And a merry Christmas to all

Good evening from New Zealand.   It's Christmas Eve here and I have been super busy yesterday and today with a total clean of the house from ceiling to floor in every room.   My car needed a wash but time ran out as did energy levels.   Groceries are bought, the menu is decided, preparations are made and tonight I can stitch in front of Midsomer Murders Christmas Special.  

I have two items left on my stitching list for this year -  the red needlebook which needs one day to construct it; and this.....

which needs more than one day to complete the stitching and to construct.   Just as well I have two weeks holiday from work isn't it?
Santa has been to visit my house already and left a stack of gifts under the tree. I know this for sure as his elves delivered some of them to the Post Office and I had to go and collect them.

Some years ago before her sight deteriorated badly, the HDHBEM stitched this for my tree

And that is what I wish you all.   Have a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

All the way from Asahikawa

My postman and I are getting really well acquainted lately.   Boxes and packages are coming from all parts of the world and on Friday he brought me a real beauty from my friend Yuko in Asahikawa.  
We go back a long long way, Yuko and I (1988 we first met I think?) so she knows my tastes really well.
So let me show you what the package contained - by the way, nothing was wrapped in Christmas paper so I feel justified in opening them all!

A box of my favourite Kibana cookies (an Asahikawa specialty), some tiny decorated memo cards (which the HDHBEM has already purloined), a fancy tape dispenser, some cotton fabric, a sweet Santa stocking ornament, and ......

these spools.   Won't they be a great addition to my Sampler Casket when it gets finished.

And this cup of coffee -  well it's a pin cushion actually

And these gingham reindeer clips which are already on my Christmas Tree.
This was a real delight to open and I am sure going to enjoy all these goodies.

On the stitching front, I have finally finished the cover panels of my hussif.   Tonight I want to tack out the shapes for the needlebook, the scissor pocket, awl holder and scissor fob.   The decoration on each of those is up to me and my design skills are not good so this could result in some trial and error.   This final panel of the hussif was stitched around three times as I reverse stitched almost all of it at least once!  
Time to go and cook dinner now so I will sign off.   Have a good weekend everyone.

At the request of Little Sister

My little sister always has a "decorate the Christmas Tree" party at the beginning of December.   She lives about 7 hours drive away from me so I never get to the party or see her tree.  But every year she asks if I have put my tree up and am I going to put photos on my blog????   I wasn't going to this year but....at your request Little Sister here are some photos.

These mittens are one of my favourite ornaments on the tree.

Last year I made three hanging ornaments - here's two of them

And the third was this Nativity Scene.   "Christmas Joy" was done several years ago now.

Little Sis gave me the kit for this one a couple of years ago.   Do you remember it Sis?

Not all the ornaments are stitched - this Russian painted bell was a gift from the HDHBEM, purchased here in Auckland at a wonderful little gift store in the arcade.

Of course it is necessary to have a Santa ( a Prairie Schooler card from decades ago). 

And angels I have aplenty.   This one came all the way from Japan and is of stiffened crochet lace.

Clip on ornaments have come from Japan too -  a Santa Bear, joined this year by a gingham reindeer.

And finally a shot of the tree itself.

It looks a little sparsely decorated from this angle but believe me, there is an ornament on every branch!   I know I placed each one myself.
So, Little Sister, hereby endeth the report of the 2011 Christmas Tree.   Hope yours looks as beautiful as mine :-)

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.