The Vogart 300

I just received a recent Ebay purchase in the mail. It's a "Vogart Embroidery Color Chart" for Style Numbers 300-388. Now, I've never seen any transfer patterns with those numbers (only 100's, 200's, 600's and the odd 700). I have wondered about the missing number series. Has anyone seen anything Vogart numbered in the 300's? I'm thinking that perhaps these might be pre-printed sets/kits. But why would these need a colour chart, wouldn't that come with the set? Ideas? Bueller?

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Walking

I vowed last week that I would start walking every night now that the weather has improved. I take it as a good sign that I was actually looking forward to it last night even though it was a bit windy and cool. I'm going to do an hour every night. There is a dead hour where I don't get much done and there isn't anything on tv, so I am going to put it to good use. The only problem is that when I go for the walk, I am totally unmotivated the rest of the night and the sewing suffers. But I am going to make myself do at least an hour a night, otherwise nothing will get done.

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Sunday Rooster Started

I started the final Rooster tea towel for my sister on the weekend. I didn't get much done. Had a bit of a Battlestar Galactica Season 2 marathon on Sunday.

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Completed Zig Zag Pillowcase

Completed Zig Zag Pillowcase, originally uploaded by laren_oz.

This is the completed Zig Zag pillowcase. I did the back out of linen as well, just in case I need to use the back.

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Completed Zig Zag Pattern - Detail

Completed Zig Zag Pattern - Detail, originally uploaded by laren_oz.

This is the detail of the Zig Zag embroidery, done with the Vogart pattern.

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It Was A Weird Afternoon

Bushfire, originally uploaded by laren_oz.

It had a bit of an apocalyptic flavour yesterday afternoon. This is the view from the front of my building at 4.30pm. It shouldn't be that dark for another 3 hours. The darkness is caused by smoke from bushfires both local and many hours drive away. Note the outside automatic lights have come on. There was so much smoke in the air it was making me cough.

This is what it normally looks like at 5.30pm.

When I left for the day, I got to my car and it was covered in ash. I am definately going to have to wash it now. Then on the way home, I hit the island I have to drive over everyday and stopped just over the first bridge. Traffic was at a standstill. I found out via the radio that some power lines were down. Then I saw a fire engine behind me and I had to pull over. Luckily, while there is only one road across the island, there is a loop that services some of the industry. The powerlines were down on the main corner, but after the turnoff to the service road. So they were able to block off where the lines were down and divert around the service road. It's been years since I've been down there. Just about everyone from my suburb has been around that loop of road as it is the traditional "first driving lesson" area.

So while it took a bit longer, I got home safe and sound. And by about 6.30pm, it had cleared up and it was sunny and bright again.

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Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

It's now 4.40pm and it's so dark from the bushfire smoke and storm clouds that all the outside automatic lights have come on at work. On a normal day, it wouldn't get dark enough for that to happen for another 2 hours at least. The smoke is starting to get into the air conditioning system. I've taken some photos, but they are making it seam lighter than it is. It is now pitch black outside.

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Hot, Damn Hot

No stitching again last night as it was REALLY hot. About 36 C, and Summer doesn't start for another couple of weeks. Lots of bushfires around the place.

Did some reading. I can't afford new books so I've decided to utilise the library at work. Got out a heap of Asimov both novels and short stories. Unfortunately, the library doesn't have a full collection. I'm thinking of then working my way through the Evelyn Waugh collection. Then maybe some more Sci-fi.

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Zig Zag Pillowcase Done

No photos of the Zig Zag pillowcase though. I had it in Napisan to soak and get rid of the transfer ink. I did a pretty good job so I rinsed and put it out to dry. Unfortunatly, there was still visible red transfer behind the yellow French knots. So I put it in again. It should get a bit more out, if not, too bad. So there should be photos soon.

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Non-Text Instructions

I have blisters on my hands from starting the lawn mower on the weekend. I wouldn't have blisters if they had better instructions on the mower. I was trying to start it in the off position! But I put some of the blame on the not that clear instructional pictures on the mower.

I was feeling virtuous and put my new wipper snipper together as well. I followed the starting instructions for a cold start (being female, I do that). However, it didn't work. So I tried doing a hot start and it worked. But the last time I stopped it to detangle the grass from around the cutting head, it wouldn't restart, so I gave up. But the place looks alot better. Especially down the narrow side passage that I take the cats down. Let hiding spots for spiders now.

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Not Much Sewing

The weather is starting to heat up, so not much sewing happening. I have the final rooster tea towel ready to go. I should get it out of the way, but I am doing that 90% done, can't finish the last 10% thing happening again.

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Zig Zag Pillowcase

The auto-blogging from Flickr didn't work very long. Back to doing it the old fashioned way.

Another project using the Vogart patterns. This will be a pillowcase when it's done. Materials are white linen ground fabric and DMC stranded cotton. It looks a bit horrible because you can still see the red of the transfer behind the bit that is already stitched. That should go away when it's washed.

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New Project - Floral Pillowcase

I bought some plain white linen to make a pillow case. I've tranfered a lovely floral design and I am going to work it in pastel colours. No progress so far, but I should have some done by tomorrow. The weather has started to heat up so sewing is a bit harder.

I also got some 400 count colour ready made pillow cases. I am going to put designs on them as well. I know a higher thread count is meant to be better, but I think these feel rather hard.

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New Door

I don't have solid doors on a couple of the rooms of my house. But I need to be able to shut the rooms off to keep hot/cold air in. So I've made hangings to go over the doorways. The current ones I have are from two colours shemes ago and look like crap - Note: Indian cotton that is dyed multiple colours does not wash well!

So I went to Spotlight yesterday. I was going to get some heavy duty fabric to make a new door hanging. But when I checked the curtain section again I was able to find a curtain the matched the new couch covers I got earlier. So with a minimal amount of sewing, I have a new door hanging, that not only better matches the new colour scheme, but that also matches the couches! ;-)

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Remember

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Lest We Forget

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New Vogart Patterns

These are the latest Vogart patterns I bought on ebay from the USA. They were from 3 separate auctions, but they all arrived on the same day, it was like Christmas!!

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Sewing Roosters Back On

I was finally able to get another tea towel, so I can get the final Rooster done. I should be able to get it done this weekend. Once I send it to my sister, I will get her to take a photo of the finished set and post that.

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Roosters Delivered

My sister and her husband came for a quick visit. They've been staying with my Dad. We went out for dinner at the RSL and then played poker when we got home, as well as having a chat. I gave the 6 completed rooster tea towels to her. I think she liked them. Her hubby has been told they are not to be used!

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Blackwork Shirt - Bath

Man's shirt with blackwork embroidery, originally uploaded by felicity wormwood.

Good image, check out the largest size for detail of pattern.

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Jacobean Blackwork Jacket Leaves

Jacobean blackwork jacket, originally uploaded by vintageskies83.

Another blackwork jacket. This posting straight from Flickr works pretty well.

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Blackwork Jacket

Woman's jacket with blackwork embroidery, originally uploaded by felicity wormwood.

I've been playing around in Flickr again. Found a few gems. Here is one of them. Looks to be a Jacobean blackwork jacket. Links to others to follow. I've never seen this one before.

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Vogart Floral Wreath

I deviated from the usual embroidery style today. Hanging out the in the Flickr group made me need a dose of pastel. So a floral wreath using a Vogart pattern. I tried using perle cotton for the firt time. It worked OK, but I used 5 and I think this was a bit big. Maybe 8 next time. I am going to try this with stranded to see if I like it better. Now I need to decide what to make with it. It's about 5" square.

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Rainy Days

I went shopping today. Picked up some clear index tabs from Officeworks to make a customise planner/diary. Also got some perle cotton and linen fabric from Spotlight to make a pillowcase. Got some Indian cotton to make a new room divider, I have no doors, need the divider to keep warm/cold air in the room. It's been raining all day, doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon.

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No Sewing and Flickr

No sewing the last couple of days. Still no tea towels. I talked to the manager of the supermarket, he said they might have a new shipment next week. So I will have to find something else to keep my occupied. It looks like it's going to be a rainy weekend, so a good time to get prep work for projects out of the way.

Also, I've been wandering around Flickr the last couple of days. I've never really used it as I usually host my own images, but it does have it's uses. I've joined a few groups, including Embroidery. This group tends to be more free form embroidery oriented, so alot more of the sort of stuff that I am interested in.

I also found some nice images of embroidery from museums and other places, that people had uploaded as part of their holiday snaps.

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Vogart Pattern Gallery

As you will know, I have a bit of a soft spot for the Vogart Embroidery Transfers from the 40's and 50's. I have a small collection, which I add to when I can get them cheaply on Ebay.

I want to put up a gallery on the web, showing all the patterns that are available. I think it would be a useful reference resource for anyone interested in these patterns. There seems to be very little information out there on them.

So, below is the list of patterns that I need to complete my collection (of images, not patterns, it would be a much longer list!). If you have a scan of these covers, I'd love a copy. Email to: laren@webcon.net.au :

123
125
131
132
140
155
156
161
165
168
169
170
176
177
181
182
183
184
185
187
190
199
209
216
217
224
225
239
243
244
247
252
255
256
261
262
265
266
268
277
278
283
285
287
288
289
296
298
299
600
604
606
607
609
610
613
614
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
626
627

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Hail Report

Good news on the hail front, well for me anyway. Just a few very small dents in the roof and the bonnet. Paint isn't cracked so I will just leave them as is. No windows damaged, so that is good.

Other parts of the campus, just a couple of hundred metres away were hit much worse. Lots of damage to the main Uni Admin block and people with smashed windscreens. Bad news is that there are supposed to be more storms on the way. We haven't had a hail that big in years. The sky didn't even look that green, but in other parts of the city it did according to the news.

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Saturday Rooster Finished

The Saturday Rooster is finished. They are starting to make an impressive pile now. I will take a photo of them all, once I have given them an iron.

I tried to get the last tea towel, still none at the shop. I will have to try another supermarket on the way home tonight.

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