George V Charles Diana Samplers and Queen Curtains

 I think I bought this stamped and waiting to be embroidered sampler from America about 2 years ago. I have just finished and framed it. I made an educated? guess and decided it was meant for the Silver Jubilee of George V. I printed on calico with the help of my computer the picture of George V. It covers up a maple leaf so the sampler probably originated in Canada. Sorry Canada you missed your chance and the maple leaf has gone. The frame is from my favourite frame shop, the local Salvation Army op. shop.

 A beautiful Charles and Diana tapestry, a recent ebay purchase it has lots of interesting stitches, I was the only bidder so it was a bargain. Has everyone forgotten Charles and Diana? Not me.

 Another ebay bargain, I'm sure there are lots more C&d samplers out there waiting to join my collection.

 Was feeling my house is still not Royal enough. Example, boring dusty curtains hanging limply for at least 10 years.

 Boring matching chair. Well I made the curtains and covered the chairs so only myself to blame.

 Now look what I found in Spotlight. Fabric that looks like British 16p stamps with the Queen's head. I bought what was left on the roll, only 4.5 meters but enough for my plans. Old curtains in the bin and new ones hanging in no time at all. My ladder issues were forgotten as I nimbly leapt up and down the ladder and didn't fall off once.

Four chairs covered to match curtains, easy to do with my staple gun.
This makes my house even more ROYAL and will keep me happy for a little while.
Now, if only Charlotte would let me have a Corgi.
I will have another talk with Charlotte when she wakes from her 12 hour power nap.

Teresa Gil and My Cross Stitch Challenge

 This is my cross stitch challenge for 2014. This stunning design by Teresa Gil of the Queen in her Coronation robes. I am a very experienced cross stitcher but not an expert so this design will really test me. I have set aside the whole of next year for this challenge, anything else not finished by 31st Dec. will be added to the UFO stash.

 Teresa was featured in Majesty Magazine and when I first read about it I knew I wanted to stitch this designs so was thrilled when I saw the chart for sale.

 The chart is large and clear, there is a lot of backstitching, beads, sparkly threads, some petit point for the face and of course the dreaded french knot. I am having more french knot lessons this week and will be an expert when this heirloom is finished. There are lots of threads involved and I use the small plastic lunch bag method to keep them tidy and labelled. I am stitching on 14ct aida to save my sanity though I know it would look better on linen or evenweave which I think Teresa used. Teresa lives in Spain but I know she is only an email away if/when I strike trouble with my sampler.

Almost finished this easy to stitch Riverdrift sampler for Prince George. Then I have another knitted crown tea cosy to finish then I will be able to start my challenge. I love the little Prince George bear in the photo.

 This is a One Off design that was easy to stitch and is already on my wall.

 This is a little baby carriage charm meant for a Pandora bracelet. I don't have a suitable bracelet but I do have this necklace sent as a bonus gift by a generous ebay seller. I added the cats and now the little carriage.
It says Royal Bay 2013 on one side and a gold crown is featured on the other.

The Queen and three future king - love it - wish I had space to frame it and put on my wall. Sadly all available wall space must be for embroidered samplers only.

Help Needed to Overcome Too Polite Gene

 Walking out of the shops into the car park today and pushing my trolley loaded with cat food I was accosted by tall, polite, handsome young man with good teeth. He said he would walk me to my car. I thought he was a security guard as he had a yellow safety jacket and badge and perhaps an arrest was being made in the car park as has happened before. We arrived at my car and he proceeded to clean half of my back window- yes, only half. He was a salesman selling cleaning products at an exorbitant rate and I fell for it, mainly because he said it would clean my shower like magic. It doesn't. I meekly handed over lots of $$$$$$$ arrived home and realised once again I have been too polite.

 Story #2 I was sitting in the train in a near empty carriage when polite young man walks up and asks for 50 cents to ring his Gran. I obliged and thought what a sweet young man.....Then I heard him talking to a mate on his mobile phone. But I did laugh at my self for falling for that one.

Story #3 I was accosted by this man - or it might have been his not so handsome brother- in a shopping centre car park and he asked for $20 for petrol as he needed it to get home. I looked stunned so he added that he had his wife, baby and dog in the car. I did manage to turn down this request then I felt guilty later in case he did have a dog in the car.

 Story #4 I fell for this salesman's patter at the markets. He said you only use one part to 20 parts water and it will clean everything. I haven't used it yet, I shared some with a friend, that's why the bottle looks half empty.

I told Charlotte all my sad stories and as I am too gullible to go out alone could she come shopping with me in future. Of course she needs a sleep while she thinks about it. I have sworn her to silence about the amount of $$$$ I spent on todays  too politeness.

Bushfire Update

 This morning I woke to smoke haze and the awful smell of burning. I should be able to see the mountains opposite but all I can see is thick bushfire smoke. The birds you can see in front and in the distance are all black swans

 I now have the smoke that covered Sydney yesterday. You can see by the woman's hair how windy it was.

 Aren't people wonderful, this is at Lake Macquarie yesterday (not my lake) north of Sydney and people were out in small boats rescuing wildlife that tried to swim away from the fires. This is a wallaby being rescued.

 Yesterday's headline, now over 300 homes have been lost, mostly in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.

 Today's headline.

 Some local pics from the Illawarra Mercury. The top pic shows a fire plane at Coomaditchie Lagoon near my house and smoke over Lake Illawarra. Bottom pic. is a slightly singed but safe cockatoo.

A pet dog safe and sound. I worry about all the wildlife and pets that couldn't be rescued.                      With the exception of the top photo which I took this morning from my verandah all the photos are from the Telegraph or the Illawarra Mercury.

Catching Up

 A while since my last post but I have not been idle since then.
I looked up from my stitching this afternoon and wondered why the lake was such a strange colour. The day has been very hot and windy and this is only the smoke from one of many bushfires to the north, west and south of Sydney. The photo was taken from my sunroom at 2pm on 17th October. We are in for a bad summer.

 Charlotte was a bit unsettled by the smoke and strange light and abandoned her usual bed in the sunroom. I wish you'd told me you were going to sleep on my sewing table Charlotte, I would have checked that basket for pins.

I have set myself 'The Great Tea Cosy Challenge'. I have had lots of compliments about my first tea cosy (right) so thought I must do more. The one on the Left is a Debi Birkin design and easier to knit than it looks.

 Now I have started the one on the left here. I sent to the UK for the right wool. Then there will be another one waiting to be knitted with fluffy wool.

 I am multi-tasking and cross stitching this sampler for Prince George's birth. Another sampler to be stitched is on the way from ebay.

 I hate to see good work neglected so I bought the boy doll at the markets. His expertly knitted outfit was grubby and stained. Thought I might put his clothes on my old doll or turn him into Prince George.

But look at him now. His clothes are clean and stain free, new ribbon has been threaded through his clothes and he is such a smart boy now. I took him to the op shop and hope he has found a loving new home.

My Sydney Harbour Adventure

 Daughter Susan and family left for a 2 week cruise on Sunday night and I had to be there to wave them off. I am at the Opera House side of the harbour so I could see their cabins which are 2 balcony cabins just above the lifeboats on the left. One cabin for Susan and partner and one cabin for my grandsons aged 16 and 21.

 The ship left from the Overseas Passenger Terminal as it was too large to fit under the bridge. This terminal has seen a lot of history over the years and a lot of tears as ships left for overseas destinations and arrived carrying migrants. I left from here in the 1970's for a 5 week voyage to the U.K and returned in the same ship 5 years later. Then it was possible to have farewell cabin parties and bands played and hundreds of streamers thrown as the ship left.

Starting to get dark now and I am waiting for my emotional farewell. No crowds, no streamers and no bands.

 The ship is starting to pull away and there is no one to wave to. The small group of strangers waiting with me are joining in my phone call to Susan telling her to come on deck and wave.

There she is, that small figure on the far right. I am madly waving my cat scarf and telling myself not to cry as they will be back in 2 weeks. The rest of the family along with all other passengers are already enjoying themselves too much to come and wave.

 The ship has to pull out then reverse and turn around.

 The ship has taken so long to reverse it is now dark. I'm still waving.

 Still waving, the ship has now turned around and is going past the Opera House

 Too dark now and too late for me to return home to the South Coast. A few weeks ago I booked myself a hotel room only 2 train stops from the harbour. I needed a room that was safe, inexpensive and clean.
I didn't pay for a view and the hotel was very nice. BUT this was the view from my window, a bit of a change from the beautiful views I had just left.

I am looking after Fred, my grandson's budgie while he is on the cruise. Here is Charlotte telling me she didn't touch Fred last time he was here and she really can't be bothered now.

Prince George Cross Stitch and Doll houses

 Still dithering about which large Prince George Sampler to stitch. I do like the Riverdrift one and might buy it. Meanwhile I found this mini  Pr George ornament and the much larger Queen cross stitch on Etsy.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AdLeones  I have started the Queen already, easy enough to stitch and should look impressive when complete. I had to hide a lot of UFO stuff away to start this one.

 Another mini cushion from Sheena Rogers. One or both the mini x stitches could be used in one of my doll houses, either as a floor rug, wall hanging or part of a bed quilt.

 A doll house portrait of the new parents with baby George.

 Remember this doll house? Sadly waiting to be renovated for at least 2 years now while others have come and gone or sometimes stayed. It somehow didn't inspire me and I could no longer 'see' what to do with it.
It went to the op shop this week, I hope it can find a happy new home.

 Then I found this one at the Saturday market last week and I feel inspired again,

 I've already removed the stairs to make it easier to paint and paper the stairs and room and the roof has been painted grey. I had thought I might put the stairs in a different place (as per Homes Under The Hammer). Or do I need stairs at all? I could block up the hole in the bedroom floor and so have a larger bedroom. Or the stairs could lead nowhere and be used for display only. I must keep reminding myself that I will not be living in this house and it won't be inspected by the council for safety.

 Stairs for display only. They did lead to the bathroom but I blocked the opening to fit the bathroom suite I wanted.

 This house has no stairs and never did, I haven't missed them.

 The stairs in this one still lead to the bedroom and are also used for display. There are no stairs to the bathroom because that was a later addition. I've also added attic space to this one for storage as I thought the bathroom ceiling too high. In my REAL house, the one I  live in I don't have a basement, cellar, attic or loft. I think I have loft envy so I am pleased to have one in a doll house.

This very pretty crocheted cloth, seen also in the house above is someone's UFO. It came from the op shop in a bag with cottons and the pattern. The pattern is from The Australian Woman's Mirror dated December 25th 1945. I'm so pleased I can find a use for it after all these years.