UFO's as in Unfinished Objects ..................

The Chinois Chrysanthemum Tree Cushion 

Hand quilted and beaded with contrast border in cotton sateen 

This was an oddment of fabric I had - just loved the unusual combination of colours the grey, lavender, pink and powder blues, with the terracotta!

Finally finished this off - think I quilted it a couple of years ago and then beaded the following year and now finally made up into a  cushion. 

Only thing is I don't have the right size pad to go in it! 

Feel such an idiot - I could make a wider flange on the edge - then could put in a 20" " or 18" pad ......

Beaded center of the bigger terracotta flower - dark and paler blue beads plus all the hand quilting 

Orange beads in smaller flower - also hand quilted 

The Birds Cushion 

Hand quilted birds and flowers on a buff cotton sateen curtain fabric 

Birds and flowers in greens and rusts 

Detail of the quilted main bird

Detail of the quilted larger flower

Detail of quilting of one of the smaller flowers 

 I also quilted a lot of the tree stems and leaves 

This fabric was given to me by a friend and I had quilted it several years ago and its been languishing in my pile of 'things to finish off' for ages! Years - mea culpa!!!!

Today I am trying to get through some of them and of course start some new things as well! 

Clearing the decks and getting WIPs out of the way ....... for the next pile of WIP's/UFO's - LOL 

Mongolian Hat - II

A Mongolian hat in Alpaca and wool blend 

Would match the Tapiz Coat 

In honey, red, blue, green and greys

Similar to the first Mongolian Hat except it is smaller and of course the colours are in a different arrangement as never make duplicates. 

Shawls .................. Lambswool, Shetland wool and Peruvian Cotton

Red Dragon Tail Scarf

7' long asymmetrical scarf in pure lambswool in a lovely brick red colour 

Has an inner curved edge and dragons teeth edging on the outer edge and finished with a red tassle on the pointy end 

My own design 'Dragon Tail Scarf' 

Scarlet and darkest air-force blue shawl 

This is the Juliana Pattern and I rarely use a pattern as everyone knows - but had been wanting to try this one out for ages 

The red is a  really bright pinky scarlet and the blue an inky indigo blue with a lot of grey in it - I had thought it was grey till we had some sunlight! Our weather has been so grey and dark it has been difficult to see colours properly! 

The shawl was meant to be a scarflette to go with a new red and grey dress ......well it didn't quite end up like that - LOL 

It ended up much bigger than planned and the colours are wrong for what I ahd planned - anyway will add some big tassels on the ends and say its done - then put it up for sale ..............?

Peruvian hand dyed mercerised cotton in greens and golds - Auracania 4ply cotton 

The Sprout pattern was the basis for this shawl/scarf but I changed the pattern ( a lot) and added three and four leaf clovers on the trim 

Trying to think of a name ............ Lucky Clover? 

This cotton is a fine 4ply - fine and silky a beautiful quality cotton from Auracania which has been hand dyed in Peru 

Christmas - been and gone

Part of my Christmas window - vintage Christmas table cloth and angel 

The red vase is a vintage German ceramic as well 

Plus holly from the garden 

Ah - time flies when your having fun .................. well this Christmas has been a bit dire .........poor hubby was ill with flu before Christmas ....I didn't feel too great either (well haven't felt at all well for several months) ...... and I thought I had a broken leg on Christmas Day - so feet up and bags of frozen peas ....then Boxing Day it was even worse and could not walk at all .so more frozen leg and then a trip to A&E ............... X-rays etc ............... but seems no fracture but just 'badly damaged' and 6 weeks to recover ....................... some way to spend Christmas and New Years!! So all plans to visit family up in Scotland and help them have been shelved 

The lovely rose in Christmas bag from my good friend Marianne took centre stage in my big window

As a consequence I hardly put any decorations up at all - some holly where I could on Christmas Eve and managed a few lights around the windows ................. 

My festive lantern as usual and sadly that was about it - apart from a  string of white lights in each window 

Sorry folks but that was all I could manage .................. 

Brother Electronic Super Ace III - an auction find!

Brother Super Ace III 

Bought this recently at Auction ......in a dirty cardboard box - discovered when I got it home it would not sew nor did it have a foot pedal 

It came with one of those silly serger machines that are rather toy-like and never work! 

Anyway 

I fiddled , faddled...lots cursing - thinking I had wasted my money ............ checked web and found a blog  (internet is a wonderful thing) that said it was as a super machine as worked without a foot pedal - so back n checked all its buttons n bits ....and lo it worked (after a fashion) then cleaned out bobbin race (full of yuck n threads - ditto the bobbin wonder was a real mess) 

BUT then discovered wrong bobbin in  machine - tried a different one and sewed smoothly 

And yo ho ho it worked - a treat with the button ...............so ordered via the web and the Brother web site (very helpful peeps there) a manual and a new foot pedal that arrived this week and yes it works with foot pedal as well - yee haaaa 

So now a happy bunny - so gave it a good clean getting rid of lots dust n dirt 

But - yes another big BUT - I only have 1 bobbin that fits .......why oh why didn't I check and order a couple of boxes of bobbins to fit! It needs really thin bobbins all mine are too thick or wrong shape and the plastic bobbins are also too high - so the thread loops around the bobbin = a real thread snarl! 

So now have to order some bobbins .............

Look at teh nifty bobbin thread control - you pull it through it cuts and no fuss in pulling up bobbin thread - does it all automatically 

Also comes with I think 40 stitches and looks like a good sturdy modern machine - think about 10 years old - not sure - but really pleased with my auction find! 

Cooper Vintage Sewing Machine - stunning colour!

This is a super Cooper - in the most gorgeous shade of turquoise 

A vertical bobbin 

You can raise & lower the feed-dogs (Heavy- Medium - Silk) 

It also has a drop down extension at the side and lidded storage box at the side 

This machine I found in my husband's Mother's house - hidden in the kitchen 

Cleaned her up gave her a good oiling and now she works a treat and is now immaculate barely a chip in her lovely enamel - and yes she has to be a 'she' in this bright cheerful colour! 

Makes it a joy to sew - especially on a grey rainy day! 

Makes you smile just looking at her and I can easily bolt on a motor if I need to 

The bobbin is vertical and is accessed by the plate lifting up on a hinge - unlike the 'Singer's' that slide out 

The tension dial is on the end plate 

This is a Japanese copy of a Singer - guess from the1960's? 

Advent Calenders - 6 down and more to do....................

Traditional Heart Advent

Calico coloured background with burgundy and highlighted in gold

Christmas Cats - fub cats in burgundy with lots of gold

Made two of these

Dickens - very traditional

in Festive red & green with gold highlights

Nativity Advent - lots nativity scenes

in traditional red and gold with a lovely blue border with gold stars 

Nativity Advent 

With scenic panel with traditional Nativity scenes for the pockets, again lots of gold adding that festive glow 

All are backed in plain calico and padded and quilted.

I chose a plain backing so as not to detract from the patterned fronts 

All have a hanging pocket along the top 

Well that is 6 made and I think another 6 to do ............... some of them have folded pockets and even tabs - so really fiddly to make ................... anyway people have been asking how much they are so £25.00 each. 

Yet to do ............... 1 based on trains ; 2 are 'Toy Shop';  1 a lovely white and gold Angel