Grannymar

This week I actually have something to show you!

For many years there has been a hook on the wall between my fridge and the pantry door.  You are looking at the back of this item - the more usual way to hang it.  Turning it round you might see the contents.

My Peg Bag

It was a stop gap peg bag to replace the one that was here when I arrived thirty three years ago.  Looking faded, frayed and the worse for wear, I decided to replace it with a remnant of fabric on a temporary basis, seven years ago.  I had intended to make a proper peg bag and only this week completed the task.

I had a large collection of pegs so the new bag needed to cater for all of them with ease.

The bag from the inside.

Turning it right side out it looked like this:

A little girl’s dress

Confession time!  I didn’t have a pattern, so paid a visit to a charity shop and found this little gem.  It looked like it had never been worn - perhaps the mother did not like the colours or want to dress her daughter as a doll.  There may have been other reasons…. but we won’t go there.

The dress was fully lined and this made my job easier.  I pleated the base of the lining and cut two old handkerchiefs into circles and hand stitched one to the inside of the lining and the other to the outside of the lining to add strength and give a neat finish.

I removed the three buttons from the back opening and turned in the edges to form a neat V.  I stitched the belt on the underside so that it stayed in place.

Once placed on the hanger the back of the bag looked like this:

Plenty of room to remove or replace the pegs!

Now if you are a mother or a grandmother and know of a special dress that a young lady has outgrown, why not give it a new life as a peg bag.

Blame the holidays…. I have no work to show you.  The idea I had for this week did not work out and I was busy with family.

This piece is not my own but spied at The Outlet Centre in Banbridge, on my way to Dublin last week.  Empty shop units are cleverly disguised by having the windows dressed with Artwork or products from other shops in the town.

This window was actually an Advert for the South Regional College to promote their classes.

I loved the colours in the needlework and the fabrics were light and airy.  I snapped it with my phone through the glass and hoped to avoid flashback!  The three circles at the bottom of the work are actually on the window, if you look carefully they carry on right across the pane.

Decided to have a day off…. well almost.

Arrived at Elly & George’s about 4pm, caught up on the news before we enjoyed a tasty BBQ with a lovely bottle of Red Pinot Noir 2008 from Tasmania, then sat giggling at the table for over an hour, with the old recipe books.  It was fun.

No work prepared so instead I have a different craft to share.

Not my work, but the flowers were made by Elly.

“For each flower you need seven circles of crepe paper ‘this size’!” Those were Elly’s exact words!

OK! Ok!  Elly was holding up her right hand with her thumb and index finger forming a circle.  That was the size of the circles.  The stamen of each flowere was made in the contrast colour.  A straight strip of crepe paper was painted with a glue paste and wrapped around the end of the stem.  Then a circle was glued to the stem and the following one was attached from the opposite side to imitate real flowers.  Continue if this manner until all seven circles are used.

Elly’s flowers were originally used for a Halloween party, and stayed put ever since.  She mixed Orange and black to tone in with other decorations and they are very effective, simple and inexpensive,

Hopefully by next week I will have some real Needlework for you!

There are a hundred and one excuses for having no personal work to show you today, and I know you do not want to hear them.  For a change I will tell you a story…..

About half a dozen years ago, an elderly aunt decided she would travel to Belfast by train and meet me for lunch before returning home in the evening.  The day was bright warm and sunny and we sauntered about the town when we had eaten our fill.  My aunt suggested walking to Central Station to catch the Dublin train.

As we walked, I shared with her the news that I had a new man in my life.  Suddenly with great interest my aunt subjected me to a cross examination more suitable to the Laganside Courthouse that we were than passing.

I was able to tell her that this man was not very tall, mature with his eye well focused on the way ahead.  She seemed pleased.

“Where did you meet him?” she enquired.

“Here in Belfast.” I told her adding “In fact I may have the opportunity to introduce you, if we quicken our step!” Soon she was tottering on her heels bubbling with excitement at the prospect of meeting my new beau.

“There he is!” I declared as we crossed the street from the Courthouse to the front of the Waterfront hall.

“Where?  Where?” she asked.

Suddenly her face clouded as I pointed to the sculpture of the Shepherd walking his sheep to market!

Sheep on the Road 1991 by Deborah Brown at the Entrance to Waterfront Hall, Lanyon Place, Belfast.

These sheep will look a little different during the days of August.  Why?  Because they will be “yarn bombed”

Photo by: Moochin Photoman,

A group of skilled knitters will take to the streets during August to wrap their creations around public property like trees, street signs and lamp posts, covering the streets of Belfast in woollen ‘tags’.

Now I need to charge up some batteries and dust off the camera!

Today time is short for me and I am running late….  so in order not to disappoint I will show a sample of reverse appliqué.

It is simply machine stitched using three layers of felt on a base layer of leather.  Have I shown this before?  I hope not as I don’t have time to go back and check this morning.

Another sample, this time in crepe paper to work out the layers, colours and pattern.  It is a good idea to do this before cutting into precious fabric.  With the paper or a firm fabric it may not be necessary to fold under a hem.

These pieces were as a result of reading about the “mola”, it forms part of the traditional costume of a Kuna woman in Panama.  In Dulegaya, the Kuna’s native language, “mola” means “shirt” or “clothing”.

Molas have their origin in the body painting. Only after the colonization by the Spanish and contact with missionaries the Kuna started to transfer their traditional geometric designs on fabric, first by painting directly on the fabric and later by using the technique of reverse application. It is not known for certain when this technique was first used.

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With this technique, you can use three to five layers of fabric.

Want to know how to get started?

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Transfer your pattern to the right side of the fabric that will be on the top layer. You can trace, mark, or draw freehand, whichever works best for you. This transferred marking will be the seam line for each cut shape.  Then draw a dotted line 1/8 inch away from the seam line, using a pencil or chalk. This will be your cut line.  Cut along the dotted cut line.
Clip inside curves and notch outside curves to seam allowance. Clip inside corners to seam allowance, and square off outside corners. This technique will help your reverse appliqué lay flat when it is sewn together.

Layer the pieces of fabric, all of which should be right side up. Pin together.

Blind stitch together by hand, using the tip of your needle to pull the top fabric under to the seam line, or top stitch by machine, along the seam line. Use a tight zigzag stitch if machining.  Now that the reverse appliqué step has been completed, use your other crafty techniques to make your project into something special. Finished reverse appliqué pieces can be simply framed or used in quilts, hot plate holders and clothing.

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Catch you later, when I slow down…..!

No progress on the wool project this week.  I was far too busy running round the country to meet up with Bloggers, Toyboys, shopping, and trying fast cars!

♦♥♣ ♦♥♣ ♦♥♣

In the meantime another little project I played about with some years ago.

I bought a plain uncoloured silk scarf, with a rolled edge and ready for painting.  I always wash the fabric before painting to remove the finish that is on the fabric.  These finishes can resist paint and spoil a design.  Best results are achieved when the fabric is attached to a frame, being careful to keep it taut.

Alas, I had no frame at the time of the correct shape and size for the job. A large thick sheet of plastic was spread on the floor and I set the freshly paint soaked scarf on it.  I wanted to use a Resist technique with Deka Silk paint.   These silk paints are inter-mixable, non-toxic, water-based and fixed by ironing!  The paints are wash-fast up to 60°C.  By sprinkling Rock salt on areas of the wet paint it draws off the paint underneath each crystal - leave the salt in place until the paint has dried completely - at least overnight.  If you click on the picture below you will see the pattern that I achieved.

This link will give more information about Resist and much more.

In order to fix the paint lay a sheet of baking parchment on the ironing board, then the fabric and add a top layer of parchment on top.  It ensures there are no errors of paint coming off on the iron or the board.  It also protects the silk from burning.  Move a hot iron over the paper sandwich slowly making sure to heat all the item in turn.

Did you know how to check if a fabric is real silk?  No matter what thickness or width of fabric, REAL silk will pass through a wedding ring!

My wool project is proving rather slow this week.  Gallivanting and lunching with friends are proving an easy distraction.

In the mean time I have a cushion with a difference.  It was made by my sister.

“Nothing spectacular!” I hear you say, a plain brown granny square.  Well this is the back.  The interest is in the front.

The front of the cushion is completed with rug canvas and rug wool.  The back can be worked in any toning fabric.  It certainly makes for very comfortable sitting.

Now that has given me an idea……..!

I promised you a progress report on my homework for the week.  The week has been so busy I nearly forgot what was supposed to show you.

It was blue.  Right?

Yes, 3 Double Knitting skeins X 100g of blue acrylic and each skein is 300m long.  As you can see I set up a base row on the needles.  Soon it began to look like this:-

As you can see I was half way through casting off at this stage.  Now what would I do with that :?:  Make a tie for teddy?  Nah!  Don’t be impatient, Rome was not built in a day.

Do you want to see more?

Now I have changed to crochet.  The stitch was taken from the pattern in the last photo and I needed a rough guide for the number of stitches and rows to get shaping for this part.  The pattern is worked over two rows and by the end of the first two rows, it was a matter of working with out thinking.  I sat in the sunshine each day and totally cleared my mind as I worked.

Now you see what the piece of ribbing was all about at the beginning.  I worked two inches of rib as normal for the beginning of any knitted jumper, and then I cast off until I had one stitch remaining.  This last stitch was used to crochet back along the rib following the pattern on the sheet.  The ruler is to give you a guide of how much I achieved with one skein of wool.  You can see the tail coming from the needle to the ruler.

I didn’t show you the picture on the pattern sheet as it would confuse you at this stage.  I promise to show you at the end of the project.

So for today, as they say on the Loony Tunes That’s All Folks!

P.S. I’ll be back at 3pm with a surprise for you!

Today the title should be Art without My Needle.

Why?  Simply because there are no needles or stitches to show today. No!  Now that is not quite correct.  I actually have needles and stitches but of a very different kind.

For most of the time while working with Spencer Spider and his cushion, I was working on a wing and a prayer.  For the first time in my life I found difficulty threading needles.  Beading needles are particularly fine.  I was succeeding by feel and pure chance, simply because I knew where the eye of the needle should be.  You can only do that for so long, and this week I have taken a rest.

Yesterday I made a couple of purchases.  One was a packet of needle threaders, something I frowned upon having in my work-box all down the years.  Now I will have to put my pride in my pocket and use the gadget, if I wish to keep sewing!

My purchases

The card with two needle threaders is there at the front and the wool and needles are for a project that I have had in my head for some time.   Hopefully if the weather behaves for another week or three I’ll sit outside and play with the wool.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

In the meantime…

Something completely different.  Despite my Post yesterday, I thought I would show you the only Floral arrangement that I am happy with doing.

Anyone for tea?

It is an arrangement in a cup and saucer.

A side view.

The wide flat cup makes the job easier.

Time for the unveiling!

It began with a challenge to make a web that included a spider.

Gathering the toys

End of Day One.  The beginning of the web.

Pencil sketch of Spencer Spider

Playing with colour

Spencer is complete

Setting the web spines on fabric

Finished cushion with Spencer Spider on the prowl!