Some news and needlelace

First of all, here is the lace I have been working on lately...Hardanger is new to me, but I must admit I love this...

 The supervisor is loving the lamp and my knee!

 And finally the 1st placemat is finished!

This is the first of a 9 piece table setting...a table centre, 2 placemats, 2 serviettes, 2 serviette rings and 2 coasters....

 

And the news- Sadly, Colin's cancer has returned so posts will probably be very few and far between for a while.  The treatment is almost over, but the prognosis is not all that great...we are clinging to hope and prayers.

 

Warmest of hugs to my blog friends.  Stay safe and enjoy every day!



meandering goldfish

With the current attention span of a goldfish, I have been playing with many projects!

This first counted cross stitch has been in my work basket for a little over a year.

I got it out again recently as I can work on this type of thing without disturbing Colin.

Ok...so I should have washed and ironed it before taking the photo, but...

 I needed to change the hoop position on the project above, but because of the already completed work, my hoop would not fit (I didn't have a hoop with a screw adjustment at the time), so I went digging in my kit box and come up with this gem.

It is a felt kit from Dimension (I think)

I purchased it to put in my classroom in the leadup to Christmas, so it has been in the box for a while!

I figured if I got the background completed I would be doing a good job!

But the toys were inviting and quick (besides my dear son 1 threw out a challenge!)

Project 2 now complete!!

 The silk scarf is taking shape!  

There are 48 pairs of bobbins, and the pattern is from 

Neue Kloppelideen Fur Torchonspitzen 

by Katharina Egger

The doll lace is almost 2 meters now (only 47 headside fans to go), and early February I intend to begin the 'practice doll' so will try to keep you posted...

The 3rd bobbin lace project is also well under way, but it will be a while before I can share :)...

As for the spinning, I think my wheel is ready to go, so we are heading to Ross on Sunday for a Guild Spin In.  I am hoping to meet up with the lady I met in Zeehan back in September.  I find I can only do a little with the drop spindle at a time as my arm aches, so maybe some real progress will be seen after the weekend...

The tatted bookmarks for the Cancer Clinic are still rolling out, although somewhat more slowly at the moment...

I managed to make 14 beads this week...first time in the shed for ages, was on a roll with plain donut beads and just about ready to play with some other skills when I run out of gas :(  Oh well...next time :)...

Next time I might have enough of the Aaron jumper I have under way too...

AND Colin has permission to ease back into work, so as of Saturday, I will have his help at work for maybe 2 days per week...driving only, but YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Enough rambling, hugs to my cyber friends, 

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 :)

There has not been a lot of lace this week :(

The reason being that my stove decided to pack it in on Monday last week. We have enjoyed a holiday from cooking, and the electrician finally made it on Thursday to tell us our faithful friend was beyond repair. What better excuse for a kitchen make over??

I have hated this orange since day dot! (please excuse the mess - a hazard of too much to do, not enough time)

Ok, the mess is still there, but the orange has moved out!!

another orange cupboard... ...looks much nicer in blue! This is where the stove used to live. There was also another cupboard underneath. Colin wanted to take a pic, but I was just happy to get started on the work. All ready for the new stove :) We tested the new stove this evening...I feel a cooking session coming on as there are a few features I look forward to playing with!! There will be a complete revamp in a few years time, but for now, I love my new kitchen :) Next post, I will share some new beads, another of my 25 motif challenge pieces and what is on my 4....yes 4 pillows :) til then, take care and be happy.

It's a boy!!

I've been working for weeks (at least that's what it feels like)

This is a very quick post to let you know my 1st grandchild arrived safely on Thursday afternoon. Travis John is now at home getting to know friends, family and discovering a big wonderful world, wrapping his mum and dad around his little finger very sweetly!

Pics later...gotta fly - work to be done!

BTW - work is full time for another 4 weeks, so please don't expect too much :)