Freeform Down by the Seashore

Week one of the Freeform K/CAL Down by the Seashore has started with a Gastropoda inspired shell (or shells)

This K/CAL is on Ravelry here

Freeform Crochet Exhibition

Every year the International FreeForm Fiberart Guild produces a book and an online gallery for its annual exhibition.

I have, once again, entered a piece of freeform in the exhibition.

The theme for the show is 

Flora and Fauna - native to your region or country.

I chose the New Zealand flax for my inspiration and created this ornamental vessel.

You can read more about my piece on the gallery website HERE

The online Gallery for the show is HERE

and

The book can be purchased HERE
(all profits go to a charity voted by the member)

Mandala Madness part 11

Here we are with another part of the mandala completed.

Mandala Madness Part 10

I have finished Part 10 of the Mandala Madness CAL.

The popcorn and diamond motif was the part 10 addition and a bit of a challenge, but very enjoyable.

Love how this is turning out.

Only 8 more parts/weeks to go on this, lol. 

It should be a lovely tablecloth for my round Ercol walnut table when finished.

Mandala Madness part 9

Part 9 is complete. 

The 6 rounds of Part 9 starts above the long white stitches on my mandala.

And I am half way through Part 10. Up to round 66, which is quite labour intensive with all the changes of colours and multiple repeats, and is causing quite a stir with others who are in this CAL. Personally I quite enjoyed this challenging row, and hence was singing along to the song of a similar name. 

But I have a few rounds to go until Part 10 is complete, so on to it.

And Part 8 of Mandala Madness

Part 8 of Mandala Madness is complete.

And here's a close-up of the outside edge.

Those long 'spiky' stitches were a bit on the fiddly side to keep in place.

I have been in the garden a lot lately and have started a new wild-flower area that I hope will be a great show of colour in a couple of months.

Also, have been working on my vegie patch.

One other thing for this week.

We have been adopted by Billie. Her previous owner lived in this house, and Billie wants to stay here.

We renamed her Billie because her original name was Furry, which seems rather 'non-personal' to me. The name Billie came about from Billy Fury (hahaha).

Mandala Madness CAL - part 7

Mandala Madness crochet along - part 7

Part 6 - with a pink blush

Mandala Madness - Part 6 added

Complete with a 'blush' of peachy-pink and with an orange glowing edge as the sun sets once more on another beautiful day.

We are told that the 'points' will curl a bit at this point in the proceedings.

And another MM round

Another round on the Mandala Madness CAL bites the dust.

Part 5 complete.

I'm calling it 'Summers End' because that is where we are in this part of the world (NZ) at the moment, and my colours, so far, resemble the glow of the sun on the lower arc as it rises from behind Mt. Egmont every morning, and then sets over the beautiful white surf sea in the eve. 

Not sure where I want to go with my colours next though. Will ponder on it some more.

Mandala Madness Part 4 - Summers End

Mandala Madness Part 4 complete.

Summers End

Mandala Madness Part 3

I'm still playing catch-up with the Mandala Madness CAL.

Here it is with Part 3 added. 

Love the yellow addition to my neutrals here. I wasn't sure if yellow would work with the other colours, but I needn't have worried.

Onwards and outwards - part 4 awaits me.

Mandala Madness CAL part 2

The next couple rounds are complete now, and I am about to start with Part 3 soon.

Catching up slowly. I don't know how so many of the other CAL crafters are managing to get two or even three of these mandalas done each week.

I expect that things will get even slower when the 'rounds' get larger as it will take an awfully long time to complete just one round.

But for now, we are given a few rounds to complete each week.

Did I mention that this is a mystery CAL too, so we don't know what the finished Mandala will look like.

Here is mine so far -

  Coffee, Cream & White Chocolate

And I made a Ruffled Hexagon before I began on the mandala, and I am thinking about what border I want on it.

It needs blocking yet but I can't find which of the million packing boxes my pins are in 

(I may have to buy more pins)

Here it is -

Mandala Madness Crochet Along

I've joined in on the Mandala Madness CAL (Crochet-A-Long)

I'm a bit late starting it. I only managed to get rows 1 - 10 done so far, which is only about half way through Part One. 

Part Two and Part Three have already been posted.

Here is the link to the CAL.

http://www.crystalsandcrochet.com/crochets/mandala-madness-cal-2016/

Not a great deal of stitching has been done in the Lewis residence as the gardens have been taking up most of my time, 

A Little Bit of Stitching - Building Blocks

My Building Blocks Quilt has had quite a few more 'bricks' hand stitched to it this week.

Our house is almost empty now. All the packing is done, just need a couple more trips to take it all to the new place.

And another one bites the dust - PINK block done

YAY..... I've finished this block now.

It's PINK.

I like this one, it has some interesting shapes and seam treatments.

So now I have to await the big move in November when I shall be reunited with my stash to make the next naked block and start embroidering on it.

I shall have to invent a new crafty project to occupy my hands in between packing. ALL my 'stuff' is now out of reach, and I dare not go shopping for more because I'm fed up with packing it all away and out of sight.

And while I'm on the subject of packing --- I was in a dilemma about what to do with this:

It's a lovely piece of furniture, and I love playing on it (a perfect sound). I have been trying to get Tony to agree to keeping it, but it is rather big, bulky, and heavy, and he says we are rapidly running out of storage space. So I have been thinking about giving it away to someone who will love it as much as I do. Maybe the local primary schools could suggest a child or family who could make very good use of it.

Anyway, the problem of what to do with it solved itself yesterday.

I turned it on and started to play a sad tune on what I thought would be my very last time on the lovely organ. After about 3 minutes there was a splutter, a loud fizz, and then an even louder bang, followed by an enormous amount of smoke coming up through the keys.

Yes..... I killed the keyboard.

 How sad.