Mary Wigham update plus Baboushka pattern moving on

Hello lovely bloggers,

I thought that I would show you the progress of my Mary Wigham (Ackworth School) Sampler:

I am really pleased with the way the variegated threads are working out.  However, after working feverishly on Mary for about 3 weeks now, I have decided this week to get back to my HAED project, Holbein's Henry and maybe a bit on Isabella's garden.

Now, you might remember that a couple of posts ago, I said that I wanted to pass the Baboushka pattern on  plus the threads that were left.  Well, the lucky person who will get to stitch Baboushka is:

Gracie from Needles, pins and dragonflies.  You can find her blog here

Gracie, please email me your snail mail address and I will send you the pattern and the threads.  My email address is KayeDeP@gmail.com

I hope that you enjoy stitching her as much as I did.

Well, bye for now, everyone,

love Kaye xoxox

Weekend Round Up and another Happy Dance for a quick finish.

Hello Lovely Bloggers,

This weekend I have:

• had Sat morning brunch with DH
• been totally relaxed by having a facial and a pedicure (courtesy of DD and DS#2 - Mother's Day present) 
• celebrated a good friend's birthday with pizza and beer,
• gone for my Sunday walk around Princes Park with my dear friend, Marie 
• made yummy Scones and Pea and Ham soup
• bought three cross stitch magazines
• done some stitching whilst watching episodes of  Downton Abbey
• lastly, done a Happy Dance as I finished a sweet little butterfly for a notebook cover - which was a freebie in Cross Stitch Crazy, here is a pic of it.

Have a good week, everyone, 

bye for now, 

Kaye xoxox

Great Giveaway

Hello lovely bloggers,

I just wanted to let you know about Jo at Serendipitious Stitching.  She is celebrating her 100th follower.

You can check out her fabulous Giveaway here

I would also like to welcome my latest followers.  Hi to you all, I hope that you enjoy my blog.  I know that I enjoy exploring your blogs.

Happy Stitching to all this weekend,

Bye for now,

love Kaye xoxox

Baboushka Happy Dance

Hello lovely bloggers,

Well, I have finally had a finish for 2011!  Now, the reason that I don't finish much is that I am absolutely enamoured of big projects and that I also love to start projects and lastly, that I jump from project to project as my fancy takes me.  But anyway, Baboushka absolutely enchanted me and she turned out to be a quick finish.  So, here she is:

Sorry, the photo is a little fuzzy and for some reasons the colour is a little washed out (a photographer I am not!)

I am off to the framers at lunchtime to have her framed and I already have chosen a spot on the wall for her.

Now, I loved stitching Baboushka so much that I thought that I would like to pass the pattern on plus there is still quite a bit of thread left.  

If you would like me to pass the pattern on to you (I will post anywhere) just let me know by saying if you are interested on this post.  If I get a lot of takers I will pull a name out a hat or bowl as the case maybe.  If enough stitchers are interested maybe she could become a travelling pattern.

Have a lovely day, everyone,

Bye for now, Kaye xoxox

P.S. I have just got back from Lazy Daisy and I have chosen the most gorgeous dark green suede matting with a burgundy matte underneath and a lovely gilt frame - she is going to be beautiful.  I will get her back in two weeks and will post a picture of her then.

K xoxox

P.P.S.  and I bought another design (sigh!).  When I have taken a photo of the pattern I will post about it.

K xoxox

Weekend Roundup and Mary Wigham

This weekend I have:

• been out to dinner at a local RSL (Returned Servicemen's League) and seen some great old Ausssie rockers perform - Jimmy Keays, Russell Morris and Daryl Cotton
• been lap swimming and for a long walk with a DF around Princes Park
• had my legs and eye brows waxed
• visited my Dad for Father's Day
• done lots of stitching whilst I 
• caught up with my TV watching:
• Stargate Universe
• The Wire
• The Borgias
• out to our local Thai restaurant with DH, DS#1, DS#2 and DD and her BF to celebrate Father's Day

So, a good weekend.

With my stitching I did do a bit of a rotation but I ended up working mainly on my latest new design (Oh why? Oh why? do I keep starting new projects?) which is the Mary Wigham (Ackworth School) Sampler.  You can read all about Mary Wigham here on the Needleprint website.  If you scroll down the right hand sidebar you will find various links about Mary Wigham.

Anyway, despite two false starts and lots of frogging, I have finally made some progress on her today.  I have chosen to do something quite different and quite out of my comfort zone.  I am using variegated threads - the wonderful Cottage Garden hand-dyed threads, these are the ones which I used in my 20 Follower Giveaway.  I am really pleased with how it is shaping up.  Here are my progress photos:

This is as far as I have got

The variegated red part is the stitching I have now done three times

Two different sections using different colours - here it looks a little all over the place but in reality it is looking really good (even if I say so myself!)

Well, that is all for me today, I am going to do some more blogging than it is out for yummy Thai food with the family.

Bye for now, love Kaye xoxox

P.S.  I also want to say welcome to all of my new followers.  Lovely to meet you.  K

My Spring Daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...

I am thinking...

I am thankful... for a late start to work today as I worked very late last night.

From the learning rooms... I have learnt a lot on the latest project I have been working upon.

In the kitchen... crusty bread and blueberry jam

I am wearing... leggings and a spring top

I am creating... a wonderful History book and an antique sampler

I am going...to see Darryl Cotton sing tonight

I am wondering... where the year has gone?

I am reading... several books at once: Shadowplay, Elizabeth's Women, Mr Rosenblum's list and New York.

I am hoping... to get lots of stitching done this weekend

I am looking forward to... my swim tomorrow

I am hearing... cats miaowing for attention

Around the house... all is peaceful as I am the only one home at the moment

I am pondering... if I will live to 92 like my Dad who just had his birthday last week

One of my favorite things... blogging! (new found love)

A few plans for the rest of the week: stitching, catching up with friends, watching old episodes of Stargate Universe whilst I stitch and read - bliss!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing..

A magpie outside my bedroom window

Please everyone, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook here

Thank you Peggy, 

Bye for now, everyone, it is off to work I go.

love Kaye xoxox

My Dad's 92nd Birthday Party

Hello Lovely Bloggers,

Firstly,  I would like to say hello and welcome to all my recent followers. It is lovely to meet you and I hope that you enjoy my blog, my craft and the little snippets of  my life in Eaglemont, Melbourne, Australia.  I am fairly new to blogging but I am loving it.  The sense of community amongst crafty bloggers is just amazing and the opportunity to find out about the lives of others all around the world is so fascinating to me.  Everyone's works are so clever and gorgeous and everyone is so friendly.

Anyway, today, I wanted to share with you my Dad's 92nd birthday party.  Last Sunday, my dad turned 92!  Amazing, isn't it?  What is even more amazing is that my Dad was actually a POW for 3 and 1/2 years in Changi, Singapore during WWII.  He survived that and has lived a happy, long life since then.  He and my Mum (who will be 90 next February) still live independently in their own home.  Whilst life is pretty low-key for them now, they still love watching their "Inspector" DVDs and catch a taxi nearly every day to go to the shops to do their errands.

The party was held at my home and we all had a lovely time.  So, here are some pics of the happy event:

Firstly, here is the funny card which I gave him - he thought it was a hoot!

Mum, Dad and DD

Back Row: Me, Dear Younger Sister, Dear Older Sister
Front Row: Mum and Dad

The Cakes
Front: Black Magic with Cherries
Back: Spice Cake with Lemon icing

Singing Happy Birthday

Dad with the cake

Well, that is my Dad's birthday.  I just want to say that I love my Dad very much, he has been a wonderful father and I am so proud to be his daughter.

That's all from me tonight, 

Bye for now,

love Kaye xoxox