A gift for Wanda

I usually plan (and try to make) gifts for people well in advance but this year I suddenly realised that Wanda's birthday was just over a week away, which really limited my options - it had to be quick and relatively easy to make. Fortunately, I had been thinking for a while of exploring the many inbuilt stitches on my Husqvarna Diamond (I think there are more than 400) and decided that this might be a good option for a journal cover.

Here's what I came up with (by the way, Wanda likes puppy dogs):

Postcard swap - Egypt

I mentioned in a previous post that I had participated in a fabric postcard swap in June, through stitchinfingers. I've been wanting to make some more fabric postcard and, of course, the Egypt theme sparked many memories for me.

I received this beautiful card from Mary the day after my previous post - a delightful surprise:

As I forgot to take a photo of my postcard before sending it off, you'll just have to take my word that it was absolutely fabulous (what's the emoticon for tongue-in-cheek?). Like many others in the swap, it featured the Eye of Horus.

More cushions

My daughter-in-law asked for some cushions for her birthday. She only mentioned it two weeks before her birthday but she was happy to wait a while. I then forgot to photograph them before I gave them to her and it's taken months for me to get photos - but here they are at last.

The two in the first photo are a plain yarn and a feathery yarn knitted together.

These are knitted, needle-felted and machine embroidered.

What have I been doing?

The answer is: not much! Mostly, I've been trying to keep warm - it probably wasn't a good idea to go to Brisbane and return to cool weather. I have knitted some articles for my granddaughters - it's been perfect knitting weather - but I haven't got good photos of them yet. I might have to go around with my camera and do a 'fashion shoot' of them wearing their winter woollies.

I also participated in a 'Round Robin' fabric postcard swap. Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph my postcard before I sent it off and I haven't received one yet either.

I've also started lots of projects, most of which I've put aside for one reason or another, but I have finished this silk cushion:

It is made out of hand-painted silk twill and machine quilted with a dark blue embroidery thread (for the square grid) and gold thread for the diagonal grid. I'm not sure if the fabric is really robust enough for cushions but I love the bright colours that are possible in hand-painted silk.

Belated birthday present

I made these cushions for my sister for her birthday and gave them to her when we met up at her daughter's wedding on the weekend - a few weeks late.

This was my first attempt with dyeing silk in the microwave and I was very pleased with the effect. I then free machined wavy lines over them.

Knit, felt, stitch

I made these cushions by firstly knitting together three yarns: a 5-ply wool, a feather-type yarn and an eyelash-type yarn. I then needle-felted the knitted piece and finished it off with free motion machine embroidery.

I worked swirls all over this one.

For this one, I just stitched wavy lines horizontally and vertically but then added cords made by crocheting the three yarns plus a gold yarn together.

More recycled denim

Two more cushions made from recycled blue jeans.

In this one, I worked rows of serpentine stitch all over.

 I just stitched lines parallel  to the seams in this one.