Thursday 15 October 2009

New TV programme

Talking Threads has just launched on the Country Channel and for those of us who do not have Sky it is also available to watch online. The first programme was silk painting by Jill Kennedy and it is well worth watching. Just follow the link if you want to watch it online.

I have received some lovely things in the mail over the last couple of days, the first of which was some fabric and thread from Dawn Hay in Australia. Dawn is one of the Gum Tree designers and sent a thank-you to a number of people who commented on her giveaway winner. Thank you Dawn, now I will be able to start my Gum Tree Christmas designs. Just look at that beautiful card as well.



My other surprise mailing has also come from Australia and it is my Friendship Bag swap. This was from Rebecca and included some fabric, an Australian magazine and some hand made soap . The soap contains olive, coconut and macademia oils and lavender and palmaress essential oil. It smells absolutely beautiful. Thank you Bec.




A few posts ago I mentioned that I had bought a peg loom from The Threshing Barn. Yesterday I decided to try it out. Not being sure how to start and finish it I did a small piece and then threw it under the embellisher. It has turned out quite well and with some added stitching could be heading for a small notebook wrap.




The result of this was a desire to learn more about the loom and so I duly headed off to the Threshing Barn to book in for a workshop in early November. I defy anyone to go in there and come out empty handed!







I even found these lovely buttons. The ones on the left are from the 1930s and were languishing in a box in a factory when they were found and offered to those of us who cannot resist such things.




The dragonfly button has come in really handy for a mug carrier that I have made using a pattern by Paula Storm. I don't really need to take a mug to the workshops that I attend so it will come in handy for keeping things tidy in my workspace.




A little worrying on the Royal Mail front is that the postcard for the latest Popular Patchwork swap and my first OU assignment, that were both posted on Saturday, do not yet appear to have arrived. The postcard theme was Harvest Festival and as I don't think that Alyson is a blogger I will add it to this post. It is foiled felt with a paper napkin embellished onto it then embroidered by machine hand and with some beads added.




The good news is that my teacup block for the Popular Patchwork 2012 quilt did arrive promptly. The background fabric is some Liberty lawn fabric that I had left over after making a blouse almost 30 years ago. The blouse eventually fell apart after excessive use.


 

Finally, I really must get around to making something to hang in my workroom window. Every time the window cleaner has been, one of the collared doves decides to do a kamikaze lunge at the window, leaving me with its outline for the next month. It doesn't seem to injure itself but is obviously not learning its lesson. Not the brightest dove in the flock!



Until next time, happy sewing

Maggi





13 comments:

  1. Nice goodies for you from Australia, you seem to have a conection with this country. I love your gorgeous loom work and yarns and the dragonfly buttons...What a lot of lovely things to inspire creativity. Lucky you.

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  2. OK not a smart bird but it left a spooky Halloween mark on your window! Would be a good picture to send in to one of those ghost hunter shows!

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  3. What a lot of lovely goodies you have, the yarn is a beautiful colour. I hope Royal Mail get their act together and your bits find their destination. Be a shame for all that hard work to go astray

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  4. Gosh Maggi you have really inspired me with those photographs. I tend to do my sewing in the winter and get out and about in the summer. Have just started to get out my materials and look what is missing - now, having read your blog - I am raring to go, so thanks for that.

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  5. Love the goodies by post and your woven/embellished piece. The yarns and buttons from the Threshing Barn are gorgeous and I can see why you couldn't resist them. The postcard and teacup block are lovely too and I'm sure your OU assignment will get there even if it takes a bit longer than usual. Maybe it was a collared dove that coined the phrase 'bird brain'!

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  6. Hi Maggi

    The yarns and buttons are beautiful. I wouldn't have been able to resist them

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  7. The yarn is so beautiful! Lovely. And somehow the photo of the 'bird' is very interesting. You could fool someone by saying it is a gost LOL :-). I wonder how you made the buttons. They are great.

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  8. The yarn is so beautiful, looks incredibly soft too. Ros

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  9. Aren't you the lucky one to receive such nice goodies in the mail.

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  10. Maggie, you make me tired just reading about all of your projects!!! I especially like the felted, loomed piece....cant wait to see it finished.

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  11. Whoa Maggi, what can I say. That is fabulous, well, everything is, the yarn, oooh looks good enough to eat. yummy. Your card I hope will turn up eventually and your course work too. This is a real pain isn't it, I posted some stuff today and am now starting to worry already.
    Aha, so that's what I do with the beautiful napkins you sent me - I did wonder!!!!! I was at our market today and the lady on the craft stall, is going to make me up a bag of buttons for £1. She said it will be a few weeks, but ooh I can't wait to see what I get.
    Watch my blog space as they say.
    Jan x
    ps Annette had a pigeon do that some-time ago, it is a fabulous print you get isn't it, a possible postcard there I would have thought---very spooky.

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  12. What lovely goodies and the yarn as just wonderful!
    Micki

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  13. I love your goodies! The 1930's buttons are a real find, can't wait to see what you do with them. I think I need to go and find out about The Threshing Barn!!
    Angela

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