Friday, March 4, 2011

~*Friday Finishes... and Oxford Punch Update*~

Hello Dear Friends! TGIF! You know what that means... so let me get right to it...

My dear friend, Doris, is punching for Spring...

Doris has used many of the images in the doodle books I've offered. She really brings them to life! This one is from ~*Welcome Spring*~. I've only offered two doodles books... folks have asked for me... maybe I should doodles up a few more designs to offer. Doris... and you... could bring them to life too!

These darling needle books were stitched up by my sweet friend, Patti. She used images from the pattern ~*Live Laugh Love*~ for the covers. She has them offered, if any are still available, on her TDIPT page. Just beautiful!



And another cross stitch dandy... this one is from Ann. She stitched up the pattern ~*School Girl Pocket*~. It is finished wonderfully... and displayed primly, awesome too...



Thanks to all the ladies for stitching, punching, and sharing! Keep up the lovely works!

~*~*~*~*~

Some of you may remember me talking about the Oxford Punch awhile back. When I saw Ginger last week... she gave me a quick lesson (along with the #10 punch)... thank you again, Ginger!

Well... I still feel like I'm struggling with it... but I'm not giving up! I've punched 5 small pieces in the last few days... and thrown 2 of them in the trash. Here are some that are 'OK'... but I still feel I need more practice. I do like to hook hickety~pickety sometimes... but I do that on purpose. With the punch, many of the punches come out different and appear almost hickety~pickety... but I'm trying to make them even. I can't seem to get past what I want it to look like and what it does look like.

Here are a few I've punched... they all still need to be bound if I decide to keep 'em...

I like the top section of this one... but not the bottom. I may rip out the 'ABC' section and bound only the top.

Here I was practicing punching straight lines. I wanted to see if I could get the punches more uniform by doing that.

I punched this one yesterday afternoon. Punching is quicker than traditional hooking. Like with needlepunching, sometimes simple lines can get lost... see the stem and the bird legs...


The side view of one. Here you can see my loops are all different... this is after steaming...


One thing that I thought could be my problem ~ was my punching frame. Ginger's gripper strips wrapped around the edge of her frame & hold her fabric very taunt. My regular punching frame (that I use for my Cameo) has a little bit of a slant for my grippers, but my monk's cloth kept slipping when I tried to use it for the Oxford. I had Tony add some grippers to an old picture frame I had. It has an opening of about 9 1/2 by 7 1/2... so I am still limited on size for my punched pieces when I use this frame... but it does hold my fabric tight. (Yes, I can use my rug hooking frame as well. That frame has a larger opening, but I like to hold the frame up to a table for punching.)


I'm not going to give up... in fact, I'm headed to find my Oxford now & try again...

Oh... and for my cross stitch friends... I started another sampler this week. It is a larger sampler inspired by my Great~Great Grandma. It is stitching up just beautifully.

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

10 comments:

  1. Betty,

    You have inspired me, I have an oxford punch, I need to get it out and try it again. The first time I tried it with wool, mine too was all lumpy!!
    Cammie

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  2. So many lovely projects! I would have never thought to just use elements of the sampler to create separate pieces! Very clever! I like your Oxford pieces just fine... especially the ABC one. Just relax and let the Ocford do the work!

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  3. Betty~

    Love the finishes. Your rugs look perfectly prim. I'm glad you're not giving up on the oxford punch. One day, it will all just click for you.

    Becky

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  4. Dear Betty,
    it's just beautiful. Long live the primitive style!

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  5. I think they look great, but you probably notice things that others will not. Do you have any yarn laying around? Try that, and maybe then you won't notice the loops as much.

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  6. HI Betty - I own several old yarn punch needles - I wonder how they would be to use vs. the Oxford needle? I might have to give them a try sometime. I think you're catching on quick to the bigger punch.

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  7. Betty ~
    Sounds like you are your own worse critic! I know I'm that way.
    I've had the Oxford for at least 4 years and it has not yet left the box...lol!
    Hugs :)
    Lauren

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  8. Betty, I love your Oxford punch. I think the ABC one is great, it looks more prim. They all look good to me. I haven't tried the wool strips but bet they are harder than the yarn I use.
    Those cross stitch pcs are wonderful, really make me itch to start a new one.

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  9. Oh Betty your creations and blog is so wonderful and I enjoy visiting and reading all your post. LenZie
    come visit

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  10. oh, i love the ABC rug, it's adorable! i love that red you used for the background of the ABC's...did you dye that yourself? I'd love to purchase some of that color...

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