HAPPY NEW YEAR

It has been an age since I posted on my personal blog. I have been busy with lots of projects though. Elizabethan Treasures has been framed and hung.

I am very pleased with her and it was a good exercise in mastering some speciality stitches.

I have also completed a fairly large blackwork piece and I added lots of petite beads. I think if you click the photo it will clearer ( I am having problems with posting photo from my ipad onto blogger).

 

I am afraid that I could not get on with Elizabeth Simon, I adored the satin stitch flower border but unpicked the two outer borders and filled in the centre with a favourite poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

She is now at the framers.

A small finish was a hardanger placemat.

I tried very hard so that the back and front were identical. Can you tell the difference? I have left a waste knot showing on the front.

My other stitching projects are a SAL for GiGi's Saxony Band Sampler and we are on week 13.

I started at the bottom as I intend to change the top band and to add a verse if I have enough fabric.

It is very delicate looking and I am loving The Attic's conversion.

My main stitching project is Rachel Jarratt by the Scarlet Letter.

This is my first time with the fishbone stitch. I am very taken with band samplers at the moment.

This one has been very enjoyable (so far) stitching the outline and then colouring in.

Here is where I am at the moment.

I have been busy quilting and have had two finishes. A gift for a little baby girl who lives on a farm close to the sea.

The Celebration range from Moda seemed perfect as it had animals and sailing ships.

My other finish was going to be for one of my cottages but I loved it so much it now resides in my drawing room.

I used a favourite quilting pattern.

I have a few more quilts on the go but seem to be waiting for threads or wadding after the Christmas break.

I have completed some more blocks on Vintage Valentines

I seemed to have made lots of pillows lately. They make great gifts. Here are two of them.

Chris and Kate were delighted with their Christmas present.

The artist has captured the dogs so well. They didn't have the foggiest idea that they were getting this for Christmas and it was so nice to see their faces when they opened the box.

Archie was very poorly over Christmas and we were unsure if he would be able to celebrate his first birthday but he rallied on the 2nd.

We can tell from this photo that he has lost a lot of weight. He is growing up so quickly.

The weather has been dreadful, quite frightening in fact.

One of our very tall trees cracked from the top to over two thirds down and was only stopped from crashing down onto our cars by another tree. It was fortunate that the wind dropped for a few hours for the tree surgoens to attend to it.

Huge chunks of sand have been gouged out of the cove and I think that the owners of the beach cafe are worried that their building is going to be washed away. No photos as I am not well at the moment to go out with my camera.

These photos are from Porthleven which is very close to us. You can see just how big the waves are.

Stay safe and warm until next time.

Elizabethan Treasures - A Finish

An Adaptation of Elizabethan Treasuers by Linda Barry

 I have just finished my take on Elizabethan Treasures by Linda Barry. I have made numerous changes to the design and the thread.

I am sorry about the photographs but it is twilight here and the light outside is poor. The fabric is actually a beautiful rich cream.

I will post better photographs when it is back from the framers.

It was a joy to stitch and it took be about 10 days.


We had relatively good news from the Vets about Poppy. Her heart hasn't got any worse. She is clear of tumors  which is always a worry with boxers. They discovered she has severe arthritis in her neck. We have switched to a harness for walking and it has made a huge and quick change. She starts a course of acupuncture next week which we hope will also help her.

Thank you for all your messages for Poppy.


Warm Wishes from Stitching By A Cornish Sea Shore Nicola xxx

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower

"The Tableau" - A combination of The Tablet and The Shepherd and Shepherdess with Jacob Sheep by The Scarlet Letter

Apologies for my absence but The Scarlet Letter Year blog is keeping me very busy and using up most of my computer time.

I have still been stitching away though. I have had a finish which is at the framers.

I took the border from The Tablet sampler

and then the pictorial section from The Shepherd and Shepherdess with Jacob Sheep

moved the figures around a bit, omitting a sheep and including Poppy and Blue and the Cove where I live.

The verse is not original but has been tweaked slightly.

The added Cupid has been stitched blind as Ray and I turn a blind eye to each other's faults. I also used treasure braid to stitch the flame of love as ours burns strong and bright.

I incorporated two hares prominently into the sampler as they can represent immortality and the gods of love. I hope that our love will be there for eternity.

A third has been stitched as a "shadow" as our love for each other is always there for us in the background of our daily life together.

I am very excited about having this back from the framers and will post a better photo then.

I have put my quilting to one side now that the weather is cooler but before I did I finished the jelly roll quilt

but have had a disaster with my "Sunshine" quilt

Here it is with the binding partially stitched.

After I had basted the quilt I put it to the side of my sewing machine and was digitizing my quilting pattern when I could smell burning and initially and stupidly thought that someone was burning food on their barbecue on the beach. 

The smell became very strong and I realised that it was my quilt that was burning !!!!!

I either had left my applique iron turned on for two days (heavens above !!!) or I turned the iron on when I switched the sewing machine and computer on.

I was left with a huge scorch mark and a small hole.

I decided to applique this cat over the burn with some left over fabric. There are kittens playing on the pink squares so it went with the theme and then I quilted it with paw prints.

I took the quilt to my craft group at the WI and the lady sitting next to me pricked her finger and the blood squirted everywhere including over my quilt !!!

Apparently the best way of removing blood is to use saliva (of the person who's blood it is) on a piece of lint and rub at the mark. Apparently the enzymes break down the blood.

I have completed a quilt for Archie which I hope will be an heirloom for him. It is by American Jane and I must say that Sandy and Stan Klop are a delight to deal with and Sandy's instructions were superb.

The quilt is a first primer story book.

I made a few alterations to the design and used some surplus fabric to make four pineapple blocks.

I quilted it with an abstract sailing boat with some waves and clouds in a variegated thread for the front and a matching red thread for the backing. I thought that there was so much going on with the fabric I did not want it to detract.

I currently have two projects on the go. Elizabeth Simon from The Scarlet Letter
 

Elizabeth Simon - The Scarlet Letter

The colours are so pretty and the satin stitched petals very effective.

I had an urge to do some drawn thread/hardanger work so have started Elizabethan Treasures by Linda Barry. I am putting in some sparkle though with Krenick Braid and Petite Mill Hill beads.

The fabric is actually a cream and the thread Soie Crystale.

When I have stitched all the panels I will go back over it with some more personalising.

Archie continues to grow  and is such a bright little boy. He enjoyed his holiday in France with his Mummy and Daddy and was very well behaved on the plane.

Ray and I have been doing a fair bit of walking each day.

I can never tire of scenery like this.

Poppy loves wallowing in mud and takes every opportunity to do so.

She hasn't been very well lately and last Thursday had a battery of tests, scans and x-rays. Hopefully we will have good news this week. Fingers crossed.


Warm Wishes from Stitching By A Cornish Sea Shore Nicola xxx