NEW CHALLENGES.........

I have set myself a new challenge for 2016. My stitching list is as usual quite long so I wanted something that I could stitch to take a break and would be completed quickly, a couple of nights at the most, so fun without encroaching on my main stitching time. I have set myself the challenge of stitching one scissor fob  a month , for these I have chosen the theme woodland creatures,  and my first one is the fantail and no  walk in the bush is ever complete with   out the company of a  friendly little  Piwakawaka the fantail . this tiny Fantail design comes from my friend Ann's needle roll she designed for a workshop at the Coromandel Guild Retreat in 2011 I did not do her workshop as I was teaching the other workshop at the same time but did stitch it later as a birthday gift for Annette of California Stitcher's blog.

My visit to the Christmas Shop last year added two little fantail birds to my bird collection for my little tree, and the Christmas decorations have been packed away and the birds are now on the tree, think I need a few more to improve the display, here are the new additions, the fantails.

Another challenge came from Caitlin, she has just been staying with me for two weeks having  chosen to be here rather than going off to the South Island with the family in the motor home. the past year study has not left her much stitching time so we agreed on a stitching project that was her choice and with a deadline of January guild meeting.  No surprise that her choice of technique was black work, the project a 15 piece biscornu.  Caitlin will not make the deadline so for her it has now been extended to the end of the month, I have finished mine and here it is stitched on 35 count Permin linen stitching over three threads with one strand of D M C 904.

What next.... well there are always the larger projects that must get done however I like Snowflower Diaries SAL  and may give in to temptation! Is anyone else stitching it?Check it out here

Thank you for all your encouraging comments, yes I do visit your blogs too and this year I will try and be better at leaving comments and replying to comments on my blog and oh as well blogging more often........... not new year resolutions just hopefully good intentions. Ileave you with this thought.

Do more of what makes your heart sing, your eyes sparkle and your soul soar’ Rebecca Fox.

FOUR SEASONS

Now that Christmas is over, parcels opened I can share with you what I stitched for a Christmas gift for Annette of California Stitcher's blog   This cube pincushion has a floral wreath for each of the four seasons going round its sides,  lots of enjoyment in both the planning and the stitching would like to make another one when time permits.

Caitlin is staying with me at present for a couple of weeks and we have set ourselves a stitching challenge, I hope to be back next week reporting our progress, next tuesday is guild meeting and we need to have our challenge finished to go on the show and tell table that evening.

 Happy stitching everyone.

GOODBYE 2015- HALLO 2016

Now home again from my trip to Queensland, Australia, I am finding it hard to settle back into a routine again,  and as a result am rather late in writing a post for my blog. the trip was a gift from my sister Joan and her husband, Joan was determine that we three siblings would be together to celebrate Donald's 70th birthday, the last time we were all together would have been in 1978, although over the years that followed we had both seen Donald on several occasions.

 The three of us taken in about 1950 Lee Donald and Joan

and here again as we are now ( in reverse order this time 

Joan on the left, then Donald and myself.)

  Donald's home in now with friends in Queensland Australia, we flew from Wellington to the Gold Coast and then drove the long trip north, to Gin Gin. Joan had carefully planned the trip with stops at points of interest on the way, one of these was to visit Portside Maryborough and see Mary Poppin's statue unfortunately at this time it rained so it was just a quick photo taken sharing the umbrella with Mary Poppins, outside the building where Mary Poppins author P L  Travers was born, next door was a cafe called A spoonful of sugar but we did not have the chance of a coffee with a spoonful of sugar as they were closing up for the day..

 

 This was our only wet day, the weather was very warm but not quite as warm as I expected, in fact dreaded, so we're very lucky, we were able to spend five days up in the north, country was very different and I enjoyed seeing all the bird life, many were very colourful like these Lorikeets.

Following our time up North we had three days on the Gold Coast and there I saw pelicans for the first time much larger birds than I expected.

Returning home a few days before Christmas  the year has now  raced to its end,  in fact the whole of 2015 seems to have just flown by! Thank you to all my blogging friends who have shared the past year with me I look forward to visiting your blogs to read your news and to know what delights you are stitching, and to have your comments when you visit my blog in the year ahead.

 Its January 1st here and for the coming year  I am..........................