Marie Antonia Petit Point For You!

Detail from 'Archduchess Marie Antonia (later to become Marie Antoinette, Queen of France) at the age of 12' by Martin van Meytens, 1767-68.

Taken too late in the evening. I'll try to remember (bother) to take another tomorrow.

I have a program (bought at great expense) which converts images to charts using my choice of thread brands. I offer the service at Etsy for not much money too, by the way!

I used 22 count so my version is smaller.

Appleton's Crewel Wool. You could use their tapestry wool for a larger version.

I love Marie Antoinette. I read 'The Lost King of France' at the recommendation of my tour guide to Versailles. This book is about Louis XVII, the child of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. It's an absolute page turner. Sad, but terribly interesting and well written. Then I went on to read Antonia Fraser's 'Marie Antoinette: A Journey', also a beautiful book and very well balanced. There has been much controversy about Marie Antoinette, most of it ridiculous. She was a child of her time and a political pawn, born to be played for power, peace and gain by both sides. Louis XIV, The Sun King, was responsible for the excesses of the French court and his grandson and great-grandson paid the price with their lives, along with Marie Antoinette.

Going to Paris, and Versailles was a major event in my life (of course, you say). Who wouldn't fall in love with such beauty, although I might tone it down a smidge for my place.

So, when the lovely New Zealander took our tour (a bicycle tour... er... ah... Fat Bike Tours), he filled us up with his own love for Marie Antoinette and I will always be a fan.

Due to having multiple requests, I here have given the colours in DMC. I’ve both searched online and tried to match with my stash. 

As near as Dr Google and I are able to give you a close colour match, here they are:

1:356

2:415

3:453

4:3858

5:3864

6:3772

7:918

8:224

9:3713

10:3866

11:453 or 3013

12:520

13:3859

14:301 or 3830

15:644

16:3023

17:369

18:3023

19:542

20:761 or 604 or 3716

21:223

22:823

23:720 or 900

24:772

25:928 or 747 or 3761

26:762

27:3802

28:3371

29:3864

30:646

31:3774 or 3033

32:371 or 3863

33:610

34:543

35:3833

36:762

37:ecru

38:762

39:310

40:3799 or 844.

Where colours are represented by the same colour, it’s because Appleton’s have more shades. It won’t matter.

Jon's 'One Piece' Tissue Box Cover For Christmas

Being friends with Lorna's hanky box.

This reminds me of Jon and Claire.

This reminds me of Jon.

Bottom

Pattern will be correct when printed on A4 (I haven't cropped it).

Please go through my Crochet label (here on my blog) for hints and so on. And the turotial is here and a little bit here..

Lorna's Hanky Box

This box is a practical size to slip in a drawer... not that I would ever want to hide mine away! The angled sides make it stronger than the first I made of this style. I've used gorgeous Japanese or Chinese paper with card inside and plastic on top (as usual). I think I bought 5 A4 sheets? Hmmm... think so...

Lorna's Hanky Box (right) is made using some beautiful Japanese or perhaps Chinese paper that is available at most art shops these days. It's just too pretty not to buy every time I go near it.

I iron my hankies into a triangle and have designed the box to fit even my larger hankies. I love ironing my hankies when they come out of the wash!

Pretty soap is a must!

The bottom has to be pretty too.

If you print this out on A4, you will have the correct size.

Please go through my Crochet label (here on my blog) for hints and so on. And the turotial is here and a little bit here..

Sadie's Tiny Owl's

Made using vintage Op-Shop wool and scraps of stash splendour.

Mt darling grand-daughter loved my tiny owl knits Robin-Wristee's (orhere at Ravelry) that I had to make her some. They are so little and boopy it brings a tear to my eye! (The top pic is a closer colour to true).

I cast on 38 stitches, worked 6cm then did a 2x2 rib for 2.25cm. I decreased 3 stitches (total) either side and in the middle of a row before the ribbing. Easy! Excepting that I almost finished the second one but hadn't mirror-imaged it. Der.

 tiny owl knits are so cute!

The bird I just scribbled onto some graph paper but I'd rather not give you a pattern (sorry) since it's Tiny Owl's design really and I've just squished it.

Granny's Christmas Card Box For S

Note the join in the plastic? I thought I may as well accentuate it rather than try to hide it.

Base

If you print this out on A4 paper, you'll have the right size. See that you have to further draw the pattern for the lid? Just measure 1.5cm all round, as shown partially done.
The images I have used come from pillpat (agence eureka) over at Flickr. I have used her uploads loads of times for loads of purposes. The floral sheet Here. The ship Here. The base Here. Butterfly Here.
Yay pillpat! You really are a star!

The TUTORIAL from a previous project remains the same as for this one.

Materials:

**The plastic I use is available at Officeworks. It's some kind of Project Cover stuff. I just had a look on the website but can't find it. Ask. It comes in packets of 25 or 100 I think. Stiffish plastic. 

**Thread: I found some Nylon Knitting Ribbon at the Op Shop, but had to buy more to finish. Unfortunately the colours were different but here is where I bought it in any case. Usually I use Crochet Cotton or a combination of ordinary sewing threads mixed together. Bits of string found on the side of the road will do.

** I print the images on 200g card, but it could be a bit thicker. So long as it has a little flexibility. There's some pizza box inside the lid because it's slightly larger than A4. Hope it doesn't go mouldy! Alternative to printing, I cut out images from old books and paste them onto some kind of card/pizza lid.

** The punch I used is an 'EK Success Heavy Duty Hand Punch, Circle .125 inch'. Available online, although you might like to search Dr Google for somewhere nearer to yourself.
A decent hole punch is the hardest thing to find. The link there is to my happy discovery. These are terrific and suit this particular craft. Those bought at Scrapbooking supplies don't manage the task and collapse crying after ten minutes, at the time of writing at least.

Please message me if you find a fault or difficulty in these or the tutorial's instructions, ok?

Tiny Owl's Again

Nearly finished! I wrote about the wool etc., over at Ravelry. You can find a link there to the pattern.

My Miaow Mitts

These are the cutest things ever. Go and check out tinyowl at Ravelry.

Bobby's Conglomerate Cuffs

Inspired by fanalaine's version of the elf clobber cuffs, but based pretty well on tiny owl's white rabbit wrist-ees, both ala Ravelry...

Using some vintage Op-Shop mohair (which I am erroneously going to call 4-5ply) and size 2.75mm DPN's:
Cast On 49 stitches in Main Colour
Join into round (place marker at join) and K1, P1 rib for 2 rows MC.
4 rows (all Knit rows now) MC,
3 rows Contrast Colour.
4 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
4 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
Change to 2.25mm needles:
7 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
9 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
11 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
3 rows MC, then:
Knit and BACK and FORTH... ala FLAT. i.e. Knit one row, purl the next and no longer in the round.
10 rows MC (making a total of 13 MC rows in this stripe),
3 rows CC,
4 rows MC,
3 rows CC,
4 rows MC, then 2 rows K1, P1 rib.
Cast Off in rib.
Join the seam for the first 15-ish mm. Re-inforce the base of the opening by either seaming a tiny bit or just going over and over the place where it splits open for your Tom Thumb.

Nuffin to it.

P.S. I can't decide whether or not to add crochet? Maybe not? Maybe next time?

This Is What I Bought Today

I hate new machinery... but this DC6030 is so intuitive, and feels kind of similar to my dear old SR2100, that I'm coping quite well. This is a work-horse, not a show pony (I believe). Not carried away with fancy extra's. A dressmaker's machine.
Dear SR2100, after 26-27 years of rampant, hearty service, you are now entering tension dementia land. I love you. I LERVE you.
I'll have to keep it for a while before I can let go.

Finished! And It's Only October!

Considering that Ruby's birthday was July... it's still pretty good going I think. The bulk of it was done then but I wouldn't let her see it and gave her some nice books (she's in love with Mark Ryden).

So, here are details of the quilting. It's with woollen thread (aurifil Lana 8402 which I Love, and used in my Bluebird embroidery amongst other things) and is coarsely worked. I used to tie them all but this style of patchwork suits quilting. HERE'S the rest of the Wagga, and if you want to look at all of them, go here.
Oh, and, this is made from an old blanket, a length of wool found at the Op-Shop, one small (blue) new length and bits and pieces from my accumulation. The back is various old tea-towells, scraps of embroidery Ruby did as a child, vintage dresses, a skirt I used to wear all of the time, Japanese fabrics etc.

We pulled a few of these out of a wall near the Ballarat Art Gallery, probably two years ago, and now they are very happy. Our little bit of Portwenn.

Got A Hankering For Some New Potholders

I like to make a little train-project, but since I've been home with the pneumonia (doing well now thanks), I've almost done them. It's been nice really, after the initial BLEH... I've managed to close-to finish Ruby's Wagga, work out some knitting projects, think, catch up on Carey Grant movies (then back to Ingmar Bergman), just generally play at a quiet, sewing/knitting/movies pace.
However, today I am determoned to vacuum! My One True is sick now too, though not too badly... But he's a boy, so it's all cold & flu tablets and tele and compulsory company. Nice too!
Obviously, you are more than welcome to use the design, and you can sell any items made (only) if it's for a charity.

Once the pencil lines are washed of (with a soap-loaeded toothbrush), the shapes are more subtle.

Hmmm... maybe I need to re-do the moustache? Make it thicker.

I'm usually very neat on the back, but something got tangled and I didn't notice and it odesn't really matter at all so it's false pride to fix it.

I just hope their little ears don't get burnt too much.