Needle Delights, thank you Kathy

Hi everyone,
It has been tooooo long since my last post so thank you for hanging in there. Lots of stitching has been done and a major birthday has occurred. Lets just say I am no longer in the 50 somethings. I received some beautiful birthday gifts and a surprise birthday lunch with my family. This week we will have a girly lunch (a little late I know) but there has been some globe trotting and other things which have delayed it a bit and we weren't going to leave anyone out.

The guild sampler is still selling well and Christine and I have had some lovely comments. It makes all the work worthwhile. Thank you to everyone. Don't forget it is available to everyone in the world from the Guild website (shameless I know, but it is for a good cause).

Here are 2 finishes, the first is just waiting for another card of thread to complete the centre.

DebBees Designs
Twinking Gems

Debbie's design uses a new thread called Twinkle by Gone Stitching which is a rayon with a metallic twisted together. This is the first rayon/metallics twist I have found that doesn't shed its metallic when used, very pleased with the results. Thanks to Debbie Rowley for another great design.

The next finish is from a very old favourite magazine of the 1990's called Needlework Treasures, there were only about 5 issues but they were all fantastic. This one is from 1992.

Spanish Sampler, Needlework Treasures Magazine 1992
Design by Sandy Orton

This one is stitched on 32 count Antique White linen with DMC as listed, it was the subtle colours that drew me to this one. Sorry about the wrinkles but it won't be ironed till it is in the framing heap.

Thanks again for all your kind words and patience support,

Bye for now, Carol

 

Needle Delights Rio, delights............

Hi everyone,

This week there is one less piece in the to-do heap. Yeh............
May I introduce.

Kathy Rees, Needle Delights
Rio, stitched with Threadworx overdyed silk

DH even made a good comment about this one. Being afraid of too many holes in the wall created by all the picture hangers the usual comment is "where is this one going". He even offered to hang this one as soon as it is framed. Maybe he will be just as mellow when the companion piece "Carnivale" is finished. LOL..............

The Guild sampler is selling well. We have sold 72 copies in a couple of months, which is good news for the Guild. Here's hoping for many more sales in the future.

As well as Rio I have been stitching a lovely piece by Thistle Threads called "An Empty Purse" which is a tiny 3 fold purse with a key holder.

Thistle Threads, An Empty Purse
stitched with Cascade Silks on 35 count Linen

This is now ready for the construction. The sides have a small gusset to enable a reasonable amount of room inside. This will be a challenge to finish but a very good friend has offered to help. Thank you Christine. Although pink is not my favourite colour it is poinsettias so the rose and dusty pink work on this piece. So far out of my purple/green comfort zone.

Happy stitching,bye for now, Carol

Oh how I have missed canvaswork

Hi everyone,

This week I finally picked up a canvaswork piece. This has been in the to-do basket for some time but because it required construction it languished at the bottom of the heap. It is a design published in "Stitch" magazine, the English Embroiderers' Guild publication and is designed by Sue Hawkins. Lots of Sue's designs are stitched in clear bright colours and just make you smile like a dose of sunshine. The finished cube is only 22mm square (less than 1 inch) so its a good size for hanging from your scissors or as a christmas ornament.

Brilliant Bookmark by Sue Hawkins
from Stitch Magazine

To construct the cube you use long arm cross stitch between the six little squares folding in the seam allowance. Sue has lots of pretty designs, take a peek at her website and please don't blame me if you just can't live without at least one of the cute pieces. 

My box of 100 small pieces has grown again so much so that it will have to be moved to a bigger container for storage until later in the year for the market day. I have managed to sell a few of them to friends and restitched them to complete the stock. This leaves me free time to stitch a few from my wishlist. So I am off to the stash cave (my spare room) to choose what takes my fancy.

Happy stitching, bye for now, Carol

Stitching humbugs, what is a humbug you say?

Hi everyone,

Phew I am glad the weather has improved here. It has been very kind to us by cooling down for the Embroiderers' Guild Exhibition. Friends and I have been busy demonstrating and answering visitors questions about some wonderful stitched pieces on show. I am only sorry that no photography is allowed. As part of the display we have a gift stall selling handmade items. So this year our group got together and made humbugs. We started off with a rectangle of  backstitches 60 x 30 over 2 fabric threads on whatever linen count we preferred and then added whatever design we liked into the centre space.
Then a couple of weeks ago we got together and had a small workshop constructing them and here is the end result.

EGSA humbug collection

They can be used as scissor keepers,key keepers, christmas tree ornaments, a hanger for your stitching tote, in fact lots of things. I think everyone was pleased with what they created and I can see more being made for friends and relations in the future. The Guild will sell them at a reasonable price which benefits all the members and we all learned something new. May I thank all of the girls that participated it was very much appreciated by the gift shop committee.

On the canvaswork/needlepoint front, I had a lovely note from Jane and Chilly Hollow and I am glad to let you know she has added a tab on her blog for people looking for counted charted needlepoint designs. As you know it is sometimes hard to find new designs and this is a truly helpful addition to your search for new work. Thank you Jane.

After many months of working on linen I am feeling the need to do some canvas stitching. In the stitching basket is Kathy Ree's "Rio" half completed and in the post this week arrived its companion "Carnivale" both stitched with Threadworx Vineyard silks overdyes in luscious bright clear colours. My friend Anne has finished the first piece and has already started on the new chart piece so that has got my head into canvaswork space. Thanks Anne.

This week friends returned from a Needlework Cruise from Sydney to New Zealand so I will be catching up with them soon to see what goodies they found on their travels and to see lots of happy snaps of the cruise. Looking forward to the get together I hear everyone had a good time and the seas were nice and calm which is needed for serious stitching.

Have a happy week, bye for now, Carol.

The new sampler TA Da.............

Hi everyone,

Finally I can reveal what has taken a lot of my stitching time in the past few months. My friend Christine and I decided to produce a sampler of mixed stitches to be offered for sale by the Embroiderers' Guild of South Australia as a fundraiser. Like all groups times are getting tougher so it was great to be able to pay back in some small way the great times and friendships gained through the Guild over the years.

The sampler is available to everyone and can be ordered from the Guild website, just click the grey word and it will take you straight there.

On the home front it has been a mixed bag. The thumb is good the back is not. Urggh.....but at least this doesn't stop me stitching. Currently I am working on a whole stack of small items that will be for sale at Beating Around the Bush convention, held by Country Bumpkin the owners of Inspirations Magazine later in the year. I figured if I started now and got side tracked I might still make my target of 100 items. (Yeah I know, never did get the hang of thinking small).

Number stitched so far is 96, yeah....

Thanks for hanging in there and waiting for my post. I have had some lovely comments about the santa's village smalls. So I thought I might share how I put them together. Admittedly stitching one over one on 35 count is purely at personal thing so feel free to stitch the design on your choice of linen count. Then allow at least 4 fabric threads from the edge of the design and stitch a row of 4 sided stitches all around. Then on a second piece of linen stitch a matching square or rectangle (depending on the shape of design). Fold in edges and with right side facing whip stitch through the outer edge of the 4 sided stitch on the front and back to attach together. On the final side (top) fill with hobbyfill and add a twisted cord or ribbon hanger before closing this edge.

Welcome to 2014, this is going to be a good year. Bye for now, Carol 

Christmas ornament exchange

Hi everyone,
Wow where does the time go? Today it is New Years eve in Australia but before 2014 starts I thought I would like to share with you all some of the Christmas celebrations of the past week.

Each year we stitch ornaments and gifts for our Guild friends and for friends at The Common Stitch in Surrey, England. 
Here is a group photo of some of the stitchers who sent ornaments in our UK exchange.

EGSA members with their Christmas exchange
ornaments 2013

And a close up of some of those ornaments we received from the UK.

Christmas ornaments from members of
The Common Stitch, England

Each year there  is a wonderful surprise in each package and every piece becomes a treasured possession. This year there are a few missing from the picture as some of our members couldn't make it on Christmas party night in all we exchanged 21 ornaments. I hope to catch up with them at our next meeting on the 2nd of January and snap a few more photos.

As the Guild rooms are closed for the holidays, we were very kindly invited to meet at a guild member's home for dinner and to stitch. The trusty camera went with me to catch the night and Anne's wonderful Christmas tree with all the handmade ornaments from previous exchanges.

"The Tree" and a very proud owner 2013

Here are a few close ups of the ornaments on the tree.

Lots of goodies

but wait there's more

More goodies

And lastly a quick snap of the gift exchange of the Guild Thursday night group.

Gift exchange EGSA guild members Australia

On the stitching front I still haven't been able to stitch for very long so not much to show at the moment. I will have some exciting news about a sampler which is being sold through the Embroiderers' Guild in 2014 in the next post. I promise it won't be so long a wait this time.

Have a wonderful and safe New Year, all the best for 2014

bye for now, Carol

Stitching at last

Hi everyone,

It has taken a while but the thumb has improved enough for me to stitch. Yipppeeee............

On Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December 2013 is the Greek Glendi Festival with lots of good food, dancing and embroidery. This year a few friends and I will be having a stall at the Festival to promote the Embroiderers' Guild to demonstrate stitching and for me to sell some of my designs.

These are the two pieces I designed for Glendi with a Greek flavour.

Glendi Humbug
Carol J Young Designs

and

Glendi Pincushion
Carol J Young Designs

We are hoping for weather below 30degC but at this time of year it may be a vain hope as usually temperatures are above this. Keep your fingers crossed as we will be under a tent.

If you are in Adelaide drop by and say hello.

Bye for now, happy stitching, Carol