Procrastination Cushion

I meant to clean my sewing room. But, I didn’t want to shove the cushion insert away (dead cover situation) so pulled out my tub of velvets. One of my tubs of velvet.

The orange velvet was a partly pulled apart garment my Grandma found in an op shop at least 30-40 years ago. It’s so beautiful I use it very carefully, but I’m glad to find a reason. The buttons are covered in it too.

I did fold and put away my pile of velvet but the floor is covered in fluff so I kind of went backwards, although one little job is off the list and the stash went down a little bit.

Rather than figure out a Drunkards Path patch, I just cut a piece of old brown paper into the circle, roughly drew the grid and shapes then cut them out, adding seam allowances.

 

My Crazy Quilt With Grandmother’s Fans Is Home!

 Just about to do some repairs on my Crazy Quilt With Grandmother’s Fans. A new back and new bound edges. 

There’s a big back story. A bewildering, odd saga that has brought it back to me and to my family. Welcome home! I’ve missed you. 💕 

Here’s some of the story via this link.

Now, with great generosity, eccentricity, typical unpredictability... with the... hmmm... not flippancy, but maybe the unconcern, or ability to not be concerned about finances, the buyer has returned the quilt to me at a fraction (and I mean fraction) of its sale price. Because she thinks I should have it.

That’s what’s filling out the crazy carpet bag in previous posts and to tell the truth, that bag has had no purpose since I made it! Ha!

Baby’s Jack In The Box Wagga/Quilt

Made using an old dressing gown and some dyed blankets. Extra to rug making, I have a lot of dyed cloth here.

Lock Down Stash Down Endeavor

Vintage fabric lined with a soft cotton muslin. The cord, ribbon and ric-rac comes from Mum's stash and probably originally from Grandma. I've had the felt forever. 

This was the first in this fabric and I had no more of the cord nor any pom-poms. So disappointed until I raided the Major (as opposed to minor) trim box. There are little lace motifs above the pom-poms too. 

This is the most gorgeous wool flannel and again, the gross-grain tape comes from Mum's stash. I had a time getting the ribbon through the felt whatsits and used an awl followed by a big knitting needle to force a hole.

The green with pink roses has been in my stash for over a decade (as in, not so long). I had wanted a shirt but those days are done. The tie is done Knitting Nancy style, with a windy thing, not no pins.

These two little crocheted florets were on a little bag of nothing much at an op shop. This is one I'm keeping. You buy these little blossoms because they're pretty and they sit there until a purpose presents itself.

Mostly bought new fabric, excepting for the brown on beige floral, which was a 50's dress. You can't see, but the lining is a flesh coloured cotton Mum had for her doll making.

The main cloth is decades old, from my early patchwork days. I love this one. Feels Japanese.

Made mostly from a little bag of bits I bought at the Wandin North Primary School Harvest Festival, just pre lockdown., as is the bottom bag.

Jaden’s Wagga Finished At Last!

Finished the boy’s Wagga! I gave him the top, patched together but not backed, for his 19th birthday in April. It’s been sitting on my table, ready for tying, for some time...

It,s around 2.2 metres square. There are two outline (embroidered) drawings he did as a wee thing, of my parents dogs. Ironbark and Pepper. Quite perfect renditions of their characters.

Happy I at least got it done before winter finishes. Oops, sorry Jaden. Xxx 

Jaden's Wagga & Our Next Get Together

Rug day at Anne's in Warrandyte was the usual relaxed, lovely day among friends (minus Chris, sigh). We need to take more photo's as everyone was quite productive!

You know when you dye a heap of blanket, only to find it too dark for your hooky rug, or too green/blue...? Well, over time I had quite a bit of green I wasn't using in any current rugs. I dyed another deeper green piece and made this Wagga (follow the link for others) for my eldest grandson's 19th birthday.
The red tartan comes from a kilt I wore on constant rotation when he was a baby (and I was a young'en').
I have pieced together a back from various fabrics I have had in my collection, including some of my Dad's jeans and my Mum's tablecloth (unfinished from when she was 14 years old). These being my grandsons dear departed and ever adoring great-grandparents.

THE NEXT GET TOGETHER IS AT MY PLACE (ROBYNE'S) IN THE PATCH ON THE 25TH OF MAY. Phone 0410876096 or email r.m.square@bigpond or call any of us or comment here for instructions on how to get here. 10am onward.

Please come and join us! It's heaps of fun. Once you start you'll never stop, I assure you.

Jaden's Wagga

Jaden's Wagga (not finished, no back yet) made using dyed blankets and some of my old favourite kilts (one I wore to death when he was a little boy and I was a little Grandma).
Happy Birthday for last week boyo! My first-born grandson with my last-born grandson (his baby brother) and my beautiful Ruby.

Our Wagga

The back of the new Wagga. A combination of bits and pieces I've collected, made, worn, purchased recently or over time.
The Mona Lisa tea towel's a beaut! I gave her a pretty crown of lazy daises.

The same as the last one I made my son, but this is all dyed (I ran out of the colours on his and we liked it so much I had to replicate it). So, it's all old blankets dyed with Landscape dyes.

Red bunny I had stitched on a skirt. The writing is from a tea cloth with Welsh Spoons all over it. A big part of my ancestry is Welsh and I have the looks, apparently, so...

I must have made that feathered star 25+ years ago! Note the John Wolfe's 'Paris Garret' ex skirt. 

There are the Welsh spoons. And a couple of bees from an old cushion I made a had as a class. Back in the day. I keep everything significant or loved, regardless of the space is takes up. It's my space anyway, so I may as well use it how I please.

Churn Dash Love

I found the quilted peachy-pink satin bedspread (lining) at Wandin North Op Shop for $4! It's a page out of my childhood. Well, not mine exactly, but that time when people had that type of thing. None of this polyester rubbish, it feels so silken and luscious. I don't even know if I want a V cushion, but it was too perfect and I might take up more reading, or embroidering in bed, so it will be perfect. 
Reminds me of a 60's McCall's Needlework photo shoot.

The buttons on the cushion are actually (very) old lead disks, self-covered. Grandma's stash.

Cousin Ivy's Pineapple Lilly (Eucomis).
I made the Churn Dash quilt top years ago. It's all satin-backed shantung and old silks etc. The back is turned out and ties hold the layers together.

I can't figure out my camera. I might have to actually read something, but time is always too precious. So, sorry about the dullness of the shot. It' actually amazing and rich in colour and smells pretty.

This is the new shed/arbour/patio between the house and the vege garden. Nice brickwork my dear.

My First Born Is 40! So...

The real colours are a bit softer. I liked it so much it was hard to give away (which is the best mark of a good present). All made using woollen blankets, the ducky blues hand-dyed.
Size: 2.5 metres square. Huge! Roll on winter. It was very hot making this beauty.

He looks happy. Is he happy?
Now I'm cutting a smaller one the same, for us, because we need those colours in our lounge-room and the OTL always pulls up a blanky and has a little sleep.

Crazy Cushion

I put this bright ground together a long time ago, but never got to it until now. I did think it would be too bright for my lounge-room, but it looks nice.
I want to re-do all of my favourite stitches. In my former classes, I'd teach the stitches in various formats that I'd not even done myself. So, and old usual might be something I'd not sampled, for example the bullrushes. I've done the stitches all over the place, elsewise, but not as bullrushes.

The ladybird is a bare survivor of a cushion I made many moons ago. And the orange, pure silk velvet was a top my Grandma bought even longer ago.
I'm on a roll at the moment, all year in fact, to do those things I've intended. To use my best cloths, threads, my most nostalgic items and motifs. 

The bullrushes are made using wool I bought in Bayeux. A shop there had produced the same type of wool (and colours) as used in the famous 'tapestry'. How excited was I to find them!
If you ever can, go and see it. It's not just beautiful, it's clever, graphically. The story pulls you through and is highly artistic. A well drawn adventure cartoon.