Blog #74 - Lots of Stitching
Monday, 30 April 2018
After completing the stocktaking, it was time to sort out and pack up stock, designs, and models to take to exhibit at the Manawatu/Taranaki Embroiderers’ Guild retreat to be held at Eltham, not far from New Plymouth, and here is a pic of the crates, cases, etc. all packed and stacked ready to be packed into Keith’s work car. Used this vehicle as the back seats can be lowered and the car becomes a wagon.
Travelled there by myself on Friday, the 6th - about a four an a half / five hour drive with stops, arriving mid-afternoon - and then I had to unpack the car and the crates and set up the displays of stock and finished needlework models. Quite a tiring task.
However, had an enjoyable weekend helping ladies make their choices of projects to stitch in the future over the Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday until after midday. I then had to dismantle everything, repack the crates, and then repack the car and then drive all the way home to Napier. Pooped!! Have to confess that I didn’t unload the car when I got home.
But no rest as up early the next day for Keith and I to travel to Te Puke for the funeral of one of our dearest friends and mentors - Don Caldwell, aged 94 years. Uncle Don, as we have always called him, married us 47 years ago. He and his lovely wife, Aunty Glad, have always been very special to us.
A long day as we travelled back home after the funeral.
Next day unloaded the other car of all the crates, cases, models, etc. that I had taken to Eltham but have to confess that’s all I did . They sat on the floor and the couches of the family room for a few days until I had caught up on some rest!! And did some stitching!
During this month I have actually done quite a lot of stitching. I finished the gorgeous heart, “With Love” that I had begun on the plane on the way home from the States and completely stitched, “Itty Bitty Kitty and the Honey Bees”. I have to exhibit at a special event - Soup & Bun Day - at Otane in August and therefore I need to have a few new stitched models to display.
Also thought that I would stitch some Blackwork’ themed models, with the intention f my first piece being one of Sandie’s designs - Tiny Blackwork Floral Sampler.
As I like stitching on 35 count Permin fabric, thought I’d stitch my model on this sized fabric - only to realise after I had begun stitching that using a 35 count fabric wouldn’t be suitable as the paillettes and bead embellishments would be too large!
Time to rethink the situation, as I didn’t want to waste my time that I had already spent or dispose of what I had stitched.
Decided to turn what I had stitched into a pincushion, as fortunately I had begun stitching the centre of the top blackwork pattern and worked outwards, and not worked the complete border for the complete design first and then worked the pattern inside as Sandie had suggested in her instructions.
Consequently created a border around this central pattern that I had worked and then worked another piece exactly the same - thus when made up, the pincushion will have an identical front and back.
After stitching both the front and back of the pincushion, still had some fabric left over and so - twice - stitched a smaller part of the centre pattern and these two pieces I will finish as a scissors fob which will have identical back and front pieces.
As yet I have not restarted stitching the ‘Tiny Blackwork Floral Sampler’. I felt like having a break from creating the same design again. Will have to do it soon though. Instead, stitched a complementary piece - this time a Blackwork heart.
Just a few days ago it dawned on me that I’d advertised that our next ‘Mystery Sampler’ project would begin on the of 1st of June but somehow I’d lately been thinking it was the 1st of July!
When I get around to making it up, this I will finish as a heart-shaped ornamental as per Sandie’s model.
Besides all of the above stitching, finished the third piece of the Christmas designs by JBW Designs that are similar and therefore complement one another.
Just a few days ago it dawned on me that I’d advertised that our next ‘Mystery Sampler’ project would begin on the of 1st of June but somehow I’d lately been thinking it was the 1st of July!
Several months ago I had designed a sampler for this project, naming it “Thirty Anniversary Stitches”.
A sampler to celebrate my 30 years - this year - in the business of owning and operating a needlework shop and sharing my love of needlework.
Until this revelation I had only stitched the very centre of the design - the Assisi work as pictured!
Consequently since then I have been stitching feverishly!
Not written any instructions or drawn any diagrams as yet. Oh dear!
To finish off this note, some of you may not know that my original shop was in Mosgiel,
about 10 minutes drive from the city of Dunedin in the South Island.
This first little shop we named and was known as “Expressions”.
On the 30th of May 1988, and after my being a stay-at-home-mum for 17 years, Keith and I purchased an existing business - the “grottiest” little bookshop/toyshop/stationery shop.
We subsequently gave it a thorough spring-clean, disposed of all the “grubby” magazines and replaced them with lovely ladies and home décor magazines, disposed of the toys and stationery and decked it out with beautiful, dainty, feminine gifts and greeting cards that I chose for their inspirational and meaningful wording.
It wasn’t until a few months after opening that I realised I had no time to go into the city of Dunedin to purchase fabric and threads for my favourite hobby of needlework, and so came to the conclusion that I needed to set up a needlework area in the corner of the shop. This we did over the long Labour Weekend and I began teaching needlework classes.
And what a wonderful journey it has been since then!
That’s all for the moment.
