Ta da!!

I promised a photo of the finished zipper purse so herewith.   I think it will be useful and I’m happy to have it completed in time so win win :)

Now I am working on completing another of the sewing sets for my great-nieces.   The needle book, scissor fob and pincushion for the Sollerosom set are mostly done and I need to mark up the linen for the bag.   This is being done on 34 count linen so counting is best done in daylight on a sunny day.  Currently it is mid-Winter in New Zealand so those days are few and far between.   

That's it for tonight - back to my needle and thread.

Ready for Final Finishing

 At the beginning of August my friend K has a birthday.  She loves cats and so I've stitched this to make into a Zipper Purse for her.   The pretty gingham check Graziano linen has been in my stash for ever so it was great to find a use for it.  I saw something similar on the internet so set to with graph paper and a pencil and am pleased with the result.   Here's hoping that I can make up the bag to look professional!

Tomorrow I plan to complete this and also to get my Black Quilted Jacket to the buttonhole stage.   My local sewing machine shop have told me they will do the buttonholes for me (I don't trust my ancient Elna for this) but that I will need to cut them open.   First I need to choose the buttons although I am still dithering as to whether to go buttons or to use sew on press studs.   I may trial the latter and see how I feel.

Thank you to all who left comments of sympathy on passing of my Mother.   Life seems rather empty and some days I feel a little downcast.  But I am cheered by the cards, emails, blog comments and the sympathy of so many friends.   Thank you so much.

Counting Correctly

 I wanted to try an Aztec Stitch Scissor Case from instructions off the web but I didn't use canvas and instead experimented on a scrap of linen.

Tired eyes, tired brain and recent stress combined to make even the four sided stitch edging difficult and then I came to grief badly when cutting to draw threads.   

So pen and paper to hand I did some mathematical calculations and started again.   Success this time - well enough to make a passable imitation of side one.   I'm using threads from deep stash for this as it is only an experiment but so far so good.  Navy, Red and White seems a patriotic choice.

I've also started a gift for the next new baby in the family and hope to have some progress on that one to show in a day or two.  

Somehow I can't seem to settle to stitching much at the moment but at least I have needle in hand again.  I may have to go through my stash cupboard and find a new project that will grip my attention.

The DBEM

 

My lovely Mother ( edit:  Madge) otherwise known on this blog as The DBEM has gone to heaven.  Thank you all for you comments with messages of support.   Very soon I will pick up my needle and be back to stitching but not for a few days yet.

News

 Just checking in.   Very little stitching is being done here as the DBEM is gravely ill and is moving into care tomorrow.   My sister has been staying to help and today my brothers came so we all had precious time to spend with Mother.   It was good to all be together for what may well be the last opportunity.

I have done a square of four sided stitch which miraculously met up accurately at the end but I won’t push my luck tonight while my eyes are heavy with exhaustion and tears.   

However I will be back soon with some stitching to report but I didn’t want to disappear suddenly and cause worry.

Thanks

Repeato Ditto

 On Saturday afternoon I once again had to push the ambulance emergency button as the DBEM collapsed on me.   So off we went to our "favourite spot" in Emergency Department where we were promptly seen by a lovely young doctor who ordered lots and lots of tests.   So of course hours later we were still awaiting results.  But being more au fait with ED now after the visit the week before I went home, phoned the siblings, had a very late dinner and took myself to bed.  Whereupon in the middle of the night the phone rang; a call from the lovely doctor.   There had been an influx of Covid cases and she wanted to send the DBEM home where the doctor felt she would be safer in my care.   Naturally this is what the DBEM wanted too so I got dressed again and went out into the cold frosty night to collect her.   (No serious diagnosis just 'frailty of old age')

Result is I am currently confined to quarters as I can't leave her alone and she requires assistance to mobilize and to toilet.   Little Brother came for a couple of hours today and I managed a quick visit to the gym to exercise off some stress.

Other stress relief has been the cross stitch Map of the World.   I'm almost complete now and it is such fun.  There are only a couple of icons I cannot guess  -  perhaps you can help out.   What is the one below the bottle of maple syrup in Canada?  A turkey??

Hopefully a photo of the completed map tomorrow.  Meanwhile, Goodnight.

Travelling

 I’ve been travelling…to and from the hospital to visit the DBEM. Today her doctor said she could come home if I was happy!   Currently she’s in ‘her’ chair in the sun catching up on sleep.  Too much Covid and early Winter virus are causing overload at the hospital so she’s better at home.

So not much stitching has been done.   I have made a little progress on the world map and that’s all I have to show.   I’m still enjoying this “journey round the world” and enjoy the puzzle of deciding what the various icons actually are.   Not all have been puzzled out but I was quite smug to realise that the frog with a fly on the end of his tongue was for "French Indo-China" and that Japan was chopsticks with a bowl of noodles.   Many like the Matroyshka and St Basils are immediately obvious and others not so.  I did message the designer asking for a list of the icons but so far no reply so I am left guessing.

Hopefully life will return to normal and I can get some more stitching done.   My quilted winter jacket is at the stage where I need to make metres of bias binding tape and I have the fabric ready to begin that.   Perhaps these next few days I will actual make a start.   But the weather is supposed to be fine after severe storms and I need to get outdoors and mow the lawn and tidy up a little.