Holidays

Today is the first day of my summer holidays and just like a small child I woke early!   As a result I accomplished much today: grocery shopping, gardening, sewing (I made myself a summer dress), cooking (I made sushi for dinner) and a finish in my embroidery.
Tonight I have only a snapshot of the embroidery to show you.   Although the dress is finished I haven't got a suitable photo so that will follow later.   I am pleased with the Floral Garden Initial and hope that this A5 notebook cover will prove useful to the recipient.   The HD3QBEM suggested I make an M for myself but that will need to wait awhile.   Surface stitchery like this is hard on the fingertips - I have the puncture marks to prove it!

Being neither a Christmas gift nor a New Year gift, indeed not even an anything-in-particular gift, it will sit here a while before I trust the mailman.   Currently New Zealand Post seems to be so remarkably overworked that a letter across town can take over a week and then possibly be declared missing!  
Last night I chopped up some fabrics into two and a half inch fabric squares as in the new year I am going to try my hand at English Paper Piecing.   The HD3QBEM has requested a new runner for the top of the blanket box and an 'artistic' arrangement of Granny Hexagons seemed more achievable than any artfully pieced quilted runner.   Pamela assures me that EPP is relaxing as well as portable and steered me in the right direction for pre-cut hexagon shaped papers.   I am now fully equipped and only waiting for the New Year so that I can begin.