TUSAL 2013

As 2013 nears the end and the time draws near for TUSAL 2014 to begin - I thought I'd share with you my TUSAL jar full of orts from the past 18 months.

 

Here is the little fabric portable ort collector that I drag with me everywhere - it doubles as a needle minder from time to time.  The Jar I am keeping to use - it works well and will be kept in plain sight this coming year so that I can remember to add to my blog on a regular basis.

The project is my current WIP using a combination of Picture this Plus hand dyed fabric, DMC 4210 and Anchor 1301. I'm stitching a freebie found on this German Blogger site - click here- it was released as a December Advent calendar in 24 sections - of course, I didn't find it until Dec 19, so I'm way behind - and in fact, didn't start from section 1, but instead put all the pieces together and have started in the middle...

I've also changed the wording and made a couple of adjustments to the pattern - as I tend to do...  you'll just have to wait and see how it turns out

 

Happy New Year everybody!!

2013 - Stitching Seldom. - Seasons Greetings from bronny

Hello all my friends and followers.
Please forgive me - life has intruded and I've not posted nearly enough this past 18 months.
I had a massive lifestyle change in May 2012- leaving my husband and striking out on my own.
I did barely any stitching in 2012 -a wee bit more in 2013 - who knows what is likely to happen in 2014
Stitching, prior to my break was my crutch - to the point of obsession - as was my blogging - dropping out of the world of reality and huddling comfortably in the welcome arms of my stitching sisters (and brothers)

While I don't think I will ever return to the excessive output of 2011 - The year of the sheepies, I do miss the camaraderie and show and tell aspect of blogging.  I truly felt I have friends out there, beyond the keyboard and screen, friends who have their own interesting lives.

It's nearly Christmas - and I've managed to almost catch up with my Christmas Tablecloth.  

2010 - We celebrated Christmas and my Dad spent the holiday with us - so naturally, Santa symbolises that year around the table...


2011 -  It was heading into prickly time - I didn't know at the time, it would be the last Christmas with the extended family - Holly seemed to be a suitable symbol for that year....  located on the edge of the cloth..
We also had lunch that year at a friend's home - there were more at the table, but I've included the family on a banner above the 2011 square

2012- After calling in to see my boys late morning on Christmas Day, I was invited to lunch with my girlfriend's family.   All I need to do is to add the names and 2012 is done



John and I

With my younger son, Harry

2013 - I have the chart all ready to go.  Christmas Lunch this year will be with my boys - and to symbolise my eldest who is now in the Australian Army, I will stitch a Christmas Toy Soldier.


Time now for me to log off again.  It shouldn't be so long this time around.

Seasons Greetings to all my friends - Happy Stitching - I'll be back in 2014




 

Halloween, Beads, Gilligan, Sunshine

So what can I share with you to show evidence of the past 10 months of stitching/crafting and the like.........?
Precious little I'm afraid.
I've only recently taken up stitching again and there is not much to show.  I cannot for the life of me find the dancing penguins, they cannot be too far away... if I remember correctly, I was up to adding beads  and put it down until I could find my box of beads . . ...    found the beads, just don't know where the project is.

Halloween - I don't think I shared with you my decorations....  I was really pleased, because the local kids who did come a'calling, declared me 'Awesome !'  I decorated one room, and left the blinds open, so they could see in, to see my Halloween tree.  All has been carefully packed away, ready to decorate again next year!

Oh I did spend a bit of time on a craft project. I love beads, have many, many beads - one to match just about any colour outfit I wear.  I got sick of them getting jumbled up and knew what sort of project  to do to get them hung up neater than sitting in a big ol' shoebox!

First I found a cheap print on a chipboard picture at the thrift shop.  Then I found this packet of adhesive hooks.  Out came the patchwork rule and I worked out to place them evenly apart and on a 60degree angle so to make the most and to avoid unnecessary tangling.  You can see the pencil lines which I rubbed out at the end - not that it really mattered, because with all my beads (well most of them) you can't really see the picture at the end.....

I celebrated the big 5-0 recently - with friends as I held a Gilligan's Island party - such a whole lot of fun.  I'd been preparing and collecting a lot of vintage and retro dishes & arranged the hairdresser and a trip to a glamour photographer on the day - the whole day was a fun-fest!

Naturally, I selected Ginger as my character... I baked a coconut-cream pie for the evening - and mmmmmmm it was good! I even wore false eyelashes!  All I could think when the makeup artist was working on my eyes - was that I really looked like my big sister!  She's a wee bit older than me, and I vividly remember her with a similar hairstyle and the false eyelashes about 1972!!
 

I've started yet another blog too - see over there on the left sidebar - Retro-Girl in Frankston  - all to do with my love of retro ware and style.   I'll post there my treasures that I find and my search for similar.

Signing off now with an end of Summer Snap!  A casual photo taken by my son last weekend.  The water was so clear, I couldn't resist and paddled out to the sandbar.  Mind you, this week in Melbourne, we've had a blast of heat again..  The bay and the sand and the sky and the sun felt so good!

pssssst..... Here I am again

Hi Friends,

For those still reading my blog - and there appears to be about 195 of you still faithfully waiting for me to reach out and hit this keyboard.....
Thank you all once again for your patience.   I have been so slack.  I've not really done that much stitching and feel all apologetic for letting you down.  Not that my stitching has been so great, but let' face it.... this is to all intents and purposes.. a STITCHING blog!

It's dark, and late on a Saturday night right now....   I'll try to get my act together in the morning and post one or two pics to show you what I've been working on.  Not all of it is stitching related.

I would like to share with you today, a little bit of this morning.  An unplanned walk along the beach found me rolling up my jeans, taking off my shoes and splashing along a sandbar.  The colours of the sky, sea and sand in the sunshine was amazing .....  I even took a great snap of a seaside banksia that amazes me with the crispness of the photo - especially as it was taken with my mobile phone!

So until I get myself back into the rhythm of blogging... please enjoy these few pictures...