The Post Card Which was never posted...

Yes it is the post card which was never posted...:) :) :).....because it is unfinished.

Well I was going through my stash and projects yesterday thinking that I should organise my stash and also list out all my unfinished projects at various stages so that I can complete them.

This is what I found. A fabric post card.

There are many firsts with this post card. 

My first crazy quilting. 
My first fabric post card.
My first Needle weaving.
My first Silk Ribbon Embroidery.

I have always wanted to do some crazy quilting. But it is always very hot in the place where I live. Winters are pleasant not too cold and summers very hot. So what is the use of a quilt? 

I also wanted to do a fabric post card for a long time. But never attempted.

That's why I chose to do a crazy quilted fabric post card.

The fabric used for this is Jute. I had some scraps of jute cloth in various colours. So I used them. I used a very simple pattern for the crazy quilting as I don't have much expertise nor confidence in that area. I covered the seems with lace. Then I stitched the beads, flower shaped sequins and beads. It is not clear from the pic but the dark green long leaves have been worked out in needle weaving. The thread used for this is Neem zari thread. That is silk thread with a glitter(zari) or golden thread.

On the other side I attempted some SRE flowers, for the first time. They came out well. On the orange coloured strip I embroidered some vines with Feather Stitch,  French Knots, and Detached Chain for leaves.

But I was some how not satisfied. There was still some blank space left over my sequin flowers. I wanted to add a butterfly and not something ordinary. So I tried a beaded 3D butterfly. My first attempt so not very neat. But with this attempt I knew what to do and what not to do...

I backed the piece with unbleached soft cotton . Then I wanted to make it into a post card. But there was some error in measuring and cutting of the fabric. So it came out much smaller than it should be. I just left it like that for my album. Well I will try out a few now that I have some time on my hands. Let us see....

Well just when I was recollecting all my experiments with this project, my friends walked in. They admired it from all angles and certified it to be a brilliant piece. Hmmm....I don't think so. As a perfectionist that I am, I can see that I made many mistakes that I could have done with out. But for a first timer it was OK I guess. What do you say?

Oh, by the way I will be posting the tutorial for the Butterfly shortly...

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Rangoli-189

Here is one more simple chain Rangoli.

 This is a small and simple Rangoli of 3X3 block.

The above block of 3X3 can be developed into a bigger one as shown above or according to your choice. My Rangoli is not so neat. If drawn a bit carefully would look good.

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Been Away

Hi friends. Hope you are all doing well. I have been away for sometime now, trotting across the country. That's why you have not seen work or heard from me till now.

Who says air travel is the best? May be it time saving, especially for those who are busy and don 't have time but I find it boring and tiring. But then many a times I am forced to do that as my work involves me to travel to distant places at short notices. Hopping in and out of air planes is not my definition of being successful in life.

I have always been fascinated with trains and love journeys by train. I feel I can have a glimpse of the country, its people and their culture both inside and outside the train. I get a chance to acquaint with people of different regions, cultures, lifestyles, languages. India being such a vast country with different regions, cultures and so much diversity, I don.t think one can know even a little in an entire life time. Every time I get something new to learn. So I never miss an opportunity to travel by train. 

Looking out of the window from train is so fascinating. I loved it as a child and still love it. Perhaps there is child in every person?

Water bodies surrounded by greenery, water lilies, birds busy in and around the water, reflection of clear blue skies in the water...Isn't it beautiful?

The rustic country side of India, cattle and farm equipment in the yard, chicken trotting around, women sitting in the front of their homes, chatting but working without wasting any time....

Cattle grazing in the fileds after the harvest....

The small huts serving tea and snacks on the edge of roads near villages....

Green fields, swaying palms, men and women working in the fields singing merrily (one cannot hear but feel it from a distance) on a clear sunny day...

Mountains and plains, green vegetation and plated crops, rejoicing in the wet monsoon showers...

Well for me the romance never ends. I have seen it all-many facets of my beautiful country, changing seasons, peoples and their lives at different times of the day or in different seasons, young smiling faces waving their hands as the train passes by-all from the window of a train. 

Still I want more, I want to travel again.......in a train if I can.....singing this beautiful song..

Well.....

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Earth Day

Today that is 22nd April of every year is celebrated as International Mother Earth Day. This is celebrated across the world. You can read more about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day

Let us all pledge to do our best for saving the Earth. How to do that?  Read here :

http://secretsofancientwisdom.blogspot.in/2012/04/save-earth-save-environment-save.html


Happy Earth Day. But let us not forget our responsibilities....


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Rangoli-188

Here is one Rangoli. A bit modern may be. 17 to 1 straight dots.

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Flower Sampler-1

I wanted to stitch some samplers exploring different stitches and also on different themes. I am just doodling. Once I have done enough I will stitch them properly onto a sampler.

Moreover, this is summertime and holidays for children and young people. Many of them wanted to learn embroidery. It is fun to teach them. So I am also exploring along with them various stitches. sometimes, fresh minds give us many creative ideas then the professional ones.

Here is a glimpse of the sampler I am making on flowers:

 Each one of these is different from the other.

I am basically exploring, detached chain, and fly stitches. I will post tutorials shortly. I have done considerable number of motifs but need to photograph them.

Oh I am also working on my shisha sampler. Many people wanted me to post tutorials.I have already posted some of the basics. need to post the remaining ones. But my main problem is photographing them properly. Any way I am also going to post them quite soon.

Keep watching my blog.......

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Satin Stitch-1

TAST-2012-Week 14-Satin Stitch

This weeks challenge is Satin Stitch. Please visit Sharon's site here:

http://pintangle.com/2012/04/03/take-a-stitch-tuesday-week-14

Well, this is one of the stitches I m not comfortable with. Some how I feel my stitches are not that picture perfect no matter how much I try. I only take up small projects and very few at that as far as this stitch is concerned. And once they are over, I just feel relieved. ..I never had nor do have that much time as this stitch requires lots of concentration and time.

I think of learning it properly and practise it. But some how I always put it off. 

I have found Mary Corbet's tips, tutorials and many instructions on this stitch so very useful and easy to understand. It answered many of my doubts. You also can visit the site here:

http://www.needlenthread.com/index.php?s=satin+stitch

Hmm...I think I should make some time and learn this stitch properly.....Any way, here are some of my very old work. My mom also helped me in this. When ever I look at them, I don't believe that I have done them...well it could have been one of those rare moments...or my mom's guidance....

Below are the beautiful works from the artisans of Bengal:

Well watch out, I am going to try my hand and post something.......may be....:) :) :)....

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