Category Archives: Needlework

Har-dang-it

Journal, Needlework

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

I spent most of the morning working on Hall stuff for my meeting tonight. My thought was that now that since I had passed the Secretarial duties on to someone else I wouldn’t have much prep work to do; I guess that won’t happen until the next meeting. Last year I worked on and distributed a procedures manual for the new Board members; today I updated the information and printed out copies not only for the new Board members but also for the “old” ones. Some of the information had changed and it seemed easier to print out new copies for everyone rather than figure out which pages had changed. I’m not convinced anyone reads them but they can’t say I didn’t try.

We had another squirrel whale moment at lunch when we were talking to Kathryn. Two humpbacks were swimming down the Salish Sea and doing a lot of pectoral slaps as they moved through; it was quite something to see. We’ll finish our conversation with Kathryn another day!

A couple of weeks ago I finished my first Hardanger lesson. I purchased a series of five lessons when we were in Victoria for Christmas. I started the first lesson the last time I was on Texada but finished it at home. When it was done I pressed it and attached it to the back of my door so I could admire it when I came into and left my sewing room.

The other day when I was cleaning up I took a break and stopped to admire my work because on this trip to Texada I’ll be starting lesson two. Much to my chagrin I noticed something asymmetrical about the piece. It was then I realized I had only done some of the cross stitching in the margin and not all of it.

Lesson One (No cutting involved)

I pulled it off the door today to pack in my bin but decided since it was a small amount I would get it done. Fortunately it was cross stitch and not any of the other “fancy” stitches or I might not have finished.

The Princess and the Pea

Needlework

It’s finally done. I’ll send the piece as-is to Kathryn and she will have it framed in Saskatoon. It makes it much easier (and safer) than sending a framed piece.

Ready to hang
It’s found a home

I can’t say for sure which Christmas I received this kit as a gift. But you can see from the note Kathryn enclosed this isn’t the printing of an adult. I expect it was either Christmas 1986 or 1987.

December 2017

The earliest photo I can find was taken in December, 2017 – about the time I started concentrating on getting it done. I’ll do the math for you – that’s about 30 years after I received the gift!

And I really have worked hard at it ever since, but there are a lot of stitches in this piece – and a lot of colour changes.

So right back at you Kathryn – “I hope you like it!! I really do”

A few of my gift tags

Needlework

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

I didn’t make many things this year and the few I made took much longer than I anticipated. I’ll have to start earlier next year (haven’t I heard that before?). Click on each photo to enlarge it.

For Alex

For Will

I bought kits for the snowman and the Santa many years ago on a trip to Seattle with Stacia and Ron. The Santa took the longest to make so, after one of each was done, I stuck to the snowman.

Each snowman is different, depending on where on the chart I made the mistake!

For Gavin

For Dylan

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had kits from many, many years ago that I used for my Granddaughters. On a day when we lost power for several hours I used a portion of one of the patterns to make a gift tag on a hostess gift.

For Taylor

For Madison

For Emma

A tag for a tin of cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Kristin

Cards, Needlework

February 24, 2018

I wanted a butterfly on Kristin’s card as I was thinking of Lynne when I was picking out a pattern. I had a new-to-me cross stitch magazine and, surprisingly, this was the only butterfly I could find.

My finish on burlap still needs improving – getting the lines to match in the aida cloth and the burlap is more difficult than I thought.