A Needle Book Swap

I have never participated in a stitching swap of any description before in the land of blog. I have read posts by other gals who swap blocks and other stitching projects with  others from around the world and have always thought it would be fun to be involved in a swap of one kind or another.

So........I have decided to join in the fun of Amy's Needle Book swap, and.........I must admit I have had the best fun designing and stitching my li'l needle book.

With oodles of possibilities colliding around in my brainpan, I decided that I would stitch a cute li'l cottage. Kerrie, who is my swap partner, didn't stipulate what she wanted, only that she loved the colours purple and green, which suited me just fine as I lurve these two colours! Shades of purple, violet, mauve, lilac with a little green......perfect!!

Having drawn a  few sketches of what I wanted to create, and having selected a few fabrics and a few bits and bobs, the stitching began. There are a few house needle books on pinterest but I wanted to create something a li'l different.

My cute li'l cottage was mainly stitched using free hand machine stitching. The doors, the windows, the fused curtains, the trailing flowers and the wrought iron table are all stitched freehand. The front and back fabrics have a thick buckram sandwiched in between to give strength. I hand stitched with tiny stitches the front and back together, all around the perimeter of the house and the roof.

I fancied not only having a 'pretty-as-a-picture' front facade, I also wished the back of the cottage to look cute as well. After all, is there not a saying that goes something like...."back door friends are the best". We most certainly cannot have a boring and ordinary back now, can we......it's just unthinkable!! Besides, there is a pot of tea in readiness for those back door guests.

With the exterior of my li'l cottage  having been stitched and completed, I really wanted to have a whole lot of fun with the inside. The exterior looks like any other cute house needle book out there in cyberspace but the interior of my li'l cottage will be just a li'l avant garde.

Me being me, I  dreamt up an idea of designing and stitching an armoire as the gathering place for the needles and pins. After all, doesn't every li'l cottage, house a beautiful armoire or two within its walls!! Of course they do! I know there is the odd two or three (and more) armoires in my li'l humble abode stashed with a slew of stitching pretties.

So......I drew an armoire, cut the fabric and free hand machine stitched it to the backing fabric with a small piece of batting in between. I then used a small length of 'measuring tape' cotton ribbon as the shelves. Every self respecting armoire needs a babushka doll or two and a lovely tea cup to sit alongside the sewing paraphernalia. I then sewed two doors, with buckram between both sides and stitched them to the armoire. I love the spiffy, state of the art, chevron doors, they are a perfect match with the purple fabric of the armoire....mmm....very in vogue!!

Oh and of course, there is a small basket sitting alongside the armoire, filled with embroidered pretties just waiting to be transformed into a stitching 'lovely'.....oh and of course a pair of scissors peeking out, in readiness for a little fabric snipping!

Now that my lovely armoire is finished, sitting ever so prettily  in front of the polka dot fabric-lined wall, making a design statement, I decided that there needed to be an "oh-so-elegant" candelabra hanging from the ceiling. This would be a wonderful way of housing the pretty embroidery scissors that I wanted to include. I stitched a little pocket for the scissors, then free hand stitched the top of the candelabra continuing to stitch the pattern downwards.

Love it!! Me thinks that every self-respecting cottage needle book needs a gorgeous candelabra and an armoire....don't you??

I really, really had the best fun designing and stitching this li'l needle book. I wanted to make something a li'l different; a 'Kim original'. So, now it's en route, over land and sea, wrapped in an embroidered pretty and tied with a pretty purple and green polka dot ribbon.

 I do hope that the lovely Kerrie loves her unique needle book, just a li'l; adding a smile to her heart and day! I know my li'l cottage needle book added many a smile to my day!!

Two lampshades.....and a li'l machine doodling!

At the risk of boring you all to death I have prettified yet another old lampshade. Ho-hum...enough already (I can read your thoughts....you have probably seen one too many of my tarted up lampshades to the point of ad nauseum)!! I mean really.....one would imagine my humble abode is replete with tarted up lampshades. Actually no, as I do like my path to be lit with many a splendid beacon of light! I do like all those li'l nooks and crannies to be illuminated with a lucent light. Besides, this tarting up of lampshades caper is kinda fun.

Again I have dived into my embroidered lovelies and chosen a few for the task at hand. But this time I decided to add a a li'l bit of perky colour with scraps of fabric. Are you yawning yet?? (I know I am!!!) Well, perhaps just a li'l bo peep before I send you into a soporific slumber.

I carefully snipped scraps of fabric, pulling each panel of fabric as taut as I possibly could and stitched the seams together with a running stitch in embroidery cotton. I then added a  doily here and a doily there, carefully snipping around the doilies on the inside of the shade.

And...voila....another pretty lampshade....but enough of this ho-hum shade.

Now then, wakey wakey.....are you awake!! You might not want to miss this....but then.....perhaps you might!

Now for  a really, really fun lampshade. Well it was fun for me....but then free hand machine stitching is something that really tickles my fancy. This style of stitching (which I have waxed lyrical about  previously and also here) satisfies my love to stitch by the seat of my pants. It satisfies my impetus to veer off that straight and narrow line of monotonous straight stitching, and explore the wiggly and crooked lines. I love the idea that I never really know what my machine sketching will turn out like, and though there is always a fog-like, grand plan demisting in my brainpan, nothing is ever set in needle and thread. If perchance there should be a li'l foible, a li'l hiccup, you just change the oddity into something else. There is something terribly lacking in my DNA as I get quite a kick out of making it up as I go. I love the sense of unexpectedness when drawing with my sewing machine. Of course this kinda stitching can be fraught with frustrations and annoyance along the way, but when all is finished I am usually tickled pink at the results before me and I know I have definitely learnt a thing or two along the way.

This cute tea light candle holder is the inspiration for my lampshade cover. I love the whimsical silhouettes of children intermittently placed around the glass. It is gorgeous when alight with flickering tea lights.

 

So I gathered together oodles of pictures that I have collected over the years, to play around with ideas for my design.

This is the plain, nothing to get excited about lampshade. One of my stitching girls, who comes for a li'l stitching fun on Monday arvos, said the other day, pointing to my rather uninteresting shade...."Kim, isn't this lampshade a little plain for you!!!!!" I kid you not. Out of the mouth of babes..isn't that just too funny. A nine year old observing that this poor shade looked a li'l out of place sitting amongst my other tarted up lovelies. Mind you this is the same nine year old who told her nan that our home is a magical place!! I suppose to a nine year old, who can stitch whatever she dreams up with whatever pretties hidden in my many armoires; then to her our li'l ole abode is magical. Of course there is nothing wrong with a plain cream shade. Indeed, in a lot of interiors this would look rather spiffy, the 'less is more' look would be perfect....it's just that I want something a li'l more busy...a li'l more adventurous; an original 'Kim' design.

So....let the stitching begin!!

I decided that I wanted to stitch a tableau of cute children playing and strolling around a lampshade. Illustrations of cute children  picking apples from apple trees, children chatting, children swinging on swings, children climbing trees, children riding bikes....children laughing, chatting and having oodles of fun.

My scene opens in an apple orchard under the shade of two ancient apple trees, more ancient than Great Granny Polly, where children have gathered together to have a fun day. There's Amelia who is busily picking shiny, delicious apples. Oliver is happily swinging, glancing nervously at the plucky Clementine who is rescuing Boo, the puddy cat from lofty heights. Boo has found himself in a bit of a predicament after being chased up the tree by the naughty,  doggity dawg Maisie. Oh dear....do be careful, Clementine!

Well...that's one way of getting the apple tree to relinquish it's hold on it's bounty. 

Seb fiercely whacking the branches.

Sarah and Dimity chatting whilst Sam, who is a li'l shy, plays peek-a-boo.

There's Sally and Billy relaxing amongst the flowers, whilst Suzie bites into a delicious apple.

Henrietta is pushing her brother Sam on his trike with Scamp yapping at their heels; and Lucas and Sophie are whizzing by on a trike. Weeeee......this is such fun!

After a li'l tilling of the soil, Ali is having a snooze under the apple tree. 

This gardening caper is tiresome work.

Laura and Mikey have just finished a li'l gardening.

So.......all the boys and girls came out to play,
but have all gone home after a fun-filled day!

Having finished stitching the scene on the fabric, I then glued the fabric onto the shade. This part was quite fiddly, and a tad laborious; and though there are a few creases here and there, that I could not smooth out because of the close stitching in some places, I am quite pleased with the result.

Will this be my last tarted up lampshade?? Probably not. Will I bore you again with the finer points of yet another tarted up shade. Most probably; as already there is another idea hatching in the dark recesses of my imagination. Besides there are a few more shades waiting in the wings to be turned into an original, never to be seen before, lampshade.

In celebration of all things Arty

This weekend in Tasmania it was a long weekend in honour of good Queen Lizzy. Here in the North East of Tassie the Rotary Dorset Arts Festival  featured art, working craft, quilting, woodwork, photographic and historical exhibitions at different venues. Yes indeedy, this li'l corner of the world is home to a rich, vibrant arts community and is alive with all things creative.

So of course we (my good husband and li'l ole me) thought we might go and have a bo peep at a few of the exhibitions.

Our first stop was the quilting exhibition, which although small, showcased some lovely handiwork from the Dorset municipality and surrounding districts.

Of course there had to be a hexie somewhere in the building. Though I am not a fan of this hexie...

.......I am a fan of this lovely hexie! This hexie makes my heart sing. This  'lovely' was mostly stitched by a local lady who is now 95 years old in the 1970's, hand pieced from 1960's and 1970's dress fabrics; and just recently finished by another lady. Love it!

A lovely applique quilt. I love all these vibrant colours set against the black background.

A quilt fashioned with Kaffe Fasset fabrics always hits the mark, doesn't it.....love this!

Another lovely appliqued quilt filled with floral gorgeousness.

I love these two gorgeous jewel encrusted, three dimensional beauties; reminiscent of the Elizabethan period in England. These two beauties showcase embroidery of the highest standard. Stitch after amazing stitch with the encrustations of pearls, jewels, metallic threads, lace et cetera. Quite simply stunning!

A 1920's flapper....very Great Gatsby-ish.

Then it was off to explore Oakdene 'his' and 'hers' Museum set amid beautiful gardens. Not only is there a museum catering to a female bent, there is also a museum catering to blokes. So everybody is happy. Yes, indeedy, I must say my husband was a happy chappy.

I entered the door of the 'her's museum and started my walk through a delightful cavalcade of the 20th century. Display after display of all things fashion....dresses, swimming costumes, shoes, gloves, under garments, stockings, hats, lingerie et cetera, et cetera. Wherever the eye looked, there was some article representative of the 20th Century.

So many beautiful lace dresses with gorgeous ribbon work details.

Oooh....look at all that lovely lace and those perfect pin tucks....and that divine li'l cream number on the right....how very chic!

I don't suppose one could be considered a wall flower turning up to the Saturday night dance, waltzing the night away in either of these little numbers!

This pretty blue and green dress and cardie could have have quite easily slipped into my handbag.....but me thinks I wouldn't enjoy spending the time in the clink for doing the crime. The penal system is not really  my style!

These are bathers from the 1940's and 1950's....love the red and white two piece.

Ooh-la-la......pretty shoes. Why oh why did women have such small and dainty feet. I am supposing that in the good ole days, my clodhoppers would have had to get used to being barefoot. I simply cannot imagine squeezing my tootsies into these examples of footwear! My feet would have been a podiatrist's nightmare! I was informed that ladies of bygone eras squeezed into shoes a size or two smaller.....if you had small feet, then you were considered to be refined....quite the lady! Oh dear....don't like my chances of ever having been considered a lady!

I really, really, REALLY need a pair of these boots!! Any pair...or indeed all three!! I would do anything, even risk bunions, blisters, ingrown toenails et cetera to squeeze into these....I might even risk a penal sentence!!

Now these really did make me chuckle. Glory be.....suspenders that 'firmagrip' and brassieres that 'firmalift'!! Hysterical!!

I'm supposing that a lady needed those 'Firmagrip' suspenders to keep these nylons from falling around her skinny li'l ankles. I'm guessing one lived a 'charmed life' whilst stepping out and about town wearing these nylons with the lacy cobweb heel!

Now for the piece-de-resistance. This advertisement really did make me chortle. Indeed, it seems Lycra was/is the miracle invention for containing all those flabby and floppy bits of a lady's personage. Such control, such lightness.....it seems that one wouldn't even notice the compressing of one's innards; the inability for one to breathe.

This advertisement for Lycra really do beat all.....and I quote.....

"Don't just dream dreams - see them take shape in foundations with LYCRA. For LYCRA elastomeric is the fibre with power to do all it promises. Such control. Such lightness. You won't believe it until you wear LYCRA....and wear it and wear it......." REALLY???

Now as some of you know, I don't do Lycra....ooops...excepting of course the Spanx shape wear...but only every now and then, when one is wearing that frock that nothing but pushing your internal organs right through to the back of your ribcage will do....but if the dream of that svelte, whip thin, body is possible always (and I don't have to worry about what I eat or have to run 10ks over the mountain every morning)...then...perhaps I will!!

I must admit this advertisement did cause me to laugh....so much so that another lady came and enquired as to what was the cause of my merriment. She and me did have a wonderful giggle over this gelastic ad!!

All I can say is thank heavens that the more restrictive fashions of bygone years have sashayed out of the picture, to be replaced with more comfortable clothes and undergarments!! To say that, it must have taken a lot of time and perseverance to be a refined and genteel lady in the early to mid 20th century, is an under statement.

When a sense of decorum and an air of refinement had returned, I continued my stroll through the ages, having a bo peep at handbags, purses, sewing paraphernalia, makeup compacts, gloves, kitchenalia, hankies, embroidered lovelies....the list goes on and on....so much to see, so much to oooh and aahhh over.

Then it was time to find the husband in the blokes museum. Oh dear....I won't show any happy snaps of the gazillion and one farming implements, the hundreds and hundreds of everyday necessities of early rural life and all things historical here in the north east of Tasmania. Though terribly, terribly interesting....(I am deadly serious....I am...really...I am), this post is already a tad too long. I mean, there are oodles and oodles of photos of the 'Her's museum that I have spared you. No 'tis time to say toodlepips.

Let me close by saying, both me and my good husband had the best day getting the low down on all things arty, rural and historical. Yes indeedy, it was an enjoyable, informative kinda day!

Another sun-kissed day.......

......another drive through the picturesque Tassie countryside; which of course could mean, another visit to an op shop or perhaps a bric-a-brac shop.....and of course could also result in a few more 'cheap as chips' lovelies to take home. Yes indeedy, to make the most of another sun-filled day the decision to seize the day was agreed upon. I suppose I really could have stayed home and stitch a hexie or two, but it was really too idyllic a day to stay home......stitching hexies. I won't think about those hexies now....I'll think about them tomorrow (or perhaps the next day)....after all tomorrow is another day (to borrow a phrase from an obstinate heroine)!

There is always some 'lovely' to be discovered whilst rummaging around an op shop. Whilst my attention was mainly concerned with the ladies' clothes rack, in search of jackets that I want to tart up for a pop-up market later this year, my husband fell upon this vintage beauty. 'Tis a curtain length (approx 4 metres) of the most whimsical fabric, reminiscent of Holly Hobbie designs of old!! My, I have trained him well, very well indeed!!

When I was a child, Denise Holly Ulinskas', Holly Hobbie designs were seen everywhere. The cute artwork of little girls dressed in gingham and calico, with sweet bonnets atop their heads, were imprinted on many, many things. I would save up my pocket money and collect greeting cards, plates, dishes, hurricane lamps, books (of course), calendars et cetera. I loved the sense of bygone days that the designs captured. Days of a long ago time, evoking a feeling of a simpler and gentler way of life; of quiet pleasures and of a homespun spirit.

Each one of these li'l girls is so sweet. Each one is quite large, at 30cms, so there is oodles of fodder for the imagination, to incorporate these pretty li'l misses into a stitching pretty or two.

Along with the exquisite pictures of Holly Hobbie, on whatever paraphernalia they were imprinted, there was always a whimsical saying to brighten one's day. Somehow these quaint quotes resonated with me. Sayings such as; "Loving is a special art, that everyone should know by heart"......"The road to a friend's house is never long"....."Sharing is the nicest way, to put more sunshine in your day".....the charmingl quotes just go on and on and on.

As a creative gal, I have always collected pictures that tickled my fancy, thinking they will come in handy some day, as I stroll along my yellow brick road of design and creativity. I bought a Holly Hobbie 1989 calendar and filed it away with such an intention.

Over the last couple of days there has been a design concept colliding around my brainpan, involving sweet children, whom I want to 'draw' free hand with my machine, around a rather humdrum lampshade.....(surely not another lampshade.....I hear you say), but that story is for another time. Me thinks I will use this fabric and my Holly Hobbie calendar for a li'l inspiration.

Of course this fabric wasn't the only treasure that was to be found on that sun-filled day. At a quaint li'l bric-a-brac shop we stumbled upon this lovely fire screen. I admired this piece-de-resistance from afar and after my ocular orbits nearly popped out of their sockets at the 'cheap as chips' price on it; I gathered it up, handed over some legal tender and scrambled out of the shop, before the astonished man could change his mind. It really was a bargain...........I wonder if the li'l man realised just how cheaply he had let this treasure go for.

It is the most beautiful needlepoint encased in a lovely oak frame. Whomever stitched this lovely design spent a lot of time and care and effort on this piece. There is only a few li'l imperfections.....but one really has to play "I spy with my li'l eye" to find them.  The myriad of colours set against the black background do look mighty purdy. Yes indeedy, another treasure that will add a dash of  refinement to our hearth.

So, all in all, another lovely day spent, wandering around this gorgeous li'l isle at the bottom of the world. But perhaps now, I really, really should stitch a few more  hexies.....but then, there is a small matter of some designing to do, transferring a rather characterless lampshade into a whimsical piece; and, there is also........

Deary, deary me........so much to do.......so little time!!