Ecriture

I showed this stitching to my son who tried to pick up the pen. My job here is done!!

I haven't pressed it properly ( actually - I haven't pressed it at all ), so apologies for the wavy appearance.

It represents a page from a child's French writing practice book, complete with teacher's corrections - and a ink splat. It appealed to me, but I am not sure how to finish it. I am thinking it would make an excellent slip cover for a note book, but this is a finish I have never tried before. Still, as a teacher I must have covered a million books with paper, really - a million - easily, so that must give me a bit of an insight into how to begin.

OK, I am going to tell you something.

I wasn't going to, but I will.

This was almost finished and only needed my name and a date adding. So, with determination this morning, I put it into a small hoop, ready to complete it.

I began to sew, and immediately panicked because my eyesight seemed to have deteriorated overnight. I was poking about in the back of the work, unable to hit the hole I was wanting. It was awful. I thought 'This is it then, the end of my sewing, I just can't do it anymore'.

I changed the needle, maybe that one was blunt, no difference.

I plodded on but it took an absolute age.

Finally it was finished and I took it out of the hoop.

Mmmmm - eyes not blind. Needle not blunt.

Sewing doubled up in hoop giving two layers of fabric.

Idiot!!! I couldn't bear to frog and repeat so I just treated the second layer like waste fabric and picked it out thread by thread.

Anybody else make basic beginner mistakes like this? I thought not!

Best wishes

Irene

xxx

Look what I've got now!!!

Actually I have had this beautiful sewing box for a few weeks and I am busy hunting down old needlework tools to go inside. At the moment I have, all in bone, some bodkins, a tatting shuttle, some thread holders, quite a lot of crochet hooks, (some with mother of pearl handles) and some carved things which look needleworky, so they're going in too. There is a lovely old painted tape measure, and of course, some thimbles and some antique packets of needles. The back of the lid is a pin cushion and it drops open to make a space for charts or patterns - or secret love letters??

It's nice isn't it?

I have some sewing pics to show too, but I haven't worked out how to load two different pictures into the same blog using Picasa. The above is a collage which downloads as one picture. If you haven't tried Picasa, give it a go. It's free to download.

Regards
Irene

Just exquisite! And another draw to be won.

A quick posting to say that I received my draw prize from Patti and it is just lovely. The pin keep is so finely stitched and finished it will take pride of place in my collection of smalls. Thank you again Patti.

New news.

Patti is having another draw and this one will be even more spectacular. Pop over to her site again and have a look. www.tapestry-of-dreams.blogspot.com

It finishes on July 14th and is definitely worth the effort.

I don't know whether I should have a go or not....it seems a little greedy.

Aw, go on then, I will!!!

Best wishes

Irene

It's mine, it's mine!!!!

Let me tell you, if one of my blog favourites is having a draw, I add a comment and my name to the list, but I never win.

UNTIL NOW!

I won Patti's draw, so soon I will be the proud owner of the lovely Mary Little pin keep above. How lucky am I? The awful truth is, I had been so busy that I hadn't had time to read any blogs or to check Patti's (http://tapestry-of-dreams.blogspot.com/) so when I eventually did, my surprise and pleasure was even greater.

This will be my first ever pin keep, I have never made one and have never been given one before. I am so looking forward to receiving it.

Thank you so much for you generosity Patti.

Regards

Irene
xxx