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.

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 frog and wire.

One of my bobbin lace students collects frogs. The pattern has elluded me once again - I found it this afternoon with the frog hiding inside after searching for the past 5 weeks!!

He is made from Milford Mercer thread in size 20 - colours ombre green (the verigated and much nicer in real life) and holiday green.

Again the scan is not great but this wire lace piece is THE pattern that attracted me to wire in the first place. One of our local lace makers had a copper coloured piece mounted on black velvet as a choker and it looks stunning.

I intend to mount this on velvet too, but wore it at the Tasmanian Craft and Quilt Fair last weekend in my hair - alice band style. The pattern is from Barbara Underwood's Bedfordshire Lace in 20 Lessons book.

Short and sweet this weekend. Lots happening but not much to share yet.

Hugs til next time, til then, I look forward to hearing what you think. Stay safe and have fun :)

Just bob-bob-bobbin lacing along...

It must be a record for me, but I did have 4 pillows on the go at once!!

Here is the beginning of a possum bookmark. The pattern was published in an Australian Lace magazine...the thread is Thai hand dyed silk in Jade...lovely to work with and the bookmark is fun to make.

Next...I have put a few more pins into my Grandson's Christening bonnet lace. This one is a bucks point length that I drew up on Lace RX-P using some workshop notes as a guide. The thread is finca 100 in white. Number 3 is to help a student get on with her lovely smaller version of this turtle. The pattern is from 75 Quick and Easy Bobbin Lace Patterns by Veronica Sorenson. I have enlarged the large version by 141% and am working it in Perle 8 thread. My student is using this pattern to introduce herself to some new ground patterns. I think it is much nicer than having a book full of samplers :)

Finally, I completed the middle piece of my Bedfordshire ring pillow pattern from Barbara Underwood's Intoducing Bedfordshire Lace in 20 Lessons book today...well almost, as you can see I still have a few ends to sew in :)

Back to the turtle...Tuesday is nearly here again!!

Have a great week, and thanks for dropping by :)

Wheels, water and a little lace

First of all, we went back to Sheffield in North West Tasmania last weekend, and I promised some Gumnuts the pics of FIL's current fleet of T-Models. This first one said goodbye today - it is moving to a new home at Westbury, there was no challenge in restoring it from this condition!It is a 1926 sedan.

Here is the fleet that went to Sheffield...a 1948 converted to 1950 5 tonne Ford, 1913 T-Model 1 tonne truck (sedan converted with Smith Chain Drive) and a 1923 T-Model 1 tonne truck.

There is a pic of the 1913 T here

The 1923 T-Model truck.

The 1950 Ford.

The blue coupe is Everyone's favorite T-Model in Pop's shed. I have posted about it before here.

This A-Model arrived as a left hand drive vehicle as you can see here. In Australia, normal is right hand, so Pop has been busy converting it. It is nearly ready for it's debut, with everything spruced up while the reconstruction was under way.

The news of our local flood waters has got out. Colin went and took some pics of the Gorge today. The swingset on the bottom right of this pic is usually well away from any water and a safe place for the children to play. And the water level has receeded considerably since Friday evening! We are all safe - several businesses and community associations like the Scouts and Naval Cadets have had some mild flood damage but the coastal areas have had more to be concerned about - for the second time in 2011!

Not easy to see, but my Bedfordshire mat is under way again - for a little while at least! The center section is just over half way and growing quickly!! You can see the completed outside edge on the side - although I still need to sew in the ends.

Finally, I made this wire lace horseshoe this week. A work friend is getting married next weekend so I hope she likes it :) The pattern is from Christine Springett's Lace for Children of All Ages.

I have a tatted motif to share, but may make it some friends this week and I have not scanned it as yet.

Enough for now, thanks for reading this far. Drop me a line in the comments, have fun and take care. Happy lace making :)

Crafty post

This lap-weaving rug was made by my Great Uncle in 1946-7. He made a pink one and a blue one. My Mum and her cousin were born on the same day, but he found out about Auntie Helen before mum, so she got the pink one. Mum got this blue one. After mum (and probably my uncles) used it, I used it as a dolls cot cover as a child. After a discussion on Gumlace (the Australian Email ring for lace makers) I remembered and unearthed it. As you can see it is showing it's age, but I still can picture my Uncle's active hands, salty tobacco smell and rich warm voice ringing through my childhood memories.

Above is the wrong side of the cot throw and below is the top side.
This is even less lacey, but I was given 2 such kits for my birthday. They are both Mill Hill Tiny Treasure Diamonds - this one titled Holiday Cardinal. It was quick and easy on an evening where I just wanted to chill!

My wire lace project is now completed! I love this design and it was great to make. Now I am going to try designing a couple of my own patterns :) I have also aquired a couple of patterns from another designer - so watch this space :) This one is 'Paduan' by Britt Fairchild of Stitchetty Grub fame...

This is one of my current projects. Not really sure where the pattern came from, but 3 of my lace group are in the process of making this fan. I am using Guttermans quilting thread, but think it should have been a tad finer...non the less, I am happy with the result. Now I have to have it completed in the next 2 weeks so I can scan it and take the pricking and scan to our Lace Retreat to order the sticks from John Beswick of Torchon House.

Despite my highlighting my Barbara Fay catalogue in bright pink highlighter, including the ordering process, then opening the computer to the appropriate page, LOML did not order the lower book for my birthday :(

But, with an extra universal cash voucher from DSIL, when the newsletter arrived, I was able to order both the desired book AND the new Cluny de Brioude book Yay!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess it is no secret that I love Beds/Cluny lace for those who have followed my blog.

I just can't wait to get into these books - but where to start?!?!

Finally, this was the view from our Lace meeting place on Saturday. The snow on Mount Barrow is not as stunning in the picture, but it was rather lovely on Saturday, with the crisp blue sky making a beautiful backdrop. While the snow stays that far away, I am totally happy. Mount Barrow usually only gets a smattering of snow a couple of times a year, usually in early September. Ben Lomond is our "famous" ski mountain, with great views from the other end of the city.

Here is the restart to my Beds mat (I don't think I will turn it into a ring pillow).

I have now used Finca 80 and like it much better.

This is 1.1 meters of the bucks point trim I have made for my grandson, Travis. Now I have to mount it onto a hankie, make it into a bonnet and then print up the verse and instructions.

I am not sure if Beds or Bucks is going to be my most favorite lace - I love them both!
Hooray, hooray - motifs 23, 24 and 25! They were completed on Boxing Day, and looked fabulous after they were blocked, but that pic did not work and will not be manipulated :(

My Mousey pin cushion was happy too - now I could get back to bobbin lace :)

Last weekend, we took Wind Dancer out for a run - (lots of) friends came along and LOML panicked that Wind Dancer would not behave herself.

4 1/2 hours and a dozen trips up the beach proved that Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

The cost - just 2 small tears in the skirt - 1 at the front and 1 at the back! Yayyyyyy!!!!!!!

My Lizbeth mat is almost finished - yes, no more rounds to go! Pic soon :)

Now I am off to play wth my Storybook - they are on special for January - 20% off!!

And a party tonight too!!

Drop a comment, before you go, I love reading what my bloggy friends think.

Hugs, hugs and more hugs

Starts and finishes

A warm welcome to one and all.

Some finishes first!

The Bedfordshire letter C is ready to display! Hopfully, there will be many better places than my kitchen/craft table!!

And the set looks great too! Their first booking may be at the Tasmanian Craft Fair in Hobart in June...I will send them down and see what happens. They will then be displayed at school for the month of August!

Ebonee has been working hard, showing her classmates how to make bobbin lace. Her hairband arrived back this weekend, just a little longer than I expected :) We went shopping this morning for a piece of ribbon to thread through. Here is the result!

With the elastic attached, it makes a very pretty accessory.And now for the starts!

One of my goals for this year was to learn Bucks Point bobbin lace! I borrowed some books a while back and last weekend I made a start! This "little fan" pattern grew very quickly (especially once I worked out I was reading the instructions wrong for the footside). This is about 5 hours work!

On Wednesday night I started lesson 2 - honeycomb stitch!

Just another 3 or 4 hours here too - I really like this lace - so fast!!

Next post I will share my 1st attempt at hardanger! I am on holidays for 2 weeks now and looking forward to lots of lace, some ATC's - and a little cleaning, but for now, off to teach Ebonee how to make shepherd's pie and caramel dumplings! I will post again soon, but til then, feel free to share a thought or 2 :)

6 pins, 3 rings

Greetings Friends,

Last post, I promised some bobbin pics, so here they are!


The bobbin on the left is from Guzziesue in Nottingham. Ebonee picked the spangle beads on her last visit, so the bobbin has been dancing with the rest in the Letter C :) The next pair are from my Arachne Secret Pal in the U.K. I find out who she is in the June exchange, and I can't wait! The black bobbin has Christmas 2008 scripted on the back and the other has a matching needle case - just beautiful! The last pair are made from Purplewood by Eddie Giesaitis. Judy and Eddie visited our lace meeting on their Tasmanian holiday last month. Ebonee also picked a pair of the Purplewood, although she had her eye on the painted bobbins and I was facinated by the diamondwood ones...maybe next time :)

And the C dance is progressing well! I had a couple of unexpected days off last week, and put one of them to good use, along with another solid 8 hours yesterday! I would really like to finish this by next weekend, so that the Guild can use the letters in a lace display in June if they wish.
Ebonee is staying again this weekend and also put her 6 pins in. I moved the hairband up the pricking this morning to give her room to move the bobbins. She has been showing her classmates this site, and will be taking the pillow to school tomorrow so they can see the real thing. Hope you like it class :) At the moment there are 8 repeats done and 5 or 6 to go!

My Lizbeth doily is also growing. The pattern only has 1 more round after this one, but I think I am going to add another repeat of this pattern to make the doily a bit larger. It is an interesting design, and pretty quick to tat. BTW, the pattern can be found in Tatting Doilies & Edgings edited by Rita Weiss. Some terrific patterns - I have made 5 or 6 of the doilies and several edgings from this book.

I have a full week of work ahead, so I doubt I will get time to post before next weekend, but fully intend to get a bit a lace done :) I will take a pic of Porty when I get to school - he is also growing well. As a snake was finished on Friday, there will be some excitement about again, and I am thinking of taking an extra (round) pillow to get one of the 2nd timers going...they are choosing some interesting projects and the round pillow will suit the tape lace pic needs better than a square one I think! Should be lots of fun to get something different happening :)

Don't forget to have your say in the comments section - keep me amused this week my friends :)

Hugs to all, stay safe and happy

Bobbins, shuttles, ATCs and more

A warm welcome to all Mums, and everyone else too :)

The letter C progresses slowly! I had intended to add a few more pins today, but everything is in go slow mode. The top of the arc is complete, so it is a bit downhill from here, before the last sweeping curve :)
Lisbeth moves forward slowly also. I have achieved a few rings each night since my last post. I *love* using this beautiful thread for tatting- it is so crisp and clean and tensions well!

This little bookworm - inspired by Diane's efforts at bobbin lace has been adapted from a Rosemary Shepherd braid from one of the early chapters in her beginners book. It was a second project for this lass at school, and she was heartily thrilled with it - half stitch is SOOOOOO confusing for the 8 year olds! She cut it off here so that her sister could have a try!

These ATCs have landed in my mailbox over the past weeks! The one on the left came from Guzziesue in Nottingham, England. Also included was a gorgeous embroidered Archer and a bobbin. The bobbin is in use on my letter C, and works beautifully. I will post a pic next time. Thank you Guzziesue!

The middle set came from Ellen at Singtatter! Make the time to stroll through this blog - there are some simply wonderful designs here! I add to the chorus - please publish Ellen! Your book would be at the very top of my must have list. The bookmark is about to make its way into my work book - simply stunning! Thank you so much Ellen.

The final 3 are the result of the ATC exchange I am doing. There is embroidery, needlelace and scrapbooking here. Such a varied and wonderful collection of ideas, and this is just the beginning :) If you would like to be a part of this, please leave a comment, as I am still seeking participants!

Finally, here in Australia, yesterday was Mother's Day - a celebration of mums! For the first time in a few years, I got to see all of my children throughout the day! Yipeeeee!!! DS1 came and polished my car for me :) This was huge as he only ever has time for his own - my Maggie is not usually worth the effort. DD was bright and chirpy and happily wished me a beautiful day! DS2 - the wood working crafty one - presented my with this gorgeous tray that he made at school. The corner timbers are Huon Pine and Tasmanian Oak. The centre is made from Myrtle and the rest is "something that was laying around the workshop" :) He claims the job was a little rushed and instructed me not to look too closely, but I love it!

As always, thank you for dropping by and your comments are most welcome. Life is hectic at present, and I must catch up with friends from my last few posts, but I do read regularly and your warmth and friendliness always make the cold days cheery :)

Warmest of hugs,