My Cross Stitch Attempts, Alec's Birthday & Some Changes . . . . . .

Greetings lovely friends & readers

One of the things I wrote down on my List-of-Hopes-&-Wishes as the New Year rolled around was to teach myself to Cross Stitch again (I don't make Resolutions, preferring instead to have this List). 

It is over 2 decades since I last attempted cross stitch & when I look at some of the beautiful work my crafty friends do, I always wish I could manage to cross stitch but my eyesight always failed me.  It was my dear friend Shirley who suggested I try on Aida Cloth as the Aida is much easier to see the tiny squares, compared to the Linen.  

 I found a remnant of Aida in my stash & decided to have a try using this free pattern from Whilst Iris Naps.  My dear friend Jane kindly cross stitched this design for me back in 2022.    I found the little rabbits not too tricky so I had a go at the carrot which ended up a teeny bit wonky but I was able to fix it up.  I made these little items up into a sweet Easter display in a thrifted glass dish.  

Inspired by this I tried another free pattern, this one from The Primitive Hare..  This took me longer but I was thrilled with how it turned out ... until ... I decided to teadye the aida once I'd finished it & the red dye in the Cottage Garden Thread I'd used, ran.  I was so disappointed, rinsing out what I could, but deciding to sew it up into a small cushnion anyway.  Note to self Julie - tea dye the aida before stitching in future !!

I saw this sweet rabbit pattern on Instagram, a freebie from @arcadia.stitchery so I printed it off  & have not long finished stitching it up.  I am backing these pillows with leftover chenille fabric from my stash & filling them with crushed walnut shell as it helps them to sit nicely.   I am hopeful I can continue with these simple little cross stitch designs as I do enjoy making them.

Last Sunday was Alec's birthday & he was turning 11!! A Very Important Age Granny  he informed me !!  I baked a batch of cupcakes & Rice-bubble crunch to take down to Kinloch.  

I also had some more charity sewing to take down.  6 cats & 6 rabbits from my wool blanket stash.  Yes that IS a ginger cats tail you see tucked in there 😯

Alec's parents had gifted him an electric scooter for his birthday.  He gave Granny a demo.   I think this was a wonderful gift as it got him up & outside, & away from his devices.  He has apparently been on it all week after school - out until dark.  I gave him money towards a new, safer helmet which he has purchased this week.  

We all went out to 2 mile bay Sailing Club for a pizza lunch & Alec's Mum had made him a birthday cake 

(which was delicious).  

I was most taken with the black swans that were serenely swimming around - I took a short video of them but can't get it to upload unfortunately.  They were just adorable. ❤

In the midst of last week I was rearranging some furniture & needed to move my wall unit some 7 inches to the right in order to fit another chair into the gap. 

I'm not sure how, but I ended up taking all the china out of my wall unit, washing it, & then (in a moment of madness) decided to wash all the teddies that sat in it also.  

Thankfully it was a nice autumn day & I got them all dry on the clothes line.  

I washed the lace runners & doilies & everything just sparkled once I'd put it back together (which ended up taking 3 days in total). When I deep clean the lounge, somehow this unit always just gets a lick & a promise, so it was wonderful to know it had been thoroughly cleaned,

There are a few changes happening here at Threadbear HQ as we are in the midst of getting our house exterior painted.  This is what the the windows look like currently -  like being in a cave.  While I am so thankful to have (4) tradesmen here doing work that would otherwise be mine to do - it is also very stressful & the furry family members are most unimpressed & traumatised.  

There appears to be changes in blogland too, as I had so many issues getting my last two posts to publish.  My Fleur Woods inspired post took 5 days & has had very little traffic.  I was going to delete my testing post but as some folk have kindly left me comments, I shall leave it up.   It is bewildering to me so, as I hit Publish on this post, I shall hold my breath & say a Prayer. 

As always dear friends - thank you for your ever-welcome visits & for the sweet, kind comments you leave me here.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend - remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,

Testing Post .......

Just a testing post friends as am having issues getting my last post to Publish here. 

 

My * Fleur Woods Inspired * Textile Piece

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Instead of flowers today we have my old trike planted with pansies & violas.  

Willie you will love this - pansies are your favorites.

On the mornings that I drive Sid to school I walk around the Domain on my way home.  This morning it was foggy & kind of ethereal looking with a light dusting of frost on the ground.

Image from Instagram

Two years ago when my dear friend Sally gifted me the gorgeous book The Untamed Thread I very much became enamored with all things Fleur Woods.  

So when I saw Fleur's Taketwoart course "Joyful Embroidery" advertised for January of this year I signed myself up to it.  What appealed the most was that I could work through the modules at my own pace & then have lifetime access to all the information/teachings.  

It took me two months to complete the course - there were 10 modules altogether plus some bonus modules on photography etc 

Rather than working on a textile piece as I went I preferred to absorb the entire course first, slowly working through each module.

I must admit it was a further two months before I even attempted a stitched piece & it was timely that our little craft group had been given these sewing panels, each of us to choose one & "do something creative with it"

I chose the panel  Happiness is Handmade  💗

I'd initially thought to make mine into a bag, then decided to slow stitch it.  I've forgotten to photograph it prior to commencing stitching the panel, but you can see the panel top left even though I'd begun some embroidery. 

Top right is me playing with doilies & embellishments which took me over a week 'til I was happy with my lay out & I changed my mind many times.

Finally - yesterday - I finished my piece, which took me just over a month to complete (which was much quicker than I'd anticipated given the speed that I work at now)

I've photographed it on my deck table as my house is darker inside but I plan to hang it in my sewing room.  I'm really happy with how its turned out despite the fact it is slightly wonky & not square - Fleur encourages us to embrace the wonkiness of our work.

And Yes I chose to hang mine from a pair of Mums old knitting needles which I tied together - they were the perfect length for my textile piece.

Some close-ups ... a piece of Sanderson fabric top left - I've fabric painted some of the flowers but left the leaves natural. Vintage Suffolk puff & hexagon top right, the lace piece is from Mums old sewing box.  I've added a few clusters of bead embellishing here.  

One of Mum's old jug covers - I added a motif to the centre & more tiny beads.  Practicing a square of thread weaving top right.

Some couching & french knots on the left & some kantha stitching on the right.  Many of the doilies were from Mums stash, some were torn but I've just used pieces of the torn ones.

  

A line of vintage crochet lace & some buttons & then top right I used a section of this orange doiley as the sewing machine panel had orange in it so I mainly focused on oranges, pinks & blues in my piece.  🧡💗💙

Rather than leave raw edges I backed my piece with a cotton fabric & bound the edges.  I wrote a label for it & handsewed this on. 

Here is my centre panel  -  I just loved how the handwork gave it so much texture & made it sort-of pop out at you. 

And Yes dear friends - Happiness is indeed Handmade !!  I just love the whole process of creativity & am so thankful for this gift in my life.

And look dear friends ... I didn't even have to iron it because Pippi & Little One very kindly flattened it for me  😖

A couple of the ladies had finished theirs last month - Gail used her panel to cover a book box & then made the inside into a miniature sewing room complete with a cat & cake !!! 

And Sharlaine made her panel into a stunning Journal cover on a piece of vintage wool.  I just love what both ladies have done with theirs & will share the others when (if) the ladies have completed them. 

Thank you so much for your ever-welcome visits here today,

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,

Van Life, Charity Sewing & New (Winter) Cushions

Greetings lovely friends & readers

          On my bench today the rose "Heaven Scent", one of the roses gifted to me when my Mum passed away.  

💜

(I acknowledge this next part may be of no interest to many folk but I wanted to document it as I write this blog as a memory book for myself & my Grandchildren, for the future - so wanted to include it)

In October of 2024 my youngest son Kayne (Sid's Dad) purchased a van privately from Auckland.  The van had belonged to a carpet layer so was a generous size which was good as Kayne planned to fit it out as a Camper for himself & his family.  I took these photos when he first bought it around to show me.

Over the course of the next year Kayne gutted it & set about fitting it out with bunks which folded out into a bottom double bed, a handbasin, toilet & made it able to be certified for Freedom Camping.  You need a certificate for this here in New Zealand.  This was all built by Kayne as time & - mostly funds - allowed.  Nicole did all the painting, sewed the curtains & the soft furnishings for the van.  

It was all done on a shoestring or as my dear Dad would say - the sniff of an oily rag.    All the while they planned & saved for a big South Island trip. 

 Their South Island trip came to fruition recently & they all had a most wonderful time away.  Unfortunately with the cost of petrol currently in NZ, it was not an ideal time so they ended up cutting their trip in half & only doing the top part of the South Island, which in hindsight, was a good decision.

A week before Easter they headed off from Te Awamutu (white asterix), drove down the middle to Wellington (yellow star) where they caught the Interisland ferry across to Picton  (this takes 3.5 hours to cross)

I've tried to show their trip around the top of the South Island here ...

 (1) Picton to (2) Nelson, down to (3) Murchison, (4) Hanmer Springs, (5) Christchurch, out to (6) Akaroa, up to (7) Kaikoura & then up to (8) Blenheim before back up to Picton for the ferry home.

They were away for 3 weeks all up, staying a couple of nights in some places, sometimes freedom camping but also staying in some Camp Grounds to use the facilities. 

Here they are at one Camp Ground - they had purchased this tent-style-cover which you attach over the back door of the Van when it is up & it adds another "room" to the van.  It was wonderful. 

 A few holiday snaps showing the wonderful autumnal weather they experienced. 

Such a great experience for all of them.  Sid's favorite place of all (yes I asked) was Hanmer Springs.  He actually had his birthday while away on the trip & turned 9 !!!   I'm sure you will be seeing more Van Adventures on this blog in the future.  😊

Last weekend was Anzac Weekend here in New Zealand.  I'd been having a sort out of my wool blankets & decided to make some hot water bottle covers.  These are going to a charity that my eldest son has put me on, to but I will document more about this once they have been received as I have still to get these down to Taupo.  I made 6 covers & then put new hotties inside them.  Little One gave them the "seal of approval".  

While i had the offcuts I decided to make some lavender hearts.  I used to make & sell so many of these in my craft cottage.  They are filled with my homegrown dried lavender.  These are going to the Charity also.  

You can see I wasn't quick enough putting the wool blankets away & Someone has taken up residence on the lovely thick orange one ... well I guess it is her colour  🧡

Late last year my sister-in-law gifted me this plum velvet bolster cushion that she no longer had a use for.  I must admit I didn't use it & tucked it away in my trunk.  Recently I noticed Bed, Bath & Beyond had the same plum velvet cushions with 60% off so I treated myself to two.

As we've had a run of fine sunny autumnal days I've been washing all my bedlinen & changing to winter sheets & blankets.  It has been great to get them all dry outside on the clothes-line.

I pulled out my burgundy quilt from the trunk as this is a good weight for winter & it matched the cushions well.  I also pulled out my Zinnia cushion made in this post back in 2021.

Although the cushions seem to be photographing quite dark today they are actually a rich plum colour.    I picked some of my hydrangeas which are similar colours at present, & put a Jugful beside my bed.  

It's amazing how just the addition of 2 new cushions can add such a warm cosy vibe to the room.  And look at that dear friends .  .  .  not a cat in sight (Yet) !!

Thank you all so much for staying through this long post.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead - remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,

Easter Crafting Part Two . . . . ~ Miss Milly Rabbit ~

Greetings lovely friends & readers

 Instead of flowers today, we have ornamental Gourds which I picked last weekend.  I had a very small crop this year but my seeds were old so I wasn't surprised & just thankful that any came up.

This old round baking tin was in my stash, no doubt thrifted at some time & showing signs of rust.  I gave it the Resene Rust FX treatment & it came up well.  It was the perfect size to fit under my wire cloche & just big enough to hold my gourds.  

Last Easter I purchased a half metre length of gorgeous rabbit fabric with the plan to make Miss Milly Rabbit out of the above (old) pattern book.

  The fabric sat in my stash for a year & just prior to this Easter I got it out & made the rabbits body.  I enlarged the length of the legs by 3 inches as I wanted a long legged rabbit.  I teadyed the calico & I also sewed chenille pipecleaners into her ears when I attached them to the head as I like the ears standing up somewhat - I feel it adds character.  

The last time I made this pattern was in * this blog post * way back in 2013.

I added a ring to the back of my Miss Milly as I thought she might look good hanging on a wall - she is a good long length measuring 65 cms from head to toe.

I made sure I fussy cut the bodice piece with the rabbit right in the centre.  I also gave my girl some bloomers as we don't want her getting chilly in her nether regions !!  

I purchased this swing tag from Love from Seventeen - I've bought their personalised items before to attach to gifts for the Grandchildren.  This rabbit motif was in my stash so I gave Miss Milly a pocket so I could stitch the motif to it.  I also stitched a vintage lace doiley to her hand as every good rabbit needs a clean handkerchief !

After I'd completed her I decided to paint some shoes on her feet.  I had no pastel coloured paint that matched her so I used chalk paint in the colour Robins Egg.  It was a wonderful match colour-wise.

It's overcast & grey this week so I've photographed her on my deck table where it's a bit lighter.  I'm really pleased with her & have told her she can stay out for awhile longer so long as she behaves herself.  🐰💙

When I went to pack my Easter decor away I came across a bag with these wooden rabbit buttons in & the 3 tiny wood frames.  I can't remember how many years I've had these for but it was time to  

do something with them!!  

I covered the frames with wadding & Tilda scraps,  then stitched the rabbit buttons in the centre.  I tried to use colours that complimented the buttons.  Then I thought I needed something to display them on.

This was one of those vintage frames with the silk pictures in but it was torn & faded so I removed it, painted the frame & backing & then glued some scrapbooking paper to the backing.  

I thought the soft blue toile paper just set the rabbit frames off nicely & I had some leftover ribbon from Miss Milly's ears so I added a bow & a rabbit peg.  I will enjoy adding this to my displays next Easter.  

The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of feijoas - I double this & use Extra!

As I was on hen-feeding-duties over Easter I was able to gather a bucket of feijoas & make my favourite feijoa recipe Feijoa and Coconut Cake.   Yes I served it with lashings of cream because Why Ever Not ??!!

Yesterday morning I lit my first fire of the season.  It was Cold & I'd spent many days stacking firewood so I told myself that it was not for display only & gave myself permission to Use it!!!  It didn't take long for a certain Ginger Princess to find the heat!!!  

Wishing you a wonderful rest-of-the-week dear friends,

Thank you, as always, for your welcome visits here today,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,