Holiday Handwork

There is something very satisfying about staying home and sitting around "doing stuff" while other people are rushing around madly because it is holiday time. Here are two of my holiday projects recently finished.

 Old skills, and new. Discovered I can still hemstitch - and basic torchon ground was fun for a lace project.

 I don't suppose I needed a new tablecloth - but it's not about need. I loved the fabric and enjoyed working with it.

Who's to know the hat was last worn by Esther at her wedding in 1986? It now has a new lease of life.  Now I need a new challenge . . .

Extra Special Repair Job

This has been under wraps for a while but now that it is finished and delivered I can reveal something that has been quite a challenge. I try to present each new baby that arrives in my extended family with a hand woven blanket. This one started life as a rather complex weave in two types of soft cotton, one smooth and one very textured. Sadly the baby boy did not survive beyond six months and did not even get to go home from the hospital. For that reason the blanket was one of the very few keepsakes the parents had that related to their child.

After some years, and several house moves, the blanket was damaged while in storage, causing heartbreak and distress. I was asked if there was any way I could do some sort of repair or minimise the damage. I won't show the "before" picture but here are some of the "after".  I am happy to say that the parents are delighted. 

I had some expert help and want to acknowledge my friend Yvonne who took the design I sent her and turned it into the delightful applique with a perfect choice of fabrics and perfect machine stitching. I attached the "patch" and finished if off with some hand stitching. The tatted "stars" and hearts were first used to cover some small holes and then more added to complete the picture. A happy result to lift at least some of the distress.

Not a Dying Art

In case anyone thinks tatting is a dying art (and for many people it is the only comment they can think of when they see me tatting) I belong to an international facebook tatting group. This morning a new member asked if some people would post where they come from. Within a couple of hours there were replies from 17 states in the USA and 16 other countries, and I expect there are more to come.

Here are the stars I have been making in spare evenings lately. My weaving and lacemaking friends, as well as visitors, all seem happy to receive one to add to their Christmas tree. 

 And this is my "tree'" with motifs made earlier in the year with one of each colour I could find.

 Now what to make next?  Sadly there are not many practical uses for tatting that I can find. I doubt if I will be making "barefoot sandals" though you never know.

Catch up time

Yarns for end of year project - tea towels for gifts and group exchange.

 

The warp (top 3 reels) is a mix of linen and cotton and the weft two strands of 16/1 linen together, a different mix for each towel.

For the last weavers' mdeeting of the year I took along a "tree", complete with bird's nest. I had made tatted stars (or snowflakes?}  and invited members to each take one home.

These are the two variations I made, along with some without embellishments which proved popular.

Festive best wishes to one and all, and happy creating.

Green Linen

It was a good feeling to be weaving linen again

This is a large table runner to go to the "Top of the South" Area exhibition in Takaka

It got the tick of approval from Marlborough Weavers at their September meeting

Alpaca Shawl

It took a lot longer than I expected but at last I have finished a shawl for the national Alpaca show. It is bigger than most I have made but that shouldn't make much difference. I must remember not to try doing very fine weaving in the winter when the light is poor and there are fewer hours in the day that I can weave in comfortably. I had to spend many hours correcting threading mistakes and especially sleying errors. I thought I would never get to throw the shuttle. However, it is now finished and I will pack it up with three alpaca scarves and send it off. Then I will pack my bag and take myself off for a week in Wanaka.

 

Handworks 2017

The Marlborough Creative Fibre Exhibition and Scarf Expo are now in full swing and both are doing well - one at each end of the Art Society's Yealands Gallery. The Exhibition is in the larger room and scarves in the smaller but one merges into the other. 
Here are my entries in the Exhibition.

This wrap uses two different weights of alpaca to give a random texture effect though it is actually woven in plain weave.

Table runner in cotton and linen with just a smidgen of wool boucle for texture.

Sometimes huck lace in fine alpaca and silk seems like my signature statement. See previous post.

Linen is not far off being my favourite yarn of all time. Another random "non-pattern" (unusual for me) - this time I made a cover for a visual diary and added a tatted motif and a bookmark.

 

I have several scarves in the expo as well. Here is one of the first sales on opening night - purchased by the mayor! What good taste!

I am delighted to report that both wraps and and the runner are also sold. Yay! That means I can start planning to make some more.