Words, words, words

The Save the Words website aims to preserve words that are in danger of falling into disuse. While some words should perhaps be allowed to sink without trace, others are well worth preserving. In any event, the website was the inspiration for these cushions.

My friend, Chris, who alerted me to the existence of the Save the Words site, recently did some major renovations to her house and I decided to combine her love of words, my new 5D software and my Husqvarna Diamond Designer machine to make a house-warming gift with a difference. I was still toying with the idea when she rang and invited us to dinner tonight, so the project catapulted up my priority list. I'm still learning how to use both the software and the machine - and to get them to talk to each other - but, despite a few teething problems, I managed to produce these cushions.

The first cushion includes such delights of the English language as dodrantal, redamancy, flosculation, affictitious, trajectitious and vacivity.


The second features keleusmatically, tantuple, rhodologist, drollic, frutescent and secability, as well as other equally arcane words. I recommend a visit to Save the Word for meanings and further endangered words.

Poppy journal

Last year, I decided to make a handbag featuring a poppy motif. After doing a sample piece and a couple of attempts at the bag, I abandoned the project. (Along the way, I learned that some tear-away stabilisers can leave lots of small fibres behind.)

However, when I made my journal cover for the ACT Textile Arts group holiday challenge, I decided to revise my earlier idea and made a journal cover for my friend Margaret instead. I like journal covers that fully enclose the journal so that loose things don't fall out but I didn't want the closure to have any impact on the poppy, so I opted for a zipper closure - which was as difficult as I thought it would be. Fortunately, Margaret loved it and didn't notice the bits that were a bit wonky.

Knitted scarf

I've been very busy with work for the past few months but I made this scarf for my daughter-in-law. I use a yarn called Entice from Lincraft - it was nylon but very soft and I liked the soft colours. I knitted it up in a K1P1 rib.

It's my birthday (tomorrow)

It's my birthday tomorrow and I'll be on my way to Hong Kong, so my daughter-in-law (the World's Best Daughter-In-Law) made this delicious cake for me today. I know it only looks like a small cupcake but it's actually sitting on a dinner plate. And the top chocolate is chocolate-coated licorice from the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory - the most delicious choc-coated licorice I've ever tasted.

Another quilt for Emma

Emma moved from a cot into a single bed last year and I happily agreed to make a new quilt and matching pillowslip. However, it's taken 6 months to finish, probably because I kept being distracted by other things.


Emma obviously likes it.

Start with a piece of calico

I decided to participate in this year's holiday challenge for ACT Textile Arts. The only requirements were to make a journal cover, starting with a piece of calico (the calico didn't have to be visible at the end). I used calico, brown paper, copper metallic paint, machine embroidery thread - and beeswax.


And here's my completed journal cover. I'm quite pleased with it, although I've learned a lot about the construction process.


I painted the paper, scrunched it up (lots of fun and very good for relieving stress) and fused it to the calico. I then embroidered words onto it, using a font built into my sewing machine, and finally rubbed beeswax all over it. There is a magnetic catch to hold it closed.

It's summer and . . .

I've just finished this jumper for John. He was reluctant to pose in it - the current temperature is 26C - and is wearing shorts with it. However, I'm sure he'll appreciate it when the mercury plummets below zero.

I started making the jumper mid-winter but I'm either slow at knitting or don't watch enough television - I only knit while watching television. I don't do a lot of knitting and I don't see it as a particularly creative activity but I really missed it when I couldn't do it for a few years. I think, for me, knitting is chewing gum for the hands.