Christmas Ornament SAL - First month post

My enthusiasm for Christmas ornaments led me to sign up on this SAL.   Added to the delight of actually stitching, there was the pleasure of going through my stack of charts and chosing 12 that I would stitch during 2013.

First up is this mitten which showcases my love of winter Christmas scenes.   I live in the Antipodes and have summer Christmas and don't we all want what we can't have?   And I love DMC 115 so they combined well for this first ornament.

An almost finish

Today has been a public holiday here in Auckland and we have enjoyed beautiful hot weather.  I love days like this - my to do list is always long.  Did you hear the satisfied "mmm" as I crossed off each item?
Garden weeded - yes!
This week's meals cooked - yes!
All  net curtains washed -  yes!
Ironing done -  yes!
Finished my book - yes!

And of course some stitching got done too.  This is the almost finished piece.   My niece Heidi brought me these two lace elephants from India last year.   A couple of rows of drawn thread hem stitching + a struvdor on the flap = a handkerchief sachet.   This is still only pinned and tacked but hopefully the seams will be stitched and the lining inserted this week so I can call this complete too.
Oh well, back to work tomorrow....

光さんのため

光さん、お誕生日おめでとうございます。

楽しいバースデイーをお過ごしください。

これからの日々も豊かに祝福されますように心からお祈りしております。

A Christmas Stocking in January??

Today I have finished off this little Christmas stocking.   Stitched in order to practice picots and to use up a scrap of 28 count Antique White linen, I am pleased with the finished result.  The photo doesn't show up the colours well but the stocking is actually a deep Sherwood Green velvet.   Yes!   We have a happy dance!

HAL Catchup

Tonight I have concentrated really hard and caught up on the two installments of A Confetti of Hardanger that were waiting to be done.
First was the Spiders Webs -  Abi Gurden gave really good instructions for these and I have more confidence now.

Second was a Struvor -  again brilliant instructions and I love this one!

This Hardanger- A- Long has been a wonderful way of gaining more confidence in the fillings that I avoided from fear.   And it has confirmed my love of this stitching too.   I foresee many more hardanger pieces in years to come.  I should really take photographs in daylight as these colours are far from true.
Anyway that's enough for tonight.  I need some beauty sleep.

A visit to the Embroiderers' and Lacemaker's Guild

Today this guild hosted a stitchy day.   This is always a pleasant way to start the new year and it's great to catch up with other stitchers and see what they are doing.  This  guild hold their meetings in the Car Club rooms -  hence the background.   Our speaker was a master calligrapher who can not only claim some fame and expertise in his field (he authored the definitive textbook on calligraphy for Denmark) but also that his parents were responsible for this children's book.

Peter Gilderdale took us through a potted history of calligraphy (why oh why were my history teachers not this interesting?) and demonstrated just how easy the art is after years and years of practice.

Several of the stitchers present had brought their work to share - I was especially taken with the closure on the Celtic looking book.

There were two or three of these pretty little display cases -  an interesting way to showcase delicate and intricate stitching.

I have been stitching an Assisi Rose to send to my Aunt who has just had surgery.   Methinks this will last longer than the florists bunch although the fragrance may not be so sweet.

Tonight I will finish the back stitching and hopefully decide on what finish it shall be -  a keyholder?

Also finished the first of these twelve ornaments.  I plan on making identical finishes although they are all different sizes and shapes.  

Tonight we have the Downtown Abbey Christmas 2012 special on The Box so I am off to get dinner ready and will settle down to watch that.   Hope you have all had a good weekend.

Five Good Things (with apologies to 1066 And All That)

Have any of you ever read Sellar and Yeatman's book 1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, comprising all the parts you can remember, including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates.  

It is a very humourous re-writing of the history of England.   My father introduced this book to me -  back in the Dark Ages and I have read it over and over and over again.   Arguably it may not suit all readers but I love it - especially the way they make lists of events and conclude with "and that was a Good Thing".

Today I have five such Good Things to report -

I have

-   Crossed every item off my "phone up and make appointments" list

-   Ironed the first page of NMMSAL page so I can post -  ta da.    Assisi and Drawn Thread work.   I am none to happy with the corners on this so have cropped the photo severely.

-   Completed the stitching on the small house re-stitch which I mentioned yesterday.   Tonight I will be stitching the felt on the back. 

-   Started reading this book and managed not to get so emeshed that I was late back from lunch ;-)

-    Had my start-of-the-year assessment at the gym, survived and don't feel completely demoralised :-)

My next stitching is to complete the Hardanger Top for a mini Christmas stocking and then over the weekend to complete the Lavender Hussif.  To get both of those done could perhaps be described as An Excellent Thing!