My Christmas gift to you

Its that time of year again. If, like me, you are busy with last minute preparations for the festive season, don't forget to take some time out and relax with your needle and thread. Not got time? Well how about incorporating your stitching into the preparations? Stitch a special Christmas card for that special someone with my seasonal gift to you. This year it is a simple Hardanger design that doesn't even need any cutting! You might even want to make one in red and green, and then a second in traditional white on white.

Naughty Skye!

Now if you remember, last month I promised you a blackwork bookmark. Where is it you ask. Umm, better ask Skye!

She has not been on her best behaviour in the last few weeks. One morning I was at the computer when hubby calls through from the other room, "Skye is eating a tennis ball". Daft man didn't think to take it away from her! I did manage to rescue half of it, but the rest had already disappeared. Only to return hours later, all over the kitchen floor. Ughhh. Luckily Skye suffered no further ill effects but I was pretty annoyed and tennis balls have now been banned.

As if that wasn't enough she then turned her attention to my sewing box. First I knew of this misdemeanor was when I found myself tangled up in cotton when I tried to move my chair back from the desk. I followed the trail of thread right through the hall, round the back of the sofa, and ended up beside my sewing box, where I found what remained of a ball of perle thread. I can tell you it wasn't a pleasant job rolling it back onto the ball, as it was all covered in doggie drool. Yuk. That ball ended up on the fire.

I then checked the box to see if anything else had been meddled with. Umm, now where is the bookmark I just finished stitching? Nowhere to be seen.

I soon discovered it though. a soggy ball of chewed fabric with a big hole in the middle. Guess who wasn't at all happy? And of course on this occasion I had stitched it first, intending to chart it afterwards. So apologies to you all, but that project will have to be tackled again from scratch after the holidays.

Any one want a two year old Springerlador?

Ebay Excitement

A while back I was browsing ebay and saw an auction for a 1930's school exercise book from a needlework student named Helen Whiteford. Of course I had to make a bid. Eventually, I was lucky enough to win it and when it arrived in the post I wasn't disappointed. What a treasure! Young Helen had the neatest handwriting and had crammed such a wonderful amount of information into her book.

Imagine my amazement when I discovered a local reference. She wrote...

"The Catworth Cushions. They form the upper sides of five small cushions formerly in the Catworth Church, Huntingdonshire. They have been sold to the Victoria and Albert museum with the permission of the Bishop of the diocese. The work is in gold thread and silks on a silk ground now faded to pale brown. The subjects are figures of apostles and saints beneath canopies. The shields of arms beneath some of the figures are of great interest."

The village of Catworth is just 4 miles from our house and houses the nearest post office, which I use regularly. Small world eh? The book by the way had been sent from the North of England, many miles away.

Further on in the book Helen has stitched samples of different stitches and techniques and mounted them in the book. I thought I would share some of her work with you here.

If you would like me to, I can share some more next time around?

Pantomime Time

Yes its that time again. Our village panto is always held in March rather than at Christmas and 2009 will be no different.

I was approached yesterday, asking if I would prompt again this year. I do enjoy it, although it does take up a fair bit of time. I think Tony could see I was hesitating as he then went on to say "When we find someone as good at it as you, we don't give up without a fight, so I will ask you again and again if you say no!" How could I refuse? So Sunday nights will be spent over the road in the village hall again for the next three months.

Something else I am doing for the village is to create a community Web site. If you fancy a peek, with more pictures of our little rural spot of England you can find it here.

Whitework Sampler

The next band of the sampler is conspicuous by its absence this time around. I am afraid things have been so hectic I just haven't managed to draw the diagrams for you yet. But, wanting to get the newsletter out for you before the holidays, I hope you won't be too upset by having to wait until next month?

Happy Christmas

So all that is left for me to do now is wish you a happy holiday and a great new year.

Thank you for subscribing

Lastly I would like to thank everyone of you for signing up for my newsletter. If you know anyone else that might like to receive it please let them know.

Regards,

Carol