SHARING and a S.A.L

This year the our two Daphne birkwoodii bushes  have been a mass of blooms, this later flowering Daphne has a softer perfume and I have enjoyed sharing these lovely sprays with others. Caitlin and  I managed to make 44 little posies over several days,  before the rain came ( yet again!)

 One of our church members is a hospital chaplain at one of the local rest homes, she took away the first basket of posies with her on her weekly visit. The others took them to folk we knew in the other two rest homes and the final basket full went with me to church last Sunday and there were shared with those present.  I feel very blessed that I was given such an abundance of blooms and through others have been able to share them.

Now I have something I would like to share with you all.

My stitching friends group have had a Mystery SAL  We were given the instructions for making the shape and from there the choice of design was our own.  This is my finished one.... a  Christmas Quadrielle  and I am delighted with how easy it was to make and how it turned out, so I have decided to share how to make one like this as a SAL. on this blog. I am now on my second one and have ideas for others, these are fun to make.      The stitching is very simple it includes back stitch, chain stitch some couching and lots of beads!  so if you are interested in making one drop by tomorrow for the first of the instructions

.

HALLOWEEN EXCHANGE

I have just learnt that the halloween ornament exchange piece I sent has arrived, I am always nerves till I know the postman has made the delivery, although only once has a piece gone astray, sometimes they take simply ages to get to their destination. The design I stitched is a Sue Hillis design called Best Witches and was a freebie from hancockfabrics.com.  I have since found another version of the design of this witch design at http://www.suehillisdesigns.net/ look under freebies.

Along with the witch ornament , I sent a tiny " trick or treat bag" with a tiny felt owl inside.
I have been making some of these small owls, they are about 6cm tall and a handy project to have, to stitch in the car. I started making them,  to go on the bags for our junior stitchers, then I came up with the idea of a Halloween Owl, the first Halloween Owl has arrived in its new home in Canada, the next one is ready to fly to its new home and if you visit my other blog there is a third one waiting to find a new home.

It must be today's weather, the light is not good for photography and this photo does not show
 the true colours of the biscornu I  received from Sandrine in France,  in the Halloween exchange. the fabric is soft apple green and I just love the smiling faces of the little witches. I have it hanging by my computor so I can enjoy it.

WESSEX STITCHERY NEWS

Wessex Stitchery news and a good book!

 I often get enquiries as to where one can find out more about Wessex Stitchery, so its good that I can share with you, about a new publication that has a really good write up on Mrs Margaret Foster and her work, Wessex Stitchery. My friend Lyn in Christchurch alerted me first, Lyn had been in the very first Wessex workshop I had taught way back in the early 1990's and  continues today to stitch and share her love of Wessex Stitchery. Having borrowed a new embroidery book from the library she was delighted to find quite a large section inside on her favourite work and promptly email the news to me. Just when I had decided I would have to request it on inter loan, Ann from Whitianga arrived to visit and had brought THE BOOK down for me to read.
 The book is.......

Early 20th Century Embroidery Techniques by Gail Marsh and it was published in UK in 2011. Ann also brought with her the other books in the series 18th Century Embroidery Techniques and 19th Century Embroidery Techniques. I had a wonderful time just looking at the books there was so much to take in, and although the work many of the embroiderers written up in the 20th Century book  was known to me through previous research I was constantly finding new things. Another one who is mention is Louisa Pesel I have a copy of a very old book of her designs and have used it so many times when designing samplers.    Yes I have now bought myself a copy (and delighted to get it for almost half price) I have since bought the other two and are now waiting their arrival.

 Anyone interested in Wessex Embroidery, I do recommend you see if your library has a copy, just to be able to see more of Mrs Foster's work and to read about the embroiderer herself.

OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN

I have just launched a new blog   "Other side of the mountain" I invite you to drop by sometime,
 you will find it at-http://othersideofthemountain-lee.blogspot.com/

 I will still be here writing NOTES FROM UNDER THE MOUNTAIN as usual... meanwhile its back to the stitching I am putting together a wall hanging from blocks that the children at Jan's school have made.
 I'm over the hard part, using the sewing machine... I am a hand stitcher and I am sure the machine knows it!!!!  and so I have problems with tension etc etc. Now I am handstitching the binding down and its heaven, reminds me I must finish my quilt sometime ( I wont say how many years ago it was started)