Blog Flog
Although it is highly unlikely that anyone who reads here doesn't read Pin Tangle, I am still going to send you all on over there to see Sharon Bs recent work.
I am enamoured, smitten, in awe of, and inspired...
Check it out.
A free day
I found myself with an entire free day today. I thought I had a meeting, but that was last week (and I was there!!) and yes, I could of gone shopping, but heck, that's boring. So I stayed home. Did a little work (pd by the hour) and some stitching.
I found these great little motifs I could rescue from a scrap of tatting. I saw them and though "flowers". I was going to , and even started , doing the embroidery in the same colour as the tatting. I think I will do that next time. The leaves I took the leap and did satin stitch. I avoid that like the plague usually. You have to be so precise....I am happy with the way it came out though.
I had a meeting last night, so I took my box of goodies and set everything up (etsy inventory). I meant to get a photo. That was a bit of an intimidating experience. I have really had to take a deep breath and start selling myself. I don't mind online stuff. I have time to think about what I am going to say. I don't have to look you in the eye, and pretend I am confident. I am getting better at it. But I figure if people don't actually know what I do, well, they can't buy anything can they. No sales, but hopefully I have planted a seed and people will think of me in the future.
weekend work
I am excited about the number of comments received for the giveaway. Over 100 now, so all prizes are "unlocked" and will be included.
I have also decided to do a special prize for the 100th commenter. I did have her name here , but I can't lay my hands on it right now (in my impeccably tidy office!!). I will find that out later and contact you.
Woven Rose Tutorial
Miss RoseAnne asked how I did woven (spiderweb) roses. So here are lots of pics, and words that hopefully make sense, to show the one little trick I do when creating these.
10 minutes later.....
Ok. I have tried and tried to get the words next to the picture (with the pic on the left of the screen) and it just is not going to work. I am very frustrated with whatever changes blogger has recently made because they ARE NOT working the way they did. It seems I have half the old blogger back, and half the new beta dashboard. So it is words below, Sorry. It really would be easier to have them next to what I am talking about, but needs must I guess. Blogger NEEDS to screw with me. I MUST post tutorial!
Lay down your spokes as usual. I do 5 , sometimes 7 for a larger rose.
I do my first few weaves just as 'normal', meaning I don't worry at all how the ribbon falls.
(excuse my revolting fingernails, I am a woman of many bad habits). Next I take the needle a 'roll' it between my fingers to create a curl in the ribbon. I am not fussy about which way I roll, and often change direction several times through the process. If a petal doesn't look right, I unweave, and roll the other way, until I am happy.
This shows the curl in the ribbon.
Next run your hand down the ribbon, starting at the needle end, to get all the curl in one place. I don't always do this as when you weave it, I kinda does it itself, but this can help when you are starting out.
The weave it through. You can see the curls being trapped in between the spokes. It is important not to pull to tightly. I would rather leave it looser, and do a couple of securing stitches, than pull to tightly.
And here is a petal with a conveniently paced curl in the middle. They don't all work like this !
Here is another one that appears longer an smoother. I don't worry how they look, as it look more realistic if it is not perfect.
Another example
The finished product! 
A different view. Click on any of the pictures and they will get BIGGER.
As you can see I got the pictures to move with drag and drop. Hallelujah.
Don't forget to enter my giveaway on this post HERE. It is up to 82 comments. I would LOVE to get 100 to unlock the bag, but if we don't, I'll throw in the other (not so successful "Vintage") bag anyway. Its still a cute bag....
Magnolia
RoseAnne wanted to see a picture of my whole magnolia tree so here you go. It is a deciduos one, and gets al its flowers before the leaves come in, and they are just stunning to look at. Friends bought this for me when I moved in here. I had one at my last home, and I loved it. This tree is about 11 years old.
They are not the 'cup and saucer" flowers you usually get... I think they are called 'the fingers of god"
and I had a meeting today, so took some handwork to do. Budgets are very boring...sewing is not!
card holders pieced with the muslin/calico. SRE will be added next, with some more pics for RoseAnne hopefully.
What a great response to the giveaway. Keep those comments coming, I would really like to throw a pincushion in the mix as well.
600th post giveaway - It's a big one!!
PLEASE NOTE DRAW IS CLOSED. WINNER DRAWN. ALL DONE AND DUSTED! Thanks to those who entered.
601st post actually, but who's counting?
So here is how this is going to work, the number of comments received will decide what goes in your goody bag. You can comment more than once, under certain conditions. At each selected comment number reached, the extras will be added to the goody bag.
30 comments = one of my keyring card holders, this one to be exact
it is a little smaller than the ones i am selling now , but you can still fit 6-8 cards in it.
50 comments = 5 vintage doilies, they may be embroidered, tatted or crocheted, but they will be in good condition
100 comments = everything will be put into this bag, from the previous post
* first comment is painless, just for stopping by.
*To enter twice, post a link on your blog to this giveaway here - then leave your second comment to let me know you have done that.
*To enter 3 times, post a link to my "No Matter Where I Go" ETSY shop as well - then leave a comment telling me you have done this .
*to enter 4 times, post a link to my "Vintages Vices" ESTY shop too - then, you guessed it, leave another comment here to let me know you have done that. ( you can post your links in the same post on your blog, just leave separate comments here so you get your entries)
Good luck, I am looking forward to this!
Doily Bag mark II
and I think this is my 6ooth post, and I had promised something big hadn't I?? Oh dear, I'd better think quick..
Anyway, I have put together my second bag. This is definitely more the vision, but I played a little with the handles, and that isn't 100% right now. It not bad, just not great.
I decided to go back to the 'knot bag' style of handle, but do it front to back, rather than side to side. It works ok, but I like the handles on the other bag, and the shape the bag had.
Sorry about the picture quality, something hinky has happened with the blogger dashboard, and I seem to have lost some functions.
I will do the giveaway in the next post
Vision a bit off..
My vision has not quite been realised. Damn these ideas that just can't make it to reality in a reasonable fashion. It has potential. You tell me what you think.
The bag is either too small (which it isn't) or the doily is too big (which I think it is).
The bag is great. I have used the principle of the knot bag pattern, but done away with the round bottom, and I am cheating with the lining too . It was very quick to put together.
I love the calico (muslin). That is a great base. I am going to work with it more. I think also the issue is that the doily is to dark (or conversely the muslin is too light!!). The poor doily was scorched, so I scorched it all over, and now it is to dark. I think if it was its original colour it would look better. I might tea stain the bag.
Anyway, the bag itself, a great little number. I am happy with the bag. I didn't do the "one handle shorter" as the knot bag pattern call for, but it will translate easily to this design to.
The doily on it concept...that still needs some work. ( I embroidered the word 'vintage' myself. I like that!)
more completions.
I have been an A-Grade bitch over the last week or so. I had a change in some medication, that did not make me calm, and relaxed and in control, but everything that is the opposite of that, to the nth degree. Anywho, a desperate visit to the doc on Friday, and a desperate plea for the old pills back, sees me back to my usual kinda bitchy self. Said bitchiness had rob taking the kids away over night so I could have a day to myself. I achieved a lot. Yeah. And i have more ideas in mind.
all these are available at No Matter Where I Go....ETSY
And here is a look at what is available in my Vintage Vices store. I have been a busy little beaver listing away. Sorry for the terrible pic. I still haven't figured out the 'screenshot' thing (obviously)
And, just for fun, here is my auction up on our NZ ebay equivilant - TradeMe
you get to see more of my secret shame...my hoarding. I do however limit it to the garage, where I don't have to look at it. Can't stand looking at it, but will so enjoy collecting more once the garage is empty!!
New ETSY shop- Vintage Vices
I have been lucky enough to come into a treasure trove of vintage linens. While I will use some of the tatting (of course) and crochet, there is an awful lot of hand embroidered doilies etc. The work is just exquisite. In some case, when taking pics, I realised I had photographed the back, not the front!!
99% of everything is edged with tatting or crochet, and while I would love to 'salvage' the tatting, I have decided to offer them for sale. I also decided to open a second shop to do this, rather than have it with my handmade goods. You can find a link in my sidebar, or you can click here
There is lots more to add, and I will be doing that over the next several days.
(I am trying to get to post 600 for this months giveaway...)
Oglala stitch how too
Now I know I am not the first to do instructions on this, but I had to read several diff ones to get it, and it really is very easy, and very effective when you know how.
first, lay down you 'foundation' row, however you would normally do this
bring your thread up after the first bead
add 3 beads (of your choice) to your thread. -you can add more, if you want a bigger 'ruffle'. I will get to that in a mo... 
jump over the next bead, then pass your needle through the 3rd bead. If you want a larger ruffle, then add another 1, mabe 2 beads, or you could add 5 beads and skip two before passing the needle through. This stitch also lends itself well to 'layering' though, so adding a second and/or third row is always an option. I won'tbe on this small piece, but will try and do something to show that another time. 
here is a different angle of the same thing . The 'ruffle' is created because you are adding more beads than can 'sit flat' against your foundation stitch. No room means they gather up.
Once your needle has passed thru, you do the same thing again, until you get to the end of your row. 
This pic is showing that I pull my thread toward the point of the previous picot (ruffle). I found that this created a nice ruffle. Previously, I pulled the thread down and away from the point, which caused each addition to sit on the opposite side of the foundation line. This aso looked nice, but didn't ruffle as well (see next pic)
Here you can see how the stitch zigzags the foundation line, rather than ruffling. I can still make this ruffle, but it tends to go back to this. You could do it this way and add extra beads and still get the ruffle I would imagine. Something for you to experiment with.
And here is the finished row I can think of lots of places to use this stitch in CQ. Around silkies comes to mind. Along a piece of lace to fancy it up. around in a tight spiral would make a stunning flower.
Do remember to knot frequently, and take your needle back up through the fabric one bead back, and bring it up thru a foundation bead before adding your 'ruffle' beads.
plenty achieved this weekend
I am heading into a 'manic' phase, I can feel it. Either that or heading for a huge crash, but while we're up, I'll take advantage!
I had hope to get further with these bags today, but the outer is done, and the inners are all ready to go. I find sewing the circular base in troublesome. I have an idea in my head though (don't we LOVE those), and when I get some time I will give it a go. Should still give me a nice rounded base, but be less (no) piecing . I really like the round bases. I am sure i can make it work, it will just be defining the areas for embellishment that might be tricky.
Here are some close ups
and finally, everything else I got done this weekend
you can see all the threads hanging out. I hand finish these on all my work, knotting and running them into the fabric. This will be "meeting" work this week. The stockings are going to ETSY, and the pouches are for my step daughter and her BFF.
but wait....there's more....
these stockings are a custom order. Embellishment will commence this evening. The red need it's heel.
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