Wednesday 2 December 2015

December Already? some embroidery is planned and a rude branch!


 
Well how did December arrive so quickly?
It creeps up on you have you noticed?
I made a few things for the Green Fair but it was a very poor turn out, which was unusual, normally its well attended and I sell a reasonable amount.
I covered the cost of the stall and then some but managed to spend that on some hand mades from another stall lol ( xmas gifts)

Okay, not 'another' cat picture I hear you say-  but this is an amazingly special cat picture!


Hilly cat has been with me since I rescued her 10+ years ago.
She had 3 kittens with her and yet she was only around 6 to 8 months old herself.
2 kittens had already died and the remaining one didn't survive despite my best efforts.  Hilly was and always has been terribly nervous but not feral.
I always suspected she had been left behind when folks moved or been kicked out whilst pregnant.
A kindly old chap provided  shelter for her when she wandered into his garden but wouldn't let him touch her.
He fed her for afew weeks before contacting us and I went for her.
She wasn't too hard to catch, no trap needed, just some cagey manoeuvres and food lure.
Well tonight for the first time EVER, she climbed onto my knee and snuggled down.
And after an hour or so of my not daring to move ... and my really needing a pee! - she climbed back on my lap when I got back!
It's taken all these years going at her pace and this reward is much better than a lotto win for me.
Okay daft I may be, but its a blessing none the less.

I succumbed and sent off to the USA for a patchwork and embroidery pattern and it has arrived!
Its cost more than I anticipated but even so, worth every penny.
Its Hocuspocusville by Meg Hawkey and from Crabapple Hill Studio.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=hocuspocusville+pattern+pictures&view=detailv2&qpvt=hocuspocusville+pattern+pictures&id=07B24B7BB37C27EFAB2B707B664A56FCA3E83FD1&selectedIndex=9&ccid=K%2flI%2bTqY&simid=607995755908171961&thid=OIP.M2bf948f93a986d130d8057c89392638eo0&ajaxhist=0

There's an assortment of pictures there to give you an idea what the design is like.


The pattern and postage was £39 and then the bloody UK Customs hit me for £7.75 AND Royal Mail charged me £8 handling fee!
Why should they charge me handling when they are already paid wages to deliver the damned mail anyway?
So annoying lol

I saw the pattern on Barbara's blog, she's been making it bit by bit and showing her stages as she stitched them.(http://catpatches.blogspot.co.uk/)

I fell for the witchy humorous embroidery designs and have now started it.  Am all but finished block 4 so will post it shortly.
Here's the pattern printed on my fabric before stitching, not sure if you can make out the sign post which says
                                                                       Lost
                                                                       small dog
                                                                       call Dorothy



I should point out this isn't a transfer pattern its a light box and micron pen draw onto the fabric pattern.
So I had to buy the A3 light box and 2 pens too LOL
( There goes my winter fuel allowance and I have only bought half the fabrics needed so far too -)
 
In between the rain and wind storms of late I did some garden tidying and lopped some errant branches off next doors curly wurly branched tree.
One longer branch needed to be cut into pieces to fit in the recycling bin and lo and behold, one piece caught my eye.
Here's its front and back
or back and front
- weird or what !!
 
 
 

 
 



LOL

11 comments:

  1. So sorry that the craft fair wasn't a real big success - it seems to be a common theme this year for some reason. And I can perfectly understand the not-wanting-to-move when you have a kitty curled up on your lap - particularly when it's a first. The new project looks like a great deal of fun. I was enjoying seeing/reading about all these things and then.....then......well, all I am going to say is that good thing I wasn't the one having to go pee!!

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  2. oh how wonderful about Hilly. i completely understand your joy....that was a long time in coming. ....and that quilt pattern....wow...you weren't kidding....so expensive. can't wait to see your progress.

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  3. Okay...
    Love the story about Hilly...
    Don't get me started about that £8 handling fee...
    Laughed out loud at your rude tree xx

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  4. Didn't realise when I first started to read your blog that it would need to be censored once in a while LOL What a special gift when Hilly came onto your knee!

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  5. I loved your 'story' about Hilly cat. How wonderful after all those years :)
    I'm looking forward to seeing your embroidery. The flickr picture looks amazing but I can't really make out the detail. And I couldn't agree more about the handling charge - it's their job to handle mail! I've been stung by it a couple of times too :(
    And yes your branch is interesting! Hope you have a great December :)

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  6. Not sure what to say about your weird branch, except maybe LOL as well. I would be gulping loudly at the cost of your pattern, but if you love it,and enjoy some wintery stitching it's all worth it. Look forward to seeing it progress. I have a cat like your Hilly,although I got her as a tiny kitten, she had been extremely ill-treated by the little girl where she was born and whose parents were pretty drugged up when I went to look at the kittens, so perhaps didn't notice what she did to them. Neesa will sometimes come and sit on me, but only if I'm laying down. Like you, I'm so chuffed I don't disturb her to get up, even if need to go pee or have things to do. It's lovely when they decide to grace our laps with their presence, you're going to have snuggly kitty kind of winter :)

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  7. Hello Lyn! I have seen hocus pocus ville on another blog I visit and it is beautiful! I hope you enjoy stitching it! Postage, etc is such a bind these days! Very interesting branches! Loved hearing about your cat.... that was a wonderful piece of news! Christine x

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  8. First of all, God bless you for taking in your kitty and giving her the love she deserves and being so patient about her returning it to you! A few of my 6 were formerly feral and they still have a few quirks, but eventually they come around - and that is such a gratifying day! Don't ever forget that all the while they DO love you and are SO grateful!
    The tree branch would make a great Halloween decoration! lol - weird!

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  9. Branch Porn! You will have lots of fun stitching up Hocus Pocus--such a fun pattern! I recently sent something to the UK and the postal fees were insane

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  10. So glad to hear the 10 year wait was well worth it for two snuggles in a row with Hilly ! I hope they continue!!! And lucky you to have a camera handy.

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  11. Beautiful cat - and you were clearly very honoured. As an aside, the postman told me the extra mail charge is because they pay the VAT up front for us, but lots of people don't then bother to pick up their stuff once they receive the pay notice. That means those of us who do are subsidising all the others. Go figure!

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