Ladybird Fever

As well as my stitching and family commitments I am also a volunteer with the Pyjama Foundation - an organisation which recruits and trains volunteers to work with children in the foster care system for an hourly session on a weekly basis.  The aim is to not only assist with their reading and academic work but to mentor and build a trusting and friendly relationship as another adult in their fragile little lives.  As you can appreciate all Readers (or 'Pyjama Angels' as we are called) undergo a stringent interview process and criminal check as well as intensive training before being matched with a suitable child.  

The little girl I have been working with now for three years - let's call her 'J' for confidentiality and privacy reasons - came into her current foster home when 18 months old after placement with four other primary carers since birth.  So it is of no surprise that she had physcological, bonding and control issues when I first began working with her at the tender age of two and there were certainly times when it would have been easy to walk away when she became quite demanding in some of the sessions.  But I saw potential in 'J' and decided to go back to basics with her by doing fun things such as blowing bubbles and walking around the garden smelling and touching flowers and herbs that her foster Mum grew.  Fast forward three years and the transformation in 'J' in amazing which I can only attribute to stability and security in her home life, an awesome foster Mum and self-satisfaction in her own achievements.  She has even visited our home on a few occasions to help bake muffins, scones or decorate cupcakes and plant seedlings in the garden and the connection that has developed with my family is heartening.

A couple of weeks ago 'J' celebrated her 5th birthday and one of her favourite things - for some reason - is ladybirds and this extends to pyjamas, doona cover, cushions, bedroom wall frieze, moneybox and other little trinkets in her bedroom.   So, as well as a little gift, I cross stitched a ladybird card for her and added 5 handmade bows which was a simple little project and took no time at all to make.  The design was taken from a book which will form the subject of a future post as it has some fantastic ideas for young and/or beginner stitchers.

Clear double-sided tape was used to mount the design and bows on to folded A5 red cardstock and a white paper insert inside the card made it easy to write and read the birthday message.  'J' and her foster Mum thought the card was beautiful and it went on the entertainment unit along with all her other greeting cards.  

For the record mine was her sixth ladybird card.

Ros

'Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow: Don't walk behind me, I may not lead: Walk beside me, and be my friend.' - Albert Camus

New Release - Wedge-tailed Eagle

My latest design release is an impressive, but somewhat intimidating, creature merely because of its size, power and features.  Sometimes known as an Eaglehawk, the Wedge-tailed Eagle (named for its distinctive long, diamond-shaped tail) is the Northern Territory's fauna emblem and is found throughout mainland Australia in a natural habitat of woods, forested land and open country.  

As Australia's largest bird of prey, the Wedge-tailed Eagle is often seen perching high on a dead tree, pole or prominent rock or majestically soaring to heights of 1800 metres on a massive and powerful wingspan of 2 to 3 metres hunting or spotting their food source which consists of smaller animals, reptiles, birds and carrion.  With long strong broad wings, fully feathered legs all the way to the feet, keen eyesight and a sharp, formidable beak and claws, their prey simply don't stand a chance when swooped upon.  Interestingly, the female eagle is larger and heavier than the male and builds its nest of dead sticks in the tallest tree or cliff edge in a location with views of its home range and breeding territory.  The Wedge-tailed Eagle is known to sometimes make whistling, yelping and squealing noises.  

My cross stitch design consists of 10 colours and is 89 x 83 mm in size (3.5 x 3.3 inches).  It is another personal favourite and I was very pleased with how I was able to depict the power and strength of the Wedge-tailed Eagle's features and sharpness in its eyes.  Perched very high on a rock in a location where the land below could be vastly surveyed meant the sunset sky backdrop could be used to advantage.

 

I'm sure this design would make an impressive card for any wild bird lover but would look equally as spectacular as a framed item of work.

Ros

'The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes' - Marcel Proust

A Heartfelt Tribute

This post will be an emotionally difficult one for me, but nevertheless one which I feel compelled to put words to paper (or screen) to express my feelings at this present time.  You see on the 24th February my very dear Dad passed away after a brave battle with cancer and whilst it is a blessing that he is now resting peacefully after what seems to have been such a long and hard fight, it was so terribly distressing to witness him deteriorate over the months to become a shadow of the man he once was.  With the exceptions of his frustrations, I never heard him complain throughout all the treatments and tests he endured (and believe me there were a LOT), but continued to stay strong and optimistic.  My Mum did a marvellous job of caring for him and with the help of the immediate family and community nursing, we were able to grant Dad his wishes by keeping him at home up until the few days before he died.  

I won't go into any great details about my Dad's life, but he really was quite an influence and role model for me with regards to creativity.  His skills as a Printer by trade required a keen eye and attention to detail and those were carried through to the extremely neat carpentry and woodworking items he produced.  Some of my happiest memories of Dad were of him in his workshop covered with wood shavings, totally engrossed in his current project and whistling (always a good sign).  Dad was very particular with keeping his car in good condition and cleaning it on a regular weekly basis and the lawn kept so green and healthy also with regular weekly mows that it probably should have been vacuumed instead.  He took great pride in his clothes and was a snappy dresser with his cap and shoes his trademark but he always relayed the story that as the youngest of four boys going through the war, clothes were patched and handed down to the next boy and by the time he got the clothes, they were in such a tatty state. He vowed that when he was old enough to afford his own clothes, he would make sure they were of quality and that remained forever. Dad was an avid reader, loved crosswords and word puzzles, played golf and bowls and loved his computer and iPad.  Dad was reliable, generous, loyal, friendly and well liked by everyone who knew him.  He had a great sense of humour and great love for his family.and simply adored his grandchildren (my two children were his only grandchildren) and they simply adored him and he was always interested in their lives and offered them words of wisdom.  But most of all, he was a true gentleman - the type of yesteryear where he would always take Mum's elbow when crossing the road or walk on the road side of the footpath.

Dad celebrated his 81st birthday in January but when he turned 80 I stitched a card for him to mark the occasion.  He loved old cars and so I found this one in a Cross Stitch Cards magazine and he always kept in on display in his room so I guess it must have 'hit the mark'.

I am going to miss my Dad terribly, but he will be remembered with much love and respect and over the last year or so I was able to spend a lot of quality time with him and as such he has left me with many wonderful and happy memories.  I am so proud of him for the way in which he coped with the struggle of his illness and I am just so proud of the person that he was.  There was nothing I wouldn't have done for my Dad and his memory will constantly be in my heart and mind.

I am going to end this post (below) with some words of wisdom Dad gave me on more than one occasion when my children were growing up, pushing boundaries and testing my patience.

Love you always Dad.

Ros

'Let them win some little wars, as long as you win the battle'. - Ray aka Husband, Dad, Grandpa, friend.

A Bed of Roses

Today I would like to share with you an embroidery project I recently completed - one which gave me much pleasure to work as it incorporated basic stitching techniques, beautifully coloured variegated thread and a flower design.  Anyone who knows me by now will understand my undisputed love of flowers - any flowers - and this rose floral design was something I just couldn't overlook because it was discovered at a time when I had just bought a new doona cover and pillowcases for our updated bedroom and you guessed it .... the bed linen set consisted of roses - antique roses to be precise.  My creative imagination immediately knew it would make a perfect addition to the bed as a rectangle cushion.  And so the fun began.

The pattern is one of Aunt Martha's hot iron transfers where the design is cut and placed on fabric to your own specification.  My choice of hand dyed Australian threads from Cottage Garden Threads were Wattle Blossom (309) - gold, Ash (201) - green, Grand Ridge (411) - purple/brown and Dahlia (909) - pink. These were worked entirely in double strand over the whole design and as you can see by the following close-up photos, the variegated thread helped create an interesting and natural colour blend.

I chose to stitch the roses (Dahlia) and bird (Wattle Blossom) in stem stitch and the rose leaves (Ash) outlined in a small blanket stitch with vein detail in backstitch. The daisies (Grand Ridge) were worked in a very fine chain stitch with satin stitch centres and straight stitch for the detail and the daisy leaves (Ash) in satin stitch.  The rose stems (Ash) were also stitched in stem stitch.  

All was stitched on a natural cream homespun fabric and as I had found a perfectly matching length of rose design fabric, decided to use that as the backing for the cushion and used a couple of pretty buttons from my stash to secure the flap after placement of the insert.  

I guess it only seems appropriate to highlight a project depicting roses so close to Valentines Day, but this beautiful cushion adorns our bed each and every day of the year and is a constant reminder of the many hours of relaxation that went into its creation.

Ros

'Earth laughs in flowers' - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy 'Straya' Day

Today - 26 January - is Australia Day or in Aussie language 'Straya' Day.  So I thought I would digress slightly from stitching and ponder and reflect on what it really means to be an Australian, however, when I really thought about it I found it became far too deep and meaningful ... so, I decided to lighten up and ponder and reflect on what it really meant to me to be an Australian.  Now, firstly let me preface by pointing out that when I was very young Australia Day wasn't considered patriotic anywhere near to the extent that it is today.  School and workers went about their daily lives on January 26 and the recognised public holiday was scheduled for the following Monday ... no big deal.  But then in 1983 Australia won the Americas Cup ... a real big deal ... and it seems that since that momentous occasion, pride in our nation, its people and achievements grew substantially.  We now honour Australians of the Year (from sporting to art/cultural to science fields), hold special ceremonies, perform re-enactments of the landing at Sydney Cove of Captain Arthur Phillip and get together with family and friends to 'throw a snag on the BBQ' and have a game of backyard cricket.

I find the diversity of our country so interesting - from the rainforests in northern Queensland to the dry centre of Alice Springs to the alpine regions of the Snowy Mountains to the hustle bustle of our cities and the scenic beauty of our natural landmarks so stunning, that it's no wonder tourists worldwide want to flock to the 'land down under'.  How flora and fauna survive and flourish in some of these harshest and driest of climates and areas has always fascinated me and is the source of inspiration behind my designs.  Yes .. we do have a laidback lifestyle but us Aussies are not immune to the pressures of modern everyday life and need relaxing outlets - this is just one of the reasons why I began my designing and stitching business.

Sometimes, though, I wonder how much of me really is Aussie. Don't get me wrong - I love a BBQ, vegemite and Tim Tams just as much as the next person but would much prefer to visit an art gallery, musical or concert over cricket games, football matches and cockroach races (yes, they really do exist!!) and you would never, ever see me wearing thongs or a flannelette shirt. 

Whilst I have snorkelled in the Whitsundays, travelled the cable car over the Blue Mountains, climbed Ayers Rock, ridden a camel in Alice Springs, cuddled a koala, seen the fairy penguins at Port Phillip Bay and jetboated in the Great Southern Ocean south of Hobart, there is one thing on my bucket list that I've yet to see and that is the spring wildflowers in bloom in their natural habitat outside of Perth, Western Australia which I am led to believe is an absolutely amazing glory of colour.  

A few things for sure that will never change are our Aussie sayings and slang, that we are a sporting nation and the fact that we pull together and help each other out in times of trouble and turmoil.  I have witnessed that firsthand during times of flood, cyclone and fire disasters and the mateship to friends and strangers alike warms the heart.  

This afternoon, my husband, son and I will be celebrating Australia Day by firing up the BBQ for a sausage sizzle (sausage and onions in bread with tomato sauce) and then watching a re-run of 'Charlie and Boots', a movie starring Paul Hogan and Shane Jacobson featuring scenes and landmarks from Melbourne to the tip of the Cape York Peninsula.  I will continue with my current stitching design which is part of building up stock for the opening of my Etsy shop - still a little way off, but slow and steady does it.   So until next time .... See ya mate!

Ros

'Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life' - Anon

Hot Stitching

First and foremost Happy New Year to all.

Whilst my stitching friends in northern America are experiencing snow and blizzards and those in the United Kingdom are contending with rain and floods, South East Queensland sweltered through its hottest day on record by reaching a maximum of 40 deg. Celsius.  It was seriously so hot, that everyone flocked to air conditioned shopping centres, movie theatres and the beach (although I struggle to understand how walking and lying on scorching hot sand can be cooling) and at one stage when I turned on the cold tap it ran so hot, I swear I could've made a cup of tea!

Health authorities always advise tips on keeping as cool as possible and expending as little as possible energy to avoid dehydration, so it seems only logical to me that stitching is the way to go - wouldn't you agree?  My workroom isn't air conditioned, so the window is open to allow a flow of breeze, the fan put on full blast and there is plenty of water, but my real dilemma is how to avoid my work (fabric and threads) becoming soiled through perspiration whilst stitching.   Whilst I regularly wash my hands and lower arms with clean soapy water, I have found lightly dusting my hands with talc powder a useful tip to absorb any moisture build-up, but this is only a short term solution.  

A search of the internet for any tips only led me to a site which gave solutions on how to deal with perspiration stains - www.needlework-tips-and-techniques.com/stain-removals.html - by the use of Bicarbonate of Soda worked into a paste with water and dabbed onto the affected area for a short time before being rinsed off.  The site is very informative and useful in dealing with the removal of a variety of other stains - but, of course, prevention is always better than cure, so I would be most interested to hear any handy tips or ideas from anyone.  

Ros

'We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insolvable problems' - Benjamin Franklin




  

Christmas Heirlooms

Christmas is always a special time of year with varying reasons for different people. Decorating the home and the tree certainly adds sparkle and that little bit of magic but I've always thought that it reflected our personalities, lifestyles and beliefs also.

Quite a few years ago when my children were very small, I thought it would be a lovely sentiment to make a couple of 'extra special' decorations that would be given pride of place in the home, hold 'extra special' meaning and which could be passed down as heirlooms.  This 'Merry Christmas' cross stitch is one such heirloom which always hangs in our front foyer and with its colourful design mix makes for a beautiful welcome which has received many favourable comments over the years.  Unfortunately, the details of the design have been misplaced and cannot remember who the designer is, but I do know it was an enjoyable challenge to stitch. This photograph doesn't do it justice (the glass prevented clarity) so I have posted a couple of closer shots below to give a better idea of the design as well as the embellishments used.

I'm not quite sure really which letter I prefer because there's uniqueness in each one and no two letters are alike but the quirkiness of the design, even to this very day, has me spending time poring over it each year when it's unwrapped and ready for hanging.  But what's really special is that my daughter loves it so much that she's asked for it to be passed down to her in years to come.  Of course, that was always my intention.

But the heirloom which I intend to pass down to my son - a wooden Christmas wreath - was painted when I was studying folk art and as a young boy he was fascinated with the brightly coloured toy ornaments.  He laid claim to this when I personalised it by putting his birth year on the train.  It hangs proudly in our kitchen against the pantry and attests to the many, many, many time consuming but rewarding hours devoted to painting each and every design.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas with family and friends and a safe and happy New Year and look forward to sharing more of my projects and encounters with nature with my readers and talking 'stitchy' talk in 2014.

Ros

'The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time' - Abraham Lincoln