Jack o' lantern RPLAL free pattern for october

 You can download the pdf above use orange cord for the pumpkins and green cord in between.  Or do in all one color for a neutral look

Here is a few photos of what it looks like in progress.  This was the last piece of lace that my grandmother saw me working on right before she died.  So it has been set aside for several months now as I have had a hard time working on it becasue it reminds me of her for that reason and October was her birth month so double reminders here. download now

Romanian Point Lace centerpiece

This pattern was featured in Piecework magazine March / April 1998.  So it is out of print but if you are interested in making one the old magazine can still be had on line if you look around a bit.  The author of the pattern is Sylvia Murari.

Update: funny when I posted the above link this morning there was 10 of these mags on ebay  there is 2 left is that my fault they disappeared so fast wow.  If so my blog does more than I think it did.  I will leave the link as others may post more in the future there and this will still find them.
In the original size 20 thread was used through the piece.  But I used size 10 thread for the cording and size 30 thread for the filling stitches.  The other modification I made was that the original was all one piece I wanted color in my work.  I started this yesterday and finished this morning it was a pretty quick work up finished piece measures 7 1/2 by 7 1/2 at its widest side to side.  It would have taken longer but I had 4 hours of sitting in a auto shop garage which is when  I did most of the work on it.

July RPLAL finished with video

 

Here are the two flower centers I promised.  Had a crazy week and the time to take the video when no children were around never seemed to happen.  I don't like to make videos when there is the possibility of people, TV or radio talking in the background.  But sometimes it just can not be helped.  Luckily the whole house was asleep when I made this video.  So no phone or door bell in the back ground.

 

When I finally did have the silent moment to sit down found out I had accidentally left my camera on and the battery was dead.  You know life is like this at times.    So charging them praying children not to wake up lucked out.  I had left it till the last two fillings before the project was done so I had one shot on this.  Otherwise I would have to start an entirely new project and do the tutorial on that one, which would have  taken a lot more time of course to get it to the filling needle lace stage. The video also shows how to make the twisted brides/bridges, bars ( to many names for the same stitch).  The stitches I do on the even one can also be done on the odd spoke I just showed it on even.   The other is harder to do on an even spoke as you would have to either go over two or under two at the end of every round to try and keep the weave pattern which would make a funny little jog in it and not be pretty to me.

You will notice I have this both as a collar and a doily look in the photos I have yet to decided which way I like it better.  You are welcome to give your in put on that I would appreciate some feedback.  I think I am leaning toward collar.

 

Wheat Stitched Cord Bolero vest revisited

A few years back (about 6 years) I was working on bolero vest and it got set a side I worked on it some a recently while on my trip in Mexico and this is the progress I made on it.  It is using the Wheat stitch cord I posted a few days ago about but this cord was made about 7 years ago.  I hope to get this done at some point in my life sometimes I just have no deadlines on things I make just for fun so they happen when they happen. I hope it will fit me then if it doesn't well I have 3 daughters who are always happy to claim anything I have made as their own to wear.  So it will not go to waist when ever it is finished.  this is Antique thread I am using here both for the cord and the filling stitches.  Which is a lot heavier than I usually use  so this vest has a more textured feel to it which I like.

  If you notice the macramé bracelets in the photo some I made for my brother in law over 17 years ago that he just gave back to me he kept them all these years so cool, some my children made for me and some my children bought for me.  But all represent special people in my life and has a little story to go with them.

I have several projects I am working on for other people at the moment  4 different afghan repairs and one cross stitch sampler for a baby.  i will show some of those in the near future at the moment the 3 of the afghans I am cleaning so it will be a while before I can work on them as they are pretty bad and I have to have a clean them before I can match threads and start the repair process.

July's RPLAL free pattern

So hey we are early posting this pattern.

you will need to print out four copies of the pattern
download now

OYA... more pdfs

I found an oya tutorial on line you can purchase.  It comes as 3 separate pdfs to your email address but it is all 1 item at purchase.  Comes in 3 languages English, Dutch, and German

The author is from the Netherlands

here is what concepts are enclosed in the pdfs
1st pdf
Threadteds oya needle lace

19 pages

• cover page (1 page)
• a brief history(1 page)
• discovery how the author found out about oya (1.75 pages)
• needles and threads (.75 of a page page) 
• knots and loops how to read diagrams(.5 of a page) 
• tutorial with words and diagrams (2 pages) 
• Remove and attach ( cutting and adding thread to work) (.75 of a page)
• Pyramids ( how to build the pyramid like shape) (1.25 pages)
• cones and rounds (.5 of a page) 
• stems  (.5 of a page) 
• increase decrease (.5 of a page) 
• picots= long loop (.5 of a page) 
•  a page for notes (.75 of a page)  
• the real work  explain how to hold a needle and pulling the thread and crucial small details (2.25 pages)
• working 3d motif with 60 photo step by step tutorial  (4 pages) edging with flower and leaf
• copyright info (1 of a page)

I only include this because on the site it is sort of vague as to what you are getting and I thought this would be more helpful to beginners to know what they are getting and what useful tools are in it.

2nd pdf
oya violet bear pin
2 pages

2 pattern images  to make the same item 1 needle lace 1 crochet

needle
5 pointed star flower with leaf refers you back to pdf 3 for flower and leaf pattern

crochet

pattern for leaf, pansy flower, and teddy bear head hard to describe with out seeing for yourself.  pin wound be fine with out the teddy bear part too in my opinion better in fact so you could just omit that part when working it


pdf3

a front and back paper which when folded makes a small leaflet for quick reference as to how to make the 5 pointed flower  and leaf 22 step photo tutorial on this with word instructions too

Other new developments in OYA pattern availability

I also wanted to note that Couch crochet crumbs has also been working on getting her patterns onto ravelry.  So they should be available there soon for easier download. This of course is her crochet patterns for Oya her needle lace ones will still be on her etsy site because raverly is only a knit and crochet site.  But she also sells handmade oya on her etsy site as well,so making it well worth the visit.  Don't forget her blog for more oya eye candy and free tutorials.

OYA ... Interweave Crochet Magazine / Etsy

I have found two new places to get Oya patterns in the last few days.

1.  The Interweave Crochet Magazine the summer/august 2012 issues has 6 pages about oya in it.  So for those that are Oya lovers like me get this mag before you can't.I was glad I was subscribed to it as all the cover reads Explore Turkish edgings but it may have been something I would have missed on the newsstand.  It is of course the crochet version since this is a crochet magazine and not the tatted, needle or knitted versions.

 2.  Another recent source of oya crochet patterns is Couch Crochet Crumbs in her etsy site she it selling patterns.  She also has a free tutorial on her blog on needle oya.  Here is another one on her blog on crochet oya with beads.    Yet another free pattern she has on her blog with crochet oya.She also has videos on You tube.
I just love oya and when ever I find info on it I post it so others can find the hard to get resources on the subject.   

March RPLAL free pattern collar fits baby to adult

 Download pattern below in this post.

Sorry this was so long in the posting.  My children who help me do some of this had finals and reports to do at school and that took president but it is here now and please enjoy.   The collar as it prints from your computer will work as a baby to toddler size yoke or you can use it as a child to preteen collar.  If you want it to fit an adult blow it up to the measurements on the sides of the print outs then it will be adult size.

Part 1: February RPLAL download patterns

Patterns for the February Romanian Point lace patterns there are three ornaments and 1 square doily.  Sorry it is so late in the month that could not be helped.  But you can make them now and have them ready for next year or make them and use them this year as Christmas ornaments or just a doily in your home.  links below where to download the patterns.

RPL purple doily finished

finished, originally uploaded by sunshine's creations.

For those who wanted to see what it looked like done. I should have taken this from a better angle and laid it out neater. But I still think you get the idea all the same. Have a lovely day.


update : my middle daughter has claimed this as hers to use in her "Monster High" doll house as a rug.  Funny it is about the right size for  that but I have not given in yet.  As I want to take  photo at the end of the year with all the items made for the year and make it the top picture in the Master RPLAL post.  So told her maybe at the end of the year when I have my photo she can have it.

Jan. RPLAL round doiley tutorial

For all those doing the January RPLA I let you have the first week of the month to recover from holidays and to get your pattern transferred to the fabric, cord made and basted and all the joinings of the cord done this includes the joining on the side of cords too.  Hint: the other two patterns tutorials will follow in short order so you better have them ready as they will be up soon.  Soon being in the next 2 weeks.  As it does take a little  while to do the filling stitches and I want to complete each one before I go to the next. In that way you can see what the finished item looks like.  Well at least see what it looks like in the colors that I have chosen.  Please feel free to add your finished piece to the ravelry group or the group on flickr I so hope to see many wonderful works from all of you.

On to the tutorials

Sorry I did not have my husbands camera when I was doing this and my camera was being a little weird on focusing so here we go.  I plan on going back today and doing a video hopefully that will be clearer but ti is a gray day so I may have to wait a day or two.  That will be in a separate post

Part 1: 3 filling stitches for RPL & Removing the lace

For the next few days on here I will be posting about doing needle filling stitches in Romanian Point Lace. These stitches can be used in other types of needle lace as well such as tennerrife lace, batternberg, Retticella and other point laces like drawn thread work ...and so on.  I am showing here a few ideas for these little motifs to be used as hair and tree ornaments, Embellishments for Christmas socks and clothes ie little girls dress or sweaters you can make it a pin and wear it on a winter hat or purse or a simply decorate a gift box (as one of the above  ie make it a pin or hair clip  or ornament then use it as a tag so the recipient gets a pretty gift  then they can wear the item too).  Please read on if you want to learn how to make these stitches and add them to your RPL.

RPLAL 2011 holly berry ornament December

My family has decided to make a few ornaments for the holidays.  My oldest daughter and I have drafted patterns together again to be able to share with my blog readers so if you would like to join my family in making ornaments please do and add your finished work to the RPL group on flicker or ravelry.

rings for RPL / battenberg lace / irish crochet

Romanian point lace, battenberg (battenburg) lace and Irish crochet lace all traditionally use rings in the lace. I am going to show a few ways of making these rings. There are 5 examples in this tutorial. This will help those in the Jan 2012 RPLA on Ravelry and of course any one else who wants to learn this like those in the flickr group. I will have another tutorial later with 2 more ways of making rings

Click photo go to flickr for notes on rings / plastic bead and plastic cabone rings

battenberg with thread  rings

flickr group

video on Oya

Found a video on Oya, not in English but very good.  Some day I will find some one local who can speak English and show me this as I know I miss some things like the type of thread and things of that sort in the video.  Her speed is amazing there is a woman who has made a ton of Oya in her life.

Romanian Point Lace along

Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

There is a Romanian Point lace along starting in the Ravelry group Romanian Point Lace.  You have 1 month to prep for it make your cord, and rings and get your pattern transferred to fabric.  I will be posting how to here on my blog  All three template links for this  RPLAL are below in this post click read more below left

RPL cord made by my oldest daughter

RPL cord made by my oldest daughter, originally uploaded by sunshine's creations.

My oldest daughter has taken on the challenge to make me some cord. This is what she has made in the last few days working on this. May not look like much to most people but that is 4 1/2 yards pretty good amount I would say. It was just a small ball of size 10 thread I handed her. She asked for more when she finished this so now I have given her a humongous ball of cream size 10 thread. I will see how far she get on this hopefully she won't burn out and will be able to help me make cord.

Romanian Point lace fans

This photo by Lady loop

There is a new group on Ravelry all about Romanian Point Lace (RPL for short). 
We are gathering as much information on

• books 
• on line items 
• tips/ hints
• questions / answers
• eyecandy

We are trying to put it together all in one data base with people who already know how to make this type of lace so if you have been a fan of it but didn't know how to, where to get info, or are just curious this may be something you want to check into.  There is still the group on flickr that I admin too.

Finished...pictures speak loader than words