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

Holidays are busy!

We are in the midst of our winter holiday so the weather started off not great but for the last week it has been fine days and minus temperatures overnight. Still a good excuse to sit in the conservatory and stitch.

Last weekend mum and I travelled to Hamilton to see the exhibitions for the ANZEG biannual conference. I was slightly disappointed in the number of entries particularly in the miniatures and members and hoped that many entries were not judged out of the competition. The variety of work in the junior members exhibition was phenomenal and I was really excited by our junior tutors news that next year our group may be moving into town and that will give me an opportunity once a month to share with them.

I purchased a couple of books – one on inchies and making backgrounds so I am inspired to rejoin swap-bot and see what’s going on. The other was the new one from Effie Mitrofanis, an Australian embroiderer, who I think has a wonderful way of combining colour, techniques and textiles to produce some exciting work.

I have also finished another cell phone dangle for my sister for Christmas and this made me finish the cube that I had nearly done. This was another kit by Laura McCabe and I have to say that they are the most delightful kits with plenty of seed beads so you can be a bit picky with them if you want.

the laura mccabe cube that i have finished. as usual I had to change something - the crystals in the corner - i did not like the colour of the ones provided so I used some of my own and will use the others in another piece.

March month is coming along for beaded journal project so this year has not been so successful with completing pieces but I have April’s mapped out in my book so that is good and I have mounted one piece already although I have to put a few more beads on the January piece to make it fit into the page opening.

School has been busy with things going on and I think there will be job changes for all in the offices at the moment so that will be an exciting time ahead. I have also been doing the advert so hopefully tomorrow I will have the last advertiser on board and that will be a great thing. This will be the first year that the cost to the school is less than half so that is good news. Jessica from our local paper is lovely to work with and she has lots of great ideas for layouts, etc which are exciting.

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.

Finished work

Yeah! better late than never. I have finished the February page for my BJP (still to mount it in the book) and also finished Stephanie's present and given it to her. I will photo the BJP piece and post it later tonight or tomorrow (the zumba class and making cookies for morning tea tomorrow are tonight's treats).

front of Stephanie's needlebook - the printed image reminded me of Jane Austen (one of our shared favourite reads of all time).


The back of the needlebook. labelled and dated I was impressed with myself and also using the #15 beads to cover the tassel bead.

Both sides now! She was thrilled with it on Monday when I delivered it to her.

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

A Long week

It has been a long week and it feels like there have been three Wednesdays, two Thursdays and not enough Friday already. I have stitched this week mostly on my friend Stephanie’s needle book cover so it is nearly finished. Just the last area to stitch and then to embellish and make up. I think I will hand stitch it together using some ultra suede for the inside in a pale green colour or else beige felt.

Mum and I have received notice that we have our classes for Columbus in September so that is exciting and I am looking forward to receiving the needs list or the stitching supplies. There is some pre stitching for both pieces I think.
http://www.needlepoint.org/Seminar-10/classes/4day/40223.php this is the four day class which mum and I are both doing so I am very excited.

Beaded journal project is going very slowly with February about half done and march thought about but nothing in print yet. I am hoping to get to some of that this weekend and also to spend time trying to make up bead kits for a class next week. Think I need a four day weekend.

Guild meeting was this week so I think that threw me out of sync. We had the national president with us for the night Margaret Erskine so that was really nice and no-one took a picture. We are having a workshop next weekend at my place as well.
Diane