rubykittyruby

  One more thing finally crossed off my 'still need to finish' list.  Yesterday I added the rest of the red ties to this lap sized quilt, and embroidered 'Val made this' on the reverse.  It's probably going to end up as a present for someone as I don't need yet more quilts strewn across my bed or sofa.  I did like working with the upcycled denim, and especially how you get a variation in shades of blue, often depending on how many times the original garment had been laundered.  Here's a glimpse of the backing fabric, with my purple clogs getting in the picture.   I also plumped for a hen as the next bird I'd make from the Corinne Lapierre book, having dithered over what to choose.  I realised I'd got just enough of the fudge coloured felt to make the hen's body.  So I spent yesterday evening dutifully following the instructions.  Step 1 completed, step 2, step 3.  It was only when I reached step 9 that I realised my mistake. ...

  No, you're not seeing double.  I made a second owl, following (with a few minor variations) the pattern from Corinne Lapierre's 'Folk Embroidered Felt Birds'  Then I had a go at a blue tit.  Unlike the owl where the embroidery's only on the front facing part, the blue tit's got embroidered wings on back and front.   This design was a little trickier than the owl, though the actual piecing together of the bird is easy enough.  It's the details on the head that I wasn't so good at.   Here's the image from the book of what my bird ought to look like.  The black lines on the head aren't made of black felt, but dense stitching with black thread. I'm not entirely sure I got the placement of the eye right, and my black stitching's a mite clumsy.  But at least my blue tit's recognisable! Note how my fly stitch is going in the opposite direction to that in the book's image.  I put that down to me being left handed, it's just easier t...

Spring days start early.  The sun rises and the dawn chorus breaks into song, and I unearth myself from underneath the duvet.  My Sunday's been productive so far, and I'm typing this at about a quarter to eight in the morning.  Laundry's already washed and pegged out on the line, and I'm already washed and full of porridge.  I thought I'd begin with a round-up of what crafty things I've been up to.  First of all, this piece of slow stitching.  I'd a grand idea about making a frame for it, covering sturdy cardboard with papier mache and white paint, then gluing on sea shells.  Only I've had a change of heart.  I've got so many works-in-progress that I need to get things finished before they get totally out of hand.  So I added a backing fabric to this stitched piece, and used embroidery thread to blanket stitch around the edges.  All it needs now is a couple of loops sewn on to hang it by.  Plus, maybe a few weighty beads added to th...

  IN THE MORNING:  Greetings from my particular corner of Yorkshire.  The garden's beginning to come to life.  Daffodils are doing their gaudy thing, tulips are just about opening and there're masses of blue hyacinths and muscari (also known as grape hyacinths).  There're clumps of russet and gold coloured wallflowers and the bird feeders are in constant demand from various long tailed and blue tits, starlings and blackbirds, plus the occasional stunning goldfinch.  A jaunty little robin bobs underneath the feeders to catch the scraps that fall their way.  Because it's spring my thoughts turn to spring cleaning.  Then my thoughts turn away from dreary housework and back to sewing ... I made this recently, intended as a journal wrap but turned out a wee bit too small for that purpose.  So I've been turning it into something to keep sewing odds & ends in.   I've folded over one end and stitched in place, to form two pockets. ...

As I'm the Queen of Procrastination and I irritate myself by having so many unfinished crafty projects lurking in corners, I've written a 'To Do List' and am gradually working through it.  Two items crossed off - I finished the embroidery started at Saturday's workshop, and I've finished what I've been calling my boho style bunting.  I could've sewn a few more of the triangles, but this work-in-progress has been in-progress for far too long so I assembled it and added a couple of ribbon loops to hang it from.   Each triangle's backed with yellow cotton.   I suppose I could add a beaded tassel to each pointy bit.  What do you think?  Too much?   Apart from that, I finished reading 'The Thief on the Winged Horse' which - after a very promising start - seemed to go off the boil about two thirds of the way through.  So I've picked a historic novel for my next read, 'The Rebel Daughter' by Miranda Malins.  It's set during the Engli...

Don't the weeks roll by at speed?  It only seems like five minutes ago we were at the start of 2024, making New Year resolutions and eating the last of the Christmas sweet treats.  It's a grey rainy morning in Yorkshire and I slept particularly badly last night, so I'm intending to have a cat nap this afternoon.  But in the meantime, I'll do some half-hearted cleaning & tidying, and write a blog post.  Yesterday was an embroidery workshop based at Leeds Art Gallery.  I've decided that this year's the one where I learn basic embroidery skills, so I happily signed up for this two hour beginners class.  It was run by Hayley Mills-Styles , and attended mainly - as is always the way - by middle aged women.  Plus one solitary man.  Bless him!  We learnt how to 'hoop up', about different needle sizes, what fabric to embroider on to, and several beginner-friendly stitches.  I knew a few already (running stitch, chain and lazy daisies, back s...

I learnt a new word today/  Tsundoku.  Apparently it's when you buy lots of books and pile 'em up with the intention that one day you'll get around to reading them.  Yup, I know that feeling.  I've books that've been patiently waiting their turn for ages, while others get consumed straightaway.  I'm currently reading and really enjoying a bit of magical realism.  'The Thief on the Winged Horse' by Kate Mascarenhas.  Sometimes stories based around magical realism can be way too cutesy and 'ooh, look at me, aren't I quirky?!' but this author's judged the tone just right.   I spent some of this morning packaging up sari/boho style fabric for my Etsy shop - link here - then felt  at a loose end.  I wanted to do something crafty, but couldn't settle and get stuck into any one particular thing.  I took a second look at this fabric postcard which I wasn't totally satisfied with, so I pulled the cardboard off the back and added some d...