My latest activities (Edited to correct stitch name)

It has been a while hasn't it but I have been busy.  This is the packages ready for the exchange for The Crazy Exchange.  In the Northern Hemisphere it seems they say Christmas in July but here in The Antipodes we say Mid Winter Christmas.   You will have to wait for another week or two to see what I stitched and sent!

Also a surprise package is on its way to Japan.

 This one is not a stitched item but it is definitely a surprise.  I have blanked out the name and identifying parts.   But I am sure my friends will be trying to guess who is the recipient.   They like you will just have to be surprised :-0

Wait and see everyone.

I have been stitching on this small needlecase.   It is done in Wessex Stichery which is a "revival" of an old type of stitching from - where else but the Wessex area of the UK.   A NZ embroiderer researched it and published a book on this stitchery in 2001.   I was fortunate enough to do a class with her at the time.   While the colours aren't true in this piece this is the Essex Exeter Stitch so named because it reminded Gaye Eaton of the stained glass windows in the cathedrals of that part of Britain the same name.   As you can see there is a foundation row of Fly Stitch Eyelets and over top of those are Spider Webs in random position.   In real life this piece is on off white Belfast Linen in shades of Blue, Purple and Green and looks a little like the inside of our NZ Paua Shell (cousins of the Abalone).   I have several webs left to stitch and then the construction and this little piece can be on its long journey overseas.   Now don't you wish you knew who the recipient is to be?????

What has Blogger been doing?   I can't seem to get the hang of their new layout - it may make things a little hard to follow.   Hope not.

Good night everyone.

A surprise for Hikaru

Hello Hikaru.   Kazumi told me you always look at my blog.   Sorry it's always in English!  This message is for you.

光さん、いつも私のブロッグを読んでいただいてありがとうございます。今まで英語でしか書きませんでしたが本日日本語でアップします。

先日ロトルアへ行って来ました。温泉町なので真冬にふさわしい旅行先と思いました。やはり日本生活が長かったので私も日本人と同じく温泉が大好きになりました。個人プールの入浴が３０分だけでしたがそれでも手足のはだが梅干のようにしわしわになってしまいました。アー楽しかった。では又ね。

Afghan Mania (Picture Heavy Blog)

Tonight I want to show off the handiwork of my Half Deaf Half Blind Elderly Mother. A year or two ago she decided that she would stitch afghans - one each for the grandchildren to give their children. Grandchildren who at that stage were neither married nor had offspring of their own. Nothing daunted the Afghan Mania Marathon began and yesterday the final one had its binding put on. Although two of the grandchildren are now married there are no great-grandchildren yet but one of these has been put away carefully marked "4 Anita". No others are designated so we may have to hold a ballot!!

HDHBEM is too shy to show her face but here she is holding her handiwork.

So here we go in no particular order -

First Animal Safari Then two Noahs Arks Two Alphabets Two smaller ones were Golliwogs and Dinosaurs

Now let it be noted that HDHBEM has only six grandchildren so there is one Afghan to spare in that count. Perhaps I should get first choice? But unfortunately the one marked "4 Anita" is my choice. Oh dear oh dear.

Hip Hip Hooray! A Happy Dance

Can you hear the cheers and the foot stomping? There are only three things left in my "unfinished" box and I have three pieces to take to Sarah the framer.

The ABCeDaire is finished. I see I started this on 30 July 2009 and finished it on 31 May 2010. No prizes for speed here but it is now complete. Along with it will go Quaker Row. This was started in February 2010 and was a much more speedy finish!

With two pages and the covers left of my Anne of Green Gables book, a "birthday kiss" to finish-finish for my niece-in-law, my coveted new start is no longer just a figment of my imagination. I won't mention the still waiting Queens Sweet Bag which has been in its unfinished state for nigh on three years :-)

But before that, I am stitching a "Christmas in July" ornament for The Crazy Exchange - this must be the nomenclature of the Northern Hemisphere because down here we say Mid-Winter Christmas. It sure is winter here but for us it will soon be the shortest day and we can start the countdown to summer.

Tomorrow is a public holiday when we celebrate the "official" birthday of Queen Elizabeth. There are some advantages to being a paid up member of the Commonwealth but this is our last public holiday until October so the cold hard cheerless days of winter go unrelieved by public holidays. Anyway let's be thankful for this holiday and Happy Birthday Ma'am

A finish and a near finish

Hello there. How are you all? I have yet another bad cold so despite the fine weather am confined indoors so what better thing to do than read books - oops stitch crosses.

For the first time ever I participated in a round robin which was kindly moderated by Edgar. Mine came back to me from Carol R quite recently and as Deb wasn't able to finish her section I finished that off so it's already pressed and is now waiting in its roll to go to the framers.

Have also been making good progress on the ABCeDaire which as you can see is almost done too. All being well there should be three or four pieces to take to Sarah the framer and my "sampler wall" can really take shape.

There have been too many crosses in my life I have decided so the next piece is a five band sampler with hardanger, drawn thread, needle lace, ringed back stitch and pulled thread. The 32 count raw linen and the perle threads are waiting for me, indeed crying out for their turn, but I need to get some of the current projects done. I have three other unfinished pieces of which two are "almost done" so I am going to discipline myself and get Quaker Row and my Anne of Green Gables Book done before starting the new sampler.

A couple of weeks ago I got some new spectacles - you can click here to see them. Volcanic ash caused delays to the plane bringing my lenses from Mr Zeiss in Germany and impatience reigned but it was worth the wait and I see clearly once again.

Hope you have all had an enjoyable weekend and warmer temperatures than here.

All the way to Italy and Seattle but not together!

From Auckland to Florence and NZ Post managed not to lose the package. Vania let me know that it has arrived safely so I can show you the complete package. I forgot to take a picture of the Kiwi Coasters so this snap is 'borrowed' from Vania. The postcard I marked 'I live here'. The exchange return to Marne also arrived safely so here's a snap of her Lilac tassel and extras. I can't remember how many of these hardanger tassells I have made but they never fail to give pleasure and are really easy to stitch - as well as being slightly unique as they were a teaching piece by a New Zealand embroiderer many years ago and the chart has never been published. The two pieces of fabric are a stylised version of Maori traditional designs and the striped packet is delicious New Zealand chocolate!.

I'm currently stitching a few last crosses in An Emblem of Love which was a Round Robin moderated by Edgar. This will make another in the "to be framed pile" and I hope to get them all framed before the Goods and Services Tax rises from 12.5% to 15% on 1 October. Yes! Today was Budget Day here and the GST rise was a poorly kept secret. Income tax cuts go some way to alleviating the pain!

Have a good night everyone.

Package from Cheryl

Some time ago I won a "3 years blogging" prize from Cheryl and it arrived safely in the mail last week. However I went off to Wellington to a family wedding and only tonight have I a chance to show you a photo of the package.

Thank you so much Cheryl. Your stitching and finishing are amazing - and I love the pins and the roll of ribbon. These will be put to good use. That rose card is really sweet. Many many thanks.

I took some lilac linen and DMC perle threads with me to Wellington and between chatting to family and throughly enjoying Niece Number Two's wedding I made good progress on a small return exchange gift. Tonight when I put the last full stop on this post I am back to my chair to finish off.

Have a good evening everyone.