You Can't Imagine The Brain Strain...

...involved in drawing this diagram... or, rather, figuring it out. And now I know that it would be better if you cut 53 wide. I know that now.
I'm being so good, even I can't believe it. I got out my pile of lists of things to do and am embarking on a trip to doona cover and sheet making world. Such discipline!
P.S. You can trust the truth of this document.

I Am In Love With Green

It really can't be beaten. This is playing with my stash very late last night. None of the buttons were right for the project but I had a happy half an hour (in between the other happy half hours playing in my sewing room).

Early Sampler

1992. I went mad on these years ago. There are more in me yet too. I like cross stitch. Someone copied the entire book of historic designs from some Dutch museum and I made a few with the motifs. My son has one that goes with this... sort of.

An Early Sampler

Er... ah... 1991.

Op Shop Find

Just had to put new straps on!

Baby Playsuit

Trouble is... apart from the fact that there are no instructions, the pattern is of an age when cloth nappies were the go... therefore, they'll be too big for a two year old... so do I put elastic in the legs and back??

Or do I think of them as three year old overalls? It's a difficult enough decision to leave until morning. I want them finished!!

Oh, they're from The Stitchery.

Finished The Embroidery On Sadie's Apron

Now all I have to do is crochet around the edges. And whilst I learned to crochet at my Grandmother's knee, I haven't done much at all and it will be experimental and might let the team down. You can see that I have only pinned the pocket in place for effect. It will need to be crocheted in purple to complete the bow... I went to Lincraft today too, but forgot to take the apron!! Silly!!

Little Sadie loves to wear things. She spent the entire day with another apron draped around her and tucked up. I fell even more in love with her then... if that's possible. So girly and cute. This might stay at Grandma's house though. Otherwise it becomes just another thing at home. In fact, I may put away all of the toys here and let her play with the kitchen cupboard, which is a favourite for any toddler, eh?

This is another design from The Stitchery. I have stacks of their stuff yet to do... I've got the overalls (playsuit) embroidered and did at least remember to buy the elastic for the legs while I was at Linners.

Here's Why I'm Not Convined About The Latest Potholder.

See. Compare the original drawing (and the thus far potholder) in the top picture with today's modified, nicened, more airy, not ridiculously big eyed version. Gonna have to do something about it I'm afraid. My daughter Ruby says they're both nice but then, so is she and she wouldn't like me to feel bad.

I will, however, re-do the girls eyelashes. I think they're better done curly-like. And I'll make the smile creases at the sides of the mouths more distinct.

P.S. Feel free to make one for yourself or for your Mum.

'The Nice Girls'

Last ones. No really, I mean it this time... except... the eyes are too big and the proportions are wrong so I might have to do them again?? Not sure.

The top one is for my sick Mum. She's such a tone on tone lover.

I Was Wrong

This is the elephant I drew the potholder from (not this one)... I think It's still from doublewinky as well. Good old dubbs!

Home.

Home is where the heart is.

It's raining outside and we are forced to have a day inside, painting/drawing.

New Kids In The Kitchen

Getting so there's no room to pin up the bills.

Looks like the new kids are worried about something?

Elephant Pot Holder Is Finished!!

I kept taking it out today and looking at it! I'm in love! This one is thanks to doublewinky, and particularly her bric-a-brac elephant (which I have copied below). That's where the drawing comes from, or is of. (I didn't put the tusks in because it was too complicating (busy).

You must look a t Bubbles too!

This was gonna be the last pot holder... then I thought of another and today I realised there is yet another!

P.S. Hope you don't mind me publishing your pic dubbs???

P.P.S. The backing and binding is repro-feedsack fabric, and just as beautiful as the real thing. I bought it from Loch ages and ages ago when I had no known purpose for it...

Chaise Coasters

I Love my big plastic tub of pure wool, thick felt! Where can you buy it in Melbourne?? Someone said up near the Vic Market somewhere, but where?

I made two of these for the chaise because we changed the room around and stole the rug it was on for somewhere else. Now Ross thinks everything should have some.

It's Finished

But I'm not a fan... The hat fabric is from ne of Grandma's old coats. The Wagga I made with it got burnt in a fire, sadly.

Finished

But I'm not a fan.

The Funnest Morning

Preparing for the week's commuting. I hate the last Potholder I did, but this one is just the style I like best. Plaids and old woollen fabrics with less clean-edged felt. I'm not sure if that's the right yellow, but maybe...? It looks different when the stitching frames the individual pieces and when the binding is on.

There's one more left in me. Afer thais that is, then it's back to the list (doona covers and sheets and finish the red quilt). It's been a nice little break but I think I've been pushing things a bit too much overall..

Hmmm...? Maybe it's time to do some drawing?

Discovered A New Source!

Playing on Flickr, checking out who's commented on various people's pictures... you know how it is...

It's the Glasgow School of Art's Library Photostream. Check it out! Not a lot there, but quality.

The Wife Swapper

I had only these colours at work yesterday so he ended up being a red-head. He reminds me of Ricky-Bobby's (shake and bake!) mate out of Telladega Nights... the Will Ferell movie (excuse all spelling mistakes). It's not my favourite and is getting away from the mood I'm looking for and may end up as a Chrissy present for the kids??

I've cut out the elaphant and am liking it a lot right now, all tartans and all wool, as opposed to felt. Yummy!
But, such as it is... here is a new pattern. It'll look different when the binding is on too... and the lips etc., which you sew through a couple of layers to get a quilted, moulded look.
Got the day off today, Whoo Hoo!

P.S. It'll be 17cm wide.

Lifesaver

We've been watching Bondi Rescue. Gotta love that show... What you can't see here (because I scanned it rather than took a photo) is that his zinc cream is fluro pink.

The backing/binding fabric is cut from a genuine, almost 100 year oldAmerican depression feed sack. I bought them years ago for a great deal of money (I'd earned it taking a weekend workshop in Wagga's and the Waverly Patchwork Guild pay well so it was a good thing).
I think this little guy is in for a chance with the ladies. You'll find the pattern here.

Yay! I Got To Do Something Non-Curtainish!

I cut it out late last night, when I should have been in bed, then stitched it down on the train going to work. Quick and easy! I have another ready to go (it's drawn out as a pattern from this drawing). Later when the kiddies have gone home. My darling one is going to put up some hooks (hmmm, s'pose I could manage that myself) so we can hang a few decoratively displayed (yet handy for everyday use).

Because I haven't boiled the woollen blanketing and therefore not shrunk it (although it's an old blanket and probably won't be a bother)... so I did a row of machine stitching around the cut out line, set to Buttonhole length but a straight stitch. You can't see it but it will stop the fabric fraying even after its 25th wash. Inside is some of that silver ironing-board fabric, so we won't burn our little pinkies.

Have a look at the Funky Potholders new group, if you're interested... the pattern is there too.

New Lamby La!

Lovely! I bought it for myself. One needs to surround one's birthday with gifts. And other lamb was lonely (other lambs were).

Hard To See How Pretty It Really Looks, But...

They need to settle and so do I. My darling honey-blossoms dear daughter's just popped in... it's Anna's birthday... and we all ended up having a cup of tea in the new sewing room. It just happened that way. So lovely to be in there! And I've just pulled out the Pot Holder plans. Ross can't believe the proudness he is feeling for me.

And, tomorrow I will turn 50!!!!!!!!

It's Happened! Hoorah! Yipee! Toroo Toorah!

They're finished! Act Two is over, the rail is up and (even though I can't wait) I am so attached to you all (or to my own exhibitionism?) that I have taken a pause from the long awaited hanging to show you. As these pictures load I am gathering the tops to put them up.

Hark! I hear drum-rolls echoing through the valley...