Monday, November 19, 2012

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.
 
 

Saturday, November 17, 2012

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
 
 


Monday, November 5, 2012

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

Friday, November 2, 2012

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.