Broken Promises

Huge apologies to all my friends and followers.  I did promise to be better in 2016, but then I think that has been my new year resolution for a couple of years now.

So I wont make a promise this year, just hope for the best. ...after all it is only February and here I am already :))) 

Now that Sharon Boggon has started a new Tast challenge, I have been taking part and enjoying stitching again.   Instead of a fabric book this time I am doing a Band style sampler and it is growing along.

Here are just a few of the samples of stitches I have done so far.

threaded cable chain

 

 

threaded tied herringbone - up and down buttonhole - buttonhole wheels

buterfly chain - twisted chain and rope stitch - arrowhead stitch

Himself came for a visit and bought me mangos from the tree.  He also arrived with limes and lemons.  Some are small, but I will be able to grate the skin and freeze it.  He also picked me some Protea flowers from our last remaining tree.

Proteas

. 

mango chutney

  I spent yesterday making mango chutney and here are the jars.  Have done the taste test and it is yummo...however I think we will be eating it until next years crop are ready. :))  The recipe did not stipulate the amount of chillies so I added long reds....3 with seeds and two without and am a bit disappointed it is not hot.  It does have a slight zing from the ginger though.

lemons and limes

On the health front, I am feeling the best I have for 5 years. The new cardiologist got me on track after only two visits with changes to medications.  My blood pressure is perfect and I not longer have the constant scary AF.  It feels good to feel good.

Bye for now, I am off to try some of that chutney on some cheese on a biscuit.

Spring rain and Stitching

Lately we have been getting more rain, and it is wonderful to see my little garden of pots beginning to thrive.   I thought I had lost my miniature fuschia plant, but it has come to life and is really pretty.  Fuschias are one of my favourite plants.

The bush is covered in flowers, and the bottom picture is a closer view of the gorgeous purple centre.

My November Lillies are nearly finished, but have brightened up the courtyard.

I recently planted some sage, and it is just beginning to take off.  I love my herbs and use them lots in cooking.

My tomato plant is loaded with flowers, and the fruit has begun to form.  I am pleased to find that I will have "egg tomatoes" 

My small begonia flowers for a long time, I like the delicate little flowers.  It seems to be a hardy plant.  You can see the last of my fennel in the background which is now going to seed.

The coriander has also decided to go to seed.  I dont seem to have much success with coriander I never seem to get an abundance of plants to survive.  Although I love the pretty little flowers.

On the sewing front, I have put together another section  for my band sampler and have worked ahead with the Butterfly chain, of which there are two versions. In the first picture I have tried to work the stitch in different ways.   For the second version I have used the edging from some drawn thread work which you can see at the bottom.  I cut a section and dyed it and couched it on with the chain stitches. I think it reminds me of butterfly chain. The traditional butterfly stitch is below the couched threads.

I used a mixture of perle 8 and Stef Francis dyed threads. 

 Below is another section I have put together to add to my sampler which is awaiting adornment with stitching

Thanks for visiting

 

Tast Stitching

I am enjoying taking part in this years Tast on Facebook , in the groups section. This year I am not going to undertake pages for a fabric book, but have decided to go for a Band Sampler, which is going to be stitched in sections and then sewn together as I go along.

I have just started a new section which comprises crossed buttonhole and half chevron.

one of my small linen bags

 It is worth taking a look at the Tast stitching on Facebook to see some excellent samples of the stitches.   Here are photos of my latest effort.

crossed buttonhole at the top, some adorned with beads.  Next is the faggot stitch surrounded by a half chevron border and again finished off with beads. 

close up of the woven chevron

half chevron stacked

Life at the moment is very quiet,  so have more time to stitch, which I am enjoying.  At the very least it is helping to use up threads and beads in my cupboard which I have in abundance.  I am hoping to be a good girl and will try to post more regularly.  

On the health front, I am feeling the best I have done for quite some time which is good as I have more energy. Still have to be careful not to overdo it, but it is good to be well.



Bye for now



.

My blog is back

Good morning everyone, well I have decided to open my old blog again.  It is so long since I last posted I doubt that any of my old followers are still out there.

The past 5 years have been a bit of a struggle healthwise, but at the moment I am feeling the best I have for over a year or so.....all thanks to medication changes.

While I have been away from here I have been on a new blog I created called   http://stitchesandlife.blogspot.com .  

While I have been away even my other blog has been sadly neglected.  However I have not been totally idle.   I have been stitching, and my second fabric book is on the way to being completed.  Just have to  finish sewing the pages together and the cover on.

Some of you may remember my ET page that I did while on stitchin fingers well I am using that as the cover for my book. It has 49 pages plus the cover so it is has been a big job.

49 pages plus the cover all stacked ready to go

I have not only included my collage of tast samples, but things I have worked since I began embroidering since 1994.  This even includes my very first sampler when I attended classes with Debbie Mercer in Gympie.

As you can see the stitches were very basic, but we also learned how to sew on beads, as well as a couple of ways to do flowers.  The course I was doing was a CQ workshop, so these were the basic stitches for seams way back then.

The surrounding lace is one I found in an antique shop so thought it suited my antique (read very old) sampler.

Since I commenced this project I have also been working on a version of a Band Sampler just for something different.  I am slowly adding to it with the current Tast which is on Facebook on Sharon Boggon's site.

Herringbone chevron chain and buttonhole stitch beside an old  small cross stitch

ricrac flowers, bullion detached chain, straight stitches, stem stitch, satin stitch, and french knots

My second biggest achievement this year after the fabric book is the completion of the "butterfly cushion".   It has been sitting around for over 5 years I think, but is finally made up.

The "Ta Da" moment of the year has been "the doiley".  It has only taken me over 10 years, but I have beavered away at it over the years, and finally added the last stitch and completed a crochet edging.  I am very pleased with it.

Apart from all that I have had to move AGAIN!!! The owners of my previous unit retired back to Toowoomba and wanted the flat back.  I was devastated because I thought I would be there for years.  Fortunately this present unit was available at the same time, and I was fortunate enough to be able to rent it.  The move was not too hard...just through the back gates with a removalist for only the larger pieces.

looking from dining room table into lounge area. Kitchen is on the left

looking from dining room table to left

large back patio

I do love my new unit, it is much more spacious, and has carpet throughout which is much warmer in winter.  I even have a sunroom where I can sew.  However it was sold to new owners this year, and even though they gave me a new lease, it is always a worry that I will have to move again.  With my health the way it is I do think that would be a big problem.  Even finding something suitable within walking distance from the shops is hard to find, or as I discovered to small, or too ghastly to even contemplate.

Anyway I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Till next time
xo shirley

My little Garden

Life has been getting in the way of my blogging lately, so thought I should post something to show that I am still around the traps. With the recent rain my little garden of pots has been thriving, so thought I would show some photos of my herbs and a couple of other things.

The mint is thriving I have already shared some of it.

thyme

sage

 

 

I have the first tomatoes and capsicum on the plants. I hope they survive

My pride and joy are these little stephanotis plants which I have grown from seed from the mother plant at the farm.  The original plant was grown for me by a friend who was an avid gardener and who won many prizes are shows.

The seed pod is very large, and the seeds are a fluffy mass.  I think I am very clever to get these to grow.  It is a plant that can be grown on a fence or trellis and the flowers (below) are beautiful. Quite waxy and were worn in mens buttonholes at weddings many years ago.

Among the herbs the day lily has been flowering and brightening up the patio.

Out the back of my unit a few feet from the fence there is a very large gum tree which sheds it leaves for a greater part of the year.  Recently during heavy winds one of the higher branches fell, just missing my patio.   If it had come any closer it would have either come through the roof of the sun room or the back bedroom where the computer is, and where I was sleeping at the time.

It also makes a huge mess with the leaves, and the ceiling in the living room had to be replaced because the gutters were so blocked and caused water to build up and pour in.

I did contact the council who told me the tree was sound and would not be removed, even though these are notorious for falling on houses in storms.  The tree was here before the development so the tree wins.  With regard to the leaves I have to constantly sweep up I was told if I did not like the leaves I could move.

Great P.R. just before an election, eh.

this fell in the night 6 feet from the fence.

pile of leaves in the front was from the gutter above.

Week 6 Herringbone Stitch

After yet another blip on the horizon of my health, I FINALLY finished my week 6 challenge of herringbone stitch. 

Every time I go into that damn ICU someone creeps in while I am sleeping and steals yet another bit of my brain. I don't know what they want it for but they never leave it at the door for me to collect on the way out.

Hence I was feeling very sluggish in mind and body and could not come up with anything until the fog began to clear.  All I could think of was smocking so first of all found a piece of pleating and worked a little bit on that though not very professionally.   Then I saw the picture of the swan, and thought the half chevron would make good feathers, but unfortunately that didn't happen very well.   

I dont know why I chose the pink and blue colours, but had to resort to purple in the end to satisfy myself.    Pink has never been my colour.  As a twin I was always the one in blue. I did add some buttonhole stitch for the water, which I did realise after it was complete that it was a bit heavy and overpowering, but at the time could not bring myself to re-do it.

Please go to the site here to see some wonderful examples of this stitch.

Technology query

Hi my friends, I have a favour to ask.  Can anyone please tell me whether they are getting feeds to the posts in this blog.   I have published one on my nymph embroidery being finished, and it is not showing up on my reading list in dashboard, or on google reader.

I guess if my posts are not showing up this one won't either.....yes I know I am a bit dumb these days when it comes to this sort of stuff.

I must admit I have been fiddling, but now I dont know what I fiddled with to make it all go wrong.

Help please.

Just thought I would add a photo of one of my bears to make the post more interesting.  The embroidery is all in Brazilian Embroidery threads, and the designs are in that technique as well.