10 weeks until Christmas

Only 10 weeks until Christmas they tell me, so it's just as well I have made a start.
Here's a few snapshots of what I have been up to this week.
These little pendibules were a freebie from a site I can't remember so I apologise for not giving credit where it is due.  A scrap of 36 count linen and assorted DMC threads, some ribbon from the stash box and all is fini!  Once again my photography skills are not good -  the middle shot shows the colour best- I took the final shot too late at night but if nothing else it does complete the sequence.

Frilly Tassell

Last night I paid a visit to my stash cupboard and found a Catherine Howell kit, which was a birthday gift some years ago.   As I felt like having a new start and this looked like a one evening project, I began.   Even the hated silk ribbon and mini teeny tiny sequins didn't put me off.   Here's the finished result.  The silk ribbon and silk thread of the tassell are Colour Streams in colour called Monet.   Great colour combination isn't it.

And voila ! a fifth tassell is added to my collection.   I seem to have got the lighting right this time as it is true to colour in this shot - but the tassell threads aren't uneven as they look here.

Hope you are all enjoying your week.   Nice to think we're half way through isn't it?

Ukranian Mat Finished!

Hello all.   Before this mat begins it's journey over the seas here's a couple of photos to show off.   I am rather pleased with this one - again from Gay Eaton's book.   In this book each stitch combination is named and this was Andrij -  the instructions for this stitch combination were again very easy to follow.   While I loved the colour of this piece the linen wasn't easy to work with being too soft but the finished product doesn't look too bad.   These photos were taken after work in what was left of the natural light and then indoors under the Ott light and neither give the true colour -but they do show the stitching

Ukranian Whitework Mat

Fabric :   Weeks Dye Works Handdyed Linen 32 Count

Threads :  DMC Perle  #3813

It's only October and already I have made a resolution for next year -  to do a photography course and learn how to take better photographs.    So with apologies for the quality of the photography, I bid you all good night.



Spring is here and I have a new toy!

Although it has officially been Spring for over a month the weather and temperatures haven't made it feel so.   But today is beautiful!   And these cherry blossoms are too good not to share.

On the stitching front I hope to finish the Ukranian Mat tonight and then I promise a photo.  Unexpected visitors, a particularly gripping episode of Midsomer Murders and a late night phone call to Kazumi all combined to hinder stitching progress yesterday.   But this afternoon I have made a batch of lemon biscuits, a ginger crunch slice and am now going to have half an hour indulgence reading Awakening by S J Bolton and I will be back to my stitching.

Yesterday I went to the camera shop and bought a new macro lens for my camera - hopefully this week I will have time to begin trying out the new toy.   Here's a shot the guy at the Camera Shop took to show me just how great it was.  No good me trying to pull out the grey hairs is it -  by the looks of this every second one is grey!

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Ukranian Whitework Mat - update

Good evening everyone.   Thought I had better update my current Work In Progress.   While the aim was to have this finished by the end of the week, I now think it may take the weekend as well to fully complete.   However, I am now on to the 'square eyelets' and then there are the VerkHopLoot triangle borders and the hem.   Reading instructions sure slows down progress but is certainly essential!   There has been a lot of reverse stitching in this mat.

Have you ever wondered what it is in the human psyche that while we are working on one thing we dream of everything else we want to do?   I found this Quaker Chess Board recently (do click on the link and see it) and despite my resolutions and plans I find myself wanting it. So far so good and I am sticking to my resolutions and plans but how long I can hold out against the voice of temptation I am not sure.   May be if I purchased the chart it would ease the pressure??

On 1st October GST (Goods and Services Tax) rises by 2.5% and work is busy making sure that all systems are go for that.   And as a consolation prize income tax drops so I've had work to do on the payroll system to ensure that is all updated too.   Still only two days of the working week to go.

Have a good evening everyone.   See you sson.

Ukranian Whitework Mat

A snapshot tonight of my current Work In Progress.   This is a small mat in Ukranian Whitework - well although that is technically the name of this type of embroidery the colour is a beautiful pale aquamarine.   The linen is a piece from Weeks Dye Works and the Perle threads are DMC 3813   Satin stitch and ladder hemstitch, while rhythmical, are not the most interesting stitches but those Ukranian connected eyelets were great fun.
I feel as if I have turned the corner tonight when I literally did so and everything added up!   Such a sense of satisfaction when all those threads count out correctly.   Hopefully another week or so will see this finished.

Today I made an appointment with the dentist and was a little shocked to find that it's 5 years since I paid him a visit.   Paid is the important word in that sentence!   Dentists fees are so expensive.  I remember him asking then why I didn't come more regularly.   My answer at the time was that I preferred to spend money on my eyesight as while false teeth were available false eyes were not, a philosphy I still adhere to.   

Well good night from stormy Auckland.

Historic Countries Sampler

Denise has asked about the sampler I plan to do next year and which I erroneously called the World Sampler.   It is in fact the Historic Countries Sampler and is from The Gift of Stitching here as a kit or you could purchase all the back issues and build a fantastic resource of wonderful charts and ideas.  

Sorry this picture is not clickable -  you will need to visit the actual website to check out details.
You can see that this sampler comes in the category of Masterpiece (my description) and will require all my time and attention so needs must and I just have to get my UFO's finished first.

Talk to you all again soon