Charming or Tedious

My thought for the day is:

“It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious” Oscar Wilde.

Some days my stitching is in the same frame. It is neither good nor bad, but I am charmed by the development and thoughts that happen as I stitch (currently on the ANZEG mystery sampler which is having a lot of stitch development in my case) or I find that the pattern or colour is tedious and I want to get this out of the way.

I have just finished a hardanger scissor case and needlebook and I realised why I have not done large scale hardanger projects. The buttonhole edge drove me nuts and I could only do one thread at a time. This for me was some tedious stitching but others find it charming. How are you viewing your stitching this month?

I will find time later this month to post pictures of the completed stitching and also the Wessex needlebook that our guild is creating. I am slightly behind but getting there.

A long time missing

celebration dinner

One of my aims this year was to blog at least once a month but I find that a third of the year has gone and nothing written. It's been a busy start to the year with my brother and his wife visiting for my dad's birthday and a celebration weekend in Wellington. It was really fun and we had a wonderful time with them here and they had a great trip down the south island for his 60th birthday.



Stitching has been continuing and a new project has come along but more on that later. Night class is still going and we are doing a tiny tin of treasures project this term hopefully. Some photos of that are here:

             

 Next project on the go is the piece for Taranaki Creative Stitchers: I was given Kenya as my county but quite a difficult one. There is no definite style of embroidery or stitching (only ndebele beading stitch could be called african) so I am exploring the african aesthetic and hopefully will produce a piece for the october exhibition.  As part of this process I have been doing some machine embroidery and made this couple of birthday cards which I will sell or use. I have also been making some christmas decorations using a similar technique so once they are finished they will get photographed. If successful I will make a few for the end of year Percys Place shop.

Card making has also been featuring and a neighbour is hosting the occasional afternoon of card making so I am taking advantage and going. I then come home and use a bit more of the card/Stampin Up stash so here are some that I have created (tiny gift cards) for Mackays Pharmacy to sell. Its been a great way to use up some of the stash and I am trying to do more.

This is the start of the next project. Our guild is having a Casalguidi workshop in June and the preparation foundation needs to be stitched first. The colour is looking grey but it is very similar to DMC 504 colour so that will be fun.

Well that's the catch up and here's to a term two with a principal who is on sabbatical and an open evening that is not too far away and no organising started. Oh dear just another year at school.

Busy months

Fiona's Birthday present. A project pocket.

Been a busy month so far with a few projects completed and others on the go. I made a project pocket for Fiona's birthday in this really lovely fabric and have a small needlebook to make to go with it. She was delighted with it so I was pleased.

Book marks for sale at Percy's Place

Next projects finished are more items for sale at Percy's Place. I have made about five book marks and have a couple more to make. I am hoping that these sell at the gallery as they have been fun to make but very time consuming.

I have also finished three perpetual poppies for Rhonda to sell, these are a new design shape from using the fluffy poppy that I made for myself last year. Hopefully these will be popular as well. It is coming up to ANZAC Day here in New Zealand so they should sell.

ANZAC Perpertual Poppy

 My last lot of crafting this month has been making some cards as I did not have any left. I needed a sympathy card and Jessica (from inkitupwithjessica.com) had a card which inspired me. I cut ten cards using purple and green card stock from my stash (so not the same colours as Jessica's) but go together okay. I used one of my favourite stamp sets for the flowers and also sassy saluatations for a couple. The top left card is from Jessica's web blog so I hope that she likes what I have done. I still have about five sets cut out to do but will make them another day.

Cards from recent day making. Top left was the inspiration card.

last project for the month is the Italian Love Affair for our embroidery guild. I am over half way with the Perugia embroidery and will start the Deruto next rather than the Byzantine one.

Will post pictures another day.

Anyway - one day left of the holiday break then a public holiday and back to work. My week off has become three days this holidays, but I have had time with friends and family so that has been good.

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.

Stash deprivation continuing

Progress to date on the stash deprivation project. I have been trying to get one parcel a week done and so far seem to be keeping to this. using all sorts of threads for this has meant a bit of unstitching as some choices were unsuitable. I also have managed to stitch one parcel completely the wrong way but you will only notice when it is placed next door to another completed one.

As well as this project I have done a little on my Thracian embroidery, started a piece for a present for christmas and done several ATC and prayer flags for swap-bot. I had also nearly finished the rug I was knitting but discovered about six dropped stitches so had to undo a lot and have not really picked it up again. It will come back into the handwork rotation soon I am sure.

Along with stitching over the past month I have read two new authors, JR Ward (Maree says it will rot my brain) and Darynda Jones - funniest books for a while. This past weekend I was able to read the latest Jack Reacher novel "Make Me" which I thought was quite a bit mellower than some of the novels but a good ending. At the beginning of August we had a chocoholic night at book club which was great fun and I came home with a bottle of wine so that was nice. Thanks marilyn for the chocolate fountain.

Only four more weeks and it is holiday time so getting prepared to take macrame lessons with the ladies from institute.

Twin fancy finished

Finally a beaded design finished this year. I saw a picture of this on pinterest and was not able to follow the links to find the pattern so decided to attempt it myself. It has taken a while and I think I would like to have a bigger difference in the ball sizes so am going to start another one which will a class for next year I hope. 

Next challenge is to learn macrame to take a class for institute for bracelet making. Mum and I will be taking it so I am going to make simple kits that people can then take home to make there own. I have decided that these will only be to make a sample not a whole bracelet as the number of people that do not finish is astounding. I will supply a could of patterns found for free on the internet as well.

Next up is the continuing of shady colours two. I have most of the centre done which is nice but we are starting a new project with night class this week, Laura Perin's Christmas Wreath. Three ladies will be stitching it so it will be great to see it come along. I have to get mum's and my canvas onto some bars so we can start.

An excitiment for today - I'm off to the Circus with Sonia. I know its not the russian or las vegas style but I am excited.

Finished items for February

This month has been good as I have finished two projects for embroidery and completed two swaps again. This time I have taken photos of them so I hope that they reach their recipients in the northern hemisphere.

Latvian Mat, Finally finished (in the Buddhist style) but not yet dated.

This was a class that our guild ran with Anne Brocas. The colours were a random selection that Maree had on her table and I quite liked. This mat has been around the world once and to California once also. Nearly did not get finished as I lost the threads when I came home in January.

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My blue christmas decoration for swap-bot. I loved my first one which was a star but this one was fun to stitch also.

ATC Swap #6. This was stitched and beaded. lots of fun. my next one also has christmas words as these are the selvedges that I have at the moment.

All posted

Over the past ten months mum and I have been stitching for ANY Auction. These are the pieces that have been sent back for this years auction in Chicago.

Egg stitched by me.

Xmas Deco beaded and stitched by Mum

 

Christmas deco stitched by Mum

Elf boot stitched by me.

The other piece that we have finished was on my last blog post. It is a cone which was loads of fun to stitch and showed me how much the choice of stitch affects the finished look.

I am hoping that they will be made up beautifully and sell for good prices at the auction. It has been fun stitching and I now have brought one of my canvases out with some inspiration for stitching.

The next project that we are making for our night class is going to be some of the projects from the Needlepoint Now magazine.


This picture below shows the display table from our recent embroidery guild meeting. We also had all the pieces for our guild challenge finished and on display. It will be exciting to see it made up by Lee for the conference in New Plymouth in July. Notice under the display my table runner that Marilyn helped me make. It is the french braid pattern and now lives on the TV cabinet in my lounge. The small rooster piece was another piece stitched by Liz Bartley and I have made into a snappy bag.

May 2014 Guild Display of finished pieces.

Another finish

I was so excited last night that I stayed up to put the last beads in. This piece has history. It was started by a member of our embroidery guild (Central Taranaki) who died at the start of 2010. Last year her husband gifted me with her stitch bags and supplies and this was in it. My night class had been stitching Laura Perins Floral Ribbons and Victorian Ribbons and I was about to start one of them. I decided that I would finish this piece and make it up.

At the weekend we had our regional embroidery retreat and I decided that I would take this piece and stitch everything that needed to be done except the beads. That would be my stitching for Monday night class and this piece would be done. It worked but after a lengthy discussion on the colour of the beads, opal disappeared, the greens were wrong, the pink was too wishy washy, we decided on silver pearl and raspberry. I did most of it during the class time but after all left I sat on the couch, watched my favourite programme “Person of Interest” and sewed on the final beads. It was 10.45 pm when I took out the pins holding it on and took the photo.

My decision now is what type of bag. I have been making snappy bags and don’t really need any more for myself so think I would like to make this into a pocket for a bigger bag that will hold a 14 inch frame. This may be the go but now to find material (is there any in the stash) and a pattern (I have a book).

The next exciting thing that has happened is my dad had his birthday yesterday and the birthday surprise was my brother arriving home at 9pm last night. Very exciting.

Busy weekend

It has been a busy weekend and although wet and rainy on Saturday, Sunday has been a nice day.


The weekend started with Stephanie arriving on Friday night to stay for the weekend and also getting tow birthday presents (cups from Harrods and England with 2012 / Stratford on them). Thanks guys it was great and the chocolates have been tasted by Stephanie and myself. Saturday I spent the day the Regional Embroidery retreat in Eltham with mum and about 35 other stitchers so caught up with a few friends and finished my patchwork placemats for the arts festival. Also stitched a couple of mittens for Christine for the arts festival. Dinner at the retreat was wonderful and I finished with the most delightful brownie but paid for it in the middle of the night as it was very rich.

On Sunday Stephanie and I started off with a nice breakfast in the conservatory before we were overtaken by the Nintendo fans. Luke, Callum and Virginia came to visit so the boys tried out the Nintendo Treasure Hunt game which was fun.

I took Stephanie to her mum’s after lunch then came home to stitch and complete some of the projects needed for the arts festival in two weeks. I have sewed handles on my tote bag, made another snappy bag after undoing it as I sewed the wrong seams first, made my mittens and nearly completed my fabric brooch for the arts festival. Also here is a picture of my latest two swaps – tea cups and mitten so enjoy them.

Stitching on Christmas tree is coming along but unfortunately I have not done any more on Pot Pourri but hope that Thursday will see more samples done.  Sorry about the sideways photo but I cannot turn it around today. Think I will have to go back to taking the photos with the camera not the ipad.

enjoy your week.
Diane

Weekend Retreat and Stitching

Well the holiday break has come and gone and some stitching has happened. I spent one weekend in Auckland with Stephanie which was a nice break away. This weekend just gone was our annual embroidery retreat held in Opunake. For the first time the weather was shocking and it meant that we could not go for a walk.
Our project this year was another one from the Stitch Magazine (England). It is a number of years old and one that has been on the wishlist for a while. It involves spray paint, leaves, blackwork and being creative which was difficult for a couple of our members. Only six of us were staying and we had no visitors from the Opunake Guild (either the weather or project put them off)


My 15 sided biscornu nearly there.

 

latvian work has nearly all the flowers stitched - outlines and boxes to come



inventive spray paint with leaves.

 I decided to do mine on a piece of linen that I had with me - I was intending to spend the weekend finishing projects. I will turn it either into a notebook holder or a pocket for my clamps. You can see it in the centre of the photo above.
It was a good weekend and I loved all the stitching so hopefully next weekend as a holiday weekend will provide some more opportunity to stitch.

Creative Stitchers Challenge

Our creative stitchers challenge for the next two years is a round robin challenge with a shape of your choice. The first swap has taken place and I have had Mary's piece which is a tree with an oak leaf shape. Here are a few of the thoughts about this leaf.

Mary Garlick – oak leaf shape, September 2012

I decided to use some silk paper I had made as it reminded me of the new spring leaves. I couched the edge but when I cut out the shape it was too flimsy for a detached leaf so I have quilted the leaf onto the background fabric. A small ladybird reminds me of them during the spring growth in the garden. This picture is upside down so it hangs on Mary's tree at the bottom. For a change I have not used any beads on this piece of work.

A Busy Week

The week since I have been home has been really busy and it does not look like easing up any until after the holidays. I arrived home rested and with the precious for Stephanie so delivered it and received lunch with her mum and dad in return. My ladies arrived for class so we had a catch up before two of them were off to Australia for a craft and shopping marathon.

Not much had happened on the school front but I managed to not have a desk weighed under with paperwork – Ina had put it all in a box for me. Took most of the first couple of days to clear it and the emails which I had tried to keep up with.

The weekend was nice and on Saturday had our creative stitchers group meeting with a catered morning tea and lunch. It was delightful and the ladies have asked for it again. I have nearly finished my piece for the guild extensions exhibition so just the finishing to do and then I can give it to Maree for display in Christchurch in July.

Power and protection pieces but not certain if I will put all into the exhibiton.

I went to Marilyn’s for tea and to watch the first all blacks game for 2012. Conrad smith scored the last try so we were excited about that. It was a good game and the next two games against the Irish should be good.

Sunday was a fine day so the washing got hung out and I found time to start digging the potatoes. Last year I only had little ones but this year I have dug this small section of the garden and already dug a whole bucket full. This will keep me going for at least a month. I was most impressed with them and it will be nice to have some large potatoes to bake whole.

My bucket of potatoes

This week we have chicks at the flicks so it will be a fun night as seeing a preview movie is always good.

Giveaways on blogs

Linda Kittmer has the most wonderful blog of beads, fabric and art journalling. she is offering this dvd as a blog giveaway if you post  a comment on her blog. go and have a look.
http://lindakittmer.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/great-beading-dvd-give-away.html

Just been to embroidery guild meeting and the pulled thread cushion decoration that members are making is fabulous. I would love to be doing it but I will post a picture of someone's when finished. I have finished the first panel of my four sided bag so here is a snap shot. It needs a little paint in the hair styles and to do the eyes but I did not have any black thread at the meeting.

My geisha (little fat ladies) first side of the bag.

I will be doing some blog hopping this week as part of swap-bot so I will post some exciting links I hope. It makes it fun to explore new and different blogs. Something I found today was eyelash beading. google it and see what happens.
have fun this week in beads,
Diane

Busy weeks

Life has been exceptionally busy for the past couple of weeks but I have been inspired to take part in a couple of swap-bot exchanges. Lots of fun I did a tea-bag swap, fabric swap and am currently doing a blog and christmas decoration swap. It is loads of fun to get envelopes in the mail and new tea to try. I find that this time of the year is best for me to swap but I want to try and do at least one every month this year. I have my christmas decoration to make this weekend and I am looking forward to cutting out all the leaves for the christmas wreath.
my two ideas for my christmas decoration.

 

I am busy stitching on thefelt  wall hanging for Neil and Cathy but do not think I will finish it before we go to Hawaii. only three weeks to go and six days on the beach. Stitching is continuing on my 15 sided biscornu for night class and I am managing to keep up while trying to learn the new stitch programme that I purchased for my computer. This weekend I would love to complete the instructions for "D's the Letter" but I will be at embroidery weekend for saturday then as part of the Relay 4 Life team for our school from 5pm on Saturday to Sunday afternoon.

I will post a picture of D's the letter when i get home as i do not have a copy at school.

February finishes

2011 Guild Retreat project finished.

Our embroidery guild have a retreat every year at Opunake and we usually do a project for the weekend. Last year's project was taken from the Stitch magazine and we used the transfer paints on chiffon. This was really fun to stitch and most have finished it with one person doing two - a dawn and a dusk picture. I painted my canvas black to make the dawn setting pop of the screen.

2011- Lee's pomegranate scissor keeper.

My other finish this week is a pomegranate scissor keeper from one of our guild meetings. Lee designed this delightful keeper and I finally managed to put it together. I was not happy with the way the beads sat in the centre so added more. I have put it on a thread cutter for my travels. These are handy for the plane journeys planned this year.
I have also finished the sample ball for the Tania's Feathers class and will take a photo soon. Still doing ATC's for the BJP 2011 and have another three planned out ready to bead.

guild christmas a success

The 2011 Central Taranaki Guild Christmas party was a success with 30 members and guests enjoying a night of fun, frivolity and friendship. I did up the project kit which was found on the purl bee website.
I had lots of fun cutting them out and joining them up with vibrant threads.
The bottom photo is some of the finished brooches on the night. I will be using the remainder of the kits with a group of students at school during the activity week. Lots of fun and thanks to Molly and Laura of the Purl bee letting me us this pattern.

busy holidays

Well another holiday break has nearly finished and I have had a busy time, catching up with friends, rugby world cup is nearly over and some of the planned projects are done. The holidays started with a trip to Wanganui to take a canvas class in making a needle book or book cover which was loads of fun and inspiring as well.

Members enjoying a break at wonderful Payne's Palace Beach Retreat.

Last weekend was the annual Central Taranaki Embroidery Guild retreat to Opunake where we had ten people undertake a project from Stitch magazine - a winter sky. It was loads of fun and I have mostly completed mine as well as completed most of the bargello section from canvas two on Walk on the Wild Side. Nothing further has been done on this canvas this week but I expect to get some done when watching the rugby final tomorrow night.

Ten of the stitched projects from the weekend. My piece is the bottom right sunset piece.

The reason no stitching this week is a new toy - I am the proud owner of an IPOD Touch and it has been loads of fun loading stuff onto it (took me four hours last night to get my music from one ipod to the other) and I have nearly got all the music ready to go plus some new stuff to listen to tomorrow.

Erin's roll

One project I have finished this holidays is the needleroll or lavender roll for my neice Erin. hopefully my brother will get it and be able to take it home with him on monday. I started this as my plane piece on our trip to USA last year and finished it this year with Erin's name on it.

Projects started (and hopefully finished) is the porject bag using my sudoku piece. I went to Maree's today and she stitched (I was gofer) and it was halfway there. Then late afternoon I went to marilyns and we started on a table runner for a christmas gift for our cousin. I have quilted half of it so can complete it tomorrow night when I go to feed the cat and then start one for my friend for christmas. Tomorrow morning I am going to start Marilyn's knitting bag and if it is fine weed some more of the garden.
I have finally got the stones ordered for the pebble garden and I was hoping that they would arrive before the weekend it is fine that they will be here next week and I can get to it each night.
I will report on more of my holiday break in the next post (possilby with more pictures of completed works)
Diane

A very busy time

It has been nearly a month since I last wrote and things have been really busy.



My Soduku - very halloween ish.

I have finished Sudoku and here are the finished pieces from my Monday night ladies. This has been one of our most successful projects for a couple of years with five of us completing it within the same year we started. It is doing projects like this that I miss Liz and how much she would have enjoyed doing this work.

Judy's piece - same colours as Sue

Jills piece used the colours as stated in the pattern.

Mum used a monotone palete which looks great.

Sue used the same colours as judy but quite different results

Mum and I went to Dunedin to visit Alice and while there I completed a mill Hill Christmas kit plus finished the Mill Hill Scissor case 9without the long neck cord) as well as completed the outside row for my Lativan work. I have also started the May piece for BJP 4 and am back onto walk on the wild side with canvas #1 finished and number 2 underway. Mum has finished one and two so she is racing ahead of me.
My Colourific piece has been received and the exhibition opens at the end of this month in Arrowtown so it will interesting to see if Skadi comes home afterwards.

Holiday catch ups

Adding the beaded face.

It is time for the end of the school term and holiday time. I have six days off this time and busy completing my entry into the national exhibition. I am busy getting all the elements stitched and added onto the base goddess. Hopefully I will be completed by next thursday when I go back to work. Soduku has been getting a couple of squares stitched each day so I have finished 5 sets and onto the 6th set of nine stitches.

Also I have been completing a few other jobs over the past weeks. I made 4 baby bibs (with one to complete) so that is a job of the list. I have my notebook to make for our trip away - we have tickets to the ice hockey in New York but no trip up to the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
I have my cake mixer fixed (not doing to badly for something that is 30 years old) and purchased a pizza stone so that is the next cooking element. This afternoon I am going to try out the Tarte Tartin recipe from Masterchef as I have a suitable dish now.

On the book front I have been listening to the new audio books from the public library. They come on a little MP3 player and really great to use. Have another which is on CD's so that will take a couple of days to listen to but makes the beading and hand stitching go faster.

The bike riding has started and I am off this afternoon for a 20 minute ride around town while I get my confidence back. Hopefully I will be able to keep it up. Certainly I am more confident in changing gears and using the hand brakes. The weather is not very conducive to riding bikes but it will improve as we move nearer to spring and summer.