still to come: Purple and Midnight blue with silver!

Needle felting: A WiP

I thought that maybe I better show that I am trying to get "something" accomplished with my Janome Xpression.

The Challenge was titled "Oranges and Lemons".......

So far,this is the result:
I first daubed neopaque paints over a nappy liner before using the resulting sheet as foundation.
The individual flower petals need to be needled into position ...I want to have them partially free standing so will need to change to single needle--something I've avoided so far.

Finally, some FME quilting and additional beads and fibres will (probably) be added to complete the work.

Art2Mail Group29

It seems forever since I blogged anything stitching related........that front has slowed down somewhat as I've been involved in revamping our back yard.

Today's mail delivered this "colour discharge" postcard from Karen S in Iowa.
Entitled "Shadows" I think the feeling of depth is great.
I wish she'd come visit and give me some lessons!

On the stitching front,I'm still finishing off my "inchies" for the Textile Challenge swap........not feeling too enthusiastic about them and will probably never tackle them again as I find them too small and fiddly.

I'm also working on some needle felting..........originally my piece was to be for the needlefelting challenge group ,but I have a feeling it may end up as postcards for the Embellisher postcard swap.

On a more practical note.......I've been making tablecloths .........and I'll be blowed if I can get four matching mitred corners.
Back to frogstitching for the umpteenth time!

Day Six

Seven a.m. this morning I realised that I hadn't photographed yesterday's results.

This is taken from front of house.....

Lomandra and Zanadu have been planted on the right,and mulched,and gravel has been laid in the area bounded by "the coffin" aka proposed vegetable garden and the dining room.
Behind that is the two surviving paw-paws and the slab for patio extension.

In a day or so,we'll consider laying some pavers in the gravel,and decide whether we like the effect,or not.

Day Five

The beds have been mulched;
The pavers laid on the gravel;
........and in the lower picture you can see my "problem area"!
The path meanders down........
to a BLANK SPOT!

I'm still trying to find an Asian statue/sculture/plaque of Buddha that I like.

In the front yard outside the dining room,is (to me) a gorgeously serene Buddha..........I want a similar atmosphere in my zen garden.

Day Four.......makeover

Nearly all the plants have been planted out.......in the ground,and in the selection of terracotta urns.
The far corner is home to the shade loving plants,and the area closest to camera is for the sun hardy individuals.
Meanwhile on the southern and northern sides of the house,two concrete slabs have been laid:
the one on the southern side to accommodate a rainwater tank(IF we ever get rain!)
and the larger one is to increase our outdoor living area......this will be roofed,hopefully later this month.

Day three.......moving along

A fair amount happened today .........
New topsoil was placed around the pathway;
Weed-mat was laid within the pathshape;
A small layer of pebbles was placed on the weed-mat in the path;
I finished sealing the terra-cotta pots and we placed them in various configurations along the way;
Then we played "musical chairs" with the Draecenas,Cordylines Crotons,Acanthus,Spathiphyllum,Orchids,ferns,violets and Clivea.........
oh! I forgot the Mondo grass clumps.!!

The lower picture is of the northern side of the house..............the box beyond the pawpaws is my proposed vege garden.

Whilst the rear garden has soft curves,this side of the yard is echoing the geometric shape of the slab ,the air-con and the vegetable garden.

The rear garden is soft,reflective,soothing...............ZEN.
The side is the practical no nonsense area.

The bare bones

.......of the project,would have to be the path running the length if the house.
I couldn't imagine anything worse than a sterile STRAIGHT path............how many straight lines does Nature tolerate?
I hoped to convey a path ,a creek bed wandering through vegetation.
Luckily the Landscape Supply company had green treated pine ,that with the use of stakes we were able to bend into soft curves.

(No,I didn't do the heavy work,a very patient BarryP did that.........and after a couple of attempts we achieved a pleasing shape.........
My idea is to have pebbles and pavers within the frames and varied vegetation grouped on both sides.

In the lower picture is one of the major joys of the yard........a Poiciana(regis?) in our neighbour's yard which helps produce such glorious shade foliage and flowers in Summer.
With Winter just about here it will be interesting to see how the garden copes

The Blitz begins!

After relocating the pot-plants (and stands) to the southern side of the house,and transplanting some herbs to other pots..........
Conan the Barbarian arrived with his Bob-cat!

Most vegetation was earmarked for removal.....except for the citrus tree,the paw-paws and the Golden -cane Palms along the back boundary.

The fairly lush Star Jasmine creeper,just on the lower side of the cement slab in the lower photo was "meant" to be untouched...........but wasn't!

Most all the topsoil was removed......down to the Redcliffe clay.

At this stage,I was beginning to think:
"What have I done!"

Backyard Blitz

In mid February,this is how our garden looked'(with the addition of many pot-plants from our previous home.)
For some crazy reason I wished to create a small,lush oasis as a foil against the outside world.
Okay! We're in Drought!
Level FIVE water restrictions apply.........

BUT,having spent most of my married life being "water conscious" due to relying on rainwater tanks for all my house and garden needs,I reckon I can do it.
The first and third pictures show the back (eastern) side of the house.
The middle pic is of the northern side where there 'was' three paw-paw trees,a citrus tree and a very SAD herb garden.

My proposed plan is to not only extend a patio area on the eastern side,but where the herb garden is now,add another outdoor living area.
So..let the "fun" begin!