Things are Finished

I forgot to post the picture of the Xmas decoration that I swapped last month. The person I swapped with was Ina from the Netherlands and she did not have any preference for colour or design so I was free to play with my stitching. I really enjoyed this little decoration and think I will make a few more for Christmas presents.

Decoration sent to Ina for Swap=Bot

This photo is the coathanger and dishcloth that I made/ finished for the recent Arts Festival for Woman's Instittute. I got a first for my coathanger but nothting for the dishcloth which I am currently using.

My next finish and Beaded Journal Project finish is my bracelet from a kit by Carol Wilcox Wells entitled whirling pinwheels. It was my challenge to finish it in april before we went to Hawaii but I have now finished it in time for San Francisco. This is My March piece for 2012 so I am only two months behind but keeping stitching and beading on lots of other things.


The finished bracelet.



detail of the pinwheels which i loved doing.

March is finished.

PARIS - the most wonderful musical with great tunes. By an amazing Australian artist - Jon English.

I am really pleased that I have finished this piece. It was a real struggle trying to interpret my vision for the music into beads and stitch. The background is coloured with watercolour pencils and ironed to fix. I then applied a piece of chiffon which I then ruched onto the background fabric. Because I tried to leave the stitching area not ruched it was not even but it does show the movement I wanted as like marble.

I used a different bead for each section of the letter to symbolise the various parts of the Paris story. I was pleased that the coin worked well and looks vaguely like a roman helmet which was my aim.

now onto the next one - Maree - very alternative and wonderful music tastes so this next piece should be fun.

What I have been doing?

I have done of two of the three canvas's for seminar. The pictures are not great but I am quite pleased with how it has gone. The third canvas is on the frame ready to start this evening.

I have continued stitching on the BJP for March. I found a coin from Brazil which had a face that was good but slightly bigger than i wanted so it appears slightly large. I tried to use a brick stitch for the bezel which was not too bad but a bit uneven. I am filling in around with little picots using the delica and #15 beads. I will keep going with this today as the weather is really shocking and quite cold so I can sit in front of the TV and catch up with viewing.
Also since the last posting I have completed two more christmas decorations for sale so hoping that I will be able to do a couple more in the next week.
I am going to see Shrek 4 this afternoon with friends as a relief from being inside as well I watched the Rocky Horror Picture Show with friends who had never seen it. It was a great couple of hours and fun to see it again.
Diane

Another Square done

What a great weekend. Saturday was wet and horrible so a perfect day to stitch on Heart of a Cabin. Finished two logs so really pleased and also started on the third of my beaded journal pieces for this year. Here is the finished square for HOTC and the sixth one I have done. Had a letter from L Reinmiller to say that we should get our canvas this week so this will be all that will be done on this piece for the next few months as I need the stretcher bars.

The third BJP for me this year is my friend Kim from Melbourne, Australia. She introduced me to a wonderful piece of music in about 1992 – a musical written by Jon English called Paris. It is the story of Greeks and Trojans with the horse and Helen playing wonderful roles. I have not seen it performed but have seen several clips on YouTube of the various performances in Australia. The music is wonderful and this piece symbolises the longevity of the story – I have tried to get a stone like look in the letters but the warmth of the wooden horse. I have taken a small snap of the semi stitched piece so you can see it.

Sunday was also spent stitching with friends from the embroidery guild on our christmas raffle. We are stitching an advent calendar so it was making the 24 toys to hang on the calendar then our next meeting will have some of the last bits to do and Maree will have all the putting together. It will look fabulous I am sure and I will be making a couple of new toys to hang on my advent calendar. Currently I have a selection of about 30 to choose from so that is really neat.

Progress

Had a lazy weekend but still busy. Creative Stitchers met on Saturday and it was interesting to see the different classes from conferenc. The remainder of the weekend has seen progress on Heart of the Cabin. Finished one square and started the next which is now halfway there. I am pleased with myself and hoping to finish this one before our canvases arrive for seminar. I am still enjoying this project and I realise that it will be a long term project but that is fine. When the canvases arrive I will have to change projects as I need the stretcher bars.
Got the list for my class with Beth Robertson and Suzanne Howren. It looks to be like lots of fun but concentrated time. I will have to do some of the preparation when we get to San Francisco as I am not able to buy the canvas here in NZ. Still it is not too much to get prepared.
Here also is a photo of the latest purchase – Geraldine has been around now for five weeks and is wonderful to drive. She has been named after one of the muppets from Fraggle Rock – definitely a girl car so could not be called Kermit (name suggested by friends at school). Mum and I took her to Hamilton recently and it was a great ride so really pleased with the purchase.

BJP progress is slow but moving. I have now got a letter to trace for the next one and will look at choosing beads over the next couple of days. This one will be mostly browns and I have some glass chips which I think might work. It was a challenge to trace my pattern but hoping that it will look great when stitched together.