Friday, December 30, 2016

Out walking

Out enjoying the taradise weather along the New Plymouth walkway with Stephanie. 
New sculpture along walkway donated to the city. 


Saturday, September 10, 2016

Two squares done

Finished another square on my white work sampler. Really loved this wavy stitch but struggled a little going in  reverse direction.  Hoping to get a little more done over the next couple weeks. 

Have been attending the education paid Union meeting about funding issues. 

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

latest gems

Project pockets: made for Betsy Morgan class.
It’s been a bit of a busy month with the biennial embroidery conference come and gone in Auckland. I now have to settle back into life with a really short term at school. The photo below are the pockets that I made for us to use to attend conference so I have also completed one for Marilyn for her class this week. They were fun to make and I have three more ready to go, just needing to choose the fabric and sew.

Night class has started and we are continuing on our Christmas wreath but also stitching our guild project of Montmellick and conference projects as well. I have done a bit more on my acorn etui and thought that I was all the way around the base of the biscornu to find that I still had two sides to go. Oh well, it has been pleasing to see Maree and Sue’s progress on the toy chest pieces. A new pattern has also arrived with Explorations by Debbie Rowley my current cyber class. I am going to be choosing the threads for it over the next month so that I can possibly start it at Christmas.

Christmas earrings. I sent one pair overseas
My next photo is of the Christmas earrings that I have made myself. I sent one pair off on a swap for Swap-bot so hoping that Cynthia likes them. Rally hard to make something so personal but if she can’t wear them I am fine with her repurposing them as dangles on a decoration. I have not done many swaps this year but am trying to do a couple every month. Lots of Christmas decoration ones and tea or postcards which are not too hard to post.



 
Making coasters with Anne
My next activity has been a couple of hours spent with Anne making Santa coasters. I think my check ones look like Santa pyjamas and after the sequins were put on it looked great. I will have at least two or three more to cut out to add to the cup bags that I have made for our Christmas party. I find that a mug bag, mug and some tea bags is a great parcel for a secret Santa or an extra raffle present. Currently I am still using up fabric so that is fine.

Other things that are still going on are the banners from Grandmothers Garden and I have got the next one sorted so it is ready to cut, sew the background then cut out the pieces to applique on and oversew. Shady colours version two has stopped once again as the conference stitching is going on and I am looking at trying to make some yellow brooches for sale as it is daffodil month for cancer research. I will see what happens on Sunday as it might be a movie marathon this week with a friend. Creative Stitchers is this weekend and the start of a year long project so I need to find some images to print to cut up. Last but not least is my BJP piece which is to be a glasses chain for a friends birthday. That is my task for tonight so hoping that it goes together well.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Embroidery conference

Well finally the conference is here and I have had two days of classes so far. It has been a bit of dega vu today with Betty Morgan 's class but still we learnt some new things and did finish our little small to go with the Gathering for Winter etui.
Saturday saw Cheryl, Marilyn and I drive to Auckland to arrive at Stephanie's in time for a cuppa and then all off to Ellerslie Event Cetnre for the exhibition and merchants mall where we managed to spend a bit of money. Maree met us just after three pm and we wandered into the exhibition to see maree's pieces on display. It was fun choosing the ones that we thought might win. Marilyn and Stephanie went out for dinner while I attended the conference dinner with Maree and other members of our guild and region. The highlight of the day was the winning of the traditional award by Maree for her white work Angel. Really lovely. She was also given a merit award for her Founders piece so very successful evening for her.
Sunday saw Marilyn, Stephanie and I visit Sylvia Park for retail therapy then to Bean There Cafe for lunch before I went back to the conference to see if I could get into her Jo Dixey speak. Unfortunately I could not so Cheryl and I had another round of retail therapy and I purchased some extra things for Marilyn. Stephanie had taken Marilyn to the airport, but we were alerted that her flight was delayed and her arrival at home was about an hour later than expected.
Monday - up early to drive to the event centre and only had one hiccup being the wrong lane on the grit south road. Got to class in plenty of time to find a nice space with good light. It was pleasing to see that all 21 of us had completed our pre stitching and I was not the only one to use the pumpkin thread instead of the gold one. Betsy's notes are excellent and really detailed. if you read them through, it sounds like she is talking to you. 

Day 2 pincushions completed for gathering for winter etui
Waxer box for "its for Betty" etui
Day 1 class: waxer box for etui but still no cords to tie it together.
Day 3 and 4 sees me doing a class with Alison Snepp - a miniature white work sampler. Due to her requirements no photos will be posted but this piece is lovely and I am enjoying the stitching all though I have not spent five hours stitching for a long time so today was a long day. After class we went up to Silks Cafe to discuss class, have a drink and take part in a short quiz evening, where Cheryl ended up getting the highest number of points while Maree and I were in the next group. We all came home with a box of woollen threads but Cheryl did get a little wooden pincushion form which is cherming. I also got another dmc thread so that was nice but same pattern as the one I already have so disappointed. Well off to bed now so will post this hoping that the pictures work and if not I can fix them at the weekend.



Monday, July 4, 2016

Its been a couple of busy months



I did not realise that it had been so long since posting but I have been having a very busy time with school, stitching and swapping as well as card making on the side. For another month I have had to change logins and passwords for everything so it is becoming a pain to try and remember them as now you cannot use the same word again.
Anyhow here are the photos that I have taken of work recently.

The first two are brooches that I have been making for sale in the Percy Thomson Gallery in Stratford. They currently have a textile art exhibition so very fitting they are on sale. 
Flower Brooches - one already sold
Octy pins I call these. Having fun with embellishments
On the Stampin Up side of things I have had a couple of card nights as well as having the odd afternoon with friends. It has been fun but I am trying to use up more of my supplies so the holiday break will hopefully see me making some more children's cards to sell. Pinterest is a great resource for ideas.
My next big project idea is making project bags for my conference classes. I decided that I needed a notes folder for myself so that is what i made. Then as I will be in class with a couple of friends and their usual holder of a plastic bag is not ideal I have made one for each of them. Next I decided that Marilyn needs one for her Betsy Morgan class so a quick visit to steal some of her fabric and i will have it made next weekend. They have been fun to make and I am looking at making a couple for myself rather than just the one. This weekend I have to get all my supplies organised for conference - mostly just needles, scissors, light and hoops i think plus my spending money.

On the home front Ewan and Erin arrive today with Erin staying with me the nights she is in Stratford. It will be fun and I hope that she is warm enough.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Its been a while

I am not certain where the time is going but the projects are not moving much on the stitching front but I have done quite a bit of card making and stampin up work. At the moment I am going to be looking at all my stamp sets to see which ones I need to get rid of and then also the stamp pads as my tower is full and I don't need that many more.
Here are some photos of the boxes we covered to hold your cards and the start of the one sheet wonder class. We did four of the eleven cards that could be made. I am hoping to run another one of these classes in June as it was loads of fun using up all sorts from a base. The next one will be done using one of the new DSP and card sets. What fun.
On the stitching front my ladies have finished our pendant – Archipelago. It was a great class and all the colour choices were wonderful. We purchased these kits from Melanie Potter and there were plenty of beads so the occasional flying bead was not missed. Our next beading class will be in ten days and we are going to be continuing the bezeling of items. I will have a selection of things that the ladies can bezel as well as one new student who wants to make beaded balls so I am currently getting her a kit of beads and accessories together.
 I have been very busy over the past month making perpetual poppies and selling a number through the Percy Thompson Gallery here in Stratford. It was fun and here is the latest in my brooches made from a fabric flower. A friend challenged me to do something and I had initially forgotten. This is what I came up with during the week. Our next little challenge is to do something with three yo yo flowers. Reveal day is the Wanganui sit n stitch in June. 
My brooch
 Our three entries.
Last photo for today is my latest swap bot ornament which is winging its way to the USA. I will repeat this one for the next swap. 

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Got Second Place & Catching Up.

This past week was a busy one with catching up with some embroidery projects and friends.
During the week I had book club and institute. At institute they finally talked me onto the committee and I am the vice president, which means Valma best not be away. I don't really want any more responsibility as I still have a couple of other positions on boards that I undertake. also great celebration as I managed to take some flowers and I got second prize for one of the roses which I picked from the neighbour's garden. 

Friday – lunch date was great and I nearly had to bring a little girl back to work with me, though the washing fairy did go to my place and bring in the washing before the rain arrived. What wonderful friends I have.

Saturday was a busy day with sit’n’stitch at my place and we had an excellent turnout of guild members during the day. A variety of projects were being stitched with some older projects brought out of the closet including our Fisherton-del-la-mer mat. This is a nice stitch and I think I will get mine out for the next couple of weeks. I progressed a bit more on my nametag (needs to be ready for April 5th) and now have to work out my alphabet for my name.
The next bout of stitching that I have done, is my Christmas wreath but I think I will be pulling out the last lot of stitching as the thread is very bulky and I am not sure I like it. I will finish the rest of that particular parcel this week so then I can judge.
Sunday was a day of rest. A leisurely start to the day saw the laundry completed and kitchen duty done then just as I was off to walk to mum’s she arrived to collect me for our lunch and afternoon out. We met with several of the institute members at the Windsor Cafe in Inglewood for lunch. I decided on the French toast option along with Kay and it was delicious. Bacon, maple syrup, berries and lovely toast which was actually very filling. Karen and Marie joined us and we took off on our tour of Inglewood gardens. These were private gardens and wonderfully done. All had lovely areas and the warm weather made for very pleasant wandering through shade, sun, over bridges, around ponds and through a native walk. A cup of tea stop at our second location was a delight and raffles were purchased but no I didn’t win any of them. At our last stop we caught up with an old friend of my sisters so that was a nice surprise.
Back home and the evening was spent in my own garden planting some flax grasses that I had purchased and digging up a bucket of potatoes which I made into potato salad. A busy end to the weekend.
I am now currently looking forward to a nice lunch and a leisurely long weekend, hopefully doing some nice shopping, walking, eating and visiting.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Its been a while

I apologize to any that check regularly for updates. 2016 has started with a busy time. As you would have seen from the previous blog we (stephanie and I) celebrated new year in scotland then we had another three weeks nearly in england catching up with friends, family and a few old haunts before coming back to a lovely summer at home. I had a week to recover while stephanie went straight back to work.

since then the new school year has started with our roll meeting ministry predictions and this is causing some concern for budgets and staffing. Still I go every day and get paid so as long as it continues that is good.

Joined the beaded journal project again this year as it keeps me inspired and also gives me a boost for completing items. My goal once again for this year is to document and complete one beaded item each month.

I have just spent a weekend at the beach with mum, stitching and beading with progress on Christmas wreath, shady colours and beaded archipelago (which is my BJP piece for three months) as well as a bit more done on a new name tag. It was great to get progress on all of these over the weekend. 

This is a couple of photos from our first archipelago class and our progress. I will take more for next month. 

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Happy new year

A happy new year to you all. I hope that you are enjoying your weather, mine s blustery, wet and windy but thankfully no snow.
Stephanie and I arrived at the farm on New Year's Eve to a quiet night with heather and watt. Did manage to stay awake until midnight when we toasted the new year in with a nip and shortbread. Yesterday took a walk up the road while waiting for Dave to arrive. It was cold but not much wind, however today seems to be another story. 
Currently just after 7am and sunrise is two hours away so it's still dark but very windy outside. I'm sleeping in the new upstairs room of the cottage but it's cosier than the old loft and Watt can't close off the stairs.
Another day to relax and stitch.