Well where has that time gone?  It is 3 years since my last post and I was not even sure if this blog would still be in existence. This is therefore just a post to see if it even works.  It was always a good way to record my stitching and think I will try again to use the blog for that purpose.

SAL December

No I have not disappeared off the face of the world but I was surprised when I realised I had not posted since May. So much has happened since then which resulted in only a small amount of stitching and now a rush to get this one in before close off.  The main reasons for not posting was a change of location. After a 6 year wait we are now settled into a great villa and couldn't be happier.  We had been 38 years in our home so this was a major change.  This little santa is all stitched but didn't quite get made up to keep the other little santas company. An easy stitch though the solid amounts of colour did take a little longer to stitch than I first thought. The designs are by TLC Vancouver, BC. The first 2 santas I purchased when visiting Canada and then I found 2 more kits recently on a craft stall at the village soon after we moved and couldn't resist them.Not the best of photos.

SAL May

Busy, busy, busy so just a very quick post before the close off of the May SAL.  Two finishes this month.  I am not sure of the designer of the needlebook and the placemat was a kit from the Danish Handcraft Guild.  I had previously completed a set of 8 placemats and not sure why I had another one.  The poppy was my favourite design so decided to work it again.

SAL April 2017

The days are certainly getting cooler and I love being able to sleep under a doona again and therefore sleeping much better.  April was a busy month and I managed to get quite a bit of knitting in including some knitted Easter eggs - most of which have been given away - along with a tiny Easter bunny.  The larger bunny didn't quite make it for Easter and still needs some further work to finish her.  The patterns I used were from Little Cotton Rabbits and they are the best patterns I have ever used for small knitted toys.  The little elephant knitted up very quickly but the making up is rather slow. Naturally I look at him and think if I make another one I would do it slightly different - not sure when I will fit in another elephant though.

 

My SAL finish for this month is another biscornu to add to the collection. One that I had been waiting to stitch for some time.

I was asked to put up a display of my work at a charity luncheon the other day and it did make me realise the amount of embroidery I have worked and what joy there is in stitching.  Although I didn't display any framed pieces (except for a small stumpwork violet piece) it was fun organising the placement for the display and took a lot longer than I thought it would. The common question was 'how do you find the time'. It did make me stop and think and realise that I seemed to produce more when I was working full time but like most things if you really enjoy doing something you seem to make or find the time. The photos are not of very good due to the light shining through.

SAL March 2017

A very quick post before the close of the March SAL.  Surprising what you find hidden in the "one day" chest of needlework goodies.  Although this Clara Weaver kit was complete, there were no colour photos to inspire me but thought it would be a nice little pillow or decoration for Easter.
Just finished and ready to be made up

SAL February 2017

I am rather pleased with the progress on my WIP  list and this little pincushion had been half done for way too long.  The original design was a small cushion with strips of velvet down the sides and on the back. I felt it was far too small for a cushion, plus it didn't go with anything, so managed to work a simple design with some extra thread from the stash to at least finish it into a pincushion. The silk thread is actually much richer in colour than it appears in the photo.

And what a great feeling to have completed a much larger project - Wandering Vine by Shepherd's Bush after soooo long. This was the project that was taken out of the cupboard over the last couple of years during my 'sorting out of projects' in January. Each time just a little stitching was done on it and then it was folded up again and returned to the cupboard as it was too hot to stitch it during summer. While our summer has been hot it was reasonable so now that autumn has arrived I am hoping a lot more stitching will be achieved and  more older projects will be completed

SAL January 2017

Well the first month of 2017 disappeared in a wink but the one good thing was the summer weather wasn't too hot. January is a lovely time to slow down and a time I always enjoy and especially being out of routine - it doesn't take long though to get back into the swing of things again and the diary entries tell me that a busy time is ahead.   I have enjoyed some stitching over the last weeks and especially working on a couple of  rather old WIP. My first SAL finish was a Blackbird design 'Bird in Hand' which I have made up (at long last) into a small needlebook to carry with me as it will be big enough for a few threads and a pair of scissors.   I felt the design was a little large for a pincushion plus I really do not need to add another one to my collection. 

SAL December 2016

I have enjoyed the Smalls SAL during 2016 and my thanks to Heather for organising it for us. As usual a quick blog so I can just get this post in before the close. No promises that I will be earlier with posting this year !!!  The photo shows 2 Mill Hill Treasured Diamonds that I stitched as part of Christmas gifts for 2 special friends. Always happy how these turn out and they do look lovely on the tree - just enough beads to catch the light. Not the best of photos but as I have given them away now it will have to do.

SAL November

It just seems the months are disappearing quicker than ever - or is it I am just working slower. I can now see with only a few weeks until the end of the year that my PHD (projects half done !!) will certainly be on going.  The little needlebook finished in November is a design by Betsy Morgan of Willing Hands Needlework Designs. It is part of a kit I purchased when I attended a wonderful class with Betsy at Beating Around the Bush Seminar. The kit is called Edinburgh Reticule and was inspired by Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse Palace and Mary Queen of Scots.  Betsy has lovely and interesting ways of finishing her articles and the spine of this little needlebook was laced together with silk ribbon.

SAL October

Just a quick note to get this photo in before close off in a few hours for the October SAL. Yes, another piece of stitching to add to a pair of scissors.  Maybe I will have to purchase some more scissors - one can never have too many !!??
This is a Sue Hawkins canvas work pattern using DMC thread.  Really enjoy working her designs and love her choice of colours and the humbug design works so well. Not the best of photos but too late to take better photos outside.

SAL August

I seem to have lost days and naturally they have gone never to be reclaimed.  My little finish for August was ready ages ago and now I am posting so late that is may even be too late to count in the SAL.  The pattern of this little bookmark designed by Sue Hawkins was fun to stitch using DMC thread on canvas.  The worst part was the making up but I am fairly happy with the end result.  The two biscornus with scissor pillows are now complete and I love the colours and the way they turned out. My favourite one is the bright jewel colours and I think I will be using this thread again.  Not very good photos but all done in a bit of a hurry

Smalls SAL June

Looking back over the month of June makes me feel that it was quite a productive month both for knitting and stitching. I couldn't help but start another Zig-Zag Canvaswork pincushion - same design as the one shown last month but the different colourway make it look quite different. It also has a matching scissor keeper so that is my finish for the Smalls SAL for June as I run out of time to  make up of the pincushion. Naturally this means I will have to make another scissor keeper in the bright colour so two set are completed.
 The large wrap I completed during the month was made in a beautiful 4ply Baby Alpaca yarn from Peru and was a joy to work with and so soft. Quite an easy pattern with a lovely edge.  The other knitting of baby items was completed for the shop so only managed a couple of beanie for charity and I sent them off before taking a photograph.

 

SAL May

Well winter has finally arrived after a very warm autumn. Some of the plants in the garden seem to be rather confused by the warmer days and the autumn colours did not seem as intense  this year.

May was a very social month catching up with friends over long lunches - the joys of retirement - visiting friends who have downsized for their retirement and enjoying some fun outings. The charity knitting continues between other projects and it is surprising just how much can be achieved by just knitting a couple of rows whenever a spare minutes is available.  The baby ugg boots are for the shop and are always popular.  It is my 'relaxing knitting' as a do have a couple of lace knitting projects on the go that can only be worked on in quieter times.  

My small SAL finish for May is a biscornu from an English designer Sue Hawkins. I love Sue's work and she has a wonderful way with colours.  This canvas work project is worked in stranded cotton and hard to believe but only 2 different shades of Anchor multicolour thread were used. No.1375 which is the brighter jewel colours and 1335 the paler shades. By using more of the brighter colour on one side and more of the paler on the other has resulted in an interesting use of the these threads. The stitching did take a lot longer than I had anticipated but I was very happy with the finished work.  There is a small scissor pillow to match so that might just be the next project to start. I think I will forget the promise I made to myself not to start any new projects until I have finished some of the UFO's in the cupboard.

SAL April

Another month has gone flying by so fast and I just hope I have made it in time for the SAL group.
 Another scissor fob - one of my favourite things to stitch.  A friend had this design on a fob she had purchased so was willing for me to borrow it to copy.  A quick little project and would look good in a lot of different colour ways. Not a very good photo as I thought I had already taken one then realised I hadn't so the night light doesn't show the true colours.  I am keeping up with the beanie knitting project and the target of completing 10 per month has been achieved each month so far. I can at last see the level of wool in the box going down.  I am sure these beanies  will soon be put to good use as the charity I knit for is getting busy as the cooler weather has arrived. Long time since little Ruby has appeared on my blog and I managed to get a shot of her sitting quietly and looking very innocent.

SAL for March

Although the knitting needles continue to be kept busy at least one small stitching finish for the month of March to show.  This is by my favourite designers Shepherds Bush and is called Spring Box. I had stitched this design before and gave it away but was always going to stitch it again. When I found the tiny glass rabbit among my treasures the other day I remember this design and stitched it into a scissor fob.  Seems funny to be stitching a 'Spring' design as autumn has arrived. So this one was stitched while thinking of my friends 'on the top of the world'.

It is so lovely to snuggle into a warm bed at night and enjoy the sunny days without the heat. After waiting for rain for so long it was so nice to lie in bed hearing the rain on the roof and knowing how much the garden would benefit from it.

Smalls SAL February

Although needles and threads have been in my hands for many hours during February it has been knitting needles and cotton or wool rather than fine embroidery thread and needles much of the time.  As I was too late to add a post before the January closing, I am adding some extra photos as a record of what I have produced lately. The beanies are for a local charity and is one way of working through my stash of odd balls of wool. I am aiming to knit 10 beanies a month and at the end of February I had completed 30 so rather pleased to be one month ahead of myself. Makes a nice change from running late with my schedule but then it is only me making these challenges for myself. The baby shoes and hats are orders for a wool shop, the Christmas ornament is another in the series that matches the previous one.  Officially my smalls SAL for the month of February are the small canvaswork scissor fobs. I enjoy stitching these and they are great to have in my bag as a small project to carry with me.It is surprising how much stitching gets completed when all the spare minutes are added up.

Autumn has arrived but also hot days

Feeling very hot and disappointed that Autumn has arrived and along with it a string of hot days for the next week.  Autumn is certainly my favourite season and I want it to last as long as possible.
With the front door opened early morning I am trying to let some cooler Autumn air into the house before the heat of the day and the need to have the air conditioning running non stop

Santa for December SAL

This very cute santa was a kit I purchased at Button and Needlework Boutique Store in Victoria, BC Canada when we visited a couple of years ago.  It was by TLC Designs and I had never seen them before. The shop was wonderful and I will always have fond memories of our visit when I look at this ornament. 

I think  I have almost finished the rest of the Mill Hill Christmas kits that were in my stash. The top of the fridge was covered with them for the festive season and as well as the big tree decorated, I had a small tree on a corner table full of other Mill Hill ornaments. My favourites have always been the tiny treasured diamonds however on the tree they seem to have a mind of their own and don't want to be facing the front.

Many thanks to Heather for her work involved in running the Smalls SAL for 2015. I have really enjoyed getting back to checking out other peoples stitching on their blogs and can always be inspired by their work and choice of designs.  Looking forward to continuing in 2016.

Mill Hill Christmas Ornies

I have been on quite a roll during November and have managed to finished a number of lovely Mill Hill Christmas ornaments which have been waiting to be stitched for far too long.  It certainly is a good feeling to have finally finished another batch in time to decorate for Christmas. Really love the musical instruments and I have put small magnets on the backs and these will decorate the fridge.   I especially love the Polar Bear too and now that I have photographed it I can see it needs a little more fussy cutting.  It was nearly bedtime and little Ruby had decided it was play time - time to jump over the bed then hide underneath. The eyes say it all.

October Smalls SAL 2015

It is a good feeling to have a couple more Mill Hill Christmas ornaments from the "wonder" cupboard finally finished.  Looking back to the time when I was working full time there was 'cash to splash' on embroidery and many purchases seemed to be made with the thought of retirement and the idea of having plenty of time for stitching to help fill in the days. (How wrong was I thinking I wouldn't know what to do to fill in the time). Thethought seemed to be "one day I will get to do that" and therefore the 'one day cupboard' of goodies grew.  This magic one day cupboard has been renamed in recent times to the 'wonder cupboard' as I think to myself 'I wonder why I purchased that' or 'I wonder why I originally liked that??'  However there are still quite a few items that I will get to stitch - probably enough to see me through with the hope that the eyes and hands keeping working well - maybe it will be a wonder if I get to stitch them all  !!!!!At least between all the other stitching it is a good feeling to know some progress is being made and I am enjoying making sure I have something small to post each month.