WOYWW581
Hello my friends. Went AWOL last week – sorry. Couldn’t get my head round the week at all having spent the most amazing day on the Sunday actually seeing my whole family! I almost didn’t recognize my youngest grandchild – he had shot up about 6 inches and his voice had dropped from treble to nearly bass! It was the biggest day I had had since lockdown began in March,and I drove as many miles in one day as I had driven in the whole of the previous 16 weeks – but oh it was SO worth the effort! We celebrated Bethany’s 19th birthday, all took our own picnics, played French cricket, Perudo and went for a good walk. Just couldn’t resist this picture!
To think my hair used to look like that! One of my daughters and the birthday girl! Memories, huh?? Anyway – to the reason for being here – my desk!
At the front here is the latest blanket – the last of my yarn! 30 10 inch squares being now crocheted together. An empty cutting mat as I had just finished a birthday card, and toward the back is a pile of green card and paper used in the making of said birthday card. July/August is a hectic birthday time in my family, so I have been busy!
Just a few of the many! I promised you I would show and tell how I made that sample the other week for the City and Guilds… so, here goes!
Take a piece of thick card – mount board is ideal, and cut a hole in the centre. Then using ordinary sewing cotton wind this over and over the card. Tie off the two ends when you have a good number of threads in that first direction. Then turn the card through 90 degrees and repeat. You now effectively have four layers of threads running in two directions, some on top of the card, some below.
Now using your sewing machine set to free embroidery with the feed dropped, sew a grid around and over these threads you have wound, ensuring you “capture” them all. You have now made yourself a piece of “fabric” upon which you can sew. It is possible to use many different stitches on this “fabric”, beading, sequins, couching, even French Knots. Just ensure that your needle goes in and out through different thread points! Mount your final piece how you prefer, leaving the original card in place – otherwise, if you cut the piece from that card it is liable to fall apart – it isn’t stable in the same way as normal warp and weft fabric.
So that’s life here in North Wales, folks. Why not join us in this gander around the world snooping at people’s workspaces. We’re a friendly bunch, mostly pretty crazy too! Go to https://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ and follow our hostess with the mostest to come along.
I leave you with a Welsh view – the harbour at Porthmadog – a lovely train journey or car ride from my home. What an amazing privilege it is to live near so much glorious countryside. Take care my friends. God bless you all.
Margaret
So glad you finally managed to catch up with family Margaret. Thanks for sharing that sewing technique. I had never some across it before. Don’t have an embroidery machine though so won’t be able to try it myself. Lovely work though. Stay safe and Happy WOYWW. Sarah #3
Wow, look at that glorious hair! Mine was that colour too except straight – I endured hours in the hairdressers to have a perm for some Big Hair! So pleased you had such a fantastic time, worth all the driving for sure xxxx
Great cards and blanket on your desk but my fav is the embroidery tutorial, thank you for sharing, so interesting!
Hugs LLJ 4 xxx
Hi Margaret
I’m so pleased for you. Getting to see your family must have been so special and all the driving was worth it I’m sure. What glorious hair your girls have got, they look identical from the back, I had to re read your comments to check they were mother and daughter and not sisters!!
Love all your cards, you have been busy.
Enjoy your week and take care
Hugs Lisax #13
aww how lovely to see all your family – we are not quite there yet as two of my lot here are still shielding. Glad you had a lovely time . The cards are gorgeous, but I have to say , I adore the sewing . Is this for your city and guilds course ? If so , it will pass with flying colours. Have a lovely week.
Soojay #14
Gosh what beautiful hair the ladies in your family have! How lovely yo have a family get together – we had our first one this week and I think that’s why I have been so all over the place the ;ast couple of days – the excitement was too much!! Couldn’t really get my head around your ‘woven’ piece but it looks great. Happy WOYWW, Stay well, stay safe, Cindy #8
HI Margaret, how wonderful that must have been to catch up with your family! Lovely cards you’ve made, my fave is the lighthouse one. I love that technique with the threads, how clever, might see if I can adapt it to hand sewing. Happy WOYWW-day 🙂 Annie C #17
I had to laugh….you make the CandG thing sound really straightforward, and just the thought of free machining on a network of threads makes me feel a bit cold!! I am thrilled so thrilled that you’ve had family time. Isn’t it marvellous. And that beautiful photo…they could be twins. Magnificent hair…Jan’s was like that back in the day too. Lucky gals. Well done on all the cards. My word you have to turn a lot of different subjects for all your recipients! So now you’ve finished the yarn….are you after more, shall I hunt down my unused stuff?
Hi Margaret. I thought the two girls were twins they look so much alike. Looks like you’ve been busy what with the visits and all those gorgeous projects, well done. Have a lovely creative woyww, Angela x11x
I can well believe your hair used to be like that. Gorgeous. So your daughter and her daughter have both inherited your hair, how lovely – and how beautiful it is. Bet it is a treat when the sun shines on it. I can well imagine that day you had with the family – tears of joy at seeing one another after such a long enforced period?
Lovely cards and the explanation of the stitching – well, it left me after the end of the first sentence – what patience you have Margaret – and what talent too. Lovely to see how you did such a work of art.
Thanks for the photo of Porthmadog, love it – and Port Merion which really is a magical place.
Blessings, Neet 6 xx
I’m late in the day visiting this week but it’s better than last week’s effort lol.
I’ve spent the day replenishing my basket of face masks…but as soon as I fill them they sell so it’s a bit like painting the Forth bridge 🙂
So pleased to hear I wasn’t the only one MIA last week and am thrilled for you to have spent time with your family. Love all the cards you’ve been making and really enjoyed your show and tell at the end…I would love to have a go at that….if only I have time 🙂
Hugs,
Annie x #12
How wonderful to spend time with family. I doubt we’ll see any of our kids this year. Great job on the crocheted squares! You’re quite the blanket maker! Cool cards and a good explanation of your weaving. Your finished piece is beautiful! Love the photo of the harbour!
Hope you have a wonderful and blessed week!
Carol N #21
I can just see you with gorgeous hair like that in your younger days – it’s beautiful! great photo. so glad you managed to meet up and enjoy a family gathering – must indeed have felt very special after so long apart. Great cards, too and love the weaving!! Have a good week. Helen #2
Hi Margaret, ooh the stitching on the threads looks so cool 🙂 and I am grinning over how much your grandd looks like her mama. ~Stacy #25
I’m glad you had such a great time with the family, Margaret. Despite spending time with them, you have still managed to be very productive on the creative front! Thanks for your visit – it sounds as if you no longer have a craft room, but a craft house!! These things do tend to spread out and take over the whole place, don’t they. I’m glad you like my tiny carpets – yes, a fair bit of work to do but I am really enjoying doing it.
Happy WOYWW and God bless,
Shoshi x #19
What a lot to look at today!
Fabulous hair!!
Love all the cards you made. The first one really took my eye – but also the easel books – and the birds on the final one…
Thanks for the instructions on the embroidery. Something else on my ‘to do’ list!
Stay safe and keep well!
Susan #15
Good Morning Margaret. Thank you for visiting. We took the day off, Such beautiful weather went for breakfast and a tour of the farm crops. So today is catch up day. Thanks for sharing all the fun photos. The 2 girls look like twins and I love the color of their hair !! I had the same experience with Grandson 12 Yr old, In June he is taller than me and really changing. One of the good times we had “all gathering”. I love the project you shared with the threads. Enjoy a great weekend and Stay Safe
Hi Margaret! How lovely to have spent time with family! Something I am still looking forward to. I love your cards, especially the boat and the lighthouse. You do live in a magical place, we have been watching Escape the the Country lately and love the ones that take place in Wales! Thanks for your earlier visit, have a great week! Lindart #26
Ah Margaret – your gorgeous girlies and their stunning hair – Oh I do have curl envy!! Not a bend in my – a real plain Jane and like Jan had to resort to enduring perms to get that “big” look in the 80s. Your little stitchy sample is lovely – a great technique for little experimental pieces. xx Jo
Margaret, it sounds like you had a lovely time with family. I feel so happy when we get to bring our boys to see my in-laws. They live only about 30 minutes away but we have only gone twice since lockdown to avoid possibly exposing them. We are thinking of going to see them next weekend. Your daughter and granddaughter look like twin sisters from behind. Their hair looks so pretty. I just finally had my hair colored and cut. I couldn’t take it any longer. I wore a mask and gloves throughout the whole process and it’s a small salon so I was the only client. You asked what travelers’ journal is for during this time on my blog. Well, people are using them as regular scrapbooks. I am just scrapbook life, not vacations like they were originally intended. No no travel for us this summer. Thanks for the visit.
Belinda #23
Happy Belated WOYWW. Thanks for your earlier visit to my new blog. My new drawers are definitely cheerful. Against my bright green wall, they look even more vivid. Not had a chance to get them filled yet. I love that sort of job and know that once I start I will have to go through all my card stock/paper/toppers etc. So glad you enjoyed your family party. We are off to England soon to get one of our cars serviced, and hope to visit my mum in Oxfordshire too. Wonderful cards. I seem to be busy with ATCs at the moment, but have my busiest time for cards starting in August. Ali x. #28
Gosh like mother like daughter so alike. Glad you managed to see all your family, still waiting to see my daughter hopefully September if all goes to plan. Love your birthday cards especially the one with the boat. I went to school with a girl that lived in Porthmadog she was always homesick I suppose being at boarding school in Wolverhampton and looking at that photo I can see why. Ani
ooh sounds like a fabulous day and lovely weather by the looks of it too, perfect.
The C&G piece is amazing, you make it sound easy (but somehow I doubt it is!)
Hope you have had a great week and thanks for visiting my desk already
kyla