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.

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.