Lo how a rose - finished!

It seems to have taken me ages to finish this project - not because I didn't enjoy it - I certainly did, but because I just wasn't able to sit down and have a real go at it. However it is finished now and I am very pleased with the result.

I stitched it 1 over 1 on (I think) 28ct cream linen, although the whole thing looks pink here! I used a variety of threads, many of which I just changed as I went along, so difficult to list them. I used mostly Vikki Clayton and Weeks Dye Works. I particularly liked the subtle shading of WDW 'Pelican Grey' which I used for most of the script and 'Basil' for the occasional highlighted letter, such as the 'A' in 'Amid'. Now I need to think about framing!

I think I mentioned a while ago that I do a little teaching at my local needlework store? The store is fairly new, only existing since September'ish 2007. It was begun by two good friends, Linda and Val, who made a 'now or never' decision to leave their jobs in the Health Service and do something they really wanted to do.

So, they began small and have been slowly building the business to now include a really good range of knitting wools along with DMC cottons, including some speciality ones and a variety of charts and kits. They have some thriving craft classes happening throughout the week too.

Sadly, earlier this year Val decided that because of ill health in her family she was unable to devote the time and energy needed to keep the business vibrant and reluctantly left. Linda asked me to volunteer a little time to help and I have been really enjoying doing that. I have been 'working' 2 days a week and love the time I spend there. I really want this enterprise not only to survive but to expand and thrive. Linda is planning to include patchwork and quilting in the shop's repertoire in the autumn so that is an exciting prospect too. I have done some, but not for a long while. Wish us luck!!

If you would like to visit the new web site the address is www.in2stitches.co.uk

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy the sunshine Brits - its rare enough!!

Irene

Lo - Lo from 'Lo'

When I was a teacher, I had to write a lot of reports, or presentations or accounts, and this was the aspect of my job I liked least. So, over time, a strategy developed.

I would prepare for the task ahead.

I would line up papers, - alphabetically, numerically, by size, by colour, sometimes by all four.

I would make important decisions about font size, colour etc.

I would 'arrange' my working area to better utilise the space.

I might even design the front page.

I could be thus gainfully employed for many hours. But I would not actually write the report.

I am a Pisces and I think this is all part of my psyche.

Now I find myself delaying a project because I really really want to do it.

And so it was this weekend.

A very kind friend gave me the chart for 'Lo how a rose' which I have been desperately seeking for ages (Thank you again Helen) and I so wanted to start it that I delayed until quite late last night.

Why??

I have no idea!

But now I have started, and I really like the little I have done, so it is full steam ahead.
I am using a variety of threads - a couple of Weeks Dye Works, some Vikki Clayton, the rest DMC on a piece of linen from my stash which I think maybe 28 ct.

I have only Lo to show!

Thank you for your very welcome comments.

Irene

'Lo how a rose' draw.

I am sure that many of you have seen and admired Edgar's beautiful stitching of Brightneedle's 'Lo how a rose'. This chart, sadly, is only available from a 2001 better Homes and Gardens Christmas booklet which is very hard to get hold of and quite expensive - believe me - I've tried.

Well Edgar, star that he is, is offering the book as the prize in a draw. All you need to do is go to his site http://blacksheepsite.blogspot.com/ and leave a comment on the post referring to the draw, I think it is April 27th.

I e-mailed Brightneedle to ask if they had the chart elsewhere. They replied that they were trying to get back the rights to publish it again, but no luck so far. So Better Homes and Gardens is our only hope if we want to stitch this.

I wish you luck - but if you win will you share????

Irene
xx

The matching (almost) scissor fob.

I just wanted to share this pic of the scissor fob I made quickly last night to match the needle case. I charted the bird diagonally - this was not as easy as I thought it would be, which is why it only almost matches!

I also wanted to tell you that Valerie is having a draw to celebrate her fourth year blogging. You will find her at Fog City http://fogcitydweller.blogspot.com/. You need to leave your comment and draw entry on the April 21st posting.

That's it for now - poppy seed baguette with duck & orange pate and green grapes for lunch out in the sunshine.
I just love this retirement thing!

Irene
xx

Finally - something to show!

This is a little needle case which I am really happy with. I haven't finished a case like this before and I really needed to think out the steps before I started! I was standing - iron poised to attach the interfacing- when I thought " No! Need to add the little needle holder fabric first!"

This shows the inside of the case and a some of my antique pin holders.
I used a 28 count linen, with Vikki Clayton threads, sadly un-named as they cane from a detritus bag. I just love the blue though. I used a tiny 'homespun' check style fabric and finished with a narrow grosgrain ribbon and a few simple heart buttons.

Nice isn't it?

Can I take the credit for its design?

Nope!

The original freebie chart came from http://aliolka.blogspot.com/ - look under 'primitive birds' and 'birds with tulips' for variations on the design. Thank you so much Aliolka, for this and your generous sharing of other charts. This site is in Russian (I think) but a translation is available for those of us less than fluent in this language.

And still I crib!!

The needle case design came from the wonderful Danybrod blog http://dany88.canalblog.com/ Thank you Dany for your inspired stitching.

Isn't it amazing that we can look at, and appreciate, the work of stitchers from all over the world with just a click of a button. Without the Internet we would all be stitching in virtual isolation and we could not be inspired by the creativity of others.

Thank you Internet inventors, could you ever imagine it would be this good?

Thanks for stopping by, good to see a bit of sewing isn't it?

Irene xx

Tynemouth antique fair.

This is the wonderful Tynemouth Station Antiques Fair. I hesitate to call it an antiques fair because although there are some antiques there, mostly it is just an opportunity to rummage through a lot of stalls looking for stuff that you can't possibly leave without! They were all treasures once and will hopefully be treasures again. The fair is on every weekend, although we usually only visit every 4 or 5 weeks to give the stock a chance to regenerate itself.

Look at the station itself though. Isn't it amazing? It is Victorian with lots of wrought iron and glass. Just a like a train station ought to be. It has been carefully restored in recent years and is always a joy to visit. There is a little cafe, to eat in or out, always crowded, with delicious home-made food. Vegetarian Melt - yummy.

Yes, you say - all very interesting, but where is the sewing?

No, I say - just filling in 'cos I haven't done any.

Not a bean - not a sausage - nuttin!!

But I am not complaining because I have had a lovely week. My mum has been staying with me, my friend Kath visited from Qatar (Hi Kath!) and my house is clean. My mother makes me clean it!

But now, everyone has returned to their homes, my son is away working for a work, my house resembles a new pin...... so sewing.....brace yourself....I'm coming in!!!

But first some fair finds - in all senses of the word!

Birdy-ornamenty-things don't usually interest me, but this little gem was a no-brainer. ( a bird-brainer?) It is a wooden wren, just about life-size and beautifully carved and coloured. It is obviously a one-off hand-made creature and I love it. Cost £1 !! I know!!

This a heavy lead crystal rose bowl which was absolutely filthy when I found it. It has the cover with holes to support the flowers (that must have a name?) and now it is clean, it really sparkles in the sun. When we (my sister and I ) need to bargain, we usually send in the heavy squad - my 85 year old mother. She assesses the situation and is pathetic, or needy, or poor or whatever it takes to get the right price. So this lovely thing was £2.

I had been looking for something similar for a while because of an idea I saw on someone's blog, I think maybe Edgar's. Can you guess what it is yet??


It's a scissor holder!!

Thanks for dropping by, now I need to do some sewing!

Have a lovely Easter.

Irene

xxx

PS Lena-lou - I did it your way!

Meghan as a yard stick!

There was no way of showing the scale of some of these designs except by using Meghan as a yard stick. She kindly obliged. As you can see, they are quite large.

Thank you for Lena-lou and Patti for your advice. I really appreciate your comments and am working on it!

Irene

The beach writing is back!

So, there was writing on the beach again this morning......and I had my camera (although I did have to go back to the car for it!)
This time there was not as much writing, just that shown above, along with several circular designs and a rough picture of a woman's face and a daffodil!

I continue to be amazed at the calligraphy and at the sureness of touch. There is a list of names, and the 'e' and 'g' in Meghan form a heart. Clever!

I will add the rest later.

Interesting though eh?

Irene

Viiki Clayton Bonanza

So for my third posting today..............a very quick look at the silks. You can probably just read 'Orb' on one set, the ones below those are 'Meadow' and the rest are the detritus bag selection. Nice eh??

VoHRH Block 3 completed.

This is block 3 finally finished. I am still really enjoying this, but it did take an age to complete after feeling so close. I will move onto Block 2 now, and I am still hoping to complete at least one block each month, but the SAL I talked about is about to begin, so we will see.

A reminder that the project is the SAlexandre sewing necessities first posted on the Tempus Fugit blog. My friend Trish and I intend to work together on this along with members of the Sampler Guild. We are using the recommended linen and Vikki Clayton's silks which arrived this morning. Yeah!!

Trish is using 'Meadow' and I am using 'Orb'.

If you spend a certain amount of money with Vikki (really not very much, but I can't remember the amount) she has some offers available. I always choose the detritus bag which is unlabelled or odd lots of her silks. This morning I got the silks for the projects and 25 5-yard skeins of assorted colours. Yummy!!

I have discovered how to a make a collage of pictures so that I an post more than one in a group, but not how to the post another one below. Are you with me here? So I have photographed the silks and will need to open a new post to show them. That will be 3 today. Its either a feast or a famine with me.

Thank you for your company.

Irene

Can't wait to start!