Butterfly and Blossoms…

Posted on April 21, 2010 by ladyfrou

Another finish… am on a roll here!

This littly doily was a kit provided to us when we did Girl’s Day Out at Country Thyme Patchwork with Leanne, Rosalie and Melly in 2009.

It’s one of Leanne’s designs, I didn’t start it on the day, but much, much later, and was another project dug out at Easter time and had the stitchery finished in between my sniffles at the screen while watching the last two seasons of Grey’s Anatomy.

Mum helped me put it together last weekend, and while we had a slight problem with catching the ric rac down, I’m happy with it… it’s going to live under one of my bedside lamps.

See, I told you I have no interest in quilting at present… am besotted with fancy work/ stitchery/ embroidery – particularly if they’re a bit on the vintagey side, using bright clear colours or crochet!

Filed under: Chez Frou, stitchery | 2 Comments »

To grandmother’s house I go…

Posted on April 20, 2010 by ladyfrou

Here’s a not quite finished, but finished enough to show you project!

This stitchery was the first stitchery I received as part Under the Mulberry Tree Stitchery of the Month Club in 2009.   The pattern is now available in Rosalie Quinlan’s A Stitch in Time Book.

I started this, and was enthused, and then got swept up in doing other things, and came back to it after digging through my Stitchery box of goodies to prepare the photo for the Fancy Work post.

So, over the Easter break I finished off the stitching, and got enthused all over again… I love these colours, so much so, that I’ve started to stitch something else using them, with plans to do another project afterwards.

Slight mishap with the border fabric, was meant to be red/white check in outer border, but I cut it incorrectly and it didn’t fit – so found a pink with blue 30s print to match the blue with pink spot.   As you can see, still mucked up the border – too big on one side now… sigh!

The design is mean’t to be stretched over canvas like the example on my mate Jayne’s blog, but I haven’t decided if that’s what I want to do, or whether I might turn it into a wallhanging, or a big cushion.   If I do it as a wallhanging, which I think is my preferred option, will have a go at using perle cotton.

Filed under: 1930s reproductions, Quilting, stitchery, works in progress | 1 Comment »

Hooky Love

Posted on April 19, 2010 by ladyfrou

I’m a recalcitrant quilter these day… find myself being completely under enthused about any type of work that involves working with pieces of fabric…but what I am getting a buzz out of is crochet…

The Giant Granny Square has come to a halt as I’ve run out of the white wool, and haven’t had a chance to duck out and buy some more.   Though am very happy with my progress so far, even though it’s slow going now that the rounds are so big.    Still planning to do another complete set of each colour before finishing off with a white crocheted edging.

So, going through hooky withdrawals, I searched through yarn stash and found some yarn I’d bought (I think at Spotlight) awhile ago and started to make largish Granny Squares.   There are 8 colours, including black and I’m randomly placing colours inspired by this gorgeous thing on Flickr.

BUT, because I’m not sure where I got the yarn from, and not sure if I can get any more, I’m trying to eek out enough to get the right number of squares – currently have 8 finished, and I need to end up with either 9 or 12.   So, it’s likely I’m going to make some little 4 round granny’s out of the little bits of wool left and join them up to make the larger squares.

Plan is to finish off with a round of black and then join up using Attic24’s Joining Granny’s tutorial and then maybe do an edging… if I do, this will be first thing I’ve crocheted that actually needs to be sewn together… wish me luck!

Have been drooling over various colour/ yarn options to have a go at Lucy’s Hexagons or her Ripple or even having a go at Do You Mind if I Knit’s Little Squares scarf – but possibly in a more restricted colourway, reds, greys, blues, creams.

Can’t decide if I want to work with bright 8ply Biggan Design or the thicker, but much more colour varied Cascade 220 or to work with Tahki Cotton Classic… any suggestions?

Filed under: Colour Therapy, crochet, Drooling and Dribbling... Bloggy Goodness, works in progress | 2 Comments »

Flossie’s Flaunt …going to the chapel

Posted on April 19, 2010 by ladyfrou

Have a lot of different things to show you over the next few days, but thought I’d start with a flaunt from Flossie (Mum).

She’s part of a group called Huff N’ Puff, held at a local Community Centre and linked to our local hospital – the Huff N’ Puff crowd is made up of seniors with breathing difficulties caused by a number of alignments and health issues. 

The monthly Huff N’ Puff gatherings is one of her favourite places to be – it’s run primarily as a social get together, that includes either lunch or morning tea, with different all day events planned through the year.

Mum always takes along some work to do, and there’s lots of comments and chatter about her work, and she’s also volunteered to make a lap quilt that the group can raffle to fundraise.

One of the facilitators is getting married next month, and Mum has helped organise the purchase of a group gift – but she decided she wanted to make something for her from her.

This is a Teddlywinks Mr and Mrs Teddy pattern that included the pattern preprinted on calico – stitched up and made into a cushion – fits a European Pillow.   I helped Mum select her fabrics when we visited Quilters Bazaar earlier in the year at their birthday sale.

Filed under: Flossie's Quilts, Quilting, stitchery | 1 Comment »

The Bramble and The Rose… March

Posted on April 13, 2010 by ladyfrou

Am a bit late posting a photo here of my The Bramble and The Rose cross stitch I am doing as part of a StitchAlong on the Ink Circle Stitchers blog.

This is my current progress update.

The Bramble and The Rose, 2nd progress update

And this is where I was at early March.

The Bramble and The Rose, 1st Progress Update

Not a lot of progress, as I haven’t had time to pick it up each week, but when I do work on it, it’s very addictive.   Am using a Threadworx thread called Lava Rocks on 28ct Quaker cloth.

The design is a Tracy Horner design that was in the June 2009 edition of The Gift of Stitching digital magazine, but is now available as a pattern from Ink Circles.

Some of my fellow SAL members are also progressing well including Claire and friends and Sandra.

Filed under: Cross-stitch, SALs, works in progress | Leave a comment »

Another Friday Night Sew In Scheduled

Posted on April 12, 2010 by ladyfrou

This coming Friday night, April 16,  is Bobbi and Heidi Friday Night Sew-In for April, you can sign up and find all the details here.

Not sure yet what I might work on – possibly more of the Folk Art Sampler, as it would be good to get the centre blocks finished, so I can add the sashing and start the applique on the outer border.

Though Mum is coming for the weekend, a ‘putting stuff together’ day planned for Saturday, so as I’m not to good at sticking to plans, working on whatever takes my fancy at the moment, I may change my mind!

WIP Folk Art Sampler

Filed under: Friday Night Sew-In, Quilting, SALs, works in progress | 1 Comment »

Fancy Work Revisited… and a winner

Posted on April 11, 2010 by ladyfrou

Further to my previous post, Fancy Work – I used a Random Number Generator to pick the winner, which was Kay whose comment made me laugh:

I drive myself to work now – so can’t “do” stuff on the trip. I listen to recorded books though – can’t waste time!!!
But my first job at 16 was in Brisbane (55 years ago). I used to travel to work on the tram – and I used to knit. For a while I was knitting booties for my older sisters new baby and I used to get lots of “sad ” smiles and one day when I got up to give my seat to an older lady – she said “no dearie you sit – your need is greater than mine” After that I stopped knitting booties on the tram.

Kay, send me an email with your details and I’ll get your prize in the mail to you.

It was lovely to read all your comments and stories, and it seems that men are more likely to comment on fancy work being done, as since the previous experience, I’ve had two further conversations on the bus.   One with a reasonably youngish guy who was standing next to my seat, who asked what I was doing, and how good it looked.   And another older gentleman, who as he passed my seat to take the seat opposite the aisle, remarked “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen someone doing work like that!”.

As to the ‘secret squirrel’ work I was doing – you can see below the 2 pincushions I made for Sandy as part of a pincushion swap on a Flickr group I belong to.

And below that photo’s of the gorgeous pincushions and goodies she sent me – am very spoiled.   If you check out Sandy’s photostream you can see this is one talented renaissance fancy worker!

Prompted by my posing the various fancy work projects for the photo in the previous post, I can confess, I’ve now finished off the stitching on all but of these projects, and just need to do the finishing off, and will then post photo’s.

Filed under: stitchery, Swaps, works in progress | 2 Comments »