Last Post

It's that time of year again, nearly the last day of 2013 and the dawn of 2014! Just think of how much stitching I can accomplish in 365 days, how many projects I can complete....sigh

 

There will be another big milestone this year, 2014 is the year I turn 50. How different the world is now to when I was born back in 1964.

 

My next project arrived in the mail on Saturday. As usual a gorgeously presented kit with all kinds of exciting bits. There is even a teeny tiny embroidery hoop that  measures only 8cm. The pieces are all unexpectedly printed onto the silk....simply brilliant, simply Amy Mitten all over.

 

 

Winter Casket Keepsakes - Amy Mitten

 

May Your Hands has progressed. You can't see it all as some of the smaller pieces are wound around the Millenium but they are all done and now I am working on the Needle Keep, Scissor Keep and Pocketbook. I am up to Lesson #3 out of 4 posted but 1st January is not far away when  Lesson #5 will be posted. I am enjoying the change from counted to surface work on this project although my techniques are in their infancy!

 

 

I love the look of the vine and blueberries and there is quite a bit of this spread over the pieces. Of course being a 'maximalist' kinda girl I have chocked the vine with more leaves and blueberries than Trisha had....lol

  

 

The Pin Keep flower and vine is so pretty. I didn't put the piece back on the roller frame before doing this. I should have as it has ever so slightly pulled but only I would notice. Was just enjoying 'inhand' for a moment!

 

I forgot to post about my finish on the Thistle Threads Mini Casket. I finished sometime ago. I coloured this in with pencils and am using it for 'ORTS' the leftover threads one has whilst stitching.

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

 

A Delicious Project is Complete

I DID IT!!!!! I finished the Mermaid Needlework Treasures and the set is proudly on display in my curio cabinet. I just need to blog as I have an insane need to share the  joy  and to spread the needlework love to all those out there who might happen upon my blog.

 

You can still do this project, It is a beyond fabulous mecca of learning and a joy to produce such a high quality end result. Thank you Amy Mitten for your brilliant design and excellent course, I learnt soooo much.

 

The set of four pieces are represented by, an antiqued mirror scissor keep with stumpwork mermaid , a fish pin and needle holder, a scallop shell thread and thread winder holder and a snail tape measure. In reality the pieces are even more sparkly and brilliant than one novice photographer with and iphone could ever portray.

 

 

Oops - missed basting has since been removed - thanks Amy for alerting me ;P

 

A Fabulous Finish Is Near.....

Only eight sleeps to go until Chrissy is here and only four sleeps to go until Amy Mitten releases the first instalment of the Casket Keepsakes AND I am going to finish the mirror for the Mermaid Needlework Treasures before that kicks off.....YES! I am getting prouder and prouder of myself the closer I get to finishing the last raised backstitch. Such a cool project and a cool result. I cannot wait to photograph the set together and to know that .... I DID THAT! 

 

 

The twisted personality thread used to lace the sides sure is correctly named by Amy as it does have  a mind all of it's own but it is endearing and I like it's result.

 

 

 

The antiqued mirror looks amazing and I am loving all sides of this scissor keep.

 

Several rows of raised backstitch to go yet but looking good!

 

 

The May Your Hands has taken a bit of a back seat this week so I can finish the Mermaid.  I so want to be able to show my Mum the completed Mermaid set when she comes for Xmas day.

 

May Your Hands - Thistle Threads

 

I received the two latest kits for the courses that Tricia at Thistle Threads is running. The Tudor Rose started on 1st December and I need to look at 'will I start this'  and the Abby Couzzins starts 1st January. The WIP pile is growing.....no surprises there!!!!

 

 

Now another fabulously simple but highly effective item arrived in the post last week from Country Bumpkin. I received my Supporting Frame with Hand Rest and Trestle which was designed to accompany Margaret Lee's new Chinese Embroidery Book release. It's quite frankly excellent value even with the $80ish  AUD freight to NZ . Easy to put together and to adjust for frame size and angle. It also holds the Millenium Frame and would appear to have a superior slope adjustment.

 

 

 

Fantastique, but I see all these frames are now on preorder for Feb 2014. So glad I ordered mine early on.

 

The slope adjustment is so simple. The little peg with the yellow top just pops into one of the other holes. All other adjustments are screw and wingnut.

A smidge of work got done on the Floral Glove. I hated getting the three strands of Soie de Paris wrapped into the Gilt #1 Lizardine and it is not easy to stretch the gold wires without a slightly wider gap appearing where your thumb nail holds on. They are slightly messy and wider coiled down the bottom but I am hoping it will not be so noticeable when the other gold is applied and the webgimpe. The inner and outer coils of Gilt Pearl Purl Super once applied made the silk threaded Gilt #1 Lizardine pop out due to it's be thicker. I like that result.

 

Still a ways to go to finish the fourth lesson! All the gold needs to be applied in these roundels and the beads in the centre of the rose. Mermaids Treasures took over......

Brilliant

Brilliant is what I think of my new Lowery frame which arrived this week from Country Bumpkin. What a super duper simple by really effective system. It is slender metal and much less intrusive than a chunky wood stand and the adjustments for raising/lowering the stand and flipping the frame are easily made without lots of turning.....AND the clamp holds the chunky side of the Millenium frame with ease. I had been looking at the Necessaire but they never ever ever have any stock and I got sick of looking. Go Lowery!!!!!

The May Your Hands has been progressing slowly. I am still on Lesson #1 and plugging away on the satin stitch in the sawtooth border.

May Your Hands -Thistle Threads

 

The third project piece for the Cabinet of Curiosities, The Pincushion,  is all framed up and the 30ct waste canvas basted onto the Duchess Satin. The waste canvas will be extracted after the stitching is complete and so will leave a sort of low relief raised stitch but is primarily a way of doing counted work on satin. I have put a few tent stitches into the central motif before setting this aside to work on the doll for my daughter's birthday.

The Pincushion - CoC Thistle Threads

 

I finally after a very long wait due to Jenny's schedule and me changing the colours in the standard kit, have received my Millefiori Heart Brooch kit from Jenny Adin Christie. The kit comes in an oh so pretty calico carry bag. So neat but into the 'stash bank' or 'needlework retirement entertainment fund' it goes for now.

Millefiori Brooch - Jenny Adin Christie

 

Silver Needle sent me the two little Gingerbread mice kits I ordered from Just Nan. Adorable but they are so late here that they won't see the xmas tree until 2014 now. They will have to hibernate until closer to then but not so close they don't get stitched!

 



 

The Piece de Resistance this week was one happy little girl seen here celebrating her 7th birthday with her new friends. Jazmin named her newly stitched friends Claire and Bun Bun and has proudly taken them to school today to share news with her class along with some cake of course.

 

Makes all those stitching hours truly worth it.

 

Jaz is keen for me to teach her to stitch so I bought her a little kit to start on, a wee gingerbread man. My 12 year old daughter is not so keen. I might have another generation starting on needlework!  I was the only one of three girls to take up the passion like my Mum. Just think, girls about a year older than Jazmin were stitching full samplers back in the 1600 - 1800's.

 

Jaz, Claire & Bun Bun

 

Have a happy week

Trucking Along

I am wondering now just when Amy Mitten is going to post the last set of instructions for the Mermaid Treasures mirror finishing. I am keen to put this one to bed and into my display cabinet as a completed set. It's been a while since she last posted but maybe she is busy coordinating the kits for the smalls tutorial that starts December 21st!

 

Meanwhile I have made progress....

 

I finished the Rose Glove scissor holder from the Cabinet of Curiosities project designed to give you a feel for background in gold work. The result is very pleasing but even if I should decide to use this technique on a casket.......will the specialty threads in enough quantity, whatever that may be, ever be available to purchase? There is never any consistent supply of all these fabulous threads which is the real downside.

 

Rose Glove - Thistle Threads CoC

 

I managed to achieve my goal of completing the work required for Lesson #4 of the Floral Glove. I made it with a day to spare before the next lesson was posted. I love this project and it is really starting to bling up.

Floral Glove - Thistle Threads

 

A sweet wee little package arrived for me this week from Trish Burr.

 

I have also been making some mega slow progress on the May Your Hands. Man this linen is hard work on the eyes. I got the border under the word scissors (4 sided stitch), the ABC (satin stitch)  and it's border (rice stitch) and the initials/date (tent stitch) sorted.

May Your Hands - Thistle Threads

 

I really need to start work on the doll for my daughter's birthday which is this Sunday 8th. If I don't get cracking she might not have it until xmas!!!!!....... if she's lucky!!!!!

 

Whew!