Easy embroidery in pink.

Cotton gingham is a great easy fabric for embroidery. Dead easy for cross stitch too. These are some examples I own from what has become a bit of a pink collection.

The stitches are very simple and these would have been quite quick to complete too. You just need an even weave and you're off and rolling.

Hardanger

Hardanger is another form of counted thread embroidery that uses drawn thread work. It's usually called whitework, and you'll recognise it in tablecloths etc. As I'm a fan of all things counted and embroidery here is some more info.

Marmee Craft

I have a new favorite blog that I found via Etsy. Marmee Craft is the brainchild of Marjorie. She has the most amazing Etsy shop here too. The above print is for sale and is called Everything is Alright.

Giant Spooky Doll Face Brooch

Giant spooky doll face brooch by Madebymilla for sale on Ebay

Freedomwig

Freedomwig is Martha Rich's painting-a-day website. Such a great idea. Such great images too.

Button Progress

This time last year I made a little owl brooch. Now that I have the bigger mould I thought I'd try out some more. Currently I'm thinking of doing about 8 different designs. It's a little fiddly getting them to come out to the button machine straight, but I'm on the case. I think over the next few days I'll continue experimenting...

Making Buttons

I'm currently making new covered buttons, but this time I have an extra large button mould. It's 4cm wide, so I'm thinking of making brooches. They should be available in the store on Etsy pretty soon.

Etsy Find of the Day

Fuzzy Mitten is selling very cute knitting patterns on Etsy.

Andrea Margaret

A very Happy Birthday to Andrea for the 23rd. This is the moon that the cow jumped over some time around 1996. Handmade by Andrea, she takes commissions. Contact me and I'll put you in touch.

Scottish Linen

I was lucky to find myself in Scotland recently and found the most amazing rack of linens at a local op shop. There were about 40 tablecloths. This was my choice, although I could have bought them all...

This particular one was the most delicate in it's embroidery - all done by hand. It has an Asian theme with some little lanterns and buildings etc. I can't imagine working with such a fine count linen and getting everything to match.

Atomic Textiles

Atomic textiles is a specialist store on Ebay that carries rare Scandinavian textiles! Can't get better than that.

EBay + rare Scandinavian textiles = bliss.

Josef Frank

Aralia fabric by Sewdish design icon Josef Frank

66 Sitiches

66 stitches is the loveliest new blog on the block! Head across and say 'Hi' to Melinda (formally posting here). Make sure you check out all her crafty excellence in her super Flickr files & great links too. x

Volksware

Carpet made by the cloth consumption of a persons lifetime - Volksware

Work in Progress

Just to let you know that the site is having a little spring clean (changing into Beta). So everything will be back to normal as soon as possible (just in case the links aren't working). Hopefully in the next 24 hours! Thanks for your patience. x

Coe and Waito

Beautiful ceramics from Coe and Waito in Toronto. I love pine cones... make sure you check out the gorgeous vessels.

Go Betty Jo!

Make sure you all head over to Lino Forest to check out all the goings on in Betty Jo land. Best brooches around!

Olle Eksell

I have just bought the most lovely book on the works of Swedish designer and illustrator Olle Eksell. Looking around the blogs you can find more info on Olle at Happy Mundane and Picture Book Illustration. The book I bought is all in Japanese and Jon at Happy Mundane has provided the ISBN number for those of you who know how to navigate Amazon.jp.

Today on Ebay

Cute quilt top for sale on ebay today. Hurry!

Paper Dolls

So I had an idea about looking up paper dolls today and I found the funniest site. As you can see the creators have made a paper doll out of Cat from Red Dwarf. This is just the beginning though... there is the cast from Are You Being Served, Keeping Up Appearances, The Young Ones and Star Trek! Paper dolls are such great fun and easy to make up yourself. Just think of the possibilities.

Crochet in Finland

Having recently come back from a few days stopover in Finland I just wanted to share Finnish tapestry crochet with you all. It's a bit amazing and intricate and I was quite stunned at the variety of the patterns in the Korsnäs jumpers. You can find more info here on Carol Ventura's blog here here.

Our 400th Post Yippee!

This little fella comes as part of a kit and you can make him from scratch. His kit contains everything needed to knit and stuff (including a felt heart for love and stars for personality) the cheeky chappy and the box recycles into his very own rocking chair - just don't let him near the bananas!
I found these The Little Experience kits down at the Lorne Beach Books (next to Moons) during the week and they are just fantastic. You can make super bouncey balls, rockets, dolls and all sorts of wonderful things. They are made by English company The Little Experience and their website is very cute.

Happy 400th Post.

Monkey Madness

Reprodepo are having a sale on all their sock monkey stock. Be quick to get your 20% off because the offer ends this coming Monday.

David Chatt

"108 Meditations in Saffron" by David Chatt, 2006. Glass beads over found objects.
David Chatt has spent the second half of his life stitching tiny bits of glass
one to the next, laboring to express himself in a medium that is tedious and time consuming beyond reason. For his efforts, he has been called a “Visionary,” “Lunatic,” and a “Beadwork Subversive.”


Istanbul is holding the International Bead & Beadwork Conference from 22-25 Novemeber. "A feature of this conference will be a group of tours to well-known regions of Turkey that will focus on beadwork and handicrafts. The tours will provide an insight into the village life and virtually extinct nomadic lifestyles that created the cultures responsible for the beadwork found in Anatolia." Oh. I know I've only just come back but I'd love to be there to explore the handicrafts of some of the Anatolian villages and check out more of David Chatt's incredible work.

Ohh,I found this lovely gallery through the mrs eliot books blog. Take a look at all the artwork.... and spend hours just checking out their links page, as I just did. Now I need to get back to work.