World Cross Stitch Day

 

Hi 

Today is World Cross stitch day,  I used to do  a lot of cross stitch and as have nothing new at the moment I thought I would show a few designs I have made over the years,    

This is my favorite,  the elephants took a bit of time,

They have bren folded for a long time,  but hopefully I will get them framed,  just need an iron,  unfortuantely hubby says we dont have room for all my cross stitch pictures,   hopefully one day we might.

Stay cool and take care in the heat

Margaret

Tatting in the coach

Hi,

Yes you know me,  it does not matter where I go I take my tatting,  the journey to Norfolk was about six hours each way,   So I did not do as much testing as I normally would,  travelling was not but I managed to make this bookmark,   I did finish the tail off at home,  but the body was done on the coach.

I used Lizbeth thread Truquoise Twist no 20 and the pattern was one of my favourites flowering Quatrain Bookmark by Joelle Paulson.

Margaret 

The Norfolk Broads part three

Hi

Thursday today we had a trip on the Norfolk Broads on a Mississippi Paddle Boat,  it was a double decker especially built for the broads,  it was another hot day but a lot cooler on the water,  we saw a lot of wildlife including the flash of a kingfisher,  but unfortunately I did not get a picture of the flash of blue,  the photos are of the trip down the broads with these very large and expensive houses,  with some of the wildlife we saw.

The photos of the trip down the broads,

 

For lunch we went the long ride of three miles as the coach driver said to Wroxham,  where we found lovely little restaurant for lunch beside the river.   Wroxham is known as the capital of the broads,  every shop seem to belong to a firm called Roy’s,  so a little more shopping before getting on the coach back to the hotel.

Friday unfortunately it’s time to go home and one our way home we stopped in Windsor, no idea if the king was home, the flag was not flying from Windsor Castle,  it was a short stop,  we had some lunch unfortunately this was not the best lunch in the world,  it was hot but we did manage to sit and eat an   ice nice cream before getting on the coach to home,   It was five days long and packed with lots of interesting visits,  would I go back to Norfolk yes I would,  I would like to see more,  

Margaret 

Bressingham gardens and steam museum. Part two

Hi,

On the Wednesday we went to Bressingham gardens and Steam museum, another hot day,  we had a long walk around looking at the Dads Army exhibition,  they had a part where you could sit and watch some of the films of the programme.

Their was a number of steam engines,  various types of steam engines,  and vehicles dotted about the site  See photos 

Old fashion shops

Steam press for printing

  T

This was a find,  having been born in Epsom   and lived in Ewell I was amazed they had a dust cart,  I dont remember this one going around the streets,  

They had a little train that went around,  I must say they were very kind,  being disabled they got me on the train and then moved the train on to the other side of the station for the rest of the passengers to get on,  after the ride we went to the garden centre next door and had some lunch,  before returning to Great Yarmouth 

I coulod haver put more photos on this post,  but I think by now you might bre getting fed up.

We are about to start next week our 4th heatwave,   during the night we had our first rain since the beginning of the 1st heatwave,  I cant remember when it last rained,  but really to was nice to have some rain,  all it did was wash the dust.

Margaret

Norfolk part one

Hi,

We spent a few days recently in Norfolk staying in Great Yarmouth,  on a coach tour for five days,    I have never been to this part of the U.K. so it was nice to see somewhere new,  we had a lovely hotel with a sea view,   Every morning a seagull would come and visit us,  I called him Humphrey,  we never gave him any food and he just sat and watched us. See picture above.  And here is a picture of our sea view.

Day one Monday. we went to Cromer,  Norfolk is flat and at sea level until you get to Cromer,  it must be the only town in Norfolk with hills.   Here we saw this hut Doggie wash,  great idea if you want to wash the dog before taking him or her home,  never seen a doggie wash hut before.  See picture below

We then went onto Sherringham,  a small  town with lots of shops,  I found a couple of presents, one for a birthday and the other for a Christmas,  I do like to get any presents early and if I see something ideal then I get it.  It’s the sort of old fashioned town with small shops,  of course there’s the usual empty shops like in every town,  but it was unusual to have so many small and unique ones.

Tuesday was a free day in Great Yarmouth and it was another hot day so we enjoyed a walk around the park just a short walk from the hotel,   They had some huts dotted around which were small cafes,  and a boating lake,  it was enjoyable walk,  unfortunately like many places in England they have had very little rain and the grass was dry and brown,  as you can see in the pictures as you have a walk around the park.

Entrance to the park 

 Boating Lake

I hope you enjoyed looking at the park,

This is the last photos from our bedroom,  these are the off shore wind farm and the red boat is a service boat to and from the wind farm.

Margaret

Happy American Independence Day

Hi

Happy  American independence day to all my American followers and friends,   It’s also my birthday today,  yes I have always been an independent person, I do live up to the day.   

I hope you have a wonderful day.

Margaret.

Endrucks project

Hi,

Today is Eleonore Endrucks birthday,  with the Endrucks project we have been working on for several years, from her book published in 1920,  today would have been her birthday.

We did a pattern in relation to the international lace day last Sunday,  the pattern released for the day came too late for me to include it the international lace day,  so I combining the two days with project and the pattern suggested for the day.  a letter ‘E’. From the Eleonore Endrucks pattern E41 by Julie Santos  Villegas June 204 for  the Eldrucks 1920 Project

for my ‘E’ I used Lizbeth thread no 20 Girly girl,  of course you could turn it upside down and make a 'M'

I also did a Life is Bliss butterfly derived by Antonia Lai January 2023 for the #pickmeEndrucks February 2023.   I used Lizbeth thread no 20 in Sunkist Coral  I added the antennae with a spiral chain,

I hope you have a lovely weekend

Margaret

International lace day

 

Hi,

Today is international lace day around the world,   Tatting is a type of lace and although it’s not known as much as it should be  we tatters like to promote it as much as possible.  I get told it’s a dying art or never heard of it,  or even my grandmother used to tat.  Well lets put the record straight it’s not a dying art,  it’s 17th century, although it die out in the 19th century it’s back in fashion and there’s so much that can be made with tatting.
Never heard of it well if you are reading this,  you have now heard of it,  and finally if your grandmother used to tat why not learn and bring something done in your family back.  There are so many YouTube videos on how to tat and many books,  no reason why not do something your grandmother did years ago.

The christening present is finished at last,  I cannot show you as it has not been given to my nephew and his wife.   As soon as they have it I will post it.  It’s taken about six months through illness, hospital stay, and a holiday which ended with flu and six weeks not even looking at it,  I am relieved to say it’s finished.

Today for international lace day I am showing the tatting I did on holiday in Switzerland,  the bookmark I finished while there,  it’s Four Petals bookmark by Robin Tatting by the bay and I used Lizbeth thread Christmas green and Lesur Pixie both no 20,

The little coaster is a pattern by Laura Bziukiewicz and I used Lizbeth thread Sunkist Coral no 20.  I started this on holiday and finished it off at home.

The Endrucks project did produce a pattern for today but unfortunately I only got the pattern yesterday and have not had time to do it.   I will make it and post it in a few days.

Enjoy the day making lace.

Margaret

60th Diamond Wedding Anniversary

Hi,

Today is our friends 60th Wedding anniversary,  and this is the card I made for them,  Vernon said do something simple they won’t appreciate the hard work you put into making a card so just do something simple.

I designed the card myself,  using two heart shapes which I did cut and used Hunkydory diamond Miri card and a white small heart shapes which with I embossed using a cutterbug heart design folder.  The backing sheet is from stock (well everything was). It’s a damask paper and I have no idea where I brought it from but it’s a long time ago,  white ribbon bow and the words are peel offs and the dots as peel offs as well.

I hope they liked their card,  they have gone away to celebrate as they did not want a party. 

Margaret 

Debbi Moore's Birthday Competition

 Hi,

Today is a little cooler and although the sun is shining its quite cloudy here in Somerset,   It seems ages since I made a card,  the flu has taken its toll on both of us,  but now after six weeks I can say its finally gone and I am begining to feel I have some energy.  I have started back on the christening present and hope it finish it in the next two weeks,  I have also started to feel like knitting only this week with the heatwave knitting was the last thing I felt like doing,  hopefully now its turned a little cooler I can get back to finishing the knitted cow and babys cardigan. 

 Now on sundays I do something else, it lovely to do some different  craft on a Sunday and then you can come back afresh to what you have been doing during the week.  watch this space for pictures.

This week is Debbi Moores birthday and the 17th year of her company,  again this year she has done a birthday competition for a birthday card,   I used her The Flower Patch CD and made a slightly different card using some beautiful images of a vase of flowers.  I do like doing shaped cards it makes card look more speical,   well I think it does.  Its not my best effort as I made it a couple of weeks ago but I hope you like it.

I have some ideas for new cards just got to find the time and energy to get into the craft room and play.

I hope you have lovely weekend,

Margaret