Friday Round-up

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Hello Everybody,

As you can see from the above I have been busy stitching – I am quite pleased with how this is looking and already planning what type of frame would suit all the colours.  I am veering towards a mahogany colour.

Also along the lines of my new project – the Bee Quilt – I have also had another idea and have proceeded to purchase the material required for my “Stag Quilt”.  Having received the stash of material, I promptly cut it up to the desired sizes.  Below are a series of pictures depicting how it should look when completed.   The 1st picture is a corner image with the border, the 2nd is further down the quilt showing the border and main quilt pattern, 3rd and 4th are closer images.

stag-quilt-2.jpgStag Quilt 1Stag Quilt 3Stag Quilt 4

I quite like planning and cutting out the quilt pieces, but as this is new to me I find myself nervous of actually sewing them together.  Once I have taken the plunge then I will be fine.  If  I am honest I feel the nervousness every time I start a new project.  It is a happy nervousness so no worries!  In my head and on paper I have drawn out about 10 designs.

The knitting hasn’t altogether been forgotten, I have knitted about another inch on the  back of the cardigan.

At work I have been sewing some of the Christmas Stash so hopefully will show you a finished bauble soon, and also started one of the bookmarks I mentioned some time last year.

Well that’s all folks

See you next post (possibly Sunday)

Daisy

1st of the year – Hetty Funday Sunday

Hi everybody

Hetty here – mummy is finally better, her bug thing certainly took a hold and now my human daddy has a chest infection.  For the record parrots can catch human colds and respiratory infections so best to avoid close contact.  Just wanted to clear that up.  Those poor horses that have equine flu – probably transmitted by a human cold.

Well I was allowed out of my cage for snuggles and I made the most of it, lots of head scratches and tickles under the chin.  Flying around the lamps and landing on my special station that mummy made for me.  Oh what fun!!!

Take a look – had a bit of a preen and then best side to camera and POSE!

 

And now the flying and being curious –

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sunday-10th-feb-6.jpg

sunday-10th-feb-7.jpg

 

That’s all folks

pip pip cheerio!

Something new is a foot …….

Hi Everybody,

Sounds mysterious doesn’t it ….. well it is only that I am venturing into the world of patchwork quilts.  This is something very new to me to actually stitch, although I have made up a design before and my mother stitched it together.

I have several designs sketched out on graph paper but the one I am attempting first is called “The Bee Quilt”.  I have already cut out all the squares for half of the design and laid the pattern out – see below:-

My intention is to have the bee cross stitch as the centrepiece and border it with the lavender fabric then patchwork around that.

Stayed tuned for updates ….

On another subject, I have not ignored my cross stitch and below is an image of how far I am with the Jane Austen quote.  (Many thanks to Lili from stitchingbasket.com for updating me on the alphabet situation.)  I have decided to stitch the design as it is.

Jane Austen Quote 8th Feb

Well that is all my news this week.

Bye for now

Friday 1st Feb – It snowed today

Hi everyone

This is Hetty here – I am nice and toasty in my cage and I can see that the ground is covered in that nasty cold white stuff – SNOW!!!  (I really feel for my fellow kinsman – luckily there are a number of humans who are so kind and provide food and water, and even provide some cover from the chilly wind with the planting of trees and bushes).

It is only 4cm or so and has already melted in some parts.  My mummy took early photos before anyone had moved it or trampled over it.  It does look Christmassy again  –  see below:

Feb 1st Snow 1

Also in this close up there is a Robin on his perch in the picture below –  look about 1-2″ across the bottom and 3″ up.

Feb 1st Snow Robin

Did you spot the Robin?

He was soon down for the food!

Bye for now!

Hetty

 

Friday W.I.P update

Hi Everybody

I’m still fighting this horrible bug but have been to work and now it is Friday and I can show you how much stitching and knitting has also been achieved.

First up, knitting the khaki cardigan, another 2 inches no less!

1st image 21st January –  2nd image 1st February 2019

Secondly a work in progress for the Jane Austen Quote.

My initial start and the progress I have made to date.

I have a query though.  In the image below which is the original project diagram, do you notice that there is no “J” in the alphabet.  Well here are my thoughts:

One, is the “J” missing because there is not a “J” included anyway in the quote, and only found in the name, book title and date.

Two, is it an omission by mistake?

I think I can remedy it and put the “J” in by moving other letters out a bit.

Has anyone else stitched this design?

Should I let Riverdrift House Designs know?

Well that’s all for now, apart from thank you to anyone who responds to this pondering.

Bye for now!

Daisy

 

 

Wednesday W.I.P

Hi

As well as starting and finishing a few projects I have also been working steadily along with Lady Greensleeves.  See below:

lady-greensleeves-jan-2019.jpg

Around 9th Jan 2019

and now ……

Sunday 27th Jan 2019

Hetty is still in confinement for her own benefit but should be back for Funday Sunday.  See you then.  Thanks for stopping by my little blog.

PS has anyone tried the new editor from WordPress yet?

Bye

Sunday New Starts

Hi everybody,

I’ve had a very slow and dull week due to illness, but I have managed to sew a little and have two new starters.

The first is something I blogged about in August 2018 (doesn’t time fly)  – a wordy cross stitch from Riverdrift House, based on a Jane Austen quote.

new begin 1

Secondly, I have just picked up a  bag of knitting and have decided to use a pattern that I purchased when the local craft shop/knitting shop was closing down (30 years ago).  Yes it is that long since I started a knitting project but hey! it’s like riding a bike is it not?  When I was younger I had seven knitting projects on the go at once because I used to get bored of my slow progress – so therefore, I ended up with seven backs completed because all patterns begin with the instructions for the back.  It was a bit of a standing joke in my family.

So I am adapting the pattern bit into stripes but the dimensions and instructions are basically the same.  It is in khaki and coral.  Here is my progress so far …. this is the back folded in half.

knitting

That’s all for the moment.

Bye

Christmas Dachshund -2nd Finish of the year

Hi everyone,

I’m sitting at home poorly, wrapped in a blanket keeping warm.  I have a heavy cold and keep being sick.  Lack of sleep due to coughing and lack of appetite = migraine attack so I am trying to be kind to myself.  Not sure I can stave it off – but it has given me the chance to do more sewing than is normal during a working day.  I now have my second finish of the year – the Christmas Dachshund.  There are two pictures – one not backstitched and the other backstitched – it certainly makes a difference to the overall image.

dachshund backstitched

No backstitch …….

dachshund no backstitch

Backstitched

What do you think?

I’ve called him Chestnut.

Bye for now.

 

Books and Hetty

Hi everyone,

It’s Hetty not Daisy, as my human mummy is poorly, I keep indicating I want to come and love her and give her cuddles to make her feel better – but as she is very caring – she will not let me near her.  Apparently parrots can catch human colds so she is keeping her distance.

Despite the fact that it is “0” degrees outside, I have just taken a bath in the nice clean cage – mummy not pleased.  I only like bathing in my water bowl which is supposed to be for drinking.  Lots of parrots do this!!  My dearly beloved departed brother Ruffles the cockatiel used to like being sprayed so it was like rain drops.  He would stretch out his wings and turn his head to get as wet as possible.

bathing hetty

Mummy is curled up in her chair reading a book (when I am not typing this), trying to reach another one of her goals.  A selection of books below:

books i am reading

Well that’s all for now, keep warm and safe

Love

Hetty and Daisy