After a short break...

Winter is truly here.  The temperatures have dropped, snow is falling in the South and rain is falling in the North.   Great weather to sit inside with my stitching.   Even so, I haven't produced much.
Currently the little crosses of my stitching are producing Christmas goodies:

Advent Candles for a friend -  these have yet to be made into candles.  My original idea was to make four trapezoid shapes that when placed together on the Sundays of Advent would make a tree shaped decoration.   As usual desire outran performance and I couldn't summon sufficient energy for the mental gymnastics necessary for that one.   So with the aid of buckram, felt, dacron filling and a few other bits and pieces from stash these will become four stitched Advent Candles. The topmost star will become a round tree ornament and the band at the bottom a bookmark.
However I wanted an Advent tree for me so am stitching the same chart but in DMC115 monotone.

And in a lapse of my usual commonsense I started on this.

A finely woven warm scarf onto/into which I plan to stitch a drawn thread band.   The narrow band is the first of what will become more complex series of bands and proved to me that it will be possible.   Some years ago I stitched a similar scarf (Merino) for a friend with a broad 10cm band of Myreschka embroidery. It was successful and well received so that since then I have looked for a similar scarf to repeat the exercise however no such Merino scarves are now available and I settled for this winter warmth viscose one and it seems to be working.   I do need to visit the needlework store for some black DMC perle.   What are the odds that I come out having purchased more than just a ball of that thread??
Work is going well and I'm kept very busy.   Like funeral directors will always have clients, so too will Probation Services.   Next week we have the Minister of Corrections coming from Wellington to officially open our newly refurbished offices, so there has been a scurry of cleaning and tidying.   Apparently my desk is the tidiest in the office!   We have been practicing a Waiata (Maori song) - He Honore, which I am told, is often sung at official functions as part of the welcome to honoured guests. So I will don my uniform, a bright smile and hope to fade into the background on Tuesday when all the honourable big-wigs come to inspect our premises;-)
Six weeks ago I decided to change the supermarket I use and to change to doing a fortnightly shop and amazingly I have saved myself $30 a week!   Of course that cannot all be price and some of the savings are attributable to the logistics of bulk purchase and longer term menu planning.   However I am very pleased with myself:-)   And on the strength of such frugality have decided to book in for an embroidery class next March.   Do visit this link to see what I hope to stitch (scroll to the second to last) - the Alison Snepp Linen Stitch Hussif.
Well that's enough from me.   I'm off to bed with a hot water bottle.   Sleep well everyone.

Procrastination

Despite the best of intentions I have not yet made a start on the Sampler Casket.   First of all I completed the Christmas Ornaments.  The small pewter grey stars don't look too bad and after all these ornaments are only on display for a few days of the year -  so don't sweat the small stuff Margaret!

Then, itching to do some hardanger I looked through all my books but made no decision.   So as a stop gap I completed a small square which I will make into a lavender sachet.

My "to be constructed" pile has grown again!
Today I went down to the city waterfront for a Vintage/Retro Outdoor Fair.   It was fun but hot - 27 degrees today -enough to melt the icecream I had as a treat.  A beautiful day to wander along and gasp in amazement that goods I remember using on a daily basis are now considered vintage!!

Tonight I have sewn up a small knitted cardigan for the HD3QBEM and added it to the ironing pile.   Now, with the dishes done I am settling down to watch the Antiques Road Show and to cool down before bed.   And guess what, I have another new start on the hoop!   Another scrap of linen and perle threads from stash are being converted into an Aztec Stitch bookmark while I analyse my reluctance to start the stitching on the casket;-)

All put away until next time

I didn't wait until 12 days after Christmas but packed up the ornaments and tree a day early.   Three boxes of ornaments but I only took a photo of the handmade ones.   Seeing how full the box is I have told myself that I will make only one for my own tree this year and I will wait until the JCS Ornament book comes out before I decide.   Hopefully I can remember this "promise to self".

I did make a little angel though but she is currently asleep in a box waiting to become part of a gift for next Christmas.  

Yes, I know.   Sad isn't it.   I am already thinking about next Christmas.  Even the HD3QBEM laughs at me as I write lists and muse out loud at preparations for the year that is only four days old.
The Acorn Sampler Reticule is coming along well and I plan on spending some time with the sewing machine tomorrow to get the construction underway.   Photos to come then when the item is in a more photogenic state:-)
Our lovely weather lady promises fine weather tomorrow so I am going to attack the garden, remove weeds, dead head a few of the flower plants, pick some more beans and generally give everything a good clean up.  Then having delayed for long enough I will get started on sewing the summer dress which has been cut out for some weeks now.   Today was 26 celsius (79 farenheit)so cool lightweight cotton dresses are more comfortable than jeans and a T shirt.   Once the pleasant jobs on the list are done I will tackle the sanding and repainting of the window sills -  unless I can think of other pleasant chores that will relegate the painting even further down the list!
And so a lovely day comes to a close.  Good night everyone.