Sandy

 It is with great sadness that I have to post that Sandy passed away on August 4th after a short illness. She is now resting in the arms of her Saviour. We all miss her greatly but I look forward to the day when we will be together again with Christ.

Jim (Sandy’s husband)

By the way...

The break was good. And the pressure is not so great as it was. The afternoon after the moaning post I heard that they have cancelled the Festival of Quilts this year. This is 😔 sad for a great number of people.

But the flip side for some of us is the pressure release of not having to work to a deadline when you have have the extra pressure of this stay at home thing.

Pansy tree 

Anyway, I have been spending time in the garden stitching, Doing Easter things, wasting time watching things on Facebook, cooking and other holiday things.

These photos were taken last week when the weather was lovely.

 Bleeding Heart just coming out.

Heather they have been doing well for some months now.

And my favourite bulb flower. Snake’s Head Fritillary.
Different shades of the amazing checkerboard pattern these flowers have.

Embroidery strip 2020 - 29 March - 4 April

Week 14
(Delayed)

I am catching up with week 15.

Hummm

This is a moaning post, please ignore. 🤪

When the porridge boils over.

3weeks into c-virus quarantine-

I will post some photos soon. I am quite busy with a project. And just somehow lacking motivation when it comes to posting.
I hope you are muddling along where you are.
I guess we find ourselves looking at what others are doing, how they are managing their new situation, and it is easy to get caught up in that.

For Instance, in my case I already stay at home working to deadlines and trying not to be overcome by fibromyalgia.
And now my changes seem to be the reverse of others who are excited about having extra time and now we have a blossoming of  free workshops and challenges that I would be glad to take part in. But I have already got a schedule to work to and tasks to complete.
And people are finding the leisure of having space/time to make, but I have one scientist and one technical author working from home...in my space. So, my quiet thinking and solitary working is invaded somewhat. Yes, sounds a bit selfish, but adjustment required. Questions to work through, am I on call all day? Closing my studio door seems to invite more interruptions than leaving it open! I am glad they have both settled in ‘offices’ upstairs.
More effort is required from me to feed three, than if it is two of us. ( one still needing all of whatever it is that weight fitness demands.) Why do ‘simple’ pressure cooker stews, And even bolognese ;etc take an hour just to do the chopping?. I come to the dinner table in severe pain just from 1-2 hours making food!

But...still,
-I can look at the pictures of other work while continuing to do my own.
-Very grateful for some kind of harmony here that hasn’t necessarily been easy to find at other times. We even agree on evening television viewing!
-And I don’t need to stand in queues for shopping because the Thoughtful Man does that. I just have to write the correct thing on the list.
-Also, the weather has improved, so I can choose to eat lunch in the garden or maybe even today go out there to do the hand stitching needed for the project.

So really, it is not so bad! Perhaps being outside is the answer. I am tired of breathing the same air!

Apologies for unloading here.
At least I haven’t got the responsibility for 45 people in lockdown, most of them children, most of them under 8, with a leopard and a python hanging about! 😱 This is the situation for my friend, Karin in Ethiopia.
Perspective
And so, I am off to get some progress with this project.

25 million stitches

The second panel is finish. I showed the first half here.

Third quarter

Final section

Interesting how just a bit over overlapping- cross stitch and couching - makes the colour brighter.

Where oh where!

The first project I have planned for this month is to finish off the presentation part of last year’s bead project.

However, I can’t find it!
Where is the safe place I put it?


Update!!
I had a thought in the “I don’t want to wake up “ part of the morning Thursday. Then only remembered after ‘sorting’ a tight corner full of things after dinner. 
It was bundled up and stuck behind my pattern paper roll. I think I put it there because everything was still covered with brick dust from the new windows going in. 

Kathy says she has about 4 lost projects. I hope you find them!!

Ramshackle: Margins

This month I finished this piece for the Stretching Art and Tradition 2020 exhibition. I didn’t get around to photos straight away because I had an extra project to get on with.
Anyway, finally.

Ramshackle:Margins
My series of ramshackle houses explores community. In this work, I am looking at the positive and negative space of community. Showing that different communities and those within their margins by definition also mean others are not included in that community.
So what about those on the edges?
Or those who who are beyond the periphery?

Detail

Leather Tool Roll

Ages ago...(maybe 4 or 5 years 😲) my son asked me to make him a tool roll for his chainsaw files etc. So, because it was going to be complicated, I put it on the back burner to think about how I would do it. At one point I thought I would get on with it, but the leathers I had in the stash did not suit his ideas.

But the vendor I regularly got leather from had stopped vending... so time went on. Then in 2018 I caught a glimpse of a leather vendor just as I was leaving the Bristol show They we’re back last year. She had a good size piece, but for £30. Which I hadn’t got. So I said, what about that misshapen section? So she cut that part off, leaving her with a more squared off piece others might like. The piece I got was about twice what I used here. and only cost £10!

I find it easier to design something out of my head if it already has an interesting shape. 

Anyway, after dithering (🤨will I be able to make something he likes?) I finally decided I better do it for this birthday and get it out of my head!!

Plus - An extra file pocket and a small pocket for whatever. 

Embroidery strip 2020 - 22-28 March

Week 13

This week I chose colours that reflected the sections, for instance green on green and brown on brown. Some blended in so well they disappeared, some more noticeable.

Something on Saturday

Treasure 55
Another special cuddly toy.

I made a huge bird costume for a commission one time. My friend Niki modelled it for photos. Our friend Mike did the photos. Even my husband keeps photos of it on his phone! So it was great fun for many of my friends. When one of them saw this toy, they bought it as it reminds us about the costume. I can’t remember who gave it to me, maybe my friend Pat, Niki’s mum.

Free perks

A Certain Young Man has come home...he’d rather be locked down with us than on his own when everyone else has already gone. The research PhD students stayed on longer than the rest of the uni.

Anyway, he and the Thoughtful Man went to get a bit more food. At this point it is still allowed!

They came back with this!

FREE!

The manager said they were near their sell by and no one was buying them, since Mothering Sunday was on Sunday. The ticket said £10!

Nothing wrong with them as far as I can tell. I have put them next to the 3D card my son gave me Sunday. He also cooked dinner on Saturday evening AND Sunday!

Embroidery Strip 2020 - 15-21 March

Week 12

This week I used threads that are in the orange range. Well, some are more close to yellow, but I haven’t got much orange in my stash.

Something on Saturday (or not)

Okay. So this wasn’t actually posted on Saturday. I was finishing off another project with a deadline.

Treasure 54

A vase given to me from my son.

It holds my collection of peacock feathers.

A bit of progress

A glimpse...

Halfway through quilting. Hope to finish a work on binding today.

Embroidery strip 2020 - 8-14 March

Week 11

This week I used threads of purple hues.

Something on Saturday

Treasure 53

Another glass dish

I was going to stop at 52, a ‘year’ discounting the weeks I missed out, but I can’t think of anything else clever at the moment. So, I will carry on to 100. I still have treasures here and there which aren’t also cows. 😁

This week’s project

Margins

I am working on a Ramshackle piece for Stretching Art and Tradition 20. The theme is Community. So, perfect for an idea I have had.
And here is a glimpse from early in the week when the sun was shining through the window.

The sun picked up the chalk marks I made for the villages and houses.

Embroidery strip 2020 - 1-7 March

Week 10

This week I used threads with green.

Something on Saturday

Treasure 52

One of the lovely glass dishes I have.

And here we are!

Finally, I have finished the purses I cut out years ago for the Sew Powerful project. I was working on them throughout February. I am so glad they have a updated pattern now, so when I get back to doing more, I can make them more swiftly. If you remember, Jason and Cinnamon were at Festival of Quilts last year.

  

;

  

 

 

I wrote the words on the back of the purses using free motion zigzag stitch.

Magical

Reflections from the new black faceted kettle.

Embroidery strip 2020 - 23-29 February

Week 9

This week I chose threads with red or pink.

Something on Saturday

Treasure 51

My friend Pat is a wonderful knitter. Some years ago, she was making everyone a ‘jelly baby’. This is mine.

Isn’t he cute?