Craft Morning

 Thank you for all the 'Happy Birthday' wishes yesterday. I had some lovely cards and all different.

The new farm shop/café not far from home was having a card making craft morning on my birthday so I booked myself in for my birthday treat.

I've really given up on cardmaking but it was better than housework on a birthday!

The craft was stamping, there were just three other ladies, two had done lots of crafting with the tutor before at various places. 

I've had a go at stamping before for cardmaking but always got frustrated because you really need lots of different stamps and coloured inks etc which I could never afford.

These are what we made

Luckily she didn't try and sell us any 'Stamping Up' Products for which I was grateful.

Back Soon

Finished at Last

 The long stitch tapestry started in January is at last finished .

And it's a perfect fit for the frame found at a boot-sale. I've added it to the seasonal display, swapping it for the  Edwardian Lady plates this autumn.

I bought this kit last year after doing the A-Z thing in November when E was for embroidery, cross stitch etc and that gave me the nudge to do another picture. It was supposed to be my present from Brother-in-Law but we didn't even get round to swapping money for each others presents last Christmas so I bought mine and he bought his!

 I had a look for something to do next and found this. It's much smaller and stitched with embroidery threads rather than wool - it will be fiddly to do - need to get a new pair of reading glasses before I start.

I stopped in at B-in-L's house on my way to exercise group this week - he's rarely at home, always out mending things for people or getting wood ready for delivering all winter- but as he was there  I stopped to tell him I'd bought  my Christmas gift from him already and he'd better think of something he wants. He said he wasn't sure he could afford that much this year!! Ha!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Long Stitch is Growing Slowly

 My long stitch picture is growing slowly. It's been taken to two WI Knit, Stitch and Yarn mornings and a little done at home.

It's easy stitching but no hurry to get it finished.......perhaps by Autumn to add it to my Autumn Shelf.

Although I'm not sure I'll be going to many more Knit & Stitch Group mornings as I'm in two minds about re-joining my nearest WI in April. After looking at the programme there are several things I wouldn't go to and perhaps 1 WI +  swimming +  exercise group + shopping +Charity Shop Hunting+ Car boot sales is enough going out. 

In fact the more I hear/read about the way the world is going (Cro's blog, Ilonas blog, news on the radio and I don't even read any newspapers and rarely watch TV news) the more I feel like staying at home and not being part of it all!!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Making a Start

Finally got a clip frame to stretch my long stitch tapestry Christmas present, and loaded it on,  I've never had a clip frame before as years ago they were different  - took me a while to sort out how to do it as there wasn't a lot of spare canvas to roll around the bar - had to go sideways but that doesn't matter. I've made a small start and will do more at the WI.  Knit, Stitch and Yarn group.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

E is For Embroidery (Including Tapestry and Cross Stitch)

 I remember the first ever embroidery I attempted - a VERY long time ago. Maybe I would have been about 8. Someone gave me some handkerchiefs that had a printed design on them with embroidery threads and hoop for Christmas. I had no idea what I was doing and the handkerchief ended up a grubby, muddle of stitching. But at primary school at much the same time we crossed stitched on Binca and then lined and folded and added press studs to make something like a large purse or make-up bag or pencil case. I kept it for ages.

I had no interest in any sort of stitching after that and we didn't do much needlework at Grammar School. All I can remember doing there was stitching ties in House colours onto our cookery aprons and making a cotton summer dress. My Mum didn't do much sewing either so I didn't learn "at mothers knee"!

Next attempt was a small long stitch embroidery on a printed canvas that came as a kit with a frame. I was given it to do when recovering from a major operation in about 1984. Then I don't remember doing any more until about  1992 when I bought a set of 3 small 18 count cross stitch kits on offer from a magazine. They came with small round frames and were vases of flowers. Goodness knows why I picked something so difficult for my first attempt at counted cross stitch. The little pictures have long gone.

After that I made several wool tapestries and we had a friend in the Smallholders Society who did picture framing in return for just the material costs and fruit from smallholding that he could use for Jam making.

I haven't kept everything and all that are left are these.................

Counted cross stitch fashions with embroidery threads (Pete - the picture framer didn't cut his own mounts and he said the man at the place he got them from almost had heart failure trying to do 4 ovals in one mount and keep them level)

Wool Long Stitch of a steam train crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct. This was Colin's favourite.

Collies and sheep - half cross stitch wool tapestry

Below is a wool long stitch that was  rescued  from a charity shop, and the colours are probably all wrong as there were lots of skeins of wool and numbers marked on a instruction sheet but  which colour went with which number wasn't always clear.

I think this was the most difficult to do. I had to dye the Aida first and it's 16 count cross stitch so quite fiddly to do with the different shades.

Most recently all I've stitched are small cross stitch pieces for cards and one or two that are mounted in things (coasters, key rings, trinket pots, book marks) for gifts. 

And the little sampler I did during lock down.

If ever I had a fancy to do something new (but I probably won't!)it might be this, which I saw online, although I would miss out the yellow sun, which spoils it in my opinion.

Edited in to say - if you can't see the picture the link is HERE

Back Monday

Sue

Candles for the Christmas Hampers

 Sometime back in the summer I got a Kirstie Allsop candle making kit from a charity shop and wondered why I'm often tempted by craft making bits.

I've now made them for the Christmas Hampers....ta da!

I can't stand scented candles - some give me a headache and others make me feel sick  - but it didn't really dawn on me that making them would be just as smelly.

I had to put the extractor fan on and shut the kitchen door until they'd set.

I shall wrap them in cellophane - if I've got any - label them up and put them somewhere out of the way until Christmas.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Things To Make and Do

 Why am I always tempted by craft things?

On the shelves "to do" I have 

• Terracotta self hardening clay ( found at a car boot sale) to make myself some plant labels like I made for the Hampers last year
  
• Some acrylic paints to paint pebbles(last years 12 days of Christmas  presents )
  
• A kit to make tiny books (ditto)
  
• Everything needed to make wax food wraps for gifts  (wax was bought about 2 years ago)
  
• Still lots of card- making bits
• Plenty of cross stitching materials
  

and then I found this in a charity shop in Ipswich for £2 and couldn't resist, better make them for this years Christmas Hampers.................

 

................and all the time my main hobbies are reading, writing this blog and  gardening, which ought to be enough anyway.

I think I must be afraid of  waking up one day and having Nothing To Do!

Update on the Summer of Sport - Super Sunday. The men's final result at Wimbledon was predictable although Matteo Berrettini tried hard,  Djokovic went up a gear after losing the first set.

Only watched the beginning of Le Tour before the tennis. The frequent  repeated adverts on ITV4 are beginning to drive me nuts anyway. Then THAT football match ...............I was a minute late coming back from the kitchen with my cuppa and missed the first goal - duh!- a goal after 2 minutes is a pretty good start and during the first half everything looked hopeful. Then the second half and the inevitable goal by a much improved Italy and everybody knew where this was heading.

I went to bed and listened to the end on the radio. ............A penalty shoot out.

Oh well it's the World Cup sometime next year,

Back Tomorrow

Sue

 

Sewing ......Or Not Sewing

It's going to be a hot day today here in Suffolk, hotter than yesterday although probably even hotter a bit further West in Cambridgeshire. Once I've done a bit more of an outside job I need to get done this week, I'll probably be keeping cool indoors.

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I've always had a sewing box and a sewing machine. I've done mending and fixing and once upon a time making too - mostly curtains, although I can follow a pattern so could in theory make clothes.

I've got needles, cottons, pins, bags with cords, elastic and wool and lots of hooks, eyes and snaps - everything needed to make and create.

(The Glycerine, Lemon and Honey pastilles tin contains pins and dates back to the 1970's - Vintage!)

But about 5 years ago my sewing machine fell to bits - literally - it was very old and the brittle plastic shattered and bits fell down inside and that really was the end of it.

Not wanting to be without a sewing machine I found a new basic  Singer going cheap online and bought it.

Then Colin was ill with the heart problems and  then the lymphoma,  we moved house twice and the sewing machine in its box moved house and didn't even get unpacked.

At last time and space to unpack and try and get it going to stitch a better mask than the one I cobbled together a few weeks ago. The machine has an automatic needle threader but no way could I get it to work - even after watching two u-tube instructional videos. So I threaded by hand but whatever I did everything jammed up after a few stitches. The pathway for the cotton between the reel and the needle seems much the same as any other sewing machine and the bobbin loading is also the same . Tension seems OK and I've read all the problem solving bits in the handbook and everything seems to be set up right.
I gave up and covered the machine - feeling frustrated.
When the world gets back to normal I'll get a sewing machine shop to have a look at it, or perhaps my sister who is much cleverer than me with sewing ( and knitting!) could have a go and see what she makes of it, in the meantime stitching will be done by hand - I don't need to make clothes or curtains so waiting is not a problem.

After trying 2 home-made masks - neither of which had any room for breathing, I found the Co-op were selling washable masks  for £3. At the moment the only place requesting a mask is the doctors surgery - for picking up prescription tablets - so one is enough.

Back Tomorrow
Sue

More Crafts From The Box

The rest from the random box of crafts that I bought from ebay at the end of May.

4 kits - One is to make a felt chicken cushion - Quite ugly. And a cross stitch bag - with Black Aida - and if you've ever tried stitching on black Aida then you know it's not easy on the eyes. Both those have gone in the future car-boot box. There was another piece of Aida and a card blank I've kept in the 3rd kit and the childrens long stitch horse kit had been done all wrong so that was chucked.

Another children's new long stitch kit of a dog and the felt santa puppet have gone in the cupboard. Wool from the heart knitting is in the sewing box and the Aida and hoop from the penguin kit has been kept.

I have no idea what the 2 in 1 quilting tool is, if you want it let me know?  Another felt puppet has gone in the cupboard and the big Craft Collection kit into the car boot box. There was a piece of aida in the centre kit and some material and threads in another.

A finished Long Stitch picture of the house on the bridge at Ambleside in Cumbria. Not sure what to do with this, it's not something I would want to frame and keep. 2 dinosaur foam skeleton kits have gone in the grandchildren cupboard. The Cath Kidston Christmas Decorations Kit is a book and a huge bundle of felt pieces to make 12 Christmas Decorations. That's gone in the Christmas drawer.Probably the best thing in the box.

And Finally ................The Poppy Doll kit is for making  a complete fabric ragdoll. That's gone in the car boot box. The hoop is in the drawer with the DMC cross stitch book-mark kit - very pretty. The other thing was a weird piece of stiff canvas for a picture of bits of bamboo - it had been started but there was no chart and no threads. I chucked it - too horrible to keep.

So that was my box of things bought from ebay - was it worth it? Well, quite a lot was kept and several things to sell in the future so I think on the whole it wasn't a complete waste of money and it kept me happily occupied sorting it all for several hours.

But I won't be doing it again!

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Unpacking the Box

I was keen to see the items in my Box of Treasure in real life as the on line photos hadn't really been clear due to there being so many bits and bobs.
Were they worth the buying?

There are some cross stitch charts in this book "Cross stitch from The Country Diary" but it needs a photo copier with enlargement feature to be able to see the pattern as the book is only 5 inches by 4 inches so charts are teeny. If anyone wants it give me a shout as I know lots of people collect Edwardian Lady Country Diary stuff.  I've kept the 14 count Aida and the hoop and threads.

A crochet kit - I'll send this off to someone who crochets . The felt penguin kit is sweet and has been kept as have the two cross stitch kits.

Some different coloured wool wound on card but no patterns, so the wool has gone in my wool bag for maybe teaching grandchildren to knit or for making pom-poms etc in the future. There's a peg doll kit also kept for grandchildren.Several skeins of embroidery cotton have been wound onto cards and added to my stash.

A crochet fox kit - another to pass on, a children's cross stitch kit -  to keep for grandchildren. It's very unlikely I'll want to stitch a unicorn so that's gone in the car boot box. Also there is a huge piece of Binca - which will be brilliant for grandchildren to learn to stitch. It's what I learned to cross stitch on at primary school - where I made a lovely lined purse, with a snap closure - wonder what happened to it?

And finally for today - The guinea pig kit had lots of fur fabric missing - shame - so that's been chucked. More cottons and another embroidery hoop. There's a big piece of rug making canvas - which I've put in the box for a future car boot sale along with a knitted book mark kit.

Five more pictures another day.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

A Box of Treasure

Scouring ebay for bundles of games and crafting things for grandchildren I happened upon a huge job lot of mixed Craft kits mainly for grown ups but including some that I could keep for the grandchildren. I was intrigued, it was the sort of thing I used to find at boot sales years ago - boxes of mixed treasures of card making stuff which I would spend happy hours sorting through and organising.

I dithered - after all I cleared out lots of crafting stuff last year, things I didn't want to do again, but the auction was nearly ended, the box had 40 different things, just over 50p each, several items were cross stitch kits and having settled into this new stay-at-home normal I'll have time to try something different.

I waited. I bid. I won.

The box  arrived.................I'll show you what's inside next week and find out if it was worth buying.................or not!

Back Tomorrow
Sue