This is my Pink rose block

Hewoo all

well look at this only a couple of days back I wrote an entry and here I am yet again- maybe I am finally finding myself again. Bout time I say.Anyway dear readers why am I here waffling - last night I began to work on the next block- I have called it Pink block for want of a better description - wheres the pink I hear you ask??_ wel if you look at the silky in the middle there it is pink roses.

So last night I was looking through ribbons etc looking for the thing to make this block sing for me and I came across a bit of Hannah Ribbon- beautiful Bias Hannah Silk. This is called Bridal blush or something like that- its a white ribbon and on both edges its has a pale pink strip running down both side edges. Truely so simple and yet such a wonderful ribbon to play around with.

Now as to the secrets of me and how I do spider web roses- some folk thought that they had my technique down by getting one of my roses hearts and looking at what I did but it wasnt all there I guess cos when I am seriously wanting to get a good effect I reach for My Hannah silk, and I didnt always use that in my heart blocks. Anyway I cut the ribbon now and when I say cut it-- I mean I hold it up in the air with one hand (which is shaking crazyily)and with the other hand equally shaking,l and a pair of scissors clasped tightly I cut down the middle of the wide ribbon - NOW believe me when I say this is no straight cut I mean its not a straight cut - the cut is all over the place sometimes thick and sometimes thin on this side and then the other side and sometimes its so crooked you would look at me and say you are mad! and yup I guess I am.

OK now dear readers the next part is the other secret of my version of a spider web rose- I begin as others have for years and create a "Y" on the fabric with doubled thread-- okay nothing new in that -- BUT then the other 2 arms that people take straight out making kinda equal sections -- thats where I dont do that I take both arms from the centre and to the outside of the "circle but with a small gap between the bottom of the Y on each side . This all sounds double dutch but its easy - it happened once (actually more then once) and I was to lazy to undo the "error" this time and just did the stitching around with the ribbon and my rose was born- it was purely an error on my part. Anyway one person commented and then more and more, and I stopped doing the Y's arms for the rose the correct way and now I do it all the time my way, so now thats correct way isn it??

I will do a picture of what I mean re the sections of the circle, but that will be tomorrow for now please just take a look at this picture above and I hope you see what I see I love working the spider web roses with Hannah ribbons to me they look the most realistic of all the roses I do- do you agree?? By the way this block isnt anywhere near completed and yup I will be removeing the pins and adding other stuff and nope I wont be leaving the stitching all over that pretty Judith and Kathryn vase. Noighty bear --after all this is truly a work in progress!

love n hugs bear xooxoxoxoxo

??? I am thinking about this one

Hewoo one and all -

well if you look at the previous photo to todays you will find its somewhat different - I took bits and pieces off and replaced itt and am still not quite sure if I have finished it- I dont know why I am so Creatively blocked on this one- its almost s if I dont wanna finish it, or as if I wanna have another UFO- well truthfully I dont no siree I really wanna finish these blocks off and maybe make something from them.How strange I almost have a wall hanging finished ready for setting up and actually making something of it- woohoo unreal!


I hope whoever pops by will tell me honestly how THEY really feel about this block - please


love n hugs bearxoxoxoxxoxo

Okay maybe I can get a couple of opinions on ...

Hello again

I have actually been stitching on a CQ block- I love purple and red together ie red hatters (who wear red hats and purple dressers ) and with this poor little block I went berserk and made it well a little bit red!

Its not quite finished but I am going to work on a different one tonight as its too close for comfort - U know how you are looking at and working on something and u hit a blank wall kinda that has happened I know I need to do some more beads and theres a couple of seam treatments that need a little bit more added.

love n hugs bear xoxoxoxox

PS I hope you like it??

I moved and got some sewing done finally

Hi all

Well would you believe it I finally got to my sewing machine- I have had 3 pieces of ruled up 6 inch square calico(muslin for our American friends) for yonks and I thought rather then throw them out I should make them up

so I began- and it always happens- the first one inevitably winds up being pulled apart for some reason or other. But I am satisfied with them now. I used some silkies that my friend Sandy sent me ages ago of some gorjas women. I have gone right out on a limb with one square black and beigeand a silvery type colours and the little silkie has pink flowers around the womans bust n hair so I intend going crazy with these colours. Will see how it turns out.

I have also decided to make some CQ squares for a quilt or a throw or something have several "bought" silkies and how many can you frame so I decided tonight that they are going to be CQed.

But thats for the future for now this is it-and I am waiting on pins and needles as I ordered some Colourstreams silk threads over the weekend(I must learn not to order when looking at shops online its costing me a fortune -not! ggg)I hope they arrive soon so I can go beresk on one of the purple squares wait til you see wot I have planned for that block okay here goes I have to go find the pics I took of the naked blocks. I apologise in advance theres a lot of "flaring" on the pictures I think its the scanner objecting to the shiny material

love n hugs Bear xoxoxoxoxoxo

what have I been up to

Hello all,

I have been a little quiet of late we all have the dreaded leurgy- its going around here , what can I say-we all have  sore throats my voice goes all croaky and then loose it at times feel hot cold and achy and so do the other men in my life so no sympathy from them either.

In the meantime though I popped over to Spotlight the other day - they had on sale some Crinkle Velvet and I was curious as to would it be somewhat like Judith and Kathryns velvet pieces they sell. and is it?? well its not the quality of J&K's velvet, but its not bad - I picked up half metre pieces of 2 different red colours a beautiful blue which I would call a Peacock blue (its the best colour to my mind), a medium moss green(olive green kinda) and a limp pale brown(that I am thinking of playing with an overdye on this one ) and of course a Black bolt- of which they had 2 bolts and both had been the obvious best choices. Sadly no  Purples spotted mmmmm maybe they just dont have any purple for sale -but I might - if the voice holds up toorrow - ring a couple of the other stores and see what colours they have in you just never know they might have different colours its happened before.

That wasnt my only purchase while standing there waiting my turn patiently (ah hem well kinda patiently) a lady in front of me was purchasing pieces of laces - and the girl serving asked her if she would like to purchase the remainder of the roll for X dollars, no she said - oh hoooo so quick as a flash I asked her if she would pass me two of these pieces over to me- I purchased approx 6 metres of black and silver for 5 dollars and the black and gold had to be at least 8 metres and I got that for 7 dollars - they were on sale for 2 dollars a metre and they are Lurex laces I was wrapt- I can use these for my CQ maybe in Baggies if I am ever involved in swaps  again, or for my embellisher machine work. They are really lovely although unfortunately they dont show up well in the scans sorry about that. The first scan is the silver and black- and its so pretty! Then the second lace picture is the gold and black, I have used some already on the La Tour Tassel dolls outfit.

I have also been working on a CQ handbag - its an evening purse and the scan of this is horrid sorry- but I have used a lot of dupion silk and that really flares when scanned doesn it?? I have been a lot further down the line then I am now with this- I took all of the lace pieces I had on it off as I didnt like them and so theres only a few of the spider web roses made and some of the lines of embroiery on seams have been completed or partly completed but I thought I would let you see that I have been doing something not just sitting around looking at myself gg The saddest thing is I have a major feeling that this is going to wind up yet another WIP or UFO whichever you like best (WIP work in progress, and UFO - Unfinshed object) anyway with that I will post the pics and go  and do some of stuff- I have been working on the little doll Tassel doll again as well but need to take a picture for that so I will later on but not tonight - I did mention her twice sorry!

love n hugs Bear xoxoxox

white white my nemesis white

Hi all

well I have been stitching as the weather cools down here in South Australia and we have had some good falls of rain my mind turned to stitching more and snuggling up in front of the fire etc.

Recently Mary O sent me some rubber stamps  I had asked for (Mary was downsizing her collection and I have need of several shall I say?? LOL) Anyway Mary also included in the box some lovely fabrics and a baggie containing a lovely print of a mother and child and the trims and flowers and beads, leaves everything in it was white (the print is very pale in colour as u can see).

I have always found WHITE to be a difficult to use- thats why I dye so many things, I know many will find this crazy but white and I mmmmmmmmmm not a good selection but I was determined to make some sort of block and use the baggie as it was sent. Marys fabrics included some beautiful purple fabrics one of which was this lovely jacquard I had already cut into the fasbaric for something else and somehow wound up with this weird size piece of fabric and rather then CQ it etc I decided to use it as is. Therfore this is the result- I am not sure whether I do or not like it time will tell I guess but with a Black border around the block it will slide into some project down the track wont it- or could I even have a White border??? Now thats carrying it toooooo far I believe a purple border mmm like that thought.

oih Aussie stitchers passing this way has anyone ventured into their local newsagency ??? Well if you do what about picking up this months Issue of Australian Country Craft and Decorating Volume 20 No8, (page 44) Inside is an different slice on a Crazy Quilt for us to enjoy.The project is called Vintage Purses and is by Karen Zoback. As the editors have begun to use Crazy Quilted (or Crazy Patchwork if you like that term better)Projects I feel maybe we should all suppport those that are doing so- Lets face it by supporting them and buying the mags with CQ projects we may get even more Projects by other artists into the magazines.

Love n hugs Bear xoxoxoxoxo

Went closer to home

Back again -Col and I popped down to Elizabeth this Morning- guess wot all those boring scarves were SOLD out -well at $2 a pop why wouldnt they be sold out darn it!- But we also found that our local store sells shoes so in future I will be visiting the Elizabeth store when they are having their sales on some decent footwear. (Decided against heading over to Norwood although the weather is BEAUTIFUL and it would have been a lovely drive - men who can say wots happening to them any old moment in time LOL)

I thought maybe you would like to see a wee Postcard I made for Hoppa- It was a postcard swap for one of my groups and as per usual I was late late late- but I did make it and it did find its way to Nevada USA and into Hoppas' home.

  love n hugs Bear xoxoxoxoxox