I CAN SEE NOW........

I broke my glasses a fortnight ago, the arm snapped right off and no amount of sticky tape was going to do it, so I had to go to the optometrist and get new glasses.

Well not having bothered to update the specs for....ahem nearly....ahem.....8 years.....I CAN NOW SEEEEEEEEE.

I tell you the prices have dropped with time, and how many things can you say do that. All those years ago glasses cost me nearly $500 now, two pairs under $200. I CAN SEEE......yes I am a little excited. It means I can continue the fine stitching I love.

This has been driving me a little nuts, as its on a nobbly type linen. I keep missing threads and have restarted it three times now, trying to keep it all together.

I have progressed slowly and still have errors but now I am ploughing on because one little mistake will not mar the big picture.......its what makes it unique and arty, if we wanted perfection we would get a machine to do it....right?

Yes folks not all my points meet but thats the way I roll baby.

This I managed because it has nice even aida cloth, its by Michael Powell and I am making it as an engagement gift. 
The young couple were engaged on a holiday to Mykonos, and lucky me had this waiting to do. 
I really enjoy giving things away as much as I like making them.

And here it is finished and framed, the outline work really is the icing on the cake. I have framed it in a modern style by stretching it over an artist canvas which you can buy in various sizes at "Riot Art and Craft" here in Australia. Easy Peasy.

So having completed this I took a bunch of my other stitcheries that had been languishing and got them framed after...ahem......a great deal of time.

So this is my wall in the sewing room now...boy that hug stands out doesnt it? But now I can see again, there will be more.

A close up. I changed the wording on the bottom of this and stitched in our surname...can you guess what it may be?

Another close up, the stitching on this was intense and even now you may not see it but a lot of small intricate work, glad I did it though. 

I have discovered lately what it is I really like doing, as I have often been somewhat envious?...no wrong word, intrigued as to why some people find their passion, or niche and thats it they go for it.

I often flit from one to the other, liking them all, but at times almost being a little bored....there I said it.......sometimes too much of a good thing can leave you a little bored. Its like eating dessert all day, one will tire of it.
But now I have come to realise I enjoy sitting and holding a needle and doing a slow even stitch that allows a project to slowly come to life.
Hence the cross stitch and the English Paper Piecing that is now my newest love.

I put it all down to the jigsaw puzzles that I adored doing as a child, the more pieces the better.

So now I can SEEEEEEEE.......yes still banging on about that, I will go back to sitting in front of the telly at night, watching some bad movie or sports show keeping the husband happy and stitch away.

That is what I love doing so much, busy productive day, quiet night, the company of family and or good friends and a needle in my hand.

Whoa.......is this for me?

Why Thank you very much!!!

"The Liebster Award is for bloggers with under 300 followers and the rules of the award is that the nominee must link back to whoever awarded them, write 11 random facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions from the award giver, and then nominate another 11 bloggers and make up 11 questions for them to answer. It's a great way for new and undiscovered bloggers to meet new people, get more followers and find some blogs that they want to follow."


Imagine my delight and surprise to be handed this award for my little blog!

Thank you Jo from "The Striped Deckchair".

I think it is a lovely way to expand your horizons and seek out new small blogs as well as getting to know a little more about our fellow bloggers. 

I enjoy reading so many different blogs out there, in fact I no longer read the daily broadsheet anymore, I fire up the steam powered Ipaddy thingy and read much more uplifting and relevant journalism over my peaceful breakfast.

I am not fleeing the world and I am still very well informed about world events as I listen to the radio most days, but the doom and gloom in most newspapers and TV news shows is quite frankly soul destroying. 
So I love that I have blogs to read and a small insight into how people all over the world are getting on with their lives in a very normal and creative way.

Now the second part of this award is to answer questions that Jo has come up with.

1. If I could visit anywhere in the world, where would that be?.........Right now its France, starting in Paris.

2. What is your favourite flower?.......Roses.

3. Name your best friend, and their three best qualities.....
    Can I be corny but its true, my best friend is my husband, the qualities I most admire in him are his loyalty, his capacity to work hard and his sly sense of humour...he is quite reserved but when you know him well he is a friend for life.

4. What music/song fires you up?......Lol any revenge song, such as "You're so vain", "Bitter little pill" I love to shout out great lyrics.

5. Can you speak another language?....No...sigh.

6.Favourite meal and how often do you eat it?....Comfort food is fried chips......whenever I need comfort I will seek them out. 

7. What are reading and making at the moment?.....Reading, "Too many men" by Lily Brett, Making...lots of things!

8. Typical Sunday?.....Supermarket shopping, followed by general mooching, driving number one daughter around, cleaning up kitchen, polishing toaster, and blogging, then when all my chores are done sewing as hubby makes dinner...yes spoilt I know!

9. Favourite footwear.......BIRKENSTOCKS......daggy but once worn never return to flat shoe beds.

10.Where was your last holiday......Welllll, lucky me went to Texas for Quilt Market, then 10 days in New York with number one daughter.......bliss.

11. Do you have a nickname?........Hubby calls me "shorty pants".........a good friend calls me " Snooze"

11 random facts about myself,

1. Hate having my photo taken.

2. I am allergic to alcohol...true!

3. I have tender skin, poking me in the arm really really hurts.

4. I will hug people who look sad.

5. I practice yoga.

6. I enjoy making my own clothes.

7. I adore my children, they can be trying at times but they    are the lights of my life.

8. I cannot abide people who lie to me.

9. I have made it my mission to shut down peoples anger with extreme kindness.....in my job it so works a treat.

10. I look tough and together...but I have a tender heart

11. I will argue with you if you are wrong..:-)

Now I am going to go away and seek out 11 bloggers to pass this award onto, and think of 11 questions to ask them.

Thank you again Jo for thinking of me, its been fun!