Hot Days

As our return flight from Spain was cancelled at the last minute our stay extended to three weeks - luckily we visit family so we didn't have a lot of additional expense .... but it was hotter inland than we had expected so we had an even more relaxed, lethargic time, than usual.
Like Tasmin and the other three cats we often spent time indoors to keep cool.
It was more comfortable at the coast, fairly quiet at the end of the holiday season, the Med was beautiful, there was a light breeze and plenty of good food and wine to be had.
So we enjoyed our holiday as usual.
The sun doesn't do much for arthritis in my arm so I'm way behind with my stitching challenges - but maybe I'll gradually catch up.
It won't be this weekend though as we are going to Dorset for an overdue family celebration for my birthday, (It was in May!!!)
We should have brought a bit of sun back from Spain .....
PS .... sadly no terrapin in the pond .... just frogs, frogs, and more frogs ....

Haiku 33 - Terrapin

A reminder of many visits we have made to John's sister and husband in Spain.
Sadly earlier this year we didn't see the little Terrapin - maybe he's gone!
Tomorrow we are going again, until 23rd September, let's hope he was just hiding and he'll be swimming around in their garden pond again.
I'm also hoping the sun will be good for my arthritis - it has been very trying recently so I have done little stitching, and have spent only limited time on line - both things I find frustrating!!!
Many thanks to all friends who visit my Flickr stream, for kind and generous comments, and good wishes.
I really appreciate and enjoy seeing all your lovely work and photos and I'm always sorry that I can't comment as often as I wish.

Postcard for Pat

Frustrated ....... by arthritis in my arm ......

and no hand embroidery this week.

So I decided to make a simple machine stitched postcard - a kind of stitch sampler.

Next I embellished it with bits from the scrap box, a lace initial, buttons, Broiderie Anglaise edging with hand dyed silk ribbon, and flower braid.

Not my favourite thing but it passed away a few hours!

It looks nicer than it shows here as the fabric is a pretty pale blue, not dull as it appears.

TAST 2010 - 26

Chained Cross Stitch

In over fifty years of doing cross stitch I never came across, or thought of, using a top chain stitch to add texture or accent.

Adding a chain as a top cross on this silhouette tree has added texture and depth, though it was a bit demanding on my eyes stitching on each square rather than over four as Sharon demonstrated.

I messed the background by using fabric crayons, not good on Aida fabric.

Too late I realized I should have used paint, but at that stage bad would have become worse!

The 'Sunset' pattern is from an old magazine, Cross Stitch Gallery 21, with background effectively done in cross stitch.

I intended doing the background in basic cross stitch, against which the tree would have looked good ......but my arm gave up.

I'm going to take a short break from stitching, if I can, to give the arthritis a chance to settle down ....... I hope!!!!!

Not so long ago ....

"From the old album" .....

....... for Carolyn's challenge, (Love Stitching Red)

Sorry I can't get a link - details on my Flickr site - link to that on side .....

TAST 2010 - 25

Vandyke Stitch

A mini stitch sampler, 6x10cm. which I have worked on over two days as the stitches are quite small and the threads mostly fine -

Stef Francis Fine Perle, Caron Wildflowers and crochet cotton No. 8.

The background is fine linen, Jet Ink printed with a photo of a collection of variegated fibres. I enjoy printing on fine linen but my printer doesn't always! It struggles and makes funny noises.

This is an easy stitch - but as usual I went wrong here and there.

Sunflowers & Haiku 28

"Sunflower season,

Paint, stitch, and take photographs,

'twill brighten dull days"

Our neighbour has a lovely tall sunflower and the local paper recently had photos of blooms growing to record heights - reminding me that I have a collection of a watercolour pencil painting done long ago, a photo of a field in France with the blooms fading, and several stitched pieces, which together have made a nice mosaic.

I added a Haiku as I'm way behind on my personal weekly "52 Haikus" challenge on Flickr - there should be about 32 by now!

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry with three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables.

It is sometimes expanded or reduced in other versions but I prefer the original format.