Difficult to satisfy?

When I sew I think of all the projects I want to embroider.  When I embroider I think of all the items on my knitting list. And when I knit I think of all I need to sew.   Currently I am in stage three of my cycle:-)
Knitting is going well and ball of yarn number one is almost finished. A progress shot.

My doctor sent me a letter.  Well it was actually a paper to take to the blood test nurse.  So this morning off I went at 8am just as it opened.  Convinced I would be first, I was shocked to see a queue stretching out the door and up the street.  Just when I don't really have time to fit everything in today.

But I am not totally dissatisfied.   I left work early Thursday to visit my old boss who is recovering from major surgery and so I missed our "site meeting" at work.   To be honest I completely forgot about it.   So it was a surprise to arrive at work Friday and find this in my desk!   Although I feel a fraud being rewarded for doing what is my job it sure is nice to be appreciated:-)

Owari. Finito, The End

Christmas Bling has been added and the Heirloom Nativity Sampler is now finished.
Whether or not it becomes an heirloom is debatable but satisfaction is high at having ticked this one off the list.

Small pearl beads, white stars and a red heart

Gold and bronze petit beads

And I am beaded out!   No more beads for me.   I'm ready to start something new so what's next on the list?   A navy woolen cardigan which I need to have ready by the end of August.   Off we go...

Spring is coming ..... I hope

The days are beautifully clear this week with the crisp temperatures of Autumn.   On the walk to the office I pass the garden centre and am reminded that now is the time to plant Spring bulbs.   So this weekend I will plant these in hope of a fragrant display in Spring.

Last night the hardanger was mainly in reverse direction but all is well now and I hope to make better progress tonight.  The maybe I will put the roof on the stable and finish off the "picture".  Not far to go now but there are a lot of beads on this one.

End in sight though.

Disappointment

Just before the Easter long weekend Cyclone Cook made landfall in New Zealand - at almost the exact spot where we had beach accommodation booked.   Rather than brave the weather we delayed our departure by a day.   And so it seems did everyone else!  The roads were either blocked by large earth slips or gridlock.  The usual route being rendered impassable, I opted for the "long way round" and after  six and a half hours on the road and only travelling 175 kilometres the DBEM called it quits and we turned around and came home.  Lesson learned for me.   Staycations will be the way to go for the future - the DBEM hasn't been at all well since we came home :-(

But I have improved the shining hour and my sewing is up to date.   So much so that today I went and bought another length of fabric -  my favourite blue and grey/black combination for a winter dress.
I cleaned up up plastic box full of scraps and made this apron too.

And with the book finished (and highly recommended) I will be stitching tonight.   And back to work tomorrow :-)

Distractions

Before I take my sewing machine to the repair shop tomorrow I was anxious to sew up a top I had cut out so this morning off I went.   And voila.....

Then this afternoon, a quick scurry to The Ribbon Rose for a ball of Perle #8 in DMC3813 so I can finish off the Hardanger Table Runner.   But I got distracted by a new library book.   This is one of those "recent releases" which can be rented for the princely sum of $6 for 14 days to save waiting in the interminable queue.   And I am engrossed....

So a quick post tonight and I am back to my book.   Sorry to the DBEM as I won't be talking tonight:-)

Spot on

Two projects to show tonight.
First up my $5 top.   A local trader called Geoff's Emporium has end of roll fabrics at ridiculously cheap prices and these serve me well when I want to trial a pattern with little cost.   This spotted top is one such.   I copied this successfully off a casual T shirt top I bought years ago and which now shows signs of loving wear.  All in all spot on I think.

The Heirloom Christmas Nativity Sampler is nearing the end.   Thoroughly sick of the cross stitch nativity scene I ventured into the hardanger end piece.   Kloster blocks proved a challenge to get correct when this afternoon I had a pleasant interruption of Oldest Nephew and New Fiancee.   However persistence paid off and the result was spot on.

Tomorrow is what my UK friends call a bank holiday and more sewing is on the plans.   Also by then my equanimity may be restored and I can relate the sad tale of my planned Easter holiday :-(

My Faithful Friend

Fifty five years ago my father persuaded me to part with the huge sum of $300 to purchase a swanky new Elna SU.

Since then it has sewn me thousands if not millions of kilometres of beautiful even stitches and hundreds of buttonholes.  But today my friend failed me - the gearing on the buttonholer has seized up.  So I need to quickly get my next two projects finished before taking her off to her second ever mechanical overhaul.

Currently I have this fabric almost completed and when the final stitching is complete it should transform into this

And why have I had a day sewing?   We were planning to travel to Tauranga for a brief holiday over Easter but Cyclone Cook is disrupting plans and is currently making landfall just south of where we are booked to stay.   So we will travel tomorrow instead and I have made use of the time today.  See you when we get back:-)

One Quarter

My stitching has had a hurdle to overcome this week.
I completed one quarter of the Quaker Christmas Sampler - doesn't it look good?

Then on Saturday morning I woke to my right eye the same colour red as the Sampler!  By Sunday the white was all gone but today, Thursday, a quarter is back to a pale pink which I tell myself is white:-). No pain just self conscious at the strange look.

Tonight I have been stitching Mary and Joseph and the end of the Heirloom Nativity Sampler is in sight.  As is the end of the week of torrential rain and serious flooding which has passed over.  I am hopeful of a fine weekend.

This year's pilgrimage

Today I took the DBEM to the Hospice Shop to deliver her knitteds. A total of 30 this year  and a colourful photo they do make.   Lots of stripes - they seem easier for her to knit.

We were amazed at the warm greeting given by the two ladies running the shop who chatted to us for a while.  It was a lovely encouraging outing for the DBEM who isn't at all well and is much more restricted in what she can do.
I'm off now to do the last two items on today's list of chores.