I’ve been busy completing a couple of little handwork tasks. Last year I finished a couple of blackwork embroidery blocks which I really liked and was wanting to put them on cushions as decorative pieces. I found a couple of cushions on a shopping expedition to Spotlight which I thought would do the job admirably.
Pieces stitched onto the cushion coversBlack work embroidery on cushions on the bed.
Yes, I know, the cushions have to be removed from the bed each evening, something that males in particular seem to think is an unnecessary decorative function, but hey, I like them!
I made a batch of lime marmalade too, I like the tartness of limes and as they are very cheap at the moment, I may even get some more to make some lime curd.
Lime marmalade
Alex had asked me to knit a couple of hats for her friend Kaz and her mum who was undergoing chemotherapy. Kaz had bravely shaved her hair off to show support to her mum, so I’m sure that nice warm hats would be very handy.
Top: The knitted hats on their recipients, bottom: Kaz before and after hair cutting.
Lots of socks have also been knitted, Roy now has plenty of gumboot socks. I’ve finished another couple of pairs of gumboot (aka Wellingtons) socks but I haven’t done too much more as these days my hands and wrists are giving me quite a bit of pain and numbness.
Boot socks
I’m off to the hand surgeon shortly for what I am picking I will be told that what I have is a combination of osteo arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. I obviously work too hard 😂.
With all the rotten weather we have been experiencing, I’ve needed to keep myself busy whilst confined to barracks.
I do have a list of little jobs that need doing or completing, one being to make some slip covers for the chairs as they are starting to show a bit of wear.
Covers done.
What can I make next? What do I have to hand that I can use and make something useful? Out came the felt and the embroidery thread and a few corner bookmarks have been made.
Guess who the Minion one is for?Using up bits and piecesAt least one just embroidered with bullion stitch rosesTrying out different ideas and stitchesSome I liked better than others using variegated thread
After making and giving away all of them, I had one last one to make, and that is one for Eti, based on his Samoan tatu (tattoo) on his back. I took a photo of his tatu so that I would have a reference to base the design, it was a bit of a challenge but I enjoyed creating it.
It’s autumn, time to get on with a few little projects I have lined up the first being to freshen up the curtains. I took down the only curtains we have (the rest of the windows have blinds) which stretch across the large front windscreen of the van so I could get them dry cleaned. The only problem then was we would be without curtains aka privacy for a few days. I had a plan though.
Some time ago I bought a wool blanket from an op shop with the thought of making cushion covers or something with it, but hmmm, what about if I cut the blanket in half and make a curtain? It would add an extra layer of insulation to the windows particularly over the winter months. Finding my trusty pinking shears I took to the blanket and cut it in half. Would it be the right length to go across the windows? Would they have enough drop to sufficiently cover the windows? Only one way to find out. Try it out. The first night we draped the blanket up over the curtain rail, and guess what? They would be the perfect length and drop once I had made a few adjustments.
The blanket hooked up before I had done the proper hem at the top.
The next day I poked some curtain hooks through one edge of the blankets and hung them from the curtain rail. That worked ok but I can do better and make it look a lot better I am sure. I stitched a blanket stitch decorative hem at the top creating a stronger hem so that I could thread curtain hooks through and attach to the rail. The idea was that once I got the curtains back from the dry cleaners I would alternate hooking them both to the rail ie. one hook curtain, one hook blanket and so on, as I don’t want to attach the blanket as a permanent lining to the thermal curtains.
As the curtains were still a couple of days away from being ready, in the meantime we would just have the blanket up as a curtain for privacy more than anything.
I hand stitched a hem at the top with a decorative blanket stitch as this would add a bit of strength as well as a better edge to loop the hooks through.
Next it was time to get out the sewing machine and neatened the side seams and bottom hem, that was quickly done. But I really should wash the blankets before going much further, well, we now know how well that little expedition turned out, see the previous post here.
Finally the main curtains were picked up from the dry cleaners and we could put them both up properly. Alternating hooking up the curtain then the blanket has worked well and it has already made a noticeable difference with the cooler evenings we are now experiencing as well as with blocking out even more light. But after one night we found that with so many hooks on the track it was making it difficult to draw the curtains, so plan B, hook the blanket lining to the main curtains by slipping the hooks through the bottom of the gathering tape.
Curtains back up. You wouldn’t know that we have a blanket as lining.
After a bit of pfaff we got it all sorted and it’s now much easier to draw the curtains and they sit better. Now I am wondering why I didn’t do this years ago? its the ultimate in reuse and recycle too. Now onto the next project.
I don’t mean the Area 52/flying saucer/alien/UFO type I mean UnFinished Objects which in my case is the pile of embroidery, tapestry, and stitching kits that I discovered in our container clear out. I had carefully packaged all my finds and they were included in the large number of boxes that were sent to Antony’s.
I brought them all back to the van, including the three large boxes of embroidery threads that I thought had been thrown away, and all my patterns and other treasures.
I think I have enough embroidery threads!
Included in the box were a number of small, and not so small, kits that I had bought over the years, which include large and small projects of black work stitching, tapestry, cross stitch and embroidery.
I have already completed a small tapestry (the one on the bottom right in the above picture) which I will make into a pin cushion. There are the black work stitching samples and also a couple of small embroideries that are details on the huge embroideredpanels that NZ women stitched for the Globe theatre in London.
These large highly decorative and detailed embroidered panels were designed by New Zealander Raymond Boyce and subsequently embroidered by over 400 men and women embroiderers from around the country before being gifted to the Globe Theatre in London.
Two of the completed panels in the London Globe
The kits I bought are of tiny details in the large panel depicting Adonis. I recall visiting the Globe Theatre in London and standing in awe of the completed large panels, you can read about that visit from 2010 here.
There is a wonderful interview with the designer on the Te Papa web page which you can read about here.
I cannot recall where or when I bought these kits but I think I bought them in the late 1990’s. I know I was fascinated by the amazing detail in the embroideries and admired the wonderful work of all the contributors .
The Adonis panel….the snail and grub that I bought as kits are in the above photo…..can you see them?The snail and grub details magnified.
I have no idea what I will do with all the completed works, probably give them away or make them into something……ideas are welcomed!
And my big tip to anyone who does a lot of needlework to save your fingers? I use thimbles but not the usual solid style, I repurpose old kid leather gloves that I find in second hand shops. The soft leather is perfect to protect your fingers from constant needle stabs, I just cut off the fingers from the gloves to use as finger stalls and only need to use a couple of stalls at a time so a pair of gloves or even a single glove will last some time. Now back to some stitching!
With no sign of change in levels coming anytime soon, we decided to stay on at Pyes Pa until things settled into some semblance of normality however I’m not sure that what we thought of as ‘normal’ will ever resume. Meanwhile, we are managing to keep busy and entertained with the great group of people here at the POP but the big plus is being able to spend time with my nieces and great nieces,
We’ve shared time together, talked, put the world to rights, played, laughed and shared lots of nice food. We went shopping with a Jenna and 5yo Isla one day, Isla kept us well entertained and provided lots of laughs.
Great uncle Roy and Isla at lunch
Another day was spent with Rebekka and 15month old Amelia, again it was so lovely being able to spend some time with them.
Amelia thinks we are funny!
It’s not quite the same as being with Callum, but we do appreciate being able to spend time with young ones. Speaking of Callum, we have our regular calls with him every couple of days and it’s lovely to be able to do that. He is a lovely young boy, his Mum & Dad are doing a great job and we are forever grateful that Ian’s family and in particular his parents Chris & Barry are supporting them so much.
Callum saying “good morning Grandma and Grandad”
I’ve been busy completing Callum’s advent calendar that I’ve been putting together over the past however long. I’ve been putting off the sewing of the hanger but I finally gave myself a good talking to and got on with it.
The makings of the advent calendar. Can you spot the mistake? I was so intent on concentrating on measuring the spaces for number placement, telling myself 10mm from the bottom when I wrote 10 instead of 9…..doh! And of course I had not a slither of material left over so plan B had to be instigated. It’s not too noticeable and it makes it unique!!The traditional set of figures to go in the pockets of the calendar….and yes, there are extras which can be put on the Christmas tree as decorations. They are all made from felt and hand stitched, stuffed and embellished.The Kiwiana set I made as an alternative…..just so Callum doesn’t forget his Kiwi heritage!!
They have now been posted off with lots of other goodies, and I’ve just been informed that the parcel has indeed arrived safely although Ian tells me that when he got home from work, one of the packets of Jet Planes (sweets) had been opened and half eaten! Shocking!!
And speaking of Christmas, this week I made my Christmas cakes, thanks to Rebekka and Keith for the use of their ovens. I made four of my whole fruit and nut cakes, some for us whilst others will be gifts, I cooked those in Rebekka’s oven. Another day I made the traditional cake which was my grandmothers recipe and one which mum used to make. This is a rich fruit cake with just currants, sultanas and raisins making up the cake which we enjoy eating the Yorkshire way, that is, with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. I made one large one for us and a couple of smaller ones to give away. It’s a good keeper of a cake too as this week we have just finished off the last of last years cake. Hopefully we will be able to share the cakes with the Rangers at Shakespear, if and when we can ever get back into Auckland….watch this space.
I’ve been knitting since I can remember and now every winter (yes, it is a seasonal addiction) I get the knitting needles out to create a few pieces and of course with Callum to knit for these days there is even more pleasure in making something.
It’s not all knitting though, I like keeping my hands busy with something. I used to do an awful lot of embroidery but these days it’s a bit hard on the eyes, but I have hand stitched all the felt pieces for the advent calendar I am making for Callum see here. The advent calendar is still a work in progress but will be finished one of these days, watch this space.
The other day when visiting Marg & Gary, Marg made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. She gave me one of her old sewing machines!
My new-to-me sewing machine. Oh, and those scissors sitting there I received on my 16th birthday along with a sewing machine! However, I wasn’t always so domesticated, for my 15th birthday I received a Meccano set!! And yes, i still have both the sewing machine and the Meccano set safely locked away in storage
It’s been a long time since I’ve done any serious sewing, I did quite a bit in my youth and when the kids were small but it’s never really been my “thing”. Marg had made herself a beautiful case to keep her knitting needles in, and I have needed one for my interchangeable needle set and got all enthused to make myself a case.
The first and most difficult part of it all was choosing the material, but that done, I started enthusiastically on my project. A day after, I had it finished and was quite proud of my efforts, particularly as I don’t have an iron to press seams etc which does make things a little more difficult but hey ho, we manage. It’s amazing how well I can ‘finger press’ and yes, it is a thing, pressing with your fingers!
This is the case that I made, with a few tweaks made along the way to make it a bit better than the plan recipe instructions.
The case when laid out fits all my interchangeable needles and has pockets for the cables and other bits behind the needle slots. On the outside of the case is a zippered pocket which holds even more treasures. It’s not perfect but I’m pretty happy with my first attempt.
For those that wish to know, I added a few extra details such as a magnet in behind the little pin holder on the right. Then I had a bit of a brainwave and added in some non slip matting in where the knitting needles are kept, so they don’t fall out of the slots, and it works surprisingly well too.
I’m sure it would look a lot better if I ironed it but that will have to wait until I have access to one.
On the knitting front, I forgot to take pictures of the items I’ve sent off to Callum, however here is the front of one jumper under construction.
Who doesn’t like a dinosaur, or should I say stegosaurus, jumper?
And a hat
For when Callum is feeling a like sheepish!
And it hasn’t all been for Callum, I’ve also knitted a few bits and pieces for friends children who are expecting babies. And Roy hasn’t missed out either, he’s got some new slippers, a cabled hat and some gumboot socks.
Cabled hat
Gumboot, akaWellington boot, socks.
And yes, they are identical socks, it’s my exceptional(ly bad!) photography skills that is at odds. There is another pair of socks on the needles as we speak, but this time knitted with very fine sock wool in graduated colours.
Socks on the go
I have a list of projects to be stitched, repairs to make, alterations to be done and a couple of ideas of things to make which will keep me busy over the next month or two. If they turn out ok I may just share them with you 😂.
And just so that you don’t forget what Callum looks like, here is he with his mum & dad out for a walk in the park.
The Vanninis' Manoeuvres 