Red work, Stitching & Books

Inspired by our friend Clare's wonderful Merry Christmas banner, some of the ladies from my stitching group and I have started a stitch along on the Rosalie Dekker pattern.  I'm using the pre printed linen that came with the pattern and my thread choice is DMC 321, one of my favourites.  It's been quite some time since I did any red work stitching but so far I'm really enjoying getting back into it. 

I did finish the Tiny Modernist Christmas Cuckoo House last week, photos to come once I've ironed it, ha ha.  Now I'm focusing on Peace and Goodwill by Brenda Gervais, a lovely design, and I enjoyed a bit of stitching time on it at the beach last weekend. 

I ordered some of the new Lori Holt happy charms recently, and a panel of her bags to make up too. I'd been wanting to get one of these panels for absolutely ages so was so thrilled to see them in stock at Rainbow Stash.  I need to buy some of the zippers next.  

As usual, I've been reading a lot lately, this was my pile I picked up from the library just before Christmas.  I'm still carrying on my 2024 goal of reading during my lunchbreak, otherwise I'd have my lunch and go straight back to work.  Funny story, twice now in the past twelve months I've reserved Kate Morton's Homecoming and each time I've ran out of time to read it before it needs to go back for the next reader. Third time lucky in a few months perhaps.

Newly purchased Onyx Storm to add to the pile of books to be read.

I finished Inheritance by Nora Roberts over the weekend, a good romance and ghost story. I picked up the next in the series, the Mirror, yesterday so will start that after my current read, We Solve Murders by Richard Osman, the first in a new series. 

We have a long weekend coming up, a public holiday on Thursday for Waitangi Day, and having taken Friday off work, we're off to Poranghau Beach with our friends for a few days. The weather is looking good, Glenn has bought a new fishing rod, so will he be lucky with his fishing? Lots of walks along the beach, catching up with our friends, it will be a fun weekend.

See you soon x

Friday Finishing

I have a small container that is slowly getting filled with finished stitched pieces as over the past few months I have had very little time at my sewing machine. This often happens over the summer months. I hope to start working on these and get myself up to date with a few things.

Good Friday it rained here most of the day and once I'd completed a few chores around the house, I pulled out some pieces, some finishing supplies and popped on some floss tube and managed to get these three little projects done. They were all stitched during 2022. 

First up, Cannot Count My Day Complete, which is part of a free pattern by Lori Holt and can be found here: 

Stitched on 32 count vintage mocha Belfast linen with DMC 3328

Letters to Santa, which was a mystery stitch along by the Fat Quarter Shop. 

Stitched on 32 count chalkboard linen with the recommended Weeks or DMC threads:

This little red work design is by Marg Low. and the reindeer button is by Barb of Theodora Cleave buttons.

Three down, many more to go!

See you soon x

 

 

Stitchography Project Bag

Hello dear friends, and welcome to another week. I'm so happy as the sun is out after nearly a whole week of dreary, drizzly rain and there's even some warmth to it. Feels like summer is on it's way!

Today's stitching project to share is a finished project bag.  Stitch -O-Graphy was a chart released by the Fat Quarter Shop back in early August to celebrate World Cross Stitch Day. It can still be purchased here

Mid August and New Zealand was back in Level 4 Lockdown, the strickest of our lock down measures, where we all had to stay home once again from work and school, and only leave our homes for essential shopping and services.  It was middle of winter too so with a bit of extra time on my hands, my stitching got plenty of attention and this design became my lockdown project. 

I stitched the design with my own thread choices on 32 count white linen.

Using some Lori Holt fabrics, I followed Elizabethanncanstitch's You Tube tutorial for making this style of project bag. 

I also attached a few little charms to the zipper pull.

A fun stitch to enjoy during the few weeks our area was in lock down once again.

See you soon x

 

Flea Market Flowers

 I have totally enjoyed stitching this lovely design and all those threads make me so happy!

Flea Market Flowers is a design by Lori Holt and I stitched it on 36 count vintage mocha belfast linen with all the recommended DMC threads.

Not sure how I'll finish this just yet - might have to look for a suitable frame.

See you soon xx

A Stitching Round Up

This week you can tell winter is well and truly here in New Zealand. After some miserable bleak weather last weekend, the winter sun has been out and we've had a few mornings with good frosts and chilly starts but then a day of sunshine follows.

This coming weekend we get an extra day off work for the Queen's Birthday public holiday on Monday, and after having spent the past few weekends helping with my in law's move to their newly built house, an extra day at home will be great to catch up on some home jobs and maybe even some sewing time.

Lately I've been enjoying having the diffuser going in the living area. Earlier in the week I bought a new synergy blend from the local health shop. Called Stress Relief, it has bergamot, ylang ylang, patchouli, orange sweet and lavender, and smells so divine. Most of the oils I use are made locally by Lotus Oils. 

Onto a stitching update:

I'm so enjoying stitching the Flea Market Flowers design, the colours are so pretty.  

I pulled out a 2020 Stitchmaynia project last weekend to stitch and made some good progress on All Joys for Thine.

Sew by Row is coming along too:

Last week I finished the Last Ripe Berries by Blackbird Designs

Stitched using the recommended fabric and threads:

I've also stitched more on My To Do list:

I've also got a new knitting project on the go, having finally finished the pair of socks that have been on the go since January 2020! A friend from work has a new grand daughter so I've started a little baby cardigan and will match it with a hat and booties too.  

Have you started any new projects lately? 

See you soon xx

Flea Market Flowers

A parcel arrived recently from the Fat Quarter Shop, containing a few goodies I'd ordered with some birthday money back in early April.

I bought the newly released Flea Market Flowers chart designed by Lori Holt and some pretty fabrics to make, you guessed it, more project bags!

I had all the recommended DMC threads in my stash and I'm going to use 36 count Vintage Mocha fabric.

The colours are so pretty.  I'm aiming to stitch a couple of the boxes each week so will see how it goes!

These fabrics are so pretty and great value, the cost to get it here to New Zealand is pretty high though.

See you soon xx

Sew by Row Update

For the past week I've been stitching only on Sew by Row by Lori Holt and have made some really good progress. These photos were taken before so I'll take some update photos soon.

I'm using all of the recommended DMC threads and 28 count Ice blue lugana fabric, which isn't showing up at all in these photos.

Some time this week I'm going to begin Lori Holt's new pattern, Flea Market Flowers. I'm going to use all the recommended DMC threads and 36 count vintage mocha linen. I can't wait to get started!

See you soon x

Eat Sleep Stitch Repeat

Back in January I stitched this sweet little design by Lori Holt.  Following a tutorial by Kimberley from the Fat Quarter Shop, I turned it into a little bag. 

You can find this tutorial on Fat Quarter Shop's Floss tube number 35 video.

This is going to be the perfect size for storing threads, etc, and a good idea to use some of your unfinished small cross stitch pieces.  

See you soon x

Sew by Row Progress & Books

Here's the latest update on Sew by Row, a pattern by Lori Holt. I'm trying to spend a few hours each week on it but missed last week as I'd pulled out some knitting to do, I've done very little knitting since last winter so felt like a change. My hairdresser is having a baby in a few months so I'm planning to knit a couple of hats and some booties.

It's quite hard to tell from this photo but the fabric is more blue than it's showing.

This is a fun project so far.

Here's February's choice of books - one new book and two that have finally come in for me at the local library. I've already finished the Nora Roberts, the first in a new series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

See you soon x

This Week

Just like that, it's February! We have a long weekend coming up so we're heading to the beach for our last stay there of the summer. I'm looking forward to some chilled out days and I've packed plenty of stitching, including a new project to work on.

Last week I was happy to see Sew by Row by Lori Holt had been released as a PDF chart. I found a piece of 28 count ice blue Lugana in my stash and I'm going to use the suggested DMC threads. This will be a fun design to stitch.

 

I forgot to share this little finish the other day, Merry and Bright by Pineberry Lane. I stitched on this during my summer break. I used most of the recommended threads and the fabric is 36 count Light Examplar I think?

The new school year started for Hannah this week and her usual activities are underway again - swim squad, dance classes, orchestra, etc. Year 8 this year and off to high school next year, where have the years gone?

See you soon xx