Bird on a wire postcard

6"x4"
It may only be a postcard, but it is a FINISHED postcard. 

TAST week 4 Cretan Stitch

Week four of the pintangle challenge is cretan stitch.  It is a nice stitch once you get the hang of it, but I don't do neat!

TAST week 3 Feather Stitch

Week three of the TAST challenge is Feather Stitch.  I have never tried this before and there was unpicking!!

Ghost of a tree postcard

I 'finished' another postcard, not altogether happy with this one, the blue frame needs to be on the bottom edge too, but I have black grasses stitched there.  Duh!  I am writing this one off as a lesson learned.

Tree postcard

I promised myself that I would finish things.  So here is this weeks effort, a postcard.   I was aiming for a naive effect.  Hmm.  At least it is done.  



a kick up the wotsit

Me and Sue were feeling a bit fed up and bored so we went on an adventure to Ikea in Nottingham.  We had a wander around and headed off to Starbucks for a sit down and a drink (and cake).
There was a young man sitting at the table next to ours, reading a book and writing a list.  When he put the book down I couldn't help but look to see what he was reading, it was "1000 places to see before you die".  He caught me looking and smiled.  So I said hello (well he was lovely!) and we got to chatting.  He told us some of the places he wanted to go and Sue and I had been to some of them so we chatted about those, I asked him how he would fund his trip.  (OK I am a Yorkshire girl and we are known for asking those things that no-one else would dare.)  What I was really asking was would he work his way around the world, or work here and save for his trip etc
The story the Young Man told us was both heartbreaking and heartwarming.  He was 18, a marine serving in Afghanistan when he was involved in an 'incident'.  His vehicle was blown off the road, he suffered extreme brain injuries and was airlifted to hospital but not expected to live.  His parents had been flown over with a view to visiting him before his life support was switched off.  He twitched. He came back but spent the next three months in hospital.  His father campaigned to have him moved to a rehabilitation unit where he spent the next year learning how to walk, talk, feed himself and everything else we take for granted.  He had little memory and when he was told he was a marine he was disbelieving but so proud.  Age 19 he was retired from the marines.
At 23 YM's life is as good at it will be.  He slurs his words a little and told us that sometimes people assume he is drunk, I am ashamed to say I might too.  He wants to travel the world on his own so that he interacts with real people.  YM was handsome, cheerful, positive and happy to be.  His parents must be so proud of him. 

I am ashamed that I whine that it is cold.  That it is raining.  That I am bored.  YM has given me the kick up the wotsit that I needed. 

TAST Week Two Buttonhole stitch

Week two of the TAST challenge is buttonhole stitch                                                           

I used hand dyed lightweight cotton, which allowed me to push a large needle through so I could use chunky threads.   Buttonhole stitched in rows.

The second sample is a fine space dyed thread (Oliver Twist) stitched back to back.

Create and Give

who is in a Creative and Giving mood?




Pay it forward 2012... I will make something handmade for the first five (5) people to comment on this post. You must in turn, post this and make something for the first five (5) people who comment on your status. The only rules are it has to be made by you and they must receive before 2012 ends... Who's in?

Ghost tree

This will be a postcard when I work out what to do next.  It is called 'Ghost Tree' - I was feeling quite deep and meaningful when I made it but now I can't decide whether to put more dead stuff on it, try to cheer it up or leave it alone. 
It is one of three that I am 'in the process of making'.

I really must finish something before I start something else

band sampler

This is the other project that I started this week. It measures 27cm wide and is randomly (and not so straightly) joined from scraps of denim, linen and cotton.  I have pinned some pieces of old lace and a few bits of wool felt with a view to embellishing.  I hope the sampler will represent my ancestors in some way.  The final piece will be attached to a pianola roll - (I bought those years ago especially for this project and forgot where I put them, they re-surfaced whilst I was looking for something else recently.)  We never owned a pianola but did have an upright piano, violin, multiple brass band instruments and a piano accordian.  I never learned how to play any of them, I don't seem to 'hear' what everyone else does.  I was in the school choir but was told to mime........

TAST Fly Stitch

Week one of the TAST challenge

I can do fly stitch :)

I like fly stitch :)

The sampler has a piece with multiple fly stitch's but it needs a million more.                       

Janet Edmonds - How to make origami boxes 1