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...

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

Just dropping in to say hi!

Life has certainly been very busy of late. I am trying to find a little time for catching up with friends, including my blog friends, but the clock just will not co-operate!

This weekend just gone, I was demonstrating lace at the Launceston Show, in between work. I won several awards for my lace, beads and sewing, as did a couple of my students.

I introduced this quilt top some time ago, but I have finally got to put the applique squares together. Now to add the posts, and edge panels to finish the top...have to get my stash out again!
This one has been on the go for even longer, but the top is finally sewn together. This one is paper piecing and all done by hand. Now I have to find a fabric I like for the backing and the hand sewing will start again!


I cannot share the lace I am working on at the moment...yet again, but rest assured there is plenty of it. I hope to have something to share after the weekend - workshop with Britt Fairchild but getting back to blog will be who knows when.



Thinking of my bloggy friends often, but cheers for now.

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.

Show Time

Wow, can you believe it is October already?!?!

Here are 3 of my 4 lace entries in our local show.

This length of lace was awarded a 1st place. I adapted the design from a Rosemary Shepherd pattern when I first started making lace to fit into a commercial frame.

This coats design took 4 months to tat, and I love it! I am considering making the design again, but continuing to make a circular table cloth for a small occassional table ... one day!

It was awarded 3rd place in the tatting section at the show. At first I was completely surprised by this - given the following piece, but after reading the judges comments, I do agree, especially as I had already said I was disappointed in that area with this piece - lesson learned!
This bookmark designed by Jon was awarded 1st place in the tatting section. I have tat it using Lizbeth thread in Shell (I think that was the name of the thread?) It was very quick to tat and I am now going to use it in my diary!

I was awarded 3rd place for my forth project, but cannot share here for now.

I am very pleased with my results and enjoyed 2 half days of lace demonstrating and several hours experimenting with some scrap booking tools from Creative Memories too!

Now I can focus on baby things, ATCs, 25 motif challenge and finishing my Lizbeth doily!

Hmmmm and Christmas is just around the corner!?!?

Thanks for reading this far, don't forget to say hi before you go.