It's Christmas!

Just a very quick post to wish all my followers a very very happy Christmas and I'll see you all in the New Year. Hope that Santa brings you lots of mini/stitching presents to fill 2013 with joy!

Stitching news

Two blog postings in one day ... whatever next!
I thought I'd keep the miniatures and the stitching separate, so here is the latest update on the stitching I've been doing.

I've been doing a little more Bargello embroidery. This design is called Jacobean Spires and it's a sample for the 17th century project we're working on at the Embroiderers' Guild.

Also as part of the same project we're producing a large group piece of the Tree of Life, a popular motif in 17th century embroidery, and members are making individual motifs all worked in crewel embroidery, which will be cut out and added to the tree. This is my leaf.

I finally finished the second of my needle lace grid samplers. I started these back in October when I went to my lace tutor's studio in Wales. They're going to be book covers for my files of lace patterns and samples.

This is the other book cover, using a more contemporary style of needlelace and needleweaving.

This is the piece of lace I'm currently working on, which is destined for either a box lid or a cushion cover (no final decision made as yet).

And finally, I thought you might like to see some of the things I bought at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate a couple of weeks ago.

I got these three fat quarters of beautiful French fabric  ...

three packs of fabric squares for patchwork, together with matching threads and sequins in my other favourite colours of the moment - gorgeous autumnal shades in peaches, golds and browns. Lots of patchwork obviously going to be happening here in the new year!

My miniature bookends and Christmas

I finished the 48th scale bookends! Cute aren't they? You can't get inside but, as you can see, they're supporting all my little books from Petite Properties and I love them.

There are more houses of this scale waiting in the pipeline but it will be after Christmas now before I make a start on them.

I've made a start on my Christmas minis. There are trees for the Tea Rooms, the Retreat and a small one for the 24th Scale Georgian Manor House...

... and I also got out the Christmas Kitchen room box to assess what I need to add to that.

I have some more goodies already waiting to go into this display but I'll keep those to show you another day. It all looks a little tidy for my present taste so there's quite a bit of work to do in here over the next couple of weeks.

The sewing room roombox has some new additions ...

 

I fitted the ceiling light in place, finished filling the cupboard, covered the mannequin with lace, set up the cutting out table and the sewing machine table, found a chair and lots of cats to play in here.

Do you see all these naughty little kittens? There are two playing with reels of ribbon on the floor, one supervising the fabric cutting, one in the basket of cloth and there's one on top of the cupboard, with another one just out of sight on the bottom shelf.

 

There's a cat behind the sewing machine, and another on the chair. There's still work to do in here with lots more bits and pieces to add and perhaps even more cats.

And here is my own naughty cat who looks just as though he's reading that list on my table.

I also completed my miniature embroidery frame. This has gone into the living room of the flat above the Tea Rooms.

I keep adding new pieces to this so you might notice there's a standard lamp in the corner, which wasn't there last time you looked around, a new plant on the bookcase and an orchid on the side table.

There's also a smart new cash register in the cake shop along with a box of scones and a jug of flowers on top of the bread display.

And herb pots on the kitchen windowsill.