Tatted Window Decoration

Hi,

Oh what a beautiful day today,  the sun is shining,  clear blue sky,   and its warm.   We have had a mild winter and the wettest on record,  for months it rained sometime every day,  these last few days have been fine.  The levels are going down but there is still a large area flooded,  some of residents have at least be able to get back and see their homes while others where the water has gone down are beginning the clean up,  it could be 9 to 12 months before they can live in their homes again.   Hopefully if we can get a dry week we might be able to cut the lawn,  its going to take a while for the garden to completely dry out.   In the meantime we can enjoy the spring weather.

A few weeks ago I found this tatted window decoration,  which I tatted years ago,  I gave it a wash,  its seen better days but its still all in one piece.

Its from Anna Magazine May 1992,  every May they did a tatting course and this was the course for the year they called Blossoms and Tendrils for a basket of flowers.   The basket and the handle are done with split rings,  with the flower motifs  they were all sewn on individually onto the net and I added some beads in the middle of the flowers.  I think I might have used coats white thread no 20,  but it was so long ago I can't remember.
I hope you are having a lovely weekend and enjoying this beautiful weather.   (Sorry Fox I know you are a bit cold, with snow in Canada, hopefully your spring will come soon)
                                Hugs
                            Margaret.  

Pincushions Part Two

Hi,

Here is part two,   another two pincushions using up pieces of tatting,  they are made from felt.

This blue one I used up a snowflake that did not hang right,  the chains in parts crossed,  I used Lizbeth thread no 20,  so I sewed it on and added blue beads,  they don't show up very well but they are there,  I added a white bow.
It looks a bit out of position in the picture,  but its not that far out of position.  I can't remember which snowflake this is but I am sure someone will recognize it.

This yellow pincushion has a green tatted strip for grass using Flora no 20, some white flowers made from odd bits left on the shuttles Lizbeth thread no 20 seed bead in the middle.
The Sunbonnet Sue Motif designed by Darlene Polachic was tatted with white and Christmas thread Lizbeth no 20.  I added a small butterfly in the corner. I do like this little motif and adding a few flowers makes her look like shes in a garden.  Below a close up.

I have started another one and I will show you that one when I have finished, my box of bits is looking a little less now,   which is good gives me room to make more when I start tatting and using up the odd thread from the shuttles.   In the meantime until we meet again Take care.

                             Hugs

                         Margaret

Pincushions part one

Hi,

As I write this its raining and blowing a gale,   what's another drop of water when we have so much,  every day since the 12th December its rained, it rains at some point of every day.  How do I know its the 12th December thats the day Vernon got his new shed.   Its the wettest winter for 250 years,  it just keeps on coming across the Atlantic on the jet stream,   I watched a programme on TV last night about battered Britain the damage to the coastline in the South is massive.  This is one winter that won't be forgotten for many years to come.

Anyway to today I have something new to show you,   Carollyn started me off,  shes been making pincushions.  I can hold the material in my bad hand and sew with my right,  it was not easy at first but got easier, as I made them.  Link to Carollyns Blog

The blue one was my first,  picture above,    I know its not perfect stitching around the sides,  well not my usual standard.  I used up some of my tatting bits to make the decoration,   This one had a piece of snowflake I found,  usually odd bits that go wrong are thrown but some how this bit stayed and went in the box.   I had some blue 3d flowers, added some white ribbon and did some embroidery trails,  plus a few gold beads. Close up of the spray 

This yellow one was next,  a piece of tatting which was going to be a square motif, never got finished.  tatted in Lizbeth thread no 20, a small piece of green ribbon and a 3d flower in the middle,  and I put a bead in the middle.
The flowers were tatted with Turkish Oren Bryan Perle no 8 thread,  they were tatted with thread left on the shuttles sometime ago for something else I was going to do.  A close up below.

Its been nice to use up bits of tatting,  they were stuffed with toy stuffing,  after the the blue one I decided to stitch inside,  it worked out better,  it was good to try and make something ok they are not perfect but it was good exercise for the hand.    I hope you like them.   I have made two more which I will show you in a couple of days,   I did try a little tatting the other day,  painful but I managed a butterfly,  its a start back to full recovery.   Hopefully I can try knitting this week.  Anyway enough of my waffle hope you are having a nice weekend.

                         Hugs

                     Margaret

Spring has come in my garden

 Hi,
Is Spring really around the corner,  well it does not real feel like it although the plants say it is.
Last wednesday I took a walk around the garden in the sunshine,  yes between the rain the sun came out to play and here is what I found flowering,  you will have a couple of surprises as you walk around with me.  I dont think we have had a day without rain since the 12th December, 2013
The Snowdrops are nearly over as the picture shows but here is the Crocuses in full bloom.

This is Bergenia Stracheyi   or better known as Elephant Ears with its pale pink flowers.

Here is a little surprise this is a Hardy Fuchsia,  summer flowering Fuchsia,   in a few weeks time my husband will be cutting them down as usual,  for the new growth for summer.

Here is my Pink Hebe,   this has been flowering all winter, and when should it flower,  in the summer,  I don't think it knows what season it should flower now.   This plant is in memory of my old dog (Lhasa Apso)  Shona I planted it when she died but then we moved so I took cuttings of the plant and I planted it here so I had a memory of her.

This picture is a little out of focus its the flowering Quince its just beginning to flower,  and that is early this year.



I dont think my garden knows what season it is,   its so wet I surprised that the plants have not been washed away.

You may have heard the Somerset levels are going down at last,   they are pumping millions of gallons a day and its still waist deep in parts, they still need boats in some parts just to get to their properties.   Its going to be weeks before some of the farmers can even think of getting back to work on their farms,  the damage is beyond words even there barns have been destroyed and months before they can get there cattle back on the farms.  Its amazing how much help has arrived from all over the UK and Europe.  Now hopefully they will dredge the rivers,   so it may not happen again.
Have a nice weekend.
                           Hugs
                       Margaret 

Lets go on a Tour of Europe Part two

 Hi,

This is the second part of my Tour of Europe,  I was going to post this last weekend but due to illness its a bit late,  These are the last four of eight counted cross stitch pictures I did many years ago of the countries I had visited which were from the Anna Magazine 1987.  While I was sorting out my Annas the other day I found another two which could be added to this set,  Turkey and Greece which Vernon and I have been to in recent years,  something to do when I have nothing else to in years to come.
Anyway here is the last four,.

Italy

The Colosseum in Rome
The Palazzo Vecchio in Florence,  (beautiful city worth a visit)
 The Piazza San Marco,
The Rialto Bridge and the Canale Grande in Venice  (a must visit again)
This picture has an edging of French knots representing the flower Mimosa







Holland

The Dutch bulb fields in the middle
The Cheese market
The musical organ which is seen in the streets over Holland
Delft Pottery
Canal Bridge theres a lot of them around Holland
There is a building on here which I will find out and update this piece




Spain and Portugal

The top half I think is Portugal with the bottom half being Spain
Both countries on the Iberian Peninsula share the same wealth of scenic beauty spots,  this picture seems to be a mixture of bother countries that are so alike apart from language. There was no set piece of architecture in this picture
Bullfighting being represented in both countries
The Oranges at the bottom of the edging are grown in both countries.





United Kingdom - London

The Tower of London
London Bridge
Houses of Parliament in the middle with the red London buses
Beefeater
Gates of Buckingham Palace,
Trafalgar Square and Lord Nelsons Column
Horse racing.
You can't see it but there was a lot of gold work in this picture

Well that concludes the tour,   I do hope you enjoyed it,  I did update the German Picture in part one as I promised.
Have a nice day
                             Hugs
                         Margaret

Thank you Carollyn

Hi,
This is a late post,  it should have been put on a few days ago, so apologies to Carollyn for the lateness of showing you this wonderful present she sent me.   I received this last monday unfortunately I have not been well this week,  some sort of bug that knocked me out.
Its a beautiful pin cushion with a tatted heart and a strap at the back so it will fit around my wrist.    Two beautiful flat shuttles both beautifully decorated one with a blue bird and the other with red roses.
 I had never seen a flat shuttles until a couple of years ago, never thought I will actually get one.   they are so light and beautiful,  they will be a joy to use.   The note that Carollyn sent has been beautifully written oh I wish I could write as beautiful as that.
Thank you Carollyn I will enjoy using the shuttles and the pincushion.
Here is a link to Carollyn's blog do go and visit when you have time link
Hope you are having a nice weekend.
                         Hugs
                     Margaret

Happy Valentines Day

Hi,
Another day, another storm,  whats a bit more rain when we have so much water.  Yesterday we had some snow although it did not last very long, it was a change from rain,  so what else can this winter throw at us.
Anyway today is Valentines Day so heres a little heart from me,  before you ask this was tatted last year long before I had my accident.  Oh to pick up my shuttles and tat again,   I keep hoping this hand will get better but its still swollen and painful.
This heart is called Butterfly Heart by Irene Woo, one of my favorite heart patterns,  tatted in Lizbeth thread no 20.
Have a nice day, stay safe and dry.
                           Hugs
                       Margaret