Beaded jug covers...

Over the past month I have been methodically giving each room in our home a 'deep clean' and part of this 'refreshing' is to wash and rotate all the decorative quilts, table runners, doilies and cushion covers. So my spring linens are now ironed and folded away for another season, and the summer things have made their way out of the darkness and into the bright sunshine of this tropical house.

Whilst browsing through the linen cupboard I discovered that a bead had come loose from one of my jug covers. This cover is quite special to me because it's one of my very first designs (2009) and was inspired by memories of Nana, her life and her tiny simple home...

I'll repair this today and perhaps re-secure the other beads in place just to be safe. After all, that's exactly what Nana would have done - "a stitch in time saves nine, Jennifer"...

I love jug covers, and they are quite useful in this bug-lovin' tropical climate we've grown to love.

Occasionally I find the odd one in a thrift/charity store, but only once have I seen a new jug cover for sale in a gift shop (the blue beaded one below)...

In 2012 I shared THIS tutorial for making your own beaded jug covers from old crochet doilies...

...and I still use that cover today!

In fact, it drapes beautifully across a white jug my friend Michelle May gifted me many years ago.

 But what about using fabric doilies for jug covers?

Whilst rummaging through my big tub of vintage treasures the red and green of this simply stitched piece caught my eye - probably because the Christmas season is here. 

It was just 50c at a country market Mr E took me to earlier this year, and with a good supply of glass beads on hand that I'd inherited from our Blossom-girl when she lost interest in that particular craft, I had myself an idea to play with!

The doily already had tiny crochet edges perfect for attaching beads...

If you're going to make something similar choose a linen that has a crochet edge as it's very easy then to hide your thread, and choose a thread the same colour as the crochet.

If using stranded cotton you should probably use two or three strands, but I had some Presencia Perle 16 on hand which was a perfect colour match.

Turn your linen to the wrong side.

Choose a suitable edge to add a bead and weave your thread in from a little way to the right and bring it up just under where you want your bead to appear...

Make a couple of knots.

Weave the needle up to the edge of the crochet...

Thread your bead onto the needle, then bring the thread back down into the crochet edge.

The bead should have a little swing; don't pull it too close to the crochet.

Secure with a couple more knots, then weave the needle in and out of the crochet to the left of the bead.

Cut the thread.

Trim both edges of the thread so that they are 'just' hidden in the crochet.

I'm sewing a red/green sequence around my doily...

This will become a cover for the teaspoon mug which sits on the kitchen bench...

 This sort of project uses what's already on hand and would also make a lovely gift for *home made stitched with heartstrings*!

Only 28 more beads to sew in place.

I guess you know what I'll be doing this afternoon, right?

Have a wonderful day,

The Rose Bunting....

I'm working on something special.

It's a home-making project that I've had on my heart for about a year, and I shared a little about it back here.

You see we own a very old dining table given to us by friends who moved away in 2011, and three aged but comfortable dining chairs we purchased from a thrift shop in Alice Springs almost a decade ago. We used to have a fourth chair but our son carried it away when he moved out of home and we never got around to replacing it, so when we have a fourth guest I bring out my sewing seat as compensation.

Mr E rather likes our miss-matched-but-full-of-memories dining furniture so there is no hope that I'll be getting a new set any time soon.

Which brings me to the project I am working on.

Embroidered chair covers.

I won't tell you too much as they are still in the process of moving from a dream to reality, but I will  show you the embroidery I've designed as the feature of the covers...

Even though I only have three dining chairs, I plan on making a set of four covers because one day we will own another.

It's a pretty pattern and quick to stitch so I should have all four completed by the weekend - then I can start making the covers...

The covers will be mostly beige linen, but the green and red pin dot have their part to play in this project as well.

Perhaps next week I'll have a cover finished to show you.

"The Rose Bunting" design will be inside the Stitchery Club patterns next month (the theme for May will be 'Motifs for Everyday Projects")

I'd love to know what project you're making for your own home right now?

We can inspire each other.

Yesterday Wendy and I were over at Heather's for a morning of coffee, cake, and of course - stitching!

Remember the Amish Cinnamon Bread recipe I showed you on Monday? Well, bless her heart, our sweet Heather had it warm and waiting when we arrived...

 Wendy snapped this photo of me in cake-heaven...

....so I am going to bake it today for Mr E 'cause there's a whole lot of love ready to pour into the making of yummies for my man, and besides, I'll get to enjoy it again.

I don't think Heather and I got much stitching achieved over the course of the morning. She was working on this beautiful embroidery inside one of her vintage doilies (the floss is Apricot Ice from Cottage Garden Threads)...

...and I worked on "The Rose Bunting". But mostly we chatted and laughed and oohed and aahed over the things Wendy had bought down in Brisbane last month at "Let's Get Stitched".

In fact, Wendy was quite industrious as we nattered away! 

Opening one of her purchases after morning tea, she patiently needle-turned this cute little Sunbonnet Sue which will become a key fob when it's finished...

Too soon our morning was over, so we said our goodbyes with hugs and more laughter and plans for catching up again very soon.

Friends are a blessing, aren't they?

If you've not seen Wendy's free 'Block of the Month Fortnight' yet, visit her blog HERE and join in - it's called (you guessed it!)  "Friends"!

I'm off to put some lamb in the slow cooker, a cake in the oven, and then it's an apron I'll be sewing.

What are you doing today?

hugs