SLOWLY BUT SURELY

 Until recently I didn't realise how important crafty blog land was for me. Without a tablet to pick up and check out all your lovely blogs I have felt quite disconnected from the stitching world. Fortunately, I have been able to access our main computer to catch up but it is not as often as I would like. I have not been stitching much over the past couple of weeks as I had a fall while staying at my youngest daughter's for a few days and have had some nasty internal bruising which made it difficult for me to do much. However, I have completed Munchkin's stitchery which I intend to frame or staple to a canvas.

 

 

I have made a set of 6 coasters to post to my daughter. They are perfect for her décor and also ideal for Halloween. I had intended to make a matching table runner but that is on hold for now.

 

 

A while ago I saw this book , picked it up, and then put it back again deciding I would buy it another time. Not long after that I saw a review on a TV program raving about this very book. The author is another Aussie who is incredibly humble and doubtful about any success but  he is a very talented writer. Needless to say I went out and bought the book. Honestly, it kept me wanting to read more at the end of every chapter.

 

 

 

I am half way through another book so I am quite pleased with myself getting back to reading more like I used to.

 

The weather here is beautiful and sunny one day, rainy and dull the next. Nothing like variety to keep us guessing what wear and when to hang the clothes on the line.

 

I hope you are all well .

 

Angel Blessings. 

 

 

SEPTEMBER OPAM

 Spring has sprung and I have been enjoying getting out in the sunshine even if it is only to buy groceries. We have been blessed with a couple of beautiful days this mid Spring  as well as not so beautiful days aplenty but I do enjoy the good weather when it decides to appear. However, on those rather bleak days I take the opportunity to sit and stitch or crochet. This means that I have completed a few little projects. 3 of the 4 Christmas decos....

 

2 crocheted dishcloths.

 

 

I have nearly finished reading this book. Yes, it is another Aussie one. I am not really sure what I think of it but it does hold my interest so it can't be too bad.

 

 

I already have my next book lined up.

 

Angel Blessings.

 

 

 

 

SEWING, READING AND BAKING

Firstly, I would like to apologise to all my lovely blogger friends for not checking your beautiful blogs much lately. My tablet is no longer functioning properly and I need to buy a new one but have not managed to get around to that yet. Meanwhile I have to wait until I can get on our main computer which is situated in hubby's domain. Hubby was ill for a week which also preoccupied me and whenever I had some free time I chose to do some sewing therapy. I am a hands on Grandma once a week and twice on alternate weeks and I also have had to deal with my own health issues. So I just hope you haven't given up on me.

Despite not having the right blue thread for my munchkin's project I utilised a DMC variegated thread that I had. Unfortunately, I now find myself running out of this particular thread so I have had to stitch more of the design in the red trying to conserve what is left of the blue. I just hope that the blue variegated is still available to purchase as I think it is quite old.  Otherwise I shall just pick out a dark blue that I have. Fingers crossed.

 

 

I have finished appliqueing one pumpkin.

 

 

 

Another book has been added to my ever growing pile of books I have read. By 'pile', I do mean 'pile'. I literally have 2 piles of books sitting on the floor in front of my overflowing book shelf. "Birthright" has been written by another Australian author. We are very lucky having so much talent here. Every time I search for a new book I come across another Aussie author.  

 

 

 

 

It is Saturday, (despite what the date says on here), and I have been baking my Clever Gutz bread. This is the 3rd loaf I have made and I quite like it. It is nice to have with soup or for breakfast. Thankfully, I have never been a big bread eater which has proven to be a good thing for me as I need to restrict my diet quite a lot due to gut problems. This is a bread I am "allowed" to eat.

 

 

 

NBN appears to be working well at the moment , however , I do have an issue with not being able  to have the regular phone line. Like a lot of things these days "progress" seems to actually mean that we are going backwards. We have quite a few power surges here and the phone cut out on me while I was in the middle of a conversation with someone. Some people do not have reception for mobile phones in their area and if the power goes out they cannot use the regular phone as it is all connected to power now. Thus endeth my whinge for the week.  

 

May your week ahead be a beautiful one filled with an abundance of all good things.

 

Angel Blessings.

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

    

ENTHUSIASM

What a week! I hadn't managed to get out of the house until yesterday which was only to take hubby to the doctor. Ofcourse, when we got home we had forgotten that our NBN was being connected so late yesterday found me grovelling around under our computer desk  trying to unplug various connections and connect new leads to the modum hoping that I had done it all correctly. Fortunately, the instructions were very clear and all I needed to worry about was all the dust that had accumulated on and under the desk. Oh my! I never really think about dusting this room because it is mainly hubby's domain and he has stuff everywhere. I clean the floor rug and window sill but that is about it really.  Anyhoo, I digress.  Despite a bad week I surprised myself having enthusiasm to stitch and I started 2 new projects. The first one is a stitchery I bought from the craft show earlier this year.

 

 

I have wanted to do this applique for quite a while. It was in a Simply Vintage magazine and I had prepared all the applique pieces ready to iron and selected all the threads. So, I got started on it earlier this week. Yey! I love having future projects prepared in advance. 

 

 

 

 

I completed appliqueing another Christmas deco and I just have to finish stitching the reindeers nose. I thought I would have the other 2 completed but I realised I had run out of ric rac to attach to them,

 

 

 

 

 Happy stitching and Angel Blessings.

 

 

 

OPAM AND DECOS

This post probably reads as being Thursday but it is actually Friday. I still need to find those gremlins and deal with them. It is also the end of August which means that it is time for OPAM. Thank goodness I finished my table runner and set of 6 coasters.

 

2 of my Christmas decos are almost finished. All I need to do is add the backing and some ric rac to hang them. Two more are under construction.

 

 

 

 

I am now going to pop over to Jenny's blog to join in her new free stitch a long. I have tried 3 times to add her link but I have lost my post each time and had to redo it. So, Jenny's blog is at www.elefantz.com. if you want to take a peek. Those gremlins are obviously being very mischievous.

 

Thank you for visiting.

 

Angel Blessings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT A HOOT!

 With OPAM time coming up I thought it was going to be another month passing by without any finished projects. So, yesterday I decided to get stuck into completing the table runner which was to go with the coasters I had finished by hand. As you know, I am better at hand stitching than machine sewing but my pointer finger and thumb on my right hand ,( my sewing fingers), are getting quite arthritic and my pointer finger not only has that distinctive stitching bend in it but now has knobbly joints. Thus my attempt, once again, to machine quilt in straight lines. Well, I didn't bother attaching the walking foot this time so the quilting is a bit odd but acceptable. I did run off the lines a couple of times too. I figure that the runner is for me so I am not that concerned. If it was a gift I would not be so happy. My munchkin is going to loooove the owls. Grandma's house is full of them and he loves finding them all each time he comes here.

 

 

Today I prepared a couple of wool felt Christmas decos to stitch and have started the red robin.

 

 

 

 

I am starting to gradually work my way through my WIPs and projects that I have ready to grab and go. My angel quilt has not been forgotten but I need to get back on my sewing machine to do it.

 

Thankyou for stopping by. By the way, does anyone know how to get the date right on my blog? It keeps coming up the day before. Gremlins again.

 

Angel Blessings.

SLOW STITCHING

Sashiko is such a peaceful mode of stitching and it hasn't taken me long to complete all the blocks.

The border motifs are nearly finished BUT I have run out of the thread. Grrrrrr. I may just use another ball of cotton that I had for stitching chicken scratch a few years ago or perhaps I shall just forget the rest of the motifs and piece the quilt without them. I am unsure how I am going to place them all yet. I can't be bothered ordering online for one item. 

 

I started , what was to be, a quick project consisting of a table runner and matching coasters. I have made a couple of table runners without any specific pattern but this time I could not seem to get the measurements right for the table runner.   At least I could sit and stitch the hexie coasters though.

 

 

Woohoo! I have finished another book. I am loving getting back into reading mode. This book is non fiction about the first Australian female detective. She paved the way for all those women in the police force today. Unarmed and with no uniform she dealt with the 2 most notorious women crime figures in Sydney and many other things during her career including the Razor Gangs and fortune tellers. Retiring at 65 she had no superannuation or pension despite her male peers having it all. This book gives a good history from the first settlement onwards.

 

 

 

Well, I am surrounded by building works as I type this. Behind me, over the fence, they are gutting the ground floor of the house and now they have a digger working there. The house behind us has had a digger going for about 3 months and now they have started gutting that house too. Soon the house opposite us will be under demolition and then a new house is to be built there. A few doors down, across the road, they have almost completed building a huge house. I am quietly going crazy here with all the noise and my house rocking. Thank goodness for stitching.

 

I hope you are enjoying peace and sunshine.

 

Angel Blessings