Fabric Basket

This months stitch-along (SAL) at the group I'm in http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/International-Hand-Stitchers/info  is for a fabric basket

I can't give any instructions or tutorials for the Christmas tags or this basket because the copyright belongs to one of our members but if you would like to join in with our SALs all you have to do is join our group.  We are a very friendly lot and welcome anyone who does any kind of fabric/thread/yarn crafts.  So, if you are a beginner up to more experienced we will be happy to see you.

 

Another little project I finished is a rose sachet...

 

This is my favourite type of embroidery project.  The sachet measures about 2 inches square and I've used bullion knots for the flowers and the bees bodies, detached chain stitch for the leaves and stem stitch for the stems.  I filled it with wadding and a mixture of rose petals and lavender.







A Couple More Tags

The second redwork tag has sequins and beads on the end of the branches...

 

And this tag is from a tutorial here ...

It is a very quick project and only needs felt and scraps of fabric and embellishments like lace, ric-rac and braid.





Redwork Gift Tag

The stitch-along at the group I'm in is redwork gift tags.  So far I've only finished one.  Not because it is time consuming or difficult, it's because instead of settling down to one project at a time I've got three on the go - redwork, fern stitch and chicken scratch.  If I had three pairs of hands I'd be fine!

 

I probably won't use this as a gift tag, I'll use it as a hanging decoration.  These tags are nice projects and don't take a lot of time.  I think they look very effective, thanks to Heather in our group.



Chicken Scratch Embroidery

I hadn't been in the mood for embroidery lately, too busy with other things, like going on holidays, sorting my clothes out and spending more time outside in the lovely summer weather we had.  Now, at last, I'm back in the mood.  I've wanted to do some chicken scratch embroidery for a long time, this week I settled down and made this...

It was quicker to do than I expected it to be and I got it finished in three days.  It looks very pretty, I'm already planning my next project.



Two Blouses

I thought these two blouses would look nice with a black skirt for evening wear...

This blouse has a frilly front, not something I tend to go for.  It also came with a black camisole vest, very handy as the fabric is quite sheer.  Here's a close up of the frill...

It's not very easy to see in the picture as it lies quite close to the body of the blouse and is not too fussy.

 

This next blouse also came with a camisole, this one is the same colour as the blouse...

I particularly like this blouse because of the sleeves.  My arms have lost their firmness and are best kept hidden!

 

Here's a close up of the fabric, very nice I think...

 

I can also wear my black trousers with these two blouses if I can't find a suitable skirt.









Keeping Warm This Winter Clothes

Us older people know to put on an jumper in cold weather, we don't need to be told how to dress do we.  Here's a really warm outfit I'll be wearing on those cold days...

This long cardigan is from the Bonmarche latest collection, I love the length of it and it feels so soft and comfortable.  I always have this type of cardigan in my wardrobe because I can wear it when I go walking on nice autumn days as well as for extra warmth in the winter.

www.bonmarche.co.uk/cardigans/icat/knitwear-cardigans/ I've teamed it with a turtle neck jumper, scarf and navy blue trousers, all from Bonmarche.  I think this outfit looks smart yet casual.  And the turtle neck jumper and scarf add that bit of extra warm around my neck. I was very lucky to be chosen by Bonmarche to review this cardigan, which I was happy to do.  I've truthfully reported on what I think of this cardigan, I probably would have bought it anyway so it was a lovely surprise to get this one to review.

Pensioner on a Budget Clothes

I needed something a bit smarter than my coat that I wear for walking, which is hooded, quilted, waterproof and great for bad weather.  I wanted something smart, warm and inexpensive...

I liked this coat because it is slightly shaped at the waist and has the added bonus of being machine washable, who can afford dry cleaning, not me.  It also buttons up right to the neck and has nice detail on the cuffs, pockets and shoulders.  The lining is put in nicely too.  At £40 I think it is a very good buy.

 

I seem to have bought a lot of clothes recently but I used money I had saved throughout the year.  If I was to add up how much I'd spent it probably wouldn't be much over a couple of hundred pounds, I've ended up with a good variety and can now feel neat and tidy.  Remember when our children/grandchildren got to an age when they wanted money for birthdays and Christmas?  Well I think we get to an age ourselves when we really don't need gifts that would probably be gathering dust or put away in cupboards so asking them for money or gift vouchers means we can treat ourselves to what we really need - in my case at the moment that would be clothes!  After many years of neglect I'd better make the most of myself while I still can.