A Dark and Dreary Night

was brightened up by a plain brown envelope waiting on the doorstep when I got home.





This is the November quiltie from Unlimited Textile group my swap partner was Susan D who sent me this wonderful quiltie with a silk fibre background with hand embroidered leaf doodle and beads. The photo does not do it justice as the border is actually browner than shown but both my scanner and camera had problems for some reason.

The great book move continues slowly and I have signed up for take it further challenge on Sharon bs blog In a minute ago

Quick note

Just a short post before dashing off to work. Sharon b has posted details of the 2008 challenge and I found this site about Judith Scott interesting and moving.

Eye Candy for Bikers

While I enjoy the latest edition of Fibre and Stitch, here are some pictures to keep the bikers happy.

Starting to declutter

We managed to take a car load of bits to the charity shop this morning, jigsaws, suitcases ( what would we want with a suitcase?) clothes and paperback books. Ian keeps eyeing up the sewing machines but I'm hanging on to them at the moment. This now means that we have room to start unloading the bookcase which will be a long process as I rediscover all my books and have to look at each one!!

More unfinished design ideas, I visited the Butterfly farm at Stratford in May and as usual took several hundred photos. At some point I want to use them as inspiration for some work. (photo quality reduced to make it quicker to upload)

Sorting out

I have lots of jobs planned for the next couple of weeks but one entails emptying my bookshelves so we can move the bookcase to get the floorboards up. Now this seems the best time to go through my sewing books and maybe catalogue them. Has anyone else been daft enough to do this and if so, what system did you use?

Work in progress

This is a drawing based on the terracotta army that has been on my pinboard for some time now, scanned into computer at the weekend to try and convert into simple black and white design

still needs tweaking but looks more promising now

Starry night postcard- not sure if I like this now its finished-somehow it doesn't seem to be me.

Blue velvet, painted chiffon and star sequins- mainly machine stitched.

Broadband coming YIPEE

Finally signed up for broadband basically because my ultracheap 24/7 dialup service is being withdrawn and also fed up of waiting forever for blogger to upload photos etc. Should be up and running early December. Until then I will continue to make myself a cup of tea whilst things load:)

Playday Sunday

Its been raining all morning so I've been playing with the painted cotton- result 3 postcards although the photos don't show the shine on the metallic paint added today.NB they are all the same size although my scanner doesn't seem to think so.

Chestnut Fair

We travelled over to Long Eaton last night to visit the annual Chestnut Fair. I had hoped to find some information about the origins of the fair on the Internet but no luck so far. These days it is mainly a fun fair around the streets with just one stall selling roasted chestnuts.

Cold hands

I was sat stitching on Friday wondering why my hands were so cold when the heating was on. Then I realised that my boxes of fabric etc were all piled up against the radiator, so my fabric was all cozy toasty and I was freezing! So Saturday was spent emptying the room and reassembling the boxes so that the radiator is clear, took most of the day to sort out but now looks sort of organized but not sure how long it will last.

Anyway I uncovered a rag rug that I made a few years ago as part of City and Guilds part one creative embroidery. It is made entirely from recycled fabrics sourced mainly from the local car boot sale. All the reds,yellows and pinks are dyed cotton cot blankets.

36 inch square

closer detail

Also found my paints so this is work in progress at the moment. Acrylic on cotton waiting for inspiration!

Bobbin Lace

I mentioned briefly in a the other day that I used to make bobbin lace, well I came across my sample book whilst tidying up my workroom so here are two examples, more to follow if anyone is interested.
I haven't abandoned lace making, it is on the back burner at the moment.

Blog Comments

Meant to mention this earlier, Sharon b has raised the question as to why people do or don't leave comments on blogs. The comments to the post make interesting reading.

Postal treats

I love it when the postman calls, today I came home to the Quilting Arts Magazine gift special and the lovely ATC from Neki in Spain.
If anyone has any ideas about how to display a collection of Quilties, ATC etc I would be interested to hear from them, I've been thinking of some kind of book format so I can maybe have page per person/2 people so I can keep their tags and items together.

Later-See comments from Neki, I have added another picture of the ATC so you can decide which looks best-Neki, thanks for letting me know.

Stitching on paper

12''x12'' approx

Stitching the November quiltie reminded me that I had stitched this mirror surround entirely on paper about 4 years ago. I'm not sure how well it will enlarge as the photo was taken with my old digital camera.

One previously unrevealed fact about me- I used to make bobbin lace and hope to do so again once I have more time!

Sandracing- yes again

Sandracing takes place every other Sunday at Mablethorpe on the east coast, start times vary depending on the tide but as we arrived today they were just on the practise laps. We try to get once a month, last time we were sat in T shirts today it was woolly hats and gloves. It was still quite windy and for once the sea looked quite dramatic!

some people make riding on the sand look so easy

Competitors of all ages wait in the pits

The sea doesn't usually have waves like this!!

The next time we go will probably be Sunday 23rd December ( must remember the mince pies) so if anyone reading this is going, look out for the guy with the red MZ hat.

November quiltie

This is my November quiltie for Unlimited Textile Internet group, the theme is Autumn. briefly it has a background of handmade paper (purchased) computer printed vilene, leaves, hand stitched with beads with a border of handmade felt. It is on the way to Suz in the states.
Click to enlarge for greater detail.

This was a personal challenge to myself to use less fabric for this months quiltie.

Work place part two

This is my 'workstation' chair facing computer, table in front of window extends to hold sewing machine, drawers contain thread for hand and machine stitching

workplace challenge

The Challenge fram Alma and Allie is to expose the state of your studio/workplace- well this is mine this morning. I've never been a tidy worker.
The cupboards hold paints and papers etc. The crazy patchwork heart was a runnerup entry in thus years sewing magazine challenge. Indonesian puppets from a car boot sale ( I always seem to rescue something)
Main part of book library with indian puppets again rescued from carboot sale
Fabric stash!!

Problem is that I also have shelves of city and guild sketchbooks etc in another room!!

Disappointing

I often shop at charity shops, flea markets and car boot sales. usually if you buy a jigsaw at a charity shop it has been checked to make sure all the pieces are there. This would have been a nice picture of a 500cc Honda but......................

Bookmarks and Inchies

These are the Bookmarks for Suz and Mrs Nesbitt, Sari yarn stitched on velvet and hand embroidered

Do you remember the Inchies I posted a few week ago? well I sent them to Quilting Arts Magazine to be swapped at Houston Quilt Fest and last night I had an e-mail from Odile in France to say that she had picked up one of mine! Sometimes I feel that the world is getting smaller and smaller.

Itsy Bitsy Purses

Ian has drawn four names out of the hat. they are Julie, Calamity Jane, Ikkinlala, and Doreen K with the Harleys. I will be e-mailing you all tonight for your address.

As Ian felt that the other two had been left out, bookmarks will be sent to Mrs Nesbit and Suz


Doreen- I don't seem to have a blog or e-mail addi for you so could you e-mail me at the link on my profile- many thanks

Lovely Bike

OK, This is one for the bikers, Ian took the photo at a local garage when he stopped to fill up the suzi knowing how much I liked these old american bikes. To me they have more character than bikes that are available now. Maybe I am just showing my age.

ATC for Neki

Strange, just noticed blog now say 46 post on one screen and 50 on the other- oh well, I reckon I will go with the figure of 50. Anyway, this is an ATC to trade with Neki.

(just noticed that photo) is upside down!!!

50th POST!!! and giveaway

When I first started this blog, the intention was to post just once a week with whatever sewing or biking I/we had done. Maybe I underestimated the pull of blogging and the encouragement of others:)
Anyway, here I am, 50 posts down the line, feeling very pleased with myself.
As a thank you(assuming people are still reading), I am giving away 4 Itsy Bitsy purses, approx 2 inch in size made from hand rolled felt with beads and stitching. Names from comments will go in the hat on Tuesday and I will list the names and ask for usual address details on Wednesday.

Retail therapy

Thanks to a small share out our works lottery syndicate, I was able to pop into Nottingham and treat myself to a basic MP3 player to use when walking to work. It turned out to be an entertaining afternoon with a fire eater entertaining the crowds, being invited to taste test cream cheese ( and getting free cheese and money vouchers for a high street shop) wandering round the Afro Caribbean Market in the square and watching the Native American style busker.


Needless to say, this was all a distraction from sewing.

Mangosteen

Looking for a simple design motif, I have been searching through the many photos now on stored on my computer ( a good friend transferred all the file from both our our ageing computers to the new one)
I came across this fruit in the local supermarket a few months ago and took photos as it dried out. The outer skin dries into a thick casing which is sat on the computer desk at the moment. If you knock the two halves together, they sound like the coconut halves that we used to play with at school.
Inside fruit ready to scoop out with a spoon.
I love this little flower type shape and will make it into a stamp.

Inside dried shell after the fruit has been removed

Bookmark swop

I love it when you get home to a pile of post which is not all bills. Today I received this gorgeous book mark from Susan who is part of the Unlimited Textile Internet group. Made on her new embellisher , it is wonderfully soft to touch.

Hello

I noticed that I had a few more visitors to my blog yesterday so a big hello and thank you all for dropping by.
Confession- no stitching last night as watched Heroes instead.