Turkish Tulip Festival!

Finally got the photos on the computer to show you, it was a really nice area and the flowers were stunning.  The belly dancer looked like reece witherspoon on crack with a little too much blush on her cheeks, but apart from that it was a spectacular day!

The pillow edings and some other tidbits

So I've put some of my projects on hold to start making some things for my "all handmade spare room" idea.  So far I've made 2 pillow edgings, 1 cross stitch pillow case and I'm just about to finish another pillow edging (which I'll put a pic of when I finish it and attatch it to the pillow)  While I was searching through my stash bags in the cupboard I also came across a mesh oya scarf that I made ages ago that I'd forgotten about because it was more a practice scarf not one that anyone in this day and age would wear lol, I also found a neckscarf that has a tatted edging that I made and had forgotten about.  Enjoy!!

Mesh scarf with Oya

Mesh Scarf with Oya

Neck Scarf with Tatted Oya

My pillow edging with oya!

My pillow edging!

My day of crafting- including Oprah.

So today was a fabulous day, bright and sunny.  I began my day by visiting my children in their pen outside (for those of you reading this for the first time, please don't call welfare, I'm referring to my chickens) and spent a good hour with them before I'd finished soaking up the sun, and decided to return inside.  To my disbelief it was Oprahs last episode today, of course this has already happened in America and I'm sure you're all over it by now, but its going to be hard now not watching her every day at 1pm.  Anyway yesterday I went to visit my grandmother, and I thought I'd kill 2 stones with one bird and go for a little hoarding session at my local asian junk, random, useless crap store (in Australia, lovely Asian people own stores that just have random crap in them that come in handy and its cheap aswel so why not) and mind you by now these people know me by name because I always go in there and buy stuff.  Now I've always been one to try and find my own 'way' or putting my own 'spin' on doing oya lace, although keeping it authentic still and not doing anything too risky.  I found these really weird sequins that I'd never seen before that were in the shape of a shell.





These are the sequins.  They're shell shaped, with 2 holes at the top.  They look yellow however they change depending on the light- so they go to green and a shade of pink aswel.

So immediately I look to the ceiling and try to imagine what I can do with them- so I practically rushed home after buying a few more things to see if my idea could be put into practice.

This is the Oya I came up with.  Its crocheted with a light blue nylon thread, and it measures approximately 3 metres.  I think it looks really nice and I'm really happy with it.


Another Oya I have been working on was a small beaded oya that I believe they call "train tracks."  I say my partners mother taught me this one, even though I just followed her example of a piece she'd left here.  The beads I used are from Japan, theyre Miyuki Delica beads, and the sharp blue colour caught my attention as soon as I went into Spotlight.  I've used about 4 packets now, and its still not long enough so I'll need to go back and by some more.  Spotlight stocks the beads that are actually imported and packed by Maria George, who is well know in the beads area in Melbourne, and she has a shop in the city in Flinders lane I think, not sure about that one, but I must make a note of going to her shop and seeing what other beads she has!!

So these are just some of the things I got up to over the past couple of days, and tomorrow my partner and I are going to a Turkish "Tulip" Festival over the other side of Melbourne, apparently the 1st tulip was found in Turkey over 500 years ago (or something) So I guess thats worth celebrating right?  I'll let you know how it goes!  Thanks for reading!  Peace xx

For the love of...CHICKENS?

So we have 3 chickens, and I must admitt before we got them I would have never touched one, or even gone near one because I dont like when they flap about and whatever, however when we got our 3 little chickens around 6 months ago, my partner coaxed me into holding them and feeding them so they got used to me and came when I called them.  Now, I cant put them down, sometimes I'll stay outside for hours and not notice the time going by because theyre just so entertaining.  So heres some chicken cross stitch patterns for chicken lovers like me!  The last pattern for some reason reminds me of the eldest chicken we have, coco.  She's definately spoilt, and yes its alllll my fault.  Enjoy xx

I say YES to more OYA.

                         These are 3 of the crocheted oya scarves I'm working on at the moment.

I call this "tulip"  - one of mine

I dont know what to call this one, any ideas?  - another one of mine

Tatted Oya Examples

So its not often you find many examples of Tatted Oya, it seems that crochet and needle are more popular.  So here are some examples I'm offering for you to have a look at!  Enjoy. xx

Mix tatting/crochet



Easy one shuttle technique with crochet



Easy one shuttle technique

Towel Edgings

Towel Edging

Towel Edging

Towel Edging

Towel Edging

Easy Chain & Picot technique

Lots of work!

Mix Tatting & Crochet

This is the same design as before, only with a different colour

Improvisation on the image above

My Favourite!