Finished and delivered

 Last two little  thank you gifts have been delivered. Now I move on to stitching plans for the new year

I'm in my happy Place

 I'm in my happy place....with needle and thread, stitching which ever small flower I decide to add next, there is no chart I have photos of a few previously stitch pieces for inspiration as I decide what to stitch this piece will be a bookmark, a thank you gift for someone who has been there as driver for me when needed. Will show the finished piece later.

Christmas is coming

 First of the Christmas stitching finished, Jan asked again this year if I would make some Christmas decorations for her to give ..this year the number has grown to nine. Last year I did Christmas cats and this year I’ve done pears. I started them on the travels to Wellington  last month I am fortunate that I can stitch in the car, and at that stage I was just sewing the pieces together.Will finish a few more for myself 

Needlebooks

 Fiona and Diane have both made their version of the special needle book gift idea I had shared earlier.

Fiona chose violets for her design and made it for the Christmas gift exchange at guild, the person who received it was delighted, and having enjoyed stitching the project Fiona has now made a second one for a Christmas gift.  Here is her piece.

Diane chose a very different design, for her needle book.

More gifts

 The first is a beautiful bunch of peonies that I received for my birthday.

Next is the gift I made for the Guild Christmas exchange

Really enjoyed stitching these pieces together, next set of needlework accessories will be a bigger project and Fiona and I will be working on it together we have decided on  the number of items and theme which will be violets, harebells and rock cyclamen all designs I have stitched before. I have put a collection of designs for these flowers together in a little photo book. 

A Special Gift

 The Embroiderers Guild here in Stratford is the next in the region to celebrate 40 years. We are a small guild just 10 members, and it was decided to celebrate the occasion at the Regional Day we host in October rather than June when the anniversary would be and there was other things happening on the calendar.  I decided to stitch one special gift to mark the occasion, my gift to the guild that would be a lucky draw at the gathering. I had done this several times before for the Coromandel guild and each time had made a set of needlework accessories, it make it special when you know what you have made will go to an embroiderer and hopefully will be used and treasured.

40 years is a Ruby Anniversary so I decided to do a favourite set of cross stitch design stitched in red this time. Finally finished yesterday I wonder if this might be the last time I attempt to stitch a set like this, have found age is catching up with me and although I have always thought of myself as a slow stitcher,  I find I am now even slower, don’t work so well stitching for long periods  of time and the complete set has taken far longer than planned.

The set has a needle book

 Scissors with fob in embroidered sheath

Pin whimsey

Tape measure

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My Peacock needle case

This is  a lovely needle case for a special gift,  I'm not sure where I found the original idea it's so long ago but over the years I have made several for gifts each time choosing motifs to suit the person I was stitching for, this one with the peacock was stitched for Ann B.

I'm now sharing the idea with Fiona and Diane, at this stage I am not stitching another one I'm working on completing a secret project for our guilds 40th Anniversary which is this month so will be able to share that with you later.

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Sharing Friends stitching

 I’m thrilled to share finished pieces from my stitching friends, Fiona and Diane, we meet every Wednesday morning to stitch on projects together, in my last post I shared Fiona’s little mouse roll now I am able to share Diane’s one .  Love how they have both stitched different flowers for the seasons my original one stitch in 2011 was also different.  Note Diane chose tiny holly leaves and berries for winter they are delightful.

During the holiday break Fiona finished her tiny whitework pocket, it is a small delight  stitched using three different techniques

 We start this month on a new project and Ill share with you when I next post

The month has wings

 It does seem that the month has wings as time is flying by and we are already half way through September.

The miniature daffodil Carice is now flowering this is the second year for these bulbs,  Each of the small daffodils in pots have flowered one after another so I have been able to enjoy them over a longer period of time. First Tete a tete,  then Jetfire and now Carice   Unfortunately one I was looking forward to seeing Mother Duck has failed to even put up leaves this year.

Stitching, Fiona and i are working on a small pocket using white work techniques to create contrasting textures, no photos yet but but we are near completion. Can share some photos of Fiona's Little Mouse Needleroll.

Our aim this year has been to stitch small pieces that would make ideal gifts but also give opportunity to learn more construction skills.

 Now I'm going over to Letters from Rosie  blog to post the latest  update. There is a link in the blog list on the right column  

Have a great week

New month .. new adventure.

 

The new month and the beginning of spring here.

This was taken  September  2019  The second year these miniature daffodils had been flowering in this pot, this year once again I have had a beautiful display although today they are showing signs of last night's stormy weather

And my new adventure?  I have decided to give the dolls their own blog, somewhere lots of doll photos and stories can be shared hopefully with other Blythe doll folk.  I've called the blog Letters from Rosie and will include letters written by Rosie to Eve my littlest granddaughter and some of the stories I have written for Eve about the dolls.  I have added a link in the side panel of this blog under Blogs I like to visit.

Stitching is progressing slowly Ive hidden my ball of perle thread so Kaytu cannot claim it and play with it and I've hidden it so well its taking sometime to find it .Fiona and I have started a new project a small whitework piece exploring different techniques, She finished the little mouse needle roll i loved her tiny flowers will put together a post about that project shortly. now im of in ernest ro search for the missing thread. 

Rosie’s Christmas dress

 I have now finished Rosie’s Christmas dress, made a simple dress and added a lace over blouse, next up will be Belles dress.

Took a few photos for the next party story 

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Then my furry friend decided to have the limelight 

Tilly

 When I gave the middie Blythe doll to Eve, I found if I was going to make more dresses for her I needed a doll to fit the, on so Tilly joined my Blythe doll family. The Wellington family spent a few days with me during the school holidays and Eve brought Millie with her and took home two new dress for Millie, I had been given some lovely scraps of a soft blue fabric and  had no plans for it till I found on Pinterest a cape pattern for Blythe. The pattern was a free one and easily downloaded as a pdf. 

I adapted the pattern and made a lined cape with matching hat.

 

Dresses for Christmas

 I’m planning to add to The Party book a Christmas Eve Supper Party, recently bought some lovely dark green velvet fabric, it’s a bigger piece than I intended to get but was the end of the roll and marked down as a special, so who could pass that by. Result each of the girls will have a different style  dress made from the green velvet to wear to the Christmas Supper Party.

 First dress made is Poppy’s , don’t you love the Christmas cracker she is holding, it’s made from beads, Diane has lent me some for the photos, 

School holidays are over so Fiona is free from taking care of grandchildren and we were back at our Wednesday mornings stitching together, plans for stitching projects for this term have been made and Fiona and Diane are going to stitch the little mouse needle roll that I designed for Stitching friends group in 2013, while I completed the red rose project for the guild 40 th Anniversary later in the year. Then a small white work pocket so our needles will be kept busy. And I need two more velvet dresses the second one is started so hope to share it when I next post.

This weeks photo and another Etui

 This past week The photo challenge was Blythe and flowers I posted one of my favourite photos…

This week it’s dark, black, and goth Blythe and I haven’t anything that fits that.m

Fiona has finished her third Etui one for each granddaughter , here is her latest finish.

Off to the ball

 Some time back I made some masks with the idea of doing some photos on the theme of a Masked Ball, this week Blythe Doll Australia face book group photo challenge theme was Sparkles and glitter. I decide the masks would fit the theme perfectly and dressed Rosie up for the ball, this is the result.

Then I dressed Belle with the other mask and completed my photo story. 

Another Etui

Another Finish from Fiona, this etui has a ladybird theme.

 And I have finished another dress for the dolls, this one is smocked, the blue and white gingham fabric looks lovely but not easy to work with, as it frays badly. I plan to do another smocked dress hope to show it soon.