Category Archives: Needlework

Thunderbird

Needlework

I can’t say for sure how long it took me to finish this; the first photo I can find of it is from 2020 when only the centre portion was complete. I purchased the pattern before Michael’s stores were open in the West; I think it came from Crafts Canada which doesn’t appear to exist any longer. It wasn’t until we purchased the Texada studio that I got serious about stitching it.

When I first bought the pattern I looked forward to making it. After a few months of stitching I began to wonder whether it was appropriate for me, who doesn’t share the First Nations culture, to be making it at all. I had a few other patterns with Native designs and I sold them on one of the Facebook groups I belong to.

I spent most of the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation working on the Thunderbird. Now that it is finished I think of the project as honouring our First Nations. I will proudly hang it next to the Maple Leaf I finished for Canada’s 150th.

Happy Birthday Deloise

Cards, Needlework

July 24, 2021

When I was going through some of Mum’s cross stitch patterns and kits I came across a booklet that had a pattern Mum liked; she had made up a kit with the pattern, fabric and the floss. The pattern wasn’t something I was interested in so I took out the fabric and floss and added it into my own stash.

Before sending the magazine to the give-away bin I decided to see what else was in it. There, on the very next page, was this gnome pattern. I knew that Deloise had spent some time doing some online gnome knitting last winter; she ended up with some very cute ones in different sizes. I needed a “card” for Deloise and how could I not turn this pattern into a card.

When I was telling a friend about my timely find she said she would have made up a kit and sent the package rather than do it herself! So you’re lucky Deloise that I had already started stitching before I talked to her.

I hope this little project will find a spot on a shelf next to one of her gnomes.

Enough is enough

Journal, Needlework

Monday, April 5, 2021

You probably think I took a vacation over the Easter break. You’d be wrong. I worked almost three full days (and I mean from morning coffee to supper) working at archiving the Guild’s blog. I’m not really finished but I managed to get our usage down from 98% to 20% so that will give me a bit of breathing space to add some new photos. There is still some work (a lot of work) that needs to be done before the archived years are ready to be printed off and sent to our library.

There were some parts of the process that I enjoyed. There were lots of photos that I recognized as my own projects. I also enjoyed seeing the faces of several members who have come and gone in the eleven years I’ve been a member; for nine of those years I’ve been photographing and blogging about our activities. Perhaps the oddest thing to see though was that several of the shirts and sweaters I wear now showed up in photos from eight or nine years ago. I must go shopping once this pandemic is over.

Along with my knitting and book reading I’ve managed to finish another cross stitch block. I think I have eight left to go.

We’ve had a lovely day today; I was out to do an errand at the Hall and to pick up a few things for supper. Pat is making pulled pork and I made a potato salad to go with it. Almost like a summer meal.

4 Projects

Journal, Needlework

Sunday, January 31, 2021

I spent all day cross stitching and I have very little to show for it. There were four projects and I did a little bit on each one.

This is the result of my first month in a stitch-along. I’m pleased that I have been able to keep up, but there are really not a lot of stitches required each week. Most of them I have found easy to stitch but occasionally I get off on the wrong foot and it is more challenging to find and correct the error.

This is my first ornament of the month; I’ll use it as a card and that part of it still needs to be done. I thought it looked a bit cluttered so I’m starting another one and leaving out a few of the stitches. The second one is on green fabric and I only have a bit done – not really enough yet to see if the change I made has made any difference. At one a month I could likely keep up but now that I’m planning two a month I’m not so sure.

But that didn’t stop me from signing up for another stitch-along. It is called a Neglected Floss project. I have a drawer full of floss that has been left over from various kits; there are also some brands of floss that I don’t normally use. The instructions are coming out once and sometimes twice a month and I’ll try to keep up. It will be scrappy but the border around it will be the same throughout.

While my bread baked I did a few stitches on my cross stitched quilt block. It’s been awhile since I picked it up because I’ve been working in my puzzle book and/or reviewing Pat’s latest manuscript.

We have another online concert tonight.