Monday 18 December 2017

Advent Calendar Blog Hop

Hi Everyone and welcome to day 19 of the Online Advent Calendar blog hop organised by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  Click here to view the calendar so far and to link with each participant.

I started my Christmas stitching this year with a free design by Kathy Schmitz called Bird in Hand and substituted the scattered white french knots for silver thread so to add some sparkle, although not appreciable in my photos.



and when this design is not sufficing as an ornament, it will join the ranks of the pincushions,


My other piece of Christmas stitching found in my files, I stubbornly endeavoured to squeeze onto a fabric scrap while the pattern continually threatened to run over the edge and therefore limit its future destiny.



My Santa table runner, made years ago, once again sees the light of day, as do the Christmas tree placemats made last year.




Jo asks us to describe our plans or traditions for Boxing Day.... well ....

When I lived in England, Boxing day was spent quietly at home. Dad would pop our dog in the car and drive to a woodland area where dear Kim could run wild and chase invisible shadows.  We would enjoy the turkey and Xmas pud leftovers and then spend the afternoon pondering over jigsaw puzzles, playing cards and squabbling over board games, reading our newly acquired Annuals and watching the tv with the hope that the large tin of Quality street chocolates would be passed around again. I also remember having to write thank you letters, dictated by mum, for gifts received from obscure, remote kin.

Today I live in Spain where Boxing day does not exist, the big family get together feast is celebrated on the evening of the 24th and the lazy recovery day on the 25th.  The 26th when only the turkey bones remain for boiling, is a normal routine working day, unless of course you have been lucky enough to have won some prize in the immensely popular enormous national lottery held here on the 22nd Dec. and in which case you just might have suitcase in hand and be on your way to Hawaii.


Merry Christmas everyone,
Sheryl

Wednesday 13 December 2017

Snowflakes

Hi Everyone,
Just a quick post to show some crochet snowflakes before I send them off to my daughter, although she will probably arrive here to spend Christmas before they are delivered to her home.


She asked me some time ago to make her these snowflakes to hang at the window, on the Xmas tree or wherever and I made them last month, quick and easy to crochet from a pattern I found in a past edition of our needlework magazine called Labores.



I used perlé Nº 12 and was blocking them normally when I realized that they needed stiffening if they were to hang anywhere.  I looked up the quantities of sugar and water.....ok, one cup of sugar and half of water...what sort of cup?  well, a tea cup of course!  no?  apparently not.....special cup sizes, goodness..... anyway apart from the mixture rendering enough for two hundred odd snowflakes and my fingers sticking to scores of pins, to my slipped glasses, and a blob dropping to the floor which was instantly trodden on by DH who innocently squelched it throughout the house, my reward was beautifully stiff snowflakes.



I just love them and attached a few glass drops  with invisible thread.  Must make more next year.
See you on the 19th for the Online Advent Calendar.
Thank you for visiting.

Linking to Simply Neutrals
Sheryl

Saturday 2 December 2017

Come said the Wind

Hello everyone,
" Come said the wind"  and although a cold dark day, we took heed and donned our coats and boots and headed for the countryside in persuit of some autumn delights, leaves, berries, holly and the elusive mistletoe, all imperative to decorating for Christmas.



This embroidered needlebook was started years ago.



but only just finished last week, surely to be gifted this Christmas.



I made a little crochet acorn scissor fob - yes, it is meant to be an acorn, following Sharon Ojala´s tutorial but as I didn´t have the right thread colours on hand, perhaps, although fun to make, it is not very convincing.



Thank you for visiting. Be sure to visit the online Advent Calendar hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching.  My day is the 19th. Until next week.

Sheryl

Monday 20 November 2017

More crochet

Hello Blogger buddies,

Hunting through the linen cupboard as I sometimes do, I came upon a little crochet mat that I don´t think I have included in this online journal of my needlework.



I made this years and years ago when I grew interested in learning crochet and made quite a few doilies and similar until they proliferated in the house and my enthusiasm swung to making crochet edgings for sheets and pillowcases.





I had a hunt through my old needlework magazines incase I could find the pattern and give a reference for this easy beginners pattern, but I had no luck.



Having read that DMC had released new floss colours, I popped off to my nearest needlework shop to investigate and although I didn´t buy any of the new colours, the young lady generously gave me the companioning embroidery booklet containing exclusive pattern charts from international designers, and also some little cross stitch patterns and the empty tin. All very useful, thank you Daiser.


Must get some Christmas stitching done.  Until next week.

Sheryl

Friday 27 October 2017

Irish Flower Bookmarks

Hello Blogger friends and visitors,

Due to continuous television coverage of the political crisis here in Spain at the moment and a couple of doctors appointments, I have managed to do quite a lot of sewing this week and I hope that Heather at Stitching Lotus won´t mind my checking in for the October Smalls SAL with some crochet work instead of embroidery.



I found these Irish Flower Bookmarks by Annie Potter on the Internet and just had to buy the pattern.  It is an easy one which includes five different designs although I made my three bookmarks the same.



As my bus would get me to a hospital appointment much too early, I took along my hook and threads to while away the wait and crochet the tiny flowers, only to discover that clever sticks here had forgotten her glasses and therefore had to struggle, inclusively with a nonchalant aire, to complete the task.



 The little flowers were done with DMC embroidery floss and I added a little bead for each centre.


I´m going to keep one for myself and save the other two for gifts. Now to see what everyone else has been doing for their Smalls.  Happy stitching.

 Until next week.

This week I´m figured as Blogger of the Week on Jo´s blog.  Thank you Jo.

Sheryl

Thursday 19 October 2017

Claudia´s book

Hello everyone,

I was visiting my daughter in Madrid last week when over 100 wildfires were intentionally lit in northern Spain and strong winds caused the smoke and dust to cover the province of Asturias where I live.  The population were advised to stay indoors if possible, so I stayed a few extra days with my daughter and took photos of a fabric book I made for my granddaughter Claudia years ago.




I included various embroidery stitches for each letter of the alphabet and added a few little patterns found on the Internet




There are obviously quite a few pages, so I won´t include them all here.




I had fun making this little book and now wish I had included more fancy stitches.




I finished each page with a blanket stitch surround and added beads for interest.




My granddaughter isn´t very interested in sewing at the moment and I was surprised to learn that needlework isn´t learnt  at her school  anymore.  Thank goodness for mums and grandmothers.

I hope to catch up on my blog visits this week as I am way behind.  Until next week, happy stitching
Sheryl 

You might also like

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...