Advent Calendar

Despite Roxy's help yesterday I did manage to sew the  rows together!  I'm not sure it looks Christmassy enough at the moment but hopefully when they have their hair and the Christmas stockings hung at the end of the beds it will do the trick!!

Advent Calendar

Progress has been made on my God-daughters Advent Calendar.   All the beds are made and some of the quilts are in place along with their little heads poking out from the top of the covers.  And below you can see I had a little helper - Roxy always comes visiting when I have a quilt or quilt bits laid on the floor!!!  

(Its not until you see a photo you realise how untidy the work room is!)

American Smocking

Last Saturday I had my embroidery and textile class where we did some American Smocking.  I used a piece of fabric that I dyed a couple of years ago (actually its a bit of a pillow case).  I marked the fabric at 7/8th intervals, sewed around each square drawing the thread up to make the flowers.  Its a bit of a fiddle but looks quite nice.  The class example was made of a silk like fabric and turned into a box - with the smocking on the lid.  Not sure this colour will work in my house although the tones in the fabric are actually rather yummy!

This is a close up of the pattern.  I think in a more delicate fabric it would look good with some bead embellishment maybe?

 I also had a play doing a different pattern although I'm not struck on this one - maybe its the colour of the fabric!

Rainbow scrap challenge

I have been out all day at my embroidery and textile class - learning how to do American Smocking (pictures to follow when I get my camera back).  But I did manage to do my brown blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge earlier in the week.  Brown was easy as I have lots and lots (and lots) or brown fabric and scraps.  the difficult bit was deciding which browns to use!!

I must take a photo of all my blocks together.

Postcard and Advent Calendar

Its been a busy weekend!  We went to Glastonbury for the night which was very nice.  Some rain but on the whole it was beautiful bright, sunny days.  It also gave us the chance to study our guide books for our upcoming holiday to India.  I did get some sewing done, although not a lot.  Here is a postcard I made for a friend who invited my DH and I over for dinner during the week.  The idea is based on a postcard I saw on Norma's blog.  You can look at them on http://www.notesfromnorma.blogspot.com - its well worth it!!

I also made some progress on the Advent Calendar - 9 beds made only another 15 to go and then all the little quilts, stockings........Maybe I shouldn't have started a new project when I had promised myself I wouldn't!

Stump work Angel

Ta da!!  The finished item (not sure what to do with it now?)  But still quite pleased with the outcome.  If I was being ultra critical I would have done the inner ring in a different colour - but as I don't have any different colours, green it was!  And thank you Faye for your 'Home Sweet Home' suggestion!

Angels and beaches

It has been a beautiful day today!  We walked the dog along the beach, its a pebble beach and because it was windy and quite stormy last night lots of things had been washed up (shoes, bits of plastic and other flotsam and jetsam) including these crab shells - the blue inside of one caught my eye!  Its really bright!  The crabs look positively prehistoric with their lumpy shells and eyes on storks (still attached).

 More work has taken place on the Angels!  the hunchback angel looks quiet angelic with her little pursed mouth but I think the jelly bean angel has a bit of a wicked glint in her eye!










I now have to decide on a quote of saying to go in the frame.  The one suggested at the class is far to twee for my liking so I shall go and do some surfing and see what I come up with!

Stump work Angel update

Here is an update on one of my little stump work angels - she now has hair (no features but at least her hunch has been covered).  Its quite relaxing doing bullion stitches and Ive almost done the 2nd angels hair.  So will get them finished hopefully this weekend (the weather forecast is grim for this afternoon so a good opportunity to sew!)

Stump work Angel

I had my first Textile and Embroidery class today.  There were four of us starting new, with varying levels of ability, so it was a nice mix.  We started on our stump work angels - very simple ones!  Some of the examples the tutor gave are amazing with tiny wire fingers that have to be covered with embroidery floss and they can then be manipulated....first things first, lets get some of the basics!!

 My angels look like a hunch back and a jelly bean in pretty frocks!

 The wings are made from organza, folded in half and bondawebbed together.  I've chained stitched around the wing shape and will fold them in half and attach to the angel.

The wings are now in place and I've started giving her some hair - she now looks like a long haired monk with a hunch!  But I really like her so will crack on and get some more hair on her head!