Can't Wait To Work On This Every Day

I've since taken out the greens and am dyeing more (and more) fabric to try and find the right shade.

The floral motifs look like islands here, but are blending in as the background is filled in. I don't have enough of any one shade for the background... Note to self: Take notes! I think I've cracked it now...? Today's batch, that is. I had some gorgeous grass green tones, but have knocked them back a bit with the 'Quarry', which is the slate-ish colour all of the background colours have in varying degrees.

It's difficult to get the right shade in my photo's, but it's a warm, cheerful, greeny, bluey grey. Egg-shell-esque. I've started to blend the next background colour in, by working higgledy-piggledy rows of the first, and coming in with the second so as to avoid a stark break between (as I'd done elsewhere and had to pull it out). Der! I've left the green in so far, but it won't stay there. It's such a pretty shade, but had too little contrast to the slate. 

Just About Got My Kits Ready

Kits will include your design hand-drawn onto limited edition vintage Japanese and other gorgeous pure silk and (wait for it) instructions!
I have a pet hate about instructions that you can't understand, so mine are clear, with diagrams and friendly advice! Plus, options to contact me and ask questions.
This example shows my current format for finishing things and isn't in the pattern, but... if you like it... and want to know...

Uzbekistan Rug

The orange was too much as a solid row, so, using an idea Joy showed me for making circles and fitting concentric rows into each other, I thought I could do two spaced rows. The next row, below, is worked quite close to the first. When you add the third row, it pushes the first two together nicely. I've since done more, and the orange is more 'hinted at' than dominant. Happy La! Just the ticket.

 Below is my leather Gripper Strip guard. A friend's Mum gave me a roll of soft hide and I couldn't pass it up, but didn't know what to do with it. Some nasty abrasions from rampant hooking soon gave me the idea! We now all have one in our little group. Great to use it up. It's not a colour I'd put in the house and I couldn't be bothered making a jacket... Hmmm... Nah, too bust with the rugs and the knitting and the paper-cuts and the garden and the family.

Finished With Some Bling

It's so much nicer in real life.

 

 

This is my grandfather's needle case and hook needle. He was an upholsterer for the Victorian Railways. He worked on the Southern Aurora and domestic trains... the old Red Rattlers. It's lovely to use his needle. Dah died when I was 8 but I remember him well. He made things for us all of the time... a shield for my brother, a doll's cot or cradle or a castle or a garage. A lovely man.

Uzbekistan Rug

Started the new rug. It's quite long, maybe close to 2 metres? Based on a Uzbekistan historic embroidery (from a book I've had for years).
Below are the wools I've been dyeing lately. It's as much fun doing it and rolling it up as it is using it. Yummy!

 

Introducing, the Fabulous... the Ferocious... Kitteeeey... Cat!

Gotta put the Bobble Fringe around the bottom yet.

Firstly I glued extra foam on the top and around the edges, then a couple of layers of cotton wadding on the top, then this double layer to hold it all in place...

Over that I put some old sheeting, so the wadding didn't fluff up through kitty cat...

Kitty in the  winter garden.

The hessian backing is folded under to stop it pulling. I should be able to prize it free if some mishap occurs or if it needs repairing one day. I wrote my name and the year too!

Miaow!

Check This Out & Watch All The Way Through

What Do You Think Of The Whiskers?

I have yet to finish stitching the darts, and need to build up the stool with foam (I made the cat mat bigger than the present seat cover to that end). My One True Love thinks the whiskers are too busy, but I can't see for looking anymore. Maybe the multi-coloured wool thread with the blue is wrong? Or is it right? He barely glanced at it and was feeling a bit tired and maybe a bit grumpy at the time... and I'm confused.