Preparing for St Patrick's Day

When I was a child , and living in Western Australia,
St Patrick's Day,March 17, was celebrated in a big way :
All the pupils of the Perth metropolitan Catholic schools would assemble at Subiaco Oval for an open air celebration of the Mass is honour of StPaddy

And various dioceses around the state would celebrate with concerts and dances.
The community singing of "I'll take you home again Kathleen"
"O Danny Boy" "Galway Bay" would nearly raise the roof of "His Majesty's Theatre" up the top end of Hay Street.

Of course, way back then a great deal of the Perth population was of Irish descent, and that made a big difference !
These days, sadly, it is probably deemed politically incorrect to celebrate so publicly, unless it is a parade organised by a pub!

Anyway, as you can see I have started making cards to celebrate not only St Patrick's Day, but also my heritage.
I hope my friends enjoy the cards

AND SEW IT GOES: About thread...

AND SEW IT GOES: About thread...

Take one Shoe-box:

 Take one shoebox, and add:
Pair of scissors, needles, pins, pin cushion
Threads: both machine and embroidery
BUTTONS
Safety pins
A chocolate bar
any craft things you would like to share
a magazine: not necessarly quilting or crafting
some fabric (fat quarters or fat eighths)

By now you got the picture  (smile) Now get to it, please

Shoe-box Rescue kits

 Can you imagine not even owning a needle, or threads , or even replacement buttons to make repairs to your family's clothes?

Can you imagine the desolation of knowing that  your much loved stash of fabrics (dress making and quilting)

 your threads ( sewing and embroidery)
Your scissors
pins , quilting and embroidery frames etc
are all smothered in foul smelling mud.....
How would you feel?

I am a volunteer with CONNECTED, a Brisbane based charity that rose from the discovering of a NEED to assist other charities at "ground zero" at a time of floods and disasters.
 During the eighteen months since the January 2011 floods  Connected has worked with the larger charities by processing the overflow of donations that were given by the generousity of the Australian people.
Connected works out of an industrial shed on St Vincent's Road ,Banyo, sorting,packing and arranging transport o necessary goods to stricken areas.

About a week ago, as I worked in the" Shed" my thoughts drifted back to the big floods of 1990/91 out Charleville way, and how quilters in south east Queensland banded together to remind their quilting sisters in the flooded areas that the had not been forgotten by collecting fabrics, needles and thread and dispatching them to the affected towns.

I thought of using  shoe boxes and filling them  with basic sewing equipment,plus some fabrics and  embroidery threads, safety pins, maybe a magazine and a chocolate bar! Something to say to the women  "You're not alone"
Sure they won't have time for the frivolity  ofembroidering, or even have time or the energy to read a magazine when there is so much to do .But the time will come....

WHY a shoe box? It's a handy size, AND they can be added to the pallets of goods going out to these flood affected areas easily, that's why!

Craig Michaels of Connected will make sure that the recue kits will be distributed along with the other relief supplies.
To lessen the extra "chaos"in the Shed I will use my home as a drop-off point, and do basic sorting and packing here before taking it to the Shed.

Did I mention that Connected is staffed completely by volunteers? We get NO funding from any government agency, but we have many wonderful supporters.
Can you help?

This is for "Outback Drifter"

 Round 16 of Swaps on Postmark'dArt and one of the themes I'm participating in is TREES.

As usual I have tried hard to find inspiration, and found it through the photography of an online friend "Outback Drifter"  aka Kim Piddington.
Kim lives in the "Corner country" of Australia in Tibooburra, and his photography of wildlife and scenery is great.
So Kim, thank you for inspiring me.
The tree and silhouette were printed on vellum  then fussy-cut and laid over red fabric and red metallic card overlaid with golden organza and shreds of the same organza were used to represent colour in the skies.
The whole collage was then overlaid with black tulle to stabilise the   piece.

So, Kim, once again I owe you thanks for inspiring me.

CQJP -December block

CQJP -December block, a photo by crazyQstitcher on Flickr.

An exmple of truly beautiful CQ

No theme: Postcards

  Time is passing quickly and I have only 44 days to complete
  and mail my cards for PostMark'dArt Round 16 Swap.

I thought that an "easy" No Theme might help me ease into the New Year.

Trying out my hand at Collage....a technique that I rarely use, I crafted these:

Using a Japanese syled chrysanthemum fabric plus a bamboo themed fabric I added in some cases, ric rac braid painted with a metallic Lumiere paint, some metallic organza
some faux jade Asian "coins" and random cuttings from Asian papers.


These will be mailed out tomorrow,and I am now planning how to tackle the theme of TREES next

Delightfully Crazy: Friendship Card - Cheery Lynn Designs

Delightfully Crazy: Friendship Card - Cheery Lynn Designs: It's nice to be back creating with Cheery Lynn Designs dies for 2013!  I created this card a few weeks ago now, playing around with my...

Desert Rose

 Back in October I commented upon my (blooming )Desert Rose (Adenum Obesum) and since then I have had a pleasing display of blooms on these two plants.
 Since October, two seed pods have grown, and this first one reminds me so much of the horns of cattle, that I thought I would share with you.
The first, in particular, put me in mind of  the horns of some Zebu cattle.
 The second shot reminds me of Western Long-horns.
 A close up of the flowers

Table runners

Changing the colour format but NOT the actual physical layout
I have completed two (table runners) for Christmas presents.

The top runner in tans and autumn colours will, hopefully tone in with the decor in one house.

The lower runner was constructed with a particular friend in mind :
In fact, she stumbled upon it in my work area and declared how happy she would be to own it.
 Well, Di! I hope you meant it, because it now has your name on it!
The central motifs were machine embroidered using a design by Unique Candlewick, out of the Oregon Patchwork "stable".
The download also featured a photo of one of the blocks used in a table runner.
NO other details re measurement were available, so I winged it: the blue/pink/lavendar being the first attempt.
I am please with the results-------I hope the new owners are happy

Newspaper: Black Optics

Once again I am "playing" with Red,Black and White , and concentrating on Diana  of RED MOON GARDENS designs.
I particularly like her Black Ops and thought I would see what results.

This was today's efforts.......how much further it will develop?
Who knows......
             BUT....
she also has designed some "interesting" bar code types which could be used as features on narrower blocks.

Out of Africa

Having decided to represent African animals in my current African themed cards,
I decided to check out the most recent Newsletter of one of my favourite Animal support groups:WWF (World Wildlife Fund)

and as I flicked through the catalogue, I decided to use my cards to send a MESSAGE:
So, after visiting the WWF Gift Centre,
I borrowed the statement on their tee shirts

"HANDS OFF MY PARTS" Tees
That show the world that wildlife crime is serious.

I hope the recipients of the cards appreciate my sentiments

It's beginning to look like Christmas...

 As I commence making Christmas cards.
This year I am determined to make a small dent in my stash, and I'm refusing to buy any new ingredients.
A couple of cards feature Christmas themes from machine embroidery  libraries and I'm pleased to say that they were "freebies"
(It's amazing what can be found when you trawl the Net.
The circular image in the lower left corner is meant to be a "snow ball"....a lovely brocade Santa is hiding behind the silver snow, and unfortunately my photography (lack of) skills don't do it justice.

Two colours with buttons

 The brief was to construct postcards using only two colours and a button (or two, or three)

These were for a swap over at Post Card Mail Art, and as usual I made more than necessary.
I liked the effect of the combination of black with white fabrics, but







I also wished to play with a black and red combination, so the lower five cards were the final result.
Which ones did I mail off?
I'm not saying, until they reach their new homes.

Sam

 The most beautiful and loving cat person I have ever met:
Sam Wise

Newspaper: second stage

When I first pieced "newspaper" I had plans of using
geometrical embroidery, but looking back at some other machine embroidery designs I had used, I was drawn to BUTTERFLIES,and I thought why not use the same design in the two basic colors running down the length of the quilt!
At this stage, I'm debating whether to employ more embroidery designs, or to stay with quilting patterns running (haphazardly?/diagonally) down the quilt.
Whatever stitching is added, I plan to stay with RED and BLACK, in keeping with the colour ways used in the pieced quilt.

Newspaper

Remember the kid's riddle:
"What's black and white ,
 and re(a)d all over?"

Sure , the days of such basic newspapers
have disappeared but I thought it makes for a quirky title for my latest quilt,

I had in mind to attempt a slightly crazy patch (even though all pieces are rectangular,rather than varied geometric shapes)
and then I plan to use various machine embroidery motifs that I have downloaded.
Laces, trimmings, buttons and beads may also appear....
who knows!

The first picture shows one of the several fabric auditions I played with before I finally decided on picture #2
which is shown with the accepted pieces stitched together and ready to embellish

I've got mail!

 This week has briought some interesting and varied Postcards to my mail box:

First up was a (hand) needlefelted card from DebP.For some reason, this card must have travelled the scenic route from Illinios to Queensland because it travelled for hree weeks, instead of the average 10 to 12 days.









The second card, with a Halloween theme came from an Aussie,a new member to PostCardMailArt.
Hard to believe this one one of the first cards that Toni has made. I can't wait to receive MORE from her!








Finally, This card from MaryLou on Canada:
And my first thought on seeing it was "Another Halloween card??"
The theme of MaryLou's card was LABELS, and she kindly shared the story behind the label.
The main body of the card was constructed from a brown paper bag,but I'll share MaryLou's explanation with you:
"The back is a paper bag from our local LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD of ONTARIO.
(yes, all booze is sold through that venue)
The Beer Store sells beer in their stores. Only specialty beers get to the LCBO.
Not too many years ago, one had to sign a slip of paper when purchasing liquor.
We have made progress.NO unning to the corner store as we can do for milk and pop.

Newfie Screech  is only sold in Newfoundland, and mainly  as a tourist trade.It is instant headachebeing made from the dregs of the rum bottles"

Interesting isn't it..to learn about labels!

Desert Rose update

 Taken late afternoon in the golden glow of sunset, the budding Desert Rose.

Desert Rose because of its botanical name

Adenium obesum is sometimes referred to as Fat Boy.
The "obesum" tag refers to its water storing method generally at the base of the stem.
Originating in Africa and the Middle East, Adeniums are related to Alamandas,Oleanders and
Frangipani.
I'm not sure just how tall these plants will grow, but mine, which were purchased as seedlings rather than propagated cuttings three years ago are now over one metre tall.
 I have one growing in a Bonsai pot and this plant in particular shows how the base develops similar to the Baobab tree in its efforts to retain and store water.

One point to remember is that its sap is toxic (like Oleander) so be aware of this if you have children or pets.
It's also a good (safety) practice to wash your hands if you do get sap on them.

Finally: this is my Stephanotis just coming into bloom.
Also known as Bridal veil vine ,and Madagascar Jasmine.
Mine started life as a seedling:(I believe they can be propagated from stem tips of half ripe wood)
The flowering plant is  doing very well in an elevated bed on the northern side of the house.
I have even had two seed pods produced.
They are like a smallish green woody pear. But nothing came from them, because I believe I cut them from the vine too early
Another plant, roughly only four feet away from this one, and in a large pot has produced nothing.
The friend who gave me the seedlings and is really a green thumb gardener, has had no flowers what so ever.
I wonder if she treated them too well!

Anyway, enough of gardening!
I am "auditioning" fabrics for a modern style of Crazy Quilted hanging: to be executed in black/white and red.
I feel a stash enhancement  trip coming on!