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!

Just for starters

Ohhhh how I have missed my bloggy friends :( Life has been crazy, but what's new?!?

This scarf is now almost 150 cm long and is being worked by one of my students. The pattern is in an Australian Lace Magazine from a few years ago and it is being worked in 'Misty' Alpaca wool...mine will be shades of mauve and I am soooo looking forward to some time to make it as this really is gorgeous!! BTW - the maker started making lace 1 year ago today!!

This is also the work of one of my 'girls'. The design is from Rosemary Shepherd's "Fantasy Flowers" and worked in Lizbeth thread.
I have finally finished my last 'big' project...will share some of it in June or there abouts. At the moment, I am just chilling and making bookmarks...these are from one of my favorite patterns...a possum...also from an Australian Lace mag. They are made in Thai silk, available in a large range of gorgeous colours from a local thread supplier...when her website is up and running I will be happy to share :)
These little friends will be winging their way to Canada and the UK by the end of the week with the following...

The Bucks Point design on the left is by Irene Tomlinson and another favorite...it always reminds me of Guzzie Sue - a bloggy friend - and this is the 3rd time I have made it (and the bobbins are wound to make number 4!!) I used brok 80/2 with a perle 8 gimp this time.

The torchon bookmark on the right was given to me to 'work out the pattern' for a friend.
this one has been worked in the Brok 80/2 and I have wound bobbins to work it again in Brok 100 as suggested...I guess that means it was fun to work lol.

This cool Aussie Green Tree Frog eating an Aussie Mozzie now resides in Thailand, in a quilt made by a local church craft group. I have been teaching lace making there since June last year, and felt that the quilt needed a little lace. Everyone contributed a square with an Australian theme and then the quilt was constructed by 2 or 3 of the members. It has candlewicking, embroidery, painting, printing and quilting as well as this lace. I did not have my camera on the night it was shown to the group after being completed, but I can assure you it looked fantastic!!

On top of everything else I have made 2 of these wire lace horseshoes for friends. I do love working with wire and they were both received with open hearts.

The design is from Christine Springett's Lace for Children of All Ages.

Next visit I will show you the completed truck quilt, which now resides with my gorgeous 2 year old grandson and is very well loved, and my garden make over...although I am not so sure I have a "before" pic for you to compare?!?!

I promise it will not be sooooo looonnngggg into the future when i drop in again, so please say hi before you go :)

Hugs and happy lace making to all.

Quick update...

The shadows in the pic are not great, but I am at corner number 3 of the bucks point hankie/bonnet!!

Yayyyyyyy!!!!!

Even the cover cloth is happy VBG

More next time... thanks for dropping by!

Hugs and warm wishes

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 :)

Patience...me?!?!

Not a bone in my body!!!!

I used all the beads I have made for spangles on Sunday by removing the old spangles off some of my own bobbins and replacing them with my handmade beads. So much for waiting to make new bobbins!!

Then I could not wait to see them in action, so I changed the bobbins on my current project!

Next, I just *had* to change the rest of the bobbins for more of my own.

So here they are...the longer threaded bobbins have my own beads.

And close up of some of the bobbins...

Do you want to see the whole picture??

I thought so :)

My daughter made the pin cushion about 10 years ago and it is still one of my most favorites.

Last time I showed this lace, it was just around the corner. It is growing, but I really need to put it away and work on some other projects!!

Oh well, the motivation may come tomorrow

I admit I did another repeat today after taking the pic:)

I was celebrating - today I purchased a skirt - size 14!!

No big deal, you think? This time last year, size 22 was too small!!

Hugs :)

Happy New Year...

...to all my bloggy friends :)

On Christmas Eve, I managed a few pins in my Bucks Point edging for my new Grandbaby, due at the end of February. Here is a picture of the general pillow, with 5 of my handmade bobbins adorned with some of my first beads on the longer threads.

Here is a close up of the lace, emerging from the forest of pins.

After seeing the new year in while researching more new ideas to try in my glass making, I am having a relaxing day at my pillow.

This is my second ever Bucks corner! I know that technically it is not correct, but I am looking for a pretty piece of lace for our new baby - no awards needed :)

Here is my day's work. I started at the corner this morning.

My wish for 2011 is friendship, good health, security, productivity and fun for all.

May your dreams come true, your lace grow and your daily challenges be surmountable!

Hugs to all,

Fabric, glass and thread

Fabric...

After completing the single sail squares for DS2's quilt, I started on the next installment...

These "fish" sets are half done now, but here is a small sample...

Glass...

Yesterday I attended a glass bead making class. The beads are made using flame fueled by a BBQ gas bottle.

We learned lots of safety points, then we each had a go at making a stringer and some frits.

Next, we each made a donut bead. Here is mine! I picked a piece of glass that was constructed of transparent and opaque sections which gives the bead some depth.

I am wearing it on a plaited cotton bracelet at the moment, but it will become a spangle in the near future.

Next week, I will learn how to decorate my beads...til then, there is a looonnngggggggg wait for supplies to arrive so I can make some more of these cool donut beads!

I will soon be able to design some wire lace to decorate my beads!!!!!!!

Finally some threads...

This hankie edge will be a baby bonnet/wedding hankie for my new grand baby due in February.

It is Bucks Point and I will be taking some pins out on Tuesday, so I will show you the design then :)

I also have some more bookmarks for my 25 motif challenge to show you in the next post.

Til then TTFN :)

A Mixed Bag

Some crotchet to kick things off!

I made this cot throw for my grandson. The pattern is from an English Friends magazine from around 20 years ago. I love the design and have made it in double bed, single bed size before.

This one is made in Twillies Crotchet Cotton.

Here is a close up!

BTW - I finished another one this week for a friend's daughter, so only 1 more to make for now - for my new Grandbaby due January :)

Some tatting now...

Here are bookmarks 11, 12 and 13 - more crosses for friends, made is Lizbeth thread.

And number 14 is an adaptation of a length from Norma Benopath's Heritage patterns, also using Lizbeth thread.

Time for bobbin lace!

This pricking was sent to me from Guzziesue some time back when we exchanged ATCs.

As my knowledge on Bucks was/is very limited, and there was very few instructions (for me, that is :)) it has taken a while, but I did it!!!

The design is called Summer, an original by Irene Tomlinson.

The coloured gimp did not do as I wanted, but a lesson has been learned :)


This bookmark will be gifted to the lady running the leadership training I am undertaking in my scrapbooking business - despite the mistakes, I am sure she will love it :)

Enough for now, please enjoy!
Warm hugs from cold Tasmania :)

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

A few little bits

Ok ... yes I have been making some lace!

First, my tat design homework! I posted the motif on the right, but with some tweaking, I also like the motif on the left. Now I have to write out the pattern (and do some blocking)!

Next, Porty is ready to play!

Ok, ok, so I had some help here, but it has been a wonderful team effort!

Next stop, a frame.

The Lisbeth doily is moving along! I promise that there is only 3 1/2 rounds left here Diane ... but I am thinking there may be enough thread left to make a couple of matching mats :)

The Bucks length for Grandbaby is growing. The pic is lousy, but the lace is over 50 cms now.

I spent some time sorting through my samples books, and found I needed to replace several things ...

The book that spends lots of time at school has some items adapted from Christine Springett's Lace for Children. The half stitch heart, hairband length and flower (without the bracelet) are popular projects.

This key ring was designed as a starter project ... Ebonee made it to see if it worked for me, and this is my sample ... finally.

The ever popular snakes now reside in my book ... until I give this pair away too...

And finaly, I have remade this little edge from Rosemary Shepherd's Bobbin Lace for Beginners Book (for the 3rd time :)

Nothing exciting, but lots of little projects are in order for this holidays. Keep watching for the next batch!

If you are interested in Scrapbooking ... keep watching this space :)

Cheers for now, but before you go, please don't forget to share a thought or 2 :)

Where has the time gone?!?

Wow, I cannot believe that more than a month has passed since I last blogged :( What a busy month it has been! Apart from quite a bit of work, I have managed a few crafty bits too.

Here is my completed cross stitch - a Gumlace Secret Pals gift from Janette in Canberra. On Saturday night I won a gift voucher from a framing business at our local Scouting Entertainment night, so this little kitty will have a lovely frame very soon. I love this pic because the kitty looks like my Sox about 15 years ago. When I get my own classroom, I intend to hang the pic there to remind students to "hang in there".

Speaking of Secret Pals - the final round of my second foray into this delightful pastime arrived last week. My Arachne package contained 2 months of gifts, so I really did feel very spoiled :) This May package had so many treasures! I have started tatting a collar with the Seashells coloured Lizbeth thread, using the silver tatting shuttle. The booklet has lots of information about Nottingham machine-made lace and is a very interesting read.

This gorgeous pewter plate, depicting a lacemaker was the June installment. I have never seen anything like this before, and will treasure it always. Many thanks to my pal Pat Hallam in Nottingham!

I have really enjoyed both rounds of Secret Pals. Finding or making just the right gift for my recipients was terrific fun, and I have made 2 new lacey friends with each round :) And I did not manage to guess either of my pals prior to the reveal, but have learned a little something interesting about each.

On the same day, Diane's parcel with threads to complete my Lizbeth doily arrived! 2 balls of thread will enable me to complete the big doily and make a pair of matching small ones. (The other ball is attached to the shuttle, but not the doily yet.) Diane purchased 2 pair of bobbins at a Lace Day she attended, then split them and shared with me - am I lucky or what! I just love the unusual shape of the bobbins and cannot wait to try them out. Thank you Diane, a little something for you will be winging it's way your way by this afternoon.

In my last post, I shared some French Beading with you. Now I have bunches of wildflowers :)

These are quite quick to make, so I have short stems to wear on my clothing or long stems to put in a vase.
I have made all the bits for the Rose, but am still in the process of lacing the leaves and petals before construction can take place. This project is taking much longer!

Apart from winding many, many bobbins for the children at school, the only bobbin lace I have on the go is this little Bucks edging. In November I will see how long it is and use it to decorate some baby goodies for my first grandbaby :) There is not much to show just yet but it does grow fast.

Enough from me for now! I have managed to drop in on a few friends over the past weeks, and have enjoyed your stories and sharing.

For now, stay well, happy and able to make and share your lace adventures.

Warm hugs.