Small Pillow

 My embroidery cupboard already has way too many small pillows but the chart I received at the Sampler Gathering seemed to cry out for this finish.   I’m super pleased, even with the colours, but it will reside in the cupboard to become unviewed and probably unappreciated 😉

If you see the back you’ll understand why I felt compelled to stitch this.   

The linen was originally Permin#32 and was buried in mud for many days following the fierce cyclone in February.   Sherelyn and her friends laundered and relaundered many times to get the linen to this “antique” (let’s be kind, it is stained) finish and renamed it Gabrielle Linen.   

Today I have tacked out the linen to make a start on a new project.   Antique white Belfast linen and DMC 930.  What will this turn into I wonder?

Back in the groove

 Last weekend I drove through the centre of the island to the beautiful Lake Taupo and joined around 60 other women for a weekend of stitching, speakers and chat.   It was fun. 

I took a class in Ukrainian Whitework - although mine is actually blue 😂 and am back to my enthusiastic stitching self.   Indeed when this piece is done I have an idea for another in this technique.

And the apocalyptic mud bath that was my garden has been transformed and I now have to wash the dust an dirt off everything, resurrect my pot plants, and when the weather cooperates welcome the guys back to paint my fences.   I am so very very pleased with the result and feel this was a good investment for the future.

Taking a break from stitching

 Well, not a long one.   

Next year Little Sister and I are planning a trip to the UK.  To be brutally honest Little Sister is going with me on my trip to the UK🙂  as she says she has no specific wants and I have a looooong list.   So I have a large road map, my little notebook and plenty of time to create an itinerary.   But I have a shock at how close towns/cities are to each other.   Looking at the map I think “oh if Oxford is next that will be a days drive from Winchester” and then checking with Dr Google Maps I find it is around one hour😳.  This is a fun way to spend a day when I am stuck indoors with a head cold.

Our trip is not until May 2024 so I have plenty of time to plan the intended five weeks.   As a bribe I have promised to send  Little Sister to visit her son and grandson in Amsterdam for a week then meet her there and fly home from Schipol.   I shall probably explore London in that time if I pluck up the courage to do it alone.   Gold Hawk Road Fabrics are on my list along with 84 Charing Cross Road, and  Heatherwick’s Rolling Bridge  A very eclectic mix.

And my next project is a Wessex Stitchery Japanese Komebukuro for which I have selected colours and tacked out the linen.   I’m looking forward to this one.

 Two more Christmas Ornaments completed.   I'm happy with these and part of the satisfaction comes from knowing that everything was from stash.   Can you tell that I'm on a campaign to reduce my size of stash?

I also have some knitting on the needles and am making good progress with that.  But currently have a nasty head cold so am spending most of my time curled up on the sofa under Grandma's knitted blanket with a good book.

See you later.

Wessex

 At Guild we are doing a group project of a Concertina Wessex Stitchery Needlecase.   This has been an exercise in patience and reverse stitching for me; and I thought I could count😉. However I have made progress as this photo proves.   The panel of the right has to have needle lace flowers to complete it and the panel on the left , although the stitching is correct, is actually in the wrong place.   So I will have to get out of that and start again correctly.  Oh dear.   

Meanwhile on the estate we have M U D !   My little cottage stands in a quagmire which is being tamed by two hunky landscapers as frustrated as I by the incessant rain.   Yesterday I chose paving stones, said no to the suggestion of an extra garden bed and prayed that all this would soon end!   The finished result will be good but I don’t love the process.

And as an added bonus I went to the hospital for a Venogram which required an IV lure in each arm.   My right arm is always a challenge and yesterday it took 7 attempts and three different nurses to admit failure before they decided that Ultrasound Guidance was needed.   After all that trauma the actual procedure was only a matter of minutes but I am happy that the cardiologist is now confident he can do the surgery here in Palmerston North and I won’t be sent to Auckland.  Such is life.  Good and Bad.  Sweet and Sour.  Or as Maisie Mosco said in her book, Almonds and Raisins.

Having slept well I’m ready to face another day.

Return of my Mojo

 At long last my mojo has returned and I am currently enjoying a piece of Wessex Stitchery and am continuing with another Christmas Ornament.

And as a bonus, my weight has dropped.   Yes since my dear Mother passed away I gained some bereavement kilos but this past two weeks I have become friends again with the bathroom scales as well as with my John James Tapestry Needle :)

Here’s a snap of the two current projects - the ornament almost complete and the Wessex needlecase only just started.

Meanwhile on the estate I have two hunky landscape gardeners tearing up the flower gardens in preparation to replacing it all with a “next to no maintenance” garden which is part of my future proofing.   Currently it is an awful muddy mess and I wonder if it will ever come to resemble the beautiful sketch they drew for me when we were deciding on shrubs, plants and trees.   I am trying to keep positive I promise !

A new start and a little progress

 While talking with Little Brother recently I realised that Christmas is not too far away and this years ornaments for the family have not been started.   So I went through my collection of Just Cross Stitch Ornament issues and chose six that looked promising.   This week I have made a start on one and in the process discovered that I enjoy stitching once again :)

I finished this as a small hanging pillow - it’s not too firmly stuffed.

Also I was commissioned by a friend to make a bag as a thank you to the lady who donated a lot of fabrics to our stitch group.   I had taken three pieces so was only too happy to make a bag and hope that this creation suits.   The felted ornamental front came in one piece and I merely attached it.   All in all a good sturdy bag which should be useful.

So on a roll, I dived into stash and also made a bag which I was convinced would not work geometrically as it has no side pieces.  But voila!   I shall send this to an aunt who is going through a tough time as she loves roses and pink!!

And I have started on a kit I purchased eons ago.   I was slightly unnerved to find it was over one thread of 32 count linen but so far so good.   I’m using a mix of DMC and Dinky Dyes to keep the costs down but I must confess that silk is far easier to stitch with than cotton.   If I were a rich woman I would stitch only with silk!  Pictures of that to come when enough progress has been made!