Meet Ruby

Do you ever fall for projects in a magazine and disappear down an unexpected route?   I did that with my rag doll.
My cousin had made a rag doll for her granddaughter, complete with a whole wardrobe of clothes.  What a good idea, I thought.  Then just as I heard about Christine's creation, I saw a pattern in the English Womens Weekly magazine.  Eventually I got the enlargement done and cut out the pieces.   And only then did I realise that I couldn't stitch this on the sewing machine and everything would need to be hand made.  

Slowly the pieces came together and she began to look like a doll.  The DBEM said she needed a name so I christened her Ruby.

Creating Ruby's head of hair - and what a boring process that is - took most of one afternoon.
Conclusions from this foray....

• Ruby will have only this one set of clothes; a dress, knickers and shoes.  The pattern called for pajamas and slippers and I did have notions of a raincoat and boots (ha ha)
• Ruby will never have a sibling.   I am sworn off making rag dolls!!!

February already!!

January seems to have slipped by very quickly and although I have a lot to show for it there truly hasn't been much in the stitching front.
The new house has a lot of garden and I have been diligent in working on that.   The back has been cleared ready for raised vege beds to be built this month in time for autumn planting.   In the front I have dispensed with several plants I don't like, cleared away the "undergrowth", made friends with two Songbird Thrush who keep me company and eat the snails and I am feeling much happier that I will be able to manage what my cousin described as a "pretty garden". Hopefully it will remain so:)
Besides that I have been pounding the pavements walking all over this delightfully flat city exploring various places.   It took several thousand steps and some degree of frustration until I finally found an Asian Food Store which sold fresh tofu.   Yay!   The general supermarket is much closer and the greengrocer is closer still so I am well supplied.   The DBEM and I have been enjoying our meatless days. Her appetite is small and ailments preclude many foods which coupled with blunted dentures means that meatless meals have increased in number and provide me with welcome opportunity to scan my cookery books.
Last night I went to the Embroiderers Guild for the first time.   It is held in the chapel of a funeral directors facilities so I sidled past the hearse and hoped I didn't go in the wrong door!   All the women were really friendly and were wearing name tags.   It is funny how many Margaret's I am meeting in The New City.   At church there are five others and at Guild I have a namesake also .   Perhaps this is because I have moved into a different age demographic socially??
Currently I am working on a couple of pieces of hardanger - a lacy border for an apron.   This will be a gift for a special birthday in 12 months time so yes, I am planning ahead!

The other is a cushion cover pattern from my Japanese Hardanger book but I am thinking I might make this into a bag.  Still some way to go to completion so plenty of time to decide.

Today has been very hot - almost too much for the DBEM.   We reached 32 degrees celsius and both of us wilted.   It did mean that my temperature cross stitch changed from orange to red.   If the weather man is to be believed tomorrow it will go to yellow.   I do hope he is correct!

At Guild I was told this year's Presidents Challenge is ' a piece of embroidery that illustrates the name of a book'.   I had instant inspiration so may attempt this even though I know it will be out of my comfort zone.  Over the next week or so I will gather the ingredients and see how I get on.   I am thinking a box with a clue on the lid and various scenes from the book on the sides.   I will need to devise some way of making this in counted embroidery as I am not good at satin stitch etc to attempt freestyle embroidery for a project like this.   I have until the end of November to complete it shuld be possible - after all I now have all the time in the world!
And on that note....adieu.