SEASONS

Although all days are equally long regardless of the season,

some days are long not only seasonally but by rewards they offer.”
― Dejan Stojanovic

 

My other entry in   the Embroiderers Guilds Regional Exhibition "COLOUR OF THE SEASONS" which opened today was this needle roll which I had entered  in the needlework accessories section.  It was a really fun piece to design and stitch. Inspired by Just Nan's Lady Scarlet's Scissor Roll which being a limited edition was not available in New Zealand  and so I just had to design my own,  here is what I created .. Little Mouse explores the seasons. 

 

 

 

There is a Roll for pins at one end with a pocket for my scissors. 

 

 

I use Doctor Flannel for my needle page and  the weave is suitable for cross stitch and its fun to add a little stitching on it.

 

 

 I found the tiniest mouse button to go on top of the padded roll and if you look again at the top picture you will see I have a mouse bead on the fastener. This piece will later go to Caitlin but meanwhile its mine to enjoy and I certainly will as it won first prize in the Needlework Accessories section and $100. That I love!

 Recently I stitched another needleroll, it was designed by my very good friend Ann Brocas for the 2011 Coromandel guild retreat, I stitched it for a special birthday gift for Annette of California Stitcher and as I was running late getting it in the post I did not wait for good weather to get some photos. however if you visit Annette's blog here you can see what I stitched and yes I have a little extra touch on the flannel there too.

 The post also brought me a parcel, I was one of three to receive gifts from Gracie of   Needles, Pins and Dragonflies She was celebrating her bloganiversary.

 

a pumpkin pin cushion in Autumn colours some fun material  and Hardanger snowflake kit... that will be something Caitlin and I will stitch together, she is ready to learn something new, so thank you Gracie for your gift it will be enjoyed.

 We are almost at a new month so if I get busy and finish the construction of "Strawberries so faire "I can start a new project with the new month........ I have so many on my list of want to do.. oh where do I start......well that will be revealed next month

 

 happy stitching everyone.

STITCHING PROGRESS

Dare to dream for dreamers see tomorrow,

 dare to make a wish,

for wishing makes way for hope.

Ron Cristian

 

 

I really did hermit for the weekend, lots of progress. here is where I finished Strawberries so faire a month ago, sadly I had to frog the section across the bottom before I could start for the weekend.

 

 At the end of the weekend, I had completed all the stitching ready for construction and also had finished the last of my four Latvian coasters this needed the foursided stitch and the Danish picot edge.

 

 
 

The Latvian coaster are my entry for the "COLOURS OF THE SEASON" The Regional Embroidery guilds Exhibition that opens at the end of this week. I stitch four coasters one for each season , these were designed by my friend Ann Brocas and I just loved stitching them. Here is the full set with the colours I selected for them.

 

 

Spring- think of Daffodils-DMC 3852 3821 522 520

 

 

Summer- old roses-DMC 3835 3836 3011 3013

 

 

Autumn- Marigolds - DMC 3853 3854 838 3828

 


 

 

Winter cool crisp days.-DMC 931 932 645 647

 

Which one do you like best ? I will share my other entry in a later posting.

 Did other Hermits get plenty of stitching done during the weekend am off to check.

 





SPRING BRINGS JOY

The future belongs to those who believe

in the beauty of their dreams.

Marie Curie

 

My home has lovely fragrances through out the rooms at present, all week I have been picking bunches of Daphne burkwoodii, this is my favourite Daphne and I have two large bushes  that allow me to pick many bunches to share with friends  giving me great pleasure. And I have a large bunch on the table near my chair sharing its sweet scent with me as I stitch.

I have also picked  for myself a bunch of lilac this year it has been badly beaten by the heavy winds and rain of the past week but that has not taken its sweet fragrance

 This time of the year has so many rewards and I am also enjoying a vase of Lily of the valley that I picked yesterday, as its fragrance is much softer I have put it in my bedroom and what a delight to enjoy when I enter the room.

This weekend is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend and my plans are to finish the last of the four Latvian coasters I have been stitching, mount a piece of embroidery for myself...... it has been waiting for quite a while and to do some more stitching on Strawberries so faire, that's after I have done some frogging on that piece, it is so maddening  to find one is one stitch out!!!!!

 

Progress report at the end of the weekend. happy stitching to all other Hermits for the weekend.

ANOTHER PAGE

Use what talents you possess.

 the woods would be very silent if no birds sang but the best.

Henry Van Dyke.



My September page at last, I did not get a chance to photograph it before I went away, however here is it now... At the top of have some pattern darning, the bottom row is Swedish darning stitch and if you look closely at my beetle I have included some darning in him as well, the plain darning that we used years ago to darn holes in socks or jumpers.

 

 

The second technique this month is stump work, these faces are from the very first workshop I attended to learn this work.... Oh so many years ago..

 

 

The reason for my trip to Wellington was to attend the Wearable Art Awards show, and it was WOW, really awesome, we had great seats and able to see all the costumes close up and yet still able to see all the rest of the performance on the stage. I guess it was like seeing a fashion show, ballet and a circus all at once.

 Since I have been home I have been stitching one of those mystery projects that you have to keep secret however it is at last in the post... so soon the secret will be out. I am now finishing the second of my entries for the Embroiderers Guild Regional exhibition.

 I still have Rachel's present to stitch but I plan to do it the next IHSW and there are a few ideas going round in my mind, I need to organise myself a few more hours.

 

 Hope you are all getting plenty of stitching time.

PUMPKINS FOR CATHEY

Everywhere one visits in blogland  at present there are pumpkins appearing, Bloggers have been asked by Daffy Cat see here to brighten up the day for Cathey of Pumpkin Patch and co her blog- is here.

 Cathey, I join my prayers with the many, many others who have you in their thoughts. May the Lord give you the strength you need to face each new day,

 

 

FROM A SECRET FRIEND

Friends fill your life with joy,

your soul with sunshine

and your heart with joy.

Our Stitching Friends Group has just had their Secret Friend gift exchange, and while I can't show you what I stitched , we don't reveal who we are till December and so to post it here would be a give away I am thrilled to share with you what I have received.

 

The theme for the exchange was "Pansy flowers" Here is what I received,  isn't this little brooch just exquisite, the stump work pansy  is just 2cm across ( three quarters of an inch) and the whole brooch 5cm (2 inches) The background appears to be deep purple in my photo is really black. If my secret friend reads my blog- know that I love it and say a big thank you to you for stitching such a beautiful piece for me.

I am off to Wellington this weekend Barryn is driving up to collect me, and he and Jackie have tickets to take me to the World of Wearable Art show next Tuesday night, I am really looking forward to that. Flying home on the Thursday so will blog all the news of the trip after that.

 

                                             Meanwhile Happy stitching everyone.

 

 

IHSW UPDATE



Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within.

ECKHART TOLLE, The Power of Now

Yes I made progress on my planned piece this weekend but not sitting in the sunny corner in the unit but rather by the fire in the living room, weather forecast for the weekend was  heavy rain and thunder this is my favourite chair and as you can see there is plenty of clutter round it from where I have been working.

 

 

 and here is my progress........................

 

It would have been nice to have complete all the way round but time did not permit and now I must put it aside for a while and work on two pieces that cannot be shown yet but for which the deadlines are coming closer.

 

 I hope everyone who was IHSW stitching had a great weekend.

 

SUNSHINE ,STITCHING & IHSW

Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered

by imagination.

Voltaire



Yes I have been busy stitching and the disappointing thing is at this stage I cannot share any of it...... a gift for my secret friend who I hope will not guess who it is from all will be revealed in December.... ....a birthday gift that has yet to be finished and go in the post........ and my small entries for the Regional Embroiderers Exhibition... once the entries close I possible will share that one with you, so instead I am sharing with you the stitching spot I enjoy on sunny days. This lovely big window that catches the sun almost all day long is in the unit attached to the cottage I sit and stitch here on sunny days  enjoying the view at this time of the year of the Magnolia stellata which is in full bloom.

 

 

   the view of the magnolia from the garden.

 

 

 

 Another time I will show you my stitching corner in the ,living room where I stitch and enjoy the warmth of the fire.

 

 

 

 

This weekend is the next IHSW and I have signed up with the plans to work on My gift for Rachel's birthday at the end of October. I am stitching Strawberries So Faire by Ellen Chester of With my needle I have started and will be back after the weekend with my progress report.

 

 

 

 

Hope you have a happy weekend stitching.

 

MY PAGE FOR AUGUST.

Here is my page for August for Needlework masters Monthly stitch-a-long,  the panels in the fan are Wessex Stitchery, these were stitch as examples when I was teaching this technique. The little blue beetle was fun to stitch specially trying to make the two sides of him as close as possible.

 

For my second technique I have added a piece of surface stitchery ( bullion stitch roses) This is from last year's monthly project

 

 

 

A lovely surprise that arrived in the mail this week  was from Heather who made this delightful Kanzashi  flower. she saw them first on Lang's May page for Needlework Masters Monthly stitch a long and found the templates were available here in NZ  Thank you Heather, I will find somewhere special to hand the flower.

 

 

Now its back to the fireside and my stitching.

 

 

SPRING MORNING

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

Good morning... the sun is shining... and there are lots of signs that spring is here in my garden... AND at the moment I can sit comfortably, and I truly give thanks.  It has been a long winter not being able to do much  and I thank all my blogging friends for you messages specially during that time, and how when I could spend a little time at the computer I have enjoyed reading your postings and news.  I have finally managed to get Birthday Bunny chart on its was, Vicki it should be with you before long. Bea I know you were interested in stitching it too but My email to you has been unanswered, if you read this and are still interested send me your postal address and I will forward it to Vicki.

 I managed to

complete Beauty and Grace  in time for Caitlin's birthday,  and here are some photos.

 

Beauty and Grace by Ellen Chester of with my needle stitched on Silver Springs linen from Colour Cascade Australia. Threads were just what I had to hand.

 

a little change in the wording to suit the occasion

 

 

 I am not working on my monthly page for Needlework Masters Monthly stitch a long hope to get it posted this week.

 Meanwhile thank you for visiting .................enjoy your day.