Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Old pelmet = NEW DRAPES


Just before moving, I took this photo of the lounge pelmet made a few years ago (curtains have been removed leaving the cream/pink lining showing). Although not up for very long, I loved the voile & hoped to re-use it later. It was subsequently unpicked.

After moving, the 'new' dining room was black so this fabric seemed ideal. Although not stitched (but will be later in the year), it was pinned into position & looks great. If you want to see it up. click this link: NEW DRAPES

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Crinoline ladies ...


I've just uploaded 2 crinoline ladies (above just 1) that have been worked on a 1940s linen tea set. All floral stitchery on both items were in buttonhole stitch - the remainder in straight stitch. If you're interested in this type of embroidery, click the above link & you'll find more designs from the period as well as others.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Pansy Scissor case ...

I was given a 'Pansy Scissor case kit' a few years ago - self-contained & ideal to fill in odd moments. To assist with stitching, I usually use the method below for marking chart & canvas. It acts as a very quick visual reminder of where you are in your work ... especially when the phone rings !

Being quite a simple piece of stitchery & small, just a single colour (red) marker was used. However, had the design been larger, other colours are marked on the chart at intervals as well as stitched as guidelines (in the same colours) on the canvas. For this chart, the stitching chart was first marked at 10-hole intervals in red pen. The canvas was then marked by TACKING lines (as per the same number of holes) in red sewing thread (before the design was stitched). 


Here (below left) it's on my floor frame with lots of threads 'on-the-go'.





FINALLY .......... (above right) here is it finished. (The machine-stitched fabric edge at right was added to prevent the canvas being unravelled while being worked.)

Currently undecided as to WHAT NEXT ?