WOYWW 295

For details of how to join in “What’s on your Workdesk Wednesday” please click on the WOYWW logo in my blog sidebar, which will take you to our hostess Julia’s blog, where all will be revealed.

Nothing on my desk this week, I’m afraid. Since my cancer diagnosis just over a week ago, I find myself unsettled and sans creative mojo, but I don’t suppose this is very surprising. I am not overly concerned  because I am sure it will return in due course. I am already thinking about a card for my hubby for Valentine’s day if I can only get sufficiently motivated!

Meanwhile, I have been enjoying relaxing on the recliner with my newly rediscovered embroidery – an ancient UFO (UnFinished Object) which I am coming to with renewed enthusiasm. Here are some pictures of the pieces I’ve done over the past few days, for anyone who hasn’t been visiting my blog in the meantime.

They will eventually be made up into decorative pieces for the new half-tester over my bed. The focal point on each piece is Indian mirror work (shi-sha). I am able to complete each one in a few hours. Although each piece is part of a much larger project, I can treat them as separate projects which are small enough to cope with! I am experimenting with new stitches, and am thrilled to find some variations on the basic shi-sha stitch which I have been doing for years. As with a lot of my projects, it is a learning curve and I always enjoy learning new skills! (I had a fun comment from Princess Judy who thinks shi-sha sounds very energetic, like doing the cha-cha but with thread! ROFL!!! Judy can always guarantee to make me laugh! I can assure you it is very relaxing, and much easier to do than dancing!!) I love the little mirrors and the gorgeous rich effect they give. I think shi-sha is my favourite form of embroidery.

I am going for my CT scan on Friday afternoon, after which they will know better exactly how to proceed. I definitely have to have surgery, whatever they find, but the scan should reveal how much, if at all, the cancer has spread, and what further treatment may be necessary. For those who have not visited recently, I have started a new page on my blog (see the tab “My Cancer Diary” just below the blog heading) where I shall be documenting my progress, treatment, and feelings. I am very grateful to our own lovely Shaz for her ongoing support and advice!

A happy WOYWW to everyone!

Shi-Sha Embroidery with Fly Stitch

Continuing my exploration into variations on the basic shi-sha stitch, I found a very pretty variation, which combines the basic shi-sha stitch with fly stitch, which is a bit like an open-ended detached chain stitch. After completing the stitches all round the shi-sha mirror, the overlapping fly stitches are whipped with a contrasting thread – I used double thickness to make it stand out a bit better.

This is a very pretty effect! For my first piece, I used one of my extra-large shi-sha mirrors, that measures about an inch across. Some of this is covered by the stitches holding it in place, of course.

I didn’t actually do the middle quite right, and had to fudge it a bit, which makes it a bit messy. Just to make sure the mirror didn’t drop out, I added an extra row of stitching inside the “setting” – a row of detached buttonhole stitch in the red lurex thread (the sparkliness doesn’t show up on the photo, of course). I used the same thread for the inner outline of the motif. I also added a detached chain stitch on the point of each fly stitch. This single, large shi-sha mirror makes a lovely focal point to the design, I think.

Here are a couple of detail shots.

The green and red centre, covering the edge of the shi-sha, is actually more raised than shows in the photo. The whipping over the fly stitches is done with double thickness yellow thread, and I have used the same thread for the detached chain stitches around the edge.

I decided to do another one, this time getting the stitch correct, and adding an extra dimension by making it asymmetrical. This worked very well, and when I added the contrasting whipping, I added extra rows over the longer fly stitches.

Again, a couple of detail shots.

In this second one, I added some French knots and other embellishments in my turquoise lurex thread. On the three circles below the main motif, in reality there is a lot more contrast between the centre and the edging but this doesn’t show because the camera won’t pick up the sparkle of the lurex thread. I also added a stitch in the centre of each of the larger overlapping fly stitches, using the same thread, to draw the design together.

Like with my recycled mini-album, this project is a learning curve and I am developing my skills as I do it! I love learning new things. I am very pleased to have found this website which has some brilliant tutorials on different embroidery stitches.

I am finding this embroidery project very therapeutic. Like Zentangle, there is a certain rhythm to embroidery, which is very absorbing and calming, and time seems to stand still! I am enjoying this particular project very much at the moment, because I am feeling pretty unsettled after hearing the news that I have cancer, and I am finding it impossible to settle to anything in my studio. Each of these motifs which make up a much larger whole, are like individual small projects and each one can be completed in a few hours. I am averaging about one per day, with the applique ground work having been done several years ago. I am working on them in the sitting room on the recliner, spreading my materials out on my small work table which lives in front of me. My creative mojo hasn’t exactly departed, I realise – it’s merely changed direction a bit.

I have updated my Cancer Diary page today.

A New Shi-Sha Stitch

I have been doing shi-sha (Indian mirror) work for many years, and have always done the regular shi-sha stitch which alternates between buttonhole stitches worked very close together, and chain stitches which run around parallel to the edge of the mirror. This is what I did in this example.

You can see the basic shi-sha stitch worked in turquoise in the above photo – I added another two rows of chain stitch around this in yellow afterwards.

After so many years of always doing it this way and never varying it, last night I discovered a variation! This is very exciting.

Instead of working the chain stitch parallel to the edge of the mirror, you work it at right angles, inserting the needle some distance away from the mirror and coming up next to it, and as you work around the mirror, you arrange these vertical stitches so that they radiate outwards. This gives a great effect like sunrays!

This is what I did last night, and I think so far, it’s one of my favourite pieces for the bed decorations I am making.

Here’s a detail of the shi-sha work, done in yellow.

I really like this effect! I am exploring shi-sha stitch further, and have found several other variations, which I shall be experimenting with in due course.

In this latest piece, the light-coloured thread which outlines the central motif, and creates the cross-shape, is actually gold lurex thread. I wish you could see how sparkly and bright it is. At least in this photo, you can see the little mirrors a bit better. As usual, I have added some French knots, and used chain stitch as a filler (I’ve never been able to do satin stitch – it always looks a total mess), and added four detached chain stitches in the very centre.

I am trying to source small glass shi-sha mirrors to buy in bulk. I’ve still got quite a lot (can’t remember where I bought them) but most suppliers only sell them in bags of 10 or so, working out at about 10p each, which is more than I want to spend. I’d like to buy bags of 100 or 500 but haven’t yet found any on the Internet, even from India. I would like to make a curtain to hang against the wall under the half-tester above the bed, and cover this with mirrors. Curtains covered with shi-sha work wink and sparkle with the movement of the curtain. It’s a fabulous rich effect.

Sometime I must dig out the bridesmaid’s cap I made, which is covered all over with shi-sha work, done in a variety of bright colours, and photograph it. These caps were quite heavy with all the glass mirrors.

New Stash from Range

Yesterday my hubby took me for a little outing to stop me going stir crazy indoors. It was a very cold, raw sort of day so we didn’t get out of the car when he took me to see the sea. I love the sea in wintertime – the colours are so subtle and there aren’t many people about. I didn’t take any photos because we didn’t get out of the car, but it was very dramatic, seeing the amazing red cliff where it has fallen down into the sea in last winter’s terrible storms. That particular little beach is now closed because it’s not safe. In another place we go, a house has fallen down. And we think we’ve got problems…

After this, he said would I like to go to Range. He’s been telling me about Range for ages. I’d never heard of it before (I know… I should get out more!) saying they’ve got a really good art department.

For those who don’t know, Range is a huge shop that sells everything for the home and more besides. I was delighted with the aisles of crafting supplies, and decided to pick up a few bits and pieces. Inevitably, after about 10 minutes of this my hubby started saying, “Are you ready yet?” “Have you finished?” and “Shall we go home now?” Lol!

Here’s the stash I bought.

On the left, a 2015 diary (at last) – I’ve been writing stuff down on a list so far this year! Next to it, a multi-pack of double-sided foam tape and lots of foam squares. Then a tiny alphabet stamp set (we can always do with more alphabets) and on the right, a nice big pack of natural coloured raffia. I love this for wrapping my soaps, and it will be useful for cards and mixed media stuff too. At the top, 3 rolls of ultra-sticky double sided tape. For weeks now I’ve had an empty one on my table in the sitting room to remind me to order some more!

Range has lots of Dovecraft, Papermania and Crafters’ Companion things, as well as plenty of other makes. Loads of scrapbooking stuff, embellishments, papers, punches, embossing folders, glues… you name it. I shall definitely want to go there again!

We also discovered, in the home section, a lovely art deco mirror for our sitting room. Since we moved here I’ve been thinking of getting one. We’ve got a genuine art deco fireplace in beautiful polished wood which is an original feature of the house, where I have given my genuine art deco electric clock centre stage, and our repro art deco lamp a prominent position. The new mirror is perfect! My hubby hung it last night and before I went to bed I polished off the finger marks with vinegar. Sparkling.

These little outings mean all the world to me. Just having a bit of quality time with my hubby out of the house on our own, and visiting some of the beautiful scenery within striking distance of home, and having the opportunity to do some shopping (definitely retail therapy!).

Here’s the embroidered piece for the bed that I completed last night.

Health Update

This morning in the post, I received my appointment for the CT scan, which is next Friday afternoon. Please see the “My Cancer Diary” page for details. The juggernaut has begun to roll.

Decorations for Half-Tester

My first post in 2015! One of the things I have resolved to do this year is to try and clear the backlog of UFOs (UnFinished Objects) in my ARTHaven, and also to get back into some more textile-based work. One of my oldest UFOs was a project to create decorative drapes for our pine four-poster bed – something I started and never finished. I made the curtains but not the decorative top part. Last autumn I got a new adjustable bed to help with my various medical conditions (I am sleeping a lot better these days) so the four-poster had to go, which I was very sad about. The whole of the top section lifted off and could be disassembled, leaving the bed intact, so we kept the top and disposed of the pine bed base. A local carpenter used the timber from the upper part to create a new half-tester which is attached to the wall above the bed.

As before I have a small strip-light wired to the inside of the frame, and in the picture you can see the pull-cord hanging down. You can also see the velcro strips attached to the framework, to attach the fabric drapes – I will need to add some more for the decorative top part.

When I started making the pieces for the top, I also cut some smaller pieces in the same design and fabric, and used them to decorate a bag that I made:

You can see the separate flaps, each embellished with machine applique and hand embroidery, and each one finished with a different style of tassel.

These are the card templates I made for the bed project. At the back, underneath, you can see the two templates for each piece – the larger one is for cutting the fabric, and the smaller one for cutting the heavy interfacing. After cutting these out, I tacked the fabric onto the interfacing so that the applique and embroidery would go through both layers, and to finish each piece off, the edges of the fabric would be turned in over the interfacing, and a backing piece added.

The smaller templates are used for cutting out the applique pieces which are first ironed onto some Bondaweb.

What I have decided to do now, is to make each finished piece double-sided, and to attach the tops to the outside and the inside of the frame, respectively. Hopefully they will hang properly, but if not, I shall have to make separate pieces for the inside and outside, and maybe add tassels only to the outside pieces.

The next picture shows the pieces I have already started, with the machine applique. Top right is a pile of more pieces – no room to spread them all out to be photographed.

The next photo shows some of the embroidery materials to be used to embellish the pieces. I have a collection of coloured threads with lurex – as usual the photo doesn’t show the sparkliness of these yarns – they are the large spools at the back. In the front of the basket is a selection of different coloured embroidery threads, and on the table in front, scissors, my mother-of-pearl stiletto and some crewel and chenille needles, and on the left, a selection of Indian shi-sha mirrors.

I have done a lot of embroidery using these in the past, including on my wedding dress. These little circles of mirror have quite rough edges, and no holes for sewing them down as you’d find with sequins; there is a special shi-sha embroidery stitch which anchors them onto the surface of the fabric, rather like a rubbed-over setting of a gemstone in jewellery. When these tiny mirrors catch the light, they wink and flash, which is very dramatic on any fabric in motion such as a curtain, and they give a very rich, exotic look. I love them! Originally they would have been made of flakes of mica, but they are made of glass these days – the mirrors are far from optically perfect and look rather dull and grey before they are attached, but they do reflect the light wonderfully well.

Here are the pieces to which I have added embroidery so far. Some of them require further embellishment. The stitches I am using are fairly simple ones – chain stitch with variations, and stem stitch. I have never been any good at satin stitch or long-and-short stitch, and love using chain stitch to cover areas with colour, and for outlining shapes.

As I progress with this work, I shall be showing some detail shots of the embroidery, but at this stage, this is just showing what I have done so far, after opening up the box and reminding myself what I have already achieved. I did all this so many years ago that I couldn’t really remember at all what I had done, and when I opened the box, was surprised to find my book on tassels, and also some wonderful notes from an embroidery day I attended when we lived in Plymouth – probably back in the 1980s! It was like Christmas, opening the box and finding all the lovely fabrics and shapes. This has to be one of the oldest UFOs in my possession, and high time it got an airing and was finished!

Lunch Out in a Fabulous Place, and a Stressful Afternoon

Yesterday we met some friends for lunch at Churston Manor, a local restaurant. The house has a chequered history going back to Tudor times, and it is a fascinating place, built before the invention of perpendiculars! It is filled with artefacts from many periods and from around the world, so there is plenty to look at. Mum doesn’t like going there because it’s so dark and her old eyes can’t see what she is eating! We love it, though, as it’s so full of atmosphere and character – and the food is first class, too.

Here is the main dining room, where we had our lunch.

I love the bowed wall, as if some mediaeval knight has leant on it for too long!

The fireplace at the far end of the room:

In the small dining room, there are some oriental artefacts, including this beautiful carved piece from S.E. Asia – possibly from Burma or Thailand. It is resting on an Indian toran, or doorway textile (I have one of these over my ARTHaven door).

Throughout the house there are many portraits and mirrors, and also tapestries. I love the warm glow of these red walls.

The small dining room is dominated by this massive open fireplace.

There are several intriguing little doorways, and the funny little grille, behind which is a tiny room accessed from another small doorway to the right.

A small alcove dining room. Note another toran.

A suit of armour in the passageway.

Looking back along this passageway towards the hall, you can see the bowed wall of the main dining room.

Beautiful oak panelling and portraits in the hall at the bottom of the staircase.

Across the hall from the main dining room is the bar, with a heavily beamed ceiling. Note the carving over the doorway, and the pistol!

The staircase, complete with another suit of armour.

Finally, a view back into the main dining room, with a view of the beautiful red and gold ceiling.

We had such a lovely time together, and it seemed like a perfect day until we got home to discover that the scaffolding men were there, taking down the scaffolding that had been up for the installation of the solar panels. I had phoned a couple of days ago requesting that they phone us before coming, so that we could be prepared, and shut the cats in to keep them safe. We always keep the garden gates closed, top and bottom, to prevent them getting out onto the road, and so far they have never been beyond the confines of the garden. Coming home, we found the gate open at the bottom, and the scaffolding being carried out. We scooped Beatrice up and shut her in straight away, but there was absolutely no sign of Phoebe.

The scaffolding man said he’s never got the message about phoning us first, so I telephoned the solar panels office and told them what had happened, and expressed my annoyance, and extreme concern about Phoebe. Almost immediately they phoned the scaffolding man, who then admitted that he had actually received the message but had forgotten all about it. When I took him to task about this he said he couldn’t be expected to remember everything as he was so busy, etc. etc. His attitude was very offhand and he was obviously not prepared to take responsibility, and both my hubby and I went round the block calling Phoebe, but there was no sign of her. By the time the scaffolding men left she still hadn’t appeared, and I was very upset, and the man still refused to take responsibility, and simply walked away from me and drove off.

Eventually, to my extreme relief, Phoebe miraculously appeared, and I’ve never been so relieved! I phoned the office straight away to let them know, and left a message as it was after office hours, and soon afterwards I had a return call, which I thought was good – they were just packing up when my message was received. I told them how unimpressed I was with the scaffolding man’s attitude.

There’s nothing to be done about it, of course, because they’ve now gone, and are on another job, and as far as they are concerned it doesn’t matter a bit. The whole thing has left a nasty taste and caused me a huge amount of stress, which has resulted in me having a bad day with my health today, and unable to do anything much but lie on the recliner and try and survive the heat.

I’m just glad we’ve got Phoebe back safe and sound. I was imagining the worst.

I think one of the worst features of our modern age is that people no longer take responsibility for their actions and always try to put the blame on somebody else. It appears that to apologise is looked upon as a sign of weakness, and they won’t apologise because it means admitting liability. I have always believed that to face up to one’s mistakes and admit them honestly, and apologise, is actually a sign of maturity and strength. People don’t seem to give a damn these days, as long as they themselves are comfortable and secure, and they seem to have no consideration for the feelings of others. Maybe I’m old-fashioned but I think this way of carrying on is unacceptable, and especially so when dealing with customers.

Rant over.

WOYWW 257

Hop over to Julia’s blog by clicking on the WOYWW in my sidebar to see what this is all about, if you don’t know already!

Not a great deal of activity on my desk today – I often seem to be between jobs when WOYWW comes round again, so I tend to have cleared a lot of stuff away.

I haven’t done much on the mini-album this week, but I have been thinking about the spine cover, and have been playing around with some corrugated cardboard which I think will form the cover for the actual spine, with a piece of roofing felt painted black covering the whole thing and extending a little way onto the front and back boards of the book. I was looking online for instructions for creating headbands on books (the decorative corded piece that protects the top of the spine when the book is pulled from a bookshelf) and entered the whole wonderful world of book binding – how I would LOVE to get involved with that!! Anyway, the headband has to be added to the completed signatures before they are bound in the cover, which is a different approach from this recycled dried milk box project, so I shall have to forget that for this project.

Immediately to the left of the album and the piece of cardboard are a couple of painted black pages that fell out – obviously a weak Christmas card that split when I stitched through it. No matter – I can use these sheets for tag pockets etc. Underneath them are the end papers.

At the back of the desk you can see the bowl with the talc, and the fat soft paintbrush for applying it to prevent the pages from sticking together. My posh Bosch glue gun is to the right. One of my better investments! It’s an awesome tool. You certainly get what you pay for.

Far right at the back: some teabags and tea-dyed fabrics waiting for me to get back to my teabag art. There continue to be heaps of teabags in varying stages of dryness arranged around the rest of the room! At church coffee on Sunday I got so carried away with the conversation I was having with someone that I completely forgot to ask for any teabags!!

The most important thing on my desk this week is the completed bee-themed card on the right – a new home card that I made from my new Stampin’ Up supplies. You can read all about it here. I’m very pleased with how it turned out. Underneath is an Ikea mirror that I painted some time ago (you can see it here) – this will accompany the card, as a house-warming present. Pale green crackle glazed background with painted daisies in acrylics.

Underneath everything is my black and brown scrap sheet that I clean my brushes and stamps on. I have several in different colour schemes and the colours build up nicely till they make great sheets for projects, or background sheets to photograph things against. Trying not to waste anything chez Shosh!

Happy WOYWW everyone.

A Visit to Torre Abbey Gardens

A beautiful day today, and my hubby having some free time in the middle of the day, he took me on an outing to Torre Abbey in Torquay. The beautiful gardens are looking their best in the fine spring weather.

Here are the Abbey ruins from the reception area inside the house.

Some bluebells growing by the garden gate. You can see the tropical house beyond.

Along the fence some fruit trees were trained, and I was fascinated by this twisted branch.

One of Torquay’s most famous daughters, Agatha Christie, is celebrated in the centre of the gardens with the “Potent Plants Garden” full of poisonous plants yielding the deadly toxins so favoured by this writer in her detective novels.

A corner of the Potent Plants Garden. Around the garden were signs with clues and questions to answer about Agatha Christie’s stories. In which one do the “cockle shells all in a row” appear?

Another sign in the Potent Plants Garden. I am so glad that the Elf & Safety Brigade haven’t muscled in on this act and demanded that this garden be dug up – it is a lot of fun!

A mirrored sculpture. I love reflective surfaces, and it is fascinating how the “wing” on the right hand side seems to disappear into the background greenery as it reflects the greenery underneath.

The house and gardens.

The gardens with the ruins of the Abbey beyond.

A corner of the garden with trees and spring flowers.

One of a network of arbours around a central fountain. My hubby enjoying the sunshine. (Note the patches on his elbows – I’ve never known anyone with such sharp elbows, which go through his sleeves so quickly! Most of his jumpers have these circular crochet patches that I’ve made, picking out the colours of the jumper. They look like targets in a shooting range!)

The fountain. Beautiful reflections in the water.

Finally, another picture of our naughty kitties trying to get a bite of my hubby’s supper – not salmon fish cakes this time, but pizza! If you look carefully, you can see that a couple of hours after their own supper, Phoebe still has some gravy on her nose. I’ve never known a kitty so keen on her food that she literally buries her face in it!

By the time we’d had lunch outside the cafe at the Abbey, and been round the gardens, I was a bit too tired for anything else, so we decided to postpone a tour of the inside of the house till another time. A lovely day all round.