Stitcheries

 I informed you last time you visited that I had toddled off to  Myponga,Yankalilla and Normanville for  a days outing with my friend whom was in much need of refreshment of her spirits. I told her I was going for a drive but really my ulterior motive was to drag her out and give her a day of pleasantness and wash the soul in happiness. I'm glad I took the time out to enjoy the day because the weather has now turned here and it is currently hailing followed by a torrential  down pour. The air actually feels icy and I am for the first time this year feeling the cold. I might even need two pairs of socks because despite the pair I have on my feet at present my tootsies feel frozen. Back in a jiffy!

I am now suitably dressed: two pair of sock, shoes and another jumper..I am too cheap to put the heating on just for myself. I also made a nice hot cup of tea and grabbed a couple of dry crackers to snack on...but when I opened the fridge I spied the banoffee pie I made last night and decided that being decadent and sinful was in order. The dog is consuming the crackers ... I dont want her to put on any more weight, I wish I was so kind to myself but I will enjoy my naughty indulgence despited the dog salivating next to me. If she doesn't start behaving herself I might toss her outside into the cold air.. how cruel! I really should join the Leyland brothers (Iconic Aussie travellers whom travelled the outback and filmed it well before being adventure bound was in vogue.. they dragged their spouses with them to live like pioneer women. Mike and Mal should be in the hall of fame!) because I have gone off the beaten track and am basically digressing. gord ! i'm like a chatty Cathy today! must be the sugar.

On the way out to the above mentioned towns we stopped off in Aldinga. (Most of these names have aboriginal origin except for Normanville- must have been some white settler of notoriety..anyway they are a mouthful to say I agree!). At Aldinga  we found the Heavenly op shop..yes it was named so I am not making it up because it had heavenly little vintage items that hadn't been pilfered by the marauding masses that go on a Sunday drive (I would be one of them except that I normally work every Sunday so do things like that on a week day off)  Well whilst out and about I spied with my beady little eyes these delightful stitcheries..luckily priced in my budget..if it's over $2 I'm to stingy to buy it.

The hollyhocks were purchased in Aldinga along with flowered tablecloth..mmm $3.. but I can see lots of uses for this as lining and patchwork if I can bear to cut it. The friends stitchery is one I did a long time ago, made a cushion which still is  in excellent nick but has been buried in the toy box (which never gets opened now..children are too old and I am too lazy to clean out)...so thinking of converting it into a shopping bag (one day)

The top two stitcheries below were purchased at craft from their market table. It  was part of a deceased estate from one of our elderly crafters whom gifted it to her friends and like minded souls at craft and the money raised from these purchases will go to the cancer council.

I couldnt bare to let the stitcheries remain incomplete so have decided to do them this holiday and then convert one or two of them into a purse as inspired by The Custards (please read this blog  post it is charming, entertaining shows generosity of spirit and is inspirational in deed and craft loveliness and is funny to boot!)

The crinoline lady  almost wasn't mine.. it wasn't a case of snatch and grab...the lady whom runs the market table at craft wanted a label for the back of quilt and I suggested using a completed stitchery and embroidering her details of the quilt off to the side.. whilst saying this I picked this stitchery up without really looking and handed it too her...gulp I really wanted to snatch it back. She must have taken it home and brought it back because yesterday there it was waiting for me to claim my prize. Sooo happy

The field of floweres had two perfectly embroidered flowers on it when I purchased it. Not having the colours to match I decided to spice it up and add a mix to the flowers. Four flowers seemed a bit spartan to me I added to the field of flowers ( I had trouble with one of the leaves but other than that am reasonably happy with the end result) I am now waiting for some purse handles to arrive in the post so I can make a little change purse

Does your floss box look like this? I do have some with them neatly wound round cards but I seem to have accrued a bounty of coloured threads in the last few months whilst op shopping. Buy it whilst it is cheap.

Finished the flowered field stitchery~!

I love this little lady..aah happy! Working on this now - what I started with...

Well off to do some stitching. Hoping its warm in your neck of the woods!

Angels Heralding in Christmas- Angel Swag Stitchery

Hark the Herald  Angels Sing!

I think I'll name this Heralding In Christmas

Original stitchery by Monique Smith

My Christmas stitchery is almost finished

Ill finish the detail on the middle angels bodice tonight and the tail of the swag on the right hand side and then the  stitchery is done.

I've changed the dress slightly on the angels as I went , but I imagine your own work is always open to interpretation when it comes to sewing.

I still have to find out how to upload the pattern so that you can download it. Anybody know how? Would really appreciate help.
The pattern is A3 size but I have reduced it to A4 for easy of scanning
That's my original copied on to tracing paper. I used  old type writer carbon paper to trace it directly onto my white material, you could just as easily utilize a window as a light box

Now all I have to do is finish the stitchery and sew it up - pillow or Christmas Santa sack??

My son informs me that if you click on the image and then save it to your files you will be able to print this as a pattern (I scanned it crooked but you can turn it a little)

New Ideas

I decided I'd have a bash at natural dyeing and used the most rudimentary of all dyeing techniques by dyeing some calico with brown onion skins soaked in hot water. I have no mordant of alum which I hear helps the colour to adhere/ up take to the material. I don't have any household ammonia that changes the colour or any other paraphernalia which might be useful for naturally dyeing. I had very little expectation and was rewarded with something of  a soft brown. I suppose in terms of colour not very exciting but it was a change anyway.

Having dyed  a piece  of material I was compelled to utilize it and have decided to utilize the pen sketches/ patterning that I did a couple of weeks ago as the basis for an embroidery.

I rummaged around my floss box and found some pearl cotton in a mushroom pink that melds in nicely with the muted brown of the material.

I do realize that this will take for ever to complete in between crocheting baby blankets, but it is so nice to have a change from all the hooky stuff no matter how happy the colours. Hopefully I wont run out of pearl cotton but I suspect I will as I seem to have used a lot just forming the french knots in this little patch of sewing.

Anyway it was a nice way to spend Anzac Day. Oh I have a long way to go!
Sorry about the photography, it was taken at night in soft light. If I used the flash you see nothing.

Quick Stitches

Inside Out magazine had this felted purse as a giveaway with the magazine. I put it away thinking I would decorate it at some stage. Well today was the day! I had some wool threads from another project and decided a floral theme would be nice based loosely from a picture which was in a Christmas book I picked up today.

Well here it is ..