Done and Dusted

Today I collected my crewel piece from the framer – a very helpful lady in a nearby town, who did a great job, in just a few days, and charged me half of what the gentleman in Castlemaine, who does a lot of framing for the Guild members, would have charged.  So, not only very happy about that, but also that the whole kit and caboodle – the picture, two other smaller items, plus the presentation folio containing all the stitched samplers, notes and other relevant bits are now on their way to the tutor who will judge them.  The Guild policy is that one either passes or fails, comments are given, but one does not receive an actual mark.  I guess I shall pass, but the best thing is it is all finished and I do not have any thing else to do unless I want to – what bliss!  Please ignore the reflection in the glass….this was sitting on the floor, with the camera above it….so those are my arms..

When the Australian dollar was at parity with the US dollar a couple of weeks ago, I had a little self indulgent online shopping.  This huge bag was waiting for me at the PO this morning…….inside are lovely things, but the bag is also made of Tyvek, so I now have enough to last forever!

Inside was a bright yellow parcel that contained my purchases………

These are all fat quarters, 57 of them in total, all Batiks in shades of green, blue and tan……..I could not resist the colours and their price.  Given that I’m not planning to make many more large quilts, these will be used up somehow over the next year or more.  I think it is the first time I have bought quilting fabric for many many months, so I don’t feel too bad about it.

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Crewel – Final Piece

It is finished!

I have finally completed the stitching of the major piece for the Intermediate Crewel Certificate.  I still have to get it framed – in a week – and put the presentation folio together, but all of that is achievable.  My sense of relief will be enormous once that is done, but the end of this course is now in sight, and the thought that I can once more focus on other things is bliss!

The brief was for an A4 sized piece of work of one’s own design, and this is mine. It is worked in Appletons Crewel wool on Linen twill, and the colours are a little lighter than this photo shows.   Others in the class are making their work into bags, foot stools, cushions, wall hangings etc, but I have chosen the easiest, and this will just be framed.

And some closeups of the flowers…

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Gum Leaves..

Another small piece for the Intermediate Crewel Certificate…..my design, and stitched in a day.  I have designed and started my “major piece” for this course, and I’m pleased to report that the end is in sight!   This small embroidery, on raw silk,  is about six inches long, and includes a little of the wool dyed with Eucalyptus leaves.  It seems strange that one can use a lovely blue/green leaf in the dye pot and end up with orange/brown!

Some other dye results…..Eucalyptus in an iron pot, and Cherry Ballart in an aluminium one, with some Alum as mordant.  I was hoping for more lovely greens, but ended up with a bile yellow colour, rather than green.  Fabrics were bundled with leaves and other bits of stuff ( nails, piece of metal grid, old washers) included between the layers which have given some good prints.

These two photos are either side on one fabric……a wool flannel sort of thing sold by the Creswick Woollen Mills.

And some threads – both wool and silk of different weights.

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Crewel and Kantha

Another few bits of Crewel for the class I’m doing – all to demonstrate Long and Short stitch and the blending of colours.  The first piece is about 4 inches tall, and the other two are small examples (the better ones!) from a sampler of six different examples.  I do not find it easy to do the way the teacher wants us to, that is, using two strands of Appletons wool in the needle – these are done with a single strand which in my humble opinion gives a finer result.  If this were not a prescribed design, I would have also done the centre differently!

This blue flower is only about an inch and a half long

This pink one is about the same size.

Another thing I’m working on when I need something brainless……this is a piece of hand dyed cotton which will be a table runner or something, and I’m doing very simple Kantha type stitching on it.

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Making stuff…

I am very grateful for the ability to make things, within certain limits, but certainly with fabric and stitch.  It is a blessing, but I can thank my Ma for teaching me the basics when quite young, and encouraging the belief that one can do or make almost anything if one takes care and gives it some thought.

I spent some time when I was in Melbourne earlier this week, considering camera bags for the Canon, but was blown away by the prices of those I liked, so decided to make my own, like my friend Lizzie did a few months ago.  I do have a “proper” zippered bag with pockets and storage space, but really wanted something soft and simple in which to put the camera when I had it in the car, or to leave it in when I did not want to stow it away for a while…..so, with 50 cents worth of material from the Op shop, this is what I made.  The fabric is like that used for wet suits – thin foam with knitted fabric both sides, and there is one for the camera, plus one for the macro lens.

I must continue to remind myself that I really not do two classes/courses at the same time…….justice cannot be given equally to both, and I am not keeping up with Cloth to Cloth 2, although I can catch up in my own time later, while the Crewel course has deadlines. So, here is another completed Crewel Sampler.  This one has two variations of trellis filling, Coral Knot stitch, Chain Stitch, double seeding, laid filling, Fly Stitch and Stem stitch.   There are only three more samples to do, a couple of small embroideries to make, and a major piece, to be designed and stitched, all by the end of November.

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