A Little Bit of Fiberart Fun

This fun fiberart small quilt is now hanging in the towns meeting room along with about 18 similarly size 'self-portrait' quilts, haha. 

And I use the words 'self-portrait' very loosely.

(this is nothing like me really, lol)

The mini-me has a scrap strip fabric dress embellished with free-motion scrolls, a crochet bag with embroidered flowers, and she has a needle-felted head, hair AND boobs, and she wears metal wire glasses and two thread friendship bracelets. 

Her sandals (flip-flops or jandals) are made with a tiny buttonhole stitch in black thread.

The other mini-me's are all on a similar background with the same binding, and they are all connected together with fabric tabs in the same colour as the binding. 

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I have finished a quilted chair back cover, or antimacassar, for the old-rocker in the lounge.

It's the Snowball block.

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My old teapot cozy bit the dust (it was only about 12 years old lol) so I made a new one.

Love the kiwi fruit fabric for the kitchen.

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The grey and green background that I made while on that lovely stitching retreat a couple of weeks ago, has turned into a quilted tote-style bag.

A Splat on one side, and a Swirl on the other.

  

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And my final show for this week is a couple of 'containers'.

Basically made as thread-catchers, but can be used for a number of different things as well.

I need one of these next to my sewing machine because I'm always losing the seam-ripper or little scissors or the feet for the machine or the bobbins or.............

These nice containers will hold everything I need right there.

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So you can see I have been sewing up a storm since the retreat. 

It was a great way to get me back on track.

All for now.

Happy Stitching

Cyra

2018 Goals & update

Happy New Year  

2018 Goals - my year of 4’s

• Spend more time with hubby and put the ‘4-second’ rule into action - Did you know that it only takes 4 seconds to look at a person when they talk to you for them to appreciate and recognize that you are taking notice of them and that they are important to you at that moment.
• Make 4 things for each of my 4 children - I have so many things that my mum and dad made for me, that I treasure, and I want to pass that same love on to my kiddlywinks.
• Complete the crazy patchwork quilt that I started 4 years ago.
• Play some more with freeform bobbin lace and weaving.
• Knitting - I want to learn more than just the basic stitch, and stop being afraid of knitting.
• Make a start on My NZ Dolls House - aka 'Pilli Pala' - and the furnishings within.
• Work on 4 of my embroidery WIP’s. I’ll be happy if I get even one of these 4 finished.

That’s my lot….. apart from all the crochet projects that are a part of my ‘normal’ daily life too.

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Here are some of the projects that I finished in the last couple of months of 2017 and didn't get to post on here about.

Debra the Zebra Firberart- freeform crochet, bobbin lace, & weaving.

I made my Rock Pool bigger and better, and finished it in time for the Regional Embroiderers Guild show, where it won 1st place in the 3D category.... woohoo... go me.

A decorative freeform crochet box.

I've a YouTube video of it HERE where you can see the whole thing better.

A couple of woolly hats for His'n'Hers' Christmas pressies.

The one on the left is a pony tail beanie.

And this is the beginning of a mandala blanket.

Whatever you do in 2018 make sure you have FUN.

Happy Stitching

Time for a catch-up

Sometimes when life throws you lemons you just have to make lovely lemonade.

I've had a 'bit' of a busy couple of months (and the next few will be more of the same, lol), but I have still been stitching away whenever possible.

Here is a catch-up on some of the things I have made since my last post here.

Freeform crochet scrumbles. Getting ready to make a headband or hat.

Wet felting. I attended another workshop and made these two flowers.

Stamen embellishments are yet to be added.

Crochet miniature tablecloth, 6 inches long.

Wooohoooo - lots of stitching

 Lots of projects got to spend some quality time with me during the week.

The 'Long on Colour' freeform challenge made an appearance. I think this is going to be a cowl.

Earthy and autumnal colours with a pop of black and white. 

And we had such a lovely day yesterday that I was stitching in the back garden in the shade with my kitty companion.

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My BAMCAL 2017 Blues Blanket has two more 12" blocks made.

Block Four is Kaleidoscope Blossom Square by Chris Simon

Block Five is Marigold Mandala Square by Dorianna Rivelli with slight adjustments in the outer rounds as, once again, I 'do-my-own-thing'.

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The Summer Brights Blanket has four more 6" blocks.

This is Window Box Granny by Lisa Mauser

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The ¾" Hexagon Quilt

The darker blue has been added to the rosettes, and lots of yellows prepared ready for attaching.

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Weaving Project- My Garden, panel 2.

This panel starts with a band of regular weaving at the bottom which is the same yarn as Panel 1, and then gradually incorporates freeform weaving as it progresses. 
Multiple weaving styles and texture will be added to this.

So that was my week. Very productive, and I even got to empty and clean out the fish pond (as the two last fish in there disappeared last weekend, probably to a kingfisher or new stray cat that I've seen hanging around).

BAM 2017 - January so far

I thought I'd show you a couple more pics of Bertha Bling this week.

To read her story go here

And she has been featured, along with some of her kin, 

on the Laughing Purple Goldfish site.

BAMCAL 2017

Another block has been made for my Blues afghan.

This block started off as the circle design from a book (Granny Squares & Shapes by Susan Pinner), but it was a circle, so I modified it to be a square.

And here's how my 3 (so far) January blocks are looking together.

I'm not joining them together until I have made them all, and at the moment, I don't know how many I shall be making... as this is meant to be a stash busting project it just depends on when I run out of blue yarn I suppose.

I'm quite pleased that I have January off to a good start. 

I have also made two more blocks in a different colourway, but I cannot show them here yet.

Onwards and upwards.

Happy Stitching.

Cyra

A Few More Stitches

Here are a few more stitches that have happened this week.

This Christmassy Cat will, in the next week or so, be made into a hanging decoration and posted off to someone special for a very special greeting.

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My Summers End Mandala Madness Part 14 is done (the fawn bit). Hope to get part 15 started this week too.

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And I enjoyed making my last garden inspired weaving, so I've started another fiberart weaving to match it using the same warp, and it has begun with an even plain weave at the bottom for a reason, which will be revealed at a later date when a bit more has been completed, and some more of my freeform style has been added.

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And, after a joint effort (hubby & I), we got all the lounge furniture out of the lounge so that we could get that carpet cleaned before putting up the Christmas tree and decorations. It looks so much better now, and we can put the furniture back in tomorrow.

We also went shopping for two days to select a houseful of furniture for the new house we bought for our son to live in while at Uni in another town a few hours away from us.

Phew!!! It has been a very busy week.

This has been another YOP post.

Happy Stitching

Oh My Goodness, Did You Miss Me

I can't believe so many weeks have passed and I didn't get to blog about anything.

I am truly sorry to my regular readers who like to see what I am up to.

It has been a long month (nearly two months to be precise).

I'll not bore you with details of the non-stitching stuff (because, frankly, it WAS mostly really boring stuff).

A big FO for me was this Freeform Weaving project.

Inspiration from my garden.

Size is about 22" x 15".

Includes freeform crochet scrumbles.

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I also finished the baby blanket and have sent that off.

This was the blanket that someone else started but passed away before finishing it.

The 'trouble' was that all the circles were different sizes, and it's nearly impossible to put circles together with a straight edge.

Anyway, I think I managed to make a reasonable blanket for the grandchild of the deceased lady, even if it does have uneven edges and quite a few 'hills & valleys'.

It has plenty of character, definitely not perfect, and holds many of life's little hiccups within it's essence.

It will be treasured for all the right reasons though.

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I have actually finally got my Ocean Freeform Challenge piece bordered, backed, quilted and hanging properly.

I wanted to finish it ready to hang in an exhibition.
I can now add that to my FO list.

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I attended a craft workshop at one of my local groups.

We made these mixed media canvas pieces.

This blue one is my piece.

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Yesterday I finished a circle weaving project using a home-made recycled plastic bowl for a loom.

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So, that's me..... finally caught up with blogging about my makes and creations.

Phew!!!

This has been another YOP post for your enjoyment.

2014 Int. Free Form Fiberarts

I can finally reveal my Free Form Cerise Fiberart Neck Adornment.

It has now been published in the book: One Color

by the International Free Form Fiberarts Guild, of which I am a member.

The book is available at the following link:

    One Colour by Cyra Lewis 

ALL profits from the sales go to an International Charity (or charities) nominated by the members. 

I am honoured and proud to be in the company of such talented and inspirational fiber-artists, and I am pleased to call them all my friends.