Thursday 27 October 2016

Dolly II Makeover - in progress

Torso - drying off under the ceiling fan

Legs drying

dehumidifier helping

Head - kept the painted eyes .............. for now anyway
So far she is 'armless - they are to be done ............. bit like spare body part surgery ..
 
Think the theme for these Mannequins is
 
'What goes up must come down'
 
 - seeing as they are made-over with decoupage using the Financial Times
Takes ages to get it right!
Her hair used all the photographs of watches, advertised in the FT
 
I should have done a 'before' photo - she had a broken neck (that had been badly repaired - all she needed was the Frankenstein bolt in the neck, to be the bride of Frankenstein!! LOL) - lots of chips , scrapes and dents ....poor girl was in a pretty sorry state ................ but starting to look happier now I think ...?

Wednesday 26 October 2016

Peninsula Craft Show this weekend 29th-30th OCOBER at Ipswich High School for Girls WOOLVERSTONE

Well it is that time of year again for
 
PENINSULA CRAFT GROUP's
Annual Craft Show
at
IPSWICH HIGH SCHOOL for GIRLS
WOOLVERSTONE
SUFFOLK
10-5pm Sat & Sun
29th-30th OCTOBER
£1 entry and plenty of free parking
Light refreshments
This is on the Shotley Peninsula just outside Ipswich
 
Here I am my things stacked in the Sitting Room ready for the off - yet to get my rails, stands and dummies from the Attic
I will have garments, accessories and all sorts of things plus patterns for sale
 
Set up takes us all day Friday to be ready for everyone Saturday and Sunday
The Music Room is our exhibition room and The Orangery our sales room with a coffee/tea area with those all important cakes!!
I always come back a size bigger as the cakes are just soooooooooooo good :-0
The Sales pay desk is in the reception area
 
As usual lots to see - this year, everyone will have their own area in the Sales Room
We always try to arrange things differently each year :-)
 
Look forward to seeing everyone - do pop by and say Hi!!
 

Saturday 22 October 2016

Dolly Makeover ................ ready for next exhibition

Dolly - front view
She even has a funky new hairdo!

Dolly from the rear

Close up of Dolly's face
 
ALL done in papier-mâché care of the Financial Times ...she is still wet so see what she looks like when dried
I am now utterly exhausted !
 
Next will be her legs and arms ....................
 
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
This is what she looked like before - badly chipped, cracked and in a very sorry state!
 
Dolly - chips, cracks and other damage!

Dolly very chipped and scabby

Dolly - long crack up the neck
 

Wednesday 19 October 2016

The Garden, Gnomes and Mushroom Quilts - a co-ordinating series of quilts

Cot Panel Quilt - with roundels featuring fun garden gnomes and mushrooms
Hand quilted

Detail of a corner and the hand quilting

Detail of the quilt

Showing the co-ordinating spotted backing and the hand quilting from the back
This panel's subtle and unusual colour combination inspired the following quilts ...... all in co-ordinating fabrics and colours
Each a different size

Not-Mushroom Quilt - Throw sized
Appliqued Fly Agaric Mushroom (free motion quilted) surrounded by strip piecing quilted in the ditch  

Mushroom centre piece free motion quilted

Quilt and matching backing
Quilted in the ditch
 
Garden Strippy Quilt - a larger sized throw single bed topper
Strip pieced, with machine embroidery, free motion and quilted in the ditch

Plain and floral fabrics - with contrasting machine embroidery
Combination of free motion and in the ditch quilting

Detail of embroidery and quilting

Detail of the embroidery and quilting

Detail of the machine embroidery and quilting

Detail of the machine embroidery

Detail of machine embroidery and free motion quilting

Back of the quilt - matching backing and illustrating the free motion quilting
 

Spring Bunnies Quilt - Free motion quilting

Larger cot panel in lovely fresh mint greens and white, with a little pink and peach
Edged in strips of pink and lavender
backed in matching pale soft mint green
 
Intensely free motion quilted
 

Close up of the bunny family and the free motion quilting

Detail of the corner and edge quilting, and strips along the side

Detail of the bunnies

The central medallion area
 

Detail of the back - in a matching pale green - shows the quilting detail

Monkeying Around Quilt - Free motion quilted

Panel quilt
Monkeying Around
Lots of monkeys, giraffe, cat, frog, butterflies and birds all in a jungle tree setting
Free motion quilted

Detail of a corner

Detail of one of the monkeys

Detail of another monkey

Back of the Quilt showing the amount of intricate free motion quilting

Miss Kitty Quilt - free motion quilted

Miss Kitty Panel - intensely free motion quilted


This is the quilt from the back!
Pink cotton showing the pattern via the free motion quilting - as good from the back as from the front :-)
Small cot sized quilt or wall hanging

Thursday 13 October 2016

'Ridgy' - Reversible Fingerless Gloves ...

Latest off the hook
6 pairs of fingerless gloves /wrist-warmers -  hand crocheted to my own design in sock wool as it is hardwearing and washable
 The design is 'Ridgy' a reversible pattern using a small hook so a good dense variety of stitches

Tuesday 11 October 2016

Christmas KAL - Christmas Tree almost done!

Top part completed

Base completed

Back of the top - showing the wedges of the short rows to make the conical shape

You will end up with 12 curly / branch rows and 12 wedges between  - one wedge edge and one curly edge
These will be partially joined then a zip inserted

The base will have 12 sections which will match with each section of the top
Pull nay ends to the wrong side - tie off and weave in for a neat finish
 
Mark and then sew or crochet them together
If the circular section has ended up a bit small in diameter add one extra row to match up to the top
 
 
Then lay out the TOP wedge tree section and cut a piece of card the same shape - to stiffen the tree
Cut a piece of card the same size as the circle
 
Cut a piece of fabric for lining the tree - one same as the edge and one same as the circle
(If you want you can cut 2 pieces fabric and a piece of wadding the same shape but about 1"/2cms bigger and quilt the pieces together in radiating lines - like the tree branch sections - do 12 rows)
Pics to follow :-)
 

Friday 7 October 2016

Christmas Tree - T B Ramsden CAL


Well I have finally succumbed - doing a CAL - my first!!
 
Started yesterday on the Christmas Tree (Part 1) and half way through already - quite easy to do :-))
Each week they release FREE a different part ...so am running a bit late here!
 
Already the tree, and its base, star and holly leaf & berries are already out there ...so some serious hooking to do
I have a flu/virus so tucked up under my blankie snoozing n snuffling n hooking when I can - so a fun project to keep me from feeling too miz :-(((
 
I am making a few modifications - you know me I always do!
Am making the tree branches in various lengths - just to grade them a little - just a few extra chains or stitches here and there - they are nice and curly!
Also making it with a ZIP so you can open it up and inside can stash some pressies and then after Christmas it can be used to store the decorations inside - well some of them LOL
 
When I get to that stage I will give instructions on how to do this ................ and other tweaks if people are interested
Also a USA version as I still think in USA terms LOL