My vintage sampler is in my hands at last - Introducing Mary!

Here is a sneak peek at my vintage sampler. After 3 months of careful saving - I was able to pick her up this morning - I am so stoked! She is mine!
I will be contacting the National Gallery for advice on conserving her - I am not concerned at all about the frame - a typical Victorian Mourning style - the dealer believed her to be stitched about 1880, but the name combination exists only once in the past 200 years in the UK - Martha was born in 1831. The sampler states 'Aged 9 Years' - which means it was stitched in 1840 - 169 years ago.
Can you understand why I am so excited?????
I'm not going to post a full picture until I have this charted - it is my intention to do a bit more research, then release a chart to interested parties.
Yes there is some research to do, but she is in my hands now and will be loved. Hubby has already suggested that I stitch a reproduction and hang it side-by-side. We'll see.
There are small holes and tears, some that were clearly darned before it was framed, some newer ones as the linen is disintegrating - which is why I'll be quickly looking into the conservation of this piece. Some of the little motifs are stitched over 1 - hard to show the detail - but here is the ship - most of the colours have faded, but it is still clear to see the blue and the green. More research needed there too....

Join me in a happy dance?

happy happy happy !!!!!

Week o' Halloween - Saturday - BOO !!!

I think we had our spooky night last night - as I went to bed the sky was full of sheet lightning - no crack! - just gentle rumblings. I slept through any storms that passed overhead. Judging by the puddles of water along the pathway this morning, there was a lot of rain overnight. The air was very, very warm, so I guess it's going to be a stinker of an afternoon - just heard the forcast - showers and 30. Certainly in for a muggy day
I'm always going on about the dog - here he is - my personal dog-alarm. Should we ever have a blackout during the night - I've no worries about waking up on time for work - this dog has a built-in clock! I'm the only one who hears him at 5:45am !!!! This is Milo - he is a Kelpie cross and the only dog we've ever had who brings back things you throw to him. If it lasts that long, a tennis ball is his favourite toy - we can play for hours on end!!! (I get tired long before he does!)

Halloween - Here is my Halloween Table. I haven't put out the Candy Corn yet - that will come out this evening. Please excuse the mess behind the table - that's my stitching room exploding. Left to right: Cackling Witch, some gooey tarantulas that will be eaten tonight, a resin trio of dragons (not halloweenish, but decorative), you can't see her well but there is a little resin witch just pokeing her nose over the top of the dragon (with a broken nose - the witch not the dragon), My ornament tree, with marbles on the top of the soil for sparkle, There are a few witches and spiders as well as ornaments in my tree, to the right of the table is my basket with my cushions, a couple of hand-towels with embroidered ghosts, my 'Boo!' socks, and a little witch received last year - oh and some Jolly Roger coasters. Another view, basket end - you can see the embroidered towel really well - it is more orange, but it's showing as mandarin here. Oh there's the clock at the end - not really old, but hubby likes it - yes it was 6:50am when I took the photo!! Here is a squiz at the back of the ornament tree, as the flash really picks up all that fake cobweb. I've got my ornies hanging from it, really for viewing through the cobwebs... I've got black and orange and glow in the dark spiders in amongst the cobwebs too. Hey this really shows of fthe fabric I've used on my ornies and cushions!!!! lol. I'll try to get a good photo during the day of the front of the tree, when it's light enough NOT to need a flash! (see that bookcover in the bottom right corner??? - THAT is my inspiration for a quilt that exists only at this moment in my head. 2010 may be the year that it actually comes into being!!!)

Week o' Halloween - friday

Trick or Treat !!!! two for one today....(tomorrow pictures of the full display - I promise!)

Missy is still going on her 13 days of Halloween - have you caught up with it yet? Quick ! nearly over.

Week o' Halloween - thursday

Yes there is a stitched ornament.....or three. I just love Ultraviolet on that hat... will have to find me some more.

Don't forget Missy will be up to day 10 by now. Have you eaten all your candycorn yet???

Week o' Halloween - wednesday

Trick or Treat...... my snippet of decorations for today.

And don't forget Missy - up to day 9 today.....

(foggy morning walk today)

Week o' Halloween - tuesday

Sneak peek of my halloween display - another little bit.

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Giveaways: don't forget Missy's 13 days of Halloween - what day are we up to now? 8 already not far to go - good luck!

and

Daffycat is celebrating her 2nd blogaversary with a Simon's Cat Giveaway - check it out!!!
I've been making the effort at a morning walk - the only time of day to get that bit of extra effort - come along with my walk this morning.......
Nothing fancy - there is a gravel road alongside a creek at the end of our street. It's about 1/2 km to the end, then a turnaround and head home. It's quite restful, listening to the frogs call 'BOK-BOK' and the birds singing. No photo of the magpies this morning - I think they are camera shy. I call this tree the 'Smiley Face' Tree.... see what I mean? Nearly at the turnaround point - and still the sun rises. This is 'Patterson's Curse' - very pretty purple, but a noxious weed - it can kill horses and other animals that eat it. Not that horses or livestock use this pathway......The sun is now warming the hillside at the back of our house - just behind the powerlines is National Park - our one concern in bushfire season.

I hope you enjoyed my morning walk - the dog and I did. Thanks for keeping us company!

Week o' Halloween - monday

Monday of Halloween week - I've made a small display of witchy and magical things... will show a bit per day....


AND DON'T FORGET..... Missy's 13 days of Halloween - day 7 today!

Of Halloween, Halloweenie, and Christmas!

1st things first..... Don't forget Missy's 13 days of Halloween - up to day 5 now!

Next....lookie!! Halloweenie Heaven! I'm in an orange/fall/halloween exchange on another forum and this is what I received! I am SO going to decorate a corner of the house with my goodies this year! I just love the socks! ...... and the lanterns.....and the fabric.....and the glow in the dark DMC - thank you so much Margie!

Finally - I've discovered a Christmas SAL - It's a quickie - over 4 weeks so that it's finished by December - rock on up to the Thread Basket's blog (french with english translation) to get the details to sign up. This looks like a lovely (and easy) design.... I wonder what I'll stitch it on or with?????? choice aplenty!
Happy stitching!

Stunning Patchwork Fabric Giveaway!!!

Drooly drooly ----- lookie lookie!!! pretty fabrics....all autumn/halloweenie.... how do I get them???? Enter the competition at the Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe Blog If you decide to enter, please mention me in your entry (grin!)

TUSAL, Bluebird WIP & the tale of two Cutters......

Nearly forgot to show off this month's TUSAL - Here it is, you can see the itty bitty bit of halloween fabric sitting near the top - there doesnt' appear to be more than normal in there, I don't feel that I have stitched so much at all this month.
I'm also showing off my current WIP (well one of them in any case..) Bluebird Sampler by Bent Creek. Perhaps I'm feeling obligated to stitch it which is why I'm not feeling so enthused to finish it - but once this is done I'll need to find the fabric to stitch the brown and blackbird samplers that match it.
The rotary cutters??
I had made the frantic search for RC 1 or 2 during the month - could not locate either of them anywhere. I eventually bought a smaller, cheaper one - red RC 3, knowing that if I was ever to open it, I would magically be transported to where I had carefully stashed either RC 1 or RC2.

Yep. I made myself some summer bloomers yesterday and having broken my good dressmaking scissors, opened the RC 3 packet to cut the fabric out. I quickly stitched up the bloomers (great for summer when you've got thunder thighs!). I found my old stash of elastic for the waist band and went looking for a safety pin to thread the elastic through the waistband........... lo and behold - THERE is RC 1 !!!!! In a box of bits that I know that I looked through during my search for them...... grrrrr.
Murphy's law strikes again!!!!
If I'm looking for them again - please remind me that I've put them in the blue sewing box on wheels - will you????

What do you do with your old magazines????

In a roundabout way (as you do when you are reading blogs), I came across this very same question....
What do YOU do with your old magazines????
The question was on a quilting blog, but I have oodles of old Cross-stitch mags waiting for release to inspiration or to be passed along.
Elaine is having a giveaway...be quick or you'll miss it.

It has given me food for thought. I can see 3 magazine folders over there in the corner...I know they will be UK CrossStitcher mags - most probably from the early to mid 90's. Once I uncover them - I'll select a few and offer them on my own giveaway. Let me have a few days to actually uncover them from the fabric and projects that are covering them up.

Then I'll have another competition for anybody who may be interested....

I was a blog contest winner!

My prize from Sandi at Bearly Sane arrived today - I'm camra-less at the moment and I'm sure she won't mind me using her photo....There's a bear cot quilt pattern, a stitchery wall hanging and a bear tea-party quilt pattern.
Sandi are you trying to tell me it's time to take up quilting???????

Jelly Roll Quilt Conundrum.......what to do???

OK, I've got a jelly roll - it's been sitting there for nearly a YEAR!!! A bit shabby-chic for my taste, but it's there...... I went and bought myself yet another rotary cutter (I just know that one of my other 2 hiding cutters will show up now), I've got a cutting mat. I've got a whole day ahead of me.
I WANT TO CUT FABRIC !!!
but.....

I don't know what to make with the jelly roll, I've seen one pattern I really like in a recent magazine that uses a jelly roll, (Handmade Christmas Issue) but there is not enough colour definition in the fabric I've got in hand.

(So I guess it IS a bit too shabby-chic for me!)

Anybody want to do a straight swap?
(Aussie Quilters only sorry!!!!) Here is Pyro demostrating the colours in my jelly roll - 18 strips @ 2 1/2" Lilac pinks and pale green colours. I'm more a bold colour girl. I like greens and deep pinks or blue and yellow, it doesn't have to be christmas colours like in the pattern I want to try.
(and here I was trying desperately to avoid starting quilting....a failed ambition it seems....)
Oh well, I might as well take up my needle and thread again today - put the patchwork itch on hold for another day.

My first Apron Ornaments

NOw I've been wanting to settle down and stitch these since I found them last year. I posted the link to them yesterday. Here is what I stitched in under 2 hours: I realise that I've got to play a bit more with the apron shape, but now I know what to do. I can settle down and stitch a few little stars on a wee band I have - ready to cut into pocket shapes. I need to find my rotary cutter and experiment with making my own bias strips.... Thank you Aunt PittyPat!!!

52 (or so) free apron patterns you can make..........

I've decided to post this link to a site with a whole heap of apron patterns......
Some of the links may have changed - in particular the tutorial to make christmas apron ornies....sigh - I know I've got it printed out somewhere...
Anyway...it was easier to post it here than bookmark it again on hubby's computer....


and free apron list site - I do apologise that a LOT of the links on the above site are now gone....but this one is a bit more updated....I could loose an hour or so browsing

UPDATE : I found it.....this is what I was looking for - my newest bestest friend Aunt Pitty Pat had posted this tutorial for Christmas Apron Ornaments in Nov 08

I'm off to try making a template!!!

Updating my blog

Please bear with me readers....I've been thinking of updating the look of my blog for awhile...I'm hoping to separate the types of blog I follow - over 150 in my reading list.
As my first love is cross stitch - I'll be separating the bloglist for stitchers from the predominantly patchwork blogs, leaving a third for food and glassware and anything else that catches my fancy. Of course, should you notice that I've put your blog in one list and you feel you should be in another list - PLEASE let me know!!!!
Today was the layout. Sometime soon, when feel particularly creative, I wish to change the background and top bar pictures...baby steps.
I'm hoping to keep up to date with competitions and giveaways on other blogs - by making a gadget on the side where you should be able to click on the picture to take you to the blog. This will involve a bit of thought on my part. Fingers crossed that I get it right!!!

I must also say, that I do manage to read most of your blogs each day - I just may not always leave a comment - Sometimes time overwhelms me and I mean to come back and make a comment...... but you know how it goes.. Your stitching is all very inspirational - should I spend more time stitching than blogging, then I probably would have more items to show off.

Thank you for being my new friends.