Christmas is coming....

A break from hardanger due to running out of thread means I'm back with the little crosses.

I'm currently working on the half done large motif at bottom left.  Then a couple of snowflakes will fill the gap near the centre top.  Snowflakes are whit but that won't work on Antique Whute linen so I auditioned several DMC before settling on 648.  Hope it works as I'm sick and tired of reverse stitching:-)

This is one quarter of the total Sampler - how fortunate it is still only March!

Goodness me! Godiva!

I opened one box of the gifted chocolates, saving the golden ribbon of course.

But it was the other three boxes that proved to be a visual delight:-) Aren't they wonderful?

Surprise!

The DBEM had a visit from the postman today and even when I enquired on my daily lunchtime phone call as to what mail there was, she never let on.   So when I did get home it was a real surprise to see a well wrapped parcel from Japan.   Kazumi sent me this beautiful tin.

On White Day (in Japan the women give men chocolate on Valentines Day and on 14 March the men return chocolates to the women) Kazumi had received 14 boxes of chocolates and she generously shared with me.
Look at this....

But wait, there's more!

And the insides?   Well, the gold box is Godiva chocolates- far too posh for us:-(
I'll open it and show you those tomorrow!

Wrinkles and all

Progress was so good.  Enthusiasm was great.  And then I ran out of Perle #8 in this colour and ground to a halt.   I don't trust my wrist cutting the threads for the lacework - nor with the iron yet.  So here 'tis - wrinkles and all.

But the end is in sight and this evening I'll get back to another WIP.

A blue sky day today

The Tasman Tempest which flooded many parts of the city is now a distant memory and we have been enjoying wonderful clear Autumn days.
On my walk at lunchtime I looked up and saw this.

The last of the summer hibiscus?   I hope not.

Helping the DBEM

This week I have been helping the DBEM by sewing up  half a dozen of the little cardigans and sweaters she has knitted.   Our temperatures are dropping as Autumn arrives and she is getting anxious to take her "produce" to the Hospice Shop for them to sell.   However sewing up and attaching buttons is now beyond her so yours truly to the rescue.   She vows that she will not buy any more wool and will instead knit up her stockpile.   I don't believe her:-)

The buttons on this flecked red cardigan were sent to me all the way from Asahikawa, Japan.  Do you remember these Yuko?
For the past two weeks the DBEM has been most unwell and had a minor fall at home.  I am amazed at how much this has decreased her confidence and she now uses her Zimmer frame all the time.  The radius of our "circle of adventures" is now quite small; simple pleasures it shall be from now on:-)

Catching up

While confined to quarters by the Tasman Tempest which dropped a month's worth of rain in one night, I have time to catch up on my blog.
The splint may be off my hand but I have aches and pains which the hated splint kept at bay.   My physio seems happy so I try to be.  At least I can stitch.
I finally took a photo of my latest sewing - this was not a pleasant dress to make.  The print of the design was off grain and everything seemed to go wrong.  But for a cheap fabric it has turned out not too bad and makes a change.

I did choose my next project and dug into stash to find the ingredients.  All good.   I now need to tack out the linen and then we are away.   This will be a good use for a piece of Dublin linen which I had thought to coarse to use.

And this morning when I ventured out to do necessary chores it was WET!