Tuesday 31 July 2012

Work On Wednesday

I'm working today but thought I would show you a small creation from two weeks ago.
Steve did some wall papering for an slightly older lady 70ish and this is what she chose.
I think a WOW Black on Black.


He also brought home an offcut of the wallpaper saying he might make it into a background, then frame it for my wedding present to him 12 years ago, which still hangs on our lounge wall. 
Photo shows it on the background he painted for it when we lived in Rarotonga.
It is a cast peweter /  resin sculpture  that I bought for him on a buying trip to England while we were engaged.


The wording you can just see inscribed on the lower back, to us is so very special.
The wording is.

From this day forward, you shall not walk alone.
My arms will be your shelter, My heart will be your home.

I didn't even have to go and read it.
I can see the wallpaper setting it off beautifully, within a black timber frame.
I could also see - a tessalation pattern that goes on forever - and a table runner for our coffee table, when we redo our lounge.

Here it is, the wallpaper provided me a perfectly sized pattern.


With fabric constraints,  it had to come from what I had on hand so I went for a black/ bronze/silver combo.
The only cotton fabric is under the black/gold mesh overlay, and I DO NOT sew curved piecing!!!
I used to make my own clothes but today - Forget Curves - I don't sew them.
Instead I use a technique I found a couple of years ago called Applipiecing.
Steve was wowed at how it turned out!!!
Hope you like it.
Jenny

PS. I posted my sewing room photo's on my blog site earlier in the week.
You will need to go in through Esthers Yahoo Group link if you want to view.
Cheers Jenny

Monday 30 July 2012

Sewing Room

Well,  Steve shifting my sewing room from one spare room to another is what brought me to blog land.
I had the bigger room but had to share it with a futon couch which did make wonderful storage for all my projects, finished or unfinished!! but it took up a lot of space.
A friend had a garage sale a couple of weeks ago, so I was told clear off the projects, the futon is going.
It was the first item to sell.
Gave us room to store the queen bed while my new room was painted and S fitted it out.
We had 3 identical desks so with Kiwi inginuity (S was a builder) they were joined together to become my new worktable.
S cutout the worktop for my machine to sit at table height, and I am finding this so good. He raised the desks to compensate and the height is perfect for me.
He has to do additional cutout  as I can't drop the feeddogs without lifting the machine at present.
Not quite perfect, but close!!!
The work top is supported by a recycled  former glass overhead cabinet which gives me storage for my fat quarter applique fabrics.
The end is supported by once again, a recycled overhead cupboard from when we renovated our kitchen.which we did as soon as we moved in as the house is early 70's and was totally original.
This is my pattern and book storage but there are more shelves to go under the far end as I need more storage.
The unused floor space under the entire work top is stacked with our excess books, ideal use for waste space.



S added a narrow bench on my right for the cottons I use all the time, and storage under for my machine accessories and all the bits and pieces that you want next to the machine.



This shows my seperate cutting bench and where my design wall will go.
Have more storage units both next to and underneath the cutting bench, but the spare room wardrobe is storing the little used fabrics etc.
The cutting bench will be raised as it is too low, it is the excess from our kitchen benches and uses unneeded ends from the desks.
Design wall is polystyrene sheets but not in place yet as that wall is not finished!!!
This room had a wardrobe in that corner which we removed  and added to the bathroom  nextdoor.
That area still needs a final sand and paint before the design wall can go up, hence the other half of design wall sitting behind the ironing board.
The last sanding and painting is why nothing on the walls and no curtains at the windows as they need their final paint as well.
S has a habit of doing the main bits then moving on to his next project
It is a small room 12' x 10' but it is working well for me.



Wednesday 25 July 2012

I'm learning to blog


Gosh, I have just uploaded first photo to my blog, it feels so good!!
After so much frustration in trying to create a blog it's hard to believe it is finally working.
All thanks to Anne Marieke who has spent ages late at night sorting my site for me, I can't thankyou enough for what you have done for me so far.

My Wild Lilies Wallhanging  is a design by Adrienne Walker and hangs in our bedroom at present.
I was thrilled last year when it won  viewers choice at the Dargaville quilters show, so think it is very fitting first Photo to show everyone.

Now I will have to get on and photograph my sewing room.
Need Anne Marieke to tell me how to link to WOW so that might be next week.

At present am going to try add my blog to the link on Esther's BOM group then back to my new project, a wall hanging of bamboo and chinese calligraphy in antique gold  raw silk on a black background.

Thankyou Anne Marieke

Looks like I have a Blog, now I need to figure out how to use it, and how to link to Esthers Blog on a Wednesday.

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