MAGPIE'S MUMBLINGS

A blog about my interests, which include fabric landscapes and various and assorted other artsy pursuits and sometimes known to contain mumblings of a random nature.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Whiter than the snow outside





More of my white work for the class with Karen Ruane.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Just look!!!!!!!!!

Look at what was in my mailbox today!!


One of Pam Kellogg's adorable
crazy quilted kitties!! 

She had said on her blog that this little charmer was heading to a friend, but she didn't say who.  Imagine my excitement when I opened the mail box and found a suspiciously smushy envie today with her return address.  Could it be that *I* might be the lucky friend??  I am, I am!!    This picture does not even begin to do justice to the lovely little details Pam has included, but perhaps if you embiggen it you will be able to see it better.  Pam, my friend, this was a total surprise and SUCH a delight.  Thank you so much!!


Friday, January 27, 2012

Varying degrees of white






Here is a close up of a section I've been working on the past couple of days.  I cross stitched the word 'Family' using three shades of DMC floss and rather like the way it looks.  The flower below that is one I crocheted and then added an antique button in the centre.   (You can click on the picture to embiggen it).

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Fun in the mail

Today the mailman brought me something all the way from Australia!  Kaite has been doing some shadow knitting and I commented about how intriguing it was and she sent me a lovely pot holder she made using the technique.  I've taken a couple of pictures that will hopefully give you an idea of what it looks like.

Here you see it from one direction...


and here, from another...

Can you see how the pattern really shows as you change the angle?

It's pretty amazing and yet looks
relatively easy to create.

Thank you Kaite - 
I will treasure this!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Heaping....


...French knots onto this piece for
Karen's class.



Monday, January 23, 2012

Being totally useless!

Yep, there's a lot of truth to that particular post title, especially today!  However, in this case I'm referring to the fact that today is the date we post a photo of our ORT* jar for the TUSAL**.

Here's mine,
along with my rotary cutter
to give you some idea of scale.




* An ORT is an 'old ratty thread'
and
** TUSAL is the 'Totally-Useless-Stitch-Along'.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Birdie breakfast (and white)


Here's Mr. Woodpecker enjoying his breakfast.
Or is it mid-morning snack?

I couldn't believe he just stayed there while I opened the balcony door and stepped outside to take several pictures.  We have at least one pair of these little fellows devouring the suet (and creating lots of racket).  Fortunately our next door neighbours love them!

Today I didn't end up with much in the way of stitching time, but I did manage to add a few things to this block.  The word 'joy' in cross stitch (Joy is what I feel when I'm stitching!); some laced running stitch (upper middle); the buttons on top of the prairie points; and the little cross stitch motifs beside the round doily on the right.  Have I mentioned how much fun I'm having?  Thanks Karen....you rock!!









Thursday, January 19, 2012

Which one of these would you prefer?

The work I did on another block? *













OR.....





Homemade (by Jack)
coconut cream pie?

Never mind, you don't have to answer that!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Colour switch

Today I thought I`d give you a break from white
and post pictures of the latest
jacket I just finished.

The lady wanted her grandkids names
embroidered somewhere on the
jacket.

The pink roses are actually quite
dimensional and yes,
they came from a pair of
jeans.  


Here`s the front....
and here`s the back. 

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Is it possible to have too much fun???

Today I began stitching on one of my white blocks.

Somehow the entire day went by and I
don't remember taking note of the time
at any point.

Could that be because I was having fun??

Here you can see one of the
sections.  Lots of french knots
and puffs to add dimension.


Above you can see that I've added one of the lace flowers (leftover from the trim you can see in the last picture).  There was only one flower and it fit here perfectly.  The lace on the right of this photo is a piece of handknit that my grandmother did - originally used as trim on pillowcases.  I added some fly stitches and french knots.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Blinded by the white & great things

Gosh, it's hard to come up with new titles that have to do with 'white' without repeating myself!

I've discovered two things you might be interested in (because I am, you should be too!!)

Have you seen the book
'The Art of Annemieke Mein'??
If you haven't,
all I can say is...
get thy hands on a copy!!
Oh yeah, I covet that too!!

Finally, I get to the white part of this post....more of the blocks I've pieced for the Embroider, Embellish, Create class currently being taught by Karen.  Have I mentioned that this just might prove to be additctive??  






Thursday, January 12, 2012

More, more, more

WHITE, that is!



Another piece of embroidery done by my grandmother,
an initial from a hankie,
a piece of a tea towel.

This one has a piece of tone-on-tone quilters cotton,
another hankie,
some linen,
a pre-embroidered piece from a thrifted blouse.

A piece of a man's handkerchief,
a ladies hankie with crocheted edging,
a piece of dupioni silk.
oh yeah, and it snowed today.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Surrounded by white

....and it's not snow either....but that's supposed to be on the way in the next day or two.

Today I actually got to stay home all day (other than for going for a walk) and I was able to make eight blocks for the Embroider, Embellish, Create class.  Yippee for me!!  Not only am I making blocks to stitch on but I'm reducing my stash at the same time.  Win/Win I would say!


Above is the first block.
Karen taught us how to make prairie points - so elegant and so easy to do.  This block has an already embroidered piece which came from a small tablecloth (probably card table size) that my maternal grandmother embroidered  in the late 50's or early 60's.  There's a small piece of dupioni silk, which I'll be using a lot in this (it's my favourite fabric).  There's also a piece of a hankie and a piece from a table runner I had stashed away.  

Over the next few days I'll show a few of the other blocks I've created.  Now I can start to embroider -all in white, so I'd better not be drinking my coffee anywhere near my work!!  That's going to be HARD!!!




Monday, January 09, 2012

Going loopy!

Today is the long-awaited beginning of the 'Embroider, Stitch, Create' online class under the capable direction of Karen Ruane (who has been long admired on this front).  I'm SO excited about this class and have been counting the days until it begins.

This morning the first lesson was posted and I had a grand time learning to make rouleau loops - something I have never attempted because I was totally intimidated by having to turn those little tubes of fabric right side out.  Karen has a way that is so simple and now I know I'll be making lots of these.

This is only three that I made today....

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Fun way to declutter

I thought I wouldn't have anything to mumble about until at least Friday but tonight I came across a fun idea that I really like and thought I should pass it on to my loyal followers.  The idea is this:  there are 366 days in 2012 (it's a leap year) and the person that writes the Garden of Daisies blog has made the suggestion that we could declutter all year by simply getting rid of one thing each day.  That would be three hundred and sixty six items that would no longer be cluttering your home.

Pause now for thought about that....

366
less 
things 
to 
dust,
work 
around 
and
have 
to 
sort 
through.  

How great would that be?

Go HERE to read more about it!!

Monday, January 02, 2012

I'm a fool!

Yep, I'm admitting to it publicly!

I spent part of a day on the weekend mucking through my stash looking for gold.
 
Nope, didn't find anything valuable (darn it!!).

But, I did find this .> > > > > > >

All of which is 'fodder' for the 'Fool's Gold Crazy Quilt Round Robin' I've signed up to do starting the beginning of February.

Gerry Krueger is the 'mama' of the group