What An Exciting Week This Is Turning Out To Be

I have ordered loads of needlework goodies over the past few weeks but they all seem to be turning up at once. Now I know I don't need to add to the stash but as every needlework addict knows....I just have to have it! I will stitch it in this lifetime!

 

First I received more goodies for the 'Essamplaire Casket Course'. There is the pattern for the next side along with some funky beads and cool Silk Purl in six different shades. I haven't seen this type of Purl before, it's kinda matt and rather springy. I wonder what the core is made of! It's quite different to the Silk Pearl Purl. Looking forward to using it and I am assuming it will be couched down. Fun! I guess Margriet will be posting that lesson soon once everyone has their kits.

Kit #2 Essamplaire Casket Course

 

I have also been continuing work on the first section of the casket. I have added the raised needlace body for the moth (left) and the caterpillar (right). I have also couched the gimp down for the stem on the right flower. We were supposed to make our own gimp in the colour match of the original but I snapped the thread a few times and got fed up so I used some of the Silk Gimp I had from Access Commodities and figured that not being an exact match bothered me less than the homemade gimp failure. I have also placed a couple of raised leaves on the right flower. I have a couple more leaves to go and then six petals. The raised petals will sit over the satin stitch petals. Then I will move onto the left flower before starting the frieze panel. Looking forward to that butterfly, the birds and the raised fruit.

 

Essamplaire -  Casket Course

 

In the evenings I have been continuing on with the Needleworker's Pocketbook as it is relaxing over two cross stitch and the chart is not too heinous. Don't really want to do teeny tiny raised work in the evening. Bigger chance of stuffing it up when you are tired or watching TV and it's not daylight.

 

Needleworker's Pocketbook - Amy Mitten

 

The next thing to land in my mailbox this week was a kit I ordered when the Inspirations Magazine Issue #79 came out a few weeks ago. Took ages to arrive this one. It is a sweet little Gilly (Carnation) Flower box designed by Betsy Morgan. There are some beautifully coloured Gloriana Silk Threads in the kit. I haven't used these before.

 

 

Inspirations Magazine - Gilly Flower

 

The next day I received the sampler chart I ordered from The Crewel Gobelin. This came super duper fast from Austraila. I saw this sampler on the internet when I was ferreting around and hunted a supplier down. It's really cool but quite long and look forward to stitching it one day.

GiGiR - Sampler from Saxony

 

 

Then today........the arrival of the long anticipated and much raved about Kit #1 for the Thistle Threads - Cabinet of Curiosities. I can see now why all the women folk in the first course were delerious with joy. What a haul of fabulous silk threads, materials, trinket box form and even a themed 'Cup of Contemplation'. Outstanding and to think that this is only the first kit in the course. There will be another one next year...oh the joy! The packaging of the kit was also amazing.

 

The Black Box

Inside the Black Box

 

The Haul - Kit #1 Cabinet of Curiosities

 

Tricia also squeezed a couple of other things into the carton ......

 

Kit for the Floral Glove Needlecase starting Sept 1st - Thistle Threads

 

Kit for the Beaded Basket. This can either be a small to go into the casket or there is a competition on for entrants to design and make their own  dimensional embellished basket with beadwork. I am thinking just to do the basic basket as I am a complete novice at this point but will be really looking forward to seeing what the experienced bead enthusiasts do out there.

Pic of basic basket - Thistle Threads

 

 

 

So as you can see I have had rather a fun week!!!!

Quite Some Achievements!

Well, I put the last stitch into the Mermaid Needlework Treasures Part II Section C over the weekend. Woo Hoo! That over one tent stitch on the scallop shells took what seemed like a lifetime but was in fact several weeks of effort. The snail is cool me thinks and I cannot wait to construct him into the tape measure he will become. So I am all caught up on the lessons and waiting for Amy to post the next instalment.

Scallop Shell Case



Snail Tape Measure

 

I also finally managed to put a few stitches into the Needleworker's Pocketbook now that I am freed up from Mermaid's lessons. That might not last long though after I email Amy the pictures of my completed section C. She will likely post the next lesson.

 

Last week I sent the memorial scrapbook album I was working on to those who commissioned the work. The album represents the time spent in NZ by an Irish girl  called Sinead as told by her work colleagues. Due to illness Sinead passed away at a very young age and her family were unable to travel from Ireland to attend the funeral. This album is to be gifted to her family and I am sure they will treasure the memories from this seven year period of Sinead's expat life. The album was very well received by my former work colleagues much to my delight. I also knew Sinead personally and had worked with her in the past. Here are the pic's of the layouts.

 

 

Album Cover

Got goodies in the mail last week from 'The Silver Needle' in the USA. I just love needlework stuff turning up in my mailbox. I also love samplers.  No surprises there. Really looking forward to the first kit turning up. hopefully this week, from Thistle Threads Cabinet of Curiosities.

 

I need to do some more work this week on the 'Essamplaire Casket Class' before Margriet posts the next lesson. I am expecting this to happen in September and we are nearly there. Exciting that there are also some more goodies on the way for this course. I neglected this to finish the Mermaid Treasures. I need to start some work on the detached needlelace pieces for the slope before I do anything else. The unraised  stitching is completed on the  slope for this side of the casket. I still need to do the unraised stitching on the frieze before I can do those detached needlelace pieces also.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

The Past Two Weeks

Well, what have I achieved in the past two weeks. Quite a bit actually but I haven't stopped to blog about it, very remiss. 

I have been continuing to beaver away on my Mermaids Treasures to the exclusion of all other needlework. I am a little, actually a lot over the over one on the scallop shell. Despite running out of the 'Old Lace' coloured thread twice now I have made inroads. I have my second and final request into Amy to supply the remaining threads but plenty else with it to carry on with. There was a miscount in the kit on this colour and the 'Poison Berry' so not due to my stitching methods that the threads are short. I am chuffed with myself for finishing all the scallop back and about halfway through the front. Quite an achievement. It might not look like much but over one on 32 count is a lot a individual tent stitches in a pattern that is easy to get lost in.

Whew....

Want to get through this as another lesson has been posted and it looks fun.

The weekend before last I had to fly to Wellington to attend my sister in law's funeral. It was a beautiful and calm day and the view of the snow on the montains on the way down was beautiful. The ceremony was very spiritual and uplifting and I was moved by the experience. We did not live close and so did not know Yasmin, who was Malaysian, very well. I got a true picture of who she was and her relationship over 12 years or so with my brother and was glad I went. There was a gorgeous rainbow over the harbour in the afternoon which was very fitting.

Aside from the Mermaid's I have been working on a commisioned memorial album for a past work colleague and have nearly completed this project to a stage to be gifted to her mother. Sinead immigrated to New Zealand from Ireland and the family were unable to attend the funeral so this dedication from her work colleagues is very fitting.