December

What a year this has been! 

Since my spine op went wrong in April I've struggled with health problems, tried to keep up with stitching projects and failed, and reluctantly vegitated for days on end.

 But three weeks ago I shook myself up, found previously stitched easy card patterns and a few pieces already stitched, and at last beavered away to make a few cards.

Not as many as I've made in earlier years so to some friends I have to just say have a lovely Christmas and send best wishes for 2013.

To add to my disappointment the old PC is dodgy so I'm hoping to upload a few more pics when my patience improves ....

Cosmos in October

Oh dear! Not a word or cheery picture in September!

Things have been difficult, but now it's a new month  .... so I'll make more effort to smile ....

I decided to take a few Autumn pictures in the garden this morning, maybe leaves, berries, reds, yellows, browns .....

But then I saw a lovely tall pink Cosmos still blooming

 and that took over.

So I picked a few flowers for a vase, took a photo, and enjoyed playing in Picasa with editing.

Next I made a Flickr Toys calendar and I'll go back soon for those lovely Autumn colours .... watch this space for more traditional pictures for the season!

At last ....

..... ticks in boxes this week:
*** less pain and more sleep most nights, no Hallucinations.
* Olympics great - so much to watch and enjoy. Well done everyone.
* tennis in Canada to catch up with in evening,
* lovely weather, so meals outside (fitting in with Olympics!),
* family all enjoying holidays, 
* roses and other flowers all blooming beautifully,
* visits from special friends, and

* the delightful small Hollyhock posy (about 12cm high) from friend Sheila's garden .... it's the lovliest Hollyhock plant I've seen, the blooms look like Gardenias.

yes, lots of ticks and looking forward to my pain patches working well again next week so that I can get back to "nearly norm" soon!

Where is Glorious June?

How disappointing June is this year - usually one of my favourite months, but now it's so cold and wet!
Even so, the sun manages to shine briefly between lots of showers and some torrents.
Yesterday, in one of those brief spells, I managed a short walk in the garden and found some flowers that were not droopy from rain. They give me so much pleasure:
seeing them,
choosing for photos,
playing with collaging,
having a few in the house each day,
making note cards from individual photos.
It's well worth the slow and wobbly walking I'm now stuck with as my spine op hasn't worked  - our garden is small so I can just get round and there is always something different to see.
At last I've almost caught up with the TAST 2012 stitching challenge
so soon I'll be posting pics of the sampler I'm making .....

First Rose ....

We never know what's round the corner or what a new day will bring ... just as well perhaps!

I waited so long for a spine op and hoped it would improve walking and lessen pain - I knew there were risks but had the op some weeks ago.

I'm disappointed that it didn't work, in fact having a small amount of bone removed has disturbed the spine, I have more pain at times, and walking will not improve ...

Well, the roses in the garden haven't let me down so each day I'll wobble and hobble into the garden and enjoy  them.

Life is full of good things, I have lots to be thankful for and any day now I'll shake off the blues and get on ... watch this space!

"Laugh and the world laughs with you,

Cry and you cry alone."

I'll make sure I laugh lots!

Birthday ....

.... a beautiful flower from May 11th last year - I'm sure that I'll be getting others just as delightful later on today. All flowers give me great pleasure.

Being 76 was not a good year but now I'm 77 I'm looking forward to better times ....

Today and the weekend will be filled with visits from our lovely family and friends - how lucky I am.

I'll have one more small op in a few weeks and then I should be getting about easier and really enjoying life -

being at home with my dear OH,
holidays to look forward to,

daily pleasures from our small garden,

sharing time with family and friends at home and on www.

enjoying reading, music, stitching ...

a simple life but so fulfilling!

Sometimes ......

.... Sometimes I'm sad when lovely flowers begin to fade ....
These tulips have cheered me this week and now sadly the petals begin to drop ....
I'm disappointed that it is taking longer to feel well after my op than I expected - I'm tired, still can't walk, and still have pain.

                     

Maybe I'm expecting too much, too soon.

But when will I be "me" again?

How lucky I am though to have lots of TLC from family and friends.

I'm missing stitching but can't get going - luckily I've bought several new books to dip into and have my camera, even if I'm only taking photos indoors. I'm enjoying playing with simple photo editing ... doing on line jigsaws, and "travelling" around the world to places I'll never really visit.

 I'm getting more and more addictive to on line shopping - I'm sure the postman thinks I'm mad!!

I'm so pleased to have such lovely messages and good wishes on line too and sorry that I'm not replying individually to everyone - once more many, many, thanks all - you do me a power of good.

Tomorrow, next week, next month, will surely be better and they are not long away.

“I've got nothing to do today but smile.”    Simon and Garfunkel

Many Thanks ....

.... many thanks all for your good wishes.
I had the long awaited spine op on 10th and came home on Friday 13th - (I'm not superstitious!!)


I'm getting a few ups and downs but all is really going well and hopefully I'll soon walk better.
 I'll be having another hospital procedure on my leg later, so maybe I'll be waiting a little longer before skipping about.
At last today I felt like doing a little stitching so made this small button, bead, and embroidery block.
A print of it will be this week's TAG TUESDAY challenge, "Spring Flowers" and then it will go in the "things I enjoyed stitching" box
and maybe it will be a card one day.
I've missed some TAG challenges and I have to catch up on TAST, so I'd better shake my feathers and get on with things - too much lounging about and reading lately!

Happy Easter

Best Wishes and Happy Easter to all my good friends ....

I have no new work to post as I have been busy around home trying to tidy and sort things as I'm going to hospital on Monday to have my long awaited spinal operation.
Best leave a bit of order ready for my return when hopefully I'll be much fitter, walking better, and able to enjoy life more!

Many thanks for the good wishes I've already received - I'll be back soon, stitching, posting pics, and always enjoying the lovely work of so many talented friends.  Connie.

Sketchbook Challenge 2012 March

'Flowers' Theme

As the month is coming to an end I added these pics to my sketchbook today .....

but as I'm always doodling , drawing, and stitching flowers there will be plenty more to come ...

http://sketchbookchallenge.blogspot.com/

Embroidery Journal 2012 - March

Today I stitched a small piece, 6x9cm., for this month's Journal page..
The main flower and background is a Jet Ink print, on Moire Silk, from a Watercolour Pencil painting done some time ago.

As this week is a catch up  in the TAST Challenge, with a Mini Challenge to use 3-6 stitches done so far, I decided to use six of the stitches ....
so there are basic versions of,
Fly
Buttonhole
Feather
Lazy Daisy
Running
and Whipped Wheel stitches here.
Also a few French knots as flower centres.

It's a Naive piece, different from  the previous pages, and I enjoyed stitching it.

Links to projects:

http://embroideryjournalproject.blogspot.com/

http://www.pintangle.com/  (TAST)

Birds and TAST 10

I've struggled to keep up with challenges recently but this week I stitched these simple felt birds for two challenges.

The one at the bottom became a tag for TAG TUESDAY theme 'Birds' and the upper one is now on my TAST Sampler  for Week 10.

I missed two TAG TUESDAY WEEKS and as I had several examples of TAST Week 9 Couching I didn't stitch anything new.

http://tagtuesday.blogspot.com/2012/03/birds_4970.html
http://www.pintangle.com/journal/category/take-a-stitch-tuesday

Catching up ...

Tast 2012 Weeks 7 & 8

7. Detached Chain Stitch - or as I always think of it, Lazy Daisy Stitch.

In recent weeks I have not been well, lots of pain, bad nights, and getting quite depressed - adding to this PC crashed and has been away for two weeks being repaired ...

but it's back so I begin to cheer up!

 I kept busy though and enjoyed the TAST stitches for these two weeks.

I have done lots of chain stitch family stitching over the years and added small samplers from previous TAST projects to this year's narrow Sampler.

And, inspired by others who cover buttons, I added my first - the small white button with a Lazy Daisy, to Week 7.

 8. Chain Stitch 

 I particularly enjoyed the challenge of Chain Stitch Braid at the bottom of week 8 block - something I didn't manage to stitch previously. I think I'll be using it again.

I went on to make more covered buttons, picture below.  

The one with four pink ribbon roses is made from a lovely piece of fabric, and the centre one is from brown lace, both fabrics sent from Australia by a very good crafting friend,

                                   Maureen, http://www.flickr.com/people/crazyqstitcher/
Three others are from printed cotton and three with hand stitching in Perle cotton.
I don't know when I'll use them but I'm hooked on making them.                                                           

 TAST challenge link is:http://www.pintangle.com/journal/category/take-a-stitch-tuesday

TAST 2012 - 6.Chevron Stitch

 Another piece added to the  Band Sampler ...  TAST 2007  stitching was in white on 16count pink Aida, and quite flat, so this time I decided  to make a textured doodle with various threads.                                          

The fabric is loosely woven hand dyed cotton, from Stef Francis.

Perle threads also from Stef, caron, DMC,

a lovely silk six strand from somewhere, a variety bag,and a ball of wool from a Pound shop.

Quite a variety of textures, (and price!)

I enjoyed wandering around with needle and thread, even though this stitch isn't a favourite!

http://www.pintangle.com/journal/category/take-a-stitch-tuesday

TAST 2012 5 Herringbone Stitch

2007

Stitch explored, on aida 16, with fine Perle threads.

2010 Raised Herringbone patterns,

on Scrim, in fine and medium Perle threads.

2012   Herringbone Stitch with previous TAST 2012 stitches, Fly, Buttonhole, Feather and Cretan - with Button, on old linen. 

As I'm adding previous examples of stitches the narrow sampler is growing rapidly and is already over a metre long.

I think I'll make a separate strip for each month and decide later whether to join them into one very long strip.   

                                                        

Details of TAST challenge:

http://www.pintangle.com/journal/2012/1/31/take-a-stitch-tuesday-week-5.html

January Doodling

The Sketchbook Challenge

I was pleased to find this challenge, thanks to libbyquilter.

http://simpletosublimepapernapkinpoetry.blogspot.com/
It has been so long since I sketched, doodled, or Zentangled, yet I enjoyed these.

My fine pens have mostly dried but I managed to scratch a doodle for this month's theme and I ordered a few new fine points.

Drawing and painting have never been my strong points but I do enjoy trying so here goes with another challenge in 2012 ....

As with the other challenges I've recently started  this doesn't demand something each month so I'll just go along with whatever I can manage and enjoy.

The link to the challenge is on the side bar.



31st January
One more for this month's theme ...

TAST 2012 4.Cretan Stitch

      For 2007 TAST I stitched the middle panel here, (anchored with green gem stone chips)

 in fine Perle thread.

This time I used Perle 5 in the top line and made a 'Tangled Hedge' at the bottom with two textured yarns, a little fine Perle, and three buttons.

Not an artistic result but fun to stitch!  

See details of TAST at http://www.pintangle.com/journal/tag/tast-2012

TAST 2012 3. Feather Stitch

                     The third stitch on my narrow Stitch Sampler

      Again, a stitch I have done many times and enjoy. I found a band of Aida, with a lace edge, which I used for the stitching and then stitched  onto the main band.

I explored the stitch, size, direction, with other stitches as extensions, and with various threads.

 

The larger 'tree' is in fine silk ribbon with french knots added, the smaller one is in a very fine silk thread and has two Bullion stitches, a pearly heart button, Detached Chain and Straight stitches added.

Other threads are DMC Perle 5, Fine hand dyed Perle from stef francis, and Caron Wildflowers -

 all variegated.

 
The link to 2012 TAST is http://www.pintangle.com/journal/author/pintangle



Embroidery Journal Project 2012 January

                                       Cat in the Garden

I have joined this project, introduced by The Floss Box, and enjoyed the first embroidery.
It's a 6x4 (postcard) piece and tells several things about me:
1. As I've stitched and hoarded for about 65 years I have lots of pieces that hang about waiting to become something - ie the overstitched cross stich in the centre.
2. I usually have plenty of stash in matching colours, with a variety of textures, threads, yarns, buttons, etc.
    to make an embroidery - ie the fabrics, edging textured wool, small crochet flowers, and mini and cat buttons
So this month it's just gather up a few things and stitch ...
3. We have a Ginger Tom, with attitude, who enjoys sitting around - there he is!

Enough for the first project - maybe next month I'll do something entirely new (I doubt it!)

TAST and TAG TUESDAY - Week 2

Luckily the TAST Sampler I'm making this time is 10cm. wide so I can put some stitches from 2007 and  
                                   2010 on, rather than leaving them tucked away in a folder.

Some will be too big though - I previously stitched on any sized fabric as the mood took me!

If I manage the whole challange this year the Sampler will be very long and wil have to be rolled up.





Simple Buttonhole Stitch rows for this week -
Fabric postcard with several stitch variations, from TAST 2007
added to the Sampler.

                                        At least the stitches will be named, which I didn't do before.

The link to 2012 TAST is http://www.pintangle.com/journal/author/pintangle



I spent more time doing the tag challenge this week - using a cross stitch pattern I last used about fifteen years ago.



It comes From Leisure Arts Leaflet 197 Christmas Stitchin'



 TAG TUESDAY is a weekly challege by Caroline Saxby.





The cross Stitch is on silver flecked Aida.

Lace, silver beads (not gold as show), sequins and seed beads and fluffy yarn were added.





TAST Week 1 and TAG TUESDAY

Fly Stitch

I have done this stitch previously - shown with cross stitch at the bottom of the Sampler piece.

This time I explored several variations, with mixed success and looking a bit chunky!

I think I'll use finer threads on the 16 count Aida for other stitches,or give them more space.



Tag Tuesday

I also made three quickie tags for the first week's challenge in Carolyn Saxby's TAG TUESDAY.
They are recycled Christmas cards with punched snowflakes and trees, and other bits and pieces added.
I'm hoping to make future tags with stitching and textiles, rather than the "lick and stick" papercraft versions that these are!

I wish the blog server didn't keep changing things - it does make it difficult to post for oldies like me, struggling with posting!!! Maybe I'll get better before the system changes again ....



TAST 2012 Sampler Header

Sharon b's new Take a Stitch Tuesday starts this week. I have done part of the 2007 and all the 2010 challenge as individual pieces so decided to make a sampler of the stitches this time and work with a button theme.
The stitch area will be 10cm. wide and I'll probably edge it to 15cm.
I'm starting with a 16count Aida band but will use a variety of materials and threads as weeks go by.
Today I made this simple header - just Cross Stitch, Back Stitch and French Knots, stitched with DMC Perle 5, 550 and 904. A small piece of lace is couched down at the top and the first few buttons were added.
I see that Week one is Fly Stitch - I'll be thinking how to explore this, I have used it before.
The challenge is on Sharon's blog, http://www.pintangle.com/journal/author/pintangle