The Idle Housewife

When was the piece made and how long has it been in your possession? The piece is a "chemin de table" and it has been in my possession for almost one year, I brought with me after my last holidays, it came from my mother's house. Who made it and where was it made? This piece was weaved by my great-grandmother and embroidered by my mother. It was made in Alentejo, a region in the south of Portugal. What is it made of? It is made of linen and embroidered with cotton. Can you identify the techniques that have been used? It was embroidered by hand using satin stitch, cross stitch and a stitch that I cannot identify that looks like a kind of couching mixed with Herringbone stitch that I cannot really identify. The weaving is normal and straight, made with an old wooden weaver. I know the fabric is handmade, the stitches in the embroidery are handmade stitches. Was is made by hand or machine? How are you able to determine this? The weaving is normal and straight, made with an ...

Were you able to mix and match colours accurately? I believe I did mix and match colours accurately. Well, at least I did before they got dried, I remarked a big difference between gouache colours wet and dry. And I had some perfect matches between fabric samples and wet paint that became quite different when the paint dried. Mixing colours was easier with gouache and matching/reproducing colours was easier with watercolour, I felt this with the lemon colour reproducing and not matching fabric colour perfectly. Were you able to use colour expressively? Yes, I think so. Or not really. I was not very much inspired and I have to confess that I am not a painting fan. Mixing colours is a fun experience as the colours change but I feel less skilled than with other things. Can you now see colour rather than accepting what you think you see? Yes, I can see colour differently now, I see colours more accurately and it is so much easier and faster to achieve a certain colour by mixing other colou...

Com ou sem máquina de costura, eu não bordo. Mas de vez em quando tenho que fazer exercícios e bordo com a máquina de costura. Não utilizo o bordar normal de máquina de costura com o kit especial e adaptado à máquina, faço experiências. Este foi o último exercício que fiz e estou particularmente orgulhosa do efeito. A base em que bordei foi tecida por mim com fio de costura normal de algodão e foi tecido na máquina de costura, foi mágico. O exercício enquadra-se num grupo de exercícios sobre cor.

Alternative exercise :: machine embroidery Soluble fabric still on the embroidery hoop Experience using soluble fabric, normal cotton thread for sewing, cotton, wool, silk and steel threads on bobbin, cable stitch and free machining. The base was made with sewing cotton thread on soluble fabric. Before washing the soluble fabric After washing soluble fabric After washing soluble fabric Detail :: the brown thread is the silk and steel yarn I enjoyed this exercise very very much. Until now, it was my favourite one using colour. I liked the effect of the silk and steel yarn and the mixture of green wool and green cotton thread, together they give a beautiful texture to the tree. I also like the effect of two different thread types and colours on the flowers. But the best of all was "weaving" my own piece of 100% cotton fabric with sewing cotton thread with the sewing, the soluble fabric is magical. This is just a small rectangle of 6 cm x 9 cm.  Used materials: wool yarn, cotto...

Alternative exercise :: machine embroidery Experience using soluble fabric, normal cotton thread for sewing and wool thread on bobbin, cable stitch and free machining. Soluble fabric still on the embroidery hoop. Soluble fabric before washing "Mini-tapestry" after washing the soluble fabric Used materials:  wool yarn,  cotton sewing thread,  soluble fabric.

Alternative exercise :: machine embroidery First experience using soluble fabric and polyester embroidery thread Alternative exercise :: machine embroidery Second experience using soluble fabric and polyester embroidery thread before washing Alternative exercise :: machine embroidery Second experience using soluble fabric and polyester embroidery thread after washing Has I expected, I don't like the result. I am not a fan of this kind of thread nor the effect of it. I used because it's so brilliant and perfect for these experiences. And I also have a big amount of embroidery thread to spend. Used materials: Madeira embroidery polyester thread, soluble fabric.

Foggy Winter "depressed" Foggy rainy Winter bored Sunny Winter day hope of Spring approaching  Sunny Winter day joy  Sunny Winter day joy and happiness I am discovering some things about myself such as I am not inspired during long foggy rainy dark Winter days. But now Spring is coming as well as longer days with more sunlight.

For this project I needed some inspiration, some joyful coloured inspiration that I got from these pictures. AURORE – Dawn, Tapestry, Weaver: Hilde Absalon, Vienna, 1968, Hundertwasser Bird Houses And A Swirl Tree Paintin by Karla Gerard Blooming Trees by Karla Gerard Mary Blair

Vi esta fotografia há uns tempos no Facebook . Ontem lembrei-me dela durante o jantar no qual estava presente um rapaz que gosta de usar calças de cintura descaída embora de forma menos radical. Quando vejo o desenho não consigo evitar rir.

Feutre de laine, laine Wool felt, wool Chevalier pas très inspiré Not-that-inspired knight Jeanne, 4

Há algum tempo a Rosário  comprou-me este creme , delirou completamente  e depois pediu-me a receita do mesmo porque eu não ia voltar a fazê-lo para venda. Eu demorei até escrever a receita porque dá trabalho, tal como fazer o creme, mas hoje decidi escrevê-la. O creme é muito bom e excelente para peles secas e mesmo a escamar com o tempo frio e seco. Este creme é milagroso. Ingredientes: - 70 ml de óleo de amêndoas doces; - 2 colheres de sopa de óleo de coco; - 3 colheres de sopa de cera de abelha; - 1 colher de chá de lanolina anídrica; - 70 ml de sumo de aloe vera; - 3 colheres de sopa de de chá de camomila muito forte; - 1/2 colher de café de borax; - 1 colher de sopa de glicerina vegetal; - 2 cápsulas pequenas ou 1 cápsula grande de vitamina E; - 40 gotas de óleos essencias à escolha, eu usei de citrinos mas pode ser alfazema, alecrim, rosa para condizer com o nome ou outros. Nota introdutória: aquecer nesta receita quer dizer aquecer em banh...

Feutre de laine, laine, fil de soie et acier Wool felt, wool, silk and steel thread Robot Nuno, 6  

Lin et coton, feutre de laine, laine Linen and cotton, wool felt, wool Lapin :: Honey Bunny Romane, 8  

Lin, laine, fil de soie et acier Linen, wool, silk and steel thread Maman :: Mom Filipa, 3

Lin, laine, fil de soie et acier Linen, wool, silk and steel thread Moi et maman :: Me and mom Alice, 3

Ontem fui a Bruxelas renovar o B.I. , conseguir tirar algumas fotografias e aproveitei para tirar uma fotografia que queria tirar há muito tempo a um sinal de friterie . Na Bélgica há um sinal de trânsito especial, o sinal que indica "batata frita na proximidade", o sinal de friterie . Nas bermas das estradas belgas há as chamadas friteries onde se vendem batatas fritas e fricadelles que são uma espécie de salsicha frita cujo conteúdo é um mistério, especialidade belga e do norte de França . Adoro este sinal de trânsito.

Ontem tive que ir ao consulado para renovar o bilhete de identidade que agora se chama cartão de cidadão. Pelo que tenho ouvido contar, o consulado de Bruxelas funciona bem e aqui na zona parece que é o que melhor funciona aqui na área. Ontem só esperei uma hora e meia para ser atendida e tinha dez pessoas à minha frente, não foi muito tempo. Mas foi tempo suficiente para ler os jornais que lá estavam e descobrir uma lista com os emolumentos consulares e respectivos aumentos para 2012. O cartão de cidadão custa 20,00€ e não 15,00€ como o indicado no jornal. O preço da fotocópia simples deixou-me particularmente chocada, uma fotocópia simples custa 3,00€? As pessoas pagam impostos para quê?

Coton,feutre de laine, laine Cotton, wool felt, wool Maman :: Mom Matilde, 5

Coton, lin, laine Cotton, linen, wool Dinosaure :: Dinosaur Sofia, 5

  Bonhomme avec des grandes mains Coton et laine Cotton and wool Bonhomme avec des grandes mains Jeanne, 4 C'est un de moins dessins préférés de tous les dessins de ma fille. C'est mon préféré, en fait. This is one of my favourite drawings made by daughter. It is my favourite, actually.

Version #2 Coton, feutre de laine, laine, fil de soie et acier Cotton, wool felt, wool, silk and steel thread Version #2 Coton, feutre de laine, laine, fil de soie et acier Cotton, wool felt, wool, silk and steel thread Papa :: Dad Jeanne, 4