A Quilted Gift

Nothing restores your faith in human nature more than the random act of kindness and generosity of strangers and this was clearly evidenced during the past week.  To give you a background, my very dear Dad has been sick for a few years now, but in particular this year has been quite a struggle for him as his health has deteriorated requiring numerous outpatient hospital treatment sessions and more recently three separate hospital stays in the space of four to six weeks. Along this journey, not only has he come into contact with and befriended many wonderful doctors and nursing staff, but allied health workers as well - physiotherapists, dieticians, pharmacists, etc. and on one particular occasion when Dad was receiving a regular treatment, he was paid a visit by a social worker by the name of Lyn.  Both my Mum and I were present when she visited and were impressed by her quiet, caring and unhurried nature.  On Dad's recent in-hospital stay, Lyn paid him another visit arming him with literature on tips for reducing stress including links to useful websites for meditation (all a little lost on a man of my Dad's age with certain attitudes towards such frivolous subjects, I'm afraid!).

So imagine our complete surprise and utter disbelief when, for no particular reason, Lyn presented Dad with a quilt to keep which she had hand stitched herself and carefully folded and neatly stored in another hand sewn carry bag.  On inspection it was clearly obvious that there had been many, many hours of tedious and skillful work spent on neatly stitching this large double-bed size and colourful quilt but to give it to someone who she had only known briefly left us all completely 'gob-smacked' (my Dad's words) and shaking our heads.  

Here is a close-up of  some of the colourful fabrics used in one particular section of the quilt.

However, what is considered quite the personal touch are three or four panels of hand stitched sayings strategically placed throughout the quilt which in itself would have been quite time-consuming.  This one shown here is an example.

Perhaps what was most touching of all though was the accompanying hand-written card stating washing and care instructions on one side and on the other side this heart-warming verse - 'May this quilt wrap you in a big warm hug - God bless".  

This quilted gift will be forever treasured.  Thankyou Lyn for your kindness.

Ros

"Kindness in words creates confidence, kindness in things creates profoundness, kindness in giving creates love" - Lao Tzu

Shamrock Biscornu

Perhaps I've been living on a different planet for the last couple of years and to some stitchers this may come as quite a surprise, but only just recently I discovered biscornus and think they're just so cute. The name, derived from a French adjective, means "skewed, quirky or irregular", "that which has an irregular form with projections" or "complicated and bizarre".  In fact they are small 8-sided wadding-stuffed ornamental pillows which can be used as pincushions, ornaments, key chain/mobile phone decorations, scissor fobs, sachets, etc. and are usually made of Aida cloth or linen and decorated top and bottom with embroidery, cross stitch or hardanger.  A button secures the centre of the cushion and helps give the small depression needed to finish the shape and beads, tassels, etc. can be used to further decorate and adorn and depending on the pattern added either during the design or finishing stage. Whilst biscornus can be of any size - small or large - it is, however, very important that both stitched sides are square and exactly the same size to ensure complete evenness during the stitch-up stage.  

My first biscornu attempt is this Shamrock Maze by Virginia Knutson of VeeandCo Cross Stitch Designs, a complimentary pattern she designed when we both participated as exhibitors in the Counted Wishes Festival a couple of years ago.  

As this was my first attempt, colours and buttons used were just from my stash and not the colours recommended by the designer, but it gave me the idea of the importance of keeping the work neat and square.

I won't go in to specifics on the finishing techniques of a biscornu as there are ample tutorials online.  A couple of helpful tutorial sites to visit though are www.own-two-hands-livejournal.com/4186.html and www.lhfinishingschool.wordpress.com/biscornu-class/. There are also books and a myriad of websites offering simply beautiful designs for inspiration. 

Recently I bought myself a book titled 'Teach Yourself to Make a Biscornu' from Bobbie Watts a fellow Aussie living in Tasmania.  She has produced some exquisite designs adorned with tassels, beads, cords and organza pom-poms and stitched with a variety of embroidery stitches and cross stitch.  I could very easily stitch each and every one of them - such is the stitcher's and crafter's dilemma.

Ros

'Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you' - Henry David Thoreau

The Geranium Fairy

Like any little girl growing up, our now .. almost .. 24 year daughter has gone through quite a few phases and her bedroom has reflected those phases along the way.  Now, as a confident and independent young lady, her tastes are, understandably, modern and contemporary.  But let me think now......   There was the bold and colourful phase where everything was so bright that you practically needed to wear your sunglasses just to walk into the room, the frangipani phase where she just loved the fragrance and simplicity of the island flower, the owl phase where she tried to convince us that it was her personality imparting wisdom, but which her brother vehemently denied and dismissed as nonsense!!  And then there was the fairy phase.  Fairyland, as it became known, lasted quite a few years and consisted of fairy doona cover and pillows, fairy wall frieze, fairy curtains and fairy 'glow-in-the-dark' ceiling stickers.  The obsession extended to covering school books with fairy pictures, fairy stationery, fairy colouring-in books, fairy wall calendars and beautifully illustrated, glossy fairy books (which to this day, I might add, are still part of her special book collection) and so on.

When my cousin from Melbourne visited one time, she became totally and utterly enchanted with Fairyland and upon her return home, when shopping one day, found a fairy cross stitch kit.  There was only one person she knew of who would love and appreciate this design and as a very kind gesture, bought the kit and posted it to my daughter as an addition to her room.

The Geranium Fairy was one in a series of cross stitch kits which DMC Myart adapted from original artwork    by the talented and self-taught artist Cicely Mary Barker, who, despite any formal training, came to international acclaim as an artist with the publication of her Flower Fairies books in 1923.

As can be seen by these close-up shots, the 29 colours of stranded cotton ensured that the delicate brushwork, fine detail and subtle shading transferred beautifully into cross stitch art.  

I can't recall now how long it took for me to complete stitching The Geranium Fairy but I do know it was  finished and framed in plenty of time for it to be part of Fairyland and before my daughter moved on to her next phase.  Now it adorns a wall in my workroom and is a constant inspiration for my love of nature.

Ros

'The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind.  But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions.' - Chanakya

New Release - Echidna

Today I proudly release a new design - the Echidna  - and would like to take the opportunity to explain a little about this rather unusual Australian mammal.  

Sometimes known as the spiny ant eater, the echidna is one of only three species of monotreme (mammals that lay eggs) in the world with the platypus being one and the other being an echidna restricted to the highlands of New Guinea.  They're common and widespread throughout most of Australia and can be found in a natural environment of open heathlands and forests and particularly common in dry open country on the east coast of Tasmania.  Echidnas grow to approximately 45cm in length and weigh anywhere between 2kg and 5kg but what makes this little creature so interesting is its body which is covered with cream coloured spines which are in fact modified hairs and which can reach to 50mm in length.  Fur ranging in colour from honey to reddish-brown and growing between the spines provides insulation.  What I found interesting when doing my research is the fact that Tasmanian echidnas are larger than their mainland relatives and that the fur is thicker and longer than those in warmer mainland areas which sometimes actually conceals the spines.  Because these spines are very sharp and can cause infections, echidnas should not be picked up without some form of skin protection.

The echidna has short limbs and powerful claws which prove very handy for rapid digging and elongated claws on their hind feet which curve backwards enable them to clean and groom themselves.  They are surprisingly good swimmers able to paddle with only their snout and a few spines showing.  Its long sensitive snout hunts for a diet of ants and termites and its strong claws tear open the ant or termite nest  and any insects in the nest are caught on its fast moving tongue which is covered with a layer of sticky mucous.

This shy little fellow moves slowly and carefully with a 'waddle' like gait and its activity differs depending on the location and temperature.  It is completely nocturnal in the warmer parts of Australia preferring to spend the daytime resting out in the heat sheltered in rotten logs, under bushes or in burrows whereas in the southern parts of Australia and particularly during winter, echidnas are active during the day.  They can live anywhere as long as there is a supply of ants and despite its thorny covering, this animal does have natural predators such as eagles and Tasmanian devils which, believe it or not, will actually eat the spines.

There is one thing that quite amazes me with the echidna and, to some extent, even makes me a little jealous. You see, when threatened by a predator, this clever little creature has the ability to disguise itself by rolling up into a little ball and seeking shelter usually under a bush, in a hollow log, burrow or such.  How many times in life, when faced with bad news and/or nasty and unpleasant situations (as well as nasty and unpleasant people) would it be so easy to just curl ourselves up in a ball and roll somewhere safe and hide where we didn't have to deal with such problems and hope that the world would just go away.

My designs contains 10 colours with two colours used as long stitches to denote spines, a pink tongue and black french knot eyes with backstitching only around the beak and claws.  Ideally sized for a card, this design would be perfect for depicting our natural Australian native fauna.

Ros

'Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it'  - Confucius

Snow Flake Bush

Over the last week or two winter has well and truly arrived in Brisbane (even though we are still officially in Autumn) and one of the best things about winter in the tropics is that we have the most glorious of days with minimal rainfall and warming sunshine. Although a lot of trees may lose their leaves during this time, one bush that makes an appearance with a spectacular display - if only for a short time - is the Snow Flake Bush.  They are in full bloom everywhere in our neighbourhood at the moment and so I thought I would feature this flowering bush whilst currently at its most beautiful.  

Originating from Central America, the Euphorbia leucocephala bush is grown in many countries and as such has been given many common names, a couple being 'Snows of Kilimanjaro' and 'Pasquita', but here in Australia we are familiar with the name of 'Snow Flake'.  Closely related to the Poinsettia flower, this bush is a low maintenance shrub growing 1.5 to 2 metres in height and 2 to 3 metres in width in full sun to semi-shade and will suit an average garden, however, it doesn't tolerate frost.  Its best climate is in areas north of Sydney and Perth and mostly dominates the coastal perimeter.

The pretty creamy/white, petal-like bracts are dense blooming and cover the entire plant in fragrant flowers which attract butterflies and flower only during Autumn and Winter (April to July) when the days are shorter and there is the least amount of daily sun.  After flowering, the bush loses its leaves for a short while before again greening up from Spring onwards for the remainder of the year.  The stems contain a milky sap which could irritate some sensitive skins therefore it's advisable to wear protective gloves when pruning or taking cuttings.

All of these above photos were taken in my local street and considering we live in a tropical climate of extreme heat, cyclones and severe electrical storms and don't really experience bitterly cold winters, I find it wonderful to dream of being surrounded by 'snow flakes' even if it is a bush and only for such a short time.

Ros

"Failing to try is far worse than trying and failing" - Bryce Courtenay

Tartan Thistles Needlecase

Let me start by wishing all mothers a Happy Mother's Day today.  I thought I'd show and share with everyone the gift I stitched for my own Mum and since she is someone who has always sewn, embroidered and attempted a variety of crafts, I knew she would appreciate the love and time devoted to this particular project.

Approximately 18 months ago, my elderly parents moved into a self-contained unit in a retirement village close to where we live and this came about not merely because of their age.  You see, in January 2011 their house was severely affected by the Brisbane floods and so they took the opportunity to move on to the 'next stage of their lives'.  Amongst the devastation and loss of so many personal and material possessions included the loss of most of Mum's craft fabrics, knitting needles and wools, crochet hooks, embroidery needles, threads, etc. and believe me when I say that she had collected a LOT over a lifetime.  Much has been replaced and she is still continuing to restock her supplies, albeit on a smaller scale and mostly this is because she has joined a weekly craft group within the retirement village which has given her a new and continuing outlet for her creativity.  Recently, I took her to the haberdashery section of our local Spotlight store to buy felt, fabric, wadding, needles and wool as the group were making small teddy bears for a charity which supplied them to a children's hospital.  Her teddies were so cute and very neatly stitched complete with satin stitch eyes and nose and blanket stitch around the body and I believe the other ladies were agog at the amount of effort she had put into the teddies, but Mum just shrugged and commented on how she thoroughly enjoyed the activity.

So when I recently attended the Brisbane Stitches and Craft Fair, I came across this needlecase kit which I thought my Mum would love and in particular the design, because she is of Scottish heritage.  The design is by Lesley Clarke for the Textile Heritage Collection and is part of a range consisting of a bookmark, sachet and scissor keep.

The placement of the stitching was very important because the fabric was to be folded in half and the edges folded over so measurement and centring was crucial.  The order in which colours were stitched was very important as well with the border and background stitched first.  The background colours were just long diagonal stitches held securely in place when the dark purple backstitch covered the grid.  The thistle design  consisted of cross stitch, backstitch and straight and diagonal longstitch over two or more holes.

Two separate pieces of cardboard slightly larger than each design were then cut and placed behind the two separate designs with the extra fabric firmly folded over and the corners neatly mitred and stitched in place.  The coloured felt which was part of the kit was cut in half lengthwise and one piece placed over the folded fabric and neatly stitched to the fabric - I used a herringbone stitch.  This was a time-consuming task, however it was necessary to ensure the fabric was held firmly and securely in place. 

The remaining length of felt was then placed inside and centred evenly over the stitched felt with the tassle loop slipped over and into the centre (between the two pieces of cardboard).  The loop was then neatly slip-stitched through all layers thereby holding the centre 'leaf' in place as well as the loop on the outside of the case slip-stitched ensuring that the tassle was held firmly in place.

I am pleased to say that my Mum was thrilled with her gift when I gave it to her last night when my parents were over for dinner and commented on how she will be able to put it to good use.  I can almost see her right now hard at work!

Ros

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love" - Mother Theresa

Embroidery - Machine vs Hand

Recently I attended the Brisbane Stitches and Craft Fair (as a visitor) and as always, was  'like a kid in a candy store' and totally in my element being surrounded by all the different types of craft and creativity.  I found it interesting to see and learn the new craft trends as well as the ones that have stood the test of time proving their popularity and also the crafts that have made a revival, albeit with a modern twist.  What was particularly lovely to witness was the cross-section of ages attending reinforcing the fact that interest in craft will continue.  

I noticed that there was quite a large representation of sewing machine companies showcasing  the embroidery techniques of their latest machines and their capacities were nothing short of amazing and awe-inspiring.  However, it got me to thinking .... how does machine embroidery compare and differ to hand embroidery? 

Now, right from the outset, I want to make it quite clear that I do not wish to be controversial or state that one form of embroidery is better than the other.  Having used both forms myself over the years it would be rather hypocritical of me to be that judgemental.  I well remember purchasing my 'top of the range' Janome sewing machine in the early 1980's (and which I still  own to this very day) capable of multiple embroidery stitches and which at the time was rather 'state of the art'.   My children's clothes and bed linen were proudly and lovingly adorned with beautiful machine stitching, able to be washed easily and adapted as they quickly grew.  

The way I see it, there seems to be a few advantages and disadvantages to both forms:

-    Let's start with the time factor - obviously handstitching is a lot more time consuming than stitching by machine.  Depending on the design and type of stitches used, the machine would power through the work in no time and depending on its purpose and the number of designs needing to be stitched, ending up being quite labour and cost-effective.  
-    However, the initial outlay of a sewing machine is costly whereas hand stitchers' basic requirements are relatively inexpensive.  
-    There is a limitation to the type of stitches machines can produce though giving hand-stitchers a wider range of choice and skills.  
-     Portability of hand embroidery is a real bonus for stitchers with the ability to carry work anywhere, anytime and pick it up and put it down as opposed to machine embroidery where that is not possible.  
-     Whilst there are a wide range of threads for both forms, hand embroidery gives the choice of multi-thread use useful for textured work and three dimensional effects.  
-     Certainly the issue of cleaning is a consideration -  machine embroidered items can easily be put in the washing machine albeit on a gentle cycle whereas hand-embroidered work requires careful attention with gentle hand washing and drying, thus making it time consuming work.  

For me though, I think what makes hand embroidery so appealing is the fact that it is a calming and relaxing pastime, skills are continuously honed and you finish with a unique, heirloom quality item and a real sense of accomplishment.  Hand stitched items made with love and given as gifts are always appreciated also.  Whilst smart technology makes machine stitching a realistic way of the future, hand stitching represents a link to the past spanning simply centuries.

Here are two baby blankets given to me when my children were born.  

The first one was hand-stitched by a family friend and the fact that she took the time to choose fabric, ribbon, a design and stitch it with me and my new born daughter in mind, makes it very special.

This blanket, with its machine embroidered motif, was given to me by my dear aunt when my son was born.

Two blankets, two different forms, but both special heirlooms which I wouldn't part with for all the world.

I guess, like with everything else, it comes down to choice and I would be very interested to read comments and views on this subject.

Ros

'Seek first to understand, then to be understood'. - Dr. Stephen R. Covey