What has been finished in January

So pleased to have completed so many projects this month. For me January is a time of catch up and being out of my usual routine because of the summer break (and if the weather is hot) I really enjoy this extra home time. It is very satisfying to look back over the last few weeks I see what has been achieved apart from the tidy and cleaning out of cupboards!! As we will be moving to a townhouse in the future I am now being very strict when asking myself the question 'do I really need this'. So many times I have kept items because of the memories attached to them. I now take photos of the item and find that way I can let things go. For my Smalls SAL 2015 I can say that I completed three new items. Sophie's Pin cushion was turned into a project bag as the design just went so well with some fabric I had. I did change the zig zag border as I felt the black was too heavy. The next item was a canvaswork scissor keeper designed by Sue Hawkins. Love all her designs and these are the colours I really love. The third item was another scissor keeper worked in cream and a Needle Necessities Overdyed Pearl Thread. My own design - very simple stitches so no designing skill involved.

The second photo is showing other items completed this year. I always have a small 'carry with me' project in my bag - something small, easy on the eyes to stitch, not a lot of changes of thread - it is my emergency kit if I am waiting somewhere with time to spare. The problem is these small items get stitched and then put aside to do the finishing off later but later never seems to come. I got a bit of a shock to find so many of these so decided they had to take some priority on my 'to do list'. Happy to say this resulted in the following being completed - 9 canvaswork strawberries, 2 silk strawberries, 10 canvaswork reindeers and a one cross stitch tiny bonbon. Have I set myself a pace for the rest of the year ??? - not sure but really hope to complete quite a few more UFO's in the cupboard and will be trying hard to use up from the stash and not buy more

I got quite a shock to see that people have still been viewing my blog when it is so long ago that I write on it. I always enjoyed reading other peoples blogs so felt it was time I got back into recording some of the things I enjoy. I guess a new year a new start. It is always good to look forward to a new year with high hopes of what can be achieved but also good to look back. So 2014 highlights - yes I achieved something that I had always wanted to do - I attended the Beating Around the Bush festival of embroidery in Adelaide with two friends. The classes with Betsy Morgan and Christine Bishop were superb and the projects though large will certainly get finished. The Japanese beading class with Margaret Lee was also interesting and again a project that will take some time before it is finished. I also really took a big step outside my comfort zone and have been involved in a volunteer position as a role player at the Police Academy. This is something I would never have dreamed I would be doing but the more I am involved the more I enjoy it. The recruits are in the 19th week of their 33 week course and the role I play can be so varied from being a drug dealer, a petty thief etc or a role in family violence. Stitching really seemed to be a bit hit and miss with no huge projects completed but I guess a lot of knitting took its place plus I did catch up on a lot of reading - a total of over 50 books for the year. So my promise to myself is to try to be a better blogger and take photos of interest and post them to my blog.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

Sometimes you just need the help of a man !!


Apologies for not posting but just something I fail to do. I really enjoy seeing other peoples work and reading about what they are doing but would rather be stitching than writing about it myself. I do appreciate the time that people put into their blogs and a big thank you for giving me lots of inspiration and the chance to see such wonderful finished work. I can't promise things will change for me but will try and at least put up more photos.

However I am now starting to feel that Christmas is just around the corner and did enjoy exchanging small gifts with a group of friends this morning. We meet once a fortnight and although not a lot of stitching gets none during the time we are together I really love show and tell and catching up with their news.

Two groups I belong to had Christmas breakups last Saturday and unfortunately they always clash. Ellen liked the 'animal print' needlecase and scissor fob I had stitched for her and I received the most beautiful patchwork table runner from Sandra. (photos to follow).

Last Friday I helped put up a huge 3 storey high Christmas tree in the foyer of our local council offices. The tree is covered with hand made decorations made over a period of time from various local groups. The morning went like clockwork with all the branches numbered plus the number of decorations to go on each branch. Now to try and get some decorations up at home !! plus finish off some more Christmas gifts. My aim this year was to finish all the cards, including a large number of handmade ones, by 1st December and at least I almost managed that. Now to get those gifts finished in the next few days.

The beauty of the garden

It is so refreshing to walk into the garden after some showers of rain, especially after more hot days. I have this beautiful rose - Paul Bocuse -waiting in its pot for planting into the garden and already it is showing its true beauty - lots of lovely buds have turned into the most beautiful blooms. I have come to realise that roses seems to cope better with hot dry conditions so I am now looking at them in a different light as we replace other plants in our garden.

Looking Forward, Looking Back

I can't believe one month of 2010 has already slipped away and although I did promise myself I would post at least once a month I now find I am a few days late - all due to the fact I keep changing my mind about the photos I was going to show and then deciding they weren't good enough.

The photos will wait for another day but I felt I did have to add this short poem which I really love, even if a little late. Is it really 10 years since we were all talking about a new century? If the next 10 years go so past I will have to learn to stitch a lot quicker to get though all my WIP and UFO !! Hot weather does slow up the amount of stitching so can only hope for a nice cool autumn. Autumn in Melbourne is certainly my favourite season - warm days and cooler nights.


Another fresh new year is here …
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest …
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”

-William Arthur Ward

Promise to be back soon !!!

Our sadness continued

 

Our sadness continued when our darling Burmese Mia passed away on 22 July. It was so unexpected and came as such a shock, especially after the death of my dear mother. Mia had only been unwell for a couple of days and we never dreamed when we took her to the vets that she would not be coming home with us. Her precious sister Chloe, from the same litter, is missing her so much. They were always together and such good friends. Mia gave us so much pleasure for over 17 years and our home will never be the same now that she has gone.