Green

This is the first of four pieces I am working on. One in green, one blue, a pink/purple and I've  just started a yellow square.  They are on linen painted with acrylic and embroidered with the machine and by hand. This has some appliqued dyed tissue and muslin scraps.  Each one has been inspired by nature, this one quite obviously is foliage . I love doing them, but have no idea what to do with them now - any suggestions.

HAPPY EASTER

A couple of photographs from my archives to wish you a Happy Easter

Sew, so...

I thought I would share with you what I have been doing this week - well some of it.  I have been getting to know my new sewing machine. It is a long time - years, since I had my old machine out so I am  not only getting to know my new one, but also getting my eye in. On the whole using a sewing machine is like riding a bike, once you have learned you never forget, although you may be a bit wobbly at first. After having to resort to the instruction book to get it threaded up and stitching a few up and down rows  I thought I would make some scented hearts. I thought I could make them button-up which would give me buttonhole practice too. I also made a little draw-string bag to keep the foot pedal and cable in as like ALL the machines I have owned these are a real pain to store. I raided my sewing box and have found quite a few scraps - here are my attempts.

The red candy stripe one was my first attempt and I soon realized I had made it rather small, and turning inside out through the button opening was a bit of a struggle. I also realized I had managed to sew the loop so it ended up on the inside! But the button-hole was fine. The second attempt was the white muslin one, but I still managed the get the loop on the inside. I know the theory, but somehow I got it wrong. The third one was the orange check - hurrah , the loop is in the right place, but it has got a twist, oh well never mind. The draw string bag was more straight forward, but it still seemed to take all afternoon! Here's a close-up.

They could have a bit more wadding, but that was all I have till I do a bit more shopping. I have scented them with pot pourri oil. Jane, you may recognise a couple of your buttons!

Otherwise I have had a go at free-style embroidery, but that will need a lot more practice before I have anything worth looking at.

 Hope you have a relaxing Easter weekend.

Been and gone

Well that was March - it has taken us from winter into spring and back into winter again. My calendar is full. Sometimes I write up several days at a time and add embellishments as I go along. 

It has been a full month, not least that I celebrated my sixtieth birthday. What a super family and friends I have - old and new and I thank you all for your kind wishes and gifts.  

This week I'm feeling a bit bleaugh - not very creative or productive, although I have been playing with my new sewing machine getting to know its assets and my limitations. I think my body knows the Easter holidays are coming up - for thirty-plus years of teaching, like many of my colleagues, I inevitably got a cold for the holidays and for some reason by immune system hasn't realised I've RETIRED!

I have prepared my April page. I have gone for a fresh spring look, hopefully it will be spring again before long. I still enjoy filling these in - it is always a good opportunity for a bit of a doodle.

You may notice a bit of stitching - can't think why that is!

Inspired!

When I saw the Cheshire cat I had to  have one.

When I saw her decorated letter, I had to do one...

and now I have ordered the book she recommended.

The 'K' was for a friend's 40th, I am sure you can work out his passions. The playing cards, book and bridge score card were from a dolls house set. I made the cribbage board and whittled the wicket from kebab sticks. The ball was from a Christmas cracker miniature set of skittles, painted. (Now I know why these things have been in a drawer for years)  As the K is soft I was able to make a dent in it to stick the ball on firmly. I cut out the CD's from some sticky back plastic with a circular punch, and the images were all printed from Google finds. I must say it went down a treat. Thanks for the inspiration Lesley.

And Lesley, remember imitation is the highest form of flattery.

(I have got a mind of my own - honest)

I count my blessings

I consider myself very lucky. My new sewing machine arrived today - and yes I had to go out and give my talk! I'll begin at the beginning.

Mr T, love him, said he would buy me a new sewing machine for my birthday, and after humming and hawing over which model he said I was to go for it, so I did and ordered a wonderful new Brother machine from my local shop last Thursday. Mr Theobald from the oldest shop  in Luton said it should be in on Monday, it could even be in the next day. I was like a kid a Christmas, waiting for the phone to ring - only it didn't. Late Tuesday I was beginning to feel a bit sulky - childish I know, but I had dusted, vacuumed, laundered and ironed so I would have a clear day or two to play, but at this rate everything would need doing again (I know, it was only two days).  A phone call to Mr Theobald reassured me that is was on its way - having to order by computer had caused the delay, and he had arranged it to be delivered straight to my house on Thursday. 

Now Thursday - that is the day I am giving my talk, so I wake early with a few butterflies, and lay listening to the Today programme dozing - when .... silence ... no electricity. I get up and check the fuse box - no problem there, so batteries in the radio and I find out from the local radio station that half of Luton has been effected by a power cut. NO ELECTRICITY!  I am giving a talk with a PowerPoint presentation AND I am getting my new sewing machine - I need power. No tea and toast for breakfast so what, tuna sandwiches for lunch, fine - all this going through my head in the first five minutes of no power. Of course, by 8.30 all was restored, I though, needed a calming bath and a bacon sandwich to before I felt restored. The rest of the morning I thought I'd start my April page for my journal to give me something to do. Then I checked and double checked my notes for my talk at 2pm. At 1.30 I was nearly ready to go, dusting of my old laptop bag and making Mr T promise he wouldn't go out in case there was a delivery - I was sure it wasn't going to come - and then there it was - a large lorry with a cheery driver with a box under his arm! How could that be my new machine, but it was - it is about half the weight of my old one. But I had to leave it unopened in the hall and dash off for my talk.

My talk - thank you for all your good wishes - went fine. The projector 'talked' to my laptop and I had time to settle myself in before I began. I had 50 slides and up to an hour and a half to fill. The first half went very quickly and I rather raced through, but after a cup of tea and a hot cross bun and lots of encouragement I relaxed and slowed down a bit. My subject was a local beauty spot which is familiar to most of my audience, but I hope I was able to give them a different viewpoint and a bit of new information.

So it was home to my new toy.

My picture is of a piece I have been working on with painted on dye and hand stitching. It was waiting for some machine embroidery.

Some more photographs

I am hoping to get a new sewing machine very soon, so I may not have much to blog whilst I get to know it, but in the meantime here are some more of my photographs. These have been cropped and tweaked - but only in Windows photo gallery, they make me realise how much I love my Nikon 80D SLR. I hope you like them too.

Overnight rain, morning sun

Spring russets

A welcome visitor - Seven spot Ladybird

(there were lots about)

and

collecting nectar is just  too much...

zzzz zzzz zzzz

(You can click on the photos for a real close-up)

I am giving my talk on  Sharpenhoe Clappers Thursday - it is all prepared. I feel a bit nervous as talking to adults is very different than teaching children. I'll let you know how I get on,  wish me luck.