My last posting for 2007

Happy New Year to all my Blog friends!

Photos of 2008 projects.

These photos relate to the previous post...I did them in the wrong order, didn't I..
This is the picture of the Assisi project I am doing for the Guild Challenge.
And this is what I've done so far. One strand of DMC on green 32ct. Pam K, if you're reading this - this fabric is one of the pieces you sent me ages ago!

This is the picture provided with the kit I started for a friend. And this is all I achieved!

I forgot to mention this goal. It is a Semco supper cloth started by my M.I.L. 70+ years ago. She gave it to me to finish about 15 years ago...
And this is all I have done so far - one rose! It took me two weeks. There are 12 of these roses on this cloth, as well as assorted buds and daisies. I make no promises about finishing this by December 2008!!

What is on the drawing board for 2008?

It is such a great feeling to know that the Indian won't be glaring at me from the corner of my stash room! I found a notice with the last EGV magazine, giving details for entering the Challenge for their September show. It is to embroider a leaf. Yes, just a leaf. I thought: I can do that. After looking through about 200 books and charts, I decided on an Assisi pattern, and have made a start on it already. Tried to scan it, but that didn't work, so I'll take photos of my work so far as well as the book, and post them later.
I had a blue and white teacups cross stitch sampler on the go before Christmas, to give to a friend who turned 60 in December. Sadly, it wasn't finished in time (just as well she wasn't expecting anything!), so I'll just play with that during the year and perhaps have it ready for another birthday or even Christmas 2008.
Another friend turns 50 next December, and had hinted that she would love to have me stitch something for that occasion. We went through my books together, and she chose four designs, and left it to me to decide which one to do. One was a bunch of Aust. native flowers which would be stunning when finished, but the chart had heaps of those nasty little quarter and half cross stitches, so that went back on the shelf. Another design was a Japanese lady in a kimono, but I thought it wouldn't really suit my friend's home, even though she liked the design. The third choice was a lighthouse - fantastic picture which would look fabulous anywhere...and the fourth one was an English thatched cottage with hollyhocks etc. and a pussycat. I chose the cottage because these friends are Anglophiles - is that the word? They love everything British, and have been there several times.
Other than those projects, I have some UFO's (kitten doiley, peacock duchess set..) that I would really like to get finished instead of carrying them around with me to stitch when I'm in a waiting room somewhere!

Crinoline lady doiley.

This picture does not do the doiley justice. I should have ironed it first of course, but as usual, I was in a hurry to photograph it and show it off here! Isn't it a warm and fuzzy feeling to be given a gift that has been hand made just for you? The lady who stitched this knows my love of Crinoline Ladies, and bought the stamped linen doiley with me in mind for Christmas. Thank you very much, Anne, if you're reading this!

Christmas gifts of vintage linen..

I am very lucky to have not only a darling husband like Ken, but his equally darling sister as my SIL. She keeps an eye out for vintage linen for my birthday and Christmas, and these two cloths were found at an antique shop no less (I told her to go to op-shops, they are cheaper, but she ignored that!) This first cloth is a card table cloth, designed specifically for the purpose of one of those small square tables, with ties at each corner. Each corner design features one of the four card suites; I've photographed two closeup.
This gorgeous supper cloth is absolutely perfect in every detail. I think I have a similar one in my collection, but haven't checked it yet. Doesn't matter - I'm definitely keeping this one as well!

Merry Christmas to my Blogland Friends

This week's other goodies.

Ken did not believe me when I told him I found this beautifully embroidered bag in a Salvation Army thrift shop for $1. I replied "Well, I actually bought two bags for $1 each - this one and another suede bag - both in excellent condition!
This lovely table runner is my latest eBay win from one of my favourite sellers in Qld.
These were found in an opshop in Bulleen (not far from Eltham). I had one of my senior friends with me and we stopped for a coffee at this little shopping strip. The opshop was next door to the cafe, so we had a look before we went home. B. found some wineglasses for 20c each, which, she said, at that price, I don't care if they do get broken in the dishwasher! In the meantime I was fossicking around in a plastic box full of material scraps and found these napkins. Sadly there were only three, not four as one would have expected to find. But at $1, who's counting!!

Semco English Churches stamped linen.

My very dear friend LeeAnn included this set of vintage Semco stamped linen in her Christmas gift to me. She has some fantastic finds around the opportunity shops she haunts - I'm just so glad she doesn't collect it for herself, and I am VERY glad she collects it for me!!

As you can see, one of the six panels has been neatly stitched, so even though there are no instructions with the linen, it is easy to see the way it was intended they were to be embroidered. Will they (or one of them) be my next project? It is all straight stitch and stem stitch - very simple and quick sewing.

The Indian is framed and home!

I didn't wait for Ken's birthday or Christmas to give this to him. It was never intended for that purpose; I just kept stirring him up over the years by telling him he might get the Indian for his next birthday, etc. It is sitting on the floor in this pic because it was the only place I could get a photo without the flash reflecting off the glass (even though it is non-reflective glass). Ken has been busy since he got home from work, trying it out in different spots around the lounge room. I'm just glad it's all over!