Goanna is stitched on cream 18ct aida using one thread.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Stitching Group again...
I went to my stitching group again today - this time I took G - Patra's Place. We had a delightful three hours stitching, chatting and having lots of giggles. Anyone looking through the doorway from a distance would see a group of 'older' women stitching - I think they would be quite shocked to hear the content of some of the conversation. It was a nice break from the week and after hearing about my employment coming to an abrupt end next Friday - a welcome diverson from the stress of thinking about 'what next'...
I can now post the photo of G's birthday present. G gave me a copy of Allura - an Australian cross stitch book- the year before last. She had asked me at the time whether I would stitch anything from it. I wanted to stitch something for her and I decided on the alphabet 'G' which has a goanna climbing up the side. It is too, the first letter of her name. I enjoyed stitching it with the anticipation of seeing G's face when she unwrapped it. The colour change from Anchor to DMC resulted in a slightly different colour of goanna - from browns to greens - but what the heck. I thought the placement of him on the G was good and I like how his tail 'travelled' down the letter and curled around into the space below. I hope you enjoy him G - what ever you do with him... Only teasing!!!!
Mel's mermaid had a little more done to it today. Not a huge amount but those extra few stitches all make a difference towards the end... I said, somewhat tongue in cheek, 'I wonder what I will do next?' expecting to raise a response from G - but not the whole room as different ladies replied. Very obviously we all have very 'well fed' bottom drawers full of 'what next' projects. On the re-telling to P, he suggested perhaps the drawers are like Pandora's Box - they all contain hope - 'Hope I can get to do this, hope I can get to do that'. Very droll - coming from someone who has more music than he can possibly ever listen to in this life.
One lady bought a 'show and tell' - a quilt she had finished for her daughter - all hand stitched. Makes me keen all over again!!!! Another two ladies looked like they also did 'scrap booking', as one brought in a photo album to show another. No wonder these women are never home - they are too busy out enjoying their 'other interests'.
Haven't done much more knitting. It has gone to work with me a couple of times - it is far more portable than my stitching. A couple of the women have commented on it - and surprisingly enough a couple of the much younger women liked the colour and the texture as it has knitted up - even though I fondly refer it it as 'my carpet'. Beads are very much a possibility either through the middle of it or in the fringe at either end. The mind boggles...
I can now post the photo of G's birthday present. G gave me a copy of Allura - an Australian cross stitch book- the year before last. She had asked me at the time whether I would stitch anything from it. I wanted to stitch something for her and I decided on the alphabet 'G' which has a goanna climbing up the side. It is too, the first letter of her name. I enjoyed stitching it with the anticipation of seeing G's face when she unwrapped it. The colour change from Anchor to DMC resulted in a slightly different colour of goanna - from browns to greens - but what the heck. I thought the placement of him on the G was good and I like how his tail 'travelled' down the letter and curled around into the space below. I hope you enjoy him G - what ever you do with him... Only teasing!!!!
Mel's mermaid had a little more done to it today. Not a huge amount but those extra few stitches all make a difference towards the end... I said, somewhat tongue in cheek, 'I wonder what I will do next?' expecting to raise a response from G - but not the whole room as different ladies replied. Very obviously we all have very 'well fed' bottom drawers full of 'what next' projects. On the re-telling to P, he suggested perhaps the drawers are like Pandora's Box - they all contain hope - 'Hope I can get to do this, hope I can get to do that'. Very droll - coming from someone who has more music than he can possibly ever listen to in this life.
One lady bought a 'show and tell' - a quilt she had finished for her daughter - all hand stitched. Makes me keen all over again!!!! Another two ladies looked like they also did 'scrap booking', as one brought in a photo album to show another. No wonder these women are never home - they are too busy out enjoying their 'other interests'.
Haven't done much more knitting. It has gone to work with me a couple of times - it is far more portable than my stitching. A couple of the women have commented on it - and surprisingly enough a couple of the much younger women liked the colour and the texture as it has knitted up - even though I fondly refer it it as 'my carpet'. Beads are very much a possibility either through the middle of it or in the fringe at either end. The mind boggles...
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Second Wind...
I seemed to have gathered a 'second wind' regarding Mel's mermaid. Since Saturday when I took her to the stitching group I have started to stitch her again at home. It is almost like I want to achieve a little bit more before I go back to the group again. I have started the 'M' and have almost decided that I will change the word 'mermaid' to 'Melanie' as that is why I originally bought the kit. I think that is what was holding me up as I couldn't make up my mind. I also have to change some of the lettering but really it doesn't look to hard. Not that many of the letters have to change and those which do can be adapted from the exsisting ones. I am looking forward to doing the bird - I thought he looked interesting when I bought the pattern. Then comes the beading...
There is so much I want to do that I think that that is partly the problem. Instead of attempting 'bite size chunks' I want to consume the 'whole thing'. I determined not to start another stitching project until I have the current one finished. At times I can feel myself weakening... Will it be P's owl or C's sampler. Both of them are 'all together' just waiting for me to start... Perhaps I might have two on the go...
I love the 'ritual' of starting a new piece, choosing the fabric, the colours and then preparing the fabic for that first stitch... As I stitch I think about who it is destine for and in the case of Mel's mermaid, and because she is my daughter, I wonder how she will react... And I guess I wonder where it will end up -this is probably been prompted because I have been reading the 'Elm Creek' series by Jennifer Chiaverini and since knowing G - Patra's Place and seeing her collection of embrodiered linen I can't help but wonder if many, many, many years from now someone will wonder about Mel's mermaid and why and perhaps whom it was stitched for. I am thinking I might attach some sort history somewhere to the back of the frame. I will need to think more on that one... As long as it doesn't end up at the op shop - I will come back and haunt her if it does!!!!!
There is so much I want to do that I think that that is partly the problem. Instead of attempting 'bite size chunks' I want to consume the 'whole thing'. I determined not to start another stitching project until I have the current one finished. At times I can feel myself weakening... Will it be P's owl or C's sampler. Both of them are 'all together' just waiting for me to start... Perhaps I might have two on the go...
I love the 'ritual' of starting a new piece, choosing the fabric, the colours and then preparing the fabic for that first stitch... As I stitch I think about who it is destine for and in the case of Mel's mermaid, and because she is my daughter, I wonder how she will react... And I guess I wonder where it will end up -this is probably been prompted because I have been reading the 'Elm Creek' series by Jennifer Chiaverini and since knowing G - Patra's Place and seeing her collection of embrodiered linen I can't help but wonder if many, many, many years from now someone will wonder about Mel's mermaid and why and perhaps whom it was stitched for. I am thinking I might attach some sort history somewhere to the back of the frame. I will need to think more on that one... As long as it doesn't end up at the op shop - I will come back and haunt her if it does!!!!!
Monday, April 25, 2005
Stitching Group...
I forgot to mention that I went to the stitching group on Saturday - which is the informal 'sit and stitch' group part of the Tapestry Guild. I went on the off chance that they would be there as they break for the school holidays and I thought they might have extended their break to cover the long weekend. There were about 12 other women and they warmly welcomed me. I haven't been for nearly 8 months so it was good to go back. I worked on Mel's mermaid - I didn't stitch very much in the couple of hours I was there but the little bit I did were those few stitches nearer to completion... They asked me if I would be back next week which was nice...
Yesterday I gave up the search for my bag of knitting needles they seemed to have 'vanished in the haze' - I have turned every likely and unlikely spot upside down - twice!!!!!! How can a reasonably sized bag of knitting needles just vanish - beats me... Any way a quick? trip to my local Spotlight store fixed the problem and I came home brandishing a new pair of 4.5's... I started the yarn that I bought at Go Lo - it is knitting up as I predicted - like a carpet. However it is soft and light and will make a warm scarf for those cold winter mornings. It is multicoloured in gold, brown, inky green, rust, and beige - sounds hideous I guess but they seem to be the colours I am drawn to no matter how I resist. I cast on 40 stitches and somehow managed to 'lose five' - but with this sort of yarn one would never know... It is knitting up fairly quickly and I am just knitting in 'plain' so it is fairly easy going. Listen to me - I am not really a knitter - but as I have said before this bit of knitting satisfies me. Crochet is also another 'mystery' to me and I have only attempted it once... Like when I took tap dancing lessons - I knew straightaway that some things are just 'not meant to be'...
We went to the Nunawading craft market yeaterday - it has been a while since I went to a local market such as that. There is reportedly 200 stalls. Seemed to be a good mix with not too many repeats... I bought a dragonfly from a woman who makes bits for the scrap booking fraternity. The dragonfly 's shape and colours appealed to me so I thought I would put him away for posterity.
Again the weekend has flown and we are nearly back at the work a day week again... Well at least I have done some of the things I said I would...
Yesterday I gave up the search for my bag of knitting needles they seemed to have 'vanished in the haze' - I have turned every likely and unlikely spot upside down - twice!!!!!! How can a reasonably sized bag of knitting needles just vanish - beats me... Any way a quick? trip to my local Spotlight store fixed the problem and I came home brandishing a new pair of 4.5's... I started the yarn that I bought at Go Lo - it is knitting up as I predicted - like a carpet. However it is soft and light and will make a warm scarf for those cold winter mornings. It is multicoloured in gold, brown, inky green, rust, and beige - sounds hideous I guess but they seem to be the colours I am drawn to no matter how I resist. I cast on 40 stitches and somehow managed to 'lose five' - but with this sort of yarn one would never know... It is knitting up fairly quickly and I am just knitting in 'plain' so it is fairly easy going. Listen to me - I am not really a knitter - but as I have said before this bit of knitting satisfies me. Crochet is also another 'mystery' to me and I have only attempted it once... Like when I took tap dancing lessons - I knew straightaway that some things are just 'not meant to be'...
We went to the Nunawading craft market yeaterday - it has been a while since I went to a local market such as that. There is reportedly 200 stalls. Seemed to be a good mix with not too many repeats... I bought a dragonfly from a woman who makes bits for the scrap booking fraternity. The dragonfly 's shape and colours appealed to me so I thought I would put him away for posterity.
Again the weekend has flown and we are nearly back at the work a day week again... Well at least I have done some of the things I said I would...
Saturday, April 23, 2005
North American Indian
This is one of my favorite pieces. I stitched him about two years ago. I loved how the piece developed using the contrast of light and dark and the simplicity of just using just the one colour thread. What appealed to me was the arrangement of his feathers and I liked how his face was partially hidden. He was stitched on 18 count aida using 2 threads. At one stage I had actually thought about have a montage of this one image stitched on different colour fabrics - but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride... So he is alone. He has been packed away since I completed him but perhaps it is time he saw 'the light of day'...
Thinking about it as I write this - perhaps this image takes me back to my fabric printing and lino cutting days . There was some sense of the unexpected as I stitched this, even though it came as a kit complete with graph and picture. Like my printing days there was as an anticipation of seeing the finished piece - because no matter what you thought you would see there always seemed to be something that was unexpected... I was pleased with the finished result - it was a departure from what I usually stitched - and there was a 'stillness' about the image that touched me. Definitely unexpected...
Perhaps that is why I use to like wax resist work - working with layers of wax and colour - manipulating the wax to allow colour bleeding was all part of the process that never ceased to surprise me with the finished results. I liked being part of the process. Now this sounds silly - but it was like I was 'one' with the image or the process - somehow joined in its creation... I can understand when people say that they become so involved with a piece they are working on that time ceases to be and that they feel part of something else...
I remember years ago working on a pastel drawing on the kitchen table which in an area that was part of the communal living area... The telly was on and my two daughters were backwards and forwards doing their 'thing' For the hours that I worked on the drawing I felt like I was in this cocooned world somehow detached from the activity around me... I 'emerged' with colour across my face where I had brushed stray hair out of the way my clothes were covered in pastel dust and I was tired but content...
Are these all clues? Is this all telling me something? Signposts?
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Sinus Woes - not really creative...
I have been home for two days - at least my sinus condition is sorted... Well not exactly sorted but at least I know what I am facing... It seems from the CT scan that I need surgery to 'clear out' my nasal passages... The report suggested that I had chronic sinusitis... Yep, I knew that -accompanied by nasal polyps... Hmm... The doc. suggested that I have another stronger dose of antibiotics, and more nasal spray... Fun O!!!!! However what I do have answers for is why I am so tired and the weight gain - thanks to the steroid/cortisone combination I am currently taking... But after two days home and some good sound sleep life today seemed better...
Still no stitching done - but today I bought some cheap 'wool' from Go Lo... Not really wool - but it has interesting colours so I thought to sate my knitting urge - yet another scarf... I am the world's worse knitter but it satisfies that need that seems to arise ever winter... I thought I might take it to work and knit in my lunch break... Now that might stir interest in my very corporate world...
I have also taken the plunge - and have ordered Leanne's Block of the Month (BOM)... I have looked at it for ages and have admired it... Perhaps that will satisfy me and my need to create something in fabric... I am looking forward to receiving my first package in the mail... I think what I lack - apart from time - is the company of like minded people... I love reading every one's blogs and seeing what individuals are up to but it doesn't make up for being 'up close and personal' so to speak... Sometimes I think I should just sell everything crafty and take up a new hobby - like water polo!!!!!!!
E has created some very cute drawings that would translate very well into stitcheries - she has given me the go ahead to have a play with one... It will be fun as she and I 'see' similiar colour schemes... The little girl she has developed is a cutie with maxium appeal... Those who have seen her have suggested to E that she would make a good card series...
Back to work tomorrow... For some reason I am dragging my feet... But the toil must be done... In my next life I am going to be...
Still no stitching done - but today I bought some cheap 'wool' from Go Lo... Not really wool - but it has interesting colours so I thought to sate my knitting urge - yet another scarf... I am the world's worse knitter but it satisfies that need that seems to arise ever winter... I thought I might take it to work and knit in my lunch break... Now that might stir interest in my very corporate world...
I have also taken the plunge - and have ordered Leanne's Block of the Month (BOM)... I have looked at it for ages and have admired it... Perhaps that will satisfy me and my need to create something in fabric... I am looking forward to receiving my first package in the mail... I think what I lack - apart from time - is the company of like minded people... I love reading every one's blogs and seeing what individuals are up to but it doesn't make up for being 'up close and personal' so to speak... Sometimes I think I should just sell everything crafty and take up a new hobby - like water polo!!!!!!!
E has created some very cute drawings that would translate very well into stitcheries - she has given me the go ahead to have a play with one... It will be fun as she and I 'see' similiar colour schemes... The little girl she has developed is a cutie with maxium appeal... Those who have seen her have suggested to E that she would make a good card series...
Back to work tomorrow... For some reason I am dragging my feet... But the toil must be done... In my next life I am going to be...
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Portrait of Wisdom
This is my 'Indian Love Call' - a mission yet to be accomplished... I have loved this design ever since it first appeared quite a few years ago...I 'fell in love' with his face... I was reluctant to buy him as, he was stitched on linen... However I saw him for sale on ebay for a very good price and well, the rest is history... A 'meant to be' - that is my excuse and I am sticking to it... Now he waits patiently for his turn on the hoop...
Friday, April 15, 2005
It's Friday!!!!!!
Thank goodness it is the weekend... After a week and last Saturday working I need this weekend even though it is lining up to be a busy one... But I am going to do some stitching somewhere in it.... Th urge is returning to 'do something'... Little tendrils of creative 'smoke' are curling and weaving... I am being 'drawn back' to Mel's mermaid cross stitch... Time she was finished and 'launched'... I want to start something new but not while I still have Mel's and another to finish... Pam's owl is next... My beautiful North American Indian cross stitch calls to me... Indian love call??? But I shut my ears against his call... Not until I have finished the other things I say...
I am thinking about buying one of those floor stand lamps with the 'daylight' bulb and the magnifer - it will make my life easier then... Well that is the plan...
I also need some winter clothes for work... Now whilst I am not the best seamstress in the world I can make a halfway decent over shirt so I am thinking about one of my standard pattern and having a cutting out day for about three - then a 'put together ' day - about as close as I can get to mass production... I figure at my age I really don't have to worry about fashion (when did I worry about fashion?????) - and besides, perhaps I will wear more purple and red hats
I just love Friday nights - they are always so full of promise...
I am thinking about buying one of those floor stand lamps with the 'daylight' bulb and the magnifer - it will make my life easier then... Well that is the plan...
I also need some winter clothes for work... Now whilst I am not the best seamstress in the world I can make a halfway decent over shirt so I am thinking about one of my standard pattern and having a cutting out day for about three - then a 'put together ' day - about as close as I can get to mass production... I figure at my age I really don't have to worry about fashion (when did I worry about fashion?????) - and besides, perhaps I will wear more purple and red hats
I just love Friday nights - they are always so full of promise...
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Sunday - a day of rest...
My 'baggie' arrived through the week. It came as part of me joining the southerncrosscrazies group. I had been alerted that it would be coming but had no idea what to expect - although I had seen various discussion threads about 'baggies' - they were a mystery to me... I gleaned from my reading of course that what ever a 'baggie' was it was contained in a bag - but I had no idea what (i) a baggie contained, (ii) what I was meant to do with it, (iii) what purpose did it serve.
Well I was like a kid at Christmas when I discovered my baggie in the post on Tuesday. I opened it carefully savouring the moment - This is what I discovered - 5 pieces different coloured and textured 'after five' fabrics, roughly 6" x 6" square, 1 crocheted dollie, 4 wound cardboard bobbins of thread which were all different colours and textures, 1 piece of satin ribbon which has a embossed floral pattern, 2 pieces of metallic type thread - 1 being a piece of gold ric-rac, a little bag of 'jewels' which contained different types of buttons and some glittery bits. In another small bag there was a beautiful piece of multi coloured tatting( I think) and last but certainly not least a bag containing a piece of waste fabric, threads and pattern...
Who ever thought up this idea - it is a wonderful one!!!!! And it certainly bought a lot of pleasure to this person - LOL - more ideas!!!!!! Now that is dangerous!!!!!
Another subject - You know how there is one piece of (usually very well worn ) clothing that you can't bear to part with - well I have had one surface from the back of the wardrobe recently and interestingly enough one that has got me thinking. It is a about 12 year old soft denim blue vest which I have worn to about an inch of its life - it has three ladybird 'iron ons' because unfortunately it suffered spots of bleach and I needed something large enough to hide the spots. As I looked at this 'long lost friend' I 'saw' the lady birds with beaded black spots and flying over a garden. You may laugh dear friend, but I thought it doesn't matter if this is less than perfect because its old and will probably never see the light of day and I can play to my hearts content. So I am going to give it an 'upgrade'. Stay tuned... Perhaps this is what I have needed - a starting block - which in some ways is already started!!!! While I know it isn't 'crazy' - it will be fun... In my mind's eye I can 'see' a small child's drawing - out of proportion, very colourful and happy!!!!! It makes me smile thinking about it...
Well I was like a kid at Christmas when I discovered my baggie in the post on Tuesday. I opened it carefully savouring the moment - This is what I discovered - 5 pieces different coloured and textured 'after five' fabrics, roughly 6" x 6" square, 1 crocheted dollie, 4 wound cardboard bobbins of thread which were all different colours and textures, 1 piece of satin ribbon which has a embossed floral pattern, 2 pieces of metallic type thread - 1 being a piece of gold ric-rac, a little bag of 'jewels' which contained different types of buttons and some glittery bits. In another small bag there was a beautiful piece of multi coloured tatting( I think) and last but certainly not least a bag containing a piece of waste fabric, threads and pattern...
Who ever thought up this idea - it is a wonderful one!!!!! And it certainly bought a lot of pleasure to this person - LOL - more ideas!!!!!! Now that is dangerous!!!!!
Another subject - You know how there is one piece of (usually very well worn ) clothing that you can't bear to part with - well I have had one surface from the back of the wardrobe recently and interestingly enough one that has got me thinking. It is a about 12 year old soft denim blue vest which I have worn to about an inch of its life - it has three ladybird 'iron ons' because unfortunately it suffered spots of bleach and I needed something large enough to hide the spots. As I looked at this 'long lost friend' I 'saw' the lady birds with beaded black spots and flying over a garden. You may laugh dear friend, but I thought it doesn't matter if this is less than perfect because its old and will probably never see the light of day and I can play to my hearts content. So I am going to give it an 'upgrade'. Stay tuned... Perhaps this is what I have needed - a starting block - which in some ways is already started!!!! While I know it isn't 'crazy' - it will be fun... In my mind's eye I can 'see' a small child's drawing - out of proportion, very colourful and happy!!!!! It makes me smile thinking about it...
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Flying Geese ~ a work in progress...
I have thought a lot about 'my start'... I actually thought I would take my own advice about letting the image 'speak' to me... I asked 'the questions'- what was I wanting to achieve? What did the image mean for me? Was I going to recreate or interpret it?
Once I had asked the questions and cleared a space the ideas started to filter in - I saw the correlation between my own creative journey and the flying geese image - both suggested to me of 'returning'...
Next I though about suitable fabric or rather lack of it - again - I rememberd some sample fabric swatches I had been given about 15 years ago... One piece in particular 'suggested' points like a compass - showing direction. Another piece had tiny tri-angles printed on it, reminding me of the flying geese quilt block - so now I have flying geese and 'flying geese' - even as I write this ideas whirl through my head... Time for pencil and paper me thinks... And I am sure the rest will present once I make the first step...
Given that my skills are less than basic I have to be careful not to convince myself out of even making a start... A very conditioned response 'learnt' from a young age...
sharonb piece this morning about saving things really hit a note with me and has made me quite reflective about how much I have 'saved' for that special occassion... Hmmm...
Once I had asked the questions and cleared a space the ideas started to filter in - I saw the correlation between my own creative journey and the flying geese image - both suggested to me of 'returning'...
Next I though about suitable fabric or rather lack of it - again - I rememberd some sample fabric swatches I had been given about 15 years ago... One piece in particular 'suggested' points like a compass - showing direction. Another piece had tiny tri-angles printed on it, reminding me of the flying geese quilt block - so now I have flying geese and 'flying geese' - even as I write this ideas whirl through my head... Time for pencil and paper me thinks... And I am sure the rest will present once I make the first step...
Given that my skills are less than basic I have to be careful not to convince myself out of even making a start... A very conditioned response 'learnt' from a young age...
sharonb piece this morning about saving things really hit a note with me and has made me quite reflective about how much I have 'saved' for that special occassion... Hmmm...
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Patra's Place
It was such a surprise to see Patra's Place although a very pleasant one... It is odd though - and you will understand this one G - I had thought only a day or so earlier about you having a blog and calling it - yep - you guessed it!!! Welcome G!!!! ... A fellow adventurer who has set out to explore the horizons of blogging and beyond!!!!
Flying Geese ~ a work in progress...
This image appealed to me - L from Chloe's Place suggested that I might start with a idea to 'kick start ' me on my crazy quilting adventure... I chose a favorite theme and 'google imaged it' and this was the image that 'spoke' to me - I only hope it keeps talking!!!!!!
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