Stitches Galore

Don't you think this hydragea is a lovely bright colour? We have acid soil and it wreaks havoc with pink hydrangeas, turning them a murky, dirty lilac colour. Last year we transplanted them into pots, adding some lime to the compost - and it seems to have done the trick nicely - I can't believe that I haven't posted anything for such a long time! I have had a bit more time to myself over the last few weeks and have used it to get several jobs completed that have been outstanding for a long time. Although this hasn't involved any knitting, it has involved tiny needles and acres (?) of fabric: Firstly, I decided to make two pairs of curtains for our home - one pair for the dining room (with a matching runner from the offcuts of length): Secondly, curtains for our living room and cushions to co-ordinate: Needless to say this has curtailed my knitting time, but I do now have two full strips of my 'Fish' throw completed, now I just have to get started on the third ...

The results of my machine embroidery workshop are as follows: All the machine sewing and the bonded applique were done during the workshop. However, most of the hand-embroidered blanket and stem stitch had to be done as 'homework'. Although I did do some patchwork at school, it never was one of my favourite crafts. The workshop was taken by a lady who had, at one time, owned a fabric and craft store, and she had brought lots of samples of her work. She has developed her skills towards painting and embroidering fabrics and creating lovely works of art. It was an inspirational day and I now have to add some sewing someday into my creative stitches. 'Fish' is making slow progress. I managed to complete the first 9-square strip at the weekend and so have 6 more strips to get through. I think Christmas is a realistic deadline for finishing it, as 'real' work is seriously limiting my personal leisure time at the moment - maybe it might be time to look for another proj...