some unusual lace...

i found this lace on ebay and had to have it. it was referred to as 'turtle lace'. i guess because it looks like a turtle...i wasn't sure. i first just acquired a few pieces and was curious to know if it was hand made or machine made so i started taking one turtle apart. it is about 3/8" wide.

click on the images for close ups.

looks like a warp of fine thread and a form of needle lace and picots done with a thicker thread

i still wasn't sure but was leading toward machine made. and then i found some more on ebay with a label. it was made by the Bear Brand company in Germany so obviously machine made. i did acquire 5 more yards and have already found a couple of places where i will use it.

the 5 yards were wrapped within this very old, worn out band. i washed it all in oxy-clean and it came out beautiful.

still playing with cloth in many different ways, all inspired by Karen Ruane and my fellow classmates.
i tried some lattice smocking this week. it's very fiddly and at first tedious but once i really understood what i was doing, i got a bit obsessed. will have to go back to this and play a bit more.

not yet perfect but i'm getting there

also did some stitching on printed paper as demonstrated by Karen.

printed one of my cloth images on cardstock, added a bit of lace and did some free motion stitching

here, i printed the crochet nest dolls image (from last post) on heavy printer paper with some white lace on the right edge.

the knitting and crochet patterns i've  been printing out, when i see something that inspires me, have been piling up...will i ever get to them...i wonder.

103 degree yesterday and 104 today and no rain yet. the lake levels continue to decrease....but, Autumn is on its way so there's hope.

wishing all my Jewish friends a Happy New Year. wishing you health and happiness and lots of miracles for the new year.

a bit of a diversion...

i saw this crocheted pattern for nest dolls here and i couldn't resist. if you go to that link and scroll down, you will see the patterns for the small, medium and large dolls. i will be giving them as a gift. i did mine a bit differently than the pattern. they were supposed to be sisters but that little one looks like a little old lady so maybe she is the grandmother of the other two.

click on the images for close-ups.

 

 

they do fit into each other

i did finish the 6" square patch i showed you last week. now i need to make 3 more that are similar.

all stitched down with embroidery added

and a great find on ebay. i've been looking for a linen smock that i could embellish with some vintage lace and napkins that my grandmother left me and this one is perfect. it's 100% linen as are the vintage linens i have and in the same color family. another project i need to make time for.

the front with 3 pockets and a tab

the back with a pleat down the middle

it's been another productive week with lots of wonderful new information coming from Karen Ruane's Simply Stitch 2 class.

playing with patchwork...

of a slightly different kind...free motion embroidery using cheesecloth with scrap bits of cloth and lace. i learned this technique from Karen Ruane. Simply Stitch 2 starts on Monday. check it out here.

 click on the images for close-ups.

2½" x 2½"

2½" x 2½"

6" x 6"

these 6" x 6" patches will be the corners of my Fun Times cloth.

there were 5 winners in my giveaway last week and since only 5 people chose a number, everyone was a winner.

a huge treasure unearthed...

huge both in size and usefulness. it is 8" in diameter and will hold all my scraps from the white work i've been doing with Karen Ruane. i love that it's see through. i bought it at the thrift store several years ago and forgot all about it.

click on the images for close-ups.

it's light weight and holds a lot

still working on my 'Fun Times' cloth. it takes a long time to do all that embellishing but it is a labor of love. i am truly enjoying it. here are some sneak peeks.

lots of embroidery on the bias band and onto the ruffle

some free motion embroidery petals added

...and if you haven't already seen yesterday's post. there is a giveaway here. winners will be chosen on Tuesday evening. you will need to leave a comment with one of the numbers shown on that post to be included in the drawing.

eyelash yarn and lace GIVEAWAY...

continuing to unearth long lost treasures that are in my crafts room. i've given lots away locally. thought i'd share some of it with all of you who follow my blog. there are 4 different sets of items. decide which one you would like and leave a comment on this post indicating the number of the item. they are numbered 1-4. i will draw the names on Tuesday evening and post the winner on Wednesday.

click on the images for close-ups.

3 balls polyester eyelash yarn...20 grams each

3 balls polyester eyelash yarn...20 grams each

2 balls eyelash yarn...50 grams each (lavender and navy blue)

bubble gum pink lace...synthetic

there is quite a bit of the lace so depending on how many people want it, i might divide it up. it is not a pale pink. it is a deep bubble gum pink.
there are lots of patterns for eyelash yarn. you can google "eyelash yarn patterns" for some examples.
don't forget to indicate the number after your comment.

pretty tins hold unknown treasures...

i have quite a few tins where i store things but it's been so long that i've opened them that i had no idea what i would find inside. one had  all the fabric and instructions for a miniature wedding ring quilt. looks like i only managed one block and gave up...too many tiny pieces, i imagine. i don't really remember. the second tin revealed lots of crochet and knitted samples. i might be able to use some of those...if i remember where they are once the tin is closed. and the third tin, which is my favorite, with the piano keys, was empty. so i will have to find something to put in there. how about you? do you have hidden treasures?

hidden treasures revealed

i finished another long strip on the pink and white cloth i've been working on. it measures 6" x 20". i'm about 2/3 finished so not much more to go.

lots of stitching on this one

the words will be hidden in that little pocket

and this week, Karen Ruane showed us how she makes her pin pillows so i made a little one that is now tied onto my sewing machine so there will be a place for the pins i remove as i'm sewing.

my pin pillow tied onto my sewing machine. it measures 2" x 4"

 click on the images for close-ups.

it's been a good week for me. hope it's been a good one for you as well.