Oooo - lots of pictures

Mmmm - lots of pictures of UNFINISHED projects!

In fact the the little box above is the only finished project in this whole posting

- and I didn't stitch it!

Anne ( my stitching buddy) was wanting to make a top for a wooden box and tried this out first.

It was just a bit too small so she made it up into this little tusal box

and gave it me. Yeh!!!

It sits wobble-free on the arm of my chair and graciously accepts the trifles I offer.

Thank you again Anne.

Now for my unfinished stuff.

This is the needle roll from the 'Fruits of the Vine' huswif I took as a class with Ellen Chester at Fobbles this year.

The path to hell is paved with good intentions - as we know - so in spite of determining to just get on with it, for some reason I didn't pick it up again until last week.

At the class, we were taught the speciality stitches that make up the beige bars that divide up the roll, and I managed to count and complete all of mine at the time.

They are difficult to see, but I stitched plaited cross, barrier, zigzag, Belgian cross, closed herringbone, Montenegrin, queen,mosaic, Smyrna, Rhodes octagon etc etc.

So all I needed to do was to fill the intervening spaces with alphabets and birds and grapes.

As I worked it, it was so pleasurable that I couldn't imagine why I hadn't done it before.

Again there was just enough variety in the stitches and colours and design to drive me on to the next band each time.

Ellen's instructions are so thorough and her stitch diagrams so clear that it was like having her there next to me.

Now I need to complete the needle roll by lining it!!!

This is another part of the huswif. It is one side of the scissor weight and it's tiny as you can see - just over an inch.

The bird's breast and the grapes are finished over one with tent stitch and the border is closed herringbone and then a line of back stitch.

This is my final unfinished piece.

It is from the monochromatic seasons series by Little House Needleworks.

I worked it over one with a variegated thread the name of which I can't remember - maybe Ocean Breeze??

I thnk I might take inspiration from Anne and finish this as a little box for mu mum to pop her rings into before bed.i

Anyway - that's it - almost.

I just want to congratulate my nephews on their academic achievements this year. Well, I say this year, but they have both worked very hard for several years. The whole family are so proud of then.

Toby gained his Masters degree this year following his Bachelor's degree in Linguistics at Lancaster University. He is now a journalist.

His girlfriend Victoria has graduated with a Master's degree too.

She has just started a new post in Public Relations after being a magazine features writer.

Perry graduates tomorrow with a First Class degree in Mathematics.

He begins work in September with a highly regarded global accountancy firm.

Personally I think they are changeling children and one day a professor is going to come and claim them back.

But until then - very many congratulations to you all.

You deserve the very best things life can offer you.

Thanks for getting through this long post, and welcome to my new followers, I am honoured that you have added your name to my blog.

Love Irene xxx

It arrived. Yay!!!!

Obviously, all my peevish wittering and admonishments yesterday worked, as the parcel finally arrived with April.

She e-mailed to say how pleased she was with it and will post on her blog as soon as she is able.

What a relief.

Thank you so much for all your encouraging comments. I felt so much better knowing you felt my pain!!!

Honestly - I am so grateful that at the moment the worst of my worries is whether a bit of sewing arrived at its destination. Other people have so much more on their minds.

Love
Irene xxx

Publish and be damned!!

OK.

I know, too dramatic.

But I mailed off my Blackbird Designs exchange gift to America on June 16th - that was 25 days ago - and it seems not to have arrived with its intended recipient.

I wrote to her a week ago but as yet have received no reply so I have decided to post the project here anyway,

if only to prove that I did keep my end of the bargain.

I have always wanted to make one of these little pumpkin style pin cushions so chose this one, BBD 'Summer House' as my project.  

I really, really liked it when finished and was reluctant to part with it anyway - oh alright - it had to be prised from my sticky little fingers -but then it doesn't even arrive!!

I used a 32 count linen and two HDF colours of my own choosing.
I finished the back with this checked cotton fabric and pulled in the cushion with perle thread, using two vintage mother-of-pearl button to finish.

I even left a light on in the window of the work room!

Perhaps this lonely little light is shining still in a dim corner of some distant post room.
If  so, come on Postie, get it sorted!

I have some other stitching to share, especially my Ellen Chester needle roll which is one part of the major Fruits of the Vine project, stitched but not yet finished.
(The needle roll is stitched, not the whole huswif!)
I'll do that soon.

I am off to lunch today with an old friend who is here from her home in Qatar. We will talk so much the food may well go cold.

Happy days,

Love Irene xxx