Finishes and new starts

 The Gift of Stitching biscornu is now fully finished.   I have to say the unusual geometry of this almost defeated me at the sewing together stage and there were two episodes of reverse stitching but the end result was worth the angst.   I rather like this and the way that four smaller squares make up one face.   My  display cabinet now has another resident :)

And I have made another start.  It was the seemingly vast quantity of high count linen in my stash that inspired spurred nudged me into action.   If I don’t stitch this up now I won’t be able to see to use it and that would be an expensive mistake.   So out came a piece of 36 count Edinburgh linen and I tacked out the sizes for five small bags.   The first is started - a mixtures of stitches but mainly cross stitch and beads. I’m determined this will be all stitched from stash so as I don’t have beads the correct or near enough colours I used Smyrna crosses.  So far so good but definitely hard on the eyes.  I'm doing the hemstitched channel for the draw cord at present.  The 36 count linen doesn't look so fine in the close up shot of the hemstitching but believe me it is !!

A recent visit to the library led me to the magazine displays and I found  a copy of Homespun, an Australian handwork magazine.   I was drawn to the odd shape “noodle bag” in the copy I borrowed and think that I might use my piece of 50 count linen for this   So in the wet weather of the last couple of days I added "measure out for noodle bag” to the list and to my joy found that I have ample fabric.   In the fullness of time you might yet see the bag appear on this blog :)

 But there is sewing to finish, baking to do, cleaning to complete etc etc   I should be busy all day tomorrow as today I spent mowing the lawn and tidying up the garden -  flowers and vegetables.   The broccoli seedlings have their own little 'house' of insect proof mesh to stop the white butterflies laying eggs for hungry green caterpillars :-)   My neighbour kindly gave me some fresh sweet corn today and I enjoyed it with my dinner tonight.   He has a very large garden which reminds me of Mr McGregor's so much so that I expect to see Peter Rabbit appear at any minute.   He grows more variety in his garden than I do so he gives me some of his surplus and I bake him scones and biscuits -  works well for both of us :)

Biscornu

Here she is - finished!

This one came together very easily and while conflicted over whether she needs a button in the middle or not (currently not obviously) I'm happy with how she looks. 

And the geometry of the basket was no major drama either.

On the remaining square of linen I decided to try out another chart I had kept for years.

I have not managed to attain the same level of satisfaction with this one.   This was a chart only and had no instructions so the needle lace is an amateur effort.   Now I want to get a book or printed instructions or some such to try again and learn this properly.  Does anyone have any ideas for me?

The small bullion flowers in the corners were fun and seemed to work well but that flower in the middle was an effort and no where near a passing grade either.   However on red velvet for a book cover will make make a useful item which someone else may love.

Remember when..

Remember when there was a Biscornu Boom?   I saved this free chart then and finally 10 years later have stitched it.   Not without some reverse stitching I have to say but we made it to completion.
It's amazing what a trawl through the chat folders, a search through the fabric stash and a delve into the floss trove can do for stitching mojo. 

I am rather pleased with this and while I have the floss out will probably make another for a gift.  I only hope I remember enough basic geometry to set the points in the correct position to make that basket work!

Voila, le biscornu

It is finished.

I was so sure I had swarovski crystal beads in this shade of green, but they are nowhere to be found so I opted for simplicity.   The centre bead is jade from a keyring given me many years ago by a friend.  Why waste a jade bead on a keyring?
And the back?   Well that is plain.
I don't know much French but I do know that everything is either feminine or masculine.  A biscornu?  Must be masculine I think, with all those stick-out corners :-)