Enjoying the Central Coast, NSW

Well, our house sit at Bateau Bay came to a quick end, with the son of the owner wishing to move back home due to issues with this wife's family. So we quickly found a new house sit and are presently at Holmesville, just west of Newcastle.  We are house sitting the house of course and Zacky, a lovely black and white cat. We have become good friends and we share the sun room when it's sunny.

I've been busy working on a couple of courses with Kathy Shaw, Dying and Embellishing with Threads. If you get the chance to do these courses (they are FREE), even as a refresher, they are well worth it. Here is some of my work.
First the Dying course, this is good fun, and as you can see I had wonderful weather for drying.

 Embellishing with threads, seam treatments.

 Trees, veins and spiders

 Enhancing motif's

 Monogrames, which we all don't do enough of.

I have found a few craft groups here, one embroidery, one quilting and one bobbin lace, pity we are only here for 7 weeks.

We have also done some more sight seeing around Newcastle.

 Michael steading himself on the sign to see if there are any humpback whales passing. The radio said there were a few sighted that morning.

 Michael on the Memorial Walkway, opened for ANZAC centenary.

And now to some other news. Son has decided to make a trip to the USA, for how long we're not sure as he's taking Ally (his Labrador) and Tatum (Rachel's cat) with them. So we have to go back up to Brisbane, pick up and pack up our gear he was using and store in our container.  We also have to pick up Rosey.  Thankfully Michael's mum will look after her whilst we are in Coffs Harbour (our next housesit) as the house has no fence. After that we're possibly going to have her travel with us.  Chris has had the dogs on strict diets and exercise, Rosey is now almost down to 11kg and Ally is about to tip below 30kg.  Here's the latest picture of them both.

Well that's about it for the moment, catch you next time.
Arlene

WOW - we hit the big 1000

Hi All,

Just hit a fantastic milestone, the App has achieved 1000 downloads.  Thanks everyone who has downloaded it.  An Update is coming and the Android version, just not an easy task.

If you haven't downloaded the app, click on the link here on your left.

On another note, happy birthday to my Rosey, she's 9 today.

Arlene

My Joggle Classes Revealed

G'day All,

Well yes they have finally been revealed.  I have 5, yes 5, classes this next quarter, and if you think I'm excited you are right.

The classes are (if you click on the title it will take you to the link of the class)

First up on 1st June is Spot's Walk.
This is a piece that was adapted from 'Rosey's Walk' which was an assessment piece that I made last year.

Next up on the 22nd June is the return of my Beetles class.
I know a lot of you have requested to do this class, Barbara heard your requests and has happily offered it again to you all.

Following up on the 24th July is a wonderful stumpwork piece, 'Twines of Nature'

This piece I blogged about a little while ago. It's adapted from the Tax Book. Of course your class will the embroidery part.

On the 1st of August, you can create a great addition to your accessories, a unique cover for that Kindle (of whatever else needs a cover) in Crazy patch. I will not be teaching the Crazy patchwork, only a few basics. I will be teaching the construction of the case.

And of course that long awaited Gold Beetle class. You will be using beautiful rich gold work products. Be introduced to some basic stitches used in this very decorative technique.

I look forward to seeing you join me in my classes.

Arlene

My latest project - Challenge for Fibers and Fabrics

Fibers and Fabrics my craft group that I am a member of here in Townsville has a challenge each year.  Late last year we were given an object and from it we were to transform it into something else.

The object was a tax book.

It measures 4cm x 25cm x 15cm (1.5x10x6 inches), and heavy.

My first step was to gut it:

Then I decided what I was going to do, so I got to stitching...... and stitched and stitched and stitched for 8 hours straight, as this was my efforts after 8 hours work:

There are seven pieces of wrapped wire, in four colours, one grey brown, two silver grey, two brown and two dark brown. 

This is more the true colours, more green than blue.  So I placed the seven pieces of wire in the middle of the material just so see how it looked.

I then got to work stitching the background of the tree, padded raised chain band and detached buttonhole and chain stitch.  This took me a good part of 6 hours of stitching.

So here is what it looks like so far, wrapped around the book cover.

There are more elements to make, a beetle, surface embroidered and beaded gecko, some detached leaves and grass.

I think Rosey enjoyed the day, sleeping in the conditioning, as it was a very hot day yesterday.
So what do you think so far........
Arlene

1st December - Time to put up the tree etc

1st December has been the date in our family for years to put up our Christmas tree. It's hard to believe that it's been 13 years since mum left us, and so I took on her tradition of putting up the tree and decorating the house on the 1st December.  So in her memory..... Here's our tree (the photo on the wall is Mum's Parents on their wedding day.

 

My tree will have a new skirt next year (well that's the plan anyway - you can read how here and on the CQJP 2012 site)

Now to the rest of the house....

in front of the telly... Christmas stockings and Santa decorations

and to the left side of the telly... Christmas Stocking made by Fibers and Fabrics.

and to the right side of the telly.... A quilt made by Fibers and Fabric ladies, and hanging on the glass cupboard is my Christmas Stocking that will be a class on Craft EDU being released tomorrow (you got the heads up first here - Bazinga Sale starts tomorrow for two days only).

That's Rosey's Christmas stocking hanging on the right side of the quilt on top, see the lime green and red and white spot, it was a present from her sister Echo, last year.

I hope you all have a great festive season and stay safe.... more posts of christmas stuff to come..... more exciting news too in the next day or so, so watch this space....

Arlene

Rosey's walk - she's finished.

After months of working on this piece 'Rosey's Walk' is finally finished.  The last few elements were to be added to finish this wonderful piece.  I've added a beetle, a spider and his web, and filling in the the fore and background.
The beetle was first, he's taken flight from the tree to catch the spider in his web.

The next element to go on was the spider and his web.

His web is a single strand of grey floss, glistening in the sunshine.

Surface elements was the leaves blowing in the breeze, and the mountains of High Range in the background.  Foreground elements are grass and river reeds with the river in the corner.  The last element is Rosey's collar.

Blue and free to bounce as she walks.
And now the final piece, ready to go into competition for the Townsville Show.

TTFN
Arlene

Wow, I'm featured!!!!

My Craft group that I attend each week (we try to anyway), is featuring it's members, and I'm this week.

Fibers and Fabrics is a wonderful craft group I discovered when i got home from the UK.  I knew they were in Townsville when I left to go, but thought they weren't allowing new members and were not flexible with their work, boy oh boy was I surprised.

They do all sorts of wonderful stuff and promote members work and support the community, what a fastastic group.  Here is there website to see the post featuring me, and all the other wonderful ladies that have been featured before me.  http://fibresandfabrics.blogspot.com/

Rosey's finished too, wow what an achievement, I am so releaved it's done. Not sure if I want to put the final piece up yet for public display, as I want to enter her in the show.  What do you think???

Arlene

Could be a colder winter for us

Our first cool morning in North Queensland, only down to 12, but cold for us. Our dog Rosey, didn't want to get out of her bed, so she missed her walk this morning. TTFN
Arlene

Stumpwork Assessment Peice - Element - Rosey (sub part 4)

I know I'm out of sequence with my elements for this project, but I have only just finished adding this element to my background and as she has to go on first, I thought I'd share her with you.

Introducing 'Rosey'

To refresh your memory, Rosey is the subject of my second assessment piece, which I am way behind on, and thought I had best get cracking on it.  So I've painted the path, which still needs added enhancements which will come shortly.

But my problem was how to make Rosey.  I had thought of kid leather, but couldn't find the right colour, so I thought I'd try my hand at needle lace again, not a big fan of it, as I'm not that good at getting my stitches even, but got to work and tried it. 

I first placed a photograph of Rosey (the one above) under some plastic adhesive, and sewed that to some backing fabric.

With a black pen I outlined Rosey and then couched a double strand of no 12 Perle cotton to the outline through the plastic and the background fabric.

I then proceeded from the nose to tail, detached buttonhole all of Rosey's body.  When I was finished, I made up Rosey's tan colour using some dyes, and when I was happy with the colour, and while it was still on the plastic I painted Rosey's tan bits.

Allowed it to dry overnight, and clipped her away from the plastic backing. I cut out her padding, and placed it in layers just on the path.  Do you think I got my colour right, I recon I got it spot on......

Rosey the subject and Rosey the piece.

I then sewed the layers into place. Using the photograph as a guide I added the nose and eye. Added her ear, and now all I just have to add is her collar and lead and Rosey's ready for another walk.

TTFN

Arlene

Oh...... it's a dog's life

Rosey loves lying on her back, this happened the other day, she's taken over my banana lounge....... All she needs now is the bikini.......

TTFN
Arlene

Blogs

My friend Carol, (Rosey's first mum) has a blog, and there Carol has blogged about her new pets and some other useful information. Please visit her blog and our craft Group - Fibers and Fabrics.

Please feel free to brouse the list on the right here for other blogs I like to visit often, including the buttons to the Yahoo groups I am members off.

TTFN

Arlene

Stumpwork Assessment piece 2 - part 1 - Inspiration

As some of you know I am currently doing A beginners course in Stumpwork with Kay Dennis from the UK, I have almost now completed it with my last project to go. Once this is finished I can progress to the Masterclass course, can't wait. 
So here is Project 2:   A woodland walk - This project should include trees and an animal or animals, insect or insects and a bird or birds and should have a painted and stitched background.

Title: Rosey’s walk

Ideas and Inspiration:

My lovely faced 5 year old beagle named Rosey is the main inspiration of this piece.  We walk everyday along the paths running parallel to Ross River. On our many walks Rosey and I have discovered many birds, turtles, insects and people.  Occasionally Rosey will pull a little hard and I will let go of her lead, realising I am not there, she stops and with the lead hanging over her back and along the ground she patiently stops and waits for me, often looking at the scenes around her; this is where I got my main inspiration from.

Also along the river bank are some amazing trees and their magnificent overhanging branches.  Gumnut trees are scattered in amongst the gum, palm and fig trees. Some of the fig trees are massive; some trunks are more than 3 meters in circumference.

Many birds are scattered amongst the shoreline, Herrins, Pelicans, finches of various varieties, Kingfishers and Kookaburras, just to name a few.

Kookaburras are often seen waiting on the fallen tree branches for some prey to come along for them to snap up and eat. As in this photograph this one was waiting patiently by the river, a dragonfly was near him on another branch, unfortunately you can’t see it in this photograph. 







 The gumnuts are scattered frequently amongst the other trees and so this gave me the idea of having gumnuts, blossoms and leaves overhanging in my embroidery.

A recent copy of the Embroidery and Cross stitch magazine has gumnuts on its cover. The photo below shows some real gumnuts, blossoms and leaves that I picked up on our walk.

For the insects I will add a spider hanging from the gumnuts and a dragonfly landing on the log, just before he’s eaten by the kookaburra.

So with all that in mind; I put pencil to paper and here is my sketch of what I have in mind for my ‘Woodlands Walk’ which I have renamed to ‘Rosey’s Walk’.

My image has Rosey waiting for me, watching a kookaburra sitting on a log, waiting to catch either the spider of the dragonfly. Continuing with Gumnuts, blossoms and leaves hanging above with the path beneath Rosey’s feet and trees in the background.

My elements would be as follows:

Rosey would be of white kid leather with parts coloured in tan, or made of tan and white felt, haven't totally decided yet. Her lead and collar of blue cord.

The gumnuts will be made of a brown bead wrapped with floss and with buttonhole stitch at the base to form the opening of the gumnut.  The blossoms are of floss also, these would be made like pom poms puffed up, the floss would be stiffened using stiffener fluid and water, and the tips painted with yellow acrylic paint.  Leaves would be made of material with chain stitch securing a thread of floss to give it some body, then cut out. All of these elements will be added to wire supports and placed on the background.

The log for the Kookaburra to sit on would be made of floss and heavy threads wrapped over wires of different thicknesses and balsa.

The kookaburra and Dragonfly will have a padded bodies and detached wings and tail. The spider would be made of two beads and his web of grey or silver floss, so it would stand out from the background.

The background, dyed and shadow dried with leaves, the path and trees would all be painted or hand stitched.

If you want to follow my journey on making this piece, watch this space.

Part 1 - Ideas and inspiration

Part 2 - Making and preparing the background fabric.

Part 3 - Making Gumnuts, blossoms, leaves, log and branches.

Part 4 - Attaching elements to background

Part 5 - Rosey, Kookaburra and insects

Part 6 - Attaching Rosey, Kookaburra and insects

Part 7 - Finishing Touches

TTFN
Arlene