Thursday, 21 March 2019
In my last two blogs I have written about and showed progress of my choice of design
for Gigi’s needlework challenge of completely stitching a sampler in the month of January.
“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”. Gigi
Thrilled to relate that I accomplished it! I chose Gigi’s design - Ann Gould 1821.
Pictured is the original sampler and my finished reproduction of it.
This design is available for purchase from the Needlework Gallery -
Design Title: Ann Gould 1821
Design Code: GR:AG
Price: $29.50
In addition to the work on the Needlework Gallery addition, progress on the restoration
of our 1896 home has continued over the past few months.
The kitchen and master en-suite now have lovely dark slate look-alike flooring,
carpet has been laid in the library, family room and breakfast nook and the needlework gallery display rooms, storerooms and my office are now all carpeted.
Now awaiting some cabinetry to be built which will be installed as part of the sales area
in the needlework gallery.
Once this cabinetry is in place, all the display units and products currently in the gallery housed in what is to be our formal lounge (pictured below)
can be moved into the new gallery area,
and also pictured is a sneak peek at part of one of the new gallery display rooms.
However, I have made the decision to hold off on this move.
Instead, going to hold two needlework exhibitions first -
* A Sampling of Occasions : May 2019 - Births, Weddings & Wedding Anniversaries
* Christmas in July : July 2019 - Christmas designs & Christmas products
Details of these exhibitions (dates, times, etc.) will be sent to you directly
if you have requested to have newsletters sent to you.
if you have requested to have newsletters sent to you.
As part of the Christmas exhibition, needlework Christmas decorations
will be given to visitors to the exhibition who give a donation to our chosen charity.
Myself and the NATTER Day girls * are busy stitching these decorations.
My logo for the day and the verse Keith wrote for me are pictured below -
Here are a few pics of some of the decorations made to date -
and an explanation for those of you who have not heard of us.
The NATTER Day girls are the girls who gather together at our home for the day
on the last Sunday of each month to stitch, laugh, inspire,
encourage one another and share together.
We do have a wonderful time together.
The meaning of the very English word, NATTER is ……
talk idly or chatter / long idle chatter.
Some of you will recognise that the figure above is the one I have also chosen
as my Facebook & Email logo.
And too, Keith wrote the following for me -
NATTER : Needle And Thread Together Equal Relaxation
The first few days of March were very busy but also lovely.
You may recall me mentioning the following as a plan made last November.
On Friday the 1st, Melissa, Madison and myself travelled to Martinborough
(about 3 hours drive south) to meet up with cousin, Merrill
and her two daughters (Lee & Anita), her granddaughters, Krystle, Tori, McKenzie & Daisy and her two great-grandsons (one 4 months and the other 5 months old).
We all stayed together in a lovely new house and attended the Martinborough Fair
on the Saturday. This fair attracts about 40,000 visitors and hundreds of vendors
exhibiting and selling all manner of goods and crafts.
Consequently we all parted company with some of our dollars!
And, of course, the Friday and Saturday evenings were spent happily reminiscing
and relating happy experiences throughout our lives. An awesome time.
Above is a “silly” pic of us all. Merrill and I are a little obscured in the background.
Arrived home teatime on the Sunday and just after 7am the next day Melissa drove me
to the airport to fly to Auckland to stay for the next few days
so that I could attend the NZ Gift Fair - a trade show for NZ retailers.
During this time I spent several hours with a lovely friend - Robyn -
whom I have known since 2000. And you may know her too.
At that time Robyn had opened the most amazing and beautiful patchwork
and needlework shop - The Ribbon Rose - situated at Ellerslie in Auckland.
Several years ago Robyn sold this business, but she is such a creative person
that she has had to begin and open another business/shop.
This is known as, Tis The Season and is located at Whitianga.
Check out her website for all the wonderful kits she has available and to subscribe to her newsletter - www.tistheseason.co.nz
And do visit her gorgeous patchwork and embroidery shop when you go to Whitianga.
We had a great time together - both as friends and as like-minded persons
sharing and encouraging one another with ideas
for what to give you - our wonderful customers.
We’ve had beautiful hot, hot, sunny days this summer, but due to the increased amount
of rain early in the season our property did not ‘brown off’’ as per usual.
One day Keith called me to have a look at what he discovered
in one of the hedges - a huge swarm of bees.
They were there for several days.
Also this summer we’ve had a wonderful crop of avocados. Pictured is one of the many deliveries to a local retailer whom we supply.
These are only our medium and small sized avo's. About 700 in this delivery.
As for my needlework, besides accomplishing Gigi’s challenge,
have stitched another letter of the Alphabet series - N - both the front and back.
You may recall my words in my email accompanying Blog #78.
They were that my aim for this year was to complete
some of my unfinished needlework projects.
Pleased to advise that I have finished the third version of my ’Family Quaker Sampler’.
This one I have stitched for Madison. Changed it slightly.
This time written the full names of our children and grandchildren on it
and stitched it in a different colour -
Simply Shaker Sampler Thread - Endive (worked over one thread)
Fabric - Permin Linen (32 count) - White Chocolate
The other two versions were also worked with threads by ‘The Gentle Art’.
For Melissa : Soot - Belfast Linen : Platinum (worked over two threads)
For Ashleigh : Grape Arbor - Permin Linen (32 count) : Lambswool
(worked over one thread)
(worked over one thread)
And too, I have added a lot more stitches to a design by Gigi
which I began a couple of years ago.
As at November 2017 :
As at yesterday - the 20th of March :
Although I have a lot more to relate and several more pieces
of needlework pieces to show,
will bring this note to a close.
Hopefully you have been encouraged to join me in the challenge
of finishing one or two of your unfinished needlework projects during this year.
I wonder how many you and I will achieve.
Bye for now.
