Op-Shopping

I am sure I have mentioned before that I love op-shopping. I have not let myself spend much on myself lately because of the situation with my husband losing his job but last week I needed to fill in some time in town and I let myself do a bit of op-shopping.

I got myself a pair of near new shoes for about the price of a cappuccino from the Salvation Army shop.

At other op-shops I got the following, all for about NZ $12.

Lace Net Embroidery

Chocolat

Basic Steps for Weaving Cane Furniture

Woolen Baby Wrap

Tourist-type Russian Dolls

(I also got a folder of crochet know-how and patterns but I have not included these in the photo)

Over time I want to experiment with the lace net embroidery and the cane furniture in miniature. The woolen wrap I will cut up to make miniature blankets etc which I will edge and embroider. There is only two dolls as below and I may just use the bottoms as miniature planters once I have trimmed the top edge of them. As for the book Chocolat, that is my favourite film which I have watched many times but I have never read the book before. The felt toy book is from 1953 and has some lovely designs in it. Some of the simpler designs I will try to make in miniature but I will also probably make up some of the designs in their full size as well. I've always loved the old felt toys.

and yet more:

Little Brown Bird

Basketry the Easy Way

More Macrame

Basket Making Made Easy

Applique and embroidered table cloth

With this group I want to experiment with basketry and macrame in miniature. When I was quite young I remember doing both in full size. It will be fun trying to scale the techniques down into miniature. The Little Brown Bird book contains designs which combined make a large quilt using applique/embroidery/stitching and painting, with many of the designs containing birds. I love anything to do with birds. While I am not a quilter I thought I could take ideas from the book for miniature items. The table cloth I will cut up to use the applique and embroidery for miniature items and the cloth can be used to make miniature sheets.

So that was my op-shopping.

Finally, I couldn't resist a 960 page 1813/14 Girl's Realm Annual I saw on an on-line auction. I got it for NZ$3 plus postage. I couldn't believe my luck. The seller had described it as being in quite bad condition which may have put people off bidding, but I was happily surprised when I received it as it is not in that bad a condition at all, especially for a book that is 100 years old. I love flicking through these old annuals and they often have some lovely craft ideas in them as well as pictures of old fashions etc.

I definitely intend to make at least some little thing in miniature this weekend so check back with my blog in the next day or two.

Have a great weekend everybody.

We have names... (for now)

This is just a quick post to follow on from my last post where I introduced the two kittens I received for Mother's Day and asked for name suggestions.

First of all thank you so much for the fabulous name suggestions. We all loved receiving them and I loved many of the names. The difficulty was in trying to find a name that my husband, daughter and I all agreed on.

You also asked whether the kittens were boys or girls. When my husband and daughter picked up the kittens they were told they were boys. Admittedly they were very little and were only about 6 weeks old. Since then another lady has looked at the kittens and thinks we have two girls. We will have another good look at them in a week or so when they are a bit bigger and hopefully will be able to tell.

Anyway we have named the kittens but there is always the chance we may change the name when we are sure of their sex.

Firstly the little black kitten is called DASH. We called this kitten Dash because of his/her speed and playfulness and also because of the dash of white on his/her paw.

The tabby kitten we have named SQUIGGLE because of the mix of colours and also because of a popular New Zealand biscuit called Squiggles which has squiggles of hokey pokey on top of chocolate. Squiggle has hokey pokey colouring in amongst his/her other colours, especially a patch on top of his/her head.

We are trying to slowly introduce the kittens and our dogs. The funny thing is that our large dog Jasper (a total sook) is scared of the kittens and won't go anywhere near them.

And while we are on non-miniature matters I just thought I'd update you on my husband's employment situation. We have had a lot of kind thoughts sent our way since my husband lost his job. After 5 months of unemployment Pete is currently training for a position working with intellectually disabled that live independently within the community. At the moment is it only part time but hopefully within the next 4-6 weeks it will turn into a full time position and we will be able to start living a near-normal life again (if there is such a thing).

And finally I will finish with something to do with miniatures. I have finished the stitching on the table cover apart from needing to do hem stitch along one side so I can trim the table cloth and then fringe the two ends. I am really pleased with the way it has turned out.

I promise I will try to get back into making miniatures this week. I found some paper clips at work that are making me think of stand up photo frames. I just need to find some suitable photos to have a play.

Name Suggestions Please...

I got an early Mother's Day present today - two gorgeous little kittens. They are siblings. One is a lot darker than the other. We are having trouble naming them. We would really appreciate some suggestions for suitable names.

My next few weeks will be spent introducing the kittens to our three dogs and refereeing!

We look forward to hearing your suggestions. Have a great weekend.

What is this?

Hi blog friends.

A friend of mine has a wonderful old sewing box full of antique treasures and I am trying to help her find out what this item is:

It is a round brass object with retractable spikes. The knob on the top moves the spikes in and out but there does not seem to be a mechanism for locking the spikes when they are out. The back is flat but with a raised rim on the outside. If this is a needlework tool of some sort it gives room for a needle to go underneath threads.

I did look at the crochet doily in the bottom picture which came out of the same box and it made me wonder if it could be a tool for making lace flowers or to start some other form of needlework but it seems odd that you can't lock the spikes.

I have spent quite a bit of time on the web this morning to no avail so I just thought I'd see if any of you can shed some light onto what this item was used for.

It was made in Italy and has the wording ES - D.R.P. - BRFVETTATO - (a Crown) - PATENTE.

If anyone knows what this tool is used for and how it is used I'd really appreciate you commenting below. Any links to anything on the internet would be appreciated.

I'm still hoping I might finish my blackwork table cloth this weekend so hopefully I will be able to post a picture of it in the next day or two. Then I'm keen to have a go at scaling some vintage felt bag designs down into 1/12th scale.

This is part of a vintage felt knitting needle holder with felt flowers.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Blackwork

I have started a needlework project. It is a blackwork table cover from the book Embroidered Projects by Sue Hawkins but I have decided to throw a bit of colour into it. I had a few false starts and lots of unpicking until I got into the flow of it but I am going well now. Hopefully I can finish it before next weekend. It is on 36 count using one strand of embroidery thread. The measurement of the finished table cover in the book is 2.5 inches by 4.5 inches (6.4cm by 11.3cm) but I might need to alter mine slightly to fit onto the piece of fabric I have. I am really enjoying doing it and it is making me think of other embroidery projects I might enjoy. I am thinking of making some miniature felt bags with embroidery on them.

Hope you have all had a good weekend.

We Will Remember Them

In Flanders fields the poppies blow 
Between the crosses row on row, 
That mark our place; and in the sky 
The larks, still bravely singing, fly 
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

from 'In Flanders Fields' by John McCrae

Today in New Zealand (25 April) it is a public holiday, ANZAC Day.

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. It commemorates the landing of the ANZACs at Gallipoli, Turkey during World War I in 1915. Close to 3000 New Zealand soldiers died during the eight-month Gallipoli campaign.

At the time of WW1 New Zealand had a population of approximately 1.1 million people. Of that population 103,000 men served overseas. Of those men 18,200 lost their lives and 41,300 were wounded.

The present ANZAC Day is a time to remember all New Zealanders who have served their country in wars and conflicts around the world. Many New Zealanders attend parades, dawn services or commemorative services.

When I did my big OE in 1989/1990 I did visit Mathausen concentration camp in Germany and I did visit some fields of remembrance in Europe where rows of white crosses showed the silver fern (a New Zealand icon) just reading A New Zealand Soldier. It is very sobering seeing places like these. I think it is the first time I really thought about the World Wars.

This year I have to confess I have watched footage of the dawn parades and documentaries on TV from the comfort of my lounge and I won't deny I do appreciate a day off work, but it is a good time to reflect and consider how lucky we are. We should not only remember the men who went away to war but also the men and women who kept things going back in New Zealand and to the many handcrafts and 'make do' inventions that came about at a time when many things were scarce.

I have just read a fabulous book called 'Thrift to Fantasy' written by Rosemary McLeod about home textile crafts of the 1930 - 1950s. I was surprised at what a good read this book was and it really made me think about how thrifty and creative women were in those years, especially during WWII and the Depression Era, and what a throw-away society we live in today. I would thoroughly recommend this read to anyone but especially to New Zealanders. While I have always loved the old handcrafts I am certainly looking at old handcrafts I see in op shops with a whole new appreciation now and I want to try to recreate some of these handcrafts in miniature.

Unfortunately I really do not know a lot about the history of our family's involvement during the world wars and those that would have known the stories are no longer with us, so while watching coverage on TV today I have been heartened to hear about the many initiatives for recording the stories of those that have memories of these times and about a project by a group of professional photographers who are taking a photograph of the returned servicemen that still survive as they are today.

One story that really made me smile today was on a New Zealand news site on the internet. It was about a 101 year old gentleman who had served in WWII. He had attended a commemoration service in Christchurch, New Zealand with three generations of his family. The photo showed a man full of life and pride with a big beaming smile shaking hands. He said this would probably be his last parade but his daughter said "He always says that". He is apparently known for his sense of humour, was still able to walk with the aid of a walker, still drove his car and did not require reading glasses - but did have hearing aids. He credited his long life span to a mixture of garlic and rum. As I read the article I found myself smiling at the man on the page and thought what a lovely photo for his family to remember him by when he does eventually join his comrades.

We Will Remember Them.

A Pause for Thought

I've been feeling very tired this Easter break and while I've wanted to get into my miniatures I have struggled with motivation. I just want to curl up and do nothing. I think the stress of the last few months with my husband losing his job and related stresses have just caught up with me a bit this long weekend.

Today I have been thinking a lot about my future direction in miniatures and have looked back over my old blog entries. Below is part of my first entry on this blog on 8 January 2011. 

"Hi there

I have started this blog for myself really. Being a busy wife, mum and law clerk, I am notorious for not finishing projects and putting other things before my own creative time. I am hoping that by blogging about my creative endeavours it will inspire me to complete projects and to extend myself creatively. I am just getting back into miniatures after about a 15 year break..... My ultimate aim is that, as well as getting back into miniatures myself, I will also hopefully inspire other miniaturists, crafters and busy people who would like to explore their creative potential to just have a go."

I had a shaky and slow start to blogging with 4 entries in 2011 and 13 entries in 2012. I was so excited when I got my first follower on 28 January 2012 - thanks Brae! Slowly other people started following my blog and I started following theirs. Inspiration and motivation kept building slowly until in 2013 I really started getting into blogging posting 67 entries. I really do love being part of this blogging community and recently even when I haven't been motivated to make miniatures I have tried to find something to blog about to keep the communication flowing.

Looking back over my blog I have had moments where I have been passionate about starting a project around certain items such as a bird themed gallery or shop, arts and crafts movement furniture, Timeless Toys toy shop but I have struggled to move forward with those ideas.

In fact the only project I have started and finished has been the project I made for my sister, the Selina Rose Gallery. I have a number of projects that I have not yet completed such as Sugar & Spice, a book shelf in a box, my Christmas box and my vintage house The Laurels.

While I have struggled with motivation I have seen so many pictures of things that have inspired an idea for a miniature, techniques I would love to try, or miniature tutorials I would love to make but they didn't fit in with my projects and I didn't let myself just have a go for the pure enjoyment of it.

I have come to realise that at the moment I just don't work well restricting myself to working on a project based around one theme. I need to just have a go at what I want to make at any one time and just enjoy it. However, at the same time I don't want to have a random collection of unrelated miniature items sitting on my shelves or tucked away. 

One of my favourite things to do is browsing through second hand and antique shops, op shops, markets and craft stalls. You just never know what treasures you will find. That got me to thinking. I can combine two of my favourite things. Miniatures and markets. 

To be honest I had thought of doing market stalls before but I dismissed the idea because I thought it wasn't original. Many clubs and miniaturists do market stalls, but thinking about it today I realised it is original if I use my own ideas and make my own miniatures. It also means I can make anything I wish to in miniature and it will find a home on one stall or another. The options for stalls are limitless - cakes and pastries, fruit veges and home produce, antiques, books, needlework, weathervanes and wrought iron work, bird items, Christmas items, architectural features, art ... limitless. It also allows me to combine my vintage and modern miniatures together and to find a place for the many miniatures I still have tucked away from the 1990s. 

My head is buzzing with ideas and I have started a Pinterest board to gather market ideas. Yes, it is still a project, but it is a project that gives me scope to jump from one thing to another.

As for Timeless Toys, it is just going to get scaled down to a market stall for now.

So far my thoughts are that I want to make different stalls that will combine to create one large scene over time. At the back of some of the stalls I want to create a building facade (so I can play with creating architectural features) possibly with a bit of depth and use some lighting. Each market stall holder will supply their own display furniture, carts, etc so no stall will be the same. The only similarity between each one will be the base of each (a road, cobbles or the like - not yet decided). I also envisage a cafe spilling out of one of the facades with tables and chairs in the midst of the market stalls. 

Above is a picture of a display cabinet I have in my craft room. I have lugged this heavy cabinet around since the 1990s. It is not very deep but I hope to be able to create each stall scene to fit in the cabinet. The five shelves will hold quite a number of stalls so this could keep me going for many years. This height of the shelves will mean any building facades will be limited to one storey buildings. I can also keep like stalls on separate shelves, e.g. fruit, veges, produce, cakes, food stuffs and gardening etc on one shelf, crafts on another and antique stalls/furniture on another shelf. I have also wanted to have a go at making miniature people so I might create a stallholder for each market stall (we will see how my attempts at doll making turn out before we make a decision on that one though).

Creating this market will also mean I will have my own market to shop at as I do other projects in the future. I really would like to enter some competitions in the future as I love a challenge so I don't see this as being my only miniature project for the future. There is also also one large project I wish to do in the future but until I can afford a suitable 8+-roomed dolls house it is on hold. In the future I wish to do a dolls house based around the story Ballet Shoes. There are so many varied and interesting characters in this story that this project would also give a lot of scope for variety.

Anyway it is now late afternoon and I have spent most of my day thinking and blogging. I do feel more motivated but I don't want to rush into the market base and building facades yet until I have a clear idea of how I want the overall 'market' to look. However I can start making miniatures of any type or description. I think I might go and start a miniature blackwork table cloth - just because I can and because I am going to let myself!

Sorry if this is a bit long-winded. I guess this blog entry is probably more for myself - I just needed to think in blog format.

I hope everyone is having a great Easter.