I have had a fairly successful stitching year this year. (I'm sorry this post is long - photos for some of the items discussed at the top are down the bottom in my finishes.)
I have branched out into a few new areas. I met a lady at the shop wearing the most beautiful cardigan and she convinced me (in about 2 seconds) that I could knit my own. So I have started one of those. It is slowly progressing as I can not count very well in knitting either. I have learnt a load of new knitting skills since my previous experience is very limited and this piece is reasonably challenging. This is the start of my cardigan. It's quite bright and has progressed somewhat since then.
 |
The start of my knitting and colourwork
|
I also made my first dress to wear to the first Frocktails event held in Dunedin. Since then I have made a second dress in the same style, a sweatshirt which I love it is very comfortable. I have also made a quilted jacket which I made reversible and managed to use my quilting knowledge to complete it. I have a load of other patterns I would like to make as well. (There are photos of those below)
Otherwise, I have been slowly progressing through my Stumpwork Mirror which I had hoped to have finished around now but have missed that deadline. Each month has so much work in it and I struggle to stay focused on it. It is beautiful but highly technical and detailed.
 |
| Current on Mirror Background Progress - there are a load of detached elements I have been working through. |
 |
| This will be a snail shell! |
I have finished a few things.
I love Jenny Adin-Christie's birds and this year I stitched her Owl. See below for her photo.
I have a love hate relationship with beading. I love it but I am not very good at it and get confused quite easily. I have finished the star for my beaded Advent tree. I beaded all of the advent pieces last year and have finally fully finished this piece. I also with friends beaded Mr Puddlepond a gorgeous frog designed by Cath Thomas
I have been working on this SEW quilt by Thimble Blossoms. I stitched most of the blocks in 6 weeks and had two blocks to finish. Then I lost them. I found them the other day and one of them has a little damage, I have no idea what happened to it. I am currently replacing the damaged bits and hope to have the top together in the next month or so ready to quilt. This is my current progress. I'm worried about quilting it as I am not sure my skills are up to it!
 |
| Details still to add on 2 of these hand stitched blocks |
I have been working on the quilt Postcards In Sweden for quite some time. It came out as a free pattern many years ago and I have wanted to make it since it was released. When we opened the shop we got the fabrics in for it and I pieced it finally last year. This year I quilted it and I sewed the binding down on it on Christmas and Boxing days while chatting with family. I love it.
I have also had plans for quite some time to stitch a stumpwork garden. Almost ten years ago I met the lovely Owen Davies whose book Embroidered Knot Gardens I purchased quite some years earlier. I did a couple of classes with him and always maintained I would like to stitch my own version. In the first half of this year I finally settled on a design for the paths and garden beds. I began stitching my garden. I have made the measurements fit the inner top space of my Embroidered Historical Box or casket. I have recently finished the designs for the outside of this box. I decided that my garden would be a walled garden with 2 stitched walls and the other 2 walls will have mirrors on them reflecting back the garden. I had a deadline of July when my Guild was having an Exhibition and I just managed to make it. I am super happy with my piece, it did take me quite some time.
Other things I did this year included teaching my May Morris cushion to a lovely group of ladies in Dunedin and I also taught another lovely group of ladies in Cambridge my Autumnal Toadstool piece. Both weekends inspired me and I have a load of new designs I am working on and am itching to stitch.
 |
| Toadstool Class in Cambridge |
 |
| Autumnal Toadstool Stumpwork Piece |
 |
| May Morris Inspired Cushion |
In the middle of the year my Guild had their biannual exhibition and I was chuffed that one of my pieces was chosen to be on the advertising billboard outside at 1.2m x 1.2 m it's almost as tall as me. The original piece is tiny compared to this photo. Fortunately my stitching looked ok magnified by that much!
 |
| Eastern Southland Art Gallery - Gore |
 |
| Outside the Gallery with my sign |
I am still working on PUB - A Peacock, A Unicorn and A Badger by The Scarlet Letter. I am doing the fully stitched version which is an immense amount of stitching. I haven't touched this piece much until recently and now I am on a roll and have made considerable progress. I'm hoping to work on this until New Year's but this may not be feasible.
 |
| Where my PUB is currently |
A small group of us embarked on stitching the formidable Martha Edlin sampler this year (The Essampliare). She is big and beautiful. Her original is on display in the V&A along with her embroidered double casket, a beaded piece, a load of casket smalls and other work. We are working her on 55count linen. She is stitched over 3 threads as the original is and is loaded with specialty stitches. I have realised how much I enjoy them after stitching Di Fisher's band sampler. I am on the 5th/6th band of her, there are almost 20! She will be a longterm project. During the year Boscobel Oak (The Scarlet Letter) caught my eye one day at the shop. It is predominantly done in running stitch, also over 3 threads. I loved the garden on it and the final band. I also find blackwork and running stitch very enjoyable so I bought it and stitched the first 4 bands in about 2 weeks. It took me a further 2 months to get back to and then I finished it. I loved stitching this. Now I have a new collection of band samplers to stitch. I plan to stitch them as much as possible in chronological order to see the development. There are a few others I am still on the hunt for as they are out of print currently.
 |
| Martha Edlin Bands 1 - 6 |
In October just after my teaching weekends I went to Wanaka with a few friends and we were lucky enough to spend a fabulous four days with the lovely and talented Jane Nicholas. I attended two, two day classes. The first her Lotus and Praying Mantis piece from her Japanese Stumpwork book and the second her Virginia Creeper, Dragonfly and Initial piece. I haven't worked on either of these since returning home. But am planning a finishing session on my hoops. Which seem to be loaded with classes I have attended but not progressed. There is quite the backlog and they will be worked on at this time.
 |
| Lotus & Praying Mantis Sample |
 |
| Virginia Creeper, Initial & Dragonfly Sample |
But first I have a finishing list of pieces that are within finishing. There are about 20 items on this list. Each project will take an hour to a day or more to complete. So not super fast finishes but often not much time compared to the length of the overall project.
Of Course I have more plans for next year because I keep finding new stitching I want to do both in and out of my stash!
I also need to add this here, I am super excited about this purchase. Just before Christmas my husband and I spied this at a second hand office products place we frequent sporadically. Well, I didn't buy it immediately but did the next day and I am super excited to have my own binding machine. It cost me all of $30 and works well. It is mostly metal and we just looked them up online. New ones from the same company are very expensive.
 |
| My lovely new to me binder |
This morning I posted my finishes on Instagram and Facebook and if I haven't discussed them above please find their details below:
Little Nick and Cookie Claus by Not Forgotten Farm. I stitched mine in my own 100/3 Conversion. They are yet to be fully finished.
 |
| Little Nick |
 |
| Cookie Claus |
Animal Crackers - Clementine, Primrose & Bones. I stitched Clementine in 2024 and Primrose partially before that. This year I finished stitching Primrose and Bones and fully finished them. I have also just finished stitching Ginger who was a Jingle Ball release I plan to finish her fully when I complete Lily who I also half stitched this year.
 |
| Bones, Primrose, Clementine |
 |
| Ginger |
Everyday Chic Dress by Sew Different were made in fabrics from the shop. The first is a Kaffe Fassett Collective fabric by Brandon Mably the second is Seagulls but I can't remember the designer.
 |
| First Dress |
 |
| Seagull Dress |
Toad, Mole and the Wingback chair are all from The Wind In The Willows - Felt Friends Book by Cynthia Treen. This is a lovely book and the projects are very cute and achievable.
 |
| Toad, Mole & a Wingback Chair |
My Parham Owl - whom I have named Athena. When I taught on the Needlework Tours Convention Tour (2023) in England, I went to Parham House and saw the inspiration for this piece. She was already sitting at home in my stash waiting to come out and play. The nest she sits with is one that I have had for years in my stitching room. Perfect together.
 |
| Athena Owl |
My sweatshirt is the LB Pattern by Paper Theory Patterns. I heard Tara talk at Frocktails and she was very inspiring. I've worn this sweatshirt loads - which is a testament to the design as I'm not really a sweatshirty person.
 |
| LB Sweatshirt |
Knot Garden - my own design inspired by Owen Davies.
 |
| My Knot Garden |
Mr Puddlepond - Cath Thomas Designs
 |
| Mr Puddlepond |
Kelly Bag kit from Babylon Leather which my lovely family gifted me for a birthday present and I made in about a day.
 |
| Kelly Bag |
Magpies Quilt Top - Emma Jean Jensen Pattern, Quilt kit from All Things Patchwork (which is now All Things Bernina - that's how long ago I bought and started this quilt).
 |
| Magpie Quilt Top |
Quilted Reversible Jacket - the fabric is 2 colourways of the same print. White on the outside, black on the inside. I used Cashmerette's Fairfax Jacket pattern for this and figured out my own bindings to make my jacket reversible.
 |
| Right (Main) Side of Quilted Jacket |
 |
| Reversible Side |
The Pear Tree - own design based on Katherine Mansfield's story Bliss. This piece is for an Exhibition being held at Katherine Mansfield House in Tinakori Road, Wellington. Currently on display with other NZ Embroidery/Textile Artists.
 |
| The Pear Tree |
Bee Ort Pot - My Embroidery Guild's 2025 President's Challenge. Own Design.
 |
| Bee Ort Pot |
Boscobel Oak Sampler from The Scarlet Letter. I loved stitching the piece and flew through it in a couple of weeks. I was slightly obsessed.
 |
| Boscobel Oak Sampler |
Postcard from Sweden by Jelli Quilts - a free pattern that I downloaded when it was released. I finally quilted and bound this one to fully finish this year.
 |
| Postcard from Sweden |
Project Bags - I made a couple large ones for me (with loads more planned). Then I made these mini matching ones for Xmas presents for friends. I had fun working out the size I wanted and how to sew in the dreaded vinyl (I've never had much success with it). I bought myself a leather roller foot for my machine and it worked a dream.
 |
| Large Project Bags |
 |
| Mini Project Bags |
Advent Beaded Star - The star at the top was the final piece I needed to finish this advent tree. I beaded all of the little advent charms in 2024 and have been putting off this star. But now it is fully finished.
 |
| Threadabead Advent Tree |
Comments
Post a Comment