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.

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.

On the road

Well life is travelling at a fast pace and now waiting in the koru lounge for departure on our adventure. Another 24 hours and Stephanie and I will be in the wintery streets of Canterbury nearly.  I have been trying to finish various stitched christmas gifts this week and so far have completed Mum's, Marilyn's (this was its own story as it started with cutting the embroidery the wrong size), Toni's and Gemma's birthday present. This did not take too long and I managed to even get it to her before her departure. 
Every night it seems for the past three weeks have been booked with at least one event and sometimes even two!
Monday night was the last official night class and we went for a class outing to mum's to see all her Christmas trees. The house looked lovely and I was most impressed with all the decorations and the memories. This year I have up the wire tree only and will put on the couple of new ones. Not a lot of creativity has been done with new balls as only one design has been crafted and no pattern written at all.

The day started fairly well with a good wake up and got the washing on. Just as I was going to hang it out thought it looked like rain so put it in dryer. Had four hours at school and everyone took a little longer than it should but all our excess weetbix and milk has been donated. Lunch was entertaining with Layla and Quinn. Picked up at 4 ish by terry and mum and literally dropped at airport. Relaxed in lounge at New Plymouth then boarded and didn't depart. Everyone off, engines on and off, bags off, engines on, engines off, bags on and we reboarded. Finally after a long while we started to taxi and it was a nervous wait. Once off the ground my thought was that if we had to make a crash landing it would be in Auckland so I would be a step closer to international. 

Finally made it to the lounge where a welcome drink was waiting - see adventures of Diane and Stephanie's blog for photos and all updates over the next month. 

Merry Christmas  to all and have a safe, enjoyable new year.  

Lots of happenings

Life has been consistently busy for the last two months.
In August I ran a 1 1/2 day class for beaded ball 'Ruby's Treasure" which was successful. Also I completed the first in the year long banner series (an applique set). Did more stitching on Odyssey and have nearly completed the outside stitching, started sewing on the black beads and purchased some suitable bronze beads.
September saw stitching on Odyssey (only have the bottom to finish now as well as the beads). Nearly completed a square on 'Walk on the wild side', and started to finish two needle books. One will be a gift for Christmas and one for Erin I hope.
This month has seen me start the next banner (snowman) in time for Christmas, make a spider ornament for swapping and commence my triffid for creative stitchers.
I have been busy with swap bot over the past couple of months mostly with postcard swaps but I have done a white Christmas decoration and a Halloween decoration. Next on the list is a prayer flag and some more Christmas decorations. I also have done a little bit of zentangle as well as won a prize on zentangle.com.

Creative Stitchers this month saw us printing fabric so hoping that I have some pieces that I can use. I have to make a prayer flag so that will be my starting point. Card making has continued with a night each month and making of several cards each time. I have been making a few more and now trying to use the Project life from Stamping Up. As I am a demonstrator I need to be familiar. If you want to see it go here. You can order it online by entering me as your demonstrator.

On the social front I have been to rugby with mum and dad several times and may go again this weekend as Taranaki have made the semi finals (top of the pile in ITM cup). I went to Wellington with Shellie to see WOW (World of Wearable Art) and Sole Mio. Both great events. Been to see lots of movies and really enjoyed 100 foot journey. Other things still happening are meetings, and more meetings, theatre trust, WI Conference, Durham WI and guild. Still it is good to be busy.

I have been doing a little bit of beading and made a decoration for the Hawera A&P show so now have to get on with the next items. Also Sonia has asked me to attend Eltham Ladies night with her in December so I will need to make some more snap trays and bags to sell. I will make six of each I think as if they don't sell I can give them away.

Another month done

I have finished the ginkgo leaf for BJP and Creative Stitchers this month. 

The ginkgo leaf belongs to Alison when I checked my records not Glenis who often uses it in her sample works. As this was a pieces tried to do quickly I decided to layer chiffon fabric over the vilene shape which allowed the vein lines to show. Once I started stitching the bead lines I decided not to encrust the shape as this would takeaway the texture of the nobbly veins and bring relief to the smoothness of the leaf. I beaded the edge with a single bead buttonhole stitch as I will not be applying this piece and felt that this would give a suitable edge to stitch it on with. This was a meditative piece using a very  small palette of colour.

Adventure begins

Just sitting in the koru lounge in Auckland airport waiting for flight to San Fran and then to Los Angeles for Ang seminar next weekend. Here is a photo of the yummy biscuit I am enjoying courtesy of Marie's sister Cheryl who made day of the dead cookies for her birthday today.

Unfortunately I ate the mouth before I took the photo.

I only bought a mill hill kit with me to stitch as still have prep work to do only seminar piece and also thought that my Latvian is tired of travelling the world and not being finished. Also bought a little bit of beading for the BJP but have done two pieces so currently only july and August behind now. 

This is one of the creative Stitchers pieces which I have been using for my BJP pieces. Turtle for month of June. I currently have a heart and ginkgo leaf to do. Ginkgo leaf is started buried did not bring it with me as too fiddly with the range of bead colours I want to use.