What do you do all day???

Sometimes I get asked this question?   So I decided to take some photos and show you.

Roadworks add an extra 25 minutes to the journey at the moment!

Stop off at Labtests for a regular blood check.

Log on to the computer and the day begins.

Nelix the Rainbow Lorikeet belongs to the Operations Manager and comes to the warehouse each day.

Whenever I walk down from my office he wolf whistles at me -  but rather that than the bad language he has picked up from other staff!

At lunchtime I take the banking to the ANZ. 

Then drop the post into the mailbox.

Then the next in line is ....?

No Margaret!   You have a healthy packed lunch in the car!

But a quick stop at the Library is a must. Another pile of books from these shelves. 

 And there I am afraid, the photos run out.   I was too embarrassed to take my camera to the gym!   Coming home by car is the same as going to work -  only in reverse.

So, on the stitching front what have I been doing? 
I unpicked the error , stitched the outline of one half of part three and completed both halves of part two.   Around The World in 80 Stitches is a 24 part SAL which is severely taxing my poorly developed sense of colour and design.

The colours aren't true here but the shapes are.   The "four leaf" shape at the top is repeated at the bottom and is to contain Russian stitches.

The centre "tulip" shapes have stitches from Scandanavia (Swedish Split Stitch, Danish Knots, Kloster Blocks, Mordvinian Star Stitch) and were fun. Sorry this one is sideways on but it won't turn around for me !

One night I decided to look out my one and only UFO (Unfinished Object) and cut off the unused linen and throw out the rest. But I found it really is around 3/4 finished so it gets a reprieve and I will finish it this year.

When I started at the Embroiderers Guild (12 years ago?) I made a vow not to have any UFOs and with this exception I have managed that. So it will feel like a personal victory if I can get this finished. One UFO is probably not to bad but I do have 4 WIPs so cannot claim any sainthood in this!

And finally, Kelly's Growth Chart is progressing.

   I am working on the snake under the 100 at the moment and should finish him tonight. So far so good and as her birthday is the end of November I am well on track for this.

This afternoon I went to see Kelly.  She's really cute and growing so fast.

And that is the catch up from my part of the world.   The HDHBEM has been to a respiratory physician this week and we are relieved that this chronic chest infection is not sinister and are confidently trying his recommended treatment.  

And so another week begins.

Oh no! Reverse stitching!

This week I downloaded the next installment of Around The World In 80 Stitches, threaded my needle and set to.  Oh no!   An error in Part One.   So I went from this

to this.  

Two nights of reversing -  it's enough to bring a tear to the eye.  
What is a girl to do?   Well start something new of course. 

I saw a picture of this on a blog ages ago  and despite a thorough search of the net couldn't find a chart so decided to invent.   This is the top complete.   Unfortunately the bottom requires me to visit the fabric store and purchase some wine coloured velvet so you will need to wait till then to view the finished article.
My Embroiderers Guild had asked me for pieces of work to display in The Cabinet.   Each month a different member contributes a display.  Little Brother came to stay for a few nights last week and helped me select the pieces - that was an interesting experience!  Selection criteria are different for different people!  It would be rather like asking me to help him select stock for his farm.  "Yes, choose that one.   I like the pretty markings on its coat.   And that steer has such a cute face you need to have him".   I was thinking of technique, style of finish, uniqueness, size etc etc etc.   However with or without Little Brother's assistance, I managed to fill a box full of a selection of pieces and Jo is going to put them all in the cabinet for me.
This week I took my computer for a visit to the friendly guys at OneNet where, as they so delicately put it, "transferred the guts" of the old one to a new one which works much faster. The HDHBEM is happy as her games are still here; I am happy as all my data is still here = one very happy household. So tonight we are settling down, with the gas fire on, to watch the recorded finale of Masterchef NZ and to ply our needles. In Mother's case these are number 8 knitting pins and for me it's a #28 John James!
Happy stitching to all of you.   I hope you are all equally as happy and a great deal warmer than we are.  

A finish - and Amy's Tour Part 8

Good evening all.
I have had a busy busy week but last night I managed to finish my Strawberry Fields Stitching Bag.   Just needs a good press with the iron.  I do think the accessories look out of proportion but they are exactly to the chart and as I won't be using them it isn't going to matter too much.   The colour isn't really really true to life -  in reality it is as beautiful as the name "Crushed Strawberry"

This afternoon I had coffee and cake with my friend Tomoko.   Mr Jones The Grocer has an amazing selection of tempting cakes.   Tomoko chose New York Brownie and I had lemon shortcake. Yummy!!

I am back to working on Kelly's Growth Chart.   What animal am I working on now?   Three shades of grey, black and white -  is that enough of  a clue for you to guess Zebra?   This is the third animal; only a lion to go and then a couple of added extras and I am done.   Please excuse the wrinkles.

And some more items from my basket

This little Quaker Pocket holds a six inch brass ruler.  

My small collection of biscornu.   These can be quite addictive can't they?

A Quaker Pin Cube -  this was a freebie but I can't remember where from.

I stitched this according to instructions but it only reinforced my "I hate Aida" disease.

I made this some years ago and found the chart really hard to follow so was delighted to actually complete it.   The two friends with whom I did the SAL didn't get theirs complete.   Having a little more experience now I sometimes think I'd like to try it again and see if I could make a better job of it.  I do like the M on the back

Now on to some other items -  this Darning Pocket was a delight to stitch but I never managed to find a darning "mushroom" to keep in it.   I remember my Great-grandmother had one but it was missing from her sewing box when I went looking.  So the pocket is empty!

(By the way I have never seen a darning egg -  we always had darning mushrooms.   I had to look to Dr. Google to find these.   The mushroom looks easier to hold don't you think)

This Drawn Thread Bell Pull has never been hung up.   My Aunt gave me the kit and I did enjoy it but there is really no place in my house to hang this as all the walls are pale colour.

That's about all my news for the week that was.   Tomorrow Little Brother is coming to stay for a couple of nights so I am off now to spend the evening in the kitchen preparing the meals for that.

Have a good evening everyone.

Almost there ... and Amy's Tour Part 7

What a difference a day makes.
I took this photo on the way home from work one day and

then this one is the following afternoon.  

It isn't always true that red at night is shepherds delight.We can have a searing red sunset one day and rain the next here!

Last night I finished the stitching on the Strawberry Fields Bag.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this stitching and especially the lovely little flowers.

The top photo is closest to the actual colour.   Today has been a really busy day at work so I will leave the construction until the weekend when I can concentrate better.   There are a few accessories so I'll go ahead and tack up the linen for those.
Now on the third shelf of my cabinet is a basket containing all sorts of odds and ends.

Some date from early in my stitching days (and are kept for pure nostalgia) and others are small but precious.
Here's a couple (I promise to show you more later on)

My LNS had this as a class and as it was in my favourite blue colour and because I like bee hives this was an instant sign-up!   It is stitched on wool blanketing and at present houses my circular needles -  they need the protection of this thick woollen needle case.

This little Indigo Rose Folding Cross Needle Book is sooo cute.   It is done in reversible blackwork (well actually navy blue). The base is a slightly padded cushion and the pages fold over and button down - each page labelled with a needle size.   I love this one so much I have never used it!!   Another story associated with this one... I bought the totally suitable bead at a shop near my sister's place in Wellington.  Almost next door to the bead shop was a store selling Dutch Salted Licorice.  Believe me I spent more on licorice that day than on beads!

Well that's enough for today.   Have a good evening.

Woe is me .... and Amy's Tour Part 6

Yes!   Woe is me.   I seem to have caught yet another cold and must again make maximum effort to ensure I don't pass it on to the HDHBEM.   Today I was to have gone out to lunch with my friend Tomoko and instead have been indoors feeling sorry for myself :-(   The place where I work is a large factory and although my office is cosy the rest of the building is unheated and draughty  - an ideal place for the acquiring of any circulating virus. Monday is wages day and they will all expect me back at work then so I must spend my weekend trying to get better quickly!

There has been quite a gap since the last episode of Amy's Tour -  I hope you are not bored with this yet.

Shepherds Bush Kit  - stitched in 2000 while on holiday.   I remember I exhausted all the projects I took with me and bought this at an LNS while away.

This box by Beardie Designs was stitched in silks and I enjoyed every moment of this.   I was pleased too with the way it all came together -  even though it isn't my normal colour palette.

This Barbara Jackson design was in my stash for many many years before I finally got to stitching it.   I recommend this one to any other stitcher -  it was such fun to do.

I can't really recall which magazine this was from but it was definitely last century that I stitched this!  Inside the coral stitch medallions there were supposed to be wreaths of ribbon work flowers.   As I have a pet aversion to ribbon work these cross stitch roses were an excellent compromise.

Again, this piece is from last century!   The wooden box is made from NZ Kauri wood and sadly the man who made these is no longer with us.  The hardanger design was from a magazine picked up at random from the trading table at Embroiderer's Guild.

This bear was done at a class held by an Embroiderer's Guild in the neighbouring region.   My friend's mother made the bear out of an old coat and I merely provided his floral accessories!  Wool embroidery has not become a great favourite but I love my bear. 

This "Repair Bear Kit" was from Inspirations Magazine and was really interesting with all the various pieces to applique.  

Some years ago our Embroiderer's Guild had classes in Japanese Kogin - my first introduction to this technique.   I was hooked and have since made placemats, coasters and bags - all of which have been given away as gifts.   So last year I stitched this needlebook which proudly sits in my cabinet.

Third shelf of the cupboard -  the Garden Ball is a recent finish.   The Quaker Chicken was done about four years ago.   I love her and every year promise myself to add the Christmas Quaker Chicken but somehow....time runs out.  

This was stitched ages and ages ago - I loved the idea of a circular hussif but it had never been used although once it did get an outing to display at our Guild Exhibition. 

Back in the old days when I stitched on Aida !

Currently I am stitching on Hillside Samplings Strawberry Fields Stitching Bag and Accessories.  Hopefully tonight I will get the alphabet started.   

One side has the alphabet under the strawberry band and the other side has "wrought by..."  There is a scissor fob, scabbard, needlebook and a ruler cover but as I don't have the matching scrimshaw ruler I am going to do a small biscornu pincushion instead.   This is a really enjoyable stitch. I am planning to line the bag with dupion silk.

Have a  good evening everyone.