Wednesday, December 23, 2020

One More Side

 I got one more side glued on to my double casket. Progress!




This is the part I didn't use. It can be used on another part of the casket if I want.

Here is my candied orange peel.  The recipe suggested using lemon peel as well so I tried it.  I love the lemon peel. I'm trying to shake off some of the excess sugar.

Here are several containers of caramel corn.  So if neighbors give us something we can give them something. If nobody gives us anything, we'll just eat it ourselves!

I am going to take a break from blogging until next year. I plan to be back January 4th.

Merry Christmas!

A

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

New Start

 I am happy to say that I finished-finished the huswif button and all. I didn't show you the back yesterday so here it is.


Then I started the Lord and Lady for a casket. I began on the bottom border. It is supposed to be all one color but I changed it to several colors. I like it.
I spent this morning making caramel corn. Yum. I made some candied orange peel trying a new recipe that called for rolling it in superfine sugar. What a mess! Too much sugar! I'll have to use a different method.

A

Monday, December 21, 2020

Finishing

  I have been working on finishing the huswif. I always underestimate how long it will take me. I am on the home stretch though. I constructed the pocket. Originally I thought it was just a flap with needle pages under it. Then I reread the instructions and realized I was wrong.  This is what the inside looks like:




There is a twisted cord handle.  I still need to find the button for closing the front.

I made a new start.  I'll show you tomorrow.

A



Saturday, December 19, 2020

Success!

 I finished-finished Pikachu and he (or she?) turned out fine. 



I got a small kit from Etsy.  I like blue and white designs and have admired this one so I ordered it.


I didn't get the kit with the hoop. I'll finish it a different way. 

A

Friday, December 18, 2020

Pikachu

 My granddaughter loves Pokemon so I went looking for one of her favorite Pokemon figures on the internet. I found a chart for Pikachu and decided to make her one. This is how it turned out.


I stitched it on a scrap of linen and at two points it is too close to the edge.  I'm hoping to finish it so those two points don't show.  If I put some edging around it, I think I can get away with it.
I am working on the finishing of the huswif. It is a little tedious but I will be glad to get it all done.
I also glued paper to the casket and to my three queens stitching so I can get another side of a casket done.
Progress!
A


Thursday, December 17, 2020

Huswif

 I finished stitching the huswif. It is cut out, ironed and interfaced along with the pocket flap. I want to finish it today. We'll see if I actually get around to it.



Does this mean I can start something new?   Yes! I'm also almost done with a little something for my granddaughter.  I'll show you tomorrow.

A

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Three Queens

 I finished as much as I needed to put this on the side of my double casket. The top part above the letter/numbers row will be extra and may be put on another part of the casket. I thought I would never get this done!



The top has Jenny Aiden Christie's Hampton Court on it.



  The other side has a different version (by Lauren Sauer) of the three queens on it.

A



Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Happy Mail Part 4

 Last Day for happy mail. I forgot to mention that the Guiliana Ricama magazine comes in English.

Today is another book that I got from the French Needle. It is in Japanese (I think). I don't know why but I am fascinated with simple Japanese design. This book is filled with sweet patterns.  Some pattern pages are blue which makes me think they might be iron on designs but I haven't tried them out yet.





Here is my Christmas tree this year:

It is cold here but no snow (that's fine with me!)
A


Monday, December 14, 2020

Happy Mail Part 3

 I'm a little embarrassed about how many Inspiration kits I've ordered. This is another kit from the Passion for Needlework book.  It is called Tudor Garland.

This is what is in the kit. It uses a lot of various metal threads that would be hard to me to find on my own.  That's my excuse for ordering the kit and I'm sticking to it.
DH got out our Christmas tree and put it together as well as putting on the lights. I decorated it but left off two boxes of ornaments. I tend to over decorate!

The vaccine is being made very close to where I live.  Will I be able to get it soon?  Who knows!
A


Saturday, December 12, 2020

Happy Mail Part 2

 I've been wanting to see what an issue of Guiliana Ricama magazine has in it.  I was able to or an issue from The French Needle and it it came this past week.

Cathy Boyd talks about this kind of embroidery. I'll have to read about it.
There is quite a diversity of needlework techniques in the magazine.
I like this heart.
There are step by step explanations of techniques like button making.
I decided Santa would like to give me a subscription to this magazine.  They send out two magazines at a time to save on postage. There are many more projects in a magazine than are shown here.
Happy weekend!
A


Friday, December 11, 2020

Happy Mail Part1

 I got some happy mail the other day.  It is another Inspirations kit. But there is a story behind it. I went on a Casket tour around England and Scotland in 2015. On the day the tour ended I was having breakfast in our London hotel and happen to sit across the table from another person on the tour.  It was Victoria Laine. Come to find out she is a needlework designer. I was telling her how I was afraid of screwing up my mini casket. She had already designed and made a casket all on her own. She was so positive and encouraging.  She told me to "Just do it". I came home with her positive energy and actually finished my mini casket.


I have since taken off the top and sides and put them back on about three times trying to do a better job each time. 

Then I went on another tour last year, the Queen to Queen tour. I had the most fabulous time. Victoria and her friend Susan were on that tour too. She is so much more than a needlework designer. I wish I had a photo of her coat. It's unbelievable. She spun her own yarn, dyed it, and knitted it into a coat! She is one of the finest stitchers ever.  Many of her designs have been in Inspirations magazine. Blackworks, sweet bag, Alexander the bug. She can do anything.  That is not to mention that she is one of the nicest people I have ever met-and so positive. In the latest Inspirations magazine is "Castle Keep" designed by Victoria. I absolutely mast make one of her designs. So I ordered the kit.



The project is small and sweet.  There are a lot of different threads.
It is special because it is designed by a wonderful person and friend.
A



Thursday, December 10, 2020

Christmas Decorating

 These are stitched pieces I did a while ago and put up every Christmas. Well, not every Christmas. Last year I didn't do anything so I'm happy to be able to do more this year.  I love being home instead of the hospital.

Here are my decorations:






My Santa stays out all year.
I got some nifty happy mail. I'll show you starting tomorrow.
A


Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Huswif Progress

 I've made some good progress on the huswif. This is the third section. There is a pocket flap after this. 


I made fudge this morning. Yum! There is some to give away and some to eat.

I put up my Christmas stitching for the season. I'll show you tomorrow. I have a bit of chemo this afternoon.

A

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Of a Tuesday

 I got the latest Vikki Clayton solid colors assortment in the mail. Beautiful colors and they look great on my quilt.

I am going to stitch a little Pikachu figure for my granddaughter and the yellows might be good for that.
I started section number 4 on the Limonera Pear. It looks more blue than I wanted. There are eyelets using a sparkly thread that was in the kit. Three of the pear sections use the same blackwork pattern.

Same pattern, different colors.
A



Monday, December 7, 2020

Next!

 I did it! I finished that stupid blue queen stitched flower. Done.

Where I started.

Not so bad, I guess.  Molly, what I really need before stitching something difficult is a pina colada!

I still need to do the next two (easy!) bands to make it the right size for the casket side.

I started the next band. It will go way faster than the queens band. 

A

Saturday, December 5, 2020

@#$% Flower

 I should have told you the title of the sampler I want to use for part of my casket.



I think I ordered these from Germany.  I have a couple of their other charts as well.

I have three quarters of this last flower made of queen stitches done.  Don't look too close. This flower is a mess.



I will finish this #$%^ flower today. I will.  I absolutely will.

A