In which I complete a tapestry weaving

I've finished my tapestry weaving.  It took flippin' ages!  But it was fun - interesting to see how it's easier to make the letters when they are sideways - I think 'weft' came out better than 'warp'.

It's about 20cm squared, but it's not very square.  I guess I could pin it out on an ironing board and block it like I'd block crochet?

In which I work some Carrickmacross Lace

Mr P and I visited Helmsley recently, and I picked up a copy of White Work Embroidery by Barbara Dawson (Batsford) in a charity shop. Yes, I know I don't need any more craft books, but it was a Batsford book for £2.50!  And I didn't know anything about white work, so how else could I learn?!

Anyway.  It's a very good book, a sort of A-Z on white work.  I rather liked the look of Carrickmacross lace, and thought I'd have a bash at it.  You applique muslin on to net, couching it down, and then cut away the muslin that isn't part of the design.  So I doodled a design of some birds holding a key, and over the weekend I made this:

 It's on a blue background to show off the white work.  I'm rather pleased with it as a first attempt!  I also used little buttonhole eyelets in the design, they were fun to embroider.

In which I embroider something terrifying

It was Mr P's birthday at the weekend.  He's a good man.  He encourages my creativity and likes the stuff I make.  So I thought I'd reward him by giving him the most sinister thing I could make.

Well, not really.  Mr P loves outsider and weird music, and who's weirder than Tiny Tim?!

The portrait of Tim is a 2 colour linocut.  Instead of doing a reduction linocut, I cut two different bits of lino with the relevent colours.  So I can make more portraits of Tim as public demand allows!

The tulips are made of felt, and I appliqued them on with just a few stab stitches in a metalic thread, which I also used to highlight the ukelele strings and for a little back-stitch border. 

Mr P likes his present, although we've agreed it makes Tiny Tim look even more sinister than usual.  Result! 

In which I make some little shoes

I made some booties for some friends' baby - the first pair are crocheted from a pattern by ChezPlum on Etsy, and the Japanese style slippers are my own pattern based on loads of things I've seen on t'internet.  I used a gorgeous Japanese fabric for these - it has little turtles on!  I bought this years ago at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate, it's been waiting for a project as cute as this.