About Me

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I have been stitching since the late 80's I used to knit till it went out of fashion in the 80's,I enjoy many forms of stitching hardanger,blackwork, any counted stitches, cross-stitch, Quilting,stumpwork,beading and of course my first passion which was knitting.I love the colour purple, I like to stitch samplers I love alphabets, will design my own for special occasions.I like following designer lizzie kate, brent creek,prarie schooler, shepherds bush, little house needlework, Country Cottage Needle work and many more.

Friday 31 October 2014

Halloween Exchange

 I took part in a Halloween Exchange  on wisdomwithneedleandthread , my partner was Jo from Australia I sent her this it is a Lizzie Kate pattern.


Kimberly from the states sent me this I do not know who the designer is.



Sunday 26 October 2014

Metal detecting

Well I was up early today I promised to take Hubby metal detecting as he still cannot drive. We ended up in Fangfoss the other side of York, parked our car on the farm and waited for everyone to arrive.
I have brought the dogs with me so that we could go for a walk. At the moment I am watching them detecting.


12pm
Well I have spent the morning walking the dog's and reading I have even had my crochet out it has kept my knee's warm while I was doing it. 
It is now lunch time all the metal detectors are lined up!


There are about 22 cars here but more people than that.


Hubby has found a couple of buttons and a cap badge, some others have found a couple of roman coins and a spindle whorle.

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Roman York class 3

This week was all about funeral rites and cemeteries in Roman York. 
When the Romans first came they where into cremation quite often the ashes where put in previously used pots  could be cookery pots with no inscription so unknown.  Then within a couple of centuries they started to bury people call inhumation this was due to the rise of Christianity. This is when we started to see more memorials which where painted so they stood out, the pain fragments can still be seen on them today.
Sarcophagus where seen in high status burials, the bodies were in a lead lined coffin placed into the stone sarcophagus covered in gypsum, which goes solid like plaster so it has over time preserved an impression of the body as the bones have gone because the gypsum is alkaline so the bones dissolve it has also kept impressions of the clothes
A lot of information has been found out from the bones, age, any injures, sex, social status from grave goods and any memorials, religious practices regarding buried rights and many other things not listed here.
At the end of class out came the artifacts he bought some bones but I didn't photograph them then came some grave goods.


Coffin hinge


Amber bead from necklace/bracelet


Pipe Clay Venus Central Gaul(France) good luck trinket


Green bottle original glass ? Egypt/Germany ? Perfume/oils

Saturday 18 October 2014

Crochet blanket

A few years ago I collected the art of crochet intending as you do to learn to crochet by making the blanket, I collected it for about a year, this was a weekly part works so I got a ball of wool each week, I know the basics about crochet as I am self taught I have used it as edging on knitting.


I decided to wash the bedding in my dog's beds, but then when I pulled it all out I decided I was not going to assult my washing machine with all the dog hairs I managed to fill two bin bags, so now they have nothing to curl up in, I am rooting in the wardrobes for old jumpers and I thought why not use up some of that wool, so I have started a blanket feeling quite pleased with myself but the action of crocheting is making my wrist ach a bit.


Monday 13 October 2014

End of class


It got better out came the artifacts at the end of the class. The first was an iron nail used in making the wooden forts.


Then came a bone hair pin which are made from the leg bones of cows/horses this was dated before AD 410 my Hubby asked how he knew it was not Viking and it has to do with the shape of the head.


Then we had a mount which would have been decoration on a horses harness.


An interesting one was a child's blue glass bangle inlaid with enamel this was a high status piece as the blue glass is very rare and is manufactured in Germany.



Then a piece of pottery black slip wear which was used as a beer mug AD140.


Roman York

At this moment in time I am sat at York university with my Hubby as he is unable to drive at the moment and he had signed up to a learning for pleasure course,  I have been allowed to sit in on the class as my Hubby's vision has been affected as he has developed a 3rd nerve palsy, it is a 6 week course on Roman York or as it was called Eboracum. This is our 2nd week last week I found quite interesting but boy this week is boring all about the legions, they only have a list of nine names which belong to the soldiers over 400 years and these are from grave memorials.

 

I decided last week that I would knit during the class to pass the time,I thought I would start the cowl I bought at Yarndale.


We'll I have manged to knit the 1st one as I bought enough wool to knit two, one for me and my mother.


Just need to add the buttons.


Sunday 12 October 2014

Beading weekend

Last weekend I was beading, had 2 workshops with Melanie Potter an American bead artist, I had a wonderful time Melanie is a very patient teacher and her instructions are fantastic.


The other beader all busy at work, usually we are quite a chatty bunch while beading but we were very quite as we learn our new stitches also a lot of counting involved.




On the Saturday we did a necklace called flowers of the field in chevron chain which is a stitch I have never done before, this is my bit of beading for the day.


Below is one of Melanie's necklaces so I still have a lot of work to do I did finish the large flower when I got home.


Sunday we beaded a bracelet called Versaillles Cuff, not usually a great fan of bracelets but I loved this one I used one her kits for this one, usually a lot of my beading is in purple as is my favourite colour, this one is orange and purple, not 2 colours I would put together but looks great.


Again this is Melanie's finished cuff.



I now have a lot of beading ahead of me. next year we have Marcia Decosta coming to teach us.

Friday 3 October 2014

Look what postman bought.

Received a package in the post, I had ordered some old copies of just cross stitch magazines and this years ornament issue.



This is the bag I made from the class yesterday just have to attach the lining and it will be finished.


This weekend off to Filey to the caravan as I have two bead workshops at Robinhoods Bay with Melanie Potter an American Bead Artist, we are starting a necklace on Saturday and a bracelet on Sunday I have all my beads really looking forward to it, our bead Teacher Jenny organised this, 4 clubs got together and invited Melanie over to teach.

Thursday 2 October 2014

Bag class

I enjoyed the bag class with Stuart Hillard he is an excellent teacher and very patient.


This is Stuarts bag and what we're aiming to make.


Here are my fabric strips waiting to be stitched. As you can see I have a stitching theme going on this is some of the fabric I bought at the Birmingham quilt show in August.


This is the classroom at the Viking Loom, I have been coming to classes here for about the last 15 yrs.


Stuart in teaching mode.