Back on complementary colours . . .

Purply colours seem to come out in pix a bit bluer than they really are, honest.

But OK, these are just straight blue and yellow.

But here's the red and green starting to emerge again!

Good Friday and what came after

(Better late than never) The cross up on Cobden Edge makes a dramatic image against the sky. Even though it was a sunny day the dark clouds picture the Bible narrative that tells how darkness came over the land at the moment Jesus let his life go. Its a custom in Marple for large numbers of people from the local churches to walk up the hill to the cross on Good Friday afternoon.

And then, in the context of it being Easter, flowers and blossom are pictures of the new life coming in the resurrection that followed.

Bank holiday boat trip . . .

. . . up to Marple junction, 5 mins from our house. It's open again now for boats, though there is still work being done to the retaining wall (right) below the houses.Through the bridge and look behind you . . . . . . then look left towards top lock, the first of 16, heading down towards Manchester on the Peak Forest canal.

Now actually, this is going in the other direction from our house, but never mind, just enjoy the tranquil scene!And over this bridge traffic roars, or crawls, along the A6, depending on the time of day.

And we're just approaching our wharf somewhere here, after a relaxing trip.

Patchwork from Thailand

I found this small bag - probably intended for a makeup bag - a lovely example of this folded patchwork done in Thailand. Those folded triangles are so small, less than half a centimetre. The vertical strips are folded too.

Amaryllis

Some of our amaryllis have flowered again this year. They are so beautiful.

Making braids

As if I hadn't got enough to do just stitching I have to get sidetracked into trying out making plaited braids, kumihimo style, with a bit of card. This one is octagonal, doesn't have to be dead accurate, with a slit in the middle of each side and 7 threads. You knot the threads together, push the knot through the hole, slip each thread into a hole. Hold the card with the gap at the top and start by passing the 3rd thread down across and into the gap. Rotate the card till the new gap is at the top and take the 3rd thread down and pass it across. Continue till all your thread is used up, just keep going round. it doesn't matter whether you are right or left handed, the process is the same, just go in the direction that suits you, the same one all the time for passing the threads and rotating the card. Use knitting yarns, string, anything, and it goes quicker if the thread is thick, or doubled for extra thickness.

TAST miscellany -

- knotted cretan, which does make nice twiggy sprays. But isn't it close to feather stitch? I think it was the latter I was stitching some of the time!
- some couching, trying various stitches over the laid threads. Fly stitch across 2 laid threads is interesting. Also, vertically on the right, over the yellow thread I tried it with bonnet stitch. So long as the height of the stitch is right and the pass under is above the laid thread and the 'chain'-forming stitch below, it works well, with an interesting edge formed by the chain-like part of the stitch. Also used it to fill a space.
- barred chain, used it to fill spaces.
- I used a brown range of threads for a change, including wools.

Garden and canal catchup . . .

. . . with some celandines - amazing colour, and they grow so neatly somehow. We have little cushions of them all over the garden.

And on the canal at the bottom of the garden, some swans, maybe a pair we aren't sure.

They may not stay. At the moment the canal is quite clear (by canal standards!) because there have been very few boats lately. Now there are more passing and the silt is getting churned up again. Here's the reason for that -

Just up the canal from our house a retaining wall below some houses fell in and in order to have access for machinery the canal was filled in and a 'road' built across it. So of course it was closed to boats and nowhere for them to go. The white bars on the left are the new wall and the canal has just now been cleared and opened again.

Tast catchup . . .

. . . with the tail end of my long sampler strip. It's a bit scrappy, but there are examples of up and down buttonhole, including a seam treatment on the left with bullion stitches and beads. I've also 'invented' (maybe!) a detached version of the buttonhole - the four-legged stars. There are some more of them on the bottom strips of the postcards (which still need their edges doing). There's also some couching using various stitches, including alternating barred chain. And a separate piece of couching. I need to do more barred chain as I don't find it very easy. The loop always seems to collapse and squash up to nothing. Must try harder.

After some thinking about maybe changing the form of the sampler I've decided to use another long strip, and will be turning the finished one into a scroll for storing.

Ullswater weekend . . .

. . . with a nice bunch of people from church. The first evening was a lovely sunny one . . . . . . but it became less friendly the next day with fog over Kirkstone Pass. But on the Sunday there were nice spells again and a walk round Aira Force with the river and waterfalls was lovely.

Found some nice examples of texture of course for close ups:

Journal quilt February

Better late than never. It is the next in the series of one a month being made by members of the Contemporary Quilt group in the Quilters' Guild.

Oh, exasperatiion, it has come up sideways, even though I turned it round in the relevant software!!! Anyone trying to view, just lie down sideways please!

My thinking behind it was the greys of February being split by the brilliant colours of flowers e.g. crocuses. Oh, and there's a few snow sparkles, we did have some here.

It's time for lunch really, but I daren't close this blog down in case I can't get back in!

Icons back!

Hooray, thank you, blogger. But please let me load some pix! Don't just tell me the page cannot be displayed!

Well, at the third try I got this photo up. Hope it inspires someone! I must update the SilkTownStitchers blog now before spending any more time here, they have been waiting a long time!

Thnks for comment Pat.Yes, I did and same posting problem was there! Can't get to post comments either, here or on your blog!

Still can't get to load pictures and publish main body of post. Any advice, anyone? 'Help' is no help.

Still can't get anything to publish except what I put in the title slot . . .

Its gone again . . .

TAST but no more . . .

I've got the correct window back for loading pix, but am struggling to get more than one on. I had a nice post nearly done earlier but the pc froze - was it them or us? Don't know, but I lost it all and have started again. I'll publish it quick!! Here's a bit more cross stitch and the barred chain.

The last post was censored, only the title has been published!

Blogger being contrary

TAST CATCHUP . . .

It is time I caught up with posting TAST pics - I've been doing the stitching, just not getting things together regarding taking pics, loading onto pc and putting on the blog. So here on my continuous sampler are feather stitch, fly stitch, cross stitch, barred chain, and alternating barred chain. On some small pieces of felt there is more cross stitch. These are in a small book I made.