Thursday 28 February 2019

I like Thankful Thursday

A bit late today. Trying to get a photo and form submitted.
note: I hope the photos show up for this post because they don't seem to be loading properly. 😭

I am REALLY liking that I can see to sew on my machine!!!!
I did the stitching round this piece I am sending for the SAQA donation for the Spotlight Auction at their conference. Now to post it.
Ramshackle Bungalow. 6" x 8"
I like that this is the the first thing I have completed since I got new eyes! 👀

I was going to show a lot more, but I will just add this little lion shaped tea stain. The photo situation is not loading easily.
I like discovering random spills or whatever that look like something.

Come back next week for more I hope!
And to see what others are posting that they like, go to Lee Anna's blog.

Tuesday 26 February 2019

Stitch on it 28

At the Offcuts sewing group on Saturday, I forgot some of the bits I needed for the project I was going to do. I had brought the embroidery on paper project, so I decided to do that.

I look up the stitch and how to do it on Sharon Boggin’s Stitch Dictionary online. That was fine, but I couldn’t remember which stitch on my list was next. I forgot to look before I left. So I looked over some of the stitches on Sharon’s list. Rice Stitch caught my eye, so I have done that.


Rice Stitch - stitch on paper two colours used and some variations, not all from Sharon’s instructions.

Monday 25 February 2019

Stitch on it 27

I thought I posted the stitch project in January.
But it didn’t go up. So, today you have the privilege!

Palestrina stitch -




Stitch on paper. This sample stitch was quite difficult to catch on to and then get a rhythm. I also tried the Long legged Palestrina Stitch.

Sunday 24 February 2019

Bead on - 24,000 - 17-23 February

This work aims to connect with 24,000 individuals - Indian Christians who were physically attacked in the last year because of their faith.
I have finished the sixth set of nine, making 4,320 people noted.
Hard to comprehend how this travesty is ignored.

I tried to catch a bit of the sparkle from the sequins. 

Saturday 23 February 2019

Something on Saturday

Treasure 8

Just a little bit of wood, but it was carved by my youngest brother.


He has been gone 20 years, but I still think of him and miss him so much.
This is one of the very few things I have connected with him.

Thursday 21 February 2019

I like Thankful Thursday

Phewww! I really, really like that I can work on the computer without getting nauseous!
I have a collection of photos I have been holding back for I like Thursday. Being the type of post that wants several photos, I just wasn't managing to face the computer for them.
I like to resize my photos so it doesn't take up so much room in the random place where blogger stores them. And not so much data for viewers to download. But, so far, I haven't worked out how to do this on my phone. I take pretty much all of my photos on the phone now.

Besides that, I like that I can do a bit of word processing to get my posts just right, without going insane with the way that it is either Very small, or it jumps around on my phone when I try it. Tada! Lots of sorting done at a size I can manage!

So... for today.
When I went for my glasses the other day, I saw this lovely lady in Princess Square.

This week is half-term. In Bracknell town centre they have set up a Fantasy Fairy Trail. I don't know what else was involved, but I loved this lady sculpted in greenery. I didn't touch her, so I don't know if it was real shrubbery (isn't that a fun word?) or not. Either way, I think it is cool.

As you know, I like Amaryllis flowers. This one was given to me by a friend at Christmas.
It has been amazing. This is the 3rd flower shoot!

Since I missed posting after Valentines day, you can see them this week.
I like how Thoughtful the Thoughtful Man is...
Dark red roses... ✔️

Card and chocolates...✔️

heart-shaped microwave heating pad ✔️✔️ Hurrah! Great for the neck when it is causing a headache.

I like it when I 'see things' that are unexpected. Such as a face in the minute steak I cooked for our Valentines Day meal.

Meet the man in the meat!

As usual, check out more of the other likes from the links on LeeAnna's blog.

Wednesday 20 February 2019

fruit stack

The fruit I was having the other day just looked like they would stack up.

and they did!

Plum, satsuma, and nectarine.

Monday 18 February 2019

All the better to see you with

...and finally, after well over a year... I can see properly!!! 👀

New spectaculars 😁
Regular Bifocals 🤓

And Bifocal Sunglasses 😎 

They had to put prisms in to deal with the double vision. It works!
So wonderful to see distance again! I worked in my studio a bit. The eye dr had said they will take a bit of getting used to. The long distance is not so bad, though I do have to blink if I turn my head quickly. The close up/reading part will need a bit of time. I stitched my daily bead project, but needed a break after that in order to do anything else. So I started sorting some of the magazines I cleared from the bookcase a week or two ago.
Next real will be the computer. That was the hardest bit. I found myself getting “see sick” 🤢, whenever I tried working online. So most of what I have done is on the phone.

Sunday 17 February 2019

Bead on - 24,000 - 10-16 February

continuing the 2019 bead project

This week’s work towards connecting with 24,000 individuals - Indian Christians who were physically attacked in the last year because of their faith.

I am onto the sixth set of nine, making 3,760 people noted.
I want to make others aware of them. 

Saturday 16 February 2019

Something on Saturday

Treasure 7

This wonderful cut glass jar was handed down from my husband’s Granny.

I love the way it catches the light.

It usually lives on the window sill in the dining room, which gets a lot of morning light.

But at present, the amaryllis are living there.

Friday 15 February 2019

The other bead project

While I wait for the spectaculars, I have been slowly working on the other bead project. It sort of got put by when I started finding it difficult to see a year or so ago. With the up-lighter, the room light, the sunshine and some times the positional light, I can see enough to work on my bead and hand stitching projects

So I finally finished last section on the Captured/Abducted dress.
I have 20 more days of beads to use to fill in here and there to even up some of the edges.

Now to cut about 6in from the hem to use for straps and possibly to make lacing in the upper section of the back.
The marks are representing the girls and women continually being captured and abducted in Nigeria. There are the situations where schools are attacked and large groups of girls abducted. But even in various villages throughout Nigeria, girl and women are often taken as they go about their daily task or on the way to school. I wanted to do something to raise awareness.

When I started the project, the numbers I read worked out that from 2011 approximately 30 were abuducted each month! Like one each day! So, each mark (bar and gate) has not only the usual |||| / (5) but 2 more||. One set of seven (7 years from 2011 to the end of 2018) for 365 days.

I am considering putting a line of single beads along the hem to represent families whose lives are so drastically changed because of these abductions.  Practically, it will help with the hang of the dress.



Sunday 10 February 2019

Bead on - 24,000 - 3-9 February

My friend came round and I showed her this in person. What attracted her the most was how tactile it is.
This week’s work towards connecting with 24,000 individuals - Indian Christians who were physically attacked in the last year because of their faith.

I am onto the fifth set of nine, making 3,200 people noted.
Too many. 

Saturday 9 February 2019

Something on Saturday

Treasure 6

This painting of chickadees is done on a piece of slate. It is around the size of the treasure from last week.

My favourite bird is a chickadee. They are plentiful where I come from. They stay though harsh winters and bring much cheer with their song. They are a bit like the coal tit here in England.
The painting was done by a lady who was a big part of my growing up. She also became my youngest sister’s Mother-in-law. I have a few things around that she painted. Some with more chickadees. Perhaps one will become a treasure on another day.

Friday 8 February 2019

Breaking silence?

Couldn’t get into blogger yesterday.

Something like an update.
a good thing.  I got the all clear from the hospital that my eyes 👀 have healed fine from the cataract surgeries.
However ... I am still seeing double. Advice: see the optician.
Another good thing. Optician is very thorough with all sorts of tests.
Diagnosis: I can’t remember technical terms, but basically one eye is seeing lower than the other. “Look at the dot.” “There are two of them. One above the other.”
This was consistent throughout. So, she’s had them do some magical things like prisms and other things about astigmatisms.
In the meanwhile...
Seeing double. New glasses ready on the 18th February.

Thus why I have been avoiding the computer. It harder than the phone. But I haven’t worked out how to resize photos on the phone.


But I did help my friend to find buttons from my stash for the new cardigan she knitted!
One colour looked good on its own but not in multiples. The other colour was the same. And only a subtle difference. So we decided to alternate them! And you really can’t tell when looking at the whole cardigan with its lovely stripes. 😄

I am managing the bead project with plenty of lighting and even magnifying glasses. I expect because I’m not looking in one place for a long time. 
So, counting the days to the glasses! 🤓 and also sunglasses 🕶! But she did say it will take some time to get used to the prisms. So it will be a bit longer before I can drive.

Monday 4 February 2019

Over 3 hours in the eye clinic

Got the ok to go for the eye test for glasses!!!!🤓

There was a whole lot of waiting going on. 🤨🤪
Just doodling. Then it started looking like a cheeky tunic so I kept going til it was. 😄

Sunday 3 February 2019

Bead on - 24,000 - 27-31 Jan 1-2 Feb

This is already hard to imagine...over 1100 in a fortnight...nearly 3,000 in one month!
and it is overlooked! How?

This week’s work towards connecting with 24,000 individuals - Indian Christians who were physically attacked in the last year because of their faith.

I am onto the forth set of nine, making 2640 people noted.

Saturday 2 February 2019

Something on Saturday

Treasure 5
A little bowl that used to belong to my mother-in-law.
I love the way the painted fruits seem like you could pick them right up.

It lives in front of the random TV equipment. I like just looking at it. But it’s still like a surprise that we have it instead of Mum.