Fleur-de-lis Rug

The back of proggy's is always clearer huh.

Fluffy softness for my feet.

My proggy rug is nearly done (even more so, as I write this). My sciatica will hopefully move on when it is, as I spend way too much (potential cleaning) time at it after dinner in the evening and the sciatic nerve is making me pay. Pretty-well every night, I get sucked into it. It's killing me. 
My hubby is going to make me a standing-up pair of trestle legs, so I can either prop on a stool or stand up to work. 

A couple of nights ago I sacrificed my over-pj's-wear kimono because it's exactly the right colour for some background. It was wearing out in any case, so...gone. I did like wearing it though... hmmm.

I've discovered audio books. This rug has seen me through the entire 8 Outlander books and now I'm onto 'All Quiet on the Western Front'. Wow! What a book that is. Amazing account and so human.

The audio's are good for making vacuuming a 'nothing' rather than a bore too. Excellent! 

Did I Post This Little Cushion Yet?

I've decided to make a different cushion for each doona cover and quilt. Only because I want a reason.

Moving Into Autumn Proper

It got brighter still and is now mostly gone. We're going to put a few walls/fences up around the place, like this, with various things on... roses?

You can see the fake hedge makes a good backdrop for the front garden.

Proggy Rug No. 1

I'm really enjoying doing this rug. It's slow work, takes tons and tons of cloth, is terribly messy, gives me a sore neck and is the funnest.

It will need some trimming later.

I bought the frame via Miriam Miller at Narrawilly Rugs. It sits on a couple of old trestle legs in my sewing room so I can pop in and do some every day. I signed up for that 10 minute a day pledge on Rug Hooking Daily, which is good because you invariably do way more.

Here is my sketch (which I've deviated from considerably) and its inspiration.

Butterfly

This is my version of the butterfly. It's to be part of a doona-cover made from old tablecloths and such like. I traced the design from an ancient part-done doiley I'd picked up years and years and years ago. It's stitched onto a well used tray cloth which I'll patch onto something to make the doona top.

Just enlarge or reduce it as you wish.

I've used closed herringbone and stem stitch, colonial knots and couched weaving. The thread is DMC stranded, 3 strands. The knots on the wings and eyes are worked in variegated yellows, not variegated orange, just to add a spark.

These are (obviously) the origanals. I'd imagine it's meant to be stitched with cut-work embroidery? Anyhow, I didn't have the heart to pull out the colours.

Another Bobble Cushion

I have the pattern for sale over at Etsy. This one I've added a side panel, gathered fairly tightly. The back has a zip. I dyed it after I'd finished.
My other (first) one is here. It's actually quite a bit smaller, not having the gathered edge.

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.