Monday 12 March 2012

Since I was last here....

  • I've had an excellent meeting with my Spectrum group.
The group were buoyed up by the success of the exhibition, homework was completed with some fabulous results and we spent a productive day making print blocks and then printing designs in black and white based on images from our sketchbooks. A super day ladies!



  • I've spent a lovely morning with my knitting group in Hertford.
I've only actually been three times so I'm not sure I can get away with calling it "my knitting group" but it was a lovely morning with new friends and old and I have finally finished the second lace cuff for these mitts. Lessons learned... not only is black knitting difficult to photograph but trying to knit lace in black yarn is almost impossible, especially when you go wrong as often as I do!

  • I've dicovered how to use the internet on my iPod
Now I know this will not come as news to most of you but the fact that I can use Facebook, Twitter (not that I do anyway), check email and possibly even blog from this little device was quite a revelation to me. I thought it was for playing music! And it means that in theory I can still blog when I'm away.

  • I have been to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Which was warm, funny, gentle, sad and an all round feel good film and I can thoroughly recommend seeing it.

  • I made a Chocolate and Lime Cheesecake
Because it was Sunday and my lovely step-children came for lunch... and very tasty it was too! (Recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery "Cake Days")

  • And I finished three more little books
 The first a "sewing" themed book...


The case is decorated with various sewing paraphenalia and inside it is less a book...


but a miniature patchwork needlecase instead.


The second, although a commission was left up to me to decide the theme which is probably the most difficult challenge of all. I picked "Poppies"... will she like it... or won't she?


The case has a real poppy seed head


and the book has a machine embroidered and beaded cover.


And the final book has an Indian elephant theme.


The case is covered with strips of sari silk and decorated with an elephant charm.


And the book has an appliqued and embroidered cover, although best of all was being able to use this tiny elephant bead that I've had in my sewing box for over 30 years.


So, that was my week. I had planned to make a lot more little books to catch up with my orders but realistically I think that my target of getting them almost all done before I go away was a bit ambitious and I'll be happy to get half of them done. It's less than two weeks until I go and I'm overwhelmed with the urge to get things in order before I leave... tidying cupboards, filling the freezer, laundering everything in sight... this morning I was out digging my vegetable beds at 7.30 a.m. like some sort of crazy woman (and that was after walking the dog and seeing to the chickens). But nothing new there I guess!

22 comments:

  1. I love your mitts but I know what you mean about knitting in black especially in the evenings!
    More beautiful little matchboxes too. :)

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  2. Your mittens are great. I go wrong so often in lace knitting - I seem to spend more time unpicking it and starting again than actually knitting at times.
    Lovely books - as ever!

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  3. Wow Gina -- you've been BUSY! Your mitts are beautiful, I LOVE that little sewing book, and I can't wait until that movie comes here -- I REALLY want to see it!

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  4. Slow down! You'll wear yourself out before you start your trip!
    Love the lace cuffs but I find that knitting black is always difficult.
    Gorgeous little books - the elephant one is my favourite.
    I want to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - it cant fail to be a hit with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and the rest of that wonderful cast.

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  5. well gina as i always say how do you fit it all in - were you up all night?
    your matchboxes are great and very inventive.
    i bet you are counting down the days to your trip and to see your lovely son.
    anniex

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  6. The mitts look lovely, well worth the tearing out of rows and hair x

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  7. Those wrist warmers are lovely, could you let me have the pattern details please although I won't use black.
    I went see Marigold Hotel and really enjoyed it but I didn't think it was as hilarious as I had been told.
    The little books are wonderful. I'm looking forward to you blogging while you are away.

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  8. Lovely mitts - black is a "so and so" of a colour to both knit with, or sew with, I find.........

    Isn't it just lovely when something like your elephant bead finally finds its "home"?.......

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  9. Love all your little books. Dont over do it!!

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  10. Such beautiful little books. Especially the Indian one, so clever.

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  11. Oh, the tiny heffalump - love him!

    Hope you manage to fit it all in. I am itching to be digging but there is stuff here that needs attention more urgently so it's just going to have to wait a while.

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  12. Wow, Gina, this week was a triple star even for you, who always seem to find a way to find time that does not exist.

    Bravo. Please do take a bow!

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  13. Those of us who get up with the lark do get more done in the day don't we... except you must work at twice the speed I go to cram it all in! I saw Best Exotic a couple of weeks ago on the day it came out - we were a cinema of people over 55 exercising our grey pound on a Friday afternoon. We must have been of the same generation as we all laughed in the same places. Lovely film and great characters. PS. That sewing book box is my favourite to date!

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  14. Love the new books, your so inventive.
    I'm going to Marigold hotel tomorrow, really looking forward to it.
    Your lace mitten looks wonderful, think i'll have to have a go at lace, i've got a fabulous book from the library Loop-d-loop lace Teva Durnham

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  15. Oh the new books are lovely - not long now to your trip how lovely. I have not got to see that film just yet but everyone who has been has loved it so must make some time.

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  16. Very impressed you can do lace--and in black! And your upcoming trip is definitely something to get excited about. K x

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  17. I see you've been putting your feet up again Gina!! In my knitting group we usually find that anything more than stocking stitch can be a challenge as we all chat and don't concentrate!
    The little books are all so gorgeous, so glad I haven't go tho choose a favourite!

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  18. those little matchboxes are SO cute!

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  19. Lovely blog Gina, I love the lacy mittens, rather elegant!! I too loved the film, funny and poignant.

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