First Attempt at Fabric dyeing.

With the horror of an earthquake in this country over the weekend, I did n't think about taking or posting photos. Yesterday, while playing Mah-Jong, we were interrupted after afternoon tea, with a quake of 4.1 a few kilometres off the coast. A very scary feeling for someone who is used to stable ground under foot, at home. I really feel for the folk in Christchurch, who have endured such trauma over the last four days, with constant after shakes.

I 've been dyeing cross stitching fabric this morning and as a first attempt, I am rather pleased with the result. Not quite as patterned as I had hoped, however the colour is exactly what I had envisioned. I am so enthused, I sought the popular drinking crystals, I have read about, to try their effect. I had hoped to try several colours, (flavours), to have a great selection of pretty coloured fabrics to add to my stash. Unfortunately, that particular product is not available here, so with limited variety available, I could only purchase two flavours/ colours locally. I will try those in the next few days to see what I can produce.

I have a couple of cross stitch exchanges to get together at the moment. One to post in the next couple of days & the other to put together later this month for postage. Photos of those after they have been received by my exchange partners.
I resumed covering & constructing hexagons sections last Thursday evening. They have been added to the quilt to have it completed to half way, on the RH side. It will be exciting to reach the half way point on both sides. Last week I returned to one of my stitching groups, after missing it for several weeks. We meet usually once a fortnight or, three weeks. It was great to return & enjoy all the current projects. It is my turn to host this group on Friday week, so by then, I hope to have the LH side, also completed to the half way point.

Re-assessed & Progress.

Last night I had a change of thought & decided to unpick the entire stitching on the present piece of Floba. After all, I can get started faster with most of the gridding already done, with a few repairs.
In the meantime the photo promised from last week.

The light is not good on the second hexagon row, although this photo is better than the one I took earlier, which had too much colour reflection from the walls and curtains. It is getting harder to capture a full shot as more is stitched. Perhaps now would be a good time to install my Flannel board in the sewing room, for future photos.

Hiatus in Stocking Stitching.

Do you ever find yourself in a similar situation?

After finding my miscalculation, and doing the reverse stitching required to remedy the problem, I was looking at where so much progress had once appeared, when I had a sudden realisation. :(:(
I had carefully gridded the Floba, as usual and somewhere in my enthusiasm to get on with the project, I had turned the fabric upside down/inside out to start stitching. Unfortunately, for me, I noticed there would not be enough fabric for the toe of the stocking. I seemed to loose my mojo for this piece immediately. With twenty four hours hindsight, I have decided to start on another piece of fabric and undo the original at another time, for future use. Luckily I have a spare piece of Floba or two.
Considering I was all the way down to the completion of the wee sheep's head, the removal of that, along with half the shepherd's robe and head gear, took over an hour. There is much frogging still to do, as you can see. So far today all I have managed, is to remove some of the gridding threads.

Stitching Progress.

The top right hand corner of the quilt went together last week and I am rather pleased with the result. Because I use manila folders as templates, = 220gsm thickness, my fingers were a tad tender. I have taken a short break from covering & stitching the hexagons together in sections.
I need to take a better photo of this stage of the quilt, until then, stitching related objects. Above, a small selection of some of my thimble collection.

Although not stitching related this is a favourite, pretty, small dish. It was an engagement present, many moons ago, from a dear friend.

As mentioned before, I resumed work on a WIP, a SB Christmas stocking. I plan on moving at a steady pace this week and next, so photo updates will appear as progress happens.:):)

Wheels Again.

Does n't look too bad...........However when the bumper bar was removed

it was more serious. The insurance assessor estimated the car behind was doing 45-50klms when she ploughed into our stationery vehicle. I'm glad it is a strong wee beast. We were lucky the spare wheel & tyre absorbed the impact, with two little chaps in the back seat.

Early this afternoon we received the call we have been waiting on, for 6 weeks. My little chariot is restored to look like new. Wow! never thought I would appreciate the convenience of my wee car, so much. We insisted on new spare parts, so guess that is why it took so long.

Yesterday, I had reached the plimsoll line. Bussing & returning to the supermarket, climbing the hill from the bus stop, the fifty stair climb up the mountainside loaded to the eyeballs with shopping & collapsing in the front door in a heap, had lost its' appeal. The whole rigmarole was never really appealing to start with. LOL. If the car had not been ready this afternoon, we had resolved to look at buying a second vehicle over the weekend. It is the first time we have not had an alternative vehicle, in nearly 100 years. LOL.
Not that another rear ender is required, however collective opinion thinks it is time for DH to acquire his own vehicle, in the not too distant future.

Another Work in Progress.

Progress on Shepherd's Bush, 'Reed' stocking, my eighth one so far. It is an easy stitch, using perle thread on Floba, a pleasant medium to use, as a change from patchwork fabric & template paper. I planned to have this completed for last Christmas however, now seems a good time to have it on the 2010 completions list.
I love the style of SB charts, especially the stockings. Last year I purchased another 2 stocking charts, to stitch for DH & myself.

174 and counting..

Here is a photo of the latest 174 hexagons, although not all attached in one piece.
Others have been covered and await placement at a later date.





I thought the underside was also interesting enough to share a photo.


Cross stitching has been neglected since pursuing the hexagon quilt. I'm feeling the need to stitch something more manageable, in hand, at the moment.

I 've joined a regular, wonderful, Christmas Ornament Exchange, once again this year. Something I 've done & enjoyed for several years. Being part of that exchange has made it possible to meet with other wonderful stitchers from many different locations. I also joined, a Halloween Ornament Exchange, last week. These two very pleasant commitments, will provide a welcome distraction from the hexagons for a very short period. If I am still feeling the need for a smaller stitching project, one of my WIP's will suffice.

No start has been made on the planned coat, although I did buy a selection of interesting buttons,. Which one to use, is a further choice, when the coat is completed. Hopefully this project can be under way soon. I still have lining and specific interfacing to locate. When the car is returned there are several fabric places yet to investigate. The last weeks, without the convenience of my car, has made me truly grateful for my own wheels.

Hexagon by Hexagon.

The top right hand corner of the quilt background is almost stitched together. Not in the time frame I had planned, although closer than this time last week. I have covered & stitched into rows the 150 templates, so more need to be prepared for the third section. Photos tomorrow.

My DH shared this with me, from where he found it, somewhere on the web.

In this 2010 month of August, we get to experience 5 Sundays, Mondays & Tuesdays. It will not happen again for another 823 years, so enjoy it this time around.

Commemorating A Rite of Passage.

"It is the sweet things of life which are the real ones, after all."
Laura Ingalls Wilder.

August 9th, 2010.

Louise, Happy Birthday Darling.

Who'd have thought from this, much earlier "rite of Passage for us,

to four years & three weeks later, came one of our life's many blessings.

The beautiful woman you are today.

Back to the Quilt.

I am happy to say, as many others can attest, one can always be uplifted when immersed in stitching, Whether it be patchwork, quilting, crossstitch, embroidery or, one of the other many choices available with needle & thread. No doubt, artists would say the same about having colour and paint brush to hand. For that matter, I know it is the same for whatever pastime brings you joy and banishes all other thoughts. I am truly grateful to be able to play with colour, which happens to be fabrics, in this instance. As promised earlier this week, the hexagon progress photo. I hope you enjoy seeing how it is coming along. It is a much more demanding task, timewise, than I first envisaged, although there is nothing quite like a challenge. :) As it comes together I am inspired to achieve more, towards the completion.

Yesterday a friend came for lunch & some shared stitching & chat time. We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day, such a treat, after all the wet weather since May. I managed to cut out 150 hexagon templates, ready for covering, only managing to cover thirty last night. A tad more than that, needed before the next section goes together.

Amidst Life's Encounters.

It's interesting now & then, the way life throws a curve ball, as one is merrily sauntering along, minding ones' own affairs. The best part for me, is the ability of the human spirit to triumph & rise above the swill, trying to assault the equilibrium. One can chose to suffer the onslaught of such swill, or recognise the lessons it may be masking. The latter seems to be the intelligent option to chose, thereby, rendering much wisdom and exposing wolves in sheep's clothing.

A New Winter Coat.

A new winter coat it will be!

While in the city on Wednesday I selected a pattern for a coat. I also noticed a rather lovely cream fabric. IMHO, it seemed just the right sort of thing for the coat pattern I had chosen. No rash decisions. Instead, I came home viewed the instructions, phoned the store and asked about the quality and the
self pattern contrast within the weave of the fabric. After some contemplation, I returned to the store today and purchased a tad more than stipulated on the pattern envelope. I checked out lining, although one was of a similar colour, I decided more thought was needed. The plan is to have the coat completed before this winter ends. Progress photos will keep me inspired, once it is cut out and under way.

I have made some headway with the hexagons, the top left hand corner will be together, by bed time this evening. A photograph tomorrow, for an update. Over the weekend I will need to replenish my store of cardboard hexagons, so much cutting needs to be done before I can cover the next group. The right hand corner, seems to be the next logical section to accomplish.

As July draws to an end.

Amongst the daily chores, a small amount of stitching filled a couple of hours, over the last week. I finished the embroidery on a gift, found fabrics, which had been eluding me and re arranged one of the book shelves in my sewing room.

This afternoon was spent immersing myself in times long gone, viewing our collection of photographs. Amazingly, by late afternoon, I had been reminded of wonderful times, celebrations, family gatherings, parents & grandparents, and fun times with school friends. I relived some of the times depicted in the photographs, as I remebered fondly, those events. What a great tonic! The object of the search was an upcoming birthday celebration, for one of our children.

Instead of deciding on one of my current WIP's, as an interlude, while continuing the hexagons, I have decided to pick up some dress making/tailoring. I am thinking an evening top or, perhaps a coat. The next step is to choose patterns, & notions. I already have two fabrics, suitable for tops, so coating fabric needs to be sourced, for such a garment.

Visitors.

Thank you to all those folk who have so kindly become followers or left comments. My plan has always been to be diligent with my creativity posts, however I am human and can fail to follow, even my best intentions.

Speaking of Visitors, a photo above of the very pretty feathered kind.

These are Australian Native birds, called Rainbow Lorikeets. They are often friendly, when food is offered. These two are part of a local flock which visit morning and evening, and walk backwards & forwards along the sitting room windowsil. As soon as anyone inside moves in the direction of the kitchen they fly to that windowsil. They create quite a noise outside the window, annoucing it is time for their treat. My DD#2, feeds them a special vitamin enriched liquid, especially prepared for their species. As they are nectar & fruit eaters, some folk, mistakenly feed them sugar in water. Over a period of time, the adults who have been fed this, produce young who are unable to stand or use their wings. They are often very cheeky & when they have been feasting on rotting fruit, they are very comical, (drunk) after consuming the fermenting pulp.
.


Today we were informed our car will be out of action for about ten weeks. Oh dear! We will need to consider obtaining a "beats walkin" of some description, preferably an automatic version, after yesterday in DD's manual. IMHO it is totally unsuitable for the roadways in Wellington, even tho many folk must drive in this mode.. I did learn to drive on such a vehicle, realising very quickly, automation was a much more pleasurable, driving experience. To each his own. Without my wee chariot, there will be more time at home to stitch. This afternoon I felt a distinct inclinatiion to start, or perhaps I should say, continue, with a WIP. I do need a small distraction. So, which will it be from the many awaiting my attention?

Progress on Hexagons.

Work is continuing on sections of the background hexagons. I have decided to add more fabrics than I used in the centre pane, drawing these from my stash. I always enjoy this part of the quilt proceedure. Fondling fabrics takes much time, before a final selection is reached.

Last week was the first week of school holidays and yet again, it was raining and miserable. We took the boys up the coast, for lunch. When we were returning home we were rear ended. A driver behind, was rubbernecking, and missed seeing the traffic in front had stopped. My car has a badly damaged hatch door, requiring repairs. We are currently waiting on spare parts so it is booked in for next week. We will be on Shank's pony for two weeks. Outdoor escapades will only be local or, within the public transport destinations. Hopefully I will be able to stitch up a storm in those two weeks.

I love the rain and the cold weather, but with rain since the 19th of May & only glimpses of sunshine, even my tolerance levels are somewhat stretched. However, there are delights to be found in the gloom. I felt blessed to be able to look out the windows over the weekend, as I sat stitching, to see the beauty of the snowcapped Rimutakas in the distance, beyond the harbour. I hope you can share my delight with this photo.

Wet Weather Stitching and Planning.

The wet weather continues as I stitch more on my hexagon quilt. Guess it is the right kind of weather for sitting indoors and stitching on this project. Here is progress so far, with the proposed look of how the centre will eventually be surrounded by the background of hexagons.


I decided to re-arrange the previous group of hexagons, so they needed to be reverse stitched :) :). They are now together in a different sequence, as I work across and down in sections. I am happier about this method, it is still a mammoth task, although rythmic and enjoyable.

I have a couple of stitched gifts to complete, which have been languishing in my "to do" pile, while I try to select the correct finishing threads and fabrics. I have a square to do for our local Guild birthday celebrations, and it needs to be completed in less than two weeks.

I have done very little cross stitching of late, although I have three new small charts from gifts. They await my attention, after the current one is completed.

A Gift or Two.

On Friday morning I received a call from the "Fabulous Five" singing me Happy Birthday. Such a delight to hear & have the memory, to remind me of their joyful rendition, throughout the day. A wee chat with Lucy and kisses over the phone from Jeremy. I had a call from Matthew who was in Inverell, and shortly after from Felicity in Sydney.
I also received three beautiful flowering bulbs, Hyacinths, in a pretty blue .
A beautiful gift of three cross stitch kits for needle rolls. Thank you Felicity, I am thrilled.


How about these cute gifts?
A selection of cat magnets for the refrigerator door! A perfect gift for a cat lover.
Hugs and kisses, thank you Nicholas.
A set of stacking Dolls! The only kind, none other than Matroyshka dolls, another favourite, to add to my collection. These are different and very useful as measuring cups, and kitchen decorations. Hugs & kisses and thank you, Josh'.



Because I am very fond of dragon Flies, I received a beautiful card and a sweet gift both depicting dragon flies, from DD#2. The circular gift unfolds to become a handbag holder. Thank you Felicity.

Thanks to Steve and Louise for a delicious Birthday Dinner Party.

One of my dearest friends sent me a funny wee book about stress, All sayings TIC. ( toungue in cheek), but it gave a great laugh. Thank you dear friend, Gay.

,

New Cross Stitch Fabrics.& earlier completions.

These are four fabrics which arrived in the mail this week.
All from Enchanted Fabrics and I was thrilled when I opened the parcel. The colours are beautiful, although strong, this photo does not do them justice.They are for no specific chart, just wanted to have some on hand.

This is a small stitch I completed for Thanks Giving, last year. It is stitched with Six Strands Sweet, name escapes me, however it is in a very soft grey, although it does look like a mauve in the photo.

The next two photos are pieces I stitched for my dear husband for Valentine's Day this year. The first was a gift from a cherished, fellow cross stitcher friend. Thank you Karen. I really love the design and the specified colours. I have a small key to stitch to it before it is framed.







The second is a popular "freebie design" from the web, and I choose to stitch
it in a hand dyed, blue.






The is Long Spider, stitched two years ago. It was a very quick, fun, stitch and I passed on the chart to another stitcher .



Below is the progress on the background hexagons.

Hexagon Centrepiece.

The last six weeks seem to have flown by very quickly. I have been learning to play Mah Jong once a week for the last month, returned to the Wednesday stitching group, hand stitched a couple of gifts and made a BOM as a sample for a fellow quilter. The block is titled, Athenas' Puzzle, using Batiks & is machine pieced, not my favourite way of patchworking.

This is a photo of one of the gifts I made for a friend, who generously passed on a chart I had long admired. I did the stitching & DH made the quilt rack.

It is freezing cold, windy & wet, nothing new, for almost ten days. I have been hiding inside and stitching a little more on my hexagon quilt. I can finally say, the centre piece is completed, here it is, although not a great shot.

I've also stitched a small portion of one corner of what is plannned for the rest of the background. I am not entirely sure of how it will go with the centre panel. So far to me, it looks a tad too busy. However when recalling to mind, older quilts of this construction, some are definitely very busy. Guess I will need further contemplation and a decision before too long, as it does require much effort to put all the hexagons together. The caculation so far is for just over 1,200 plus the extras for the final edge. I'm really not too keen to have to re-think this final stage, so when I'm happy about the layout, it will proceed. .

On Sunday the 18th we cruised the Marlborough Sounds. What started as a bleak, grey, early morning waiting to board the Arahura, InterIslander ferry, turned into an absolutely beautiful, Autumnal day. These are cars waiting to board the large ferry "Kaitaki" sailing one of the regular, daily, scheduled crossings to Picton on the South Island.. Our queue, for the day cruise, was to the right of where the photo was taken. The next photo is of Barretts' Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour. This was where the ferry "Wahine" founded in April 1968, in a viscious Southerly Gale.
The voyage was nothing less than delightful! The water sparkled in the sunshine, the scenery was spectacular and the food & company were enjoyable. We were accompanied by a pod of dolphins, frolicking beside the ferry on our outward journey. We also spotted seals basking in the sunshine as they floated on the gentle swell.

We passed shipwreck points, island sanctuaries, saw many sea birds and breathtaking vistas north along the coast. We could see far away up the North Island eastern coast, to Mt. Egmont & in to the Mt. Ruapehue peaks above the haze. There was a delivery of fresh Green Lipped mussels and fresh salmon as we cruised. The on board entertainment was interesting and varied, from cooking demonstrations, wine & beer tastings, manicures & pedicures, massage, safety vehicle inspections, & skeet shooting to mention a few.

I am not the best sea traveller and a friend suggested I watch the horizon any time I felt uncomfortable. I did, with regular monotony, which did work well. By the time we were returning & darkness had fallen with no horizon to see, I seemed to have mastered the swells. It was easy to do a little stitching on my hexagons, while sitting in the sunshine, listening to the on board commentary & watching the points of interest.




We returned home feeling blissfully relaxed and uplifted for the experience.