Thursday 29 September 2011

Embroider Me Happy


Hello!

Apologies for my absence in Blogland of late - it's been a while hasn't it?  I'm afraid I had a little disagreement with a hand blender (aka an Awful Accident) at the beginning of last week and ended up with a huge bandage which made it very difficult to type.  It took me an age to type an e-newsletter for the Being Creative Group and I just didn't have the juice to write a post!  You might be wondering what on earth happened, but I certainly don't want to upset those of you who might be reading this with a nice piece of cake and a cuppa...i'll just say I was Very Lucky I didn't lose an important finger whilst cooking something and leave the rest to your imaginations.  It's all healing nicely and yes, I also felt awfully silly for being so absent minded. 

Moving swiftly on.... 

Being one handed meant an abrupt end to crocheting.  This realisation made my heart sink as I was intent on finishing my Rainbow Bliss Scarf.  But if crocheting was impossible, then so was doing the dishes and I didn't mind about that part!!  Itching to create something though, I had a flash of an idea to set about making some Christmas gifts...and decided the sewing stuff could come out for a play.


A little jaunt to the haberdashery was had, and I came home with some lovely vintagey coloured embroidery threads.  My idea was to make some Lavender Pillows, and you can see my first effort at the top there.

I haven't done any embroidery work since...ooh, let me think...forever!! No, I did it as a young girl and used to spend hours working on cross stitch pieces too.  It proved to be a lovely distraction (as I stroked yarn and missed it dreadfully) and also very relaxing.  I could easily hold the embroidery hoop in my poorly hand and stitch with my right - oh yes, I was very lucky in that I didn't damage my Painting Hand!! Can you imagine if I'd done that??!  
My first design has been stolen by my daughter - she slept with it inside her pillowcase last night and went out like a light!  I ordered a little bag of French Lavender which has the most beautiful fresh and heavenly scent (my garden supplies were harvested but ended up looking rather magnificent in an ancient stone marmalade jar and it was unanimous that they should stay there, so they have - they're in my kitchen looking gloriously summery).

I'm looking forward to making some more of these, with plans for some seedhead designs and a request for a Peppa Pig one...I hope the recipients will be pleased with them!

Although we are still only in September, and it feels awfully early to be chattering away about Christmas gifts and the like, I'm afraid I have to get ahead of myself even though I don't naturally start to feel Christmassy until the very end of November.  There is so much to achieve it seems, and I have already begun work on one of this years card designs...want a peek?
I managed to sneak an hour of painting in this morning, despite it feeling very wrong to be painting Rudolph and snow as the sun cracks the pavements and we waft about in our summer clothes that we'd just packed away.  An Indian Summer is a lovely gift though isn't it?  A last taste of warmth; lazy golden days that give way to cool evenings and peach melba sunsets.  In a few weeks we will be trudging up to school in horizontal rain and tornado style winds that rush down the valley from the Pennines, so we are making the most of it whilst it lasts.

It's time for me to pick my little bean up from nursery now, so I will bid you farewell!  Thanks for dropping in to see me, I'm looking forward to properly catching up with you now that all my digits are back in working order!

Sending love
Julia x x x

ps - note to the Being Creative Project people ~ Gallery will be posted on 1st October, not 30th September as mentioned in the e-letter!

25 comments:

  1. beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    it's so sweet!

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  2. Gosh you sound like you've been in the wars but I hope your well on the way to recovery and back crocheting soon.

    Like you I've been doing a bit of embroidery and stitching. I've also started to think about Christmas and I'm planning what I'm going to make and for who. It would be lovely to do all Christmas crafting in December but there just isn't time is there?

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  3. Gorgeous artwork as always. Really hope you heal and recover very quickly.
    Hugs,
    A x

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  4. Sorry to hear that you've been injured Julia, I hope it never happens again!

    Pretty little lavender pillow, no wonder you lost it so soon.

    Good luck in your Christmas preparations.

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  5. *O*U*C*H!! Love the little lavender pillow x

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  6. I like so much!!!! i like all your work!
    kisses for you from Argentina ♥

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  7. Ouch! I hope you heal swiftly and aren't in too much pain.
    Beautiful embroidery, I too am thinking about Christmas - but trying not to, it's far to early!! x

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  8. Your Rudolph is gorgeous Julia (and yes, I know what you mean about Christmas now, but there's no choice is there?). Beautiful embroidery too m'dear x

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  9. Oooo Julia stick to old fashioned kitchen equipment I think, electricals are way too dangerous specially when they go fast! Love your embroidery, I'm thinking of making some lavender bags as I have pillowcase full of blooms harvested from our allotment.....mind you the scent in my sewing room is wonderful.Hope you get back to two hands very soon. ♥

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  10. Both the embroidery and Rudolph are beautifully done! That deep blue night sky in the painting is so luminous, and really accents the legendary red nose.

    Best wishes for a continued steady recovery. Accidents in the home really do strike without warning. I know this from my own experience.

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  11. Love your clock , very beautiful. I hope you get better soon, it must be frustrating being one handed for a while.

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  12. Oh no, your poor hand!! So sorry to hear about the accident and glad it's healed now..and good job it wasn't your painting hand as you say!! Your embroidery is beautiful, and the little lavender bag is so sweet. They will make adorable Christmas presents. Speaking of which your new xmas card is looking lovely.
    Btw Your picture has arrived safely and I really love it!! It's up on my studio mantlepiece and I'm really enjoying looking at it. Thank you!
    Have a happy rest of the week. Helen x

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  13. My goodness, so sorry for your accident! I just love this whole post. It is like sitting and talking with you while you show your projects--warm and fuzzy! You have inspired me to get out of my slump and work on projects! Hugs to you.

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  14. Gosh!!!! be careful!!! We need you to be fully functional to create all these beautiful things!!! I love the drawing and the colours of the new threads!!! gorgeaus!

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  15. You have my sympathy as I did something very similar to my finger with a handblender a couple of years ago, and am very fortunate to still have have a full set on each hand. I'm very careful when using it now.

    I love your Rudolph.

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  16. And all with one hand! That seed head really is very pretty. Here's hoping you're stitching with both hands again very soon!

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  17. EEEWWWW!!!!! Poor you! I'm partial to a sopt of embroidery now and again. xxx

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  18. Love the embroidery - hope the hand heals quickly x Jo

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  19. Dear Julia, autch! what happened?! I do hope your hand is soon well!
    That lavendel pouch is really beautiful - you found a lovely and simple idea for embroidery and lovely colours!
    Rudolf looks great and it's only good some is reminding us that we should start to make Christmas things!
    xxx Teje

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  20. Sorry to hear about your accident Julia and glad that you are much better now :-)The embroidery work is lovely as is the new card design. x

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  21. Wow, I think you have been very lucky after all the silly / not so smart bits!!!(I remember breaking my left (thank god I'm right handed) wrist almost two years ago, júst after I finished a quilt for a contest .... and could only cutting stamps!) Your embroidery is so sweet!
    And that reindeer: a real Rudolf!!!
    Take care, hope everything will be okay soon.

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  22. ow ow ow goodness it sounds awful. Hope your hand is better soon. Looking forward to seeing Rudolph finished i'm loving his red nose .

    K

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  23. Ouch.... but how resourceful are we lady crafters? Just because we can't do one thing, doesn't mean we can't craft at all. I have had periods when I've been unable to do any at all, and I found life so boring.... so I always try to find something I can do.
    Looking forward to the gallery for Autumn, even if it's better than midsummer here in Norfolk, temps up around 26 degrees today.

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  24. I am realy liking your new christmas design! Is it on canvas? It looks like a special paper if it is paper. LOvE that deep dark blue sky. Your lavender bags are lovely, I can almost smell it from here, especially the seed floating away. I used to do a lot of embroidery when I was young and I still get excited when I see new embroidery thread! Can't wait to see your finished designs. :)
    Jess xx

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