Memories ....

I really wish I could paint ..... browsing through a folder I found my attempts at Christmas pictures and decided to print two as Christmas cards - not good but nostalgic!
This one and the cottage above were painted from memory - a place in the Worcestershire countryside where my family had summer holidays in the 1940's, when I was about 7-10 years old. I don't think I ever saw it in snow though.
The picture of the couple walking (so out of scale!!!) was further inspired by a bought Christmas card, long ago.
I know my sister and cousins will enjoy thinking back to happy holidays during the war!

Christmas Fabric ....

TAST 2010 38
Picot Chain Stitch
... Gold Christmas streamers with beads on a holly print fabric.
The thread is Kreinik Metallics Very Fine Braid,
which has a will of its own, twisting here and there in the stitching, (and so making automatic variations!).
It's mounted in a Christmas card frame..... oops! missed a bead on the left side!

Gathering bits for Christmas Cards .....

This week I gathered together lots of stitching "done earlier", and stitched more, for Christmas cards.
Luckily my arm is far less painful than it has been and this afternoon it was enjoyable beading these pieces. They are not as skewed as they show in the photos. The larger tree was stitched long ago and kept as a template for copying onto card and top beading - now I think I've used it enough so have added beads and it will be a picture - I usually make a new one each year so have quite a collection.
The other two will be toppers on cards.

A Fun Pic ... Watching You

TAST 2010 - 34
Buttonholed Double Chain

I missed out this stitch - the first time I have done this in the challenge -
as a)I couldn't get it right, and b)I didn't get inspired and couldn't think how to use it.
Today I decided I must do it so started a couple of straight lines - still with errors - and then it took over and became a fun pic .....
The material is actually canvas mat-sprayed in gold but that doesn't show here.
Threads are Perle 5 and 3 and variations .. well,the mistakes!!!
To add to the 'fun' I have added French Knots and a spider web and frame from picnik.
(I enjoyed it anyway!)

A favourite scrap ....

WIP
A small scrap of linen fabric, from a favourite loose chair cover of long ago ... I decided to outline stitch in Caron Wildflowers thread and make a textile block.
So I started with Tast 35,Spiked Knotted Cable Chain but I'm wondering what's next?
I've missed TAST 34 but I don't think that will fit on here - I'll have to try it on another fabric scrap.

Magazine from 1931 ...

...... even I am not as old!
As we are having a shower room built into our walk-in pantry and garage the accumulation of 'things' over more than 50 years has to be sorted and as much as possible disposed of.
What a challenge it is, and how will we manage without the lovely pantry and dumping ground 'garage'?
There are so many things to look through, enjoy, remember connections, etc, but we have to be strong willed and send lots to a charity shop - even throw away lots - work should begin at the end of November so there's a deadline ....
But this is one thing that will have to find a new home - a 1933 magazine from my late aunt's collections.
She loved needlework, as I do, and I'll be keeping many of her things.

TAST 2010 - 31 & 32

Autumn Theme


31 Raised Close Herringbone Stitch
32 Shell Chain Stitch

A patchwork block stitch sampler.
As my arm continues to be painful I can only stitch in short spells so this has taken several days.

I enjoy setting up a small patchwork block, choosing threads - these are Perle 5 & 8 - and letting a design develop.
The fabrics are a scrim base with cotton and hessian patches.
I'm catching up on TAST now, just a couple to get to this week's stitch.