April BJP

Mostly beaded but a bit more of stitching to do.

Been doing the beading on my pocket piece of embroidery. This is a project that I started last year with a local member of our guild, Lee. I did the embroidery part but it got put away so decided that for April I would get the beading one for this project. This is a photo with most of the work done. I am just fiddling with it now before I see it up.

Spent two hours today trying to order something on the internet with a voucher. If anyone uses spreets it seems to be a torturous project to use their vouchers. Hopefully I will get some feedback from the company.

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.

ANZAC Day 2012

Today is the national day of remembrance and it was a lovely day. I watched the Gallipoli ceremony on TV this afternoon while mum and dad came for afternoon tea. Dad walked all the way which considering one week ago he was in hospital is amazing. Tomorrow they are off to get a heart monitor and then another week and a specialist appointment.

News also that Peter and Sue from Melbourne will be visiting next week so that will be nice as it is several years since I have seen them and even more since Marilyn has seen them.

School has started well with an increase in our roll again and it is unbelievable as we do not know where all the students are coming from. We have full classes and hope that these new students settle in well. With more students we have more staff and hopefully we will not need any more until next year.
Here are some photos from Hawaii.

The beach babes at Waikiki

All the girls at dinner

Peral harbour and Arizona Memorial

At the top of Diamond Head. Great effort everyone.

The buddhist temple was a pleasant stop for a walk around.

Hope you enjoy them all.
Stitching: i have made two mug rugs for embroidery guild but neither are beaded so the only beading has been beads for my march bracelet. three more beads to go before it is completed.
diane

May 2011 BJP done

 May 2011 BJP piece completed. This project had stalled after april's but inpiration was gained from our recent creative stitchers meeting where we talked about the theme "Power and Protection". We then constructed a felt image of the protecting eye used in many belief systems. My next piece will be the :Power piece and then comes the evil eye.

Below are the five months of this project done so far starting with egyptian eye (january), precious eyes (February 2011), jealous eyes (March 2011), red eye (April 2011) and Protection (May 2011).

Five months completed.

I feel strange that i am still naming these as the months but that helps me keep the project in line. My book is filling with all the thoughts that revolve around each so i am hoping it will be a nice table cetnre piece at the end. These pieces will go to Christchurch in July for the Extensions exhibition at the ANZEG conference.

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.

Home a week

Well I have been home a whole week and it feels as if it was a lifetime ago. School is back in earnest with full days and lunch at school (I have a new lunch bag courtesy of Macy's) so that was fun.
This weekend Dad and I went to the beach to see mum who has been there for the week. It was nice weather and I took some stitching but ended up making a ball for my sister in law Cathy and trying out a new pattern today. Not certain if I will make another one or even teach it but it was fun using some different colours. have to think about how the bottom will be finished.

Purl Soho - nice shop lower manhattan

Just thought I would put a couple of pictures from new york on here for all to see. We went to the 9/11 memorial site - very security conscious and long way to walk but it will be incredible when all the new buildings are finished.



Stephanie with new World Trade Centre Tower 1 being built.

From the Empire state down to WTC Plaza

Empire State, WTC from Rockefeller Centre.

Stitching news

Just a quick note to say that i have nearly finished all the bargello on canvas two of walk on the wild side - yeah.
started a 15 sided biscornu with my night class girls and it will be interesting. think mine might become a couple of cubes by the time i am finished as dont think i will get 15 sides done.
also onto christmas decoration number 6 and about 6 to go but need to find some more balls to use. It is a small pattern called sequin dainty that I have designed so quite excited about it and very simple. writing instructions next weekend and giving them to mum to trial.
been reading up on stuff for election and have training day on saturday so that will be fun. watched the DVD and it is great.
will publish pictures later this week.

more Christmas balls on the way

I have been making more christmas balls. Currently I am doing a pattern from the Stitch magazine (2004) which is a petite ball and I call it a Christmas Orb as it reminds me of the Queen's Orb as part of the crown jewels.
Also over the next holiday break I will hopefully be writing some instructions for a netted and sequined ball so my ladies can make one for christmas. Currently i have made about five but i need to make it fit a bigger ball and use #11 seed beads so that is the next challenge. I make a ball and the next one I alter but for the class that cannot happen.

Also at the beginning of October I am going to be taking a canvas class for another guild and we will be making a book cover or needlebook. I have to dye some lace and do some pattern instructions plus I want to make up a kit of threads that they will be able to couch down etc.

This weekend I am off with a friend and her daughter to the Chocolate Buffet in Wellington. A whole night of chocolate and desserts, plus chocolate to drink and crepes as well as truffles. yummy.
Diane

more work done

I have been a busy beaver and completed a tiny kit from School of Beadwork - Double Delish - onsie. It is lime and blue and very cute. I am attaching it to a key ring to give away as a christmas gift on my travels in December.
Maree and I went to St Mary's Cathedral in New Plymouth last night for the unveiling of the completed Peace Altar Frontal. We went one night to stitch as guild members so it was nice to be at the end to put another stitch in. Now the construction phase begins and in two months they will have the dedication ceremony. It was a nice service with reminders about Parihaka, Sept 11 2001 and the way of peace in the world.
Also made the new decoration in Bead and Button and now have put the magazine away carefully so cannot make another one. oh well I will find it.
Nearly completed the next month for my BJP so going to watch some tv and stitch some more on it.

Busy working

A busy fortnight has seen me make a number of coffee cup holders for small coffee cups but I am going to make some larger ones now. They have been really fun and I sold about ten of them so was pleased with the effort. I have made a number to give away as presents for Xmas so that is a start.


The next exciting thing that has happened has been my attendance at a creative stitchers play weekend. Jo and Anne from Creative Craft Supplies came and showed us how to use lots of their products; rubbing plates, polysol dyes, shiva stiks, xpandapaint as well as using some new materials polysuede and evalon. It was loads of fun and I have painted lots of paper with colour to start making some little goddess dollies. Think that they will look really cute and hoping to spend next holidays on making them.

Also I have started the ANG needlepointers piece of work “Sudoku” by Marilyn Owen. We met Marilyn at the seminar in Ohio and I am looking forward to doing this with the class. The class members have chosen the colours that Marilyn used (or slight adjustment) but mum and I are stitching differently. Mum is doing hers all in greys and I am using orange and black so it looks quite vibrant.

Went to see “Mozart’s Sister” last night at the Kings Theatre in Stratford and it was really great. Lovely costumes, sets and even the inside of Versailles I am sure.

Diane

Busy Stitching week

Busy ten days.
We have had our Latvian class with 21 attending the two classes and lots of progress made by various stitchers. Lots of colour choices as well with some changing colours halfway through (Lee). I have only stitched in class and pleased with my progress and colours chosen by Maree as an accident selection.
          I have all but finished the stitching on my canvas biscornu and will sew it up over the weekend. I am very pleased with it despite having problems following the pattern and colours. Should have had four threads and I used five or six. Should have had five patterns with three of each stitched the same to make the 15 sides but I managed to only do two the same of each pattern and then add in my own stitches. I think this comes from having too many favourite stitches. Ann (tutor from weekend) showed us her little blackwork biscornu with 15 different patterns stitched on it. I may have to do something like that with my Florence fabric and a silk thread.
          I have started doing a couple of swaps with swap-BoT.com and sent my postcard off on Monday. This week I have two more to send off – need to put eyes on a Christmas decoration before I can put it in the post on Friday so that is tonight’s task. After that it will be to start the decoration for next months swap. Think I will be in advance of this one as I have my idea and want to get it made.
          The holidays are looking to be busier than ever and hoping to have a few days at the beach with mum at some stage so that will be lots of stitching time on walk on the wild side.


Ann showing the weekday class some of her finishing and other designs.



My colours.  I have nearly completed one half of the holbein stitching.

          As far as beading goes I have completed febraury BJP (no photo taken yet) and it seems like the ATC size is the go for this year. I am trying to complete a couple of some of them so I can send them to Karen Cohen for the ATC swap so holidays will mean that another couple will be completed and can be posted off to her. I have the May page for 2010 to do and I am thinking about whether to continue with that series as I enjoyed the process from each person but it was really hard to get inside their heads.

Update on Stitching

It seems like a long time since I wrote anything and I feel as if no-one is watching. At night class we are doing a short class with Lee (www.notesfromunderthemountain.blogspot.com) and making her pocket for Titania. It was loads of fun last night and we have another night in two weeks so I will try and remember to take a photo of us all.

My pocket is for Tabitha as shown in the photo below. I have also been busy completing stitching for the Woman’s Institute Arts Festival - great expectations as mum keeps telling everybody about my work and I have finished several items, cushion, craft bag, knitting needle holder, one button bracelet with another on the way and two brooches.

I would like to get a prize but I am competing with lots of experienced ladies so fingers crossed. Tonight I will finish the button bracelet and then label everything so I can take it to mum’s tomorrow as the festival is on Thursday.

Beaded Journal Project
I am hoping to get another month done after this week. I have started the backgrounds for two more ATC's so one is done and I will photograph it to put onto here later this week.
This year I have been making ATC's which will go into the book I am now keeping. I decided I liked the size of that and inspiration for me will be words, poetry, songs that mean something to me at the time.

More balls made this week.

This is the collection of balls that I have made for christmas gifts this year. It is a netted pattern with a loop fringe using some glass chips on the loops. Really fun to make.

These two I have completed this week. the silver and blue ball uses a variation of my neptunes wave ball that I taught and designed earlier this year. It was fun adapting it to a smaller ball and using the loop fringe.

School is over and all the students have left. Only the tidying up to do and cleaning out my office ready to start next year again. Training tomorrow on the new absence programme and then some work to do on documentation for next year so that the week before school starts won't be so pressured. Then off to the beach, christmas at mums and trip to wellington with best friend Stephanie.

christmas balls

I have been focused on making christmas balls and here are the latest two. I made the green one for our embroidery guild party gift. The orange one is for my brother in honour of the SF Giants world series win.

Another Kit done

I see that I have this picture on twice but I am very excited by it. Now what to do with it - it is very heavy - too heavy for scissors and not certain how to attach it to my new bag for school but i will think on it.
looking forward to starting the next laura kit - think I will do the scissor case

more time is passing and I don't know where it is going.

Another fortnight has gone by and not much has been done. I have completed the cell phone fob kit for my mum for her birthday (done while in Auckland, where she was having her eyes operated on). Also I have been stitching some more on my Wessex Sampler as this has been easy to take away to several different functions, Opunake Mid-Winter Christmas (see photo below of the Christmas Fairy) and Wanganui sit and stitch. Also while waiting in the eye hospital I managed to stitch another saying. It is nearly finished and I am aiming to get it done this year.
Also this weekend I spent working on a knitting / sewing bag for mum. I made it from the scraps of a quilt that my sister made and fortunately there were enough bits. I have an extra piece which I am looking at making into a book cover for her. I have just the bias binding to sew around to cover all the seams and then sew on a couple of charms and get some handles and it is done. I will then make one for Marilyn but it will have to wait until she has more scraps.

Nearly finished

top corner of the front of the needlebook. This piece of lace was my colour inspiration along with the picture.

The back - colours are not as purple but more brownish. I really loved working with the different stitches.

I am very excited as I have nearly finished Stephanie's needlebook. I have loved doing this piece and hope that she gets many years of use from it. The inside pages are a fawn woollen material that I have buttonhole stitched and also used for the lining.

Month 2 of the 2010BJP will also be posted at the weekend after I photograph it and then onto month 3.

Beading and other things

It has been a couple of weeks since I wrote anything and I have completed a decoration for a class. It is called sparkling ruffles and we had to amend the pattern quite a bit to make it fit our balls. I had three ladies do it at the weekend and they all enjoyed it immensely as this is the first netting stitch that they have done. I was most impressed with them all.
I have finished the stitching on Stephanie’s birthday present so now it is embellishment time and then to the making up stage. It has turned out much better than I thought and I have used quite different colours. The inside will be a wool material as this is great for parking needles. Hopefully this weekend will see that project on the completion table as Stephanie is coming home the following weekend for the long weekend.

Heart of the cabin has stalled but I can report that mum is continuing on hers and has completed square three so is onto her sixth square. I will get the needle book out of the way and then hopefully some stitched this weekend as the weather looks like being not great again.
Beaded Journal project – February is coming along and I have to visit Maree to get the next part drawn on. It should also be finished over the next weeks and then only three months behind. I think I will do something less esoteric for the next month.

Diane

The holidays are over!!

The holidays are finished and its back to school tomorrow. Mum and I had four/five days at the beach and we made four beaded decorations from some of our books. I also managed to complete another block for heart of the Cabin.
I spent one day last week making a bag with my friend Sonia and have half made another one for mum for her birthday. I will make another one later in the year for my sister Marilyn, once she has finished her quilt and I can have the scraps.
School was busy over the holidays with a reunion of ex-pupils, and the school rugby team playing against three other schools in a tournament as well as a visiting team. It was great to see the students in our hall and nice to see the finals played in good weather.
We had some warm days and then have had a couple of light falls of snow on the mountain but it has not stayed. The weather has been really great for the holiday breaks but look wet for this week.
Had a great morning today as was on Skype with friends from England who were in Rotoract with me in the 80's. it was really neat to see them all as I havent seen most of them for at least 15 years.

Month 2 started.

Month 2 -February - David was 17 and one of his favourite bands is Bullets from my Valentine. I have taken the really neat V and stitching this piece. He is away on outward bound camp at the moment for three weeks so hoping to get it finished before he returns.

I am currently using silver galvanised delicas to outline the v and then will picot an edge and other things. I am sorry that the picture is sideways at the moment but the next will be better.

Diane