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 :)



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,

Some lace at last!

But first, let's take a peek at what is happening in the shed! 

 

This is what Colin has been playing with over the past few months :)

 

This machine does not like straight driving and I must admit, it is a lot of fun...

 I have finally sorted my new 4 jaw chuck, upped the revs on my lathe (although still a ways to go according to the bobbin experts) and had a play today.

 

I think the wood is Blackwood...lovely and dark!  The smallish blanks were given to me a couple of years ago, but the first piece just turned away to nothing, so I put the rest away.

 

These are traveller sized bobbins and will look great on my travel pillow...another pair to make, then I can get on with some requests!

And I have also been busy with the beads!

 

Some of these ones are spoken for, and I still have 1 more request to play with...it is in the too hard basket at the moment, but over the weekend, I will give it 1 more try!

Once they are fired, some of these beads will become divider pins, some will adorn key rings and a few may even wind up as spangles!

 

 Ok, ok....here is the promised lace :)

 

The pattern was published a few years ago in Australian Lace...

 

The yarn is Misty Alpaca...

 

The lace was started by a retired lace maker, and I "inherited" it at the weekend...it is making some good progress, but I really need to get back to the 'other' piece!

 Thanks for stopping by, warm hugs :)

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...

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,

Bits and bobs

I spent the weekend in the shed...again!

This time my work was on the lathe :)

Here is my new lazy susan - this was the first bobbin I broke -

complete with a set of handmade beads. Timely, as I replaced my lazy susan with a needle pin and have been looking for a new handle! (I keep giving them away but this one will stay)

Here are the rest of the bobbins I made this weekend.

The inscription says:

Bobbin 1: Life without lace...

2010

Bobbin 2: ...I'm a frayed knot!

2010

On the right, you can see the other bobbin I broke. I intend to put it in my Kriss Kringle pack for my student's break up. The reciever can decide it they need a pricker or a lazy susan :)

I still have 2 sets to inscribe, but after 3 weeks of playing with open flames and molten glass with not so much as a singed hair, I burned my finger on the poker and had to pack up for the evening.

Now, I promised some lace in this post!

The tatting will have to wait until next time...I still have about an inch of chain to complete the final bookmark in my 25 motif challenge...

My bucks edge has stalled with Christmas drawing nearer at an alarming rate...

Tomorrow evening I will be delivering these wire lace necklaces.

They were designed by Lenka Suchanck.

I think I will have to make another for myself :)

They were so pretty I decided to use them to make my Christmas card cover for 2010.

Finally, I got to playing with some 1mm copper wire as LOML would love to see a wall decoration made in wire lace :)

More practice required but there are some possibilities here...stay tuned :)

Have fun, stay safe and please let me know what you think before you go.

Many hugs in this super busy time.

Bobbins

I was asked this morning about the bobbins that I have made, so here goes. I have heard it said that need breeds invention...well the need to learn to make lace, and therefore the need to increase my bobbin selection was a raging fire that was not satisfied with access to beginner bobbins once a month:) A friend of DB(eloved) owns a lathe, and having a heap of Huon Pine offcuts, I had the timber. My last experience on a lathe was 25 years ago...I made a sugar bowl that was supposed to be a goblet, but never let a little thing like lack of experience stand in the way! DB's mate left the workshop so he did not have to sort out severed fingers and I whittled away...by the end of the afternoon, I had broken 3 hardwood attemps (2 oh so close) and joy of joys - was the proud owner of a fine Huon Pine bobbin! (Not a cut finger in sight!) DB built me a lathe for my birthday :D The first 5 above are all Huon Pine, the 2 outside ones being travellers - well the end broke off, but they are still great to use, right? The next 2 are believed to be Myrtle - scrap timber that fell my way. The next is made from a piece of Cedar...it's life is interesting...tree to church pew, then a scout hall feature, next part prop for hovercraft and this small piece of leftover was made into a bobbin, affectionately known as "the cricket bat's mate". The 4 on the right really were born of desperation! They are 8mm wooden beads, threaded onto skewers...I needed 60 odd bobbins in less than a week at school and these are the result. The kids love them. I have also used some Blackwood, Silky Oak and Tas Oak hardwood. I love working with the Mytle and Silky Oak, and the smell of the Houn Pine is wonderful.

This pic shows the bobbins I made for a birthday gift. All the painted bobbins are made of Tas Oak and depict favorite things of the recipient...pets, occassions, flowers, etc. The wooden look bobbins are Huon Pine, each pair representing a family member or special occassion...birthdays, wedding etc. Each of these has been spangled with beads that represent the person marked on the bobbin...favorite colours and that sort of thing.

I do still collect the odd bobbin made by 'real bobbin makers', but I am somewhat proud of my little collection and continue to slowly add to them. Not counting the 16 pair on this pillow, I have about 40 pair that I have made I think.