August into September

Hi everyone! I hope you've been enjoying nice, sunny weather. The last couple of days were spent sitting out on the patio with my good friend Shirl.
It was a fun four days visiting with Shirley. She brought me these wonderful placemats she made for our new home:

  6 placemats in a crazy quilt pattern in different, rich green fabrics.

The greens are darker than they seem here, and look wonderful on our wood dining table. I love them! Thanks so much Shirl!
 We chatted, and stitched, and laughed, and I made her a pair of earrings and a new bracelet for her upcoming birthday.
I love to bead, and I hadn't made anything for quite a while.
Shirl loves to wear costume jewelry, so I got out my bead totes, and we sorted through them until her choices were made.

The prototype:

She loved it but decided it was just too much for casual wear.....
so, out came the pliers, and it was demolition time....... Most of the white was removed, but I left in the black, silver, and the bling. Some of the dangles remained. 

gee, it looks rather like the summer bracelet I made for her a couple of years ago.....


The earrings? They disappeared onto her ears the moment they were finished, so I didn't have a chance to take a photo of them...........











There was some time for stitching, and I finished my August Block ahead of schedule. whew!

cast-on stitch edging in a soft beige

french knots

and with a simple seam treatment, August is complete

It has subdued, pale warm tones with little touches of pink

I wondered how it might look with the other blocks.....

in no particular order, the first 8 months

I like seeing the harmony
of all the blocks, the theme of  Lace & Roses, the soft palette

I think my blocks will make a nice wall hanging.......

September has a dark rose center which may need a bit of softening....

Wrapping Cloth piece #7 has been completed

Piece # 8 naked

 bullion edging

layers and rows of buttonhole lace

bullion scallops

with the above additions, the top section of piece # 8 is progressing

there's lots more planned for this piece, but I'm not sure how much progress I'll be making on my wrapping cloth or my CQJP blocks in the next few weeks.

In 2 days our daughter and granddaughter arrive from Australia for a 6 week visit. I expect I shall be very busy playing in the garden and having fairy tea parties. How wonderful! I am so excited to see my beautiful  daughter and my adorable DGD, Jewel, again!
So, if in  the coming weeks you find I've disappeared, you know it's because I'm playing dress-up in the Secret Garden, reading fairy tales, and having squiggly hugs!
Best wishes to you all, and be good until I return.
Happy stitching




Thanks for visiting. Hugs from Suz

Surprises and Stitching

In the mail this week, there were two wonderful packages! I love to find delightful surprises in the mailbox!

a package from Jillayne !

She had a Christmas Card swap last year, and then made beautiful books to hold the swap cards.
She wrote a bit about it here 

 Isn't my book gorgeous?!


I love the buttons she used with the binding

here's a peek inside at some of the pretty papers, and one of the cards I received
I shall record Christmas memories on the pages.....and this wonderful book will become a treasured part of my Christmas celebrations.
Thank you card swappers!
Thank you so much Jillayne for this lovely gift!

   

I sent in cards for the swap-- 3 green and 3 red fabric cards. That shine is the gold trees on organza fabric, in a fabric sandwich. The hand-braided trim encircles the cut-out which has been embellished with thread. It says Christmas to me: a sparkly tree, braids, fancy ribbon, gold stars, and red and green colours.


A second package appeared in the post, and this was a complete surprise!

three wonderful items from Sherry 

 a packet of stamped images on card stock that I shall enjoy colouring, and then, perhaps, use to make cards or bookmarks

I love the images

a tissue holder Sherry made so beautifully
This will sit in my studio, so tissues are always in reach.....

and this wonderful little book! It's filled with happy and inspirational stories all shared over a cup of tea.......
Thank you, my friend, for this delightful gift. You have indeed filled my cup, and it runneth over..........

the stories have inspired me to hold little tea parties with my beautiful granddaughter! She's arriving with her mother later this month for a long visit! I'm so excited!


 As things settle down a little, and organizing shows some progress, I've felt relaxed enough to stitch regularly (hmmm, or could it be I'm hiding from the organizing behind my needle and thread? nah!) lol    Actually, this week I've been doing some exterior priming and painting......
August Block

 variegated pink thread created some accents on the crocheted butterfly

then added some V's

 playing with the idea of pink flowers....

here's August so far


I like the delicate subdued feeling of this block.......
















WIP
I completed piece #7 for my 'wrapping cloth' with a border of braid, knotted at intervals,

 using 6 threads of Coat's Opera, size 5.
It feels more balanced, now.

piece #8 all pinned and ready for tacking! It's ~ 8"x 15" but will end up a bit smaller. I like all the layers of lace allowing my wild fabric to peek through.......and I'm looking forward to more titivating!


I hope you'll have some time for creating in the coming week.













Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

Suz in The City

It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm so happy to be back to blogging, even though things are still chaotic in our 'new' home. After the 14 hour move, the heat wave struck, and, since we don't have AC, it was too hot and humid to work very long at a time. We took things slowly...........
But, gradually, things are becoming a little more organized. Good thing, too, because my friend Shirley is coming for a visit!
So, here's a little pic of our cute little bungalow, and some shots of the back garden.

 I love to sit out on the patio and enjoy a cup of tea or a meal

 there are flowers in the back gardens, though they are overgrown and full of bindweed

 this beauty was the last bud to flower on a lone plant

hostas! I love hostas!

this back gate leads to a walking/cycling path
we are seconds away from a large park, too.
DS and DDIL can ride their bikes here in ten minutes! It's downhill on their return, and it takes just 5 minutes!
It's so nice to be closer to family.

We live on a lovely little court, with very nice, friendly neighbours, and, though we're in the city, this is a quiet little spot.  I love it!



Have I been stitching? Yes, a little bit.
If you're interested, you can see what I've been creating with needle and thread here and here, too.

Hope you have some time for creating this week.


Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz