The lovely Elizabeth

Finally a photo of Elizabeth.  I finished her in early April - well, finished except for the words.  I still have not decided what will go there - I had intended to put my Daughter's name there but not sure now and will see what she prefers.

I know some of you will not appreciate that I have changed the pattern so it is all symmetrical, but it would have driven me mad as it was.

I do love this one - the colours are so pretty.   I look forward to seeing it framed one day soon.

This little one was also finished a while back  - it is BBD Pins and Needles.  I have added it to the pile waiting to be made into something.

A very wonky photo - not sure what angle I was aiming for there - probably in a hurry as usual.

I am off to take some photos of my currect project.

Mary

Two birds in the basket

I started La D Da's "Bird" way back in January.  I have no idea when I finished it, but finished it is - well, the stitching anyway.  What it will become or when, is quite another question.  It is really too big for a pincushion and I won't be getting it framed, but here it is. 

The second is this sweet little red bird.  Pattern by BBD using the called for threads and linen from my stash.

Again, I don't know how I will finish it off.  I am getting quite a pile of finished pieces. 

Mary



It's true ...

... the longer you leave something, the harder it is to get back to it.  Oh my, I can't believe that it is nearly two months since I posted anything.   I sat down an hour ago to start this but then had to stop and take a couple of photos so I could show you my meagre efforts.

I did enjoy following a couple of the ladies doing the Crazy 15 challenge and loved seeing some of the patterns they were starting - quite a few of those same patterns are sitting at the top of my pile.

My stitching hs been very limited, mainly because we have had some very humid weather.  Melbourne does not usually get more than a day or two of high humidity through our summer, but this year has been very different (as it has all over the world really) and we are just not used to it and it certainly is not good for stitching.  We have had more rain than we can remember as well, which was badly needed because we had been in drought conditions for a few years with water rationing etc.

While checking out all those lovely blogs I saw a gorgeous black cat on Karen's blog and just had to get Jardin Prive ABChat.  So much for my resolution of not stitching anything at all until I had finished Elizabeth!!  I wanted it for a scissor fob so stitched it over one with DMC black.  Thoroughly enjoyed doing this one.

 

I did have a week away in the country at the end of January and instead of taking Elizabeth, I took a couple of small things with me which I managed to get done. 

A nice small one to start with - BBD Bluebird - stitched on Belfast Light Mocha with the called for GA Uniform Blue - not quite sure what I will do with this one.

I loved "Hare's Christmas" from Plum Street Samplers and would love to get it for next Christmas, but then I found this lovely freebie from Paulette and decided to do it for my friend for St Patrick's Day.  I had thought I would make it into a card, but it is rather large for that so maybe a stand-up.

As I was on a roll, I started La D Da's "A Bird in Hand" but my week away ended and I am sad to say I have barely stitched at all since returning home. 

February is a very busy month for birthdays in our family so I have been catching up on the birthday cards and cakes, and hopefully I will get a bit more stitching done in March.

I thought I would leave you with this beautiful King Parrot, who let me get quite close to him when he popped in for a feed.

Cheers,

Mary

Stitching Gifts

I want to share with you some of the lovely stitching related gifts I have received for Christmas. 

From my dear friend Chrissie in Queensland, I received this lovely parcel of goodies.  Wonderful fabric all folded into a tree shape and topped with a gold star and beautiful silk ribbons;  lovely black and white scissors and  matching tape measure; a wonderful handmade Christmas card and also a lovely tag in the shape of a dressmaker's dummy which has more ribbon and a lovely heart shaped clip.

Chrissie has been bitten by the papercrafting bug and I am sure you will agree that her cards are very special.  Thank you so much for my terrific parcel, Chrissie.

Now these goodies came all the way from England.  Even before I opened the package the perfume of the lavender was wafting through the house - wonderful.  I have some beautiful moda fabric with the sweetest birds and some lovely narrow ribbon for needlerolls, and needles too.  Thank you so much Sandra for all of these goodies and for all the others through the year.

By the way, I WAS very good Sandra, and I DIDN'T open the parcel before Christmas, in fact I didn't open any of the gifts I had received from stitching friends until late on Boxing Day.  By then I had restored order to my house after the last few weeks of card making, cooking, Christmas preparations and gift wrapping etc.  Then I sat down and savoured them in peace.  Great fun!

My next show and tell is from Marg.  I met Marg through stitching (through a Shepherd's Bush message board actually - not sure if it is still going or not) quite a few years ago now.  She contacted me and we found out we were only a few minutes away from each other and she invited me to a stitching evening at her house - I thought it was lovely and it was the first time I had been to anything like it.  She is still inviting me to her stitching nights each month, and she is, most importantly, a wonderful, caring and sharing friend, and her stitching is absolutely beautiful.

So, having said that, look what I got: 

the Christmas ornament is lovely - I know you can't see the beads, but they are there. I love the idea for the hanger.  The card has not photographed well. (That really should read:  I have not taken a good photo of the card! )  It is an angel, stitched in gold thread, with tiny beads around the base of her skirt.  So delicate.  A lovely little crystal angel to hang on the tree as well and a very Christmassy linen napkin.  Thank you so much Marg for all of these things.

I did receive some other lovely goodies from stitching friends but they were not of the stitching variety.

Although it is not a Christmas gift - you may remember these lovely scissors Marg gave me for my birthday in November - well I have paired them up with a fob which was also stitched by Marg a few years ago and I think they are a perfect match.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my gifts.

I love to pop in to your blogs and see what you have been up to and feel that I "know" some of you quite well.  I guess this is the modern version of 'pen pals'!

I wish you all a very happy New Year and hope that 2011 will bring good health, much happiness, and lots and lots of stitching. 

Love

Mary

Finishes, framing and frustrations

Well Christmas preparations certainly put paid to any stitching from me.  I have been put to shame after seeing so many beautiful stitched gifts and ornaments.  There is so much talent out there in blogland.  It never fails to amaze me how much work some of you get through and the pleasure you give others by sharing on your blogs.

I did finish off the SB St Nicholas needleroll a few weeks back.  I was in such a hurry to get it stuffed and finished that I forgot to go back and stitch the white beads on the santas hats as I said I would, but I wasn't about to undo it.  This has turned out to be a rather plump little needleroll - I must have cut the linen too wide - but it looks just fine. 

I collected my framing last week and usually this is very exciting, but I have to say that I am somewhat disappointed this time.

For BBD Tis the Season, the framer and I choose a slightly 'shabby chic' stark white frame which I felt picked up the white snowflakes well.  The framer said that when the framing arrived they had changed the colour but she thought it looked ok.  I don't agree - I think it makes the whole piece look rather dingy and uninteresting, so that is really upsetting me.  I will wait and see what my stitching friends think - maybe I could paint it, but not happy.

As you can see my photography has not improved and probably never will - either it is too bright and sunny or I forget and then have to take it indoors with the light on.  I have fiddled with the photos in Gimp this time trying to crop them but now I have large white borders - not sure which is the best.

So, moving on to Blessings sampler - I just cannot make up my mind about this one - I can't seem to get enthusiastic about it at all.  The framing is fine and as we chose, but I kept looking at it and knew something was wrong.  It suddenly dawned on me that it isn't centred perfectly - it's only a quarter of an inch out so I am probably just being picky.  I have been using the same framer for years and although she is expensive I have always been very happy with her work until now.

The last piece I picked up was DT Teaching Band Sampler which I stitched years ago.  It was hanging at my Daughter's house and the frame got broken during renovations - unfortunately it had to have a whole new frame but at least it will not sit in the cupboard now.

I must say that this one has not been one of my favourites, but I think it could be because it has been hanging with two SB samplers and it didn't really belong with them, so hopefully we will put it somewhere else when the house is finished.

I am off to update my card blog and then it will be time for some serious stitching. 

Cheers

Mary

Buzz buzz buzz ...

.. what a fantastic buzz.  It's such a great feeling when I finally finish something and last week turned into a really great week when I finished 3 pieces THREE PIECES!!! 

The first piece finished is SB Queen Bee Sampler which I actually started way back in January this year, but it got put aside when I started the SAL on the Blessings sampler.   This one was a kit from SB so it uses AVAS - not my favourite silk, because it is not very forgiving and you need perfectly smooth hands - which mine aren't! 

I sat for ages trying to work out where all the beads in the kit went but in actual fact there were far too many, unlike the Medieval Mulberry silk for the writing and one of the greens, of which there was not enough, but luckily I had more of them in my stash.

I waited for a sunny day to take the photographs and now it's far too bright.  In my usual manner, I managed to cut the bee's head off so here is another shot of the top part and quite accidentally I have managed to get a bit of an arty shot.  I should go for this angle more often.

So, like I said, I was tickled pink to have a finish and I immediately picked up CHS Diminutive Dutch and finished it off over the next few days.

Such a tiny piece - not sure what it will become.  I really like it, so I am tempted to get it framed and sit it on the buffet, but that is probably an expensive option.  I did enjoy doing this despite all the backstitch on those letters.  This is my first attempt at 40 count and I am pleased to say it was much easier than I had expected.  This is stitched on 40ct R & R Abecedarian blend with the recommended NPI silks.  Just love the NPI silks.

A close up of it to show the colours better.  I know it is out of focus, but I am trying!

By now I was on a roll so I decided to sort out the pile of works in progress and lo and behold I found this next little project.  I started this needleroll last year as a gift for one of my Grandson's teachers - got the schoolhouse one finished (for about the third time) but the end of the school year happened before this one was done.  All it needed was the beads, hem stitching and finishing.  I do need to buy some ribbon for it but I am calling it done now.  Technically, it was a 2009 finish, but I am claiming it as 2010.

I have enlarged the photo but you still can't see the beads.  I think I will go back and put a white bead on the top of their hats - it doesn't look right without a pom pom on the top.

And yes, that would be my boof head in the photo!

So, now, what to do next ??  there are only two started pieces on the go now: 

A Secret Garden:

which I am afraid could be in the bottom of the box for quite a while yet - it has been at the "putting it together stage" for a couple of years now, so a bit longer won't matter, and

Elizabeth:

which I love dearly, and have not stitched on since October, but am itching to get back to it.  She is more than half way finished and all the pattern alterations are worked out, so it is all downhill now.

I have many projects all kitted up and ready to go, but feel guilty that I have not done any stitching for friends for Christmas and it's almost too late to start any now ... or is it ?  maybe if I just got off this computer ........

I'm going ...

Mary

Oh and a small amount of stitching!

I got carried away showing you my Birthday gifts and forgot to show you the small amount of stitching I have managed to do.  I didn't want to take "Elizabeth" to Darwin because it is always so hot and sticky there, so instead I took SB Queen Bee Sampler.  I did get a bit done whilst in the air conditioning at the hospital each day.

and there's my nice new scissors just popping in to the picture.

I had already done the Queen Bee so did from there down, the writing is over one so that wasn't a bad achievement for me - I actually quite enjoyed doing it too.  I may just continue on and finish this one now.

I have taken my Blessings Sampler and Tis The Season to be framed so they should be back before Christmas.

Mary

It's been a while and I'm a year older!

I have been missing for quite a while.  I had to fly to Darwin at very short notice as my Brother was ill and then his wife also became ill.  Thankfully they are both now OK.  I have been back for two weeks but don't ask me where that time has gone to.  Life sometimes gets in the way of my hobbies.

While I was away I celebrated another Birthday and I returned home to some lovely gifts from my stitching friends.

This one from Marg was waiting on my doorstep:

aren't those scissors gorgeous?  and lots of new projects (maybe I will get an early start for next year).

Also waiting for me was this lovely gift from Sandra - all the way from England:

Two large pieces of Zweigart 40 count Newcastle linen - one in cream (my all time favourite colour) and one in Sand which I think may just be the exact size and colour for Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow, and the lovely Forget Me Not pattern from Ewe & Eye & Friends.  Can you see the lovely black and white tissue paper they were wrapped in?   Toile ??

Then this parcel of goodies arrived from Chrissie:

the very, very cute Olga and her mate Boris ......

... some card making supplies - Graphics 45 Christmas paper and a coffee themed stamp set .... AND .....

..this beautfiul material - "Mrs March's Collection" - it is quite beautiful with writing and postmarks all very vintage, and with it's own antique postmarked tag made by Chrissie.

Chrissie's parcels are always beautifully wrapped with everything matching - they are a joy to open and this one was no exception.  Her card was equally lovely:

Just look at the flower - it is made from very fine gauze material and it and the lace have obviously been hand dyed.  Beautiful.

Then just when I thought my belated celebrations were over look what I received from Rosalie this week:

it is a lovely canvas work needlecase - the front and back are covered in french knots and the back has been personalised.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my gifts - stitching has certainly enriched my life, not only by the enjoyment of the stitching but because of the wonderful friends I have made along the way.

Mary 

Finally - a finish !!

Well I finally got around to actually finishing this one - needle rolls are probably one of the easier things to finish off. 

I tried to take a close up of the very cute little bee button but they came out very fuzzy.  The linen is the palest of pinks.

And I couldn't post without showing you Elizabeth.  Not a lot done on her this week, but I did finish the flower basket last night.  I now have to do some counting to see where the side trees will go.  That's the only trouble when you start altering things, you have to keep adjusting things, but I am still very happy with her.   

I should be starting on some Christmas gifts but I really would like to finish Elizabeth first, so I will have to get stuck into it. 

Mary

O happy day ...

I picked up SB Happy Day needleroll again and have finished the main stitching  - in fact since I took this photo I have nearly completed the hemstitching, so I must keep at it and actually finish it off. 

I have also done a little more on CHS Diminutive Dutch and it is looking quite good.

And of course, I haven't neglected Elizabeth.  I was thinking I was half way but that's not correct as there are the two rather large motifs on each side of the central stitching.

I think it is looking better all the time - such a lovely one to stitch.  My Daughter saw it the other day and I think she was quite pleased that this one will be hers, as she loves the colours.

I popped this one in to show how I have decided to use the darker red on the flowers in the baskets on each side of the centre.  There is only a tiny amount of the red used in the sampler and I think it will look good.  You can see a red tinge where I had to unpick one of the flowers that I stitched in the wrong place.  I thought I had removed all of it but when you put it on something white you can still see it so will have to fix that.

Hi Siobhan - yes the same Daniel O'Donnell!  He was here in Melbourne for two concerts and I went to see his show on the 7th September - went backstage to chat with him afterwards as we have a friend in common.  He is a really lovely person.  Tell you MIL that I haven't washed my face since I got my kiss.!!   You really should get your Elizabeth out as it is such a fun one to stitch and will be a piece of cake after the difficult pieces you do.

So not a great deal done but I have been busy with quite a few special cards and I have gone back to playing croquet again after a few years away from it so I am kept busy trying to fit in all my hobbies.  The pile of books beside my bed is growing higher by the day, and so are the weeds in the garden.

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments and for stopping in to check up on me.

Mary