A new project and a Christmas cushion

I am now back at work after having been home for 3 weeks after some minor surgery. In the 3 weeks, I pottered around and tidied my craft shelves, looked for bits and pieces that I knew I had but could not find, and put my thousands of wood pieces into labelled boxes so that I can lay my hands on them when I want them in future. The brain kept whirring with ideas and I started drawing up different diagrams and started on 2 projects at the same time!  The only one problem I find, the more time I have, the slower I am and achieve very little progress in my sewing. Maybe I am just SLOW, full stop!

New stitchery using Anni Downs fabrics

 



I have spent hours browsing the net as well. That has cost me some money, I might add, as I have purchased a few things along the way. The first is Hanky linen from the Red Brolly online shop. I am using it in the stitchery above and it is lovely to work with. The other is some weaveline interfacing. I was never happy with the interfacing I used in the past as it would often wrinkle when I ironed it on the fabric. I had purchased a piece of this from Marg Low's shop at the Quilt Show 2 years ago, found it in my tidying up and decided that I should use it.. So of course I had to have more from Marg. The Fat Quarter shop also had fabric that I just had to have-- am waiting for the parcel to arrive.

I visited Hanne's blog (hannequilt.blogspot.com)  and she has these gorgeous houses that she is sewing. I have never tried foundation piecing-- but would like to give it a go. These houses reminded me of these that I had painted about 10 years ago. There is another brooch design with the little house-- but I could not find it-- I will have to paint myself another one.

a couple of buttons and a brooch

 

I spent some time painting as well and decided to doodle away on this piece of wood and came up with this. The scenes in the UK are constantly in my mind-- I just love the country side and made my cot quilt and now this.

An English country scene-- brooch

 



Thanks to everyone who has tried to help me re the etsy shop. I have tried to revamp it and will see how that goes.

 

I met Margaret ( asamplerofstitches.blogspot.com.es) through the blog and we communicate regularly via email. She is always encouraging me with my designs (as well as the etsy shop) and has made this cushion for her home for this Christmas,  from one of my patterns. She has just finished it and sent me the photo yesterday--- I just LOVE it. Thank you, Margaret, for your encouragement.

 

 

 

Enjoy the weekend.

Yvonne

I need help for my etsy shop

I do hope someone with an Etsy shop will be able to help me sort out my dilemma. I would like to give people the option of buying more than1 of the same design -- the more they buy  the price will be reduced per item. I have tried to set that up in the Etsy shop, but I cannot vary the price depending on the quantity bought. Can someone please tell me how to do this.

You can either write in Comments or email me on yvonnewdesigns@gmail.com

Thank you for your help.
Enjoy the coming weekend.
Yvonne

Tilda dolls displaying my Handpainted Sewing Machine Brooches

Margaret from A Sampler of Stitches (www.asamplerofstitches.blogspot.com.es)  has made these beautiful Tilda dolls. She has asked me to paint medium sized sewing machine brooches to go with the dolls. She chose red and cream polka dots for the first doll and aqua Tilda floral fabric for the second doll. I painted the sewing machines to try and match the fabrics.

Tilda doll with red sewing machine

Tilda doll with aqua/navy sewing machine

 

I think Margaret has done a wonderful job and she has displayed them ever so sweetly. She has kindly allowed me to put her dolls displaying the sewing machine as a picture in my etsy shop.

 

Thank you, Margaret.

 

 

Cheers,

Yvonne

A walk from Manly to North Head, Scotty dogs and Icecreams

I started this post using my iPad, but could not add captions to the photos. I saved it and came to the computer to continue, and now what I had typed on the iPad has been lost-- if it does appear as a different post, you will know what happened.
I will start again and see if I do remember what I had written.

I have been home for the last week or so after having had some surgery and I am not allowed to drive as yet. So what does one do?--I have tried to get my thousands of wood pieces into some sort of order (as I can never find the particular piece I am looking for when I want it), I have started a new embroidery design, and of course  I need a new button to go with that-- so that had to be drawn and sent away to be cut. I have completed a Maeve Binchy novel called One week in Winter and am currently reading an Ann Granger book called Bricks and Mortality. I have been going for short strolls and many trips to the corner shop when friends visit, for a cup of coffee and to get out of the house. Miss Penny is delighted to have company all day.

About 3 weeks ago, my husband and I had a day off work and we decided to go on the Manly to North Head walk. We caught the train to the city, and then the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly. We were entertained by some dolphins frolicking in the harbour on the way to Manly.

Manly Beach

 

Looking back towards Manly

 

We found a café along the way for a coffee and a muffin. This cute shop was next door.

The Mambo café

 

After the morning coffee break, we walked up the bush track to North Head. I was delighted to find some beautiful native flowers in bloom along the track.

 

Boronia

 

Everlasting daisies

 

Hibbertia

 

Pretty pink flower

 

Masses of Flannel flowers

 

Close up of a Flannel flower. Note the moss green tips of the petals

 

Egg and Bacon pea flower

 

Another type of pink Boronia

 

Tea tree flowers

 

This collection of water on a rocky area

 

We walked back down via the road and along the way, we saw this gorgeous little pond in the front yard of someone's house.

Pond filled with Koi carp

 

We arrived back at the shopping precinct and found a quaint Greek café and had a lovely 2 course meal and a glass of red wine which came with the meal. A lovely way to finish the walk.

 

 

In the meantime, I have been doing some painting. There was a request for some Scotty dogs and these are a few of them painted. The small ones are buttons and the larger ones are brooches. Someone told me that Scotty dogs tend to be biters, but I think we would be safe with these.

 

Scotty dogs-- Brooches and Buttons

 

 

I had painted some single scoop of ice cream buttons previously and thought some double scooped ones would also be delicious. These do not have button holes and rather than make them into brooches, my daughter suggested that I turn them into fridge magnets. These are the flavours I like as there is no chance of weight gained with these.

 

Double scooped ice cream-- fridge magnets?

 

Double scooped ice cream Buttons

 

I had gone out to lunch with my daughter a couple of weeks ago at a gallery/café called Hazelhurst. We were sitting out doors near a pond and this heron was having a wonderful time exploring the pond and its surrounds.

A heron

 

Whilst visiting a friend at her house, these 2 rainbow lorikeets came to the kitchen window and started knocking on the window with their beaks to get our attention.  They were after some bread--apparently they prefer the seeded variety with linseed in them!

 

2 Rainbow lorikeets

 

 

A friend drove here this morning and picked me up to go for a walk away from the home area. We walked around a walking track near Wanda and needless to say, popped into a café nearby for a coffee. We then proceeded to drive around a new housing estate called Greenhills. I was amazed by the huge houses being built on this site. The house appeared to occupy most of the block of land, leaving very little yard for young children to run around in. There were street trees planted, but it will be many years before they are big enough to make the area look green. Unfortunately I did not have my camera or phone with me  to take any photos.

 

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Until next time,

Yvonne