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Sunday, June 30, 2019

More Hydrangeas ...


Hello my dear friends,

I can't believe that it has been quite a while again since I have posted here on Todolwen.
I must admit that I have taken a liking to Instagram a little to much lately and neglected my blog way too much. It is all to do with being able to snap a picture on my phone, write a few words and post it. But I am finally posting again today, here on Todolwen and I hope you will like what I am sharing with all of you. 

I have been busy working on some custom orders lately. I have made several new needle books embellished with my little square fabric Hydrangeas. Unfortunately my camera seems to not want to play very well lately, so my photos are not that focused but I hope that you will still be able to see how lovely they turned out.

Just like the first ones I made, I again used my favorite drop cloth, hand dyed cotton batting, seam binding and of course sari silk ribbon for the flowers.

This is the first needle book that I am sharing. 


It has a two tone pink Hydrangea on it's cover and the inner pages are in two shades of a green that is a little vibrant.



The second one, is a needle book with another two tone flower.


 This one has a blue and lilac Hydrangea on it's cover. 
The inside pages of this needle book are in two shades of a subtle green color and different to the first needle book's pages.



And last but not least, the third needle book.

This one is all about pink, a pink Hydrangea and pink inner pages. 
Unfortunately I wrapped this one up and mailed it before I thought of taking photos with my camera but thankfully I had taken a few on my phone so I can share it with you after all.




I just love making these beautiful flowers!
I actually enjoy cutting the little squares and then stitching them onto cloth and seeing the lovely blooms grow. I also enjoy making these neat needle books. Hand sewing is just my thing and has been for many years. In my next post I will have more of them to share with all of you and not just another needle book but a few new creations too that are embellished with my Hydrangeas. 

If I am not making things, I am busy otherwise these days. I have renovated my younger daughters bedroom last month and I have started a container garden again this year. I am growing three types of tomatoes. Purple brussel sprouts, squash, bush beans and peppers are also now living in large pots in our back yard. I am trying to grow all of these and hopefully it will work out. My dear friend and neighbor Lise has been such a great help to me with doing this. She was the sweetest and gifted me all of the plants and she did all of prep work too. I will take some photos and share them soon with you of my little veggie garden.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by here at Todolwen and visit me. It is always so nice when you do and I hope you will find the time some time again to do so.

And before I go ... don't forget to follow me and enter your name to my 'Christmas To Come' giveaway. I will be picking a winner this month some time. If you wish to take part, just go the my right sidebar and click on the button for the giveaway. There you can read why I do this and leave your comment to be entered.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day!



Sunday, June 16, 2019

A Little More From My Kitchen Sink ...


Hello my dear friends,

I really enjoyed my recent kitchen sink dying sessions and that is why I just had to do a little more of it last week.


 This time I wanted to see if I could dye some of my uncolored and unbleached sari silk ribbon and so I tried it out and ...


  ... it worked!

I also used unbleached cotton batting instead of bleached and both took different to the dye. The unbleached batting didn't take the color as well as the bleached one did and the silk took much longer to dye than either of the batting but in the end, I think that I got a great result.

I couldn't wait to use some of both so I was very busy and now my newest little needle book is done and that is what I am sharing with all of you today. My new Hydrangea needle books of a another color.

My "Blue Hydrangea" needle book.








I just love this shade of blue!


My newest creation is now listed for sale in my Etsy shop if anyone might be interested.

I have a little more of the sari silk ribbon and batting in this lovely shade of blue leftover so I might just make another little needle book with it. I also have something else on my worktable right now but I will share that in a different post in the future. All I will tell you that it has something to do with my little dandelions. So ... do visit me sometime again and see what I have been up too.

Thank you for stopping by here today and I hope you enjoy your short stay.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Friday, June 14, 2019

Three Years Ago Or So ...


Hello my dear friends,

three years ago or so my dear friend Vicki, who makes the most beautiful nests, shared her idea for one of her special designer nests with me. Unfortunately life then had different things in mind for that lovely lady and the nest and her life was put on hold. Now years later her idea has finally come to life and oh my goodness, it is beautiful! 

Back then when I was told about her vision of this nest, I just had to make something little to send to her for that amazing creation to be.

 I came up with crocheting little stars ... 


... and true to the theme of the nest, I made them in red, white and blue ...


... and turned them into little banners.


Now my little banners live here ...



... on my friend's newest designer nest ... the "Freebird" nest!




Can you see my little red, white and blue star banner?
I am so buzzed and touched to see it on this stunning creation!

(Photos courtesy of  Vickie Boster)

You can visit Vicki's blog and see all the pretty things she creates here ... 2 Bags Full.
I promise you that you will be taken by the beautiful nest that she makes.

Thank you for stopping by today here at Todolwen and I hope you have enjoyed your short visit.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

A Hydrangea Of A Different Color ...


Hello my dear friends,

I just have to say it again, how happy I am that for the time being my creativeness has returned and my heart is buzzing because of it.

Making that little sari silk ribbon Hydrangea was so much fun, I just couldn't resist making another one from a different colored silk. I had this lovely lilac colored ribbon that was just perfect for it.


 And after an afternoon of stitching my newest creation was finished. A little drop cloth needle book with a Hydrangea of a different color and I was very pleased with it

And that is what I am sharing with all of you today ...

... my "Lilac Hydrangea" needle book.


Just like my other needle books, this one too is from my favorite drop cloth and has a piece of vintage tatting as well as cotton batting pages and seam binding that allows it to be closed securely.









I hope you have enjoyed my latest making. 
This little needle book is now listed for sale in my Etsy shop if anyone might be interested.

Don't forget to enter your name to my "Christmas To Come" Giveaway, you will find the link to the original post on my right side bar.

Thank you for stopping by today and it would be nice if would would visit me sometime again.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Monday, June 3, 2019

A Little More Kitchen Sink Dying ...


Hello my dear friends,

I am beyond happy that I am being more creative these days.
 I was in a real unhappy place when it came to being creative for some time and nothing seemed to get me out of it. Maybe it's the sunshine and bright colors of Spring that have changed things. Whatever it was/is ... don't stop please!

So ... I have been quite busy lately.


 Not only did I finish a custom order for one of my 'Smitten With Dandelions' needle books which I have already mailed to my customer.


But I also started to work on a second one but I wasn't able to finish it just yet due to me still working on renovating my younger daughter's bedroom. I was hoping to work on it in between once I had decided which flowers I want to embroider onto it but then I got sidetracked again.

The nice weather inspired me to do a little more 'kitchen sink dying'. I had planned to go with purple, blue and possible a shade of green again but instead I went with purple, blue and red. I also wanted to attempt to mix a particular shade of yellow to work with.


After dying the cotton batting and some seam binding everything was hung out to dry in the sun in our fairy bush. I was very pleased because once it was all dry because I saw that the colors all turned out amazing!


Of courses I couldn't resist to start to work with some of the batting right away and that is what I am sharing with all of you today, my newest creation.

Drop cloth, seam binding, some of the dyed cotton batting, sari silk ribbon and a little piece of old tatting were again my chosen supplies to work with to make another needle book. I had already an idea in my mind that I wanted to try out but wasn't sure if I could match the look of it that was in my mind. I was very surprised that it did and that first try.

I had always wanted to try and make a hydrangea flower out of small pieces of fabric and I am glad I  tried it. It turned out just like I had hoped it would.

And this is my newest making ... my "Pink Hydrangea" needle book.

 







This little drop cloth needle book is already spoken for but I am busy working on my next one and also finishing of the other one I had started. As always, I will of course share with all of you again once they are done.

Thank you for stopping by today and visiting me here at Todolwen. It is always so nice when you do.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.