I tawt I taw a puddy cat...

Collage cats.

Printed cats.

 

Stitched cats.

Cat cards galore for blupaisan as part of the June Birthday swap on Craftster. I especially like the collage cats sitting in the windowsill looking at the birds.  I always knew there was a reason why I keep scraps of paper!

Put a Bird On It!

Have had a busy few weeks away, now to update this blog!  Just before my holidays I took part in another Craftster swap, this time 'Put a Bird On It'.  Not a Portlandia themed swap...

...but a swap celebrating our feathered friends.  My swap partner, Becky Button likes kakapos, so after finding this template, I set to work to make a journal.

 

 

I also made a embroidered felt budgie needle case and a crochet bird (using the great pattern from Attic24).

 

 

 

As an extra I also sent Go Wildlife comic, featuring a kakapo cover star.

In return, I received a bumper package.  Three adorable felt ornaments - a puffin, owl and robin.

These are going to look amazing with my felt guinea pigs! Two amazing tote bags, featuring a pied wagtail (my favourite bird ever!) and a cheeky seagull!

 

Plus buttons and all sorts of goodies!

 

This was a great swap to take part in, you can view all of the other swap packages on the Craftster thread.

Sew Saturday...

Many tiny buttonhole stitches make slow progress on my holly...

A Rather Foxy Waistcoat

Yesterday at Make It Glasgow, whilst I was getting started on my holly, there was an extra special treat for us all. Textile collector and historian Graham Hunter brought in part of his collection of 18th and 19th Century embroidered waistcoats.
These were amazing to view, the detail incredible. One particular item drew my attention, this beautiful fox waistcoat.
Repeated fox faces, complete with tiny beads for eyes, and little stitches for whiskers.
It would certainly suit a fantastic Mr Fox.

Stumpwork Embroidery Holly

Today I spent a number of hours hard at work here...
At Make It Glasgow for a Royal School of Needlework stumpwork day class. I had never tried stumpwork embroidery before, it looked far too difficult to be attempting at home alone! Luckily tuition was on hand to talk us through creating a holly pin.
Admittedly mine is not finished, I still have hours of buttonhole stitch around wire still to do. Plus I need to finish my needle lace, which may take some very deep concentration! There were some amazing examples of what you can do with stumpwork, although first I better finish my holly...

Magic Feather project...

My aim yesterday was to take part in a day in the life, organised by the lovely Frayed at the Edges. However, I overindulged on Saturday night, which meant that I spent the majority of Sunday snoozing in bed. My craft mojo took until Match of the Day 2 to appear, when I read about the Magic Feather project.
The project is organised by Spirit Cloth, with the aim to collect 1000 stitched feathers from around the world. She asks that the cloth is recycled, luckily I have lots of fabrics that I just can't bear to throw away. I picked this kitsch fabric, it was a top that I wore until it fell apart, beyond repair.I like the bright 70s inspired pattern. For my feather, I picked a plain brown embroidery thread to match the print. My feather can now fly away to New York.

Textiles at Bamburgh Castle

This time last week we were in a very hot car, on a very hot day, on our way to Bamburgh - a very pretty village in Northumberland.
A trip around the castle revealed some wonderful textiles.
Tapestries.
A curtain made by Russian prisoners, from their uniforms, during the Crimean war.
And an embroidery, similar in style to the Bayeux tapestry. Beautiful!

International Women's Day

Yesterday the Tramway was transformed into a rainbow of stitches.
Knitted squares adorned everything.
I managed to find the squares that myself, my mum & my nan made.
And even the square made from the remains of my sock wool.
100 events to inspire & delight.
And even my embroidery with book, finally framed & on the wall.