Butterflies are a pain the a**

Link

The previously pictured half complete butterfly is now complete--------and reposing in the scrap bag.(What a waste of time)
Having completed and cut it out ready for appliqueing I decided it was too big,too heavy,and NOT what I wanted!
Definitely NOT what I wanted!!

A couple of smaller ones(butterflies) have been drawn up for when I can get enthused again,but in the meantime........maybe some wool embroidery to add to the garden for my lonely butterfly.

I visited the local SPCA Op-shop today and found a pair of hardly worn Levi's for(wait for it!!) 50cents!
and in the current QC mag there's a couple of bag patterns,which lend themselves/shapes to a theme I have in mind......so off to the scissors,marking pencil and tracing paper to see if my idea is do-able!

Half punched!Another butterfly in the making.

Posted by Picasa

Butterflies are free.........(says the old song)

A little stitching (and re-planning ) has occurred this week,after I sifted through my "mad woman's breakfast" stash,which has mainly gone into waiting...for the second "bag of fun."
I really think that I should frogstitch that RED twisted Basque stitch as I've gone into other colour ways to those I first planned,BUT-----!
another part of me says to leave it for shock value.
Perhaps when I complete and add the second punched butterfly it will be easier to make a decision!

Posted by Picasa

My block for Marian--------Here is one of the Dancing Fans block that I've worked on for Marian!The central patch holds a wreath of silk ribbon flowers and pearl beads;A bullion stitched "fan" with silk ribbon and pearls is on the upper green patch,and the seam braid (with different treatments) is on two of the seam lines and I used a "Twisted Basque stitch" in rasberry rayon Marlitt on the lower burgandy patch.

Posted by Picasa

Punched Butterfly:Needing to have antenna back stitched into position (which will be done after I've appliqued him to the bag) one punched Butterfly.

Posted by Picasa

Update on THAT bag...........

http://www.flickr.com/groups/topic/68688/

All that really has happened to it( Bag of Fun Challenge) is that I've unearthed MORE bits ' pieces to embellish the bag with:
Having decided that I was wasting too much time attempting to punch needle on denim,I've gone back to using a calico foundation,which will then be appliqued to the bag when the motifs are completed.

After spending the afternoon yesterday at a (jazz) dance display at ANZ Stadium,my sweet grand daughter presented me with a denim skirt she had outgrown,saying
"Gran,a bag for ME would be nice!!(how could I say NO)
At least with the skirt having a red waistband,colour has already been introduced to the equation.
I must visit Spotlight tomorrow.............I've found that my stock of (very) lightweight cotton is non existent and if I want to make those "jocks for a cure" I'll need to buy more fabric in order to make a start on that project.
With that in mind,I'll close off here and go punch a thread or three,as well as a little more work on Marian's Dancing Fan blocks

Update on the last week or so--

www.quiltsbycts.com

I'm feeling a little more relaxed in that I've completed work on one of my RRs and it's all bundled up ready for mailing back to it's owner!
I've also completed a couple of the Mother Goose themed Redwork block swap that I joined---------however,I do not like Yellow work (as requested by one of the group!)but the lavender and the blue? Oh YES!!
All I have left to do, is 3 blocks in varying shades of RED.
I have MarianE's four Fan blocks for the Fan dancing CQRR to make a start on,but the ideas are flowing so I forsee few problems(Famous last words??)
On Joma's block I had "fun" attempting my first beetle..........Couldn't master the knack of laying sequins for the wings,so I resorted to bullion stitches.A bit more practise required there,methinks :-(
---and finally:that Bag of Fun!
The wretched thing has a mind of its own,and is progressing----s-l-o-w-l-y
The only section I'm (nearly) content with is a curving line of Twisted Basque Stitch.Thanks SharonB for causing me to "try it out".

I've been conversing by email lately with Cindy Thury Smith,and on her invitation dropped in to visit her web site where I'm learning of what's involved in wool fulling.........I think it was JanW from southerncrosscrazies who was asking about the availabilty of commercial fulled wool recently,and MaryC-B mentioned how to DIY.....Cindy is hooked on it,go have a look at her fulled wool CQ!

and if my link still doesn't work,cut and paste the www.quiltsbycts to your addie line!

Cats

Cat cushion 2

Posted by Picasa
Adapted from Gary Clarke's book "Cats:Inspiration for Needlework " is this cat worked with Madeira Decora on Organza

Candlewicked cat

Candlewicked Cat cushion

Posted by Picasa
Not one of my better pics!I'll have to do a little more editing I think.
This would be one of my earliest cat stitchings......it has survived cats,frequent laundering and quite a few pillow fights!
Using traditional candlewick thread and mainly colonial knots and shadow quilted to give some definition

Cadbury?

Another Cat on Organza

Posted by Picasa
This needlework design reminded me of Cadbury--our little "princess"!
Once again using Organza over homespun with Madeira decora plus the odd Edmar thread this piece was done in bullion,satin-stitch,lazy daisy and lattice stitching.

A WiP!

Cat stitchery on Organza

Posted by Picasa

Being owned by three cats,I tend to be influenced by them in my stitching.
A couple of years back, after buying several of Gary Clarke's books ,I tried his method of embroidering on Organza.
Several cushions were the result,and one heart shaped motif, which was swapped in Chain of Hearts with Dawn in Nova Scotia.This I did for myself.
It still needs some whiskers and shading in the tail area.
The threads are Madeira Decora.

Dropping in for lunch!

We are blessed to have many species of wild birds visit us.Here are two "regulars" dropping in for lunch:A pair of sulphur crested cockatoos who have been named Joe, (after the raucous tones of Joe Cocker) and Jo-Jo.The pink/blue flowers are Match-stick Bromeliads

Posted by Picasa

Ready to start??

So far I have one denim skirt and a kilo or so of denim offcuts with which to tackle that "bag of fun".Hopefully by Sunday I'll have made a start on the actual needlework

Posted by Picasa

Bags of fun??

Link
The aim is to construct a bag----handbag,carry bag,whatever from preloved denim jeans;skirt;scraps of denim.

Now jeans as a form of clothing, I first wore in the 1950s(yes Sharon, a dinosaur is participating!!)
Back then(in the 50s),....mine were green, baggy and great for horse riding,bike riding and just generally "mucking around".Jeans wre definitely NOT the fashion statement of more recent years
Enough of the reminiscing!
When my daughter's household furnishings leave for a new/permanent home tomorrow,I'll dig out my off cuts,my skirt and my son's cast offs and make a start.
As I want a practical bag,mine will (hopefully) be mainly hand embroidered with coarse threads,and maybe some applique that will stand up to a life of hard workItemURL>

The cow jumped over the moon.The second of my blocks for a quilt with the theme being Mother Goose

Posted by Picasa

Hey diddle diddle,the cat and the fiddle!

Posted by Picasa

Here is a block for Lyn ready to leave me and head south.I worked on the two central patches:the palepink and the check,where I embellished silk ribbon flowers around a gold heart charm and a (beaded) spider above.I also marched a row of SRE flowers across the lower seam

Posted by Picasa

Hey diddle diddle,the cat and the fiddle

You can't see the actual light box,but you can see the Bluework illuminated by the light box!

Entering Broadband Land:

At long last,I've been able to access Broadband.........NOW I have to learn not only how to use it successfully,but how to whip my Blog into a satisfactory format.

To the other extreme,regarding needlework,I've been playing the last week or so with Redwork and Bluework as I'm "between" receiving my next section of the CQ RRs I'm committed to.
I find the simplicity of R/W and B/W very relaxing........little or no thought process required once I've marked my naked block with the pattern required.
And on this theme,I venture to ask:
"When working Redwork,do you prefer a Pellon backing,or just the homespun with no backing at all?"
(I myself,prefer a pellon backing;but it seems quite a few,don't!Please let me know your opinion)
I must acknowledge my long suffering husband here, and THANK him for the great Lightbox he has just made for me..it sure beats taping fabric and patterns to a sunny window!

Not so naked "dancing fans"

Some four months ago,four "naked" fan blocks left me to travel around Australia in a RoundRobin: here are two that are being embellished----if you check out my April?may archives,you'll probably find them in all their naked glory (VBG)
My thanks to MarianE and MaxineJ for their work