stitch and mend
2010
The cardie is in the suitcase, awaiting my mum’s clever stitchin-up needle. Has been for a few days. And next on the make do and mend schedule – a little cross stitch. Whenever I cross stitch, I am oh-so-reminded how much I LOVE this. Cross stitch was my first crafty enterprise, post childhood experimentation. Our home, and those of all my family, are filled with cross stitch wall hangings, christmas decorations, etc. And whilst I still love settling down with a pattern – usually a Prairie Schooler or Carriage House Samplings - I must say, there are lovely hours of pleasure to be found when I sit down with a needle, my thread box, a plain piece of cotton cloth, and simply start “drawing”, my cross stitch picture slowly growing, evolving and changing as I stitch.
Some things get ripped out again and again and again before I am happy with how they look or where they sit. And to be sure, there are moments when, if only I plotted it out before stitching, I could well have come up with a “perfect” design. But perfection is honestly something I never strive for – I’m to lazy and impatient for that :-) So if there is a wee bit of wonky, so be it.
This is the Little Boy Down the Lane .. inspired by Cindy’s dear little fellow, Zach. They are a lovely family who live aboard a yacht in a beautiful part of the world, and last week, visited a working sheep farm. The idea of belonging to a homeschooling fibre CSA is incredibly enticing – and the photos sweet – so here’s my broken ankle, housebound interpretation.
[ Must say at this point, that the reading of lovely blogs has been the SAVING of me this week! God bless the escapist bliss of visiting inspiring folk in many beautiful corners of the world.]
Here’s the wee sheep – just waiting to be sheared of all that lovely wool. Oooooh wouldn’t you just love to be like Farmama or Kerrie over at Busy Gnomes and have your own sheep, that you could shear, then wash the wool, do all those things that have to be done, then spin the wool into yarn and knit up cosy jumpers and cardies. Ahhh to dream :-) Mind you, Kerrie and I are cooking up plans for some of her lovely Ballarat yarn to be dyed a beautiful Loch Blue and spun into yarn for a cardie for Julian – complete with wooden buttons courtesy of her enterprising boys. I can’t wait :-)
Back to Zach – he has his binoculars so as to spy those spring birds as they gather nearby. Scattered through the grass are the bluebells that appear in my friends’ lawn each spring. And in the corner, a silver birch. These have lived in my imagination since first reading Anne of Green Gables – but it wasn’t until we moved here, that I’ve seen them for myself! All around our suburb – including our next door neighbour’s garden – there are hundreds of beautiful silver birches, their delicate branches spilling over fences, casting quite the magical spell with their soft silvery trunks and floaty leaves. I do declare, they are my favourite tree at the moment :-)
The birch has quite grown – from that stick – since the photos, and now there is a sweet house in the background. Our first day of the school holidays included a little outing with our lovely friends Kirsten, Georgia and Zoe (winter uniform shopping and a much needed morning tea at the Martin Street Providore) and then several cosy hours on the bed, foot raised on a pile of cushions (you won’t believe this, but I slipped in the rain whilst out, and landed heavily on my dodgy foot – grrrrr…..), my cross stitch, plentiful cups of tea courtesy of my dear Abby, and a wonderful new Librivox recording – The Midnight Queen by the Canadian novelist, May Agnes Fleming. It’s set during the Great Plague in London and is a thrilling story of dashing knights, disappearing maidens, sinister counts, and a masked fortune teller. Try it! I’m adoring it.
I’ll share more cross stitch in a few days! And now, everything else needed for our fortnight in Brisbane is packed – including some more pieces of cotton for more cross stitches – and it’s time for bed. We have an early morning start – like, 3.30am!
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Your cross stitch is always so perfect – it almost looks unreal, or printed!!!
I literally GASPED when I saw/ read this! Now I can’t wait for Zach to wake up to show him! Lily, you amaze me too with your talent and sweetness. I am speechless… and humbled that our little adventure at the fiber csa would inspire such a thing of beauty.
How adorable! I hope you have a great visit with your Mum.
Beautiful! It sounds like plots and plans have been keeping your mind off the ankle? Have a wonderful visit with your mum!
oh lily!!! your cross stitch is just beautiful!!! and i love that it was inspired by cindy and zach!
What a sweet little boy down the lane. I can think of nothing better than to be a part of a CSA fiber homeschool. I’ve just recently started reading about Zach and his family. Very sweet family. I’m glad to see you are finding some creative moments amongst your broken leg. Continue to take care and have many more happy creative moments.
I love the style of clothes that ‘Zach’ is wearing, so sweet.
A bit of brisbane and family sounds perfect for you right now.
The little boy is so sweet… wish him plenty of happy spying…the sheep and the bird and the surroundings are very charming!
Terribly sorry that you slipped again… so painful! Hope you get lots of rest during the holidays. Take care, Lily.
Your blog always offers a delicious treat, and this Little Boy cross stitch is no exception! I am so sorry that you hurt your ankle, and find it interesting that you are spending time exploring blogs. My recovery from surgery has been made much easier due to my visits to Blockaday! Hope you have a wonderful trip.
LILY,
YOUR CROSS STITCH IS BEAUTIFUL!
HAVE A WONFERFUL TRIP.
ANNIE D.