Travel With Millie samples up in Stitch'n'Patch

The Travels with Millie booklet has a small quilt sample made

& 

is on loan

to 

STITCH'N'PATCH

LILYDALE 

So if you have a chance over a month or so pop out & have a look..

www.theodoracleave.com

copyright Barbara Smith

I had a wonderful email greet me this morning in regard to a french embroidery magazine

the New Colours of HOME SWEET HOME are of interest..

I took such a risk to  pop out of my comfort zone a few weeks ago & try these colours...

Loved them so they went on the web..there is a house button & some birds in these colours too.

Last night I went along to Robyn Bull's Goal setting workshop...

As usual I totally enjoyed myself & ready to make a road map for my goals..this was the style that has made the best motivation sense to me.

Robyn does some amazing workshops.... for moving one forward with the appropriate qualifications I will add, as I think that is important.... 

I have found the 2 classes

The Purpose, Passion & Vision board workshop & the Goal setting really great.

So..it is hot & way to sunny to get beside a well lit window now so I might go try a road map...

& finish the Donkey pattern notes.

Monbulk in March & the Giraffe

The giraffe button found it's way onto a mache box a few weeks ago

Not long after the first stock of this new design arrived..

I was having some paint session with a mache box.

These are the small boxes in packs I found in Lincraft.

Little fabric...some of that is painted & one plain bit

Mache box is roughly painted... takes 5 mins to do this ..bit

Tied with twine to complete the little box.

**********

EVENT NEWS

ON MARCH 15TH I WILL BE TRADING AT 

MONBULK FIRE BRIGADE QUILT EXHIBITION

Mrs Martins Quilt shop runs this wonderful give back to the fire brigade each year...& I am so thrilled to be part of it this year.!

Karen did mention I will be demonstrating during the day so come see what you can do with a button & ......???

Monbulk in Autumn ..cool, the big trees changing to autumn dress...wow !!

www.theodoracleave.com

copyright Barbara Smith Jan/2014

Zac now a Cloth Donkey

Zac the donkey distracted me today....

I decided this morning to see how the design would translate into a cloth donkey..

Soooo sweet.

He is made in linen/cloth taupe fabric & a rusty bell around his neck

And he will be out in a pattern this week !!!!

www.theodoracleave.com

copyright Barbara Smith 27/01/2014

I love the wood button of Zac & this is equally as charming...all kind of floppy.... well I love donkeys..

Been Tidying The Stuff !

I have been in the mega rearrange thing organise 

& 

just do it Barbara mode !!!

I still have all those loose ends to do

& 

I am still a butterfly even when it comes to being in tidy up mode.

I have at least 3 things on the go at once.

Well... when I get bored I go off to another spot

I had moved the frames from a spot to sit in this basket for a while until I decided...

Looked such a great photo...

I had to take a shot.

www.theodoracleave.com

copyright Barbara Smith

Looking Back to move forward ???

It is perhaps self indulgent to look back over the years of one's design work

&

Reflect

Certain stages or a piece provoke a memory.

Some take me back to the Woodcutter's Daughter trading days...

but most are in the current stuff.

*

I do love the variety, the bright happy open designs..be it Christmas in red or the happy flowers or then in pastel tones

Then the subdued shades & simplicity

of a button on simply linen shape.

Some are plain easy 

& 

I see in those why bother trying to make it complicated when it is achievable for all.

Isn't that the best...the inspiration it brings to each of us...

A mix of what my life is about

 with an underlying thread of simplicity.

You see when I read these pictures I am reading the facets of myself.

See I did say it was perhaps 

self indulgent !!!

www.theodoracleave.com     copyright Barbara Smith

After looking back & thinking of the Christmas phase of my work which begins ??? well early & continues a bit after the Santa has settled back to do for next year.

The strength of colour & what I am drawn to and have unfinished in a theme is a softer tone for a few days...

As I write that I think of 2 things ...

one is the newest designs ready to arrive in February/ March & what colours & tones they will be....

& 

the bright oranges, yellows & aquas I see in pottery stuff & clothes 

I am drawn to experiment with those as well & see if any fits with strength on my shapes

I have delayed my paperwork enough...

time to go...

MINER's COTTAGE IS FOR SALE

This is a sweet 3 bedroom miners cottage with a 

detached bungalow ,

 solar power 

and 

large shed....

Front & Back access

in the town of INGLEWOOD 

which is 40 km from Bendigo on the Calder Hwy........

The price is $150,00.negotiable.

*********

Agent is Nevin's in Inglewood

***************

Fantastic escape to the country retreat.... maybe as a B&B  and of course home...

The bungalow will make a fab office or artist retreat.....

This price is really perfect & it is second street in from shops... bus stop & a l4 is it maybe 5 antique collectable shops in the main street..

  

Lorraine's Millie Quilt

Lorraine often fed & made sure Millie was ok when I was away from home in Cohuna..

She would also pop in & Millie was at the ready to greet & in her last years would totter about ...

So when I designed the travels with Millie Lorraine was one of a few who knew Millie & who stitched  given a set of the designs 

Lorraine also used the painted wood Moggy decoration in the centre of her quilt.

I love seeing the stitcheries put into a different sample.

Always LOVE to see !!! 

NEW DESIGNS COMING ALONG

Have you ever looked at those paper mache folders that open up & look brown paper colour & kind of a nothing....????

Well this below is one I have decorated 

& used my button designs on....

I will get them printed into pages soon.... add buttons & a new style of button story to play with.....

I will do some with the fabric paint technique too ....

this  can also be a mache box or fabric & framed 

                   www.theodoracleave.com                       copyright Barbara Smith

I am tidying up

Thankfully the heatwave has waved us farewell and cooler night was enjoyed...

& the air this morning is wonderfully fresh & cool

After a siesta yesterday I got into a couple of the big plastic boxes to tidy & cull.

I had in my mind I wanted to reduce the stuff in those boxes by half !!

Ambitious... well maybe LOL

Samples may go on the web in some cases for sale...who knows ????

Below are one of my favourite times...

some worded stamps from Stampitup & Tim Holtz

Linen/cotton mixed fabric

some of my buttons

and make things

www.theodoracleave.com

copyright wood items Barbara Smith

Found these bits of reminders also

wearables 

& 

some stitcheries from

A Day in Paris

keeping my mind off the heat

This is always a great fun time..decorating jars with lace & or fabric strips and a button..

I have used a lot of buttons on the jars..sometimes a small story..or layered fabric 

Etc !!!

www.theodoracleave.com

copyright Barbara Smith

Millie Booklet is here

Yesterday after lunch a call came through to say the Millie booklets were ready for collection.

I am very happy with the sweet little booklet full of endless possibilities to stitch into.

The pre order special is on until 30/01/14

I am rather busy at the moment....

& 

the machinist takes a nice holiday  from this week until 20th Feb..

I hope my stock levels hold !!!

If not I will have a holiday of sorts too LOL

www.theodoracleave.com

Copyright Barbara Smith

 The weather is so HOT....

& 

I had cause to get myself into a tizz yesterday & so I have a little time loss.

When one works where one lives there is sometimes the idea that one is idle.

I am rather laid back so that is added to the equation & it isn't quite what is going on under the surface !!!

The concentration level I use to work with only comes into focus when things kind of encroach on my space.

I have a lot of personal space & I cannot talk or have anyone kind of prowling about in the room as I work

&

I need natural  light & where I place myself is governed by the heat too

So this morning I woke early ...hot..got struggling with being selfish

&

so

I am out of sorts now !!! BLAH

glimpses...

Some glimpses that are from the Travels with Millie designs 

This was the entire collection getting ready for the printers & are in minature...

something that can be adapted from the booklet...

Mini pillows, key ring tags, 

tags...( no not a tag for your cat to wear though !!..Millie I once found hanging from our fence her collar was caught on a paling ....so I was very mindful of also foot in collar..she never wore a collar for a long time because she's often have foot in collar )

www.theodoracleave.com

 One of the designs stitched by Jenny..I did the rugged looking blanket stitch though LOL

 When the stitched samples came back I layed them on precut charm squares of French General fabric

&

Blanket stitched them..and sewed it all together...

then took them to a magic machine quilter

Joy  in Cohuna 

Don't you think this activity would be great for a Stitching group ?

Fun late today

I had some awaited magazines from Stampington USA arrive this week...

Some good breakfast reading was had this morning..

I Loved the look of a project by Taryn Reece in Sew Somerset magazine

It is so neat..the canvas paint frames using back.

I was having a long think the night before how to display the donkey & giraffe buttons..

So when I was on my posting run this morning I went into town to buy some frames.

This is my results

Some paint, stamps... bit of fabric...

& some glue to hold fabric and buttons 

or sew them on.

www.theodoracleave.com

Giraffe & Donkey buttons

 Barrows of flwoers & one has the blackbird in it

 The same barrow with a robin in it with bright flowers this time.

 French Rabbit was waiting for a place on this frame, with the new tub of flowers & a little red bird & heart..some fabric painted & messed with !

Hurray Millie Booklet is at printers

I sometimes chide myself this week as I dawdle the days away it does seem..

But I do have things to show

.Specials on painted things & painting my way through these

. New Designs cleared, cut & arrived & painted & on the web

. Adjusted designs as above. 

. Travels with Millie booklet was cleared for printing TODAY !!!!

Here is a picture of the darling Millie this booklet designs came from as we becme just us & moved & aged & adored each other.

Dainty little miss..

I have some snapshots of the stitching in the red was stitched by Jenny in NZ

&

the blue fabric quilt was by Lorraine a friend who would often look after Miss Millie if I was away...

Also are the new wood pieces..divine flowers in 2 different sorts of barrows...a donkey...called Zac as a fond reminder of Zac the donkey I passed everytime I drove in or out from Cohuna via Pyramid Hill..

and a giraffe....well they kind of go together !

I will do a PRE  ORDER SPECIAL for Millie booklet on the web... tonight

I really must paint now !

www.theodoracleave.com

Congratulations Sara

www.theodoracleave.com

Sara has her divine cross stitch project in the french magazine

http://www.edisaxe.com/mains-et-merveilles-point-de-croix-n-100-joyeux-anniversaire.html

The front page of the anniversary issue ...

with

a red birthday cake button from my collection.

The project sits on the insert on the front page beside the big cake !

Exciting ......

Sara has some divine cross stitch designs

go to have a look at.....

http://ilsitodisara-blog.blogspot.com.au/

Purpose....

Yesterday I did the Purpose, Passion & Visionboard workshop

in Bendigo

with 5 other wonderful women

&

we were lead by Robyn Bull

Who conducted a lovely day...

helping us mine what was our purpose in life...

Passion... well I kind of had a hint there...but it is always broader than what I present to the world

&

then the tables full of magazines 

where we cut & tore pictures & words...to give us a visual map & reminder of where we want to move forward to.

Great ...as well as being a really satisfying experience it was fun to see faces of happiness at the end... where each of us had a different sense of self.

So today things are roaming about 

I am not able to harness a lot yet...in what I plan next for just my maps

I guess I am processing all that made impacts & gave me a better focus to my life !

Then as I walked by this room the collage on the right in the photo I always look on with a softeness & a ??? it kind of lights me up..

this morning I thought

I work in collages..just similiar to the vision board application...

I then looked at the board I did for the look see tuition for the mid year quilt show class in Melbourne.

another collage

& I like them really as art work I would happily hang on my walls 

So we need to do some more application on these..

but believe me 

 LOVE DOING THEM...

please respect my copyright for this picture below 

Barb

www.theodoracleave.com

mORE SpECiaLs

Some More specials have been placed on the website this morning
www.theodoracleave.com
Big sheep, 2 white birds... a set of mixed 4 white birds..birdhouses..fir trees couple of Christmas decorations...
 

My workshop is on tomorrow
PURPOSE
PASSION
&
VISION BOARD
I know I have a passion & some purpose but who doesn't need tuning up every so often ????

So excited....