New Bag From Old Canvas Work

Renegade Bag pattern by Sew Sweetness on Etsy.

Made using an old canvas work and one lining I bought at the Op Shop. Lined with an old silk dress (op shop again), over time. Zips, same.

It’s a good size and will fit milk and bread or my knitting, purse and shawl...

I’ve ordered D-rings and lobster clips and will make an over-body strap for it too. Then it’ll be perfect.

However, it’s still not the bag I need for everyday, so...

This is made without any pattern alterations.

I wasn’t fond of the image here, so cut it upside down.

 Fantastic old zip from the vaults. same with the yellow one below, which is gorgeous on the fleshy pink silk. Before you congratulate me on my thrift, I must confess that I’ve spent a lot on some heavy metal zips for the bags I want to make next.

Mum

Both of these photo's were taken during Mum and Dad's honeymoon, April 1955, when Mum was 21 years old.
Having a sky as background makes them work as tapestries, I reckon. 

Go to my Etsy shop if you want anything done, won't you.

New Old Footstool

I've been collecting old tapestries from the Op Shops for ages now. I can't pass them by. In the past I've made cushions or just stashed them, until I saw these! Well, not these particularly, but this type of thing. Amazing!

The stool was covered with funky pink and grey vinyl, but had ripped and degraded conveniently. It took about 2 hours! I couldn't be happier, unless I owned one of the chairs in the link!

Had to sew a bit on the side of the puppy (in blue)... might need to embroider over the seam. It looks a bit odd.

Our staple gun couldn't cope with the Masonite so I ended up using a thick nylon cord and pulling it in. The braid is old too.

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.

Moving Right Along

I have sciatica from sitting all cramped up. I need a proper standing frame.

She is looking very lovely. I can't seem to get the colour good in the photographs though. But you can take my word for it, she's lovely.

Hunting Cushion At The Caravan

I love this cushion. The rucching around the edges and the soft, lovely velvet back. I always put the buttons to the side so it odesn't impede the laying of the head.

Yes I know I could have dusted off the bobble fringe before I took the photo...

I Started This Years Ago In 1997

Top: Front as it is now (what will I do with it?)
Middle: Photo of part-done piece.
Bottom: Back... always nice.
It was a stage I was going through, this pensive looking out. Tentative. Pleased. My hair looked like this, only dark. Long.
Looks more like a mix (of Me) with my friend Suzanne and someone's luscious lips... come to think of it Suzie has those. She's one of those friends who tells you why you did right/acted understandably/are terrific... even if you've been appalling. Great pre/post seperation friend. It's not a picture of me and it is.
I'd had a dream with the kaleidoscopic squares as depicted at the top the night before a clever show on tele which informed us that we don't dream in colour. I can still see the vision in my mind. So there, stick that up your jumper.
I like this and I don't like it, but is that because my nearest and (usually, mostly, generally) dearest doesn't like it?

I can't stand it really, but it's part of my history.

There's something to be said for painting part of the canvas and leaving it unstitched, but it's too late for that so I had to attack. I wonder if it might look ok with heavy fabric manipulation around it, or closely rendered Bobbles? Will you help me?? Please????????? I need ideas. Desperately. Op Shop it?

P.S. Tomorrow I'll do a close-up of the eyes, which are multi-coloured and look alright.

'The Offering Of The Heart'

I copied (interpreted) this picture from the cover of 'The Wife Of Martin Guerre'. The book, in turn, had used a small focul detail from the large medieval tapestry called 'The Offering Of The Heart'.

I'd not long seen Kaffe Fassett's book Something 'Inspirations'... what were they all called??? Anyway, he had three photo's side by side... one of an old plate with roses on it, one with the outline of a drawing of the plate's design drawn on canvas, and one with the design half worked in tent stitch. You could tell the whole process from just that page! He was great like that. Maybe he still is? So I enlarged the design you see here on a photocopier and traced the outline onto fine canvas... 14 count, and began to 'colour in'.

What you could see from Kaffe's picture was that he hadn't tried to copy the roses exactly, but had interpreted the design. A revelation!

I made two, so when I ran out of thread on one I picked up the other. I didn't refer to each other, but only to the picture. One I gave to my former brother-in-law and his wife and one I have given to my daughter.