A rare Sunday off!

First of all, I would like to share the work of one of the ladies who comes to my home a couple of times a week.

Our local Lace Guild group had a workshop recently with a tutor from Hobart.  Each student had to pick a pattern they wanted help with.  Several girls picked patterns from Jenny Ree's Lace from the Australian Bush.  I didn't make the workshop because there was just not enough time!

This is Sue's completed bookmark!

 I had the pleasure of a visit from my grandsons today.  They came for a roast lunch.  2 1/2 year old Travis helped me make a self saucing chocolate pudding. 

Then he helped me decorate these cupcakes. 

The silicon cups come from Avon and are shaped like bugs and flowers.  Although the cook in me said only fill them 3/4 of the way up with batter, the packet suggested they get filled.  Should have stuck to the cook's advice!!  And bought some more cups!!

However, the cakes are yummy, and the boys are looking forward to a feast when they get home!

 Finally, I completed the butterfly for my shirt :)

I have not stitched it completely, and will maybe add a couple of tatted butterflies to complete the picture...depends on time :)

The doll lace is around 55 cms now, the beds ring pillow is almost at the next corner and the 3rd pillow made lots of progress yesterday too.  I think I should make myself a wire butterfly too...

Until next time, I look forward to hearing from you :)

Happy lacemaking....

Another pillow

The Beds edging has made a little more progress, 

The doll length has a target - a whopping 3 meters minimum!! It is currently hovering at a tad over 40 cm...

My other project has made a little progress, and I am almost at the "I think I know what I'm doing" stage!!

So....I started another project today :)

I will be heading North in October to attend the Australian Lace Guild conference week.  I have made a couple of skirts and aim to be able to wear lace each day at the conference.

Here is a butterfly - I intend to stitch it to a top to wear with one of my new skirts :)

The thread is Moriva Linen 40/2.  The pattern comes from a Bridgitte Bellon book - mental note to self...when borrowing books from the library  write the reference on the pricking copy!!

Ok, I NEVER have 4 pillows on the go at once...I swear I have been invaded by aliens...but I am enjoying the variety!!!

What's on my pillow?

This was one of the past year's projects...I used Bokens Linen to make a length...maybe I will stitch it to a towel one day...

 This is a close up of the finished lace.

 I currently have 3 pillows in use.  Number 1 cannot be shared just yet.

This is the only piece of lace to ever grace my pillow for more than a year! 

It is not hard.

I love making Tallies and leaves.

There is simply not enough time in each day to get to this one :(

But I have made 3 flowers this week, so there is finally a little progress...and it is over half way now :)

The winter sun shining through the window also makes it the best spot in the house :)

 This is my take-with-me piece.

I am using my travel pillow, although there are really too many bobbins on the pillow.

I am using up scraps of cotton as the colour will make no difference in the finished lace.

 I made the purple piece several years ago, and had no idea what I was going to do with it.

One of my new students does lace drapped dolls, and told me she wanted to make her lace to burn.

At first I admit I was surprised, and after mentioning the amount of time spent making the lace, I decided each to their own...after all it was her time and her lace!

Then I saw her dolls!!

I thought the purple length would be perfect, but there is not enough of it.

I am looking forward to November, when I will be starting to construct my doll!

Check back later for progress reports :)

A taste of this year...

Something a little special for post 100!!

Here is some of what I have been working on over the past 12 months.

These are all my own designs so I hope you enjoy :)

I may be able to share a little more later :)

I do not do sewing!!!

...but I put this quilt top together in less than 7 hours, and I love it!!  It will be for my 2nd grandson when he moves into a "big bed" around Christmas time :)

I also made this cute little bag at craft last night.  It has ducky little pockets under the flap, so it will be ideal for bobbins, thread and bits and pieces for lace making :)

 Now for some lace...

How about...

this gorgeous gift box that I found in a local el cheapo shop this morning...this is a small one and they come in 7 or 8 different sizes and 2 different colours...I liked this colour as it would show up better in a picture :)

Now I just need an excuse to use it...

 Not real lace?  How about these...

Gumlace had a tatted bookmark exchange.  Here is the lovely bookmark I received...I will share the "surprise" component of this gift in my next post...(I didn't take any pics of it before the camera decided to call it a day...)

 This bookmark was my gift from England as part of the Arachne bookmark exchange. See my  contributions 2 posts down :)

I just love morning glories!!! 

 What about my lace, I hear you ask?!?

Well, yes, I have been crossing and twisting in between tatting and teaching :)

The bookmark on the left is almost the same as the exchange bookmark mentioned above...this time in Brok 100/3 and with a compound spider variation. 

The bookmark on the right is made from leftover pipers silk 140/2.  The pattern is from 'Tradition Into Creation' by Jacqui Barber.

I will share the tatting soon, when I block it out...I hate blocking!! 

Finally, from my little fisher friend and I, happy lace making :)

We look forward to hearing from you until I post again soon :)

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 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.