A little RAL

that I managed to sew at all tonight was in doubt, that I managed to sew over one was amazing. I have not had the best of weekends headache wise (no Sunday Stitching) so that there was any progress on the Earth was good.

 I had hoped that I would finish all of the shade of blue I was working on tonight but I ran out of steam at about the same point my BFF  started her new project.

CLICK HERE for her update.

FFO and BFF RAL updates

I have previously mentioned the lack of square frames  that are not box frames. Indeed  when I have found square frames I have felt a bit like goldilocks,  One was too large, one was too small, before I found one that was Just right. 

Well sort of I had originally thought that brushed silver would look good. 

And here it is in its frame.

I quite like the look of it in this frame now that it is in there.

Now the pattern has a name Yggdrasil (which a quick search turns out to be old Norse and means an intense and central sacred tree) however I am calling mine

 Knot, Just a Tree

 and I am calling my BFF's

 Knot Just A Tree.  

That comma is very important as denotes the same but different aspects of  our approach to this pattern. 

As for this evenings sewing, more work on Millennium and on the Earth. There was quite a bit of white filling in and the curvature remains and I am still liking that.

So CLICK HERE for my BFF's update.

Sunday Stitching's purple

 a lot of purple but not all of the purple so I know what next week will bring and looking at the area sewn and what remains to do on the left and the little bit on the right perhaps I will have it all done next week and get to move on to another colour.

They are coming together nicely and I am looking forward to trying the method of finishing which came as part of the kit.

Down the Rabbit Hole

 sometimes being a crafter an idea gets hold and you just have to go with it even if where it leads you feels a bit like being Alice after a white rabbit.

Some years ago now at work, a charity day was planned and the theme was Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

With prizes for the best hat.

I found a hat in a charity shop that had a little ceramic tea pot on the crown and a cup and saucer on the brim and a black bow and feather to the side. A perfect starting spot.

I added playing cards (which had been a serendipitous inclusion in a sale brochure for ace bargains or something like that) . Sadly I was unable to attend on the day and the hat was relegated to the loft., it has been keeping the Christmas decorations company.

So when the theme resurfaced but this time as a Relief Society activity at Church the hat also resurfaced.

It should have been a simple case of re-sticking the playing cards which had come loose but a conversation about the rabbit and the pocket watch had me thinking how to add one to my hat (a pocket watch not a rabbit at this stage). A real one would have been far to heavy, that little tea pot and cup are heavy for a hat to begin with.

If you have visited with me before you know I like to reuse things when I can. So the bottom of a Cadbury's Little Pot Of Joy looked just the right size. Cut it off with a craft knife, covered it in tin foil and then a nice sticky label with the clock face on. Foil covered tooth pick for the winder, some random chain and pocket watch for hat.

I was rather pleased with the look of it and the drape of the chain over the tea pot down into the cup.

You would think that would be sufficient, sensibly that would be quite enough for one hat. 

However, this is me, and I started thinking that the side with the cards was a little bare at the bottom and needed something to balance it out. I thought about it, jam tarts perhaps what did I have that would be a quick tart? Most things I thought of were too heavy or would take too long as at this point there were only a few days to go.

What about Alice, I contemplated using a peg and some paint and paper, but that sounded stiff and I could not get my mind to play it through. 

So it became make a little doll Alice. Wadding trimmings, old tights, scraps from the quilting.

And a little doll, not Alice just yet. This is the first time I have tried this and I was quite pleased with how the wadding in the tight fabric moulded into the head and face with some sculpting stitches.

The arms just made with rolled tight material contracted a little and felt a little short in proportion  but given this was without a pattern that there were arms was a good start as far as I was concerned. I did push a little bit of wire (recycled from a used up ring bound note pad) into the arms as an afterthought so I could position them.

I did consider adding the hair using embroidery floss, but then a little ball of pale yellow wool caught my eye and I thought that might be just a bit quicker. Time becoming an ever more important factor now as this was now the evening before the event.

I am sure that sewing on the wool was indeed faster than the thread would have been, not so sure about brushing it out , styling it and getting the Alice band in place. I used white ribbon as I had some very thin white ribbon which did double duty for the bow on the apron and the Alice band.

The legs were scraps of white around more wadding scraps .The shoes were drawn on with black permanent marker and that was by far the quickest and easiest part of this process. The legs also had wire pushed in to make them less floppy. Here she is on the hat.

On the day, the hat stayed solidly in place on my head, Alice stayed put on the hat (used double sided tape to hold her on) the chain on the watch moved a bit and the watch came unstuck and was repositioned into a loop of the bow. (Thank you BFF)

As you make have guessed from the previous paragraph my BFF was also in attendance, with her own embellished hat. Not sure if she will blog about that herself, if so I will add a link when she does. And if not perhaps I will update with images of her hat.

We had a lot of fun, riddles to answer, a getting to know you game, lovely food  and some interesting spiritual lessons referencing some of the lessons Alice learned on her journey.

The new experience of making the little face was enjoyable, the hair less so (and it is a good job she not  made to be viewed from behind). Indeed as she was intended only as a decoration the join of the legs to the body is basic, there are raw edges under there and on the back and the wire is by no means invisibly secured. She is certainly not meant to be a toy.  However some of the techniques I may try again at some point with less time constraints and a more durable finish. Should the right project arise.

And as for the hat, at least it got a day out in this incarnation before heading back to the loft, and there is space on the back of the hat next time this theme comes up and I head back down the rabbit hole of I could just make rather than settling for it as it is!  At least that is one thing I know about myself.

BFF RAL 2 a grey day

 outside which was actually rather nice, cool after the heat.

And grey was the thread choice of the day.  There is still a good bit of 415 in the earth and the moon.

I want to complete the coloured stitches so I can just fill with the white as it is quite difficult to see.

Still no decision on a joint project so anticipate further Random A Long next week.

CLICK Here to see how my BFF is doing.

I was thinking about this month in years past when the local show would be only weeks away and I would oft as not be rushing to finish entries for as many categories as I could. It was a great motivator for getting thins finished.

The craft competition stopped in 2017 and the running of the show was passed to a management company from the local council. The Charities tent went next, although it had somewhat reduced to tombola after tombola there had still been interesting groups to learn about.

The craft aspect became just those selling their projects but it just about made it worth popping over to the show field to see what was there, mind that was also beginning to decline in quality  and levels of craft.

This year an entrance fee is being charged to go onto the show ground, and I will not be popping over at all.

It is sad..but perhaps my BFF and I will manage a get together, it might not be the handing in of entries followed by dinner then a morning visit to see what had placed,  Maybe we can start a new September Show day tradition, just without the show.

Stippling?

 The next step with the teddy cushion is to fill in the background and it has been a while since I tried this.

Now as mentioned before random is difficult but I am reasonably happy with the result, the stitches are not perfectly regular in size but they are OK.

There are some eyelashes on the bends here and there however, as the back of the work will not be seen and the stitches are secure enough it has been a good practice piece.

And it gives the bear a nice little round belly.

Not sure when the sewing machine will next be out for the next step towards the cushion.

Sunday Stitching..the return

There has not been any Sunday stitching's for some weeks as I have  not been attending |Church waiting not only for a negative test result but also for there to be less coughing ect.

Today was the first day Sunday back, and given one of the talks was about Job, I shall make no further mention of my being ill.

The talks were very good today and very interesting.so it is just as well the section to be sewn was nice and simple and light lilac.

This is being a nice friendly stitch so far. 

BFF RAL 2 back down to Earth

So we remain undecided about a new in tandem project and it is too hot to do much thinking about "new" so our evenings will continue as a Random Along and we will each be working on whatever is at hand or shouts the loudest to be done.

Last week there was the start of a bit of quilting..and I was finding that rather soothing so the hand quilting part is all done. Including the little strip of coordinating fabric which will go on the back of the cushion this is destined to be.

Still have the machine quilting to go around the bear (and the toys) before turning it into the finished item.  It mat have a little wait before I get the sewing machine out next to work on it.

So this evening it was back to millennium and the land mass on the earth. A nice fill type section at the top and some dotting about the place through the middle and lower down.

There is still some curvature happening and I still rather like it that way.

My BFF also rang the changes this week, CLICK HERE to see what she worked on.

Stitching Friends are Friends who Count 2022

 In 2020 Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching hosted for her Summer HOP the theme of Stitching Friends are Friends who Count, it went so well it is establishing itself as a new HOP. Welcome to the third year.

So this is how it works, participating bloggers are assigned another blog to read and get to know the blogger. Then share something that they think their new stitching friend will like, either something previously sewn or something seen in a pattern. With a little added twist that who the post is about won't be revealed till the end, just in case you want to try and guess. 

Here is a link to my post from last year if you missed it and want to have a try with that one as well.

Now I will link to individual posts for the "Friends" blog as I go, so if you want to play the guessing game leave the links till last.

Introduction time, this bloggers current blog started in 2010, however that looks to not be her first foray into the world of blogging and some issues with the previous attempts  Third Time Lucky

A prolific stitcher with a wide taste in designs and finishes one of her early WIP's caught my eye being as it was the same pattern as one I have done, although hers is on a beautiful fabric unlike mine on the white aida that came with the kit.  UFO update

This is my version....oh look what a surprise (not) it is a dragon! My dragon's story

Rod |Stewart concert in Birmingham, cheese and onion on toast  a  very appropriate repast I think, this stitcher likes to get together with fellow stitchers both by participating in hops and in person visiting Wales  adding to their wonderous stash and future projects. And also the home of Dragons.

A Grand parent, and also blessed with the company of dogs this person likes a fairy on top of the Christmas Tree but that is certainly not the limit of Christmas finishes both decorations and gifts.

Indeed the blog is a great place for finishing inspiration as there are many variations.

Now something I have made that might be appreciated, not a piece of stitching but them the blog I have been perusing  is peppered with non stitching delights of one sort of another I am sure that will be ok.

This is a plaster plaque I was given and painted myself.

There is a pattern for this image should stitching it be your desire....

As my mother is rather fond of it I may well do that one day.

So it is time to make a beverage of your choice, get out the cookies, pull up a chair and spend some quality time with  ??????????????

And whilst you do remember that Stitching friends are friends who COUNT.

For more introductions a guessing games pop over to Serendipitous Stitching to find a list of all this years participants. Click HERE to link

The People choose Outer Space

 This is a monthly share a pattern (current or past) on a theme voted for by previous participants.

So today I think I have enough to participate.

Firstly the moon and stars from this birth sampler I designed inspired by both the child's name and the nursery picture the grandmother to be sent me.

I had been looking for material that matched the wall colour but had to settle for including it in the shades of the moon. CLICK HERE for an in progress image.

Like Jo I have also completed the stitching on this little bear but I have not fully finished it as yet.

but it made its appearance as part CLICK HERE for a reminder of that of a Christmas Advent

And of course there is Millennium and the Solar System (minus the Sun)

Which had some of it sewn during the Eurovision and the appropriately (for this theme) titled UK entry

Spaceman

Now if you did not space walk to my blog from Jo's then pop on over by clicking HERE and seeing what else is being shared on the theme.

And just for those popping in after I have discovered this delightful group a link to a themed piece of music I have become very fond of.

Hijo de la Luna - Forestella [Immortal Songs 2] | KBS WORLD TV 240121 (youtube.com)

BFF RAL 2

 As noted last week we are having a hiatus from the SAL whilst we find something suitable for us both.

My BFF was contemplating quilting this week so I prepared a bit of quilting for myself.

A  panel that was given to me in amongst a bag of bits .

Just a nice size for a cushion.

So I have made a start, I intend to hand quilt the bear and doll house and then stipple stitch on the machine around the bear and house.

It has been quite some time since I did any hand quilting and it was rather soothing.

CLICK HERE to see how my BFF's quilting went..or perhaps...

Oh I also spent quite a bit of time binge watching The Sword and the Brocade , all 45 episodes. It is a Chinees drama with English subtitles.  Making it good for the person with a cough but can't stitch to it, but then at times the cough makes stitching to it difficult.

It has a back story of embroidery in the Ming dynasty and at one point (I think episode 24) the leading lady mid embroidery runs out of black silk and is about to stop working for the evening..letting down her hair she suddenly thinks oh! and starts to sew with her hair!

CLICK HERE or indeed HERE to see why that amused me, perhaps I should update from it being Victorian to much much earlier!