TAST - Lace Border Stitch

Here's my TAST sample for Lace Border stitch. I started on the left hand side and managed to work a variation before I mastered the actual stitch! I'd noticed some others had had a few problems with the stitch but they all seemed to have managed it so I put my sample aside for a couple of days then went back to it and finally worked out how it was meant to be done. But I like my variation as well so left it there. The middle section on the right was also very attractive, so another useful stitch.

Feltmaking

My second class with Tania (see previous post) was feltmaking. I'd always wanted to have a go at this but thought it was something it's easier to be shown rather than try to learn from a book. I also thought it would be a lot messier than it actually was - though it was lovely putting my fingers in the gloopy soap and working it all in. Tania learnt her feltmaking in Turkey and does it the way she was shown there using olive oil soap which smelt and felt lovely. I don't particularly like my finished piece, it's a bit garish for my taste but I was pleased at how successfully it felted and I think it will look good if I cut it up and use small pieces at a time.
My third class was silk bowl making but the bowls are still upside down and drying so I'll try to take a photo in a few days.

Peg Loom Weaving

I'm very fortunate in having a new shop open at Broadwindsor Craft Centre not too far away from me, called Rumpelstiltskin. It's run by Tania, a textile artist and tutor and sells mainly wools but she has started a series of workshops and I've been able to go to 3 so far. The first was on peg loom weaving and here's the hanging I made in an afternoon.

It was so easy and grew so quickly but was a very soothing thing to do once you got in the rhythm. It's a lovely way of using all those fancy yarns that I can't resist buying but don't really want to knit with. It's got a few beads and buttons and wool curls stitched to it. And of course I had to buy a peg loom so I will have to make something else (though how many wall hangings do I need?!)

Tania also stocks sticks for stick weaving, something I'd never come across before either. And that is amazing! I've made several strips so far on 3 sticks and will stitch them all together perhaps in a bag.

TAST - Linked Double Chain

Here's my sample for Linked Double Chain for the TAST challenge. This wasn't a favourite with me and I wasn't very inspired to come up with variations. But never mind, I'm not going to like them all. The results still look quite interesting.

TAST - Reversed Buttonhole Bar

A couple of weeks ago I caught up with the TAST challenge for the first time this year, but then I got sidetracked by knitting a scarf and I'm behind again. However, here is my Reversed Buttonhold bar. When I read through Sharon's instructions I thought, yes, so, but when I started stitching I really liked it and loved the different effects I got with it.

Charms

I decided to have a go at making some fabric charms after seeing lots of other people's examples on their blogs. However, they all seemed to be one inch square and I didn't feel ready to go quite that small so these are 2" square. They are done on painted vilene to which I've added bondaweb and scraps of fabric and threads. The turquoise one has little bits of lime and blue plastic bags ironed on and is covered by some blue chiffon. The orange one includes some gold sequin waste and is covered with orange net. The image of the lady is stamped on to gold foil (Magnum ice cream wrapper again) with a Stazon ink pad. Both are backed onto felt. Because of the small scale a small piece of fabric makes quite a lot of charms so I gave quite a few of the turquoise ones away at work and still have a basketful left!

Old pattern books

During the summer I visited the Antiques Arcade in Hungerford, Berkshire and I found some old knitting and stitching pattern books and these old photos. My Mum used to have a big pile of knitting patterns like these and I used to love looking through them even though 50's patterns looked hopelessly old fashioned to me. Unfortunately they all got thrown out when my parents moved to Dorset, so many things just get ditched without us thinking twice about it. I look forward to using these old pictures in something or other when I get round to it (as always).

Creative Sketchbook

Well, I've been busy but somehow I feel behind in everything again. But I can now upload pictures from my camera again so rather belatedly here are a few pictures of my final sketchbook for my Creative Sketchbooks City & Guilds class. I posted the front and back covers here so here are the inside pages on the theme of Windows.