Shibella and Queen Victoria

 Look at this people Fake Grass! I am walking on fake grass! I am at the back of the house where the washing line is and this area was full of huge weeds so what did SHE do? No SHE didn't pull the weeds up SHE threw fake grass over the weeds. Clever or disgusting and horrible? I can't decide.

 Good for sharpening claws so it is a bit useful.

 Oh no! I think the daisies are dead.

 And SHE never puts the hose away. Lucky SHE has me to point out HER many faults.

 Enough Shibella, I need to show the new additions to my collection. This is a length of cotton fabric from Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The piece I have is about 2m x 40cm wide and is very fragile, I didn't dare wash it in case it fell apart. I am using it as a curtain end and well away from the sun.

 This memorial for Queen Victoria is painted on velvet and the hanging ribbons state Born 1819
Died 1901.

 My Queen Vic. cross stitch is finished and framed.

 I think it looks good in a matching frame with the Queen and corgi.

Love this cartoon. And the winner is? Well I think we all know now.

Roecliffe and Chapman 1953 Coronation Party Dress

 A very exciting find for my collection. This dress made from coronation fabric perhaps to be worn on The Day for a lunch or party? Made by the prestigious company Roecliffe and Chapman of Grosvenor St London (label still in back of dress). A company known for its high couture and made to measure service in the 1940s and early 1950s. The company is mentioned in the book 'Cutting Edge - 50 years of British Fashion'.

 Not sure what the fabric is-could be silk? Wish this dress could talk so I could know where it has been and what it has seen. I tried the dress on, It would be a perfect fit if only I could close the side zip!!!

 Another new item a child's coronation tea set. This might have been played with while Mother was out at a party in her new dress. The box is in bad shape with no lid but the china is perfect.

 Had to leave my coronation wallpaper behind when I moved but lucky for me I had more. This time I had no help putting it up so cut the strip into 4 pieces to make it more manageable. The plantation shutters were installed by the previous owner and now I have come to like them. Wasn't sure about them at first as I am a lace curtain type of person.

 The other side of the room.

 And opposite the bed. Previous owners had a large TV up there but I like to read in bed so more 'Royal Stuff' Up there.

 Cross stitch on Cut-Thru Buckingham Palace is finished but now LOTS of backstitch to be done to make sense of it all.

Have been looking for a Queen Victoria kit for a while and this Mini Cushion design by Sheena Rogers is perfect. Too good for a cushion so I will frame it when finished.

Shibella has been to the Vet. this week for her summer hair cut and refuses to appear in this post. She will have lots of opinions to share next time.

Mish Mash and Odds and Ends

 October is almost over and I haven't done a post. These pics were loaded when son D. visited so all were taken early in October. This man and his ferrets are often at the local markets for a walk. The one on the left is named Diesel and I think the one on the right is Horatio. They are always being coaxed along for a walk but most often I see them being carried.

 I think the Queen is having a laugh at my very trendy light fittings. Left behind buy the sellers of my house they have a dimmer switch and and I was warned never to have them on high in case aircraft mistook them for landing lights. Very handy when I want to check for mistakes in my cross stitch. I have two more of the same in my kitchen.

 Look! I can grow something, My lilies thrive on neglect.

 Went to a garden party recently and was served mulberry pie and rhubarb pie. Both made by D. from her own trees and plants.

 D. has lived in her house for over 60 years and has the most amazing, beautiful and overgrown garden. This plant is Bird of Paradise. I now have one in my own garden and am waiting for the first flower.

 Part of D's garden.

 In one corner of the garden is a genuine old Aussie shed.

 Our local shopping centre is doing it a bit tough right now so in the last school holidays they had this Zoo. I am only showing a couple of animals but all were life sized and moved and sounded like the real thing. I loved them.

 This is a photo of Jack Moses with his arm around a kangaroo and an emu and emu chicks in front. Jack is famous for his poem and song 'Where the dog sits on the tucker box five miles from Gundagai'.

I was lucky enough to find this book signed by Jack at a large second hand book sale. The book is called nine miles from Gundagai and it is said Jack couldn't be sure of distances. The book is also signed by Joan Read an announcer at radio 2CH in 1940 so it might have been a competition prize back then. There is a statue of the dog and tucker box at Gundagai so most people travelling south to Canberra or Melbourne make a stop there.
Am now waiting for another visit from son D. and a further lesson on how to load photos on my updated computer.

Shibella Charles and Diana

 Me first before Shibella takes over. Still getting used to my new computer and finding my photos. Latest addition to my collection is this tea cosy and two egg cosies from THE wedding and they came from an eBay seller in Australia. I was the only bidder. Has everyone else forgotten this great event in 1981. I love these cosies.

This is me Shibella and I am guarding my box. I overheard HER saying SHE was tired of the box always on the floor and looking untidy and was going to throw it out. The box stays... I've even caught HER heading toward the box doily in one hand and one of those Royal bears in the other.
I repeat-the box stays and any doilys or bears placed on top will be torn to shreads and tossed out in the rain. The Box Stays.

Shibella Writes Another Post

 SHE had a birthday this week and can you believe the gift SHE got!! HER children paid a plumber to put a tap in the courtyard because SHE is too lazy to drag the hose around from the front or back of the house and plants were begging for water.

 Trudge, Trudge. I was ready for a sleep but was made to inspect the hose and just watered plants.

 Now I am expected to stop and smell the roses. Roses???

 There must be a way out of here, if I look hard enough I will find it. Too bad I'm not one of those cats who can leap tall fences in a single bound.

 Wish SHE would do more knitting so I could have a sleep. SHE has plenty of Queen patterns to keep HER busy.

A posy of sweet peas from daughter's garden and a perfect card. That girl will go far in HER good books. I gave HER nothing as SHE has me so what else could SHE possibly want??

Queen's 90TH Birthday Stitching and Shibella

 Just because I haven't posted on my blog for a while doesn't mean I haven't been busy with my Royal stitching. Finished yesterday and ready to come off the tapestry frame and framed ready to go on the wall is this lovely and easy to stitch picture of the Queen.

 From Brigantia Needlework, they usually design cushions or church kneelers but for the Queen's 90th they produced this very nice picture. It is a kit and comes with a very generous supply of wools and a chart to make it easier to identify colours and stitches.

 Finished and framed is my Faye Whittaker cross stitch. A small design so I stitched it on 11ct aida to make it a bit larger and as I already had some yellow cloth I used that. Have you finished yours yet Janice?

 Next project is this Cut Thru Buckingham Palace by Bothy Threads. Not as difficult to stitch as it looks as Bothy always supplies a separate chart for the backstitch. It is a kit and comes with 16ct pale blue aida. I placed the first few stitches and realised I had a problem. Ageing eyes and hands make 16ct not very enjoyable and as I don't want this to end in the unfinished cupboard I will stitch it on 14ct aida.

 After my Bothy Palace this must be stitched. Love the design and have already ordered the red fabric.
No queue jumping please Corgi, you must wait your turn to be stitched.

 Latest eBay purchase this lace 'souvenir'? for the death of Prince Albert in 1861. My uneducated guess is that it is Nottingham lace made in 1861 and I think the fringe has been added later. Padded and covered with green fabric an artist board which was the right size then stitched the lace onto that'

Here is Shibella showing off her newly extended window ledge. The first rays of the morning sun hit this ledge and Shibella is always waiting.

1953 Coronation Doll Coronation Sampler and Garden Seats

 A beautiful Coronation doll, there is a label on the back which states Designed and Worked by Mrs N.G. Demetriadi in 1953. In her will Mrs N. left it to The Embroideres Guild U.K where it has been stored for many years. As the Guild is moving and lacks storage space this rare item was sold on eBay. I am the lucky winning bidder so it now has a special place in my collection.

 A close up of some of the beading and stitching of the Coronation dress.

 This shows the box it is in and can be hung on the wall.

 This is the sampler I have been searching for and at last it is hanging on my wall. GeorgeVI coronation it shows Elizabeth and Margaret Rose' A similar one I have shows the children of GeorgeV

 My first 90th birthday sampler finished and looking for wall space. This chart was in Cross Stitcher Magazine.

 Now to show my new garden chairs. A local man makes these so look closely at the back of the 2 chairs as the backs are made out of bedheads.

 No two are the same but some are larger if he uses double bedheads. They are strong and solid and always with wide arms for a cup of tea or glass of wine.

If I can find more space I would love another chair.