I always try to find a 'positive' for any 'negative' in my life (must be the photographer in me!!!) ---- and I have certainly found a few positives from this state of "lockdown". One thing in particular that fills my heart with joy is for the first time in many years we have a winter veggie garden growing. For the past few years we have always travelled away from the rather cold Toowoomba winter, so when we had to cancel all our travel plans this year, we decided to plant a few veggie seedlings with hopes of enjoying the "fruits of our labour", so to speak. Now every time my "travelling" heart is longing to be on the road again I just look out of my Woman's Cave window and my eyes rest upon the beautiful image of a thriving veggie garden.
"Cave" Activities
My time this month has been shared between a number of different hand embroidery projects and making lap quilts.
Lap quilts/knee rugs
At the last Guild meeting in early March, I made a commitment to make some lap size quilts (knee rugs) for a new local residential nursing home due to open early next year. I had not expected to have so much time at home in the first half of the year so had planned to make them after our travels. So another positive here.
During May I have designed, cut, and stitched four rugs --- at the time of writing this post there are two quilted and completed, one partially quilted and one waiting to be layered and quilted. All four tops, and two backings, have been made with fabric from my scrap drawers. And there is plenty more where they came from!!! My goal is to have TEN completed before the end of the year.
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| Lap quilt 1 |
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| Lap quilt 2 |
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| Lap quilt 3 |
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| Lap quilt 4 |
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| Hardanger project No.2 |
Hardanger
My new hardanger project is progressing and I am still enjoying the challenge of this counted thread technique.
Goal --- finish by the end of June.
Oriental fabric quilt
Now gracing our queen bed. I finished hand stitching the binding and hubby insisted it be placed on our bed the night the binding was completed. Needless to say, I think it is a success!
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| RAK project - Under the Sea |
RAK project -- Under the Sea cross-stitch
This beautiful colourful project has now been returned to my stitching friend on the coast, @Meryl Mollross. I so enjoyed this project. Every time I picked up a needle and thread to stitch on it, my heart felt light and happy.
NEW EMBROIDERY PROJECTS in MAY
Cross stitch project: Some months ago hubby purchased the Winstitch program with the intention of converting some of our beautiful flora, fauna, and bird photographs (of which we literally have thousands on the computer!) into cross stitch charts.
Whilst I was busy with the RAK project hubby was motivated to work through the Winstitch program and created our first chart - a beautiful red-backed kingfisher. All chart designers need a 'test stitcher' and now was the perfect time to be working on this inaugural chart.
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| Redbacked Kingfisher |
Progress is a little slower than I thought it would be, but in my defense there is an awful lot of "confetti" in the head area of this bird! But it does look like a kingfisher!!!
Portuguese Whitework -- Guimaraes style
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| Guimaraes whitework |
As mentioned in my last post, I set myself a new learning goal after watching a Flosstube video by @Yvette Stanton, from Vetty Creations ( https://www.vettycreations.com.au/ ).
This particular style of Whitework consists mainly of bullion stitches and eyelets with some stem stitch, Algerian eyelets and pulled threadwork, to create beautiful motifs using white pearl cotton on white 38 count evenweave linen.
After purchasing her wonderful resource book and some 38 count linen, I started my first small project.
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| First project completed |
It only took me a week to complete this small project, and I know there are a few errors but it was a learning experience.
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| Guimaraes new start June 1st |
I am now all charged ready to start a little more challenging project from Yvette's book. Goal:: to complete this project by the end of July
So we head into the month of June -- almost half way through another year. For many this will be a year they will never forget, filled with sadness and heartache. My heart goes out to each and everyone that has suffered, and may continue to suffer, from this terrible worldwide pandemic.
Stay safe my friends, and remember --- you can always find a positive from a negative -- you just have to look.
