The Effects Of Colour

Isn't it amazing how colour can change the feel of a finished piece? The above two little tissue pack covers are both made from the same hand dyed fabric and both have the same stitching pattern as decoration. The only thing that is different is the colour.

With the top one I started with a commercially dyed variegated thread in a harmonious colour scheme, then picked out some of the colours to use in plain dyed stranded thread. I think the end result is very pretty.
The bottom one is more of a triadic colour scheme, using the blue of the fabric with red & yellow stitching. A much more dramatic effect than the top one.

Out of the two, the top one is my favourite. I have always loved cool colours in a harmonious colour scheme. I am still not sure of the triadic colour scheme though, but many of the people from my stitching group loved it. All a matter of taste no doubt.

Sewing Again

After making a wedding dress & three bridesmaids dresses last year, I have hardly turned my sewing machine on since. I've done some mending & added some fabric strips to embroidery pieces so they will fit in a hoop for hand stitching, but that is all. My sewing machine has been sitting under it's cover waiting patiently for me to feel in the mood again.

Yesterday morning I remembered that I had promised to make a little bag for the sewing group I belong to. Needless to say the meeting was on yesterday as well. Nothing like getting things done just in time. So just as the sun was comming up & before breakfast, I sat bleary eyed at my machine to produce this little bag. Nothing special, (it didn't have to be), but in under an hour I had something usefull for the group. The good thing is that it has got me on my machine again, hopefully the next item will be a little more creative than this

A Treasured Gift

It certainly has been a while since I have posted anything here. It's not that I haven't been stitching, because as you all know I stitch just about every day. I have just been busy with real life stuff and playing with my garden.

So today I thought I would share with you all a little gift that I recieved from a very good friend. It's a thimble holder, beautifully crocheted in my favourite colour, ready to hang on my scissors so I will be able to find my thinble at all times. This has come just at the right time. With the little project that I am working on now, I am reaching for my thimble all the time, and it is constantly getting lost in amongst all the other stuff in my sewing tin. A gift to be treasured for a very long time.

Crochet Collar

How beautiful is this? It is a hand crochet collar that I have been given as an early birthday present. It just has to be seen to be believed!

I have done some digging & found out that it has been made by a lady named Nancy, now deceased, probably dates back to the 1940's and has been made using sewing machine weight thread. I have seen lots of crochet work in my time, I even have drawers full of doileys that have been made by both grandmothers & my mother & myself, but I have never seen anything as fine as this. I am awe as to the creativity, patience & eyesight of the maker. I personally think the piece belongs in a museum somewhere, but while I walk this earth it will stay in my possesion. I have plans to have it framed to hang on my wall so that it can be admired by everyone.

I know it is Irish Crochet, something that I have not done, but now want to do with a vengence.

Do you all think I wll be all the envy of my textile friends? I think so, & I cannot wait to do show & tell at my next lace meeting.