Almost, but not quite

This week I have been conscientiously working on the Sampler Casket and can now report that it is almost, but not quite, finished.   Amish folk would be happy to know that it is not perfect but I am very happy with it!
The front and top (I have blacked out the name)

The back and top (I opted to leave off my initials in the centre back)

And the inside is red silk -  I have yet to fasten in the inside lid.   Any suggestions as to how to?   I don't really want to use glue with all its inherent acids.

Inside I will place the "almost but not quite" finished hardanger jewellery roll. Here is the inside replete with pins and basting guidelines.  It still awaits zip closures for the large pockets.

And the outside -  I need to decide whether it will be a button or a tie fastening.

I have yet to buy a 1st birthday card and a 21st birthday card but hopefully next weekend I can, then complete this project.   My plan is to place a pair of earrings in the jewellery roll and with it a card and a letter to my great niece in which I will write of my hopes and prayers for her.  This is all to be wrapped in acid free tissue then be-ribboned and marked "not to be opened until your 21st".    The casket will be wrapped in gaily coloured birthday paper and the 1st birthday card attached.   But I am thinking that an explanatory letter to the parents may be advisable?   Oh, this has been such fun, creating what I hope will be a memorable present.

Woodland Delight was not very delightful as I chose to use linen from stash and failed to take into account that natural linen is not the same colour as raw linen and definitely not the same as dirty linen.   So I started again on a piece of natural linen and am much happier with the floss colours on this new piece.   Still from stash, but much more satisfying even to my non-artistic eye.
And tonight I am cutting out another top for the HD3QBEM.   If cut out and ready to go I am more likely to find time through the week for the sewing.   Our temperatures are warming up a little and she needs this now!

The casket is on hold....

After completing the fence and checking that the size of the front panel was correct I found I have still not decided whether to make this a 'family' casket or not.  So for now, the couple remain faceless and the front lawns empty.  My favoured quote to go along the bottom edge is too long so perhaps I will settle for initials of forebears?

Anyway, for now, I have put this aside and am finishing up the hardanger pieces.  Do you remember my desire to use up a piece of linen?  I feel so very righteous for using up virtually all but a few threads of this piece of linen and am hoping that my Embroiderers' Guild will be able to sell these at the end of year exhibition.    The needlecase still needs a flannel page and the tassel on the left needs its tassel.

And now I have a new start.   My best friend has her fortieth wedding anniversary later this year, hence the ruby colour and the expensive silk floss.  I am looking forward to stitching this one - linen and silk are such a luxurious combination.

(Photo from Internet)

This week is the Auckland Writers Festival and on Thursday evening I went with a friend to the gala night.   None of the writers participating that evening were familiar to me but the seven minute slots in which eight selected authors had been persuaded to tell a "never before told personal story on the theme Strait Talking" was amazingly entrancing.   Amy Bloom has my vote for best, with Alan Cumming a close second.   He's such a tiny little fellow but so engaging. I am on the wait list at the Library for his memoir.   Ben Okri's poetry will be next.   That man has such a wonderful vocabulary.

(Photo from Internet)

Yesterday I went into the City again to spend an hour with Anthony Horowitz.   Not a one on one you understand.   As you may remember, each year I try to be impressed with the satorial splendour of the authors.  Well, Anthony did not win in the dress stakes but I, along with many others, was smitten with his smile and engaging manner.  There were several hundred others there,including a grandmother and her two young grand sons.  The boys were obviously avid readers of " real books Granny" and could have won a Mastermind Quiz as both were expert on all details of Alex Ryder.   I do hope they met Anthony afterwards.     A really fun day, only clouded by the fact that the housework awaited me on my return home!
And tonight I'm off to watch Antiques Roadshow and enjoy my stitching.

They are at the holding hands stage.

Once again today has been a busy day but I found time to take a photo of the HD3QBEM in her new top.   I sewed this for her for a Mothers' Day present and she is already wearing it!   She's looking quite well don't you think?

Tonight I 'grew' my Hardanger Christmas Tree and it now just needs some holly leaves and berries around the base and it will be truly complete.   Unfortunately such accessories are not in the shops in May so that will have to wait!

And my lady and man are now holding hands at the garden gate - all the while remaining faceless.   Once again i am stitching Queen Stitches, this time for her colourful skirt.   Once I finish the lady and the vine on the front fence I will take a holiday from this piece and finish some of the hardanger pieces that are awaiting construction.

Anyway, I have been up and busy for 16 hours so am ready for bed.  Good night.

All fenced in

Saturday was fine and unseasonally warm for Autumn so the HD3QBEM and I went for a drive to a local park.   One of the City forefathers left a huge tract of land in the central city which is now a working farm but also has walking tracks, gardens, cafes etc etc.   We were content to sit and admire this view.

Then last night while watching Elementary I stitched a fence and part of a tree.   Oh yes, a red bird too.  The top panel of the Sampler Casket is coming along well which is great as I am getting a  little tired of it and longing for a change.   Very soon decisions will have to be made on the lettering/wording and I am still not sure so maybe will leave that for a later date?   So here's a progress shot -  wrinkles and all.

Monday has been a public holiday and was wet and stormy all morning so I was able to curl up with the latest Jacqueline Winspear and shed a tear or two over the tragedies befalling Maisie Dobbs.   Oh, Ms Winspear why do you do this?   Just when it was all romantic and a "happy ever after" was looming you give us so much pathos and grief.
Now I am off to cook dinner and then to hem a top I have made the HD3QBEM for her Mothers' Day gift.   It does feel so good to be early :- )

And now I have a man!

I have been diligently building my house.   The East and West wings are now done and I am ready to put windows in the main building.   The two trees need to be planted on the right and a lady should appear at the gate.   I already have the man - and the lady-to-come can have him.  I don't think much of this fellow who is, at present, faceless:-)

Somehow this Casket has really gripped me and although I am too tired at night to do much stitching I am anxious to get it all done.   There are still some major decisions to be made -  such as what to stitch in the cartouche on the back panel; what inscription to put along the base of the fence on the lid panel; whether to put a garden in the space inside the fence or to put two boys and two girls.   Originally this was to be a 'family casket' but now it almost complete I have decided that the American influence in people and architecture is a possible obstacle to this becoming a family piece.  Perhaps I will make it completely neutral (ie no family initials, symbols etc) and hope that a niece or nephew may decide it would suit them.
Next weekend is another long weekend for us with the 27th being a public holiday.   I have promised to make a top for the HD3QBEM; pattern is chosen and fabric is purchased so it should be able to be done quickly.   I have promised myself to read some of the books on my bedside pile.   Since starting this new job I haven't been doing so much reading or stitching.  Last week I received my Nordic Needle catalogue and have ordered one hardanger chart which they tell me has already been despatched.   I am looking forward to starting that too.
Meanwhile I am off to cook dinner and relax with The Antiques Road Show.

And brick by brick I'm building a house

My sampler casket is coming along well.
The strawberry panel is perhaps my favourite so I will need to look out for a display spot where I can see that panel all the time :-)

But the lid has a house.   Well, not just a house - a veritable mansion -  which I am building brick by brick.   This is only the West Wing! I changed the colour of the windows as I am stitching in DMC rather than the silks specified so went with my preference since no exact substitute was given.   These look OK I think.

I think the tree is perhaps supposed to be a pear tree, as the fruit are that colour.   And the cross to the left of the house is actually the top of the 'picket' fence which frames the piece.   There is a bird to stitch too.   A blue bird of happiness.
This is a fun stitch and has been much quicker than I first imagined.   Already I am thinking "what next?"
Work is still interesting.   Our clientele ('affectionately' known as offenders) are many and varied in their dress, their demeanour, their manners and their moods. This week I am rostered on two hour shifts at reception each day and being friendly to all comers is rather tiring.   I find myself escaping to the filing room when my shift is finished,  for some peace and quiet.   No one bothers me in the filing room!  I am loving the lessened responsibility in this position and so far the HD3QBEM seems to be managing well during the day without me. I am managing to get to the gym most week nights and to do some stitching most nights so at present don't have to edit the profile of my blog!
All is well Chez Nous.

Just a brief catch up tonight as I have a nasty head cold and am in no state for stitching or blogging.

This week I have been making strawberries and after completing one Florentine Stitch band on the left hand side realised it was half the designated width.   How fortunate that this stitch does not require reversing and additions are easily made :-)   What a messy shot this is but you can see what I mean.

And the local supermarket had these mini daffodils on sale for Easter!   It's autumn here in New Zealand and the deciduous trees are shedding their leaves, the chestnut tree is loaded, the walnuts are ready for harvesting and the shop decides it's Spring??   Anyway, I am a sucker for these cute miniature daffodils and we will enjoy them indoors, then I shall plant them in the garden and in September we shall enjoy them again.
I'm off for a date with a lemon honey drink and a box of tissues.

Results are thin on the ground this week

Each day had been filled to the brim from 6am until I fall to sleep at 10pm but little stitching has been done!   The clientele of my new job populate my dreams and create restless nights so I waken feeling less than refreshed.   Oh the joys of a new job:-)   But this is the view from the car which I park only a short walk from the Court House where I work.  A view from the very North End of Auckland SuperCity.

However I did complete the grape panel of the Sampler Casket and am pleased with progress on this. A strawberry panel for the other end and then the very interesting lid panel are the only pieces left.

Last night I managed to stitch together the back and front of the Hardanger Christmas Tree and while out today bought ribbon to stitch over the join.   I will have to wait until much later this year to get the artificial holly and pine cones to place at the base although I will 'plant' it in its pot now.

Today was once again a full list of chores and at 6am this morning I was baking muffins having promised to contribute two dozen to an upcoming function at church.   Household cleaning, washing, a haircut, a trip to the library, grocery shopping and yet another trip to the yarn store for the HD3QBEM.   Yes!   She cogitated for a week and found the 20% off irresistible :-)

There are still the floors to wash and then I hope to finish a small hardanger scissor fob so may have more photos next time.

The end of "The First Week"

This week has gone by in a flash of new experiences and extreme tiredness.   Each night I managed a few stitches before falling into bed exhausted and after a restless seven hours it was up to start again.
This morning, when I didn't have work,  I woke bright eyed and bushy tailed and quietly rose to begin the list of chores headed Saturday.   There is also a list in my notebook labelled Sunday and another labelled Next trip To Town.  Do I hear you ask why?   Well my work place is on a busy road flanked on both sides by vehicle sales yards and surrounded by various small depots servicing the automotive industry.   Across the road is a huge supermarket and diagonally opposite is a huge DIY Megastore.   So there is no interesting place to wander at lunchtime and no opportunity to do those minor chores like new watch battery, return books to library etc etc   However no shops around work means no spending money so there are hidden blessings:-)

Anyway, stitching progress for this week is a bowl of grapes for one end panel of my Sampler Casket.   The bowl is yet to be finished and I plan on completing those Queen Stitches tonight.   Either side is a panel of flowers.  The other end of the Casket has a Strawberry panel.   Once both ends are done I plan on a 'Hardanger Vacation' again as that stitching rotation seems to suit me.
Tomorrow the HD3QBEM and I are going to a fabric store out the west side of the city to look for some dress material for moi.   I'd like another jersey knit fabric wrap dress for work and as the weatherman tells us that Autumn is in the air it seems sensible to get prepared.
But tonight I am going to bed early and will read a book.   I stocked up again at the library today.
Good night.

City Tour, Casket Progress, Hardanger etc

Today, the HD3QBEM and I went on a bus trip.   The red CityLink bus is actually designed for shoppers and commuters but for us it was a City Tour.   We enjoyed ourselves on this outing - beautiful weather and  a chance to see places we don't normally have reason to visit.   We have now ridden the orange OuterCircle line, the red CityLink line, our normal blue Metro line and there is only the lime green InnerLink left to conquer.

I planted some Verbena for a touch of instant colour but as we are still having very dry weather I use the watering can every day to ensure their survival.   My next lot of runner beans are starting to climb and the eggplants are starting to flower.  Summer has been so dry this year that my garden hasn't been as fruitful as usual.

This week I finally completed the hand sewn hem on my dress.  Now there are only three pieces of fabric left in my stash box for a skirt, a jacket and trousers.   Skirt first I think but not for a week or two yet as there are too many other things-to-do!

The front panel of the casket is now complete.  I made a trip to my LNS for the requisite #5 Japan metallic gold and obediently stitched the gate, hated it, unpicked it, stitched it in DMC 3820, hated it, unpicked it and finally settled on one strand of DMC 413 which now looks like a wrought iron gate.
So the back and front panels are now complete and it feels like progress.   Note, the shadows behind are the hardanger mat on which the finished piece is sitting.

But I am taking a break for a piece of hardanger.   Yes! That itch has not yet gone away and this Cross N Patch Christmas Tree is calling to me.   I think the cream and rose garlands looks lovely and can probably survive cross stitch if mixed with hardanger like this.  I have the linen and threads in stash so away we go and while I stitch I will try and think of what I can use for the base/stand.
Have a good evening everyone.

Casket Progress

Two ladies on the front panel are now stitched and awaiting the gold thread for their embroidery hoops.   The trees still need their bullion stitch flowers but more importantly I need a rest from this piece.   Despite having had this chart on my To Do List for years and years, it is not obsessing me and will only be completed if I allocate breaks to work on other things.

So this past day or two, I have tacked out three pieces of linen for Mary Stewart hussifs and sorted out the Perle threads for each.   Now when the "I want to stitch something else" feeling grips me I have three different projects ready to start.   I plan one to be in hardanger, one in pulled thread work andthe last in Wessex Stitchery.   The HD3QBEM looked at me quizzically and said " stitchers make a lot of needle cases and hussifs don't they".  Sure they do but they are always useful for oneself and to give away.
The small Christmas stockings are sewn up and tonight's job will be complete the lacy cuffs that need to be stitched to the top,  I like these and filled with chocolates they make a super gift at the festive season.

And I have been angelic - well making angels anyway - copied from the green one I received as a gift eons ago.

These are done from wooden clothes pegs, a cinnamon quill, star anise and scraps of fabric and wool. The tops of my pegs are more cylindrical than round and the hair isn't quite fluffy.   My angels are perhaps a little more puritanical looking?   I have four more clothes pegs so once I get to the spice store I will try four more in a different colourway.   Do you think these will sell well at the Guild Exhibition?  I hope so.

Currently I am trying to avoid a trip to my LNS (so sorry Ribbon Rose!) and work solely from stash.   So far so good but I have no 28 count cashel linen in white, ivory or antique white.   Not good, as that is so often a staple for me for hardanger.   Perhaps I will treat myself to an LNS visit as a celebration when I finally get the job contract from the Department of Corrections.   They emailed me to say that an offer letter is on its way but whether the documents will come by post or by email I'm not sure.   Still it sounds favourable and I am excited and fearful in equal measure.   The HD3QBEM wants to go to Daruma Sushi as a celebration and rather than be selfish we will probably do both.   Sounds fair n'cest pas?

And tomorrow I go to the prison...

Today I have been busy.
First,  I finished all but the initials and date of the back panel of the Sampler Casket.   Milestone number one achieved :-)

Second,  I made a start on my Guild project -  the Sweet Strawberry Bag.   I rather like this.   A band sampler bag is just what the doctor ordered.   The rows are started so I can continue on at Guild meeting and not have to consult the chart all the time.   Clever preparation n'est-ce pas?

Third, as a reward to self I started a small hardanger trial piece.   The fabric is a coarse even weave from stash and I am using Perle #8 thread to try out this stitch taken from the Anchor Book of Hardanger. I want to make a hardanger piece in red for a ruby wedding anniversary so am trialing both the stitch and the fabric.   Currently the jury is out.   I will finish the piece but may not use either stitch or fabric for the final gift.

Today's extras were to take the HD3QBEM to another yarn store where we found a 30% off sale and suffered a consequent accumulation of stash :-)   I picked runner beans from the garden and froze them.   This year's crop is not as abundant as last year but it is still fun to grow some of my own produce and to be able to enjoy it throughout the year.

This afternoon I received forms from the Department of Corrections that needed to be filled out and signed so tomorrow I go to the prison to deliver them to the person in charge.  While I may be a "preferred candidate" there are still many hoops to be jumped through before the job is mine.   

On Monday I went for an interview for an accounting position with the City Council in their water control board.   I'm to hear within two weeks if I am successful.   

Half done

Progress to report.   Half of the back panel is now complete.  I am a little disappointed in this chart as it is not absolutely symmetrical but I stitched as charted and will just live with it:-(

Somehow this project which has been on my "Want To Do" list for around 10 years is not proving to have the satisfaction levels I envisaged.   At present I am wanting more speciality stitches rather than the loveable little crosses, or perhaps a hardanger project?   I shall have another search of the stash and see if I can find a smallish project with the requisite satisfaction/speciality stitch ratio.
Currently I seem to have too many items on the go.   I need to finish sewing my summer dress, while the weather is still warm!   I need to quilt the placemats I have had cut and pinned for a week or two.

And I need to make a start on my 2015 Guild project which is Carolyn Standing Webb's Sweet Strawberry Bag and Toys.   Has anyone out there stitched this one?   I'd like to see photos of the back of the needlebook; is it the same as the front or is it only a floral wreath?   Help please.

Tomorrow I have another job interview so this afternoon I went to check out the address I need to go to.   It is very close to home, a brand new building in a nice part of town so we shall see what happens.  

Update

The day before yesterday was memorable for two reasons.
I actually made a start in the back panel of the Sampler Casket.   Here's a shot of the bottom right corner of the floral wreath.   There are words of a verse to go all round, while I decide what I will put in the centre of the wreath.   My initials and the year may make this casket less acceptable to nieces or nephews who I am hoping will treasure this when I am gone.   Any suggestions for alternatives?

Also I had an interview for a position with the New Zealand Department of Corrections and returned home after a two hour grilling on, among other topics, my cultural sensitivity(they seemed fascinated that I had lived in Japan and worked for 21 years for a Japanese company - strange when most of the Corrections clients will be of a very different ethnicity!);  a typing speed test and a test of ability with Microsoft Excel.   Somehow I felt as if I had sat a major examination and was certain I had failed. That night was a bad bad night!   And then last night I had a call telling me I was a preferred candidate and would need to have a Drug and Alcohol test and have my criminal record checked.   Considering my only drugs are prescription medicine and my last glass of wine was around 4 years ago I suspect I may pass these checks and so have high hopes.
This afternoon I started sewing another summer dress before it all got too hot in the house and the HD3QBEM and I took a cool drink to a local park and found a shady tree.   Now with dinner over I am about to take up my needle again.