Healing Stitching Hands

My hands are my healer, through my stitching I am gathering and maintaining my strength. I am still not up to tackling anything 17th century stitching wise but the simpler things are sustaining me ~ I consider myself totally blessed to have found an obsession interest that brings me such comfort and joy ~

My nightly escapades have been filled with a great deal of Sue Spargo of late. Her colourful and vibrant designs full of animals and flowers and numerous delicious threads are a treat to work on in wool. I have always loved wool as a medium and with it being mid Autumn here in NZ the time it is just right to work on a 'warmer' project, or two, or three ~

Of course one of those projects is her 2015 BOM of which I am not allowed to post photos as per the rules of the group but suffice to say it is moving right along ~

~ So vibrant, just what I need, a spot of colour and fun in my world ~

But in between keeping up with this BOM, where every month comes around awfully quickly, I am working on another Sue design for a bag which I can show you ~ this design was published in Quiltmania magazine not so long ago ~ so far I have appliqued on all the wool, velvet and cotton pieces and have embellished the outer edge of the branch ~ just look how things start to pop on that ole tree branch just with the teeny bit I have done so far ~

~ A riot of colour and design ~

~ And I am only just beginning to 'pimp' that branch ~

It's mega fun getting to use all these many and varied threads to enable effect and texture ~ it's all about the texture in Sue's world AND mine ~ the Tentakulum painters threads are just amazing, love how the colours change so rapidly with the short dyed threads ~ These ones are the same colour way 'Klee' and there's Gimp, Cotton Ribbon Floss, Simmer Ribbon Floss & Pearl Cotton #3 and then some 'Van Gogh' braided metallic for a bit more sparkle. Of course they are quite substantial threads that use quite substantial sized needles but then one would expect no less of a woolly type project ~

~ These threads are all waiting in the wings to create some bark type  texture
on that ole branch ~

When I am not working on a 'Sue' project I have undertaken to work through 2015 on the 2015 Quiltmania Mystery Quilt. This is my Mountmellick of 2015 only with a lot less applique and a lot more embroidered embellishment ~ it's called 'Colmar' and is a La Fee Pirouette design by Nathalie Meance.

So far it's fun, but all that embroidery takes a LOT more time than you think just looking at a photo, when you get into the nitty gritty it is really quite involved but the results are amazing ~ so far I have done the piecing and the applique and what she calls the 'embroidery to secure' the applique, then I have started to trapunto the elements and will then start on the 'decorative embroidery' ~

~ Looking beautiful just with the 'securing embroidery' ~

~ I have trapunto'd the top left leaf, it's looking fuller than the others, I like this poof ~

~ You can see where I have trapunto'd so far, where it's snowy white ~

~ The backing is cheese cloth and you just use the little stuffing tool to make a hole to
poke it all in, just cut thin strips of batting not loose stuffing, it's way easier to poke in ~

~ Here's the nifty little stuffing tool from clover, works a treat ~

A bit more trapunto'ing and then it's on to the decoration ~


I also managed to slip in the completion of a little, well it turned out to be not so little, project that I started  a while ago now and due to life's challenges of late have not picked up again until now ~

It's the Hari-Kuyo needle book design from Susan Elliot of Plays with Needles, I took the basic design and made it my own which of course was Susan's intention and it turned out real neat ~

~ This book for all my favourite handy, dandy needles ~

~ With a place at the back to keep the Hari-Kuyo or used/broken needles, a Japanese tradition
of giving thanks for the needles work on 8th February each year ~

~ With a little pocket in the front for my 'whatever's' ~

~ Personalised for me with added embellishment ~

~ And tied up with a beautiful tie ~

So there you are, these are the lovelies that have been keeping me busy and company of an evening for the past few weeks. Creating something new is a soothing way to start to help heal ones heart from the great loss of something familiar ~ 

~ Blessed I Be For Stitching Will Set Me Free ~

~ May Your Days Be Filled With Salubrious Stitching ~

Heartfelt Thanks & Some Joy In My Life Again ~

I just wanted to say first up, thank you to all of you who read my blog and took the time to leave an expression of sympathy at our loss ~ it is with much gratitude, appreciation and heart felt thanks that I read all of your comments and it is nice to know that others care even though it is such a big wide world and in most cases we live so far apart. My daughters and I are slowly stepping one foot forward at a time ~I am so grateful that I have my 'needlework passion' to immerse myself in whilst I re-adjust to a world that is quite out of sorts ~

But amidst the sorrow is joy, joy gained from the generosity and beauty of spirit shared with those others who love to create. A beautiful friend, a friend I have not met as we live in different hemispheres sent me the most divine gift in memory of my husband. A gift crafted with her own hands and one which has been watching over her own family before she came to live with me and my girls just this past week. The gift is beyond precious to me and is just perfect, I will treasure her in remembrance of my husband every day ~ my 'Joy Angel' ~

~ We live in a converted church and she just fits right in~ 

~ O my word she is just beautiful, I LOVE her ~

~ Just look at that gorgeous gown ~

~ And that darling early American crackled face, those red lips, those eyes , that hair ~

~ And the rusticated cross with dedication to Craig and wax seal ~

~ Beyond amazing and a gift to be  truly treasured ~ thank you Rachael ~ 

~ Look Rachael, I had the perfect globe and base for her, I had already aged this for another
project but it's perfect for my 'Joy Angel' ~

I am feeling really quite blessed this post, blessed that despite the trials life sends your way, there are those that truly care ~

I met another online friend for the first time just before Easter. She lives only a few hours away and she came bearing a finished project of mine. Leeanne from Quiltmekiwi returned Mountmellick to me all quilted and needing only her binding sewn down. Thank you Leeanne it was so lovely to put a face to the name and to have a chat over a coffee whilst admiring all mine and your hard work ~

What an amazing quilt, what a great mystery project Quiltmania, what a great design Di Ford, what great quilting Leeanne ~ she's beautiful ~

~ Just lounging around ~

~ Striking a pose ~

~ Fabulous vase of chintz flowers ~

~ Twirling vines, hexies, circles and triangles galore ~

~ Love the feathering in the border ~

~ Love the swirls and twirls making everything 'pop' ~

~So much going on, just as I wanted ~

~ Those swags and diamonds make such a beautiful frame ~

~ And the back side's a stunner too ~

~ Another beautiful dutch chintz was my choice for the backing ~

~ Loving the pebbles and the 'popping' elements ~

~ I grew to love hexies doing this project ~

~ WOW ~

What more is there to say ~ but thank you SO much my beautiful stitching and creative friends ~

~ May Your Days Be Filled With Salubrious Stitching ~