IT'S BEEN A WHILE.....

In fact its been quite a long time, I wont go into excuses just to say I am keeping well, and life seems to keep me busy.

Among the little stitching I have done have been these penguin Christmas decorations, last year I enjoyed making the penguin set for Caitlin and that inspired these, Fiona and I had a trip to the felt factory, although I have the colour charts it is even better seeing all the lovely colours available in felt for ones self. I wanted to try the glitter felt and after looking at different colours settled on the white to use for the penguins. The photo does not show it up- it has a soft sparkle not too bright. I plan to repeat last years effort of a Christmas Decoration stall at the Church fair later in the year.

Caitlin, Fiona and myself have continued our monthly challenge on a small decoration of a woodland animal... we have added rabbits, squirrels and a fox, so far I have only mounted my rabbit. The others may be incorporated in a piece I am planning.  For this year's Regional Exhibition in November, I have decided to stitch a etui for Eve my littlest  Granddaughter . Yes she is very tiny at present only four months old but looking ahead, this Grandmother is aging and feel I need to stitch something and put away for her. Hopefully her big cousin Caitlin will some time in the future teach her to embroider and keep a family tradition going.

I am very proud of the fact we have had 5 generations of embroiderers in our family. The earliest I can trace back to is my grandmother,  I do not know if her mother stitch, certainly not after she came to NZ as old letters written in 1876 describe how an accident on the sailing ship coming out to New Zealand left her with little use in her right hand and photos confirm this. However Caroline my grandmother born in  Surrey, England in 1873 and came out to NZ  as a 2 year old learnt to stitch at school, it is known that she won a prize for her stitching when she was about 12 years old. the prize a lovely wooden sewing box is in my procession. No photos remain of her as a child, but I have several of her as an adult round the time of her marriage.However this is how I best remember her.

But I do remember her stitching in the evenings with her threads in a chocolate box beside her and one of my favourite pieces she stitch was inspiration for one of my pieces.

Mother also stitched and did some beautiful cut work before she was married and lots of smocking and bullion stitch roses when I was a child, following me Jan stitched quite a bit before life got busy and both her daughters stitched, Rachel's favourite technique is gold work , away at university now there is no time for stitching. but when home she is always interested to see the latest stitching here. While Caitlin now living at home having completed her degree, spends most Sunday afternoons with me and we stitch together. The latest project being the woodland animals.

here is my rabbit

And the etui for Eve. the material arrived last weekend I am using 40 count Permin and have tacking in so ready to start  at this stage does not look very exciting but I hope it will end up as like  my Robin etui of a few years back.

I promise a progress report from time to time.....