tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433498128351075872024-03-21T23:32:08.125+00:00Hillside ThreadsHillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-41017006763606209202013-03-15T19:33:00.000+00:002013-03-16T16:25:02.746+00:00Winter Sun<div style="text-align: left;">
When I look out the window in the mornings all I see is grey drab winter weather, sometimes its frosty, the other day it even snowed but last week I was in Marsa Alam in Egypt and it was wonderful. It was hot, hot, hot ranging around 25 degrees and one day it even reached 32 degrees. This was the view from our balcony</div>
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A short walk away was the beach and a great photo opportunity.<br />
I am sure this image has been photographed many times.<br />
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The sea was lovely and if you dared to dip your head under the water there was some lovely coral and beautiful marine fish just beyond the buoys which was easily reached even for me.<br />
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But the reason we were here was to not only enjoy the sun and the sea but we were here with Jamie Malden of <a href="http://www.colouricious.com/" target="_blank">Colouricious</a> and <a href="http://www.marilynpipe.co.uk/" target="_blank">Marilyn Pipe</a> to stitch and print to our heart's content.<br />
Following are some of the things we made, nothing too strenuous after all we were on holiday but it was lovely to be in such beautiful surroundings and be able to spend some time with new friends trying out new techniques. To be able to spend a week (or even two) sun bathing, swimming, eating and stitching was just bliss after the cold, dark damp weather we had left behind in England.<br />
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The first day we made a fun book using dyed blanket fabric and woollen
threads, a template was provided but we were free to design our own if
we wanted. It was quite quick to stitch but we could spend as much or
as little time on it as we wanted. <br />
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The second day was a messy day using glue and paper from old magazines
which if I am honest I didn't enjoy. Again it was a book and I used
mine to press some of the beautiful flowers we saw growing around the
grounds of the hotel.<br />
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The third day was back to stitching again thank goodness. Marilyn showed us how to do ribbon embroidery on a piece of dyed Silk Noil and I really enjoyed this little project which was designed to be a needle book. One can never have enough needle books.<br />
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fourth day the sun and the relaxed surroundings had got to me so I am
not sure exactly what we did. Although I do remember a couple of the
staff bringing us in some lovely fruit drinks, we were thoroughly spoiled.</div>
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I think we finished off what we had been doing earlier in the week and also we made what Marilyn called funky flowers or Lis's flowers because Lis from Denmark had asked her to show her how to make the felted flowers which Marylyn had hanging in her house. I had only ever done felt embellishing on a machine so I found it really interesting to have a go at doing it with the special needle and a small piece of sponge. We were also each given an opportunity to have a go with the clover brush and 5-needle felting tool which made it so quick and easy.</div>
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By the fifth day if my memory serves me correctly we were back to
blanket books but with a more sophisticated air with the addition of
organza and beads and buttons, very indulgent. </div>
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Towards the end of the holiday we were still clamouring for more so Jamie organised some block printing and dyeing, so on with the aprons and rubber gloves and plastic on the tables.<br />
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Amazingly the hotel had lots of old tablecloths which were not being used for one reason or another and they allowed us to print and dye them and bring them home for use later. Such Fun! :-)<br />
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On the final morning we had a small exhibition to show the rest of
the hotel guests and staff what we had been up to all week as they were
all very curious.<br />
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When I look back over what we made we seemed to have done quite a lot but in reality we only spent an hour or two each morning after breakfast and then another hour or two each afternoon around 3pm. In between times we were swimming, sunbathing or just lounging around reading, napping or walking along the sea shore. Some of us (not mentioning any names) had a massage, pedicure, or manicures and all sorts of treatments which were available as an optional extra. I can personally recommend the pedicure and the purple nail varnish! Whatever next!<br />
All in all a wonderful holiday and I can't wait for next year. Maybe I'll see you there.<br />
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Bye for now.<br />
P.s. If you haven't seen enough there are more photos on my flickr page <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonfieldjane/sets/72157632998194672/with/8557397625/" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<br />Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-26702690007382481182013-01-03T22:41:00.001+00:002013-01-03T22:41:13.568+00:00New Year's ResolutionsNope! I don't do New Years Resolutions but I have been doing a lot of tatting and embroidery since the last time I blogged and the new year seems like as good a time as any to bring things up to date, if only to remind myself of what I have been doing.<br />
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I have a couple of special embroidery projects that I am currently involved in which are set to get more intensive this year. One of which is the Thistle Threads Cabinet of Curiosities on line Casket course and the other is a casket that I am making at workshops conducted with Nicola Jarvis and Lynn Hulse of <a href="http://www.ornamentalembroidery.com/">Ornamental Embroidery</a>. So hopefully over the next few months I shall be updating my blog with info on these and other projects.Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-25196214775485889682009-04-10T10:19:00.005+01:002009-04-10T11:51:05.581+01:00Happy Easter<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I used to make bobbin lace many years ago and I was looking through some of my old lace photos the other day and came across this cute little bunny I had made for a long forgotten easter. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUaDsf6_g2wp3ATwLvxFYgOj4Bvh3TopVb5qd3ROIMCbCMHBleAuX3DNw2ipMvedBT9V8n0d13ZPWPVwKCKGx0btK-8ZC9Fx6qaQwHNTjJSIholyW7S4krVUhiOoSxzBeBb1_429MTwZ8/s1600-h/Easter+Bunny.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUaDsf6_g2wp3ATwLvxFYgOj4Bvh3TopVb5qd3ROIMCbCMHBleAuX3DNw2ipMvedBT9V8n0d13ZPWPVwKCKGx0btK-8ZC9Fx6qaQwHNTjJSIholyW7S4krVUhiOoSxzBeBb1_429MTwZ8/s320/Easter+Bunny.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322993244065236466" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it and Happy Holidays to those who don't. I hope you have an enjoyable break with your families or doing whatever you enjoy doing.<br /></div>Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-68646357720082929492009-03-06T20:46:00.010+00:002009-03-07T22:12:35.546+00:00Tatting, Embroidery and ATCs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aacyvER7Ir5zmZdwCsbhi_iOCSh6Q98AwX8yn84YZK0JM7eHt-PuPs6uTb4Al_1VNO84FACPaqxa5FSNhvk_44EPfpB1sK5CJHsYC9PaOw57beMqNePdxmTRNAhffjHzljGUny-VpW1N/s1600-h/IMG_5707.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aacyvER7Ir5zmZdwCsbhi_iOCSh6Q98AwX8yn84YZK0JM7eHt-PuPs6uTb4Al_1VNO84FACPaqxa5FSNhvk_44EPfpB1sK5CJHsYC9PaOw57beMqNePdxmTRNAhffjHzljGUny-VpW1N/s320/IMG_5707.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310184041613631762" border="0"></a><br />Sharon was asking a while back if any one had looked for things that could be improved with the addition of tatting or looked for new ways to showcase tatting? Well I have just come across this picture (on the left) of a friendship square that I made for a friend last autumn. The fabric is hand dyed cotton. After embroidering the daisies I decided it definately needed some tatting around it to finish it off and of course I just had to add beads. The design is approximately 6" high<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKfvDiCDsIUd2U7wkxkfDilJJrH1pgvEuv1n-CsffvIjr7NJx7ekUKTFFBmI5CT9skOlp7UX2fuud833oCXOW-aQMEbrvYyo0EiOoHOria1vWdZzwX1lR82c2d5uSiOVKmox3rn9GyYXa/s1600-h/Jane+ATC.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKfvDiCDsIUd2U7wkxkfDilJJrH1pgvEuv1n-CsffvIjr7NJx7ekUKTFFBmI5CT9skOlp7UX2fuud833oCXOW-aQMEbrvYyo0EiOoHOria1vWdZzwX1lR82c2d5uSiOVKmox3rn9GyYXa/s320/Jane+ATC.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310555218533173842" border="0"></a><br />On the right is an ATC (Artist Trading Card) which I swapped with another embroiderer. The idea behind these is you create a miniature work of art (approximately 2 1/2" x 3 1/2")<br />in your chosen medium and swap it with a fellow enthusiast. They are swapped between people all over the world. There are whole sites devoted to them as well as yahoo groups but this was a one off we did in the EG forum last summer.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-51777136150452429102009-03-06T20:36:00.005+00:002013-03-15T19:57:14.004+00:00TIAS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm8w2GBMgjuFI0YvG-4gjo_-VtfRYGDgRcACAAydrbSw_puyPBH1gD3clgkbQHHF6VTTvavwQ7_TBYH0lNX0GNhnuV5YW6oC4XEwm6ksjsEhSYvu5cXt17Aib8X-5ccDCRQwyaa3RklXS/s1600/IMG_5934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm8w2GBMgjuFI0YvG-4gjo_-VtfRYGDgRcACAAydrbSw_puyPBH1gD3clgkbQHHF6VTTvavwQ7_TBYH0lNX0GNhnuV5YW6oC4XEwm6ksjsEhSYvu5cXt17Aib8X-5ccDCRQwyaa3RklXS/s320/IMG_5934.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's finished. I enjoyed tatting this motif. Iris designed it so that we could continue making further motifs and turn it into a doiley which I thought was a great idea. With the aid of her computer <a href="http://ladyshuttlemaker.blogspot.com/2009/03/tias-5-by-iris-niebachdone.html">Sherry </a>turned it into a doiley which is fabulous and makes me want to have a go.Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-7356293618318712802009-03-01T22:43:00.012+00:002013-03-15T20:04:01.064+00:00TIAS (Tat It and See)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHN8Jxb2DhlQ2tmOdLHL0YP-rfxydjfb7BLooRLgbuqE8UMYoT2UHZ1CIldHpEorUcNm1QqgRl5du9AKlCUVqjTl-q-EXsW1TUgHMIJNlcHoHu7qN4HLADpIqDw42Q3j-7vdbYxh-YbUb/s1600/IMG_5931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHN8Jxb2DhlQ2tmOdLHL0YP-rfxydjfb7BLooRLgbuqE8UMYoT2UHZ1CIldHpEorUcNm1QqgRl5du9AKlCUVqjTl-q-EXsW1TUgHMIJNlcHoHu7qN4HLADpIqDw42Q3j-7vdbYxh-YbUb/s320/IMG_5931.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yippee another Tat it and See. This is the 5th TIAS challenge that has been organised by various people but my second time in taking part. This time Iris Niebach aka <a href="http://irisniebach.blogspot.com/2009/02/lets-start.html">The Tattingplayer</a> has organised the challenge. We are only given part of the instructions and have no idea what we are making. We have to guess or wait until near the end when we can see for ourselves what it is. No diagrams only instructions. Oh dear, then I have no chance. Fortunately <a href="http://laurasmuse.blogspot.com/">Laura</a> was quick off the mark and provided the much needed picture to enable me to get an idea of what was needed. Inspite of the helpful image I still managed to make a mistake so this was my second attempt. The threads left dangling at the beginning were darned in and look a bit bulky. Not brilliant I must say but it is OK for what I call a sample. I have been running a bit behind as this is the 4th day and I have been trying to catch up. This is the result of the first day's instuctions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7qf1MtiThyphenhyphenANw63dnya1o3M5fY_3_1_4ejtnRcqJpLeGBcjvemcRAdGNxsfMy7hPHUHPyUl4HT4Hc40DUwuqmE4RJzTw0FfQZJ2utSRMVWTcKDMNSsbhpa5sr6bRjVHrbeGeVN_f0JpV/s1600/IMG_5933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7qf1MtiThyphenhyphenANw63dnya1o3M5fY_3_1_4ejtnRcqJpLeGBcjvemcRAdGNxsfMy7hPHUHPyUl4HT4Hc40DUwuqmE4RJzTw0FfQZJ2utSRMVWTcKDMNSsbhpa5sr6bRjVHrbeGeVN_f0JpV/s320/IMG_5933.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VSBMuZDF26Y/SasVJVwUhDI/AAAAAAAAAEY/kDzm-uRwDJE/s1600-h/IMG_5933.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>Here is the result of the second day's instructions. This went quite well I thought. No disasters. My tension is a bit..well OK... quite a bit off. By this time <a href="http://janeeborall.blogspot.com/">Jane Eborall</a> and <a href="http://ladyshuttlemaker.blogspot.com/">Sherry Pence</a> had also published their versions so it was easy to see I was on the right track. Their versions are much neater but I am still learning these new techniques so I am happy that at least I have understood and been able to follow the pattern. Measuring the picots was a bit of a challenge fortunately I learned the different ways of doing this at a workshop in Portsmouth hosted by the Pompey Tatters who are a really helpful and friendly bunch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQXI9M7YnSqi7t2Vv98lHW8uPD-FCUV_mStAOYS0GYm53Ji46r9M1mcQKoekKd0II6p0KTbnuyF52Q2bMN038x59FxYJ_3ZDzH7iIlPHjNFtPhUGV4W7f5Zjqoa4F7-m7dJYBptKv4MhE/s1600/IMG_5934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQXI9M7YnSqi7t2Vv98lHW8uPD-FCUV_mStAOYS0GYm53Ji46r9M1mcQKoekKd0II6p0KTbnuyF52Q2bMN038x59FxYJ_3ZDzH7iIlPHjNFtPhUGV4W7f5Zjqoa4F7-m7dJYBptKv4MhE/s320/IMG_5934.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VSBMuZDF26Y/SasYBL1qQiI/AAAAAAAAAEg/G04IPK0m1I8/s1600-h/IMG_5934.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>This is the result of the day 3 instructions. This is beginning to look interesting. I have still no idea what it could be but it looks pretty in two colours. I made a mistake on the 3rd blue ring and had to cut it out and start that section again. More practice in stitching in ends. I think I am going to have to make this again once I know what it is just to prove to myself I can actually make it without making so many mistakes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Odi2GO4xvXvQZtbYceHwmlstd-_SQ09Jx6G7AptT0H2OTeGsuQFGfl91L0Vxlr9TsG7vP6aWT9_agonchahqwR0-xoiKq896QiSyvslu5tMtHhN3QvICBrdyk-5aXw3Kyq2cBz1fDWHH/s1600-h/IMG_5935.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308366809746805442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Odi2GO4xvXvQZtbYceHwmlstd-_SQ09Jx6G7AptT0H2OTeGsuQFGfl91L0Vxlr9TsG7vP6aWT9_agonchahqwR0-xoiKq896QiSyvslu5tMtHhN3QvICBrdyk-5aXw3Kyq2cBz1fDWHH/s320/IMG_5935.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 214px;" /></a>Well I have finally caught up, this is the result of the day 4 instructions. This wasn't particularly difficult but I still managed to make a couple of stupid mistakes which were easily rectified as I spotted them before I closed the ring. I also ran out of the pink thread (more practice in darning in threads) and to cap it all I noticed I have done a couple of design modifications by adding an extra picot on each side of the top trefoil(at least I am assuming it's the top). It wasn't intentional so I hope Iris will forgive me. I am now ready for the next set of instructions, hopefully I will be able to finish it without running out of thread again or making any more mistakes. I am quite pleased with it so far despite the mistakes and I have enjoyed the challenge and learning new techniques.Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-13067358428668250642009-01-03T21:18:00.009+00:002009-03-02T00:01:11.938+00:00New Year's Resolution<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZW2bcsAuPvdgVOJCWztzZjUnWHuCClLn2vMkA1ck4l3TOE_mz_fXXyLUN8fTnSGiw8VQH8T8kYB6mhQNW6tW65kJMASUQYxmYCXwDZUaLJbf00voJ2qbifJ10b6UR7sb3stf4N1SQaTT/s1600-h/IMG_5761.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZW2bcsAuPvdgVOJCWztzZjUnWHuCClLn2vMkA1ck4l3TOE_mz_fXXyLUN8fTnSGiw8VQH8T8kYB6mhQNW6tW65kJMASUQYxmYCXwDZUaLJbf00voJ2qbifJ10b6UR7sb3stf4N1SQaTT/s320/IMG_5761.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287180814368276338" border="0" /></a>My New Year's resolution is to finish all my UFO's by the end of 2009. (Did I hear someone sniggering!?) Knowing how many UFO's I have I don't think it is realistically possible but it is only January. Before Christmas <a href="http://tatsaway-patterns.blogspot.com/">Jon</a> generously offered the pattern for this beautiful celtic snowflake. I managed to do the first two rounds before Christmas and finished and blocked it yesterday. The thread I used was Marilee's Yarnplayer Sugar Maple Linen 30/2 which I purchased back in October. The photo doesn't do it justice as the colours are lovely. I had been looking forward to using this thread but I made the mistake of not making a test motif in cheap thread and had to retro tat a couple of times. I enjoyed making this motif and will definitely make it again.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj952o9dGsG_O-V4NUV2FLwIhUVaPC3WOlQNHki2m73ag_hyphenhyphend_Ksp8qqdAftt4jBoXBZYaJH1PCa1Z8clV8_aA1VMEJXur7TLuhwAvQEjyi967RREnfPa6khb0H9Zgp-euQbaY6qFLSQzrT/s1600-h/IMG_5767.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj952o9dGsG_O-V4NUV2FLwIhUVaPC3WOlQNHki2m73ag_hyphenhyphend_Ksp8qqdAftt4jBoXBZYaJH1PCa1Z8clV8_aA1VMEJXur7TLuhwAvQEjyi967RREnfPa6khb0H9Zgp-euQbaY6qFLSQzrT/s320/IMG_5767.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287188456394269586" border="0" /></a><br />I started <a href="http://janeeborall.blogspot.com/">Jane E's</a> fabulous Daisy bracelet pattern as soon as she posted it. I had optimistically intended it to be a birthday present for a friend's birthday. I dutifully tatted the earing as a test tat but shortly after starting the bracelet I got myself a bit confused with the pattern so I put it to one side in order to do my Christmassy things. You can see where I have gone wrong but I will continue with it and keep it as an example, as i have plenty of thread and beads. Hopefully by the time I have eventually finished the bracelet I will have the pattern firmly cemented in my brain and will be able to do it again without any mistakes. Oh and by the way my friend ended up with something totally different for her birthday.Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-57228177991779424012008-12-23T06:05:00.016+00:002008-12-23T06:52:59.226+00:00Christmas Past<div><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-tF2IP5sO7WmRZWIZrkni5GTvV0oUKYaerU9ZyKVumbxkmhxL9rvBkkK_BiJqgo1B9RP8kUrygwmGD3GF7pvrsZO2NEFUMJXn4iIXFxo4V1FgclvVzVnMukZm5FJ9jdvgz6ATZaV4vrv/s1600-h/IMG_4354.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282873922681311138" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-tF2IP5sO7WmRZWIZrkni5GTvV0oUKYaerU9ZyKVumbxkmhxL9rvBkkK_BiJqgo1B9RP8kUrygwmGD3GF7pvrsZO2NEFUMJXn4iIXFxo4V1FgclvVzVnMukZm5FJ9jdvgz6ATZaV4vrv/s320/IMG_4354.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Looking through my Christmas tree ornaments there were lots of memories of Christmas decorations I had made in years past. The star was one I made at an evening class, it seemed to take forever but it was OK once it was finished. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpFxh2upkI1Kd-I1MicAcjSTTsmtNXuD6TnLd1z0s7Kt_uZaRPWSs12XurdT0H79QMTNGydgfx_-U9wHmmU68LXplEcY2Nj1hgbM2b3h_Xv-nVKCBoQEvxF9CLvrnoWusvWc5glp5y9zV/s1600-h/IMG_4355.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282869617610222866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpFxh2upkI1Kd-I1MicAcjSTTsmtNXuD6TnLd1z0s7Kt_uZaRPWSs12XurdT0H79QMTNGydgfx_-U9wHmmU68LXplEcY2Nj1hgbM2b3h_Xv-nVKCBoQEvxF9CLvrnoWusvWc5glp5y9zV/s320/IMG_4355.JPG" border="0" /></a>The bauble was one of my firstbobbin lace pieces, fairly quick to make and used Guterman red and green variagated machine sewing thread which is no longer available. The last one I expect many of you recognise, this is a Christine Springett kit, I have made this a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsIQrJaqeoMvaJIaUMF1VdapcPhZ16W1KKM1p2-JF1g_Xgan_EtKTVPWyL1kDkwNmhLWCOxIY3o6T0LWxb8r1HSRAU0XeuimKB7nNPneJsShSd0h2P4IfeDuETuhP3zp5YjM4Yq_u5g9s/s1600-h/IMG_4359.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282870660073340914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsIQrJaqeoMvaJIaUMF1VdapcPhZ16W1KKM1p2-JF1g_Xgan_EtKTVPWyL1kDkwNmhLWCOxIY3o6T0LWxb8r1HSRAU0XeuimKB7nNPneJsShSd0h2P4IfeDuETuhP3zp5YjM4Yq_u5g9s/s320/IMG_4359.JPG" border="0" /></a>couple of times as it is nice to add to a Christmas Card. But shock horror I couldn't find any tatted ornaments, well it is too late for this year so I will search out a nice snowflake pattern and put it on my to do list for next Christmas. </div></div>Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-67967377246736831102008-12-08T21:58:00.008+00:002008-12-08T23:08:31.179+00:00Tatted Christmas TreesIf you have read my profile you will know that one of my other hobbies is tatting. I learned to tat about 15 years ago and made a few bits and pieces, but then for one reason or another didn't touch it for several years. About 18months ago I discovered Here-Be-Tatters a yahoo group, and since then I have been thoroughly enjoying myself downloading free patterns galore. There are so many talented tatters who give their patterns freely I shall never live long enough to reproduce them all.<br /><br /><br /><br />One of my favourite designers is Jane Eborall. Back in May of this year I took part in Jane's TIAS (Tat It And See) challenge. <a href="http://tatitandsee.blogspot.com/2008/06/wednesday-and-more-completed.html">http://tatitandsee.blogspot.com/2008/06/wednesday-and-more-completed.html</a> I had never added beads to any of my tatting, and don't think I would have attempted it without the encouragement and comaradie that was shown during the 10 days that the challenge took place. My lady was the result doesn't she look grand.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TSCj9sxvAaei4OkDuZxUNfnLnH7DG0BUFq04sXNsIgyUfE0Wy3oyhEuJsOqkWGrTuUA1F36y_Xd0ckdarEgNn01EjjDDNs2FzJennVfHZerJ8FXnkuiAI0mfy2yos2P7JDc_SK2Q0QGk/s1600-h/TIAS+10%2611.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277549979522859698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 256px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TSCj9sxvAaei4OkDuZxUNfnLnH7DG0BUFq04sXNsIgyUfE0Wy3oyhEuJsOqkWGrTuUA1F36y_Xd0ckdarEgNn01EjjDDNs2FzJennVfHZerJ8FXnkuiAI0mfy2yos2P7JDc_SK2Q0QGk/s320/TIAS+10%2611.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TSCj9sxvAaei4OkDuZxUNfnLnH7DG0BUFq04sXNsIgyUfE0Wy3oyhEuJsOqkWGrTuUA1F36y_Xd0ckdarEgNn01EjjDDNs2FzJennVfHZerJ8FXnkuiAI0mfy2yos2P7JDc_SK2Q0QGk/s1600-h/TIAS+10%2611.jpg"></a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Then around August time Jane showed a wonderful beaded tatted Christmas Tree and asked if anyone could guess the order of the tatting. Having enjoyed creating the tatted lady so much I sent her an email with my guess. I was wrong but she very kindly sent me the pattern to test tat it and once again I rose to the challenge. The result is the middle one of the 5 below (the one with the odd star at the top of it). They look a lot better since I have stiffened them with water soluable fabric which I dissolved in a jar of warm water then painted on. Since this time Jane has offered the pattern on her website <a href="http://janeeborall.blogspot.com/">http://janeeborall.blogspot.com/</a> . I have managed to obtain some decent stars and backing pins so recently, over the period of several <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOH7jkXV5WKUidi-frwAS_wZXiAx0BHvTv8SlH4uw3GnUBZtYIgh_byTa8oc79B_nwPzXhdk4R8z1hggGHM9D27omwj7sHr5NMejYWEaUBEBwxwYxtPv1Vgqrq918cA46U9vpW_8cL-hpe/s1600-h/IMG_5753.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277547554771163858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOH7jkXV5WKUidi-frwAS_wZXiAx0BHvTv8SlH4uw3GnUBZtYIgh_byTa8oc79B_nwPzXhdk4R8z1hggGHM9D27omwj7sHr5NMejYWEaUBEBwxwYxtPv1Vgqrq918cA46U9vpW_8cL-hpe/s320/IMG_5753.JPG" border="0" /></a>evenings I tatted Christmas trees. I made them into brooches and intend to attach them to blank Christmas cards to send to my special friends and relatives. </div><div></div><div>I am very pleased with the results and hope my friends and relatives will be too. </div>Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-8494894206623164052008-12-08T21:29:00.005+00:002008-12-08T21:56:06.022+00:00Crazy Christmas Quilting<div>Members of the UK Embroiderers Guild Forum organised a Christmas swap, which is always great fun. Those taking part offered to make an ornament and Christmas card for their partner. I spent quite a while trying to decide the best design to use. Originally I made a traditional bauble design but was not happy with the result. Then it occurred to me that as my partner's name began with the letter 'J' and my name also begins with 'J' I thought it would be appropriate to make a Christmas stocking which is similar in shape. Having decided on the shape the next question was what technique? Having made a start on my crazy quilting square (see previous post) I had a few scraps left over which were ideal for my stocking. This is the result. It <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjvusfVsb9eAo5KmaQtOTxpSwhKEnW5YQ9AKoIKgtGYp0qouVTX8Q7FSzjMqGdEEICLH7vw8AVQonCukHFxyIAjGXm4YBHY8oKXgIaE3bY5nYo87OWUxj-GiGs6Ij2fLGw3dMgmkmbzRD/s1600-h/IMG_5747.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277538154828668946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjvusfVsb9eAo5KmaQtOTxpSwhKEnW5YQ9AKoIKgtGYp0qouVTX8Q7FSzjMqGdEEICLH7vw8AVQonCukHFxyIAjGXm4YBHY8oKXgIaE3bY5nYo87OWUxj-GiGs6Ij2fLGw3dMgmkmbzRD/s320/IMG_5747.JPG" border="0" /></a>was a nice and easy project and reasonably quick to complete once I had made a few decisions on the best way to assemble it.</div><div> </div><div>The next challenge was to do the Christmas card, for this I decided to copy the stocking idea. I photographed the stocking and adjusted the image in paint shop pro. I then reproduced the design several times in a word document and printed it on to inkjet fabric through the printer. I ironed the designs on to bondaweb, cut out the design and pressed it on to some glittery felt and machine stitched around the outline. I then stitched a few beads on to each stocking and glued it to a blank card and hey presto a matching Christmas card to go with the ornament and several other cards to send to friends.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiUWar1rnyJAQd-zkyObJkH4VOCQ0IY3iDKIErv0W4j2-CkK4eWyrOoT-zA2A2NE8jcVMJfUDjEuQXlZ64O6grcLbDGotuR_d5qh3ATzv5Yvi4An6rBjtjOHLo94VwIYJ4pjd761thyphenhyphenTy/s1600-h/IMG_5757.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277538510672573570" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiUWar1rnyJAQd-zkyObJkH4VOCQ0IY3iDKIErv0W4j2-CkK4eWyrOoT-zA2A2NE8jcVMJfUDjEuQXlZ64O6grcLbDGotuR_d5qh3ATzv5Yvi4An6rBjtjOHLo94VwIYJ4pjd761thyphenhyphenTy/s320/IMG_5757.JPG" border="0" /></a> I hope the recipient of my stocking will be pleased with it.</div>Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-19170274549641480102008-11-29T20:29:00.005+00:002008-11-29T21:34:02.200+00:00<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwZe9JFaxJjBxp9YBUgfxeQNNBQW0XpDyUFLksbGb-wS4c_HJ1bu0orTB-YNA3iw8ivV0oxTaDj3QKwCoOS5TwXEIR0M506_e30XBfWUpDMEGOq6L_rXgJJQk1wAmmPlKaMDDOUONj63G/s1600-h/IMG_5730.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274188672863124290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwZe9JFaxJjBxp9YBUgfxeQNNBQW0XpDyUFLksbGb-wS4c_HJ1bu0orTB-YNA3iw8ivV0oxTaDj3QKwCoOS5TwXEIR0M506_e30XBfWUpDMEGOq6L_rXgJJQk1wAmmPlKaMDDOUONj63G/s320/IMG_5730.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>A few months ago there was a discussion on the tatting group I am in called Here-Be-Tatters about what to do with all the tatting pieces that we start but don't finish because of an error etc. It was suggested that we make a crazy quilted square and add our tatted pieces to it, and a challenge was born. Sue Hanson our list mom at the time offered to supply anyone interested with a bundle of fabrics. Well anyone who knows me will know that I just could not resist an offer like this. The fabulous bundle of fabrics duly arrived together with ribbons, threads and beads, all colour coordinated. Scrummy! This is as far as I have got with the quilted square, the tatting is pinned in place and I will add the embroidery over the coming weeks. I intend to make a tote bag and add the finished square to one side. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sJagNN187HPM2zYf23N_AKvOx6mtqrKYxM6PgBgXMLfClszndD9AkPb9xBJ3VXEtxLxzr3gOd0DQ7NyI2i0UKVXftyD8g5rGf4tE4MamiC7UXBXt6bfp2R7Af5su_d9i0b1I3ylq6L62/s1600-h/IMG_5727.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274192867662997922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sJagNN187HPM2zYf23N_AKvOx6mtqrKYxM6PgBgXMLfClszndD9AkPb9xBJ3VXEtxLxzr3gOd0DQ7NyI2i0UKVXftyD8g5rGf4tE4MamiC7UXBXt6bfp2R7Af5su_d9i0b1I3ylq6L62/s320/IMG_5727.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>This is going to be on the other side of the bag. I couldn't resist making some more of my fabric with the scraps left over from the quilt square. It is my contribution to recycling. At my guild meeting last night I was lucky to purchase some edging strip to hide the edges and which will coordinate perfectly with this fabric.<br /><div></div></div>Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-83151923447187281232008-10-09T22:15:00.004+01:002008-10-11T09:49:34.363+01:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4sKBUfm2-GZnx4ad61yfOPnE_hX3vG_r1kHTVZPbMaHLsWrXCHaK8UcZ40WHpWOkZTKt1jlIHDoQeeB6A8byRjC3dvMPi5zCW8lDbYCfo5AWLMpZ5fAFwR4xwAwDoNejxvobOCOczq_a/s1600-h/IMG_4065.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255269064293580210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4sKBUfm2-GZnx4ad61yfOPnE_hX3vG_r1kHTVZPbMaHLsWrXCHaK8UcZ40WHpWOkZTKt1jlIHDoQeeB6A8byRjC3dvMPi5zCW8lDbYCfo5AWLMpZ5fAFwR4xwAwDoNejxvobOCOczq_a/s320/IMG_4065.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Mary Corbet on <a href="http://www.needlenthread.com/">http://www.needlenthread.com/</a> is asking what project gave us the most pleasure and why. Well I can honestly say without hesitation the piece that has given me the most pleasure and continues to do so is the pulled thread whitework doily I did in my evening class with Anne Hills. I loved every minute of making it and could barely put it down while I was making it. I stitched on it every spare minute. It only took me about 3 weeks from start to finish. Anne helped me with some of the stitches as she had already made the piece and had started on a whole tablecloth in the same style! Anne died not long afterwards so it has wonderful memories for me of a very dedicated and caring tutor. I wonder where that tablecloth is now.</div>Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-89905389142280753082008-09-03T20:18:00.007+01:002008-12-16T18:57:21.183+00:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3fA9HWEvtOWhrUmVfFqUH59_W1Qq5IQG-rEmNXhccgBksvHH7D-UlSKvnO9RMIVsVt1ANMF6ox1pWMI8xL0vG7lZTzhOcRfBjo4lhqHfmuQCRZDkXIyEQfv3ERsGHnPCA9CdhoShaJNd/s1600-h/IMG_5361.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241877778942423778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3fA9HWEvtOWhrUmVfFqUH59_W1Qq5IQG-rEmNXhccgBksvHH7D-UlSKvnO9RMIVsVt1ANMF6ox1pWMI8xL0vG7lZTzhOcRfBjo4lhqHfmuQCRZDkXIyEQfv3ERsGHnPCA9CdhoShaJNd/s320/IMG_5361.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>This is another fabric I made at a <a href="http://www.lesleygeorge.co.uk/">Lesley George </a>workshop. It is very basic leaf shapes cut out and laid on to a piece of calico and stitched down using the machine's inbuilt stitch patterns. Once I felt I had stitched into it enough I turned it over and did vermicelli bobbin work to create a bit of texture. I love this fabric and have used it several times. The item on the right of the picture is a folder I made to hold all the different type of machine needles. The inside is shown below. If I made it <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06OVvc7x6tBjsnwS1xgFGidO8HbWKJQX2H4HnnesprFOTP4R49rqAAeYtIh_wtHi2Pi45Q3mWQObx_VFzjjhk5efUzu5GoVkO3sB_FM3bqhyphenhyphen7DsXxkJ0zQiRM0Eulheo3qjqTG22nvPqe/s1600-h/IMG_5362.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241878495582830994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06OVvc7x6tBjsnwS1xgFGidO8HbWKJQX2H4HnnesprFOTP4R49rqAAeYtIh_wtHi2Pi45Q3mWQObx_VFzjjhk5efUzu5GoVkO3sB_FM3bqhyphenhyphen7DsXxkJ0zQiRM0Eulheo3qjqTG22nvPqe/s320/IMG_5362.JPG" border="0" /></a>again I would modify the inside by adding elastic to the pockets to stop the needle packets falling out. They don't fall far because it has a zipper all the way round the outside but it can be a bit annoying when some of the packets fall out of their little pockets. </div>Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-83223991023586296892008-09-01T23:12:00.006+01:002008-09-05T23:19:49.361+01:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDAjZ-ZcfY_Ztr87rhGcYcnQEPUQ_yA7a3XE_jcpJj4wUmzrM1K2g9yYy_t9cpGQO48NrFgjaxAgaiGTd3PjhvsTNlBGALgFXYdXvVzKIa1acz_6pFmkPFhVwYbEzbLOaQHRQWfmyLAw4/s1600-h/IMG_5363.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241876193810461842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDAjZ-ZcfY_Ztr87rhGcYcnQEPUQ_yA7a3XE_jcpJj4wUmzrM1K2g9yYy_t9cpGQO48NrFgjaxAgaiGTd3PjhvsTNlBGALgFXYdXvVzKIa1acz_6pFmkPFhVwYbEzbLOaQHRQWfmyLAw4/s320/IMG_5363.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ujp4J5GyqZaJYkRwwd9SUsqjTrwKnNwHWXi7zCZ2NVum76lzOoD8jUvYP3SgF4sBVfZ4gJZrEEm8oRcPpAzaFSQNq4BNNuo3nU6I8ywOAIerZL59FFSXsyIECJrtSlTPHIMUozLixUPz/s1600-h/IMG_2619.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div>I used to go to evening classes at <a href="http://www.lesleygeorge.co.uk/">http://www.lesleygeorge.co.uk/</a> One of the projects I completed as a result of the fabric manipulation idea in the previous post was to create this cushion. I had no pattern for this it just evolved over several weeks. The velvet centre <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fleur</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">de</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">lys</span> was created using machine <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">trapunto</span>. The trim around the edge of the velvet is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">free machine</span> embroidery stitched on stockings. The stripey trim is just a length of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Kumihimo</span> made on my hand loom. The tassels at each end took me forever to make because I really didn't know what I was doing I just knew what I wanted to achieve. I consulted Anna <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Crutchley's</span> Tassel Making book extensively and I am quite pleased with the result. This cushion was displayed in our local Embroiderers' Guild exhibition a couple of years ago. </div></div>Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-26474811365757336622008-09-01T22:21:00.004+01:002008-09-03T08:03:01.565+01:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmHgxvnuL4pdEav-Pdf_YRf48hMkRz1pLMyoz1yMedwEhUEgqGtxXeRExko5flCRWlBebsXGjeO9LIZ8VvHZDkh7wHYQFQpr3T7SXSvgbMzpFPxJqdNJmA6M6QjPGkPJx_SB9b31X2FGa/s1600-h/IMG_5338.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241169092786891474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmHgxvnuL4pdEav-Pdf_YRf48hMkRz1pLMyoz1yMedwEhUEgqGtxXeRExko5flCRWlBebsXGjeO9LIZ8VvHZDkh7wHYQFQpr3T7SXSvgbMzpFPxJqdNJmA6M6QjPGkPJx_SB9b31X2FGa/s320/IMG_5338.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />I was chatting via email with a friend from Australia (hi Elizabeth) and when I told her I had started a blog she wanted to take a look so I thought I had better start posting something for her to look at :-) A lot of work I have done has never been photographed. I haven't done city and guilds or had a need to record my work in any way so there didn't seem to be any point. Yesterday I had a bit of a photographing session and I discovered a curious thing about myself; I seem to have a passion for making fabric. Let me show you what I mean.<br />This piece was created by tearing strips of dyed calico and then stitching it together using the sewing machine's inbuilt stitch patterns. The leaves were a digitised pattern purchased from Birdhouse Cottage Crafts at <a href="http://www.secretsof.com/content/463">http://www.secretsof.com/content/463</a><br /><p></p><p></p>Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-843349812835107587.post-1551239628871721822008-08-08T23:24:00.000+01:002008-08-08T23:40:36.285+01:00For some while now I have been viewing other peoples blogs. I have found it interesting to see the progression of their experience of a particular technique or the progress of a particular project. With this in mind I have decided to start my own blog to record my feeble efforts with my crafts. My comments and images will be here as the days and weeks go by so that I can mark my own progress ,if at all. As I gain experience I will add links to blogs and websites I have found interesting. If you have chanced upon this blog I hope you will find something useful eventually and if so I would be interested to read your comments.<br /><br />For now I am pleased that I have managed to post this while the date is still lucky 08.08.08. I will add some pictures of my work later.Hillside Threadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05723222077662455117noreply@blogger.com0