“By seeking and blundering we learn.”

Well I have blundered with this and the lesson learnt is always check and double check before you stitch.

I managed to hem stitch the edge back to front and now if I unpick it it will fray on the corners.

Ruthy Rogers was put down whilst I worked on this tray cloth and the doily below

but this weekend she was back on the frame and Ruthy now has an upper body and is high fiving us.

I did make a few alterations to her bodice and the positioning of the flowers she is holding. I also changed the flowers in her hand and hair to ones stitched with little bullions.

I have been looking for a quotation/saying for her and may use "All things are possible if only you believe". At the start Ruthy was very much out of my comfort zone  but now I feel very comfortable with stem stitch.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend, in the UK the weather has been mixed but we have managed to get in three great walks with Poppy and Blue.

Back from the framers

Ellenor Wykcs and EK 1653 (now known as Three Sisters) are back from the framers. 

Ruthy Rogers is progressing and I am loving stem stitch. It is so fluid.

I was definitely out of my comfort zone to start with but this stitch is well worth having a go at. 

It stitches up very quickly. 

My other start is a hardanger place mat for my WI group.

The inner sections are not finished but I wanted to try the buttonhole edging. It is a padded one which I had not heard of before. You stitch satin blocks then work the buttonhole stitch over them. It does create a nice effect. Hopefully, if all goes to plan this will be very pretty.

The challenge is to have the back looking as good as the front.

The postman has been with a new spool caddy. I cannot resist collecting them. Richard Hyers makes such beautiful stitching accessories.  His website is well worth a visit.

http://www.hyerswood.com

Archie continues to grow and he is now very mobile on his own two feet. Chris and Kate have been having some decoration done to the house and he is fascinated with paintbrushes. The decorator gave him one and at the moment it is going every where with him !!

I hope that all my American followers have enjoyed their Mothering Sunday today.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It has been an age since I posted on my personal blog. I have been busy with lots of projects though. Elizabethan Treasures has been framed and hung.

I am very pleased with her and it was a good exercise in mastering some speciality stitches.

I have also completed a fairly large blackwork piece and I added lots of petite beads. I think if you click the photo it will clearer ( I am having problems with posting photo from my ipad onto blogger).

 

I am afraid that I could not get on with Elizabeth Simon, I adored the satin stitch flower border but unpicked the two outer borders and filled in the centre with a favourite poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

She is now at the framers.

A small finish was a hardanger placemat.

I tried very hard so that the back and front were identical. Can you tell the difference? I have left a waste knot showing on the front.

My other stitching projects are a SAL for GiGi's Saxony Band Sampler and we are on week 13.

I started at the bottom as I intend to change the top band and to add a verse if I have enough fabric.

It is very delicate looking and I am loving The Attic's conversion.

My main stitching project is Rachel Jarratt by the Scarlet Letter.

This is my first time with the fishbone stitch. I am very taken with band samplers at the moment.

This one has been very enjoyable (so far) stitching the outline and then colouring in.

Here is where I am at the moment.

I have been busy quilting and have had two finishes. A gift for a little baby girl who lives on a farm close to the sea.

The Celebration range from Moda seemed perfect as it had animals and sailing ships.

My other finish was going to be for one of my cottages but I loved it so much it now resides in my drawing room.

I used a favourite quilting pattern.

I have a few more quilts on the go but seem to be waiting for threads or wadding after the Christmas break.

I have completed some more blocks on Vintage Valentines

I seemed to have made lots of pillows lately. They make great gifts. Here are two of them.

Chris and Kate were delighted with their Christmas present.

The artist has captured the dogs so well. They didn't have the foggiest idea that they were getting this for Christmas and it was so nice to see their faces when they opened the box.

Archie was very poorly over Christmas and we were unsure if he would be able to celebrate his first birthday but he rallied on the 2nd.

We can tell from this photo that he has lost a lot of weight. He is growing up so quickly.

The weather has been dreadful, quite frightening in fact.

One of our very tall trees cracked from the top to over two thirds down and was only stopped from crashing down onto our cars by another tree. It was fortunate that the wind dropped for a few hours for the tree surgoens to attend to it.

Huge chunks of sand have been gouged out of the cove and I think that the owners of the beach cafe are worried that their building is going to be washed away. No photos as I am not well at the moment to go out with my camera.

These photos are from Porthleven which is very close to us. You can see just how big the waves are.

Stay safe and warm until next time.

Happiness is a state of activity

Happiness is a state of activity and I have certainly been active this last week.

Victoria Samplers Alphabet Series

(Please excuse the poor quality of the photograph, I have yet to get all my photographic equipment back out)

I am so pleased that I have finished the third row “M” to “R” of Victoria Sampler’s Alphabet series, only one more row to go. I had to put my stitching away for several months whilst caring for my MIL and it has been a joy to pick up my needle again. 

I have been busy baking and making two batches of chutney, I have had lots of garden produce to use up. We have had  a bumper crop of apples this year.

I treated myself to a bundt pan and have had fun experimenting. The first cake I made in the tin was a spiced apple and ginger which was scrumptious. It then occurred  to me that the shape was very much like a Terry’s chocolate orange so I played around with a marble cake receipe from joyofbaking.com and made a chocolate orange cake. This was a big hit with everyone here.

Joyofbaking.com is well worth checking out. Her recipes are very good and I like watching the videos before baking the recipe.

I went to the WI last week and the wall hanging of scenes from our village is progressing well. 

This is a new contribution which I though was very well executed.

Frazer brought in some Christmas projects and I particularly liked this one.

Ruth Hanke - Millennium Angel

I have decided to stitch Ruth Hanke’s Millenium Angel as my Christmas project for this year. I have placed my order and await delivery. Ruth is a very gifted designer.

My DH has planned a huge bulb planting programme for this winter, over 15,500 bulbs – daffodils, crocuses and bluebells.

The first of three deliveries came in the week and the gardeners have made a good start with the help of Blue and Poppy.

We are having a portrait of the dogs painted by David Sandell a fine artist. This is the working sketch we have approved.

We wanted Millie included and I think that David has done a superb job working from photographs of her. He was able to sketch Blue and Poppy  from real life. He has captured each of their expressions. I cannot wait to see the painting.

Warm Wishes from Stitching By A Cornish Sea Shore Nicola xxx

Life in abundance comes only through great love.

Hardanger Mat - Cols Creations

As the lighter evenings are here there has not been so much sewing. I have had a small hardanger finish, this is a dressing table mat by Cols Creations.

Hardanger Mat - Cols Creations

I made a few alterations (as always) to the pattern as I went along and also added some small gold beads.

The back of the Hardanger Mat - Cols Creations

This is the back. As I have never seen anyone else's hardanger work I am not sure how this compares but I have tried to be as neat as possible. If anyone has some good tips I would be grateful. Books never seem to cover the back of the work.

The Lace Garden - Cols Creation

The Lace Garden is back from the framers and I have hung it in one of the guest bathrooms.

I deliberately chose the lavender mount to compliment the room which is a very feminine bathroom and has a boudoir feel.

I started Victoria Sampler's Alphabet series on April 12th and I am enchanted by the beauty of this piece. 

Victoria Samplers Alphabet Series

Each letter of the alphabet is a stand alone design but they can be combined to make one large piece.
Mine will consist of six columns and four rows, X,Y & Z form one piece thus making 24 individual sets.

The working area will be 498 threads wide by 1422 threads high stitched on 28 count = 17.75" x 50.75".

Victoria Samplers Alphabet Series

Each set is made up of stitches and motifs starting with the set letter. For example in  "A" the stitches include algerian eyelet lace, arrowhead stitch, assissi stitch, aglerian plaited stitch and alamance bargello. The motifs are azaleas, an ant, anemone buds, an arrow, an armadillo, alyssum buds, acorns, an axe, an arbtus branch and an apple. I am in awe of Thea's imagination and creativity. Some of my most precious projects are her designs.

Victoria Samplers Alphabet Series

 There are plenty of charms and beads.

Victoria Samplers Alphabet Series

And I have added a few more along the way.

Victoria Samplers Alphabet Series

I love the use of Krenick braids.

Victoria Samplers Alphabet Series

Victoria Samplers Alphabet Series

Victoria Samplers Alphabet Series

Victoria Samplers Alphabet Series

I didn't have time before the wedding to hang Ann Medd.

Ann Medd - The Scarlett Letter

So I popped her on the wall of our TV Room (a framed piece is always safer hung than lent against a wall) and I have got used to her in this position just behind my sewing armchair. I think that I may leave her here

Have you spotted my new frame and stand?

I really like using my Lowery stand (which I consider one of my best ever buys) and Q-snaps but because of the beads, charms, buttons and surface embroidery on VS Alphabet Series I couldn't use the Q-snaps. Over the years I have bought every sort of roll frame but can never get the tension right on the sides of the fabric. I like the fabric to be drum tight.

Last year I read Mary Corbett's review of the Millenium Frame and was taken with the whole concept.  Check out the video.

I am bowled over by how easy it is to assemble, two or three minutes maximum and it is DRUM tight. I have six feet of fabric rolled on the frame for VS Alphabet series. I quickly ordered the stand as well and some different sized side bars.

I would rate the frame as excellent and highly recommend it.

Thistle Threads' course - Cabinet of Curiosities has started and I am so very pleased that I signed up for it.

Here are some images I have taken off the internet of embroidered caskets.




I hope at the end of the eighteen month course to stitch a double casket similar to these that will become an heirloom for my family.

Chris and Kate are back from their honeymoon on Sunday, three weeks have gone by  so quickly. We had hoped to meet them at the station but unfortunately we cannot as we have to go back to Wales this weekend.

They have kept in daily contact via the "Whats App" application on smart phones. (If you haven't heard of it, it is a fantastic app to have, it costs just 62 English pennies ((under a dollar)) to download and that is the only cost involved. You can then send messages, photos, videos and voice recordings instantaneously to each other from around the world at no cost).

They have had a wonderful honeymoon and look rested and tanned.

No bird photographs (as such today) but I am very pleased to announce that we have a family of Great Tits nesting in the bird box with the infrared camera and microphone. This is linked to our TV. Our other small box is also occupied by a family of Blue Tits.

They started to build their nest nearly two weeks ago and on Sunday laid the first egg.

We now have seven eggs and she is still laying !!!. Apparently they can have up to eighteen eggs.

I will keep you posted on how many she eventually lays. We have had so much pleasure already watching her at work. She filled the box during the day and then in the evenings she went to work weaving the nest with her beak. It was so cute when she used her body to make the centre of the nest. A huge amount of work goes into the nest.

We have had a green spotted woodpecker visit the garden so I have now put up a woodpecker box to try and attract it to settle here. We have also been hearing owls hooting and found owl droppings so I have put up an owl nesting box as well.

Before I sign off I want to say many, many big "thanks yous" to all of you for your supportive comments. They mean a great deal to me.


Warm Wishes from Stitching By A Cornish Sea Shore Nicola xxx