WIPW

So we are 4 days into advent and although I thought  I was organised I am deep in stitching my Xmas presents and challenge pieces for the three stitching groups to which I belong.

Each group has a system where instead of making presents for everyone, which I still sometimes do, you go into a draw and just make one present.  That is still 3 items to be completed and there are those other presents to do as well.

For my cottage quilting group the challenge was to use spots, stripes and I think checks.  The person who's name we pulled out of the hat was to tell us what they wanted.  My person said "just make anything you would like".  (Very helpful!!). As I bought a bundle of diaries for 2025 I decided on a book cover.   (There are 6 or 7 under construction.)

I did have a false start because I forgot to look at list of favourite fabrics each person liked.  I started with brights when in fact she likes pastels.  (The bright one will be for someone else.)

I was going to embroider her name on the cover but decided to stitch a small portrait instead. 

I like this book cover and if she doesn't like it the printed cover of the dairy is very pretty anyway.

Back to work.

The colour green

Green was my mother's favourite colour.  But, when you think about that colour there are so many different hues.

Some of those hues change with time.  What one generation associate with the colour green can be quite different to another, so, when I found this card of old green buttons,  which I think are the kind of greens that my mother liked, I added them to my collection.

I got to thinking about this when I was looking for buttons to put onto the hand towels that I use in my kitchen.  In my old home I had a towel rack but there was no space for it here so I have attached them to the handles of the stove and cupboard.  After not being able to crochet for some time when I found I could I made some to hang in the kitchen in the future.  Then I got to thinking that these might be the last hand towels I need to make!  I have a bundle of them and these will probably see me through to the end.

My Friend was going through her grandmothers old recipe cards and found this.

And on the back of the card was this.

Some things don't change!

Changing threads

How cool is this?

You just load up the machine and it is already to stitch.  No need to change threads!

Here is a link to see it in action.

I am so unhappy with my Bernina that I have started to look elsewhere.

Visit from a friend

My friend Marion is visiting from the U.K.  Oh it is lovely to see her again.  She sent me an embroidery kit from Cornwall when I was deep in my cancer treatment.  That was the gift that kept me embroidering when I thought I would never embroider again.  It gave me the strength to adjust to the limitations brought on by the radium treatments.

What is that old saying?

"friends are angels who teach us how to fly when we have forgotten how to use our wings."

Marion is my angel.

 

 

WIPW

Toys - A Cat.

This is a free pattern from Tilda"s world.

This is my version in which I got the pattern around the wrong way and instead of the seam being on the side it is at the front.  I made a real mess' but I think it is still use-able.  (My cancer treatment wiped out all the tricks I had learnt to manage my dyslexia. ) I intend to stitch this again and get the pattern right!

There are 10 animals in the series, all equally adorable.  One a month for 2025?

A small stitched portrait of a friend, as part of the 12 book-covers I have on the go.

And for the first time in the past 2 years I find I can crochet again. So the tops of a hand towels for the kitchen.

I live in hope that I might be able to knit again.

And I have finished stitching some Kogin motives to go into those book covers.

I didn't realise I had been so busy until I wrote it all down!