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!

Taking a break

 I have a finish to show - the Frisian Whitework strawberry decoration is complete.   It hangs on my cabinet door.   

Despite finishing this and still having boxes of thread and fabric in stash I cannot find anything that inspires me.   This week I went through all my charts and books but …. No.  Nothing seems to bring on the enthusiasm.   For the next week I have a visitor staying so will take a break from stitching and make some progress on my knitting and then see what happens.

What am I knitting, you ask?   I am hoping this will turn into a warm and wearable cardigan of the variety my beloved Mother described as an “at home cardie”.   I’m knitting from a cone of wool so I can avoid too much sewing in of ends.   After a lifetime of sewing in the ends on Mother’s striped knitting I think I’ve earned a respite 😂

New Start

 I seem to have lost some of my enthusiasm for stitching and only the prospect of yet another month going by with nothing to show at stitch group has got me to put needle into new project.

This is to be a Frisian Whitework Strawberry but will be smaller than the chart dictates as the linen is 32count from stash rather than the suggested 28 count.   But as the idea is to continue using up stash I will go with what I have.  The linen is what used to be called Confederate Grey and I’m using #12 white DMC Perle.

I have a couple of knitting projects on the go as well so plenty to keep me busy.   See you again soon.

Finally…..a finish

 Life is back to my usual now after Older Brother’s funeral.   However stitching mojo has not recovered yet and I have forced myself to complete this set.

In an effort to reduce my huge stash of embroidery fabrics I have decided to make some covered coat hangers.   First up is one for a birthday gift needed for the beginning of August.   I’m thinking of using a hardanger pattern from deep stash.   So tonight’s pleasurable activity is to go through my fabric and select an appropriate linen.

My great nephew who lives in Amsterdam should be warm next winter!  Little Sister, his Granny, and I are both knitting pure wool sweaters :)   Here’s my latest effort.

And I have booked a weekend away in the central North Island to attend the Sampler Gathering and have enrolled in the Ukrainian class.   Four classes are offered and all are counted work but I found this one most appealing although I certainly do not need another small bag!   It will be good to have friendly company for this adventure.  Here’s the tutor sample.  Mine of course will be blue!

See you later

My Precious

 Today my sewing machines were discharged from their “hospital” and I gladly collected them.   It has been lonely without them and I admit, I was rather worried that my Blue Elna wouldn’t be able to be repaired.   However both are working beautifully.

That Elna has been with me for something like 55 years?   I remember Father persuading me to spend more than I really wanted to and purchase one the same brand as Mother’s was at the time.   It was painful parting with so much of my hard earned holiday-job-money but it was a wise buy.   Mother’s machine eventually stopped working and not long before he died Father bought her a small basic Janome.   I’m so glad I kept that and have a back up.

Recently a friend gave me two lengths of fabric from her mother’s estate and I am going to stitch a blouse with the fine Japanese cotton and attempt a pair of lined trousers from the wool gaberdine.   An pair of  trousers bought many many years ago are being sacrificed for the pattern and I have found a helpful series on YouTube to guide me through.   Not right now though.

My older brother is very unwell and next week I am making the journey north to see him for possibly the last time.  A 9 hour drive will be quite an adventure but I have the satisfaction of knowing that only yesterday my Mazda passed it’s check with flying colours.   I will be taking a bag of embroidery, knitting and some books with me as well as low expectations of how much may be accomplished.  Little Sister will also be there and hopefully we can ease some of the burden for Sister-in-law.  So once again I may be off the radar for some time.   But there may be something of note to record when next I’m back at the blog.

Presents for little girls

Tonight I have finished  dress and doll for “soon to be 8, Great Niece I”.  The dress fabric was on sale so I was happy.   She is tall and her mother has supplied the finished length measurement so hopefully all will be well.

The parcel that went off for Great Niece X last week was obviously a success.  I was pleased with it.

Her mother said all the girls enjoyed their gifts but the dress was a great hit!   It is a full wrap and with the frill definitely has the twirl factor!   Dearly Beloved Elderly Mother’s button box provided the decorations for the dolls shoes.   I love it when I can use bits and pieces from stash.  Great Niece I has a small cloisonné butterfly brooch on her doll.   It belonged to Dearly Beloved Elderly Mother’s Grandmother.   My niece and her husband like history so I’m hoping that Great Niece I will enjoy having a brooch which belonged to her Great Great Grandmother   Or maybe all that will be too much for an 8 year old mind to comprehend.   

Next I need to complete the Blue Boston Etui.   I’m currently making a pin cube and still have the top of the bag to finish off.   Then I have some wool and a new pattern to knit a pair of winter socks.   But I want to dig into my stash and find another embroidery project too.   Hopefully my embroidery mojo will return now that Dolls and Dresses are out of the way.

The construction is never so satisfying

 I have completed the cardinal pocket from Betsy Morgan’s Willing Hands book but am not really satisfied with the construction.  Still, as I was telling a friend this morning, I have had the pleasure of stitching it and the satisfaction of doing something else from the book my dear Mother bought me.   

And now I’m working on the Bristol Sampler bag but doing it in blue.   The air has been almost blue too as the small 1.5” paper pieced triangles defeated me and I resorted to square and changed the style.   I think I’m happy with what I have done (?) and am currently working on the small needle book and scissor fob.   The needle book has a fun plaited ribbon spine which looked like a doable challenge! But in actuality defeated me and I had to adapt!  Now I just need to actually finish the scissor fob and make up the bag and pin cushion.  This week?  I’ll see.

The little dresses and dolls for the Great Nieces were a hit and the six year old and eight year old are being very noble in containing their impatience.   I have cut out the dress for the six year old and tonight plan on cutting the doll pieces.   I need to find suitable dress fabric for the eight year old but the local shops didn’t have anything I liked.   An hour away in the city where my younger brother lives there’s another fabric store so methinks I need to have a day out. 

Today has been HOT and WET but I have donned a raincoat and been out in full scale war against the caterpillars devastating my cauliflower.   Let’s just say that war victims were great in number and I think my cauliflower will survive.  Dratted white butterflies and green caterpillars.   I need to find some way of creating a insect proof cage thing that will still allow sun and water in….or may be just resign myself to summers of war against invading insects!