2018 Goals & update

Happy New Year  

2018 Goals - my year of 4’s

• Spend more time with hubby and put the ‘4-second’ rule into action - Did you know that it only takes 4 seconds to look at a person when they talk to you for them to appreciate and recognize that you are taking notice of them and that they are important to you at that moment.
• Make 4 things for each of my 4 children - I have so many things that my mum and dad made for me, that I treasure, and I want to pass that same love on to my kiddlywinks.
• Complete the crazy patchwork quilt that I started 4 years ago.
• Play some more with freeform bobbin lace and weaving.
• Knitting - I want to learn more than just the basic stitch, and stop being afraid of knitting.
• Make a start on My NZ Dolls House - aka 'Pilli Pala' - and the furnishings within.
• Work on 4 of my embroidery WIP’s. I’ll be happy if I get even one of these 4 finished.

That’s my lot….. apart from all the crochet projects that are a part of my ‘normal’ daily life too.

_________________________________________________________________

Here are some of the projects that I finished in the last couple of months of 2017 and didn't get to post on here about.

Debra the Zebra Firberart- freeform crochet, bobbin lace, & weaving.

I made my Rock Pool bigger and better, and finished it in time for the Regional Embroiderers Guild show, where it won 1st place in the 3D category.... woohoo... go me.

A decorative freeform crochet box.

I've a YouTube video of it HERE where you can see the whole thing better.

A couple of woolly hats for His'n'Hers' Christmas pressies.

The one on the left is a pony tail beanie.

And this is the beginning of a mandala blanket.

Whatever you do in 2018 make sure you have FUN.

Happy Stitching

A few more projects

I have been busy on a few projects lately. Here is a quick run down of them.

An embroidery piece. Two of these made. The pink is crochet, and there will eventually be a bead or two stitched to the middle of it.

The following pic is the beginnings of what I hope will be a dandelion. It's a bit of an experiment.

Celebrating the number 5 for an anniversary in one of the groups on Ravelry. 

Just for fun.

1. 5 colours x 5 stitches wide x 5 rows.

2. 5 colours x 5 different stitches x 5 sides (pentagon).

3. 5 threads x 5 foundation ch. x 5 sc.

4. 5 colours x 5 puffs x 5 bead stitches.

5. Multiple of 5 foundation x increase every 5th st.

Sorting out my mothers bobbins. Three piles like this. This stack is now untangled and sorted into order. I'll show the sorted photo when I have done all of them.

My mini HEX quilt has progressed a little bit with the blue, black, green and purple rounds added.

The ANZAC day dawn service.

We walked to the town hall and followed the pipes and drums band to the cenotaph and monument.

What an emotional event that was.

When the bugle played and then the silence, apart from the crashing waves on the beach below us.

It really brought it all home.

That 'just-after-dawn' moment.

And a stroll along our Opunake beach yesterday.

Quite an eventful and productive couple of weeks.

Happy Stitching 

from

Cyra

Wooohoooo - lots of stitching

 Lots of projects got to spend some quality time with me during the week.

The 'Long on Colour' freeform challenge made an appearance. I think this is going to be a cowl.

Earthy and autumnal colours with a pop of black and white. 

And we had such a lovely day yesterday that I was stitching in the back garden in the shade with my kitty companion.

_________________________________________________________________

My BAMCAL 2017 Blues Blanket has two more 12" blocks made.

Block Four is Kaleidoscope Blossom Square by Chris Simon

Block Five is Marigold Mandala Square by Dorianna Rivelli with slight adjustments in the outer rounds as, once again, I 'do-my-own-thing'.

__________________________________________________________________

The Summer Brights Blanket has four more 6" blocks.

This is Window Box Granny by Lisa Mauser

___________________________________________________________________

The ¾" Hexagon Quilt

The darker blue has been added to the rosettes, and lots of yellows prepared ready for attaching.

____________________________________________________

Weaving Project- My Garden, panel 2.

This panel starts with a band of regular weaving at the bottom which is the same yarn as Panel 1, and then gradually incorporates freeform weaving as it progresses. 
Multiple weaving styles and texture will be added to this.

So that was my week. Very productive, and I even got to empty and clean out the fish pond (as the two last fish in there disappeared last weekend, probably to a kingfisher or new stray cat that I've seen hanging around).

BAM 2017 - January so far

I thought I'd show you a couple more pics of Bertha Bling this week.

To read her story go here

And she has been featured, along with some of her kin, 

on the Laughing Purple Goldfish site.

BAMCAL 2017

Another block has been made for my Blues afghan.

This block started off as the circle design from a book (Granny Squares & Shapes by Susan Pinner), but it was a circle, so I modified it to be a square.

And here's how my 3 (so far) January blocks are looking together.

I'm not joining them together until I have made them all, and at the moment, I don't know how many I shall be making... as this is meant to be a stash busting project it just depends on when I run out of blue yarn I suppose.

I'm quite pleased that I have January off to a good start. 

I have also made two more blocks in a different colourway, but I cannot show them here yet.

Onwards and upwards.

Happy Stitching.

Cyra

A Few More Stitches

Here are a few more stitches that have happened this week.

This Christmassy Cat will, in the next week or so, be made into a hanging decoration and posted off to someone special for a very special greeting.

________________________________________________________

My Summers End Mandala Madness Part 14 is done (the fawn bit). Hope to get part 15 started this week too.

________________________________________________________

And I enjoyed making my last garden inspired weaving, so I've started another fiberart weaving to match it using the same warp, and it has begun with an even plain weave at the bottom for a reason, which will be revealed at a later date when a bit more has been completed, and some more of my freeform style has been added.

________________________________________________________________

And, after a joint effort (hubby & I), we got all the lounge furniture out of the lounge so that we could get that carpet cleaned before putting up the Christmas tree and decorations. It looks so much better now, and we can put the furniture back in tomorrow.

We also went shopping for two days to select a houseful of furniture for the new house we bought for our son to live in while at Uni in another town a few hours away from us.

Phew!!! It has been a very busy week.

This has been another YOP post.

Happy Stitching

Oh My Goodness, Did You Miss Me

I can't believe so many weeks have passed and I didn't get to blog about anything.

I am truly sorry to my regular readers who like to see what I am up to.

It has been a long month (nearly two months to be precise).

I'll not bore you with details of the non-stitching stuff (because, frankly, it WAS mostly really boring stuff).

A big FO for me was this Freeform Weaving project.

Inspiration from my garden.

Size is about 22" x 15".

Includes freeform crochet scrumbles.

_________________________________________________________________

I also finished the baby blanket and have sent that off.

This was the blanket that someone else started but passed away before finishing it.

The 'trouble' was that all the circles were different sizes, and it's nearly impossible to put circles together with a straight edge.

Anyway, I think I managed to make a reasonable blanket for the grandchild of the deceased lady, even if it does have uneven edges and quite a few 'hills & valleys'.

It has plenty of character, definitely not perfect, and holds many of life's little hiccups within it's essence.

It will be treasured for all the right reasons though.

________________________________________________________

I have actually finally got my Ocean Freeform Challenge piece bordered, backed, quilted and hanging properly.

I wanted to finish it ready to hang in an exhibition.
I can now add that to my FO list.

________________________________________________________

I attended a craft workshop at one of my local groups.

We made these mixed media canvas pieces.

This blue one is my piece.

_____________________________________________________________________

Yesterday I finished a circle weaving project using a home-made recycled plastic bowl for a loom.

______________________________________________________

So, that's me..... finally caught up with blogging about my makes and creations.

Phew!!!

This has been another YOP post for your enjoyment.

Freeform Crochet Exhibition

Every year the International FreeForm Fiberart Guild produces a book and an online gallery for its annual exhibition.

I have, once again, entered a piece of freeform in the exhibition.

The theme for the show is 

Flora and Fauna - native to your region or country.

I chose the New Zealand flax for my inspiration and created this ornamental vessel.

You can read more about my piece on the gallery website HERE

The online Gallery for the show is HERE

and

The book can be purchased HERE
(all profits go to a charity voted by the member)