The Birds are fully finished and framed

Today I collected the framed Birds and found a home for them on my wall.   Considering that it was the DBEM who purchased this kit 25 or more years ago it seems fitting that they should go in her room but we can still both enjoy them,

Thank you to all who sent greetings for the DBEM's big birthday.   We had a super time celebrating her big nine oh and she seemed to enjoy herself (while getting thoroughly exhausted).   This snapshot is of her watching the photo show which my clever Little Brother and Brother-In-Law put together and showed on the big screen.   It was fun for all the generations to look at photos spanning nine decades and we all out-talked each other commenting and reliving shared memories.   It was a fun afternoon.   And as the DBEM said, this birthday has been truly international thanks to all my blogging friends.

Hopefully tomorrow I will have a progress shot of Angels Song which is coming along well.   I am relieved that the piece of fabric is well long enough.   Today at stitching group,  a friend told me of a method to mount pieces onto artist canvas which is what I plan to do with this since it will only be displayed once a year and thus doesn't require expensive framing.

The Temperature Chart is plodding along -  yesterday was a Green Day (over 18 degrees) and today was .... Light Blue (only 10 degrees) so you can see that the weather is still fickle.   I promise a progress shot soon.

And another finish

The Birds is finished and I will be able to take it to the framer on Monday.   I decided that I wanted to remember the last stitch I put in on this one so made sure it was the eye of the bird in the air on the extreme right.   Probably such minute detail will quickly fade from my memory but it felt good at the time.

This afternoon I explored stash and found a Shepherds Bush Christmas Sampler kit (received as a gift some years ago) which has specialty stitches as well as the cross-stitch-I-am-so-tired-of.   Another attraction is that the floss in the kit is silk and that is such a pleasure to stitch with.   Progress shots will be uploaded in due course:)

More Birds

It is amazing how much an audiobook has helped progress on The Birds.   In the middle of last week I downloaded an audiobook from my local library site and the DBEM and I were entranced.   Tracey Chevalier speeded up my needle and I am coming to the final stages of my Bird project.   Yes!!  The end is in sight:  the current bird and the feed box to complete and then one free flying bird on the right hand side.   I must remember to stitch the year into the corner too -  I don't want the designer's initials as is charted.

Besides that, the DBEM has completed another small cardigan and is well on the way with a second one.  We shall have to get some more audiobooks ;)
Our Embroiderers Guild has an annual President's Challenge and I decided to participate in this one.  The challenge given was "Inspired by a Book" and after some delay and deliberation I am on the way with this one.   And.....it is not counted work.   Well not all of it.   I was reluctant to take time to stitch something I didn't really want but in a small Guild everyone's efforts count.   I'm not spending money on this one - all the ingredients will come from the stash cupboard.  Even the chart for the central cartouche is from Pinterest:).  I have until the beginning of December to complete this one so I'm not having to rush.
In searching for the necessary charts etc I flipped through the folders of The Gift of Stitching.   Anyone remember that resource?   And I have found the Christmas Ornaments for this year's stitching.   So after The Birds I will be making 2020 Christmas Ornaments and on my finest linen as I need to use that before my eyesight will forbid anything lower than 28 count;)
And now I am off to do some exercise  and the evenings chores.

Signs of Spring

This morning was a hard, white frost but a glorious fine day followed.   The miniature daffodil bulbs I brought down with my from Auckland and planted here have grown and are certainly no longer miniature.  They have taken to their new home and produced buds way too early so I took pity on the them today and picked the "just burst" buds and brought them into the warm room where they obliged by opening up and reminding me that Spring will surely come.

In the afternoon a friend visited and brought a bunch of Paper White Jonquils which I am also enjoying.   The DBEM says she cannot smell the fragrance but I can and it is pleasant.

And tonight I stitched some more on the bird.   If I can maintain momentum tomorrow I should finish this one and that leaves only four birds to go.   I see it is three months since I began this piece so all in all progress is good although this may not be completed this month :(

This week lunches have been soups :  Leek and Potato, Curried Parsnip, Pumpkin and Apple and then today I made miso flavoured vegetable soup.   The DBEM has a very delicate digestive system and little agrees with her so it has been chicken soup and scones for her until today when she happily tucked into the miso soup.   I on the other hand have enjoyed trying our some new recipes and combinations.   Next week I plan on trying a Smoked Fish Chowder.

Until next.

Progress on The Birds

Despite a distinct lack of enthusiasm for this project I am making some progress and have now added two more birds and some more of the feeder/planter box. 

I average about one hour a day into this before I can take no more and put down the needle.  As the DBEM has needed a lot of help with her knitting I have been well occupied and between us we are whittling down the number of projects-on-the-go.

I did complete an embroidered towel which is for a birthday gift in a few months.   I was amazed to find this linen banding in my stash as it isn't something I would normally buy.   There is enough left over to make a book mark so this coming week I will look through charts to find something suitable.

All in all it has been a good week which I will finish up by shortening the legs on the DBEM's new trousers before I hit the sack.

Birds - half done

My lockdown project is half done.   Had I spent all my time on this I may have completed it but other projects teased and tempted.
However I am happy to have this much done and feel as if I will be able to complete it now - at one point I was prepared to toss the whole kit into the rubbish as I hated it so much. 

Today was Gardening Day and I weeded the whole garden and mowed the lawn but ran out of energy at that point so will have to do the lawn edges tomorrow.   Mowing even my small pocket handkerchief lawn is 4000 steps on my Fitbit!   Late this afternoon when the sun had all but disappeared I summonsed enough energy to go for a walk around the big block thereby reaching today's  step target.   

The DBEM has been busy knitting during lockdown so we needed to order some more yarn on-line.   Can you believe it?   The retailer emailed me to ask if I wanted to collect it at the store?!   What don't they understand about delivery service?   Anyway I go for a walk so yesterday wandered up to their store and in a contactless Click and Collect brought home more yarn for her to knit up.

We are both well

It seems I can't count

Even a simple motif like these irises had me flummoxed and I unpicked and repeated twice!   Not having DMC156 has been a pain too as I needed to leave gaps.   The irises and the dragon and now the pink flower in the bottom right all need that elusive DMC.  Still I am making progress.

The Birds population is growing also.  Not much to say about this one except that it isn't my favourite piece of work:)

Today I ventured out to the supermarket again, list in hand, and after that stock-up will not need to go again for a month.   Hopefully by that time our Prime Minister will have decided what to do about opening up a) hairdressers, b) needlework shops, c) libraries and, d) churches.

Meanwhile Keep Safe, Keep Well

Progress and a new start

33 days in Alert Level 4 lockdown proved too much and I fell down the rabbit hole of internet surfing and stumbled on Tempting Tangles Designs website.   Their Quakers in Japan SAL was too tempting to resist and so I have made a start on a new project.

When I first joined the Auckland Embroiderers Guild many many years ago I promised myself I would not have any unfinished objects and now.....I have two that are languishing in the cupboard. Surely I will find time to complete everything now I am retired??
Anyway, the first two motifs of Part 1 have been stitched and I am thoroughly enjoying this:)

Some work has also been done on The Birds and the flowerpot has been completed along with the tiny bird on top.  Only three more birds and more of that boring teal green feeder trough and the left half will be complete :)

Besides that I have been out in the garden chopping away unwanted bushes and branches and enjoying the golden Autumn sunshine.  Today the DBEM came out and sat on her walker to keep me company.

New Zealand has moved into Alert Level 3 but it makes no difference to what our household can and cannot do.  We live in anticipation of reaching the promised "new normal"

Progress of sorts

I have made a determined effort but am still not quite a quarter of the way through this piece of cross stitch.  And, yes you guessed it....I am sick and tired of the little crosses. 
But so far it looks good although I am unconvinced about the necessity for quite so much delicate shading.   Perhaps the finished piece will prove me wrong and the designer right!

Anyway, I needed a break so began another floral alphabet piece.   A friend will celebrate her 50th birthday later this year and I plan on making this the cover of a notebook for her.   Pinterest is a wonderful thing and a trawl through there gave me ideas for a variation on my usual theme.   I must say I found the curlicues of stem stitch quite therapeutic.

This past week I have made another small dress from a piece of white broderie anglaise in my stash basket.   It turned out well and is now in the Hospice Shop box to be added to the DBEM's knitteds and donated when this Covid-19 saga is over. 
Also a new winter top for the DBEM - she has approved the colour, fabric and fit and then told me she will put it away to use when one of her current ones wears out! 
Now I have half sewn a summer blouse for me -  a trial for a new pattern and made with a piece of cotton lawn from deep stash.  I am unconvinced about this pattern so although I will complete this current trial blouse but I will trial another pattern before cutting into my special fabric. 
And so another week begins.... Keep Safe, Keep Well