Back to Front

Posted on September 19, 2018 by craftycreeky

I took the last two pages of my stitch sampler with me on my walk last week, well I knew I would need something to do in the evenings when we collapsed in a heap. So as we walked from Melrose in Scotland, to Lindisfarne just off the Northumberland coast at the top of England, I stitched the front page and the back page of my sampler book.

I stitched the back page first, I decided to ‘write’ a bit about the book, a few statistics, after all, it is a well traveled book. It’s been in my handbag for most of the last 18 months, I’ve stitched it in cafes, hotels, train stations, on trains, airplanes. I would have included how many different DMC threads I used if I had the book with me at the time to count! (Eighteen if you’re wondering) I’m still not sure about the spelling for ‘travelled’,the computer says it’s wrong but one ‘l’ just doesn’t look right to me, may be it’s an American spelling? The two l’s are staying anyway!DSC_0526 (2)

On the front page I decided to keep it fairly simple with a title, date and initials. I didn’t want it completely plain though and rather than trying to work out embroidery patterns I chose to write the names of some of the places I stitched in but which didn’t get a mention on the stitch pages. I used a variegated cream thread so it can be read (if you look carefully) but the main title stands out first. They add a bit of texture!DSC_0528 (2)

I’ve stitched the front and back page on to the main book pages, so all I need to do now is to make a cover, I think I’ve sussed out how I’m going to do it so hopefully it won’t take too long. I’m planning to include a pocket in the back for a notebook which will list all the stitches, so when I find a stitch I want to use I can check which one it is and remind myself how to do it.DSC_0538

Fingers crossed I’ll be doing a happy dance soon 🙂

Posted in embroidery, Serendipity | Tagged , | 19 Comments

Monday’s Meander Round the Garden.

Posted on September 17, 2018 by craftycreeky

I rather like having a wander round the garden after a holiday, seeing what’s changed, what’s appeared and what’s on it’s way out…

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…the roses are not bad for half way through September. This one is called Champagne Moments, one of my favourite roses for flower power, the only downside being it only has a gentle scent. It’s usually a creamy white, but for some reason these particular blooms look blush pink,maybe it was the early evening light!

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The clematis over the arch by the patio still has a few flowers, despite me giving it a good hack before I went away. They looked lovely with the sunlight behind them.

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This is actually a clematis shrub, it doesn’t seem to be grown very often but I like it for it’s late blue flowers. It’s decided to grow rather sideways this year over the path!DSC_0523This is one of the plants I bought at Harrogate show this year, it’s a Rudbekia, I wasn’t sure about it at first as the first few flowers looked pretty weedy and insignificant, but just look at it now, covered!!, It’s pretty big too, about 30″ tall, makes quite a statement!

 

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I planted this heather just before I went away, having treated myself on Otley market, heathers are quite useful for early autumn colour.

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This euonymous alatus or spindle tree is part of my newly planted autumn border. It’s just starting to turn red. In years to come I’ll hopefully have a good display of autumn colour.

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The leaves of the cotinnus coggyrhia look amazing next to the pieris planted underneath. As you can see I’ve left a few allium seedheads and astrantia flowers to add a bit of winter interest, if they last that long.

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There was a little parcel waiting for me when I got home, a memory pebble for Zach, it’s a natural stone carved with his name, only about 3-4″ round, a company called Villager Jim make them, I thought they were a nice subtle memorial to have in the garden, tucked away in a quiet place.

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The overall picture of the garden is still very green, hopefully this week I’ll have chance to do some more tidying.

Posted in Garden, Serendipity | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Clover Cord Maker

Posted on September 16, 2018 by craftycreeky

This is just a quick post as whilst I was on holiday my first post as a Minerva Crafts blogger went live. Minerva Crafts is based over in Lancashire, not that far away, but they have a big on line store selling lots of different types of fabric and all sorts of crafty stuff.

As most of you know I like making cords from embroidery thread to trim my cross-stitch smalls, I’ve always made it by hooking a double thread over my spare spool holder on my sewing machine and twisting it with a pencil from the other end before folding it in half to spring into a cord. When Minerva gave me the chance to try out a Clover Handy Thread Twister I jumped at the opportunity, it was great, in fact the last smalls I showed you had cords made with the Handy Twister, much easier, quicker and nicer than my usual attempt…Lizzie Kate Cross-stitch

Please follow the link to Minerva Crafts to read my post with more photos and info.

 

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No Further Down the Rabbit Hole

Posted on September 16, 2018 by craftycreeky

It’s three weeks since I last showed you my Down the Rabbit Hole quilt. I’d just about finished hand quilting half of the first border, I had great hopes of finishing the flower border…Hand Quilting Down the Rabbit Hole

…well, it’s been a pretty busy three weeks, life (and other projects!) got in the way and I’ve been away walking for over a week too, these are all excuses building up to the fact that I haven’t managed to do any hand quilting this time! Not a stitch😐

Hopefully next time I will have been more productive. In the meantime  please follow the links as I’m sure everyone else will have been more successful with their hand quilting;

Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Lori, Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan,  Nanette, Sassy , Edith, Sharon, and Karrin

 

Posted in Quilt-a-long, Quilting, Serendipity | Tagged | 7 Comments

A Pair of Smalls for Skipton

Posted on September 12, 2018 by craftycreeky

My Embroiderers Guild are stitching a panel all about Skipton (where we are based) so there are embroideries of the main  buildings, some to represent areas, all surrounded by a square representing the home town of each member.

I volunteered to do a square to represent the Cenotaph. I must admit I volunteered to do this one as I knew I already had a poppy embroidery which I could adapt. It’s silk ribbon and beads with a french knots and a few squiggles embroidered. It was fairly quick to add ‘Lest We Forget’ along the bottom to make it represent the Cenotaph.DSC_0159

I was born in Pudsey in West Yorkshire, when I was little it was known for it’s treacle mines and backward flying ducks, neither of which I thought would be recognisable as an embroidery!

These days everyone knows Pudsey Bear, he is the mascot of the annual Children in Need appeal, a huge BBC fundraiser that raises millions each year, Pudsey was designed by a lady and named after her home town. He would be easily recognisable as Pudsey.DSC_0155

I sketch his outline and coloured him in with Inktense pencils which I then wet to make more watercolour-ish. I stitched round using a simple back stitch. The spots on his bandage are french knots and his eyes and buttons are satin stitch.

I ironed on some pelmet vilene behind and blanket-stitched round.DSC_0156

Two embroideries completed in a couple of evenings 🙂

By the way, if anyone is wondering, the treacle mines refer to a treasure hunt organised by the local vicar many many years ago. The end of the hunt was at the entrance to a disused railway tunnel where he served treacle sandwiches, telling the children a tale about it being the head of the treacle mines….and so it went down in history!

Posted in embroidery, Serendipity | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Eighteen for 18

Posted on September 11, 2018 by craftycreeky

I’m a bit late with my update this month after all the traumas of last week, so here is my report on my achievements with my challenges so far for 2018;

  • 1 Etsy store opened; I’ve had a few more thoughts, I’m heading more towards my own website at the moemnt, especially as my OH met someone locally who builds them pretty inexpensively!
  • 2 Tutorials; Still nothing written but I have got two ideas!
  • 3 Sessions a week in the garden; I’ve had a few long sessions tidying up and sorting out the garden, so I’m making reasonable progress here!DSC_0158
  • 4 Quilts;My total remains at three but I now have all the fabric to make the top for my niece, I have a design in mind, sort of made up as I go along, I have a week off at home this month so I’m hoping to crack on with it then.
  • 5 Craftsy Classes; I’m still at 1.5 classes, as I’ve not managed to watch any this month, hopefully when I get back from my walk…
  • 6 New Patterns; I have stitched a new pattern called the Aster blouse by Colette, so my total is now 5, nearly there!DSC_0146 (2)
  • 7 Kits stitched; I made my sewing room clock from a kit this month.So I’ve now stitched seven kits, some of them are pretty loosely called kits, but I class anything that isn’t just the basic pattern a kit, even if it just includes a few beads, as it goes into my kit box!

     8 Pages in my stitch sampler book; I’ve finished a page on fillers and one on outlines, so my tally is eight, another target reached! I’ve stitched most of the pages together, so it’s just the front and back pages and a cover to make now!

  • 9 Pounds Lost!!! No change, this is one target that isn’t going to be reached!
  • 10 Mini Embroideries; I stitched this silken strata at the Festival of Quilts, so my tally is now eight, I’m happy with my progress here.DSC_0025
  • 11 Letters to friends; I’ve been really bad at this, it remains at two, but I’m planning on taking some letter writing stuff on holiday and maybe writing some in the evenings.
  • 12 Boxes or Drawers sorted in sewing room; I had a good sort out of my fabric stash last month, pulled everything off the shelves, found things hidden at the back, I’ve acquired a lot of fabric this year from various sources so I had a realistic look both at my own stash and the extras to see what realistically I would sew. I sorted it all out into fabric types too, a shelf for cottons, one for wools, jersey on another…so my tally is now eleven!
  • 13 New Recipes; I tried a new recipe for lamb shank this month, a long bake in red wine, very nice!, so my tally is now 7.
  • 14 Less Lengths in my stash! I used two lengths from my stash this month and I reckon I sorted about fourteen lengths for the charity shop, so maybe I’m somewhere near??
  • 15 Posts a month; I’ve just done a quick tally and I counted 28 posts!! Must be a record for me!
  • 16 cross-stitch smalls; I finished two cross-stitch smalls this month and August is almost stitched! So my tally is sixteen, another target reached! Although counting on the photos I get to seventeen!

     

  • 17 items of clothing made. I made two items of clothing last month, a silk sari top and my Aster blouse. So my tally so far is eight, so not bad, but quite a bit of catching up to do.
  • 18 Walks; My big walk started on Sunday, St Cuthberts Way which is about 62 miles from Melrose to Lindisfarne, so I’ll be doing several days walking, in the meantime last month I did two walks, one with WI and one with my friends. So my total is now ten walks so far and a week of walking with St Cuthberts Way.DSC_0104 (1)
Posted in Serendipity | 11 Comments

Monday’s Meander Round the Garden

Posted on September 10, 2018 by craftycreeky

I had a couple of good sessions in the garden this week, tidying and clearing. There’s plants and shrubs that needed a serious cutback, or moving, ready for new plans for the autumn and spring.DSC_0175

I gave the drive a good prune, I got the saw out! It was mainly I have to admit because my OH was chuntering a bit about his car getting scratched every time he reversed up the drive! To be fair it was getting pretty overgrown!

We have a one ton bag  left over from a log delivery and it’s very useful for big pruning sessions, I think I filled it three times! The ceanothus next to the back door has had half a hard prune. It’s been growing further and further out and one day I think it would have a load of snow on it and split, I could see it happening!  I decided to preempt it and hard prune half of it this year and if it survives the winter I’ll do the other half next year. It does seem to happily green up from low down the trunk, so hopefully it will thicken up nicely. The bright green twig is a variegated eunonymous that has reverted back to green, so I think I will be pruning that one out too!DSC_0177

The roses are still flowering well (considering the time of year) this one was one of the first David Austin roses we bought, it’s called Jude the Obscure, it’s a lovely soft peach colour. This branch is growing sideways!DSC_0179 (2)

I’m amazed how perfect this hosta looks, it must be one of those that slugs don’t like, I just wish I knew the name of this one, I’d get another one! The one next to it is nibbled a bit, whereas the ones at the bottom of the garden are pretty decimated!DSC_0184

The autumn colour is starting to appear, I think we’re in for an early autumn. These acers and cherry in the pots corner  are just starting to look autumnal.DSC_0180

I won’t be getting any gardening done this week as I’m on my big walk, but hopefully when I get back I’ll really be able to start putting the garden to bed.DSC_0190

 

 

Posted in Garden, Serendipity | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Tall Square Etui SAL

Posted on September 9, 2018 by craftycreeky

It’s three weeks since I last showed you my Tall Square Etui, I’ve made pretty good progress, so I’m almost ready for a mini happy dance! This is a design by Betsy Morgan which is in the Classic Inspirations magasine, though I’m using my own choice of threads. Each side represents a different season so I’m just going with colours I associate with the season.

Last time I showed you I had just finished the centre panel with the acorns on…DSC_0029 (2)

…three weeks on and I’ve finished the autumn side…Tall Year Square Etui

and I’ve almost finished the matching side for the thimble cube in the middle.DSC_0195 (2)

I wasn’t sure about the Autumn colours at first, but I love them now, rich and earthy!

I’m planning to take winter away with me next week and crack on with it, so hopefully there will be some progress next time.

This stitch-a-long is organised by Avis, we all choose our own projects and just share our progress every three weeks. If you would like to join us please contact Avis. Do follow the links to see everyone else’s progress;

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Steph, Linda, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Hayley, Tony, Megan, Catherine, Deborah, Connie

Posted in embroidery, Serendipity, Stitch-a-long | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Friday Photo Challenge

Posted on September 7, 2018 by craftycreeky

Today’s theme for the Friday Photo Challenge is waterways, so I’ve searched through my photos for rivers, canals, streams, lakes…View over Derwentwater from Catbells

…of course the view from Catbells was going to be here somewhere! This is taken half way down, looking over Derwentwater towards Skiddaw on the left and Blencathra in the middle at the back.

Over on the other side of the world, this is the river in Adelaide, looking across to the cricket ground.

Keswick Landing Stage

There’s lots of ways to enjoy the lake, rowing boats, canoes, launches, or just walking round Derwentwater. It’s always very peaceful round the lake as there is a strict speed limit, no speedboats allowed. It’s also the only lake in Cumbria (I think) that you can actually walk all the way round on footpaths.

This is the River Wharfe in Otley, looking very peaceful in this photo but it can be a raging torrent!

Ullswater with the rain coming across.

Catherine Parr Oak

This is a beautiful oak tree in Thorp Perrow Arboretum near Bedale, reflecting in the water below.

More reflections and more photos of the River Wharfe, this time a few miles further upstream at Bolton Abbey. Luckily there is a footbridge next to the stepping stones!

A couple of miles further up is the Strid, where the river goes through a very narrow but very deep gorge.

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A different kind of waterway, this is the Leeds Liverpool canal near Skipton.

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This photo is taken inside Gaping Ghyll, a huge underground cavern, big enough to fit a minster in! A couple of times a year you can be hoisted down a rope on a chair, past the waterfall! I think you can just make out the chair coming down top right of the photo. The light on the waterfall looked amazing.

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Finally a peaceful photo of a heron flying across the canal, we saw him several times during our canal trip and I finally managed to take a photo as he took off.

The Friday Photo Challenge is organised by Postcard from Gibraltar, why not follow the link to see more waterways.

 

Posted in Serendipity | 5 Comments

Septembers Photo Challenge.

Posted on September 4, 2018 by craftycreeky

It’s the first Tuesday in the month so it’s time for Wild Daffodils monthly photo challenge. This month is quite a challenge as the theme is case. I’ve decided to take that pretty broadly to include boxes, caskets…

This is the wooden box I keep my main embroidery threads collection in. I say main, as I’ve now got an overflow box as well. This was my mums box, I’ve recovered the top with a pretty floral fabric. It looks lovely in my sewing room.

This is the quilt I squeezed into my suitcase to take to Australia as a wedding present.

I found a good way of spotting my suitcase on the airport carousel, a little left over strip of Kaffe Fasset fabric!

Wouldn’t you just love to be able to make something like this! This is an embroidered casket in the Victoria & Albert museum, it is stunning.

I use this holdall instead of a case when I go away for a weekend, I love it, I made it from Ikea fabric I was given as part of a Secret Sewing Santa. The pink zip and the blue handles work really well.

This photo challenge is organised by Wild Daffodil, why not follow the link and see what cases everyone else is sharing.

 

 

Posted in Photo Challenge, Serendipity | Tagged | 8 Comments