Small Russian Mat

Hi All
Here is a pic of a small Russian Mat I made a couple of years ago ..... I took a pic with my new camera which was on the bestest setting and ended up huge in the MB's but I am trying to learn how to compress the pics before I put them on this Blog ... so this is a bit of an experiment - the easiest thing seem to be to do it and then check to see what the quality is like .....
I had a good weekend ... the Wire Lace Day on Saturday went well though the heating in the room we had hired was useless and the temperature had gone down to 3°c the night before ... I spent the whole 4 hours from 10am- 2pm with my scarf and jacket on still!brrr! We have 14 members in the group and 11 were there which was great as 2 are overseas - and at this time of the year germs, colds and flu are prevalent. I did get underway with my newest piece of wire lace jewellery - a Scarab design ... I will take pics as it progresses. Well a program I like to watch is about to start on TV so ta ta for today... :D

Last couple of pics of Elizabethan piece

Hi All Here is a close up of the Daffodil and a pic of the total piece.... I still have to frame it...
I went to my local "Spotlight" store yesterday to get some more "toy" stuffing (I have made some more "peanut" shaped "neck pillows" and had run out) and as it is the end of the Financial year this June 30th they had quite a few things on "clearance" (gotta luv that word haha almost as much as "sale"!or "bargain") anyway I ended up getting a couple of black folders which when opened have a clear pocket on the left (for a project sheet perhaps) and on the right a large plastic pocket containing 4 sectional plastic containers for beads etc at a cost of $7 each folder!!! I also got 4 packs of glass beads which had lots in for $5 a pack -all different sizes...I had a ball today sorting them out and generally admiring them haha yep I am a sad bunny LOL :D.... I think will have to take some pics as the folder is hard to explain and you probably wanna see the beads anywayz! I also got 5 small 8 compartment containers for other beads that I already have ...haven't had time to sort them out yet though!
I have embroidery tomorrow and will have to do grocery shopping on the way back as my usual day is 8am on a Saturday but this Saturday it is Wire Lace Group day! ...

More of the Elizabethan piece

Hi All - I had a nice afternoon at one of my Lace groups today - ("Lacecargot") only 5 of the 7 of us there though... one had gone to an art exhibition way down in Albany and the other is due back anytime from 7 week in UK/Ireland and USA! - So lots of chat and news from her when she comes to the next meeting! I spent the afternoon doing little bits of Tatting for another batch of ATC's ... more about them down the track..... Here are a couple more shots of the Elizabethan piece - you can see my variegated caterpillar in these ... It was made using an actual variegated silk thread (All thread used on this piece was silk ...with the black/gold "butterfly" thread around the chain stitched stems ... also a little bit of Kreinik blending filament crept in - in the odd place!(hehe)). If you are familiar with this type of Elizabethan embroidery you will know that it is quite dimensional ... the deep purple/blue flower in the top pic (top right) has a yellow "pocket" and tucked away inside are tiny beads ... I adore doing this type of embroidery but haven't done any for quite a long time .... I must try and get to some next year -hmmm I think I may make that my next year's project at my Stitchety Grubs Group) Thanks you to those of you who left a comment on the previous entry and one a couple down ... I still can't seem to get more than 5 comments though (that is my goal by the end of this year!) I am very envious of blogs which I visit that continually have 11-20 or more ...sigh - giggle haha! Oh well back to chatting to my sis in the UK on teh web cam though it is a very dodgy connection ... the sound is very "hiccy burpy!" LOL!

Elizabethan Style Embroidery

Hi All - Here's a couple of pics of a piece of Elizabethan Style embroidery which I did several years ago (it was my first time) I have since designed and made a heart with Australian wildflowers rather than the traditional English ones and intend on putting a book together at some point (I still have 9 ISB numbers sitting over in Melbourne!). It won't be for a whil as I also want to do a book on my Wire Bobbin lace pieces and also a book o nmy Venetian Gros Point needlelace and a 2nd book of Cordonnicot Needlelace patterns ..... My "backburner" is seriously over loaded haha! I have been working on my Neferititi Needlelace the last few days and it is coming along well ..... I have been taking photo's of it at various stages and will post them on here when it's finished. I have decided that rather than incorporate it into the "Egypt" themed embroidery I had originally intended it for I will now perhaps make it into a neck purse so that it won't spend it's life in a drawer or in a pic frame!... My Australian Lace Magazine arrived today, at last, and the form for this years week long conference has been mailed ... finger's crossed that I get into the workshop that I want! (A needlelace one rather than a bobbin lace ... much easier to transport the gear for that on an airplane! - I learned that 12 years ago haha!!!)

Needle Lace Needlecase

Hi All - wow! It's the weekend again ...I have been waiting the last couple of weeks for an ATC to come from the USA ... but not yet :(
I am also somewhat impatiently waiting for the Australian Lace Guild Magazine which was due around the 1st if June ..... but I am not the only one quite a few friends have commented on it's absence! Perhaps there is a big back log of post sitting somewhere in the middle of the outback! There's probably a pile of post the size of Uluru (Ayres Rock!) haha! LOL!
I have been busy painting bobbins in the mornings of this week in between being a Taxi for my son as he had exams at school and only needed to attend at the times his particular ones were scheduled! In the afternoons I have been working on my Neferititi (needlelace) which is to go on my "Egyptian" themed piece for this year at my Stitchety Grub's embroidery group.
The two pics here are two of my needlelace needlecases from my "Collection" They were both done at Aus Lace Guild National Conference workshops ... the first pic is "Reticella" and the second is Punto in Aria .... They both have a background of Purple Thai silk (from a top which I bought at an "Op Shop" (Opportunity Shop or Charity shop)).

"Garden" Theme Needle case

Hi All - well we had the first day of winter here in Australia on Sunday (1st June) ... It was quite nice weather considering the day before we has 12 hours of on and off thunderstorms and heavy showers ...and yep! I was driving around in it as I went up into the "hills" to a Guild Lace day! Luckily when it was at it's worst we were snuggled up in the scouts hall scoffing home made soup!
Here are some pics of the little Needle case I made for Susan (Artybliss) ... our theme was "The garden"
and as most of you know I collect Needle cases (of all sorts of shapes and styles) I thought I would make Susan one as they are always useful! especially when you have several projects on the go!... I tatted her some pink flowers then attached them to some green Batik fabric then started embroidering ... the bees and ladybugs are ribbon embroidery the 3d green leaves above the ladybugs are a needle lace technique called "woven picots" and I added sequins and some of the tiny little buttons I bought last year when I was on my Lace teaching trip over in New South Wales. There is, of course, a "Redback" spider too (we have them in our garden all the time!) I am rather pleased with how the case turned out and am seriously contemplating making one for me! haha!