Found in a Sewing Basket

The Cataloguing Team at Old Gippstown has been working its way through some of the sewing baskets in Sarah Carter's shop.

I have posted a picture of this basket before:

But today we got into documentation of its contents. And found this:

It is lace wrapped around a photograph roughly chopped to make a holder.

I took a quick photo, just realising it was people. It was only when I got home and looked at the photograph on screen, that I realised it is probably a group of Australian Light Horsemen from World War I.

Here is a closeup. The largest size is HERE.

Wouldn't it be interesting to know the story of photograph.

Why was it of so little value that it was cut into and made into a bit of cardboard for winding lace?

Steps for the Week

Steps for this week were 50,398. Which I think is a record for me. And on the Friday I actually did 10,000 in a day - which is the aim. While moving boxes of books, so I really knew it at the end of that day.

That was the good news. Now for the bad news.

We did a little experimenting with the pedometer while in the car - and at certain angles, it clocks up its own little steps, very quickly, from the motion of the car!

So as there was a 20 minute drive before and after that 10,000 steps on Friday, I need to do more tests.

It may have just been the car trip, and I didn't do 10,000 steps at all!

Mirror Block 2 finished

Mirror Block 2 is finished - it is actually the third in the series, I just gave them numbers as they were pieced.

So Jo, you can now see my little Paisley in context.

And this is the seam I was thinking about yesterday - changing the Blanket Stitch to short-short-medium-long-long-medium-short-short etc sure changes the pitch of the capping.

For those unfamiliar with this project (it is so long since I have blogged about it), this is one of two projects using eight inch blocks. The first is the Wogga, and this project which "mirrors" the Wogga blocks. In both I am working only with perle cotton or similar threads, no beads, buttons or bumpy bits. The lack of anything else to hide behind makes me really stretch the stitch combinations, and I try and work the same or similar on both projects.

The fabrics for this project are based around cutting up an unfinished supper cloth that my mother worked on in the 1940s, and I worked on in the 1960s. It was still then only half finished. So I have taken some cherry blossom quilting cotton, a dressing gown from an Op Shop (none in this block) and some complementary fabrics to create the blocks.

Both series are being Blanket Stitched around the edge, and will then be stitched together - in slightly different ways. You can see more on the Mirror blocks HERE and on the Wogga HERE.

Stitch Combinations 6

I have been experimenting with Chain Stitch capping long and short Blanket Stitch. So apart from needing to do the bit at the left, I rather like this. Especially as it was one of those miracles where the corner "turned" properly. I think if I do the Blanket Stitch as short-short-medium-long-long-medium etc that I might get curves.

I could also put a little daisy in the valleys.

This is on a Mirror Block. Which is almost full, so I need more blocks

Stitch Combinations 5

I am currently just toodling along finishing the current Wogga block and Mirror block.

This combination is very loosely based on Sharon b's Day 55 - really useful to just go and browse them when looking for ideas.

The trouble started when I added an extra leg to the Blanket Stitch to space it out a bit more. And I am not using beds on this work, and was wanting to experiment with using the lines on the fabric as guides, plus anchor down a bulky seam.

So in the end it was nothing like Sharon's

Here is another one, where I was just doodling with Feather Stitch.

I really need to make some more blocks. These are sort of samplers, so hopefully they will be what I am using in Sharon's new classes. I am definitely booked in.

I'm off to do it ....

I'm off to do it - to sign in for sharon b's Developing a Personal Library of Stitches class at Joggles.

Sure I can find a few more hours in the day!

Not enough steps

Not enough steps for this week - only 18,093.

But there are a few small, mitigating reasons. It fell off again, so when I went to Melbourne for the day, I left it home rather than lose it. So that is one day less.

And the Census is almost over - it is now a case of driving between the few places where there are still pickups, instead of walking.

(In passing, I knew I had been doing it too long when I pulled up in my own driveway, got out my bag, walked up to my own front door, and knocked on it!).

But Pedometer has had some fun. It went to Old Gippstown with me on Friday, where three of the four members of the cataloguing team independently announced they were wearing pedometers. The same three who drive Mitsubishi cars. The fourth, who drives a Toyota and does not wear a pedometer, says it is because we need to get fit to walk for help when they break down.

In his dreams!

Hopefully, about Wednesday, life will return to normal enough for me to mow the lawn. Wonder how many steps are in that.

Just Beautiful

Do drop over and have a look at MioPupazzo's crazy-quilt dolls. There is a link on the side to some of her previous ones in a set, but the newest, purple ones are not in the set yet. So just work your way back through the photos - there is some really nice stuff in there.

Time Capsule

I have been back out at Old Gippstown (note slight change of name), in Sarah Carter's, working through the cataloguing.

Remember this sewing cabinet?

It goes with a 1930s Singer sewing machine, and is full of miscellaneous items, just as it was when last used.

This is the contents of one drawer:

The piece of pink wood has us a little beat - is it for winding on threads (which then have to stay there), or is it a template. I think a thread winder. The blokes on the cataloguing team think it is a knuckle duster.

And this is my favourite piece in there - imagine this instead of a Christmas card - a range of threads for darning your stockings.

The sewing cabinet belonged to a Doctor's wife, who was prominent in the Girl Guides. Can you just see them all darning their stockings????

Technically, we are supposed to put a catalogue number on each item in the cabinet. Think I will pass in this case.

Walking, Waling, Walking

Well I dunno.

Have been walking, walking, walking. Walked for the last two days, with stops for meals only. And pulling a little trailer behind me (good upper body exercise).

And even then I only got up to 46,156 steps for the week. And there were two other days of hard walking in there, too.

Think it must be all the stopping at each house as I go ......

No time for a picture. But trust me - 46,156 steps for last week.

What I am Wearing

I thought my readers might like to see what the well-dressed Census Collector is wearing (given that up until today, it has been cool and damp)

This is a commercial cardigan that has come into its own. I have had it for years, and I don't wear it much. As I don't often get out into the cold for long periods.

Can you see why it appealed????

And this was made for me over 20 years ago, when my Mother was still quilting, and I wore it almost to death.

It is a Women's Weekly pattern, and she just cobbled together quilting cottons with a machine embroidery stitch and then cut the pattern from that. And forever regretted that large blue patch on the right sleeve - but it isn't so obvious when it is being worn.

And guess what???? Yesterday someone said to me "I am looking at that - I am interested in Crazy Patch, especially the stitches". Yep! *Waving to that someone, who now has the address of this blog, Sharon's Stitch Dictionary, etc.*

I did think of collecting in one of my vests, but decided against it.

I might never get finished.

Paisley

Here is my first attempt at a Paisley, inspired by Jo.

Jo's are better - they are bigger and she uses different colours - in this case I was stuck with one colour.

I wanna do more - but have to go and walk around collecting census papers.

Stitch Combinations 4

Life remains busy, so have given up any hope of doing 100 Details in 100 Days - I got lost in work on Day 17.

But I have finally had time to pull out a needle again - not sure how long it will last, but here is a seam combination for today.

I worked it first on my Mirror Block, with dark green perle #8 and light green perle #12. It is Herringbone, with two Detached Chain extending every second set of arms on one side, and a Fly Stitch on each of the other set of arms on the other side.

In light green I then added three-wrap French Knots on one side, and a Fly Stitch and Detached Chain group, and French Knots on the other side.

I then varied it on the Wogga Block, where I had a little more in the way of colours to play with.

In this case it is perle #8 green and perle #12 blue, and the only change is that I have put locking stitches where the Herringbones cross, as they were a bit loose.

But I have to say - I would rather be out trying out Paisleys - check out what Jo has been doing.

The sun is out - I am going back to walking.

10,000 steps - week 4?

Well, I really missed posting for weeks two and three, but here I am with week four - and it would have been higher, except one really hectic afternoon the pedometer fell off and stayed in the car.

Blast.

It is a little bit like the eye of the storm here, so I actually did a bit of stitching last night - the seam immediately above and right of the ped is in progress.

Back soon - life has to return to normal one day!

Walking, Walking, Walking

Hi Everyone - no time to stitch, no time to post, but plenty of steps being taken. I am out working as a Census Collector.

No time to stop and talk ..... have to keep walking!