Stacked Pyramid from base pattern

This is my version of the stacked pyramid. I want to learn to adapt the base line stitches and bring them both up and down over the seam. In this one I worked up, then down, added beads and kept with two weights of thread, one a size 12 perle silk and the other two strands of needle necessities. The beads are metallics in black and in abalone from mill hill.

Build A Seam Week Eleven

This is a very poor picture of a stacked pyramid base pattern, but it is soft pink silk perle on tafetta. I will add the seam below that I created from this one.

Miss Kerry, I hope you meant it when you said it is never to late to join in a challenge. I hope to go back and do the other ten seams over the coming week.

Collars and cuffs

While waiting to catch dh's cold and flu I had started some collars and cuffs and would like to share my results with you. I have adapted various patterns I have seen on line. The tall neck version is available in a different stitch on http://www.lionbrand.com/ as well as the base pattern for some of the cuffs, others were just made up as I went along.

I have not decided if I will rewrite the patterns or not as I did not take any notes while I was crocheting and would have to start from scratch again, but as I now have his flu, I doubt this would be done before the end of the year.

Creative Moment

With crochet hook in hand and a basket of assorted sizes of yarn and wool that was previously purchased I have once again started to create designs that I enjoy.

I played with wrist warmers this week, and today took on the challenge of a neck warmer and I am pleased with how that turned out as well.

Knowing our cold Nova Scotia winters I have decided to also make some boot toppers, and can see this leading into frilly sock tops for special occasions. I can't seem to get past frilly, pretty and practical.

Practical being that a set of cuffs can change the look of not only blouses, sweaters and jackets but easy on the pocket book for the office/executive staff.


Practical also involves a collar that will keep you warm in the winter, cool in the summer and make that collar less top look like a day to night outfit.


Practical also means that I can knit plain socks and add pretty toppers to them so that the tops of the socks are not lost when the heels wear out.

Practical means that hats can be warm in the winter with a headband added for some extra style that would be removable and used to hold back hair or drop down as a choker/necklace styled.

I love the new cuffs that I am playing with for a design, rather than warming the wrists alone they give a whole new look to what is under the jacket and keeps out the cold. They can be worn long to keep the arms warm, or turned down and add some class to an outdated outfit.

I am not a scarf person, but can see designing some in the future. I am also not a crochet with yarn person normally, but love the feel of thread so can see this being carried forward to bridal and heirloom work with thread and crochet hook.

I also love the idea of legwarmers that look not only stylish, but can be sloppy and comfortable as well either over leggings or boots. Now I have to get out and get a pair of the higher boots with a bit of a heel.

I also love a challenge and want to try and force myself to finish some of the ideas that I have sketched in a notebook and wanted to use for a long, long time.


I am playing with some mock-ups in both worsted, sport and bulky weight and now want to try and take it down to finer threads, but first must design a cap/hat that I would like to be able to create easily.

Baring any unforseen power outages, as we are supposed to be in for a bad icy raining evening, will be back on line with some pics to share.

FFT#3 Block is Home

Thanks to beautiful work of Pam, Shery, Lisa, and Janet my fabulour first times block is home where it belongs. I love the work that they have done on it and thank them immensely.

The centre seam of scallops is one that I learned from Marianna one of my angel friends and this was a ufo before it was sent off, and now it is finished and I am ready to add some of my own work to this one and check and see if there is possibly enough to start piecing a quilt together. I do have a lot, but they are all different sizes so making a plan will be a major strife as all of the ones that have work on them from others mean so much to me.

Still sharing some odds and ends.

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I love to knit socks and just started to knit mittens again and must admit that unless I can find a one armed, one legged person that these normally just end up in the 'ufo' pile, but I have found a solution. As soon as I finish one sock, I set the other one up on needles and then mindlessly knit while watching tv with dh in the evenings. I now feel productive. I have an order for some heavy weight socks and men's wristers so these will go aside for a day or so until I make a set for dh, who is working in a very cold building.

Winter sniffles turns into down time.

Had a bit of down time and decided to work on a few cuffs to go under blazers or jackets for gifts. I must admit that I love working on them and they are so versatile.

They can make one look like they are wearing a gorgeous sweater and still put a pair of winter gloves or mittens on under them.

I took the base pattern from a bernat free pattern on line and added the ruffle as I would work a doily.

I also love ribbons and glitter so I went down to a worsted weight yarn rather than a bulky yarn.

The pattern also comes with a plain neck ruffle and I hope to play with this one as well. I am sure they will be a hit with the teenagers.

Winter Sniffles

After our beautiful ( ugh ) snowfall on the weekend I have picked up a chill and a cold with letting the dogs in and out as they want to play in 40 cms of snow. I am not impressed. I am snuggled up in myfavourite chair with a quilt and some hand knitting for a bit.

Bloggin Friends Forever Award

I was honoured with this award from Jackie Young and would like to pass this award along to the following:-

1.- Leslie of http://www.pinyoncreek.blogspot.com

2.- Kerry of http://www.kerrykatiecakes.blogspot.com

3.- Sharon of http://www.inaminuteagoblogsot.com

4. Pam of http://www.kittyandmedesigns.blogspot.com

5. Lilla of http://www.lillalevine.blogspot.com

All of the above have made a difference in how I look at the thread that passes through the eye of the needle.

Winter in the Valley

Old Man Winter hit with a vengenance this weekend dumping 31 cms of snow yesterday and another 15 cms of snow last night. Proud to be in a snow belt.

One thing it does is wake us up to the reality that ' snow tires ' are a definite necessity for this time of year, the fender benders were unreal.

I did not venture out and have not for about a week now,which is not abnormal for me in the winter time. My power chair does have snow tires, but can't picture a tow truck pulling it on our country lane.

Yesterday I tried my economical ( cheaper than most ) bead spinner that I got from Walmart a year ago. Can't believe it was that long, but remember as we were visiting dd at the time and I thought under fifteen dollars was a real steal, but felt it would never truly work, but was willing to give it a try.

It spins and works like a top. It is a small one, and I normally only knit the beaded purses and the little things and feel great that I did get the beads loaded back on and finished another jabot purse. Pictures to follow next week.

At the time I also purchased a little mermaid in porcelane with hopes of doing a beaded skirt, not to mention the butterfly and getting back into my french hand beading..........well, this snow has got me started and there is no way now but forward.

I would love to thank Beadin' Gran Jackie Young for voting for me as Friends Forever and I must admit that I have no idea on how to transfer the symbol to my blog except I can follow through with five people who I would love to remember for the rest of my life and will do so after chatting with Jackie.

I too, have bit the sock craze and am wearing the first set, and have three more pairs that will be done before the day is over, the other three pairs are being done gently as my friend Miss Vortex has assured me that knitting on the toothpicks is great. She was even gracious enough to send me the fine sock " thread " to knit on and must admit that when these are knit they go right into my sock drawer.

Sock Knitters Revenge

What would the night be without another sock in the process. I know soon I have to start finishing the other ones that I have hidden, but they tell me they have a name for this disease now, it is called " the one sock syndrome " and I have it big time.



I feel the urge for real bulky socks, sport socks and not to mention mohair socks................but alas, my heart has to say that these are portable t.v. watching projects as my first love is my needlework, I left the world of knit design some years ago, I think.......this may be a real test.






Can you beleive that all that needs to be done fo rthe second sock to see a foot is to have the toe tapered properly, and it will be history........let's see what the night brings.

It all started with this toothpick and very expensive thread that is referred to in the knitting industy as self patterning sock yarn, a gift from a friend who said this is the size yarn I love to use. I must admit that short of needing to use my reading glasses to knit with them the feel of the yarn is out of this world..........now to turn the heel properly on such a fine specimen of knitting.

Now this is my weight of yarn, worsted in all it's glory. Start one sock on Saturday and finish the second on Sunday, mindless knitting. Oh my, now what does that say about me....

Pam's Block

A cascade of vines, flowers and beads flow from one block into another to symbolize the flowers that drape the castles and beautiful homes in England and France










There was not a lot of room for a large heart so I sent a smaller one done in vintage braid and trimmed in vintage laces with beads and a beaded dangle from the bottom, allowing fabrics to show through. I also added a hand dyed rosette.





A lady in lavender with her bonnet decked out in flowers and a hand dyed trim was added. I allowed the trim to go into another block as I felt it was needed. A heart swings from the cockade at the top







A boquet was added so as the butterfly was headed in the right direction and to vintage flowers at that.

This is the final result on how I did what I refer to as a " French Plume ". I truly enjoyed this challenge.

Back in Creative Mode.

Above is a picture of the block in a beginner round robin or should I say renewal of stitching round robin as it arrived at my home.

I am the last to stitch on the block and the booklet that came with it said that I want this to remind me of my visits to France with my dh and his vintage car clubs.

Not ever wanting to see a seam unturned I have started to add to this block, which I assure you will be filled before it heads home.

I knew the centre was bothering my friend "Pam " and I thought long and hard before I tried a technique that I had seen in a Candace King book, where you pull the top wire of the wired ribbo and flip it back on itself to make a ruffled effect. Now I have tacked this down and added some dark french beads..............I also want to add a fluff of feather and a doughnut of purple to the base, but not sure how this will turn out, time will tell.


I also took a section at the top and did a fall bush as in the pictures my special friend has shared with me she has shown me beautiful bushes that hang down over buildings. Now the paillettes that are used in the flower part of the bushes is not that bright and brilliant, the camera just picked them up as such and they do blend in well with the rest of the blocks keeping a nice calm peachy tone to the setting.

I felt that being in France would provide me with an opportunity to put in a silk that I receieved in a squishie..........the lady is dressed in purple and has a hat with a pouff of feather on the top in purple, and I added the yellow/cream to this and tacked it down to swirl off of the block........it also has small beads added to this............more will be collaged at the top before it leaves.

The deep curved heart at the top appears to be vintage and it reminds me of France, with all of it's deep splendor and vintage laces and soutache and when completed it should be a heart filled with love.

Other odds and ends are scattered around. I have found this block to be a challenge as the tone was set by those before me with beautiful stitching and highlighted seams and there were none left for me so I chose to dress it up.

I will add a picture of where I am at now, and hopefully it will either stay as is, or change as time permits.

Thoughts from home.

Have taken some time off to regroup and reorganize and must admit it was a true inspiration to go to Pam Kellog's new style blog. I am one of her followers, she is one talented lady.

I am working on knitting socks and gettng ready to do a few Christmas items for around the house and for gifting.

I love this time of year as it brings out the love in all people.

I wish I knew what one could assembly line make with love for patients in a nursng home. I have a stack of home dec fabric that would make nice little pouches, but feel that no strings would be allowed on them. I want to do something special for all of them this year, but it may go as small as a card to all of them or wheelchair backpacks, depending on time.

More news soon.

Pictured above is my work done on Sherry's round robin block. I added an iridescent poinsettia to the centre of a green arc. I then added metallic braid and beads. I did a herringbone stitch around and stopped it with beads, I followed with a yli midnight base of Cretan stitches.

On the Candy cane I added a dimensional bow and put a spray of beads in the centre. I worked a seam along the side in feather stitch.

On the opposite side I did some rushed ribbon and overlapped it with bouquet's of beads in gold and green. I added the green with red thread so that they would show up more.

I then added a rusched green ribbon wreath and beaded size 15 seed beads for berries and added a large puff bow.

I could have gone on but there is not a lot of space for the next stitch er to work on this block so I will wrap it with love and mail it away. I love the challenge of working on a patterned background.

Our Aussie checking out the dahlias and roses for us.

What is left of my little rose bush and angel out front. We cut back the spirea tree to see if you can get better shaping.

A little bit of heaven outside my front window. Went out yesterday and tried to capture my clematis known as Autumn Glory in all it's beauty. Dh has trained this one himself and we started it from a little bulb. It is one of the few flowers left blooming in our garden out front.

Thoughts from my Studio

While reading the local newspaper this morning I saw the faces of three little children who gave their lives in combat that we might live. I say children as I cannot believe the youth that are serving our country, irregardless, of the circumstances, and to think they were soon to be coming home, seems like a nightmare rather than a news story.

I would love to open my newspaper just one day and read nothing but good news. The war is over and the troops are coming home, to all countries. People are learning to be able to survive on their own and have the freedom that a lot of us take for granted. Perhaps a side note would be that seniors would be given a raise in order that they can afford to live through our tough Canadian winters. I know at over a thousand dollars a drum to fill the oil tank it won't take long for Mother Nature to eat that up. So, what do they do, go without food or freeze.

I also perceive there is an election on the horizon, now that would be great news if all or even some of the major promises that were made were kept. Our schools, our health, our seniors, our planet all are being taken for granted.

On a happy note a special friend of mine has had her work accepted by a great Canadian magazine " A Needle Pulling Thread ", and I am so proud of her. I have watched her grow from when she was the infamous little beader to the now infamous silkribbon artist with beadwork as a highlight. Congratulations Marie...you are one special lady.

My fobs are done and in the mail

Above are four fobs that I have made. The one on the bottom with the mermaid beaded at the end is being sent away as a swap partner. Two of the others are going as gifts and one I gave to my special aunt, because she decided to visit me and asked what the beautiful ' fobs' were for, she remembered when they were used for watches. It is nice to have someone appreciate what one does.

One has a seashell on the end so that you can hear our oceans., one has a fairy on the bottom who is sitting in her glory, and the one with the falling heart is the one that my aunt chose. I truly enjoyed this challenge as I had never made a ' fob ' before.

Marian's Scissor fob/tassel arrived

The image here of the gorgeous scissor tassel does not do it justice. Marian has taken the time to weave size 11 seed beads in a herringbone pattern and added small white pearls to the centre of each. This is all formed over a gorgeous tassel with bright and metallic threads strung on a beautiful piece of gilded rose ribbon.

Hanging from the sides of the tassel are gorgeous bead swags with little hearts on each end. I am so proud to be the owner of this and what a ray of sunshine this has brought into my life today. Glad I entered this swap.

Above are two pictures of my work done on a section of Janet's gorgeous Christmas block in the FFT3 group on crazy quilting international. In the first one I chose to use a darker colour on the deep green and make a ' whispering pine at night '. I made long stems ( branches ) and then added the pines with three shades of green to a goldtoned marlit. I then added nighshades of pinecones using a metallic black to silver blending filament and needle lace technique. I had a little whisp of angora fall on the block at the same time I had a snowman in my hand so added him, but would not be offended if the swirling snow is removed.

I then chose to do one seam in red needlenecessities overdyed with a herringbone stitch. I went back in with a metallic red by dmc and then added mill hill beads to offset the fan shapes that were added. On the opposite side I used the same red and same coloured beads but did a feather stitch instead.

I then went up to a black section on the block and added a garland ( boquet ) of pointsettias using 4mm overdyed red silk ribbon and 7 mm green. I used a more bullion stitch daisy at the end of each side of the spray to make it look like they were tipped to the side. The cetnre was simply a japanese ribbon stitch. I filled the centre with teardrop beads in gold and clear. I then added some mill hill beads in antique white to offset the dark colours. I then rusched and beaded a gold ribbon and added this to finish the side of the seam that was not yet stitched in order to give it some fullness. I hope that Janet likes what I have done on her block.