backgrounds being done

I have been working on the backgrounds for several of the months and my trial for November - which ended up blue as I did not want black again was not at all what I wanted. Here are the two backgrounds - tried for a patchwork look but it was too busy so used a second piece with a large piece of blue and patched at the edges. I have finished it so it looks like an ATC. I am trying to make the man patched as well as my life in November was very much several patches; Prizegiving, school magazine, christmas functions, farewells and preparation for the 2009 school year.

The second backgrounds I have been doing are the january / february ones and here is the February composite - called "Invisible". The january background will also be white but looking at doing some printing of a photo from our holiday on it. It is possible that it may also have a cactus / mouse / skis as part of the printed background.
I realise that December month is missing but I have to print out the logo of the San Jose Sharks and use that colours for the inspiration along with 50 as it was my brothers birthday celebration and that was exciting. The turquoise beads might be a problem for me but I will have something in the stash to use I hope. I have done the sketches for january and february and hoping for stitching time this weekend.

Stitching projects

Punto Antico Mat - half completed

This week I have been stitching on a couple of counted thread projects. Our embroidery guild, Central Taranaki has a project using threads and fabric from a NZ supplier. This project is a square mat and I have completed one corner with faggot stitch and am on the second.

My other project is a "Punto Antico" project taught by a member of our Guild Lee. She is a wonderful guide in the many counted thread styles and although I have had this project on the go for nearly two years it has been enjoyable. I have completed half the mat and this week trying to get the third quarter done.

Black out completed

October is done and I am pleased with my little man. I printed the background fabric on the computer and then ruched chiffon over the top. Unfortunately the chiffon was darker than I thought and the background printing does not show through so well.
A friend has made a quilt using black and grey fabrics and a couple of scraps were cut to applique onto the fabric to show the crowd at the game. My little man was beaded outside to show that even though the stadium was filled with people wearing all black in support of the All Blacks rugby team you could still identify the individual character. http://www.allblacks.com/



November is still undecided but the background for December and January is being constructed as long as the sewing machine works (slight problem with the tension). Both of these will be blue in theme.

While I have not been posting I have completed a beaded picture of a snowman, several christmas stockings done in conjunction with my sister and mother for our family christmas in San Francisco and the major project of a felt and beaded wall hanging for my sister-in-law, as well as complete the move into my new home. This month has seen me start a piece of linen embroidery which is a project for our embroidery guild (Central Taranaki Embroidery Guild, New Zealand).

This week is the last week before our students start school for the 2009 school year so after this week I will be busy teaching again and also working my normal hours so I am hoping to get lots of the background pieces done in preparation for the coming months.
Hope you like my little man
Diane

Beading on the back seat

Beading this month has been on the back seat as the shift to the new house has happened. My friend Liz's dad died on the 6th so her family came up and stayed in the old house. It meant that neil and i moved over quickly to the new house and over the weekend that Liz was here the rest of the furniture was moved in. Neil ended up staying the week so he moved lots of things over. This is Liz and I with her daughter Ashley - on her way back to the Navy after the funeral.

Neil and I then took Liz out to see the Christmas shop and visit the walkway in New Plymouth. It was a glorious day in Taradise.

Also our family has visitors from Scotland. My dad's cousin and wife are here after 15 years so it is really neat to see them. We are quite amazed as Watt is not a real traveller so for his first overseas holiday coming to the other side of the world is really incredible.

We went for a drive around our mountain last weekend and here is my family at my sisters caravan by the beach. Her son took the photo as he did not want to be in it.

September done

As you can see September man is done. I realised as I was completing him last night that I forgot to leave the turn under for the edge so I will have to remember to cut the next one larger. I had lots of ideas for putting embellishements and fringes and other beads on him but he just worked out simple. My month has been complicated enough with Building my new house www.didi-house.blogspot.com and yesterday was a daylight saving sleep in day and then a flood in the kitchen so last night's stitching needed to be simple.
I love the printed background and over the next week I am going to be trying out some others for future use.

Getting Started

I have made a start by printing the background fabric with my computer and halfway through ran out of black ink so think i will change tacks and do the october page this month. I was doing a page called "Blackout in the Naki" as we had a game of rugby here in New Plymouth with our national rugby team "All Blacks" and they played against the Samoan team. It was an amazing evening with 22000 people mostly wearing black in the stadium and the effect on me was tremendous. It has been a long time since I went to a national rugby game (1989 in Twickenham, London) and I think I have found a love for the game again.

My piece this month instead will be the"New beginnings" piece and I am hoping on saturday to finish the machine work to the background so I can then bead it. Not certain if I will have sufficient interesting beads but the seeds will be a careful selection of greens and some browns.

Getting Started

September has arrived and I have had some many ideas for the first page that I have spent time journaling them as I am trying to move into my new home as well. See my blog for the house on didi-house.blogspot.com
This month I have also been to an exhibition by my mum's cousin Janet which has her amazing dolls and other things with some embroidery - that she came to my night class to learn. It was really exciting to see her faces added to bodies and also that she has managed to use the stitches in miniature (not using wool and a crowbar needle).
I have experimented with printing the backgrounds for my pieces and have found that my printer is not too bad but I will have to get some white material as the calico turns everything a bit dull.
Tomorrow will be a scan for the second page so I can print the background and draft out the final version.