Updating News, Lace, Spinning

the BIG news is that Colin has come through his operation, and although the recovery process is long and not that easy, he is now through the danger period and adjusting at home ... BIG HAPPY DANCE!!!

The doll lace attracted some admiration once Colin was moved onto a general ward and I could spend some time playing...it now measures just over 1.5 meters...just over half way....Yayyyyyy!!!!

The past couple of days, I have turned my focus to the Beds mat in my spare time.

This morning at breakfast time and 2 flowers down, I was here...now there are only 2 flowers to go :)

 From a little further away, you can see my own handmade bobbins and beads...maybe that is why this piece is taking soooooooooooo long to finish.

 Colin and I escaped to the West Coast for a couple of days just prior to the hospital stay.  In Zeehan,we encounted a couple enjoying the beautiful day outside a local cafe with their spinning wheels.  My interest was sparked (again) when the lady showed me a skein of fibre...1 ply was spun wool and the 2nd ply was Guttermans sewing silk.  I really liked this idea...it makes the possibility of using the fibre for lace making much closer.  Once we came home I dug out my lovely Ashford spinning wheel and discovered that the flyer has flown.  I promptly ordered a new one, but was eagerr to get going.  I found a local contact and obtained some Corridale fleece, asked the 'Oracle' (Gumlace) for advice and found a link to a homemade drop spindle with lessons on how to use it on Interweave. 

With the need of a distraction, I dived in!

The spindle is made from a foot long length of dowel, a brass eyelet, slightly opened, a rubber grommet and 2 old CDs...easy peasy!!

My arm aches so progress is slow.  The flyer (and an Ashford beginners spindle) have arrived so I plan on making more progress in the coming weeks so stay tuned :)

many hugs to all my friends in the lace and bloggy world for your wonderful support...

God bless.

hello Gracie

Colin's 1st granddaughter finally arrived at a touch after 9am on Friday the 26th October.

Hello Gracie Lillian Jean pictured with Mum (Skye) and Dad (Zak)

 Here she is meeting Poppy and Laura.

 Here is the quilt...also finally completed...

A close up of 1/4...

...the back...

...and the tag :)

I really enjoyed making this quilt...my first 'quilt asyou go'.

My Country

The 2012 Australian Lace Guild Triennial Awards carried the theme from Dorothea McKellar's poem

 'My Australia'

Here is the beginning of my entry as worked at the beginning of August...

 It is due to the persistence of my students more than my own conviction that the collar was finished.

It even made the trip to Sydney, despite my better judgement.

 I took my inspiration from the second stanza of the poem:

I love a sunburned country

A land of sweeping plains,  (orange roseground, torchon ground)

Of rugged mountain ranges  (purple fans)

Of droughts and flooding rains.  (wide red trail, narrow blue trails)

I love her wide horizons,  (depth of the back of the collar)

I love her jeweled sea.  (blue fans)

Her beauty and her terror  (gum leaves and lizards)

A wide brown land for me.

Here is the front up close

I am still coming to terms with the fact that this piece of lace won the bobbin lace section of the Triennials!!

For the quilter's, I will have another post by the end of the week, just for you.

Hugs to all...keep lacemaking alive my friends :)

tatting for a cause

On the 15th of August my world fell apart when my partner was diagnosed with eosophagus cancer.

I have made very little lace, although I have a collar to show when I get around to downloading the camera and the doll length is slowly growing.

In the meantime, while waiting for treatments at the hospital, I tried tatting.  At first I tried to continue a doily I was working on when this all started, but although the pattern was simple enough, the task was just too much.

I dug out this stumpy pattern...I will have to find the link for you as it is not my design. It is quick and simple and I can manage almost a full bookmark at each treatment session.  I have found that each time a patient, carer or staff member smiles in grateful thanks, I feel just that little bit better and can return the smile.  I have already given away a full ball of verigated yellow stumpies.

Tomorrow is the last chemo treatment, but in a little over 3 weeks, Colin has to undergo a major surgery.  I have asked if I can continue to make the bookmarks and the reception ladies will distribute the bookmarks for me.  They think it is a great idea! 

Doll progress

The doll lace is almost 1 meter...only 2 to go :)

 This doll was made by the lady who introduced me to lace drapping.

I am not sure but I think this is doll number 21 or 22!

This is what I intend to do with my lace, but my doll will be standing...

Happy lacemaking :)

Old and some new

I have been trying something new :)

I was given the marble with a delicious swirl in thanks for a lace lesson.

What do I do with a marble?!?!?

I found the instructions for this wire wrapping in one of my magazines and thought it would be perfect!

Ok, so I have some room for improvement, but I am happy with the finished product :)

An old project now...

the dolls lace is currently at around 83cm...will work on it again this evening... 

 I went in search of some Pooh fabric when the craft fair came to Tassie, to no avail.

When I mentioned on Gumlace (Aussie email ring) what I had been looking for, a member offered me some of her fabric...it is just what the new Grandaddy ordered :)

Progress is being made, and the best bit - the quilting is happening at the same time as the pieceing!!!

I love it!!!

I really must block some of my tatting...2 doilies to boast about, but no pics yet...

Hang in there tatters!!  It will get done!!

Happy lacemaking and thanks for reading :)

A rare Sunday off!

First of all, I would like to share the work of one of the ladies who comes to my home a couple of times a week.

Our local Lace Guild group had a workshop recently with a tutor from Hobart.  Each student had to pick a pattern they wanted help with.  Several girls picked patterns from Jenny Ree's Lace from the Australian Bush.  I didn't make the workshop because there was just not enough time!

This is Sue's completed bookmark!

 I had the pleasure of a visit from my grandsons today.  They came for a roast lunch.  2 1/2 year old Travis helped me make a self saucing chocolate pudding. 

Then he helped me decorate these cupcakes. 

The silicon cups come from Avon and are shaped like bugs and flowers.  Although the cook in me said only fill them 3/4 of the way up with batter, the packet suggested they get filled.  Should have stuck to the cook's advice!!  And bought some more cups!!

However, the cakes are yummy, and the boys are looking forward to a feast when they get home!

 Finally, I completed the butterfly for my shirt :)

I have not stitched it completely, and will maybe add a couple of tatted butterflies to complete the picture...depends on time :)

The doll lace is around 55 cms now, the beds ring pillow is almost at the next corner and the 3rd pillow made lots of progress yesterday too.  I think I should make myself a wire butterfly too...

Until next time, I look forward to hearing from you :)

Happy lacemaking....

Another pillow

The Beds edging has made a little more progress, 

The doll length has a target - a whopping 3 meters minimum!! It is currently hovering at a tad over 40 cm...

My other project has made a little progress, and I am almost at the "I think I know what I'm doing" stage!!

So....I started another project today :)

I will be heading North in October to attend the Australian Lace Guild conference week.  I have made a couple of skirts and aim to be able to wear lace each day at the conference.

Here is a butterfly - I intend to stitch it to a top to wear with one of my new skirts :)

The thread is Moriva Linen 40/2.  The pattern comes from a Bridgitte Bellon book - mental note to self...when borrowing books from the library  write the reference on the pricking copy!!

Ok, I NEVER have 4 pillows on the go at once...I swear I have been invaded by aliens...but I am enjoying the variety!!!

What's on my pillow?

This was one of the past year's projects...I used Bokens Linen to make a length...maybe I will stitch it to a towel one day...

 This is a close up of the finished lace.

 I currently have 3 pillows in use.  Number 1 cannot be shared just yet.

This is the only piece of lace to ever grace my pillow for more than a year! 

It is not hard.

I love making Tallies and leaves.

There is simply not enough time in each day to get to this one :(

But I have made 3 flowers this week, so there is finally a little progress...and it is over half way now :)

The winter sun shining through the window also makes it the best spot in the house :)

 This is my take-with-me piece.

I am using my travel pillow, although there are really too many bobbins on the pillow.

I am using up scraps of cotton as the colour will make no difference in the finished lace.

 I made the purple piece several years ago, and had no idea what I was going to do with it.

One of my new students does lace drapped dolls, and told me she wanted to make her lace to burn.

At first I admit I was surprised, and after mentioning the amount of time spent making the lace, I decided each to their own...after all it was her time and her lace!

Then I saw her dolls!!

I thought the purple length would be perfect, but there is not enough of it.

I am looking forward to November, when I will be starting to construct my doll!

Check back later for progress reports :)

A taste of this year...

Something a little special for post 100!!

Here is some of what I have been working on over the past 12 months.

These are all my own designs so I hope you enjoy :)

I may be able to share a little more later :)

I do not do sewing!!!

...but I put this quilt top together in less than 7 hours, and I love it!!  It will be for my 2nd grandson when he moves into a "big bed" around Christmas time :)

I also made this cute little bag at craft last night.  It has ducky little pockets under the flap, so it will be ideal for bobbins, thread and bits and pieces for lace making :)

 Now for some lace...

How about...

this gorgeous gift box that I found in a local el cheapo shop this morning...this is a small one and they come in 7 or 8 different sizes and 2 different colours...I liked this colour as it would show up better in a picture :)

Now I just need an excuse to use it...

 Not real lace?  How about these...

Gumlace had a tatted bookmark exchange.  Here is the lovely bookmark I received...I will share the "surprise" component of this gift in my next post...(I didn't take any pics of it before the camera decided to call it a day...)

 This bookmark was my gift from England as part of the Arachne bookmark exchange. See my  contributions 2 posts down :)

I just love morning glories!!! 

 What about my lace, I hear you ask?!?

Well, yes, I have been crossing and twisting in between tatting and teaching :)

The bookmark on the left is almost the same as the exchange bookmark mentioned above...this time in Brok 100/3 and with a compound spider variation. 

The bookmark on the right is made from leftover pipers silk 140/2.  The pattern is from 'Tradition Into Creation' by Jacqui Barber.

I will share the tatting soon, when I block it out...I hate blocking!! 

Finally, from my little fisher friend and I, happy lace making :)

We look forward to hearing from you until I post again soon :)

As promised, some pics of my garden!

There used to be a dead pine tree here...the vines from next door strangled it several years ago. The holes in the fence remain, but we plan to fix that soon...

This is my favorite place to make lace these days, especially in the summer time.
These plants were only inches high when I planted them a couple of months ago.
Before that, this area was overgrown, full of blackberries and weeds.

This cute butterfly flutters when the sun hits the solar panel...in some light, the wire is impossible to see and it looks sooooo real!!

This window box was planted with faded fabric roses when I moved in. I have planted pansies, impatience and petuniias in here over the past 3 years.

Now I have other plans for it :)

I have started experimenting with Bonsai!

This will be my Japanese garden!

My fisherman is perfectly happy already!
There has been a little more progress here already, but no pics yet.

Now, for Tavis' quilt!

I made a mistake when cutting the squares for the border, so I made this cute cushion to go with the quilt.

Here is the quilt name plate...I LOVE my new sewing machine VBG

Some of the blocks up close...

And the big picture :)

Travis thinks it is just great!!!

And now for some bobbin lace...do you remeber this project??

I finally took a 'finished picture'!

Enough for now!

Thank you for dropping by :)

Til next time, may your pins never bend and your threads never break :)

Happy lacemaking