A new recipe, a new arrival and ABCs

Good evening all.   Today has been another day of wind and rain, although as the wind is coming from the north it is warm.   Our weather forecast is for another four days of rain!   Where oh where has our summer gone??   Please send it back to us if you find it.

I have been trying out a new recipe -  broccoli, parmesan, lemon and breadcrumb stuffed chicken breasts.   Delicious!   The HDHBEM said "we must have these again" which in our house is high praise.

This morning before work the postman brought two parcels.   One I have to leave until Christmas but the other long box was from Nordic Needle and has my supply of Congress Cloth.   I was really distressed to find that unobtainable in New Zealand - apparently Zweigart supply only to the USA but Nordic Needle were able to mop up my tears and supply exactly what was needed.  And they enclosed their latest catalogues so I have been absorbed in studying those tonight.   Great bedtime reading!
The poor postman has been really busy visiting our place recently - and not all Christmas presents either.   I have been internet shopping for fabrics and threads for next years projects.   Only one more package to arrive - unless Santa's elves have some surprises in store for me.

And my new hussif is almost finished.   Just the scissor pocket and the needle book cover for the inside. This is stitched in one thread of floss over one thread of 28 count Cashel linen.   Somehow there has been a lot of reverse stitching done on this and the final panel (on the right of the photo) almost brought me to tears of frustration.   The bottom section was stitched three times!   Anyway it all meets up perfectly and now I need to find my box of alphabets and select an M to put in the middle and if I hurry I can put 2011 in the bottom space.   The HDHBEM and I will go and select the lining fabric this Saturday -  at least I will select the fabric and she will select buttons to go with the cardigans she has knitted.   Perhaps next time I will show you her ever-growing stock of winter woollens.
I have completed all my Christmas shopping and will wrap the gifts and put them under the tree this weekend.  Christmas baking will be on the agenda too and I need to write my grocery list to be sure not to miss anything.   Hope you are all well advanced with preparations too.   Have a good evening  everyone.

A trip down memory lane

This week the HDHBEM has been trawling through old copies of the New Stitches magazine.   What a trip down memory lane it has been.   We no longer subscribe to this magazine but as you can see we have quite a collection! 

Among the ones that the HDHBEM extracted and handed me with a "do you remember this...." was the following.

My one claim to fame in the world of embroidery.   All but one of the panels were taken directly out of the Heritage Sampler series in the magazines but the bag wasn't capacious enough with just six panels so I concocted the seventh from a sampler chart I had at the time.   This bag was stitched over several months and completed in 2001 but since then has never been used.   It sits on a shelf in my cupboard holding a variety of needlebooks and hussifs no longer in use but I brought it out tonight for an up date photo of other panels.

What else has the HDHBEM been doing?   Well she has been reading and eating.   We both chortled over this book

but at the time she read it the  HDHBEM hadn't seen (or didn't remember seeing) Baumkuchen.   Sadie, the wife of Mr Rosenblum cooked this cake numerous times - a kind of therapy -  but try as I might I couldn't explain to the HDHBEM exactly what these cakes would look like.  Then my kind friend Sonoko sent a box of these and I pounced.   "Mother! These are the ones mentioned in that book!" and instantly they became even more desirable.  

They are delicious but so far in the preparations for Christmas I am managing to avoid unnecessary calories.
Thankyou Sonoko for giving my mother so much pleasure.
Have a good evening everyone.

A catch up

Where oh where does the time go to when it flies by so fast???   What have I been doing???
There has been some finishing done here -  the Christmas prism is done and filled with delicious Lindor chocolates.   This week it will be on the way to its final destination.

A small ornament was made and sent to Little Brother (and I forgot to take a photo) because Little Brother has bee hives on his mini-farm.  For that sentence to make sense, I need to tell you that the ornament said Must Bee Christmas and the 'bee' was actually a stitched bee. It was a freebie off the net but I can't remember where.   He also has walnut trees, apple trees, plum trees and a huge bed of lavendar.   I love Little Brother's mini farm -  and of course I love Little Brother, all six foot four inches of him!  
I have been and visited six day old Kelly -  isn't she soooo cute.

I have been given this "fragrance sachet" in the shape of a cow.   All the way from Japan, this ornament is filled with a fragrance that is sure to last the year long.

I have attended a farewell for my god-daughter who is going away to Hong Kong to live for a year before coming back to study at university in Auckland.   It is exciting to see her growing up and becoming independent but I will miss her badly.   Two boxes of her "must keep" memorabilia are stored in my garage so she will be back.   Besides which, she promised!

A friend, who together with her husband is in missionary work in the remotest part of Zambia, was home briefly and brought me this fantastic handbag.   An entrepreneurial ex-pat woman Gillie Lightfoot has started a business in Zambia, employing local Zambian woman to manufacture these bags.   They are genuine cowhide leather and exceptionally well made.   I am delighted - when Rachel said red, I had visions of cherry or tomato but this is actually a fantastic cranberry colour.   Happy happy happy!

I have made Cattern Cakes -  inspired by those I ate at the Lacemakers Guild on St Cattern's Day.   They are delicious.   Cinnamon, currants, all spice and a hint of carraway rolled up in a similar fashion to a Catherine Wheel.   The internet was the source of my recipe and these were a major success.   I shall make them again and well before the next St Cattern's Day.

And finally a marathon of stitching produced these-  well this is only a teaser photo as they have yet to arrive at their destination.

And that's all from me.   I am off to get dinner for the HDHBEM who has been unwell and laid up all day.   Such a beautiful day too!   But she sent me off this afternoon to buy my own Christmas gift -  some new clothes.  I told the ladies in the shop that I wanted my Little Sister to go wow when she saw them and they jumped into action.   So Little Sister you are warned -  you need to practice your Wow now.   I will see you on January 21st next year!
Have a great evening.

Lucets, Lace and a Little Progress

Today I spent the morning as a visitor at the Embroiderers and Lacemakers Guild.  It is St Cattern's Day (otherwise known as St Catherine) and she is the patron saint of Spinners, Weavers and Lacemakers.  This was the reason for their Open Day but the reason I went was for a refresher course in Lucet Cording.   Several years ago I learnt this but never felt confident so off I went today.
However in the "meet and greet, have a cup of tea" time I spied an elderly lady setting up a beginners bobbin lace table and I was then sidetracked from Lucets to Lace.  

She kindly introduced me to Twists and Crosses and I started to see how bobbins and threads and pins can create lace.   Much practice is still needed but I think I am hooked and now I will try and get the book she recommended through Amazon.

I did manage to get the necessary refresher in Lucet cording though and will try and practice this week to cement the technique and the tips in my memory.

There's a few too many nobbly bits on this practice piece for any degree of satisfaction but as with the piano -  practice makes perfect!
On the stitching front I have finished the pulled thread cushion (this is not its permanent home -hence the colour clash)

and made some progress on the Red Needlebook.   But the other stitching is for gifts so no photos, sorry.
Work promises to be a lot busier this week which will be great -  better busy than bored - but I have Thursday off and plan on a visit to the bookshop (Christmas presents), the clothes shop (a new jacket) and of course the Needlework Shop!   Have a great week everybody.

On the home straight!

This Christmas Prism has been a long time in the making.   Too long really.   So this weekend I made a determined effort and cut the four equilateral triangles for the outer in a strong cardboard; then the four slightly smaller ones for the inner from a very stiff vilene.   Next step to lace all the pieces on to both outer and inner.  

Right that's enough -  a  break is called for.   So I finished off page one of the needlebook.   This is my "guild day" piece but I was dissatisfied with progress and wanted some visible evidence of time spent.   So one late night (in company with Hercule Poirot) and one early morning (quietly so as not to wake the HDHBEM) and page one is complete.  

Page two has the frame done and I can now stitch happily on the alphabet for this page at Embroiderers Guild this coming Saturday.   But my conscience keeps nagging 'prism prism' so back I go again.

All the inners are now stitched to the outers.   This leaves only the base to join together.   Then comes the making of yards of twisted cord to edge each prism face.   Oh dear.   Maybe next weekend for that one??  I am particularly pleased with the red silk lining.  I bought this in Japan years ago and have always enjoyed the subtle "print" of chrysanthemum, storks and other very Japanese symbols. 
The Christmas Prism is from Un Natale da Ricamore 2008  but I used DMC threads and Lugana fabric from my stash.   Note to self -  Lugana fabric is too thick and cumbersome to manipulate for 3D projects.   Do what the designer says!!
The Needlebook is an SAL I stumbled across on the internet.   You can go here for a look.   I am stitching in one thread of DMC 115 over one thread of 28 count cream Cashel Linen.  
Yesterday the HDHBEM and I went to a local shopping mall and I finally got my birthday gift -  a beautiful blue tourmaline ring.   Worth waiting for wasn't it!   I'm afraid that a morning at the mall exhausted her strength so the afternoon was spent quietly by her and in the garden by me.  All in all a relaxing weekend and I should be revived and refreshed for work tomorrow morning!!
Have a good evening everyone and remember only six weeks until Christmas!

Belated Birthday Lunch

Yesterday we finally got to go for the Birthday Lunch - after the catastrophe on the actual day!
The HDHBEM and I went across to the north side of the harbour to a "new-for-us" Japanese restaurant.
Very nice too!
Here are snaps to prove it so.

And inside

The small chap was so cute but he went home not long after so the floor show disappeared!

Miso soup and green tea.   Somehow a paper cup wasn't quite what I expected - and a tea bag??!!  But the meal tasted wonderful and was really filling.

The HDHBEM had Prawn Tempura Lunch Box and pronounced herself totally satisfied!   I had Teriyaki Chicken Lunch Box which was delicious.
After lunch we went shopping and the HDHBEM bought herself a new jacket which she wore to church this morning. 

Nice colour -  the label says Cranberry - and I am happy it is not "old lady pink".   "When she starts choosing that pale faded old lady pink then I start looking at Residential Aged Care facilities", I tell her hoping she will understand that to be a joke but with hidden intent.   I hate pale faded old lady pink!!!!
It is now wet and raining and time to start cooking dinner.   Talk to you again soon.   Have a good evening.

Mass Production

Same chart, same stitcher but how different.   These tassells haven't been shown off yet and since I don't have any other stitching to show you or news to tell this is it folks!

The pink rose one which is Alternative B and is rarely done as that one on one stitching in numerous shades is reserved only for special occasions!!

And the satin stitch tone on tone one which is Alternative A and features on the top of my "most stitched chart" list.

These all have skinny tassells but depending on how late at night I am finishing these they can have fat tassells too!   This one got the royal treatment with a detached buttonhole net covering!

These tassells were designed by an elderly embroiderer in the Waikato Embroiderers Guild -  just south of where I live.   This is a teaching piece for which she has never published the chart.   As I have stitched at least 30 of these for gifts (and one for myself) she probably should have charged royalties!   These are a delight to stitch and I love it that they can only ever be gifts as Majorie no longer tutors for classes.

Spring weather is as fickle as..... and today is windy and cold and our South Island has had big snow!   Only two days ago it was sunny and a warm 21 degrees celsius.   I'm off outside to wash the car and then it is dinner and an evening with Poirot.   Good night all.