Another One!

 Read about it over on my Ravelry page...

Not So Nylon Now

The background is following a mood of Magdalena Briny Eby, sort of. I don't have a plan so much as am working abstractedly. Originally I thought I'd use all blues, then all drabs, but now the combo of shades and colour is melding the dear little deer into the image, rather than having it too prominent. I think the (wide) border will be striped, fanning outwards? Hmmm... not sure yet.

The beginning of the rug was Grandma's clothes, but the fabrics I've accumulated over many embroidering years are Vast and Silken, so they come into it when the colour is right. It's nice to work with silks too.

I almost 100% refuse to buy synthetics, but sometimes there's bling that wants in.

I've been cutting my strips off grain. Not particularly on the bias, just enough to avoid fraying. Or, cutting wide and folding the raw edges into the centre. I have an iron set up next to my table. The more I do, the less I use the iron though, and just hold it in. I've never really been terribly fond of 'rows' of loops, so try to twist them a bit... it depends. The ironed strips are very uniform as loops you see.
A few of the silks I've had to hold two strips (worms) as they haven't been thick enough to stay.
I'm really enjoying this rug... do I say that every time? This feels more me than the last (fox seat cover) and I'm learning loads. It's harder on the hands to use regular fabric... wool is so gentle, but worth the effort! I've used an old skirt of mine that I wore to death and fading. It's a nice pink and now it's all gone and no longer a burden (burden as in, sitting in my stash wanting to be used). I LOVE using up my fabric! My lifetime goal is to use all of my fabric.

So Far...

Getting ready for Christmas... these gorgeous things are designed by Julie Williams at Little Cotton Rabbits. She's amazing! Her patterns are so well laid out and illustrated, step by step.
I've been really enjoying myself and each little fellow gets well squished at completion! Lovely!
Gotta go now though, work to do!!

 

Love Those Hanky Boxes!

This is my very own trinket box. I've been saving vintage (or just particularly cheesy) Mill's & Boon covers for some time, as well as various pictures I like for whatever (or no) reason. When my Dah (grandfather) died, my Grandma got a little poodle like this one (Pepe), so I do think of this as Grandma's Hanky Box. The chandelier spares are all from her vast collection (that's added to my vast collection and the remnants of Mum's vast collection). This cat (on the base) looks just like my last cat (aged 18) (I was 18, not the cat). Kitty. And the pictures, or covers, are those I really liked together. It's impossible to get really old covers now, around here anyway.
Inside are all of the rude bits. The panting, the love puddings etc. And the inner base is part of a map of Paris I lugged around on my adventure and have kept since. I cut the base with the maps of where I stayed and it holds all of the necessary memories, so I threw out the rest of the map and felt terrific and lighter and terribly efficient. Memory intact.
I usually go with a theme, not stick disparate images together, so this felt quite free and unusually whimsical! An indulgence, just for my new shed (it will be a 'writing' shed, ha ha ha). Just need the shed, and a plan of something to put in the box. And a habit of writing. And perhaps a cup of tea, hang on a second...
The pattern is 6 (rather than 8) panels of Granny's Christmas Card Box. Pattern there...

Love this painterly style.

Emile Zola cover. I didn't realise at the time, or I mightn't have torn it off. Now I need to buy it again.

 

Bit rude. And the highlighted street I stayed in in Paris. 

 

Next (below) is my friend's Christmas present, so I hope she doesn't read this blog. This particular friend has a million dollar admin mind, and likes crap books (sometimes) to keep it real, or to not have to think. I borrowed a Load of old romances from her once, hoping to get the drift and write my own (I will, I will). She's mildly ashamed and also couldn't give a shit what anyone thinks about her reading them. My closest friend (girl one).



Base. This box is smaller. The pattern is the same as Jo's Naughty Box, and Zoe's Hanky Box. You'll find a print out of the pattern... read it because I made adjustments but haven't redrawn the pattern (no scanner anymore to upload).

Button from Grandma's stash again. Go Grandma. I think my grand daughter will be saying this one day! When she does amazing things with the remnants of her grandmother and so on's stashes (added to her own).

Look in 'Crochet' for other patterns of boxes, for hankies or tissue boxes etc. And in there is a TUTORIAL, with what's and where from's of equipment that I have used. 

Let me know if you want anything and I'll see what I can do to make your path to Loads of Fun easier.