HUSSIF FOR JAN

A new month and a new begining.

Some time ago when I made Rachel's hussif,( which I have shown here)
my daughter Jan, commented that someone else would like a hussif - meaning herself.  Jan had some years ago had made herself a hussif at one
of the workshops I had taught at Coromandel Guild, so I asked her what she wanted in a new hussif and her reply was one with all the tiny flowers I stitch on it.

The first piece I stitched with the tiny cross stitch flowers was in 1986, when I made a writing case for my mother when she moved into a rest home. After her death that piece came back to me and in 1991, I stitched for myself a hussif as a companion piece, this was followed in 1992 with my workbox that I have shown previously on my blog.

The hussif I use now was stitched much later again with the little flowers that I love.
The first flowers I stitched came mainly from the Danish designs, slowly I added to my collection from other sources and then added a few designs of my own, now I stitch often by memory making the flowers grow where I want them on the fabric.

The challenge will be to make this hussif my best one ever, I have the linen ready Permin 35 count Lambswool and today I started the planning, and I will share with you the making of this project- I have given myself 6 months to complete it.

STASH OR STACKS

I look when other people show their stash-  me I have STACKS, stacks of paper, research notes, sketches, drafts for class notes,  design drawings and more and more, need I go on you can imagine the paper pile and its not just one pile but several.

Now I am not teaching I am slowly working my way through and deleting as much as possible !

I did find this little drawing I had made of a rabbit, he was on a Christmas card that came from England some years ago, I had sketched him onto graph paper no doubt the intention was some time to chart him.
He was really calling out to be stitched and that was much more interesting than sorting papers, they have waited this long, a bit longer won't make much difference.
Here he is, I have stitched him from the drawing. and then I charted what I had stitched. The chart is here too in case anyone would like to stitch him.

And here is WIP I am stitching the background  with a Sampler Thread from The Gentle Art Co. called Gold leaf. While I was stitching I remembered how to stitch a shaded background if you want it to go from dark to light.  Divide the background into 5 sections cross wise. Chose three shades of one colour and stitch using 2 threads. the bottom section is stitched in the darkest shade, then next section is stitched  use one strand of the dark shade and one of the medium together. part three is just the medium shade, then for the fourth section one strand of medium and one of the light, finally the top is two strands of the lightest shade. This makes a lovely soft shading.

Not quite finished.... next I will need to find something to back him with... finished item will appear at a later date.

AUTUMN EXCHANGES

Autumn was the theme for a bookmark exchange on EMS Forum. and I received this lovely one from Terri in USA. It is almosr too nice to use, meanwhile it sits by my computor so I can enjoy it.

I send my bookmark to England and had a lot of fun stitching a design that I adapted from http://www.leschroniquesdefrimousse.com/ I think her little elf designs are really cute and it was quite simple to change this one into a bookmark. The design is called  "L'automne arrive..." and can be found on the web site, on  the left side under the heading Les Lutins.

PINK VIOLETS

I should have added this picture on my previous posting-

ON VIOLETS

The eyes of violets are filled with dreams.......

I picked another another bunch of tiny violets this morning, this deep pink  one is flowering really well this year however  I don't know its name.......below is "Greyfriars Bobby" a wonderful gray- mauve shade and a special favourite and it is even more grey mauve in the real thing..

Others I have and know by name are Suffolk Lady a soft mauve and Lancashire Lad a true purple, these three are  from The Kerry Carman violet collection.  I enjoy having tiny posies of violets on my kitchen window sill, beside some special pieces of china. This tiny cup and saucer belonged to my sister's tea set that our mother played with as a child, only a few pieces are left and I treasure these piece Joan shared with me. It is tiny, the cup is only 3cm  high.

The  little jug that insists on being at the bottom of my posting and not where I want it  is  "Victorian Violets" from the Englands Countryside Collection by Hammersley China also sit on the window sill with its sugar bowl.      Do you know the violet "Freckles" ? white with what looks like ink spots on the petals? I noticed that after a long effort to get it to grow, it has this year seeded freely,  specially up against the stepping stones in one part of the path, and from the look of the buds there will be a good showing of blooms shortly.        Violets have a wonderfully long flowering season as long as they are picked frequently, and once the weather warms up the summer flowering ones will mke their appearance.    For my embroidery friends, here is a chart of pink violets for a card or book mark,

My recommended colours are DMC 3687 pink; 3688 light pink; 743 gold; 3346 green; 3364 light green.

If you wish to stitch this design as dark purple violets use 550 purple; and 552 light purple.

The stitch count is 80 h x 18w. 

WINTER AND STITCHING ROSES

I'm so glad it is winter as I love sitting by the fire stitching.

Have been busy with more of my little hearts, two of the little pin cushions with the bullion stitches like I posted on June 2nd. and one of my small cross stitch rose designs. I found this tiny rose bud some years ago and have used it many times making changes to fit whatever I was stitching. I have stitched it in pinks and also in reds. Two shades, a dark and a light are needed along with two shades of green.

This little pin keep is from my own set of needlework accessories and I think it might be the original rosebud but I cannot remember where I found it.

The red version I call my Valentine Rose Collection. And I am adding my charts hopeful that someone else may enjoy stitching these too.

The needle book shown has a tiny drawn thread heart in the centre. This was stitched separately on fine linen then added to the front of the needle book. This one was stitched last year for an overseas exchange.

The one I have been stitching is the ring of red roses and it is now ready to be posted away.

EMS CROSS STITCH BOARD EXCHANGE

I have wanted to try this edging for some time, and the recent exchange on EMS cross stitch board for a small sachet provided the perfect opportunity. I have used permin 40count linen and DMC thread for the cross stitch design, with waterlilies silk (1 strand) For the edging. The edging stitched through the two layers of linen proved to be easier than I thought and I would like to use it again sometime.

A GIFT

Naomi phoned and asked if she could call this afternoon for some advise on  a piece she is stitching. She is stitching the major piece that I will be teaching later in the year, this is a big help having someone checking on the order of stitching; amount of thread for each stage and can someone else make the design work. As a tutor  it makes all the difference going into the class room knowing -yes someone else can make this design look just as good as my piece. This Workshop will be my last, I will finally retire after that.  But certainly not stop stitching. I have enjoyed the little pieces I have stitched so far this year and too, having the time to be able to do them and I look forward to doing more of these.

Also a member of the Stitching Friends group mentioned in my last posting, Naomi gave me the piece she had stitched for me for the challenge -a pin keep. Stitched on 35 count linen which she had tea dyed to give just the tiniest hint of colour, and the stitching was done in DMC 3726. On one side, a design with hearts which was our theme for this challenge, the four centre hearts are highlighted with petite beads,

And on the other side she had stitched one of my favourite designs, her stitching is very neat and the construction just perfect I feel very spoilt to have received such a lovely gift.

BASKET OF ROSES

This is what I stitched for my March brides Tree SAL, the theme was- Flower or Flower Basket -representing  good wishes, beauty in the home. The basket is cross stitched from a very old chart, source unknown using one of Jane Van Kuelin's hand dyed tencil thread, and I have filled the basket with bullion Stitch Roses, stitched with perle 12.

I hope all the pieces I stitch for this SAL will have special memories for me.

My mother taught me to stitch these roses as a teenager, many years ago and so This piece brings to me memories of her and how much she loved  her garden.

CHRISTMAS STITCHING.

Having spent the morning in the garden mostly dealing with storm damage, we have had both heavy rain and strong winds. I am now sorting out designs I would like to stitch for my christmas gifts.

This little design of Campanula Pulla has previously been stitched on a gift bag but this time I will use it for a Floss Ring Tag. I hope someone else might enjoy this design too. the design is 30h x 15w. 
Colours used are DMC
3807 Blue Mauve
3345 Dark Green
3346 Mid green
3347 Light Yellow Green

HAREBELLS

With drooping bells of clearest blue
thou didst attract my childish view,
Almost resembling the azure butterflies that flew
Where on the heath thy blossoms grew
so slightly trembling.
Reginald Heber "The Harebell"
This morning had a session in the garden and to my delight the first flowers of harebells ( Campanula rotundifolia) have appeared. A favourite of mine, with its very dainty mauve bells. A wild plant found in northern parts of the world it is known by many names, Bluebells of Scotland, Alpine Scotch bells, Witches Thimbles, Lady's thimbles, Aul man's bells, Heath Bells, are a few names I have found.

I have used  these little flowers many times in small embroidery designs and share one with you now..

COLOURS OF SPRING.

I think of spring colours as the lovely yellows of daffodils, primroses, and crocuses mixed with purples iris, violets hyacinths and more crocuses, however one corner of the garden at present is glowing with bright red flowers.

The Kaka Beak  (Clianthus puniceus) has been really superb  this year, this lovely NZ native is virually extint in its natural state, but fortunatly is grown in many gardens.  We planted this one about 5 years ago and it is now 10 feet tall and much wider.

Named for the Kaka, a NZ Native parrot, quite a big bird with a large hooked bill. If anyone overseas wants to see this parrot  there are some lovely photos among the birds on this site.
www.maungatrust.org/birds/

One of the first cross stitch designs  that I had published many years ago was a border of kaka beak flowers, this new pattern I have posted would be suitable for a bookmark. the colours are 3 shades of red DMC 666 light red; 304 mid-red; 815 dark red;  and two greens 472 light green; 937 dark green. Outline the flowers in 815.

LITTLE IRIS

A walk round the garden this morning, and another small bunch of violets for the kitchen window sill. Found a favourite one "Greyfriars Bobby" growing  far from where the original plant was. This is one of the few remaining ones I have of my Kerry Carman violet collection, its a lovely grey mauve for embroidery friends I would describe it as a  little darker than DMC 3835.

The first of the little lemon Iris are coming into bloom, these are the petite flag iris, the flowers stand about 6-8 inches tall. These came from my mothers garden over 20 years ago and have moved with us every time we moved house.

 I have also been stitching a small iris, this time on a tiny needle keep, it is a design I have used before on a scissor sheath and I was very pleased to have a reason to stitch it again.

Here is the chart for this design and if anyone would like how to make the little needle keep, leave me a message with your email address and I will send you my page of  "how to notes"

WINTER POSY CHART

Have managed to improve on the
copy of the chart but as yet cannot
match the colour chart to the graph,
hopefully with more time and practise
I will get it right. Unfortunately colours
change when I take it through both
the scanner and the printer.

Just click on the chart to get a printable copy.

WHEN THE BELLBIRD SINGS........

When The bellbird sings at dawn... his song brings joy to linger the whole day through.


When we lived in Coromandel, there was one bellbird who visited our garden most mornings. We called him Charlie and he was quite a friendly bird.
Charlie was the inspiration for the design on this etui and is the only time I have designed a bird in cross stitch.
The embroidered birds in my album were all stitched with short straight stitches using one thread of stranded. (floss)
I have posted this design specially for my friend in Germany, who enjoys stitching both flowers and birds.

HARBINGERS OF SPRING

Welcome,wild harbinger of spring!
To this small nook of earth;
Feeling and fancy fondly cling
Round thoughts which owe their birth
To thee, and to the humble spot
Where chance has fixed thy lowly lot.
- To a Crocus [ Bernard Barton (English Poet 1784-1849)
This morning its truly feels as if spring is on its way, lovely sunny and mild and everywhere I look in my garden clumps of crocus are boldly flowering, there seems to be more than I remember having ever planted.
I continue to pick violets of different colours and enjoy having a posy of them on my kitchen window sill. A lovely deep pink one that is flowering really well has been in the garden for a few years now, but never flowered this well before, unfortunately as much as I would like I can't match its colour to any embroidery thread.
With spring around the corner I had better post my Winter posy, I have just finished stitching this piece and the chart will have to be posted later.

BOOKMARK FOR A FRIEND

"Daisies ye flowers of lowly birth, embroiderers of the carpet earth."


I have often used this quote by John Clare, (English Poet 1793-1864) with my embroideries and when planing to use it again this week decided to check out where it came from. Found it was part of a long poem, "Songs of Praise Imitations of the 148 Psalm", found too that the verse on the daisies was preceded by two others mentioning flowers, first cowslips then violets. The result was a completely different design than originally planned and my new bookmark design stitched for a friend has these three flowers.

CHARTS FOR MY CYCLAMEN DESIGNS

Colour Chart for Cyclamen designs.

DMC Threads-

Cross stitch.

Flowers- 3609 light plum

Flower centres- 917 medium plum

Leaves- 522 light green & 3051 dark green

Back stitch.

Flowers outlines - 3067 very dark plum

Leaf veins -522 light green

Stems -407 (3773) medium fawn

For added effect whip the back stitches of the stems to give a rounded effect.

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CYCLAMEN DESIGNS