CATCHING UP AGAIN.

 Rebecca Cottontail wearing her new dress, this past month I have had a delightful time creating more small dresses, I will put the collection on my other blog soon.

After a week of heavy rain, the sun came out for Good Friday and was very welcome for the 100 folk who did the walk between the churches for the Way of the Cross Easter Walk. and some lovely autumn weather followed, while i have mostly been stitching small dresses  which are lots of fun, i added this little bunny to the Etui for Eve.

 

Kept stitching the guild Wessex stitchery project, trying to keep one month ahead  along with having the notes ready for each guild meeting. it is interesting seeing the different colour selections.

And to prove I do manage some serious stitching as well here is the piece that was finished earlier in the year and sent to Vickie as a rather belated blog anniversary thank you gift .I managed to get it into a large envelope and avoided parcel post. Sadly the cost of postage as increased dramatically  making sharing and sending small embroidered gifts  beyond my budget. That makes me sad as I look back over the years and can recall the fun of sharing stitching with other embroiderers.

A gentle reminder from a friend that I was neglecting my blog prompted me to rescue this posting which has been sitting partly written. Will try to do better next month. Meanwhile my blogging friends stay safe and have some good stitching time.

ONE MORE

        

I ended last  month s stitching with one more for my Alice in Wonderland Collection. Sue knew I was looking for a tiny pocket watch and she called in to show me what she had, this one is just perfect thank you Sue. Alice and the Cheshire cat sill to come but need to wait for the right inspiration and materials.

I am currently stitching a piece for the regional Exhibition later in the year, also Wessex stitchery as a guild project and a Faby Reilly piece with Fiona each Wednesday morning. Along with that I have started Christmas stitching, first up with some tiny dresses for the folk in Eve's dolls house. I have brought to life my other blog ...other side of the mountain  ..see here to record the petite dress making project. Short posting this time as Rebecca Rabbit is waiting for the fitting for her latest dress.

TEA FOR TWO

I had seen advertised on line a " High Tea necklace" made with tiny enameled teacups. and to my delight I found a much cheaper version, my order took 5 weeks to get here  but proved to be well worth the wait. Table and food borrowed from the doll's house so the mad hatter could invite the March Hare to tea.

 Next month after my visitors come and go I think I will put the Christmas tree up in the unit as I do want to see what they all look like hanging on the tree, and by then I will have added to the collection.

THE DUCHESS

 I was given some lovely yarn, very fine alpaca and silk blend, beautiful to handle it is so very soft. Tried it out as a wig on a peg doll and was pleased with the result,  and that led to my completing the doll, decided to make the Duchess to add to the Alice in Wonderland collection. I wanted her to be a little matronly to be different from the Queen of Hearts. And for a while there was a problem of her baby who turned into a pig until I found a pig button in my button tin and it worked perfectly. 

I have been asked how big are these decorations, so to give you some idea I dook this photo with a marker pen, the pen is 5 1/2 inches or 14cm 

I must leave Alice in Wonderland for a while, yes there are more characters I want to add but need to wait till after my next felt order. For this month February I have quite a different book in mind,

My daughter Jan has quite a big collection of children's books, including those from my childhood  her fathers and then her own and I noticed a few of her brothers there too along with what she has added for her daughters when they were younger. I am enjoying re reading children's books again as I research details for my decorations.

What did you enjoy reading when you were a child?

Keep safe  and have a good month 

ONE MORE

 One more for my Alice in Wonderland collection.

The Mad Hatter's tea party ends with as Alice left,   she looked back to see they (the Mad Hatter and March Hare) were trying to put the Dormouse into the teapot, and no doubt that would have been head first! But I decided to let my Dormouse sit up in the teapot instead. I will add to the Alice in Wonderland collection later when I have ordered more felt.

Meanwhile I have decided on a different book for next month, and am currently researching the dress for the characters. more about this next time when I hope to have photos to share.

Guild has started for the year and our first project  we will be stitching a needle folder, with Wessex stitchery on it. This one was made for me by my friend Lyn and she has given the guild permission to copy her design.  About ten years ago on my blog  I shared some of the lovely Wessex pieces Lyn had stitched, she was in the very first workshop that I taught on Wessex stitchery away back in the early1990's and over the years since she has stitched many pieces, and in turn has taught many people this work.

To all my blogging friends may you stay safe and keep well.

A NEW START

My absence from blogging has been because till now  my photos would not come up to transfer across from the computer, the iPad or my phone, Very frustrating!!!!!

 Then tonight reluctantly the computer brought them over but as soon as I tried  to re arrange them they all disappeared and it was back to the start again, hopefully this time they will stay, and I wont risk trying to put them in the correct order.

I have decided this year to work toward a story book tree for myself.  It started  the book Alice in Wonderland and with the Mad Hatter, it took four attempts before I manage to make him a hat that I was happy with, he is not quite complete have ordered a tiny tea cup for him and need to make him a piece of bread.        While working on these characters I re read my old copy of Alice in Wonderland  and found I really enjoyed the clever use of language in the story, ,I wonder as a child did I really  follow how clever the writing was or was I just caught up in the story's adventures.  I note now that the characters are not describe in too much detail and so the readers imagines them for themselves, in this I have possibly been too kind to the Queen of Hearts, my one does not look as if she is about to scream Off with their heads! I had the White Rabbit all finished as he appears at the Court and went back to the book to discover the brief opening description of him was a white rabbit with pink eyes! I will possibly make him  again when I can find a pocket watch small enough as these are only 12cm high. Alice will come later I need to wait till I put in my next felt order first.

 

Now before it all disappears again like the Cheshire Cat I will hit the publish button.

I hope for all the new year of 2021 has started well even if you are one of those in the world that are housebound because of the restrictions.

CHRISTMAS STITCHING ALL DONE

This year it was a Christmas stocking for Ronan, I was able to get the same material that I had used for both Finn and Eve's stockings  and Caitlin asked for a jungle animals theme , so here they are putting the lights on the Christmas tree. Fiona found some parcel tie that had miniature  Christmas lights on it so was just perfect. As the stocking has already gone ready to be filled for Christmas day, I made another gift for Ronan that Caitlin does not know about.

 

I have the book "Dear Zoo" and have made a set of finger puppets to match the story. I did the same for Finn when he was younger. 

This Christmas for Finn I have made a Tic Tac Toe set  of knights and dragons using the smaller peg dolls.

We played Tic Tac Toe together when he visited in October, and its interesting how a four year old can invent variations on the game. and for Eve.......

 Goldilocks and the Three Bears finger puppets, and the cottage is the box to store them in.

I hope they all have as much fun playing with these as this Granny had making them. We have always included something hand made in the Christmas gifts, first  for our own children and now for the grandchildren and great grand child.

I have not put the Christmas tree up here this year, I fear it would not take Kaytu long to strip it of the decorations... so this year it is at Church as a message tree  for prayers and blessings, I drove past the other night and the inner doors of the church were open and the tree was lit up . looking lovely. will try and get a photo. before Christmas

Hope your Christmas preparations are going smoothly, and in this very difficult time for many, you are able in some way to share the Blessings of Christmas with your family.

.

THE OTHER HOUSE

Wednesday was a day of memories, mostly happy treasured ones. It was 8 years since Paul died and I am ever grateful and blessed for all the years we shared together. Fiona was here, as Wednesday mornings is the time each week when we get together to stitch, however no stitching this time, instead I  opened up the dolls house.. the real one for her to visit.

My dolls house is a large to scale late Victorian house which Paul built for me in the 1990's and together we decorated and furnished it.

It has been a while since I opened up the dolls house, turned the lights on and visited with the family that live there. Looking at all the furnishings  I was reminded of all the planning and time Paul and I had spent together bringing this house of my dreams into reality. Fiona and I
spent quite a while enjoying the house and its contents, I really must do that more often

I have posted more details about it a few years ago on my other blog the other side of the mountain if you would like to see more follow the link here  there are several postings showing close up photos.

Mt Christmas stitching is almost completed I will share photos when I next post. meanwhile I hope your Christmas plans will not be to changed by the covid impact on the world.

THE DOLL'S HOUSE

 This has been my project during the past month, Paul and I bought this dolls house for daughter Jan when she was about 3 years of age that makes it 51 years ago, some of the original furniture had survived and the rest was from the second era for the house when about 22 years later we repainted and refurnished the house for Jan's daughters .At that time a sixth room was added by making it possible to open the roof and put the attic space to use.  We wallpapered  the rooms added carpets and some "Sylvanian  family"furniture. Now Rachel and Caitlin have decided to pass the house on to their small cousin,  We have seen photos of Eve at playgroup  enjoying the dolls house there, I am sure she is going to love having one of her own.

The master bedroom and the lounge   there was very little to do in these two rooms. I have only re upholstered the lounge suit.

Up stairs on the other side of the  house the bathroom is all original furniture While the nursery has all new furniture. below the kitchen dinning room has quite a mixture  of  old, very old and new.

The new family moving into the house this time is the Sylvianan Cat Family. 

When these arrived I realised we had more animals than beds so a new set of twin beds had to be added to the attic.

The house has gone to Wellington and its new owner, I have kept this records so that I can  add more items when sending gifts to my littlest granddaughter. Because of her age some of the smallest items like plates cups and food have been held back for later.

The Guild Challenge
 The guild challenge was to dress a peg doll for display at the Christmas party here are the ones I have not been able to show till now. This is my favourite "The Lady" Her dress has bulluion stitch roses down the front and the hem is edged with buttonhole loops. The cloak is cream silk lined with deeop red silk  and has a stiffened Elizabethan style collar and the headgear is from even early period in history.

The my next favourite of my designs is my witch which is on an earlier posting and then there

is St Lucia(from Sweden)  with her crown topped with candles.

and my snow queen

I took a photo on the evening but realised afterwards thee were 4 that were added later, but all in all it was a great project and quite varied selection 

 it was judged by popular vote and the winner was Helen's Strawberry doll. don't you just love the hat.

Maree has another fun project for the beginning of the year, I look forward to sharing that too. Meanwhile it's back to the Christmas stitching this year its a stocking for Ronan, Caitlin and I have talked about the design and i have the same background fabric I used for Finn and Eve's stockings.

READY FOR HALLOWEEN

I made some tiny hats to share ideas at guild for the peg doll challenge, including this witches hat, the next step was to make a tiny witch

what  followed next was another witch, this one is my favourite.

I have my entries ready for the challenge next month and will share photos after the meeting. Now I am working on some new Christmas decorations. Last year I made a Nutcracker doll decoration  for each of the three of us who stitch together on Wednesday mornings, this year I am adding the Sugar plum fairy hope to show these to you soon 
meanwhile its back to the stitching..

 

1 a MONTH CLUB

I am currently stitching the final decorations for the "1 a Month Club", each month apart from the occasional one for myself I have stitched just five decorations  for those who joined the club and committed to buy 1 a month for 10 months.  This has been my fund raiser for church instead of doing a stall at the church fair as I did in the past two years. I am grateful for the support I have had from five friends which meant I was sure of raising the amount I set out to do.

Here are the ones from the past nine months. I have been asked about the pattern for the Robin on the jingle bell.  there isn't one !,   My method of working is to cut the pieces as I think they should be, make one up making adjustments as I go, then once I am happy with the results, repeat using the improvements I made. The only one shown above that I used a pattern was the Owl, I just loved Whimsylandia's owl brooches so bought the pattern on Etsy and it was perfect for my wreath design.

I have some ideas for next years project and will share when I have finalised my plans, wont be committing myself to too much stitching as there is always other projects to stitch as well.