THE TREE IS UP

Today I finally decorated the Christmas tree, a couple of days ago Caitlin had helped me put it all together and get all the lights on, without Paul's help we were scratching our heads as to where they all went there seemed to be so many of them specially as he had added an extra set last year. I had forgotten too how long it takes to do the finally decorating, however it was finished and the lights were on when Barryn and Jackie arrived this evening. This is Jackie's first Christmas with our family and I think I impressed her with my tree... just wait till she sees all the decorations at Jan's house, Jan has decorated on a theme of Red and White this year..

 

To all my blogging friends and followers I wish you a very happy and blessed Christmas.

CHRISTMAS PODS

The final challenge for the year for our Stitching friends group was to create a pod in the Christmas colours chosen by our partner, her is the one I stitched for Lyn. We stitched them as a SAL over 3 months, and each month were given a theme for a side and we could then use our own ideas on what to do. These pod were quite large allowing plenty of space for the stitching,  It also had to be finished with a tassel.

 

Part 1 was stitch a diamond shape using  Mordvianian stitch.

Part 2 had to include a hardanger heart ( I stitched my heart on 40 count linen the appliqued it on

Part 3  asked for a Christmas wreath.

 

I then made a smaller pod for my Secret Friend in the colours she had chosen. blues white and silver.

lots of pearls and crystals on this one.

 

 

 

 

These are also my daughter Jan's favourite Christmas tree colours and at present I am making a set of four in these colours for her.

 

My family have all changed their holiday plans and will now go off on holiday just after Christmas, We will share Christmas at Jan's home and although it will be sad not having Paul with us, we will be welcoming Barryn's partner into the family and that will make it special.  I have the tree out and Caitlin came over and helped me get all the lights on it, however I have yet to decorate it, still 2 days left before Barryn and Jackie come back up and stay with me.

 

Hope every ones Christmas plans are going well.

 

 

Thank You

Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart I have truly appreciated all your loving messages left on my blog or email to me direct. I am also blessed to have the support of family members with me at this time.
 We are having the service to celebrate Paul's life at 1pm Friday  (NZ time) , friday is a very special day as it would have been our 49 wedding Anniversary, here is what I have put on the backpage of the Service Sheets.

 

 

Paul

Paul Westfield 18.12. 1934- 9.12.2012

 Loved husband, father and grandfather.

MORE WONTONS

I am now able to share with you the rest of the won ton pincushions made in the last Stitching Friends challenge. I posted the one I stitched a while back. This first one shown here was designed and stitched by Ann, using Queen stitch strawberries .

 

 

I received this one from Heather it has a lot of stitching, I really need to untie it to show you  how the design covers all the square A lots of planning to make all the stitching fit into place.

 

 

 

Joan really captured the apple blossom theme that was suggested with her lovely soft toning flowers on her Won ton..

 

 

while Lyn's won ton had a different group of flowers on each side and a dragonfly on the tie.

 

 We all enjoyed the challenge. Won tons are  fun to create and quick to stitch and would make lovely gifts. If you would like to make one see my posting for October 20th for the basic instructions, they may have any form of embroidery on them.

 

 

 

 

JUST BEAUTIFUL

These are simply beautiful I love Paeony Roses, have four growing but no blooms yet. As my sister Joan and her husband were coming to visit for a few days Paul asked if they would call at Trenrose Paoenies gardens on their way and bring me a bunch of these lovely flowers. Joan arrived with not one bunch but two, one as Paul had requested and another one from them As you can see most of them are still in bud.

The ones they brought are Kansas the bright cerise red, Mons Jules Elei the mid pink and the pale pink is Sarah Bernhart

.

 

I will have some stitching to share later in the week not my work and I am trying to get one more photo to add to the collection, hope to inspire you all then

 

WEEKEND'S STITCHING

A quick posting to show how much I managed to stitch during the weekend.

 Firstly did a little stitching on my white work piece (no photo)

 

 Then I stitched the border outlines on the doll's house carpet kept the stitching to the simple areas as there were to many interruptions to concentrate on the patterned areas. Tomorrow will be spent at the hospital with Paul as todays blood tests were not good, hopefully later in the week I will get a chance to see how other IHSW's  did during the weekend. Hope everyone had a good weekend of stitching.

 

 

IHSW weekend and other things.

Firstly its a wet weekend here... good for stitching by the fire, and what do I plan to stitch.?

 

Brought this out the other day, started quite a while ago and intended for the Doll's house, hopefully there will be some progress to show by the end of the weekend.

 

I am also working on a piece of white work and hope to get a few more stitches on it and a piece for a secret friend. Will report my progress next week.

 

 

Now other things to share.... welcome to Emma you have brought my followers up to the magic number of 150, there is a small gift here that has been waiting for that number to come up, so Emma please email me with your postal address and it will be on the way. Magic number ? it is twice my age  I guess thats a good enough reason.

 

 

Next give-a-way is to the person who has left the most comments on my blog in the past year November - to November ( one birthday to the next).... This is a bit like playing the children's game pass the parcel!

Well that parcel goes to Annette of California Stitcher Thank you Annette for all your support. I should get your parcel in the mail early in the week. And yes I did count everyones comments but only one was  allowed to a posting.

 

 And a big thank you to everyone for all your support and messages. Answering them has not always been possible but your comments and emails have ment a lot to me specially as this past year has been such a difficult one.  I have added 6 more names to my list from those who leave comments frequently but I dont intend to share them with you who they are,  just to say sometime in the future each will receive a small piece of stitching from me and I will leave it as a surprise till then.

 

We bought new wheels this week! no we did not buy a new car what we bought was a wheelchair for Paul hopefully he might manage to get around the shops again. I have been spoilt over the years the grocery and food shopping had been on Paul's list of things to do. I hate shopping ( maybe except going to an embroidery shop and that only happens a couple of times a year) As the blood count drops further each time Paul has found it almost inpossible to have enough energy to walk more than a few feet so this means he will be able to get around more.

 

Off to stitch now..... happy stitching this weekend everybody

 

 



MY BIRTHDAY FLOWERS

This is my lovely birthday bouquet made into an arrangement. I had just the perfect xtras in the garden to add to it. Its not often in the little cottage that I have such a large floral arrangement so I have mocved a small table and place it across the room from my chair so that I can truly enjoy them.

There was a time in my life ( working as a florist ) that arranging  such a lovely big collection of flowers was an every day occurance now its a delightful thrill.

 

I want also to share tow of the delightful embroidered gifts I have received. Firstly from my friend Ann a delightful little heart fob.

 

 And then from my secret friend this one, I hope she reads my blog because I would love to know what thread she used. I just love the shadings, and I am fascinated with the stitch used in the centre.

 

Annette from California Stitcher recently showed some Pouches she was making. I have been spoilt as I have received 3 different sized ones as part of my birthday gift. visit her blog and you can see the lovely ones she sent me. Need to get some better photos of them so I can share with you.

That will be next time.

 Till then Happy stitching

MY VERY SPECIAL EVENT

 I had a very special event approaching, and Iwas allowed to celebrate it any way I wish, I chose to stay at the Chateau Tongariro  for a couple of nights and enjoy the luxury of the surroundings with in the hotel and views of the wonderful mountains around it. Everything now has to work round Paul's hospital appointments and transfusions and as these clash with my actual birthday  the trip was planned a little early and we  had a wonderful time.

 

 The road to the Chateau in the background Mount Ruapehu. insert The Chateau

 

 

It  was just perfect and my sister and her husband joined us, making it even more special. Joan and my birthdays are just 10 days apart and as children we shared the same parties so it was great that they joined us at this time. Denis ( her husband)  had had his big birthday celebration last month but as they were on a camping trip in the outbacks of Australia at the time we made it a delayed celebration for him too.

 On the Wednesday we got up to clear blue sky,  a bright sunny day although the outside was just 9 degrees Celsius.

 

Looking at Mount Ngaurahoe  from the lounge at the Chateau.

and as seen from our drive up the Bruce Road on Mt Ruapehu

 

We left Paul sitting reading in the sunshine and the three of us took a drive up the mountain as far as one could go by road and took lots of photos At one point we could look across country and in the far distance see the snow capped Mt Egmont which is near where I live and its the mountain I have on the heading of my blog. We took two days to drive home breaking the trip so it would not be too tiring for Paul.

 The week that has followed has not been a good one so I am posting this later than I planned. My birthday was spent in part sitting once again in the Emergency Department of Hawera Hospital with Paul. we did manage to get home for dinner that night and the meal I had planned.

 

 And today my plans are to make a lovely arrangement with these.

 

 

IHSW LATE POSTING

Yes I did stitch during the last IHSW but did not manage to post on the Monday before we went away for several days. came home last Friday and there has not been a chance to get a photo till now.

 I worked on two pieces, one a gift for a friend will be shown at a later date, The other is this piece.

This little chap was started several years ago with an exhibition in mind but when the criteria came out he was no suitable so was put aside.. At the weekend I mounted his head and top of his body onto the green fabric and my weekends stitching was his legs and feet and the lower part of his body. This time I intend to finish him as I have decided what to mount him on. One of the fun parts  to stitch where his feet, bullion stitches with one thread stitched with a beading needle
 I will post later about our few special days we had away.

WONTON PINCUSHION

 This is my Wonton Pincushion completed for a recent Stitching Friends Challenge, the idea came from a page  from an unknown magazine found in a scrapbook of ideas lent to me by another embroiderer. Here is the original instructions....

It was intended to hold potpourri however for our challenge we made a firm padded base to place inside that was stuffed with sheep's wool. My base had a 4cm square of firm card on the bottom then a good size pad os sheeps wool and to hold everything in place I used a stretch bandage, it worked great. The outer covering is made separately, embroidered and held in place with the ribbon tie which was threaded through the eyelets.... it needed to be a firm fit.

The view looking down .........................

Simple to make and any form of embroidery could be used to decorate it. I am now looking forward to seeing what my exchange partner has done and will share with you when it arrives. I have had a phone call to say my piece has arrived safely and delighted  the reciever.

I have finished and mounted my little Rabbit. and now moved on to completing a similar piece started some years ago with a certain exhibition in mind but when the criteria came out it saddly did not meet the requirements and was put aside. hopefully by the end of the weekend I will be able to show that one to you. Both have been stitched as slips then cut out edges turned under and  mounted onto another piece of fabric. Its a very useful method and one I also use for my bird pictures. Big advantage is that if the stitched pieces does not go well you can start agin without having to start the whole piece of work again.

 

Its IHSW and specially great here in NZ as we have a three day weekend so I have lots of stitching planned and I will report in on Monday night with my progress.








 Now I am off to stitch for the rest of the day...... and again tomorrow and again........ Enjoy your weekend.

CAITLIN"S STITCHING

Caitlin has been learning Pulled thread embroidery,  I feel she has done so well with her Blackwork it is time to move on, so She planned her design for her next piece and  it is to include several different techniques,  one is to be pulled thread work so a small piece to start with was an ideal choice and she has made this lavender bag as a birthday gift for her other Grandmother.

 

 The fabric is 30 count Danico linen and the threads used were Chameleon Perle 8 in a soft lavender pink shade. The top edging on the bag is a Danish picot edge hidden behind the ribbon is hem stitching which the ribbon has been threaded through. The heart is edged with reverse chain stitch and has the pulled thread Honeycomb stitch in the centre. Tiny bought ribbon roses finished it off. Here is a photo of the detail.

 

 

She will be coming in this afternoon for our stitching hour together... we are at present working on Rabbits which will be used as slips on a piece of embroidery. we have printed a  rabbit picture for each of us onto fabric using the computer and specially backed fabric sheets. This is an easy method of getting a design specially for an animal as you can see how the fur is lying and follow that with your stitching. Here is my rabbit I should finish his head today and add a Turkey Stitch tail. Size it is just an inch and a half tall.

 

Do you remember my little hedgehog ? he was stitched by the same method.

Another rabbit is about to start its travels again...... Lttle Bunny is being posted off today and as there were only 3 request for him I did not draw one name but each name in turn to determine which way it will travel so coming first to Gracie, then on to Annie and lastly to Lelia who said she will blog post it again. As I have no idea where all the American states are am not sure if its going to criss cross the country or not. Thanks to Annette of California  Stitcher there are threads with the chart and I have added the addresses for forwarding on. Enjoy stitching it.

 



HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNETTE

All can now be revealed, on recent posts I have mentioned I could not show what I have been stitching.... as it was a  gift for a friend who I know reads my blog, parcel has now safely arrived and I can share the pieces I stitched. Happy Birthday to Annette who enjoyed a birthday this week.
 I love needed work accessories and delight in making them, the set I made for her is made up of a pincushion......... a pin whimsy.... and a tassel fob for her scissors. Bullion Stitch roses worked on silk using Chameleon  Perle 12 threads. The pin cushion has 4 small bead feet making it look a little like a Victorian foot stool.

 

I love Pin whimsys as they are the easiest way to store and carry pins, This one has layers of sheep's wool between felt inside and finished with a ribbon edge, I have not used this method of finishing before, but recently received a gift with this finish and I was most impressed and had to try it out. The ribbon is stitched on using coral knot stitch.



 

This is my effort at decorating a bought tassel and the last piece is a little extra tucked in with the parcel a pomegranate fob attached to a small plastic ruler. I  find a 6 inch /15cm ruler most useful to have in my embroidery hussif and  I came up with the idea of having a fob attached to it, I bought some clear ones and  Paul drilled small hole at the top of each one for me and I have now something different to add to my small gifts. You cannot see much of the ruler in the photo !

I am currently working on two challenges to send off and hope to be able to share these with you soon.. Little bunny has finished his travels within New Zealand and he should be heading off overseas again by the end of the week.

it is meant to be spring but the weather has been quite wintery, good for sitting by the fire stitching... where ever you are I hope you are managing lots of stitching time.