New Design Release - Gouldian Finch

I have just spent the morning, on what is a typically glorious winter's day in Brisbane, pottering in the garden and raking leaves to use as leaf mulch for the native garden.  The warming sunshine does 'something' to the happiness and agility of the body, mind and soul and it was while I was in this cheery state of mind that I thought it fitting to release a new design which reflected the mood of my day. 

I'm sure no-one would disagree with my choice of the Gouldian Finch.  This little fellow simply takes your breath away not only because of the intensity and vibrancy of colour, but the fact that it is such a dainty and sweet little thing blessed with so many colours.

Although bred in captivity nationwide, the natural habitat of Gouldian finches is in the tropical savannah woodlands across all of northern Australia stretching from the Kimberley region in Western Australia to the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland with the most prevalent area of distribution being in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory.  They live within small areas and only move when their food source of sorghum or grass seeds and/or water is scarce.  Both male and female Gouldian Finches are brightly coloured with black, green, yellow and red markings but the females tend to be a little less brightly coloured and their chest more of a light mauve in comparison to the male's purple chest. With their fully grown size only 130-140mm (approx. 5") they make ideal pets, but in the wild are in continuing decline due to habitat changes, fires and predators and the fact that they are not a particularly hardy bird and susceptible to cold and stress.

It was fun choosing the colours and variations for this cross stitch design but to replicate the Gouldian Finch in its natural beauty and achieve the desired effect it was necessary to use a total of 15 colours.  It's finished sewn size is 74 x 64mm (2.9 x 2.5in) or 41 x 35 stitches.

Perhaps what I love most about this bird is the story behind its name.  John Gould, a British ornithological artist, named this beautiful bird the Lady Gouldian Finch after his wife Elizabeth even though she did not hold the title of 'Lady'.  However in Australia reference to the title has been dropped.

Ros

 'That which is loved is always beautiful' - Norwegian proverb

A New Skill

For some time now I have been wanting to learn to quilt partly because I was keen to expand my skills but more recently I have been so inspired by the absolutely beautiful work that some of the ladies at our monthly Guild stitching afternoons do with hand embroidered blocks which are then included in larger quilts.  So, on good advice by one of the ladies who lives close by I signed myself up to do a beginner's course at our local quilting shop and bought all the necessary equipment ie. a 1/4" foot for the sewing machine, cutting mat, ruler and a rotary cutter.  The owner of the shop kindly helped and guided me with choosing a selection of 6 fabrics and explained how and why a variety of blending and contrasting colours are needed.  So with sewing machine dusted off and a pencil and folder for hand-outs, I prepared for my first lesson.

The first part of the the first class concentrated on the basics such as safe use of the rotary cutter and its use with the ruler, fabric grains, how to straighten, square and cut fabric, pressing tips and the importance of using the 1/4" seam allowance measurement to ensure precise joining when sewing all seams together so they align perfectly.

The block on the left - called simply a 9 piece block - was our very first attempt and as you can see consisted of just small squares to make a large square, but this gave us a good introduction into choice of fabrics and how placement can give totally different effects.  We were also taught the importance of order in which to sew the individual squares and then row by row and that by doing it that way it eliminated any chance of placement mistakes.  The block on the right - called Rail Fence Block - was our 'homework' and whilst it looks complicated consisted of long strips of our chosen fabric sewn, pressed, cut and then placed in criss-cross order and then sewn.  It was very important that the strips aligned perfectly otherwise the effect would've been lost.

The block for Week 2 (on the left) - Churn Dash Block - involved learning the technique of half square triangle pieces, in particular the trick to cutting and sewing on a diagonal so as not to stretch the fabric which would then of course affect perfectly matching the seams of the other squares.  Having learnt that technique our 'homework' was the Sawtooth Star Block (on the right) where two triangles were joined onto the one rectangle piece before sewing onto the other squares.  Fabric choice was important with this block so that a definite 'star' was obvious but just as important was the precision of the points of the star sewn into the seam so there were neither gaps nor overlap.  It's with designs like these that you realise how important correct seam allowance is.

Last week our block - Variable Star - extended to learning 1/4 square triangles and once again carefully choosing fabric to create the effect and whilst looking complicated, it really is just a matter of being organised and concentrating on which pieces should be sewn together and double-checking as you go along to avoid mistakes.  I was rather pleased with myself on this one as it all lined up perfectly first time.

For 'homework' this week we are hand appliqueing shapes onto background fabrics using Vleisofix - which for me will be the most enjoyable of all the blocks as it involves hand embroidery and the use of blanket stitch.  There are 3 other ladies in the class and all of them don't embroider so they needed to buy embroidery needles, thread and shown how to stitch.  Our teacher knew I was an embroiderer, and when she asked me if I was right for supplies I just gave her a 'you've got to be kidding' look and politely told her that I had plenty in my stash to choose from (she had NO idea how many threads are in my threadbox).  Then with a chuckle, she facetiously asked me if I wanted a quick lesson in how to do blanket stitch to which I replied that I thought I'd be alright!! 

Last night I chose fabrics from my dwindling supplies, cut and pressed the shape for applique on background fabric and agonised over which shades of thread to use.  This afternoon and evening I plan to thoroughly and leisurely enjoy my Sunday by stitching and sewing this last block together.  Next week we begin assembling all the blocks and so I'll post at a future stage on the progress of my beginner's quilt.

But for now, please excuse me - I have 'homework' to do.

Ros

'The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph' - Marvin Phillips

Spectacular Gifts

Firstly, let me say I hope every Mum had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed special time with their children and families.  I'd like to thank my husband and son who went above and beyond call of duty to design and build me a mobile trolley for a herb garden for our back deck.  Not only can it can be wheeled in and out of the sun and placed in a protected area during storms and folded up for compactability but has been designed so the plants can be placed on a lower shelf at night and covered with shadecloth to deter pesky possums with a culinary taste for parsley and coriander.  The day was finished with a family dinner shared with my Mum and daughter at our favourite local Chinese restaurant - all in all a lovely day.

A few weeks ago I set to work to make a couple of gifts as my contribution towards the Guild's Mother's Day Craft Fair gift table.  

These spectacle cases were quick and easy to stitch with the added bonus of using fabrics from my stash for the finishing process.  

This floral design used lazy daisy stitches for the flowers, french knots for the centres, satin stitch for the leaves and chain stitch for the heart.

With this design, the effect for the top three hearts were each stitched with two rows of stitching using chain, blanket and stem stitch and the bottom heart using a single row of petal stitch.

For this spectacle case I extended the contemporary design to cover the fold and part of the back and by using just stem stitch in colours complimentary to the fabric achieved an effect which I was very happy with.   

All cases were lightly wadded and bound in self-fabric with a slip-stitch finish and small enough for just reading glasses not larger sunglasses.  Spectacular, wouldn't you say!

Ros

'Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvellous' - Bill Moyers

Sunny Days and Auntie May

We have woken this morning to a glorious and cloudless day thanks to strong, gusty winds from the southern parts of the continent.  It's caused the temperature to drop giving a true indication of the impending cooler months, but that didn't stop me this morning from donning an extra layer of clothing and going outside into the fresh air to tend to my garden and do a spot of weeding.  It was while I was on my hands and knees happily soaking up the warm sunshine that I thought of my Auntie May who loved spending time sitting in the sun - albeit with a fresh cup of tea and her latest craft project.  

For anyone who has read the 'About Me' page on my website will know that Auntie May was a very special person in my life.  As a country lady, she never, ever had idle hands.   Her family were priority but she was also very involved in the community and church with activities where baking, sewing and gardening for charity fairs and helping the sick and elderly were commonplace.  She was the epitome of kindness and loved nothing more that a good conversation.  So it came as quite a shock and with so much sadness when Auntie May was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease which subsequently required her being placed into Aged Care.  

Whilst in Aged Care, I continued to send her cards for her birthday (by now I was sending her stitched cards) which my cousins tell me she admired and proudly showed everyone even though, sadly, she couldn't remember me.  It was the brainchild of one of my cousins to display these cards into a framed work of art so it could be placed on the wall and thereby help make her room look 'homey' and something which gave her much happiness.

Now, these designs have come from various sources, some of which I can't exactly recall.

This tulip design was a 'freebie' from a craft magazine and definitely one of my earlier attempts.  The kit included the threads and the pattern consisted of only full cross stitch, backstitch and leaf detail - very straightforward.

I think this dahlia design might have been from a cross stitch magazine and I would've been drawn to the shade variation of the flower and the interesting detail of the leaf edges.  It also looks as though there were a few half cross stitches and by that stage comfortable enough with my work to stitch a signature into the design.

Ahh..the teapot.  If Auntie May wasn't drinking a cup of tea, she had the kettle on boiling ready to make a pot and so I knew that this design would certainly resonate with her.  I believe this pattern was in a tear-out craft section of an old edition of the Australian Women's Weekly.  I just used threads from my limited stash and can remember feeling quite clever that I'd been able to co-ordinate the shading of the colours so well with what I had and I was obviously experimenting with techniques too because around the teapot lid and knob have been stitched small white beads. 

It is indeed a great pleasure to have given Auntie May enjoyment from work that she once derived so much satisfaction from herself.  And I can just imagine she would have scrutinised my stitching rather carefully ..... while sitting in the sunshine and drinking a hot cup of tea, of course.  

Ros

'God looks after those who help themselves and God look after those who do help themselves' - Auntie May

Design Release - Blue Surgeonfish

The weather has finally started to cool down with the change of season into Autumn and the mornings and evenings taking on a definite drop in temperature.  I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be able to snuggle and cosy up underneath the doona in the early hours of the morning instead of having to keep the aircon or fan going all night in order to be able to get a decent night's sleep and be fresh for the day. 

But whilst the southern parts of Australia experience autumn and winter considerably more severely than here in tropical Queensland, the northern parts of Australia hardly experience winter at all with their days being absolutely beautiful and balmy.  It's a perfect time of year to visit the Great Barrier Reef and explore its many wonders with no threat of cyclones or severe storms and it's here that you will find the subject of my new design - the rather quirky but delightful Blue Surgeonfish.

Quirky because of its unusually shaped flat body, markings and pointed snout-like nose and delightful because of its intensely exquisite colourings.  You may also recognise this particular fish as the lovable 'Dory' in the popular animated movie 'Finding Nemo' with the frustrating short-attention span and forgetful memory who befriended Nemo's father on his journey to find his son.  Blue surgeonfish (which incidentally goes by a few common names depending on the species) inhabit coral reefs, are found living in pairs or small groups and grow to a length of 30cm (12in) and have the ability to be able to disguise themselves by becoming semi-transparent when faced with danger.  They are also believed to be one of the most common and popular aquarium fish.  

It was a joy to be able to use so many bright colours (8 in all) for this design and to capture the subject in its natural environment of coral.  With the design consisting of mostly full cross stitch, it is quick and easy to complete and ideal for anyone - young or old - who has a particular interest in fish.  

Maybe just having a soft spot for 'Dory' would be justification enough to enjoy stitching this design.

Ros

'A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy and nothing can stop him.' - Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Kirsten's Wedding

It's been a rather exciting time in our family of late and in particular on the weekend just passed.  My daughter Claire had been asked by her very good friend, Kirsten, to be her Maid of Honour at her wedding.  Let me just point out that these two girls have known each other for 25 years since they were 5 and 6 months old when Kirsten's Mum and I began attending the local playgroup.  They became fast friends and continued on life's journey together through Preschool, Primary School, High School and beyond sharing many, many activities, common interests and special times.  

And it was because they spent so much time together with Kirsten coming over to our place for after school playdates, sleepovers and such and likewise Claire going over to her place that they almost became like 'second' daughters in the other's house.  It was for this special reason, that I decided to stitch Kirsten a beautiful memento in the form of an afternoon tea tablecloth that she could have as a keepsake.

Kirsten is an interior designer with an artistic and creative flair so I wanted the chosen design to reflect her personality.  I also wanted a modern and colourful, yet feminine, design and searched through lots of books and magazines until I found one which I was happy with.  After discovering the perfect tablecloth to match her chosen colour theme I then decided on threads of orange, pink and purple variegation and white for the roses and a lovely forest green shade for the ivy leaves and stem.

Because the design was going to be placed in a corner I needed to make a complete corner pattern which involved tracing from the original pattern for one side of the corner and then flipping the tracing paper over to obtain the reversed angle for the other side of the corner.  This new complete pattern was then traced onto each corner.

I experimented with a few different stitches but in the end used stem stitch for the roses and ivy leaves, stems and veins and for the main stem used row upon row of stem stitches which gave a rather beautiful raised and thick textured appearance which actually helped balance out the overall design.  

I wasn't present when the bride opened her gift which had been carefully ironed, folded and wrapped in tissue paper with a Care Instructions card included, but have it on very good authority that she absolutely loved the tablecloth and I'm sure Kirsten was very much aware of the time and effort and love put into such a special gift for such a special occasion.

With the exception of heavy rain falling between when the bridal party left the house to the time they arrived at the ceremony, everything went smoothly and perfectly.  Of course, the bride was absolutely beautiful, serene and calm and the only tears were happy tears.

Congratulations Kirsten and Nick.

Ros

'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you've imagined' - Henry David Thoreau

Jo-an-Ray Update

In the post of 9 September last year about my parent's house, I promised to give an update on the progress of the two new houses which were being built on their block of land.  You may recall how it was once a humble, small two-bedroomed house that, over time, had undergone a couple of renovations to accommodate a growing family and also suffered extensive damage by two devastating floods. 

This was the family home - my childhood house - that I decided to cross-stitch for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary - the house that they had spent all their married life in.  It was sold after the 2011 flood and demolished to make way for two very contemporary styled houses.

Well today my Mum and I were in the area and drove past the newly finished houses and were wonderfully surprised.  We realise the whole suburb is undergoing a demographic change with very modern houses being built and squeezed onto smaller blocks against the much older and characteristic Queenslander styled houses on larger blocks and for the most part it all works well together.  

These houses might stand out against the older smaller houses close by, but are really beautiful in design and presentation.

Visiting the site today made me realise how very pleased I am that all those years ago I made the effort to stitch a keepsake of the family home that once occupied that block of land as there is absolutely nothing remaining (trees, fence, driveway, etc.) as a reminder.  But when I took my Mum back home to her retirement unit, the framed cross-stitch of the family home on the wall greeted us ... and it was a wonderfully warm feeling.

Ros

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us" -Ralph Waldo Emerson