More Embroidery♡

 

Hello lovely lovelies, lovely friends♡ Another week has floated by on many a blossom-filled spring breeze, to arrive at another Sunday♡ 

This week I've had a pleasant time continuing the embroidery of the gorgeous fabric. Flowers and leaves embellished with chain stitch, blanket stitch, cross stitch, backstitch, french knots; stitched here and there to sprinkle a little more beauty. Not a lot of embroidery as the fabric is perfectly lovely without any embellishment. I just wanted to add a little oomph.

Now to cut the shape of the bodice and transform the embellished fabric into a blouse. Something I will do in the next little while. Because it's Sunday I will find something to work on. Perhaps some knitting?? Whatever I decide upon I'll  join the happy band of slow Sunday stitchers later this evening, where we chat about the makes we are making, or indeed, the makes we have made. Happy making, lovely lovelies, lovely friends♡ Thank you for your sweet visit to my little spring-filled place♡ Enjoy a beautiful day♡

Until the next time......

A Little Embroidery ♡

Hello lovely lovelies, lovely friends♡ I hope your week was a pleasant one.  Down here spring is awakening. The daffodils are still putting on quite the show and the bluebells are beginning to pop up and sprinkle dabs of blue here and there. Soon the bluebells will be everywhere. The blossom trees are beginning to bud and unfurl and the pretty pink magnolias are swelling and bursting from the confines of the scale-like buds. When the magnolia is in full bloom 'tis a sight to behold.

Pete's knee is progressing well and now that he's up and around more there's less need for me to be nurse, chef and chief bottle washer. He's at the stage though, where he's chomping at the bit to work in the garden but alas he will have to wait a little while longer. Pete is  that guy who gets bouts of cabin fever if he's idle for too long inside  There's book readin' and snoozin' of course, but he much prefers to be outside tending his garden.

This week I've been enjoying a little embroidery. I actually imagined a pretty way back in summer when the dahlias were the belles of the garden. I put the fabric in the embroidery hoop and then set it aside, promptly forgetting about it.

Now that warmer days are not too far away I thought I would pick up this pretty again and incorporate it into a blouse.  I'm using a linen floral fabric for the bodice and a sweet check for the sleeves and for the gathered piece circling the bottom.

The linen fabric is pretty.  It's a remnant that I purchased at a market years ago.  I just had to have it. I was taken with the painterly smudges of watercolour flowers and leaves in  pastel shades. The name 'Wisteria' is on the selvedge. I love that.  I remember at the time thinking that the fabric could be incorporated into something for the home. But that was then. Now, while Lady Spring is sprinkling the garden with pretty in pink, blossoms and fragrant magnolias, I've a thought of how lovely the fabric would look if I was to embellish with a little embroidery on some of the flowers and leaves. Nothing complex just chain stitch perhaps, maybe feather stitch, back stitch, lazy daisy stitch, french knots; any stitch I dream up along the way. I bought a little crazy quilt book by Judith Baker Montana  years and years ago called Elegant Stitches where within the covers are oodles of embroidery stitches and a plethora of stitch combinations. It's a fabulous book with myriad of ideas re all things crazy quilting, embroidery and embellishments. 

So, with the book close by as inspiration and embroidery threads in variegated pinks, mauves and purples together with an assortment of greens, the embroidery has begun. There's chain stitch skipping merrily along the rim of the petals and french knots happily gathered together in clusters. I envisage the gorgeous print to be the star with simple embroidery highlighting the flowers and leaves, adding a little more interest.

Today, I'll enjoy a little more embroidery because after all it is Sunday. I'll embroider some more of the leaves, me thinks. A little hand sewing is always relaxing, meditative........therapeutic, is it not??  Thank the Good Lord for slow handwork is what I say. =) May you, too, joy in some slow stitching, or something pleasant to veer your mind from all the craziness. Sending you sprinkles of love wrapped in sweet-scented magnolia petals; and many a hug♡ Take care, lovely lovelies, lovely friends♡♡ 

Until the next time......

Granny Squares For A Granny

Well........hello lovely lovelies♡ A beautiful welcome to you♡ Tis been a while. Gosh, a very, very long while, since I chatted here. So long that the months of dreary winter have blustered and whooshed away, vacating the place so Lady Spring could gently waltz in and touch the landscape with sprinkles of her floralicious beauty. Now spring has sashayed away and summer has set in for a while. Summer.....to immerse myself in all it's warmth and flowery deliciousness.......how I love thee♡

I must say Lady Spring danced a dreamy and intoxicating waltz. She cast springtime smiles everywhere. Gorgeous yellows, blues, reds and whites, with heady perfumes filling the air. Daffodils, bluebells,, forget-me-nots, irises, wallflowers.........waterfalls of blossoms cascading down to the earth. Just divine. 

But enough talk of the seasons........I have some news. The most wonderful news. I'm a Granny. My sweet, little poppet, the sweetest little girl, whose name is Riley, made a grand entrance into our little world. A most grand and dramatic entrance. Eleven weeks earlier than was expected. It was thought her birth would be early, but not quite this premature. The gamut of emotions were felt those first three months. Riley was so, so tiny. She weighed 1.2 kilos at birth and was hooked up to all manner of tubes while in the humidicrib. So very confronting, but of course, essential. After stays in three different hospitals, time in the NICU ward following the staff of one hospital not adhering to proper protocols resulting in Riley becoming extremely sick; and oft times which seemed a neverending journey for my daughter and son-in-law, (and I might add, Riley's Pop and Granny) our sweet Riley is now home with her mummy and daddy.  Riley was named after my mum's maiden name. My mum and my daughter were very close; thick as thieves, actually.  From day one my daughter and mum hit it off famously. Funnily enough, Riley has strawberry blonde/ginger hair, just like my darling mum. So precious. The name Riley means courageous. Fitting really, as the first months of her life Riley has needed a good dose of courage. And........after all the drama and worries these last months, and with little milestones celebrated, sweet Riley who is now nearly five months old thus far, is doing well. Riley, is our tiny, little miracle♡

Besides making several trips from Tasmania up to Queensland to meet and spend precious time with sweet Riley and indulge in oodles of squishy, squashy cuddles I have been slowly working away on some pretties in I knitted a few woolly pretties for sweet Riley. Of course they are a little big for her but she will grow into them. I've been crocheting as well. Now that I'm a Granny I thought I might teach myself how to crochet a granny square. Granny squares for a Granny. =) I've always wanted to crochet but for some reason or another I've never been able to grasp the fundamentals.

I found a wonderful YouTube channel, Hooked By Robin and learnt how to crochet a granny square. It took a week though, to 'get' it! Gosh, I wondered if I would ever master crocheting a granny square but after some determination it all came together. All the tangled, messy, woolly crochet somehow weaved together and even if I do say so myself quite a few acceptable granny squares eventuated.

From the granny squares I fashioned a cardie for me. The front and back in granny squares, and the sleeves in rows of different coloured double crochet. I must say I am amazed that my crochet pretty turned out.....and I must say, I love it. I love how the all the colours dance together. It seems making-it-up-as-I-go, worked again. Although I'm a knitter and have been knitting since a wee girl, I must say I love this crocheting caper. I cannot wait to try out new granny squares......I rather love the variety of flowers that can be crocheted within the confines of a granny square. I'm already dreaming up a crochet jumper for me, and, of course, all the wee pretties I can fashion for sweet, sweet Riley.

Pete and I, a few weeks ago, returned from a trip to San Francisco where we stayed with our other daughter and son-in-law. A most delightful holiday where I grabbed each precious moment with both hands as one never really knows when one will hug loved ones in far away countries, again. So much fun was had but perhaps photos of San Fransisco for another time.

I will say though, while in San Fran the lovely Karrin drove hours and hours to meet me and enjoy some lunch. A delightful couple of hours were enjoyed catching up and nattering about all things life. Meeting Karrin just reaffirmed what I've always known that she and me are kindred spirits. Loved, loved, loved spending those few hours with Karrin. Of course, we could've chatted for many more hours, but Karrin had a very long drive ........four hours!! It was such a delight to meet Karrin; she truly is a treasure♡ Karrin gifted me a most exquisite little wall hanging. A Judith Baker Montana-esque pretty♡ All the details....they are amazing! Karrin's exquisite pretty hangs pride of place in my sewing room where I continually gaze upon it and think upon dear Karrin and the sweet friendship that has developed between us over these last few years. Never in a million years did I think I would meet in person a fellow blogger from the other end of the world, but there you go; life always throws in the most delightful of surprises.

Oh my, 'tis Christmas here tomorrow. Christmas always stealthily sneaks up on one, doesn't it?? This Granny (and Pop) are celebrating Riley's first Christmas with her and my daughter and SIL, so I will be absent from blogland again, for a little while. Thank you, for visiting my little corner of the world throughout this year♡ Thank you for the gift of your visits; your uplifting words♡ Oh dear, I've been a very bad Sunday Slow Stitcher these last months. =) Let us hope I will do better in 2024! There is an abundance of kindness and generosity of spirit which swirls around and around in blogland♡ It was an 'interesting' year for my family, filled with many ups and downs but I must say my heart overflows with thankfulness and gratitude for the gift of sweet, sweet Riley, who fills my/our days with overflowing joy♡

From my little place to yours may your Christmastime be a blessed one filled with many moments where thankfulness, kindness and love permeate your celebrations. For those of you who will find Christmas sad and difficult, whose hearts are broken, may you find a glimmer of hope in the grace and peace that is the Christmas story. As for me, I am ever thankful for the love and grace of Jesus; in the good times, the bad times, those impossibly difficult times. This Granny is so very thankful; and continually amazed at God's love and grace for her♡

God bless, dear lovely lovelies♡

Until next year..........