Blog #78 - A Needlework Challenge and more
Thursday, 10 January 2019
A third of my favourite month in a year has almost passed. January is “my” month when I feel like I can rest, relax and indulge in doing things that I like to do rather than what has to be done. As per tradition I received a couple of jigsaw puzzles - my Christmas gift from Keith - and I spent all day Boxing Day and part of the next day and all day New Years Day making them. These are pictured below -
Actually, there were two puzzles in the Wasjig puzzle box - the one pictured above and another which is also a street party scene to celebrate the Queen’s Coronation but this time a ‘current day’ version.
Just as the one above, to create this second puzzle one has to use their imagination as there is no finished picture provided for either of the puzzles.
I really enjoy not knowing beforehand what the finished picture is to be as the process involves the piecing together of colours -
and as you know, colour is a passion of mine.
Not sure which day I will do this second puzzle. Possibly the 30th of this month as that is the date of our 48th wedding anniversary.
Of course, January is also the month when I love to stitch as often as possible without feeling guilty in the least. Some days I will stitch all day whilst watching DVD’s of lovely old TV classic series such as ‘The House of Elliot’, ‘Little House on the Prairie’ or the Catherine Cookson or Jane Austin novels.
On the 1st of January my lovely Belgium friend, Gigi of GigiR wrote the following on Facebook -
“To be true to our tradition of starting a sampler on January 1st
and to be blessed all through the year,
if it is finished by the end of the month”
I was challenged and took up that challenge!
I immediately began (despite having more than several unfinished pieces) stitching one of Gigi’s designs - Ann Gould 1821.
I have to confess that I already had the fabric cut and the threads gathered up for this piece in my needlework cupboard as it was a design that I had planned to stitch one day. Confession - I currently have another ten projects in that cupboard with all the fabric and threads set aside that I’d like to stitch one day!
This is the progress as at a couple of days ago - a week into the monthly challenge.
Lost a couple of stitching days due to having to prepare - cleaning windows, polishing brass, oiling furniture, vacuuming & washing floors, tidying gardens and baking & preparing food - for the visit of the local Model A car club for them to tour the Needlework Gallery, house and gardens and enjoy some morning tea, on Sunday the 6th. 29 visitors.
We were blessed with the most glorious day. Here are a few pics -
First of November last year was the date for the release of the final part of our Mystery Sampler project - Thirty Anniversary Stitches.
Pictured below is the original piece and a piece worked by one of the participants - Lynley of Masterton.
Thank you for sharing your lovely work, Lynley.
Since writing my last blog in November I have made some more progress on my alphabet series.
Each of the letters (backs and fronts) - H, L, & M - have been attached to padded cardboard, and stitched together and are awaiting their cords to be attached to cover over the joining seams. When this task has been completed, they will become finished ornamentals.
As for the letters ‘B’ and ‘R’ - finished photographing and writing the instructions for these.
The designs arrived from my printer a few days ago and are now available for purchase.
DMC thread colours used to stitch the letters are:
‘B’ - 3041 : 3042 : 3740 (Antique Mauve) with 3011 & Ecru
‘R’ - 340 : 341 : 3746 (Blue Violet) with 3011 & Ecru
However, one can choose to work the letters in other colour combinations.
Alternative colour choices are listed in the instructions.
The first Friday in November I was preparing to open the Needlework Gallery when I heard a car in the driveway some time before opening time and I thought to myself, “My goodness, they’re early”, but it wasn’t a customer. It was our granddaughter, Madison saying, “I’ve come to help you for the day Nanny”. She was off school due to sitting exams. When I quizzed her about studying, her reply was, “I’m SO over it, Nanny!” which made me think of myself at her age. I’d finished the 6th form and had been working for a year. With kids having to stay another year at school do they really get a better education than we did?!
Consequently she has since come and helped me whenever she could, thus helping to catch up on a lot of neglected bookwork.
I have so appreciated her invaluable help. And her company.
She also re-charted many of ‘The Little Kit Company’ designs that needed to be installed into my needlework design programme whilst I changed the layout or rewrote the accompanying instructions.
Together we have renewed the following designs in the Bookmark series -
And again, together we have renewed the following designs -
During the months of November and December there were a lot of happy, memorable events, but as this blog is already of some length, will bring this one to a close and write another in a week or so.
I sincerely hope you have been able to spend some time with a needle in your hand over these lovely January holiday days.
The love of needlework is certainly a wonderful gift to have been given.
Bye for now.
