The news is out!

Due to our forced 'retirement', I have been able to spend a little time in the shed.

 

This means I have finally launched an online "lace supplies shop".

 

You can check it out at www.lauraslacesupplies.com 

Starts and finishes

Here are the bobbins from Christmas time, finally spangled and ready to use.

The first pair are handmade, with a beaded ring, next are the 10th anniversary Gumnut bobbins, next, my Christmas gift to me from Acorn Bobbins and the final 3 pairs are the last of my bobbin of the month plain bone bobbins from Acorn Bobbins.

 Here is my latest project, coming along very nicely.  The bobbins are all my beginners, some painted, some stained, some with thread wrapping and some are left plain.  the thread is 60/2 linen with a splash of 40/2 linen colour and the pattern is from Torchon Lace by Else Marie Bjerregaard.  It will be a house warming gift for Colin's son and daughter in law when finished.

 Here is my completed hardanger setting...hmmmm just noticed the camera date is still out - I took the pictures today!  Although it has been finished for a while now, just had to get the camera out.

 This is what the table will look like when I find a night without the boarders to have our romantic meal...thinking roast lamb with fresh garden beans, cauliflower and carrots and roasted potatoes, with my self saucing chocolate pudding and ice cream for dessert....All Colin's favourites LOL

Last night I finally got my tatting box out and sorted through the knots, threads, bits of tatting and jumble of shuttles.  I think it is time to get a couple of PHDs out and start tatting again!

 

I hope 2015 is everything you wish it to be, and look forward to hearing from my blogging friends often :)



Strawberry dreams

Just a quick post today :)

 

Some time back, I was given a log of rare strawberry wood for bobbin making.

 

Here is the first pair :)

 

I am going to call them "In the Strawberry Patch"

 

Spangled with my handmade strawberry bug bead set.

 

Hugs to my lacemaking friends :)

Baby hankie

With a new Grandbaby due almost any time now, I thought I had better get my hurry on to make a 'bring home' bonnet.

 Just a simple Torchon edge.

 Working up quickly.

 

The pattern is from Fun With Corners in 90/2 linen.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Warm hugs XXX

Around tuit at last

I have wanted to make an all lace shawl for such a long time...

 

It is finally started!

 I have made the bobbins and most of the beads!  The glass divider pins are also my own work :)

I even spun the wool from an old Corriedale fleece!

The shawl will be made in 3 or 4 panels, and the 1st is now under way.

I will source the pattern for you next time I post about this one...Colin is sleeping and I don't want to move and wake him :) 

Thanks for dropping by, hugs and warmest regards,

Productive times

The scarf is progressing nicely, with some safely rolled away on the roller.

 

 While working this section, I realised that the only bobbins I had never used in my collection are now in use!!  Yay! 

I have a pair of rather heavy brass bobbins, (the one with the coloured thread) that I am alternating with the new thread.  They have always been too heavy to play with the other bobbins, so I had avoided them.  For this project, they work rather well.

There is also a single aluminium bobbin on the left hand side that had not been on a pillow at my place.  Several friends swear by them, but I find it cold to the touch, and had always passed it over.

Also in this shot (just) is the pair of bobbins with a pink ceramic joiner, a gift from a Gumnut.  The bobbins arrived broken from their journey, so I repaired them with the ceramic glue used to put final details on my dolls.  They are working perfectly and remind me of my Australian friends each time they pass my fingers.

 And here is a new batch of beads ready for the kiln.  Dear Step Son is visiting today and will take them to Burnie for me.  I hope to make the trip with Colin in a couple of weeks time to collect them...

The pin toppers (ladybirds, flowers, turtles and hedgehogs and the cotton reel were all made before Colin collapsed.  the rest have been made this week to fill the tin.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this far, stay safe, happy and healthy.  Hugs,

Some bobbin lace PHD's

 First of all, here is the next lace for a porcelain doll...slow progress, but a little every now and then...have to find/design another piece to complete the doll, so still a long way to go before a doll will be seen.  This is Bucks Point in Finca 80...wide design by Heather Billington, narrow one from Pamela Notingham's Intro to Bucks book I think.

 Here is the 2nd piece from the workshop I was participating in when Colin collapsed.  I completed the 1st repeat at the workshop and most of the rest of this one was done at Colin's hospital bedside during his 2nd stay in Hobart.  The thread is Lizbeth 80...have no idea why I would buy this colour in the first place, but love it in this piece.  The designer is Ethel Zuccolotto.

My 3rd piece was started yesterday.  The pattern is from the Ulrike Voelcker Torchon series, done in Thai silk from a supplier here in Tassie.  The scarf will be for Colin's daughter...maybe for Christmas...

 

up close...

 

Finally, after our recent trip to visit Colin's surgeon, we decided to stay over and visit Mona Museum...I found out about this cement truck from a friend in Estonia on Facebook...now I have seen it for real!!

 

The detail is simply amazing, and it smells much better than one of the artist's other instalments at the museum!!

 Hugs to all, may your pins never bend and your threads never break, so that you can make the most of every moment life has to offer!

Catching up

First things first!  This spider has made her home at my daughter's front door...now she wants to know what kind if spider and is it a nasty?  We live in Northern Tasmania, and she is near the bush.

 Doll number 4 is making progress.  All I need to do is add some lace to tidy up the shoulder then she will be ready to fire :)  Working in the heat yesterday was not much fun, so I hope she fires ok.  I did not make the lace for this one...but I am working on the lace for 1 down the track...

 I found this style of sleeve a real challenge, but the rest has been a lot of fun...I just hope the fabric sections work better this time!

 My gorgeous grandson starts big school this week.  Last week, we went shopping for his little brother's birthday and discovered that drink spiders are very yummy, and he is the perfect gentleman (only when he goes out with grandma though!  This pirate is his home id LOL).

 

His mum asked about a library bag, and when I told her I had bought some fabric ages ago, I was asked to make a library bag :)  The back is the same as the edge fabric! Hope he likes it LOL

 Finally, we have been discussing bobbins on the Australian Email ring I am a member of.

I promise some pics, so here they are...

 

These are all my own bobbins, spangled with my own beads.  There is Huon pine, Blackwood, Jarrah, Tas Hardwood and Silky oak.  My first bobbin (and bead) is the Huon pine bobbin 7th from the right on the bottom row...the yellow bead was the first bead I made.

 Here are some more of my own bobbins, but they do not have my beads on them as yet.

Colin made me the very top left bobbin...it is the only bobbin he has made, and calls it a cricket bat.  I made the one on the right to go with it and the pair make the best ever gimp bobbins.

These are my bead tile bobbins.  The top 4 bobbins were made by David Potter, a Tasmanian bobbin maker.  I made the bottom 4 bobbins.  The very top pair have the first tiles I made with the teacher.

I designed the other sets of tiles.

 Here are the other tiles, ready for the bobbins...when I get around to making/purchasing them...

The teacher provided the patterns for the top row and the pair on the right of the 2nd row. 

The rest are my designs...including the special ones to celebrate my engagement in February last year :)

 And here is a size comparison for you :)

 

If you have made it this far, thank you for stopping by.  I hope your neck of the woods is fair weather (or lots of lovely lace time) and good health...please drop a comment in the box before you go as I love to see what you think too.

 

Hugs til next time...may your threads never break and your pins never bend...

Wishes and Finishes

A bit late, but I hope all my bloggy friends had a wonderful Christmas, and 2014 brings you all the very best of the things you love most :)

 

Here is my Christmas tree - it actually made it out in 2013, and the collection of lace will almost catch up to the collection of cross stitch next year lol

 

With time on my hands (I have been unable to go to work for 7 weeks), I have been busy getting some things done - this pile of bobbins came off a pillow after 18 months...cannot share the lace at the moment, but suffice it to say it was a PROJECT lol

My latest lace drapped doll was not so successful :(  From the lace up, she is probably the best one so far...this is the view from behind....

 

 

Here is the front...unfortunately the dip and strip (fabric at the bottom) did not go well and the seersucker look was not intended, but lesson learned for both myself and the teacher...also from this angle, you cannot see the crack in her right arm...oh well, she will reside in the cupboard until there is room needed, then she will be evicted...my friend feels she should go live with her...we will see...

 

Time at home has also meant time in the shed...here is a small selection of the 150 odd beads I have managed over the past 3 weeks...

 

Some finished lace I can share...the bohemian scarf...

up in the window, the pattern shows through...

On the table, you can see the gorgeous colour.

I am going to keep this one for myself, just not sure how often I will wear it lol

 

My counted cross stitch photo conversion has reached the half way point, so keep an eye out for that one.

 

The spinning has also been on the agenda...and I will soon have to start making the lace with the last 3 skeins completed...have a feeling I am going to get a request to make my uncle an over vest with some raw handspun in the near future too...that may be interesting...

 

Until next time, may your pins never bend and your threads never break...hugs and smiles



WIPs

A quick look at what is happening...

Porcelain doll week 4...

 The horseshoe finished...sorry about the quality of the pic...I might try for a better one tomorrow or the next day...

 My handspun using my own bobbins and beads...the next update for this one will be September :)

 The silk scarf...

Time for bed now...work for next few days...

Hugs my friends...

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.

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 :)