End of June already

Hello everyone. We have had some cold days but with winter here that`s why it is lovely to sit in front of the fire and stitch.



Look what I`ve got. A friends Mum went into a home so she passed a box of things to me and this wasone of the items in it. Hubby not too sure of it. It`s a paper clip. I love it. Really antique looking.

Sorry but this photo is on it`s side I did try to turn it.Wasn`t happening! This is `Gentle Stitches` by Shakespear Peddler in with `A Stitchers Heart` by Little House Needleworks. I`m stitching the heart now.

I used satin stitch for the thread on the spool,double cross stitch on the lettering and beads for the centres of the flowers.Now to make up for display and maybe useable as well. Have some thoughts on that.

Well this has taken some time today so best get the dry washing in and then some stitching done before the next meal needs cooking.

Thanks for visiting and love your comments.

Happy Stitching,

 Clare.

Stitching

Hello everyone.

Hope you enjoy your visit with me and feel encouraged to do some of your own stitching. I know I`m encouraged and sometimes tempted to go shopping when visiting other blogs. If I already have a pattern I may start this if not a WIP. Then it comes out to be worked on,maybe even completed.

Thought I would show my `Fernhill`.

 A  Lynette Anderson button club that I am getting through `The Country Yard` 

Another lovely bag to put everything in. This one doesn`t have a handle. When Fiona sent my birthday gift she tied a ribbon round the wrapping with tapemeasure look to it. I thought that I would use that for handles and at the same time as attaching them I would line the bag. Also add a pocket or two inside as I can see me using this again. The roses on the fabric bag are beautiful.

The first two patterns,my fabric and a mixture of  DMC,Weeks Dye Works,Crescent Colours and Sampler threads that I`m using in this project.

`The Dell`

A few leaves to finish,sorting colours for them. A cute little bluebird button. 

`Forest Floor`

A playful squirrel button with stitched hedgehog (we have the hedgehogs here they love wet cat food) and a buzzy bee. I find satin stitch a challenge so still working on my flowers because of that.

Block 3 came yesterday `Spindle Tree` with layout sheet.

I will finish my stitching of the first two this weekend then out will come the light box for tracing `Spindle Tree`

Thakyou for visiting and hope you leave a comment as I enjoy keeping in touch with you.

Happy Stitching,

Clare.

following on

Hello my stitching friends.

Following on from my last post here`s the third month of my Mystery 2012 Quilt from `The Country Yard`. Month four will be here as the time seems to be going so quickly. Looking forward to seeing what that will be.

Mittens,scraves and snow drop border sitting on top of two rows of triangle block squares and part of month two showing at the top of photo. I find if I get my light box with my cutting board and cutter on the day this arrives I complete this quite quickly.

I have finished `Mystery Quilt 2011` only the quilting to go. Will show that when finished.

A close up of  `Primitive Mothers Day` by `the little stitcher`. I changed the colours of this little freebie for my Mum for Mothers day. The bottom photo shows the true colours.

 Our Mothers Day was the 13th of May this year. It was lovely to hear my Mum talk of sharing Mothers Day with my Dads birthday in their early years of marriage. He had an accident when I was a baby and died of his injuries so was nice for Mum to go down memory lane with me. I love those special times.

Six blocks stiched six to do of my `Tis The Season` Lovely to stitch when a good movie is on. When out at my favorite quilt shops I keep looking for the fabric to have as borders and backing for this quilt. There is enough of the red print for binding.

I thought  that I would show a close up of the mice block with their whiskers added. This also shows my stitching fabric with the spots.

Well thankyou for visiting. I do so enjoy your comments,

Till next time,

Happy stitching,

Clare. 

Beginning of Winter

Hello everyone.

Our Winter is beginning but today is lovely with the sun shining,only a cool breeze.Winter is a time of stitching in front of a cosy fire.

 Have caught up on some chores that had been on hold while finishing or more progress on my stitching.

I`ve joined `The Country Yard`s Mystery 2012 Quilt.

The fabric and pattern for part one came in this lovely bag. The ladies wrap them up like parcels. My daughter Celeste thinks my birthday presents are coming through the year. So funny.

This how I`ve put block one together. The thread that was in the bag is Aurifil 12 #3817 and goes well with the strip fabric. Great choice ladies.

Some nine patch blocks to go with the acorns and leaves for block two. Will be a lovely Autumn quilt  when complete.

 I have finished block three but really slow down loading photo so will show at next posting as Hubby`s wanting to go out.

Happy Stitching everyone and thanks for visiting. Please come again.

Clare.

the day after Friday

I changed my Friday night stitching this week from `Church Doll Sampler` to a gift I`m making for a friend. So no picture yet. Instead I`ll show some of my framed work.

I was part of a challenge at a group that I used to belong to.We were given some patterns which we were to use parts of to design our own piece. The piece was to be stitched in the cross stitch family of stitches. I used  Sampler threads `Cherry Bark` for my thread and looked in Donna Kooler`s `encyclopedia of needlework` for my inspiration to stitch the different stitches making my village scene. The church front has `closed herringbone` stiched vertical. One of the house walls is `long upright cross`and another `rice stitch`,a few examples.Then back stitched the letters and numbers for a border. Then at our exhibition we had them hung up for viewers choice. Mine wasn`t the winner.

In 2004 I was blessed with a trip to visit my penfriend in USA. We had been writing to each other since we were 8 years old by snail mail. She had visited me in my home but this was a first for me. We went to 25 States while I was there. I brought this patten in Charleston after a buggy ride round the streets and had seen these houses. The first three were stitched during my visit with her. When I came home I finished and framed it myself. I`ve lovely memories to remember and hope to visit her again in the next few years.

One of my finished `Drawn Thread` framed stitcheries. A friend painted an buffed up the frame for me. It looks so lovely hanging on the wall.

For a speacial Birthday two of my friends got together to make ourselves this ` Stitchery basket and accessories` #123 Bareroots pattern by Barri Sue Gaudet. It makes a lovely display when not in use. I have an on going project which we use to stitch when we got together but recently due to one working and family things this hasn`t happened for quite sometime. To complete this I may need to carry on as could become another UFO.

A closeup of my scissors case. I use DMC silver thread for the blades and a black colonial knot in the centre.Of course to match the set the handles are pink.

This has pockets inside for my threads. I used  six strands of DMC floss and with one strand  I couched the thread down as I place the thread like floss tucking under small pieces of ribbon to make the bands. It makes it look so real.

Well time for me to go.

Happy Stitching and please feel welcome to visit another time.

Clare.

Some more progress

Hi my friends thought I`d show some more progress for this month. April has gone so fast.

This is how far I`ve stitched on my `Church Doll Sampler Roll` which is my FNSI project. A little reverse stitching on the left hand border but won`t take long to get right.

 A lovely belated birthday gift for me from my friend Fiona marie. I can see a few ways to display this beautiful stiched piece.

An Easter gift for me from my frienfd Katrina. A beautiful stichery cushion and little chick with a creme egg in his tummy. Wasn`t long before it was in my tum. It was yum.

This was so enjoyable to stitch. `Stitching Girl` a needle book and scissor keep by Katie Dawson for Cottage Garden Threads. I used their `Paler Tones` thread pack for this one as it was a gift for Katrina`s birthday earlier in the month. I also put in a cute pair of scissors.

The felt for the needle pages came with the threads and rick rack. It`s so soft and has been dyed. Loved the way the scissor keep is made.

Here`s a close up of my finished my tree block for SOKW SAL. I appliqued a grey cat in memory of our youngest daughters cat `Sox`. She was such a cuddly cat. Also I made the flowers on the tree 3D by using visaflex in between two fabrics then cutting flowers out. I used one of my speacialty stitches on my sewing machine. Forgot to put back on straight stitch after changing to 1/4" foot so broke my needle. Not a happy girl! Vacum got tiny piece out of machine. Thought my Bernina was going to need help.

Rainbows after rain. Have finished this panel on `My Favourite Things` quilt top. Ready to do the next two blocks plus sashing next month.

I would have stitched more but with visitors  staying and this book to read it didn`t happen. Even Hubby enjoyed  `The Lioness`

I was hoping to show progress on my `Gardeners Journal` block D but will show with block E.

Thankyou for visiting and enjoy the comments given. Thankyou.

Happy Stitching,

Clare.

Guess where I`m going!

Hi everyone. This is our dog Max. He`s being hopeful. Today he`s going nowhere. He thinks when we take the car out he can come too so jumps in the trailer. This is part of our large front garden.

This is a close up of  `There`s No Such Thing as an Innocent Cat` that I showed from an earlier post when going to `Wine Country Quilts 2012 Exhibition` last month. I loved it so rang `The Cloth Shop` to see if pattern was still on going. It is as a BOM. This is now added to my list! Threads came the other day,so ready to go with block one and two. To be started soon. Once started will show my progress. Want to finish a few on the go projects before starting this.

Will post later with FNSI progress.

Thankyou for visiting I love your comments so till later.

Happy Stitching,Clare.