Bags of Fun - changed my mind!

I changed my mind and decided to redo the coloured butterfly pocket ! I have taken off the solid black detached buttonhole stitch and replaced it with running stitch to match the other pocket. I have also outlined the butterfly and pattern details in white. I think it balances better now. I have a sort of 'night and day' thing going on here, so I plan to fill in the black butterfly in more muted, moth colours.

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Here's a closeup.


I've added some french knots, that way I'll need to use less beads!

Bags of Fun - Stage Two (the back)

Here's the latest progress on bags of fun. I haven't done as much as I would like, because I am finding it so HARD on the fingers to stitch on this denim, especially on the pockets. Two butterflies now, one in colour in seeding stitch, waiting for beads to be added and one outlined in stem stitch in black. I prefer the look of the black stem stitch butterfly, but I can't bear to unpick the coloured one. I may have to give it a black stem stitch outline and remove the detatched buttonhole background and replace it with running stitch in black to match the other pocket. I'll leave that until the end in case I don't have time!

The plan is to create as much texture as I can, and to cover as much denim as possible.

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Below, the black stem stitch butterfly.



And here, the coloured seeding stitch butterfly.

Joan's Chicken Scratch

Joan has come across some of the 'chicken scratch' posts. She sent me this email and these pictures.

Hi Kay, happened to find your address when looking at'chickenscratch' references.I have made approx 40 different motifs in various colours of gingham and plan to make them into a patchwork quilt - the chickenscratch was the easy part! Got interested by starting first with tray cloths etc with 'swiss embroidery' roses, butterflies, snowflakes etc.Could send you pictures of cushions etc if you are interested.Regards, Joan P.S. I am 66 years old, no training, just an enthusiastic amateur.
Hi Kay, this is the front and reverse of a cushion I made with chickenscratch cat and star. You will see the design looks like lace on gingham. I have many more 9" square motifs which I will eventually make up into a bed quilt.Hope you get the pictures ok because I am new to this. Regards, Joan


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Thought you-all might like to see it. I like the way she's used different colours, and I'd certainly like to see some of those quilt motifs!

Connie's Hornets' Nest

Connie has posted a super but scary photo of a hornets' nest on her blog:

http://thescoopscoreanddeal.blogspot.com

scroll down and have a look at her wildlife photos and nature sketches - lovely!
And if you haven't seen them before, take a look at her amazing Santas.

Connie's photo reminded me of my Honeycomb Box, details below.

Honeycomb Box

These images from my design files inspired a 'Honeycomb Box'.
The picture of needlelace comes from Threads magazine and is by V. Churchill-Bath. The red and white picture is from a car ad. It looks like a diamante necklace but is made up of small white cars!



















The shot at the bottom left shows experiments using hexagons to make 3d shapes. The picture on the right is a mock-up using hexagons stitched together to make a bowl shape. There are four hexagons and one square for the base. I used two of these to make the Honeycomb Box, one bowl shape inverted over the other. This left gaps to look through. I also cut circles out of some of the hexagons. This box was one of my assessment pieces for City & Guilds Part II - a 3D Functional Object!

Open box. Click on picture for bigger image.

This shows the inside the finished box. The box is made of cardboard hexagons covered in faux suede and stitched together in pairs. The inside of the box is decorated with shiny fabrics, metallic threads and beads.

Closed box. Click on picture for bigger image.

You can see the decoration inside through the holes in the box. ALL the stitching is buttonhole, in a variety of threads. The circles are worked over curtain rings and these are placed over appliqued leather or metallic fabric.
The fastener is two decorated curtain rings, one large and one small, hidden in the design. The large fits over the small. I was surprised how many people couldn't see it!

Another view of the box. Click on photo for bigger image.

Close up of stitching showing the buttonhole stitch and variety of threads.

MOS - Princess Pony

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Here's the stick horse head for Maisie, in the 'princess' style!

I didn't get quite the expression I was aiming at - talk about 'Languid Lil'.

I used pink ultrasuede for this. Its a much firmer fabric, it was more difficult to sew and harder to stuff.

I asked the boss about putting wheels on the end of the stick, but he says better without because the children may hurt themselves. (With Maisie and Joe this is always a major consideration - the horses have no reins because I know Joe will somehow manage to catch his foot in it!).

Heartsease

This is a page from my sketchbook.















Jen and I (Jen is my daughter) both sat in my garden and sketched these heartsease flowers.

Jen's picture is bottom right.

I made this interpretation using handmade paper with added coloured tissue paper and metallic paints.

I added beads and bead netting, couched knitting ribbon and some long straight stitches in black crochet cotton.

Here is closeup.












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(MOS) Missed the deadline.......

I've missed the deadline for Month of Softies, August - Wild Wild West. But here's a picture of it anyway.
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This is the head for a hobby horse. It is for Joe (4), who shouts 'Giddyup, giddyup, YeeeHaw' and launches himself at his long suffering Grandad.

I had pantomime/cartoon in mind. I used fake suede and bits of felt for the head. The mane is a fringe knotted on a crochet base. The bridle is bias binding, decorated with machine stitching, fastened through curtain rings and stitched firmly under the mane. I haven't fastened it to its broomstick yet, the boss is very kindly going to figure out how to add a wheel to the end of a stick for me so that it goes easily along the floor (at least he is when I ask him!).

I modified a pattern for a unicorn stick horse I found in an old issue of Handmade (November/December 1995 page 24).

Of course, in the interests of equality, I now have to make one in the 'princess' style for his big sister!