August sewing challenge nearly sewn up

Here are my two offerings for this month's challenge which was embroidery/smocking.

I didn't know if smocking included the embroidery so thought I'd make two tiny projects.  Feeling very pleased with myself that I have finished the stitching for the projects, although both pieces are to be made into something else - which I will probably do tomorrow, show pics and maybe have a giveaway ...

First time I've ever, ever, ever done smocking and I am just a teeny bit proud of myself.  The photo shows the guiding threads still in there - are you suppposed to take them out?  Hey, who cares - I've smocked!!!  Yippee!

Oh and I'll post links tomorrow too, as these projects are quick and fairly easy if everybody leaves you alone to concentrate :)

Creativity carries on despite it all!

Sorry for the long break - last week was not one of my greatest - I had a few health issues to deal with.  Women's stuff.  I'm booked in for a laparoscopy next month, so I'm trying not to think about it until then (which is hard as it HURTS!)

BUT ... my creativity is still in working order.  Here's a pic of what I was working on before I was incapacitated!

Since then, I've been stitching, crocheting and starting to smock - it's all creative :)

The face of spring

Our visiting cat enjoying the sun

Very springlike today.  Lovely weather!  Even the poor old daffodils are confused as to what the weather's doing - we've had snowdrops out already.  Spring isn't here for another 2 weeks.  But I do like seeing the flowers beginning to emerge.  There's something about yellow blooms that really brightens the day.

For the August sewing challenge I've decided to do two small projects as the challenge was a choice between embroidery and smocking.  Well, I've finished a small embroidery project already (and am mightily impressed with myself that I've managed to finish something before time!), and I'm also hoping to make a small gift bag with smocking detail at the top as my other project.  Thought I would keep it simple this time!  I enjoyed making the shirt last month, but it certainly was a challenge - just drafting the pattern made me nervous!

You can never have enough pictures of daffodils

By a stretch of the imagination ...

Can you see what I see?

The other day I had a monumentally awesome day on skype - I spoke to my dad for over 2 hours as it was his birthday, then my sister showed up at his house and we talked too.  It was quite amusing as at one point we all had a cup of tea in our hands - it was almost as if we were sitting in the same room, rather than two rooms on different sides of the world!  Then I had two more conversations with people from home.  When I'm on the phone or skype I end up doodling, can't help myself.  No reflection on the person I'm talking to, it's just something I do!  Give me a pen and paper and I'll scribble.  (This time I was making notes on how to use my camera properly - dad is my teacher!)

For those of you who can't see what I'm on about, I started by colouring in the letter 'V', did some crosses then thought it looked like a bodice on a dress ... see you really can find creativity everywhere!

Sometimes ...

Sometimes I take a photo that I'm really pleased with - this is one of them.

It helps that I had a wonderful model! xx

Beginnings ...

Here's the beginning of my quilting!  The traditional method for grandmother's garden quilts is to quilt every single hexagon - there are over 1000 in my small quilt - but I am determined to complete them all.  I've finished 7.  Shouldn't take long then ...

Talking of new beginnings, one of my children, who's old enough to work now, got her first job today in a local cafe.  I could take a leaf or two out of her book - she walked around the village by herself, presented a little card with her name and details and basically 'cold called' on some of the businesses.  I am so very proud of her as she had the nerve to go out into the big world and ask for what she wanted.  It's the first big step of her adult life - one she will probably never forget.

Also spring is in the air, although it doesn't start until September 1st officially.  I love, love, love the spring - the time of new beginnings.  Already some daffodils are beginning to bloom - I tell you the weather has gone a little bit mad!  Even at 10 o'clock in the evening we can still hear happy, courting magpies. All day, they've been pinching the fibres from last year's hanging baskets in our gardens to make their nests.  Everything feels like it's all waking up, energized for the time ahead.  It feels good!

My kind of maths ...

You can always tell when I'm not feeling that great, my blogging is the first thing to be neglected!  Last week I had one of those mornings when I woke up and felt down.  Flat, squashed, like a pancake.  First reaction was to have a good cry, but then I spied my knitting on the table and worked a few rows before going to work.  Knitting is the new yoga - I was starting to feel better.  Crying avoided, phew.

After completing my admin jobs, I sneaked away to my studio and painted for a while - I'm working on some mixed media pics that I'm going to get printed for greeting cards which I'll sell on Etsy.  I'm finally working on my dream, not just talking and dreaming about it.  Also did some research on pricing and materials, before I knew it - hometime!  And - feeling much better by the end of the day.  If you're feeling like pants - create, create, create.  It really is the formula for finding inner peace!

July Sewing Challenge - Finished!

Finished!!

Better show off my July sewing challenge before I have to show off the completed August challenge!  I did finish the shirt on time - minus the buttons and buttonholes which I completed on August 1st!  Overall I'm very pleased with the finished product, although I did find the instructions rather unclear at times, so ended up doing my own thing!!

Detail of pleats: