MORE DRESSING UP

  Enjoying a few days of dressing up of a different kind I am in Napier with my sister Joan and Denis her husband to enjoy some of the events during Napier 's Art Deco Festival. So far on the first day we went to the movies , to see "Flying Down to Rio" with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.  Then out to dinner with friends in the evening.

Next day we took the rail car shuttle to the neighbouring city of Hastings, turning back the clock again the rail car we travelled on was 73 years old. At Hastings we did a guided walk of historical buildings before travelling back again

Here is the three of us in our finery.

The fun is that everyone dresses up and so you see a great number of 1930'S outfits where ever you go. Evening we went into town to picnic and see the show at the sound shell

Yesterday following a quiet day at home and yes I did do some stitching, we went out for dinner .... The Alfresco Munch at the Hawkes Bay Club where we dinned at tables under umbrellas on the lawn, my outfit was one Maree had created specially for me for this event.

THE QUEEN OF HEARTS

 Annie's recent comment that I should be called "The Queen of Hearts" after all the hearts I had stitched over the years... well turn back the clock to 1941 and here is the Queen of Hearts

My special dance in the Ballet Recital that year was in the Nursery Rhyme sequence. I remember we came through a large book at the back of the stage and yes I was the queen of hearts. Mother had baked Jam tarts and then glued them into a patty tray so they would not move when I danced. After my dance the policeman back stage asked if he could have one of my tarts. I told him they were stuck in but he took out his pen knife and removed one and ate it...... later I panicked that because of the glue I had poisoned a policeman, however he must have lived on as I was never had up for murder.

The rather sad heart in the top corner is from my dress the only one left.

Happy Valentine Day to you all

From the Queen of Hearts.

THE HEARTS

I wanted  this years hearts to be filled with lavender I had the idea of a butterfly with his wings not stitched down and some flowers, shopping in town I found this butterfly it was perfect but there was only one. The heart is blue felt covered with net and net on the back enclosing the lavender.  This one has gone to  friend as a t"hank you" for all the encouragement she gives to me.

There are five of us in Stitching friends group  so I needed four hearts, These were also lavender filled and as three of the four have now arrived ( the last person must be away at the moment) I feel I can show them to you. and as this posting will be a little photo heavy I will let the photos speak for themselves. Wish I had time to make more and share them with you all

Hearts

Over the years I have created and stitch  many small hearts...... these ones were stitched one year to share with Stitching Friends Group, in this case the linen was dyed with Raspberry tea to give it the pretty pink shade and the stitching was pulled thread work. Looking on Pinterest for inspiration before Christmas I found the lovely work of Paulette on her  Beedeebabee's  Blog  see here  a visit to the Bead Hold Shop, yes we now have a bead shop here in Stratford which is just great when collecting bits and pieces to add to designs. This time I came away with a selection of silver findings that looked like small flowers, and of course more beads. The hearts were made on white felt covered with lace and edged with pearls, having been given a large amount of pearls on thread left over from wedding decorations using these was quicker than sewing each bead on round the edge. Have enlarged the photo so you can see the details.

These were petite hearts  about and inch and a half across. For my next effort a larger heart was the project and I wanted the heart to be something useful,  I posted out five last week, four  to Stitching Friends members and one to another friend, now I wait till they arrive so I can share them with you.
We have had a long weekend holiday here in New Zealand so I guess mail is slower this week. One has arrived but it would spoil the fun to share  that with you before the rest....... so all I can say is watch this space.

A NEW MONTH BEGINS.....

First up is my challenge piece for February, I had not thought of including a fox in my woodland theme till this little chap caught my attention on Pinterest, I also found the chart and all the different ways other people had used this design, he certainly was popular. Quick to stitch I have now stitched him a couple of times and made them up as scissor fobs, the other
one has already gone to a new home and this one................ well I will possible share him with someone later meanwhile I am enjoying his company.

Yes I have given in and started stitching Snow flower diaries SAL and the first one is a fox...expect to see it posted soon, was inspired on when I have saw the finished piece stitched by several blogging friends.  My start was delayed till I had finished some special pieces I was working on last month, they will now go in the mail and I will be able to share them with you later in the month.

Yesterday I packed away all the sewing bits from the last projects that had cluttered round my chair and on the coffee table, now with a clear working space, new month am off to make new stitching plans,

Time flies, but memories collected along the way can never be replaced.

Ashley Tisdale