Post 66: Crewel Day

There’s not much variety in today.s post. It’s pretty much crewel work all the way.. I didn’t go out but stitched the remainder of the Mellerstain screen and listened to an audio version of Tracy Chevalier’s A Single Thread. I’m enjoying the book

I worked my way through the remaining hummocks, grasses  and the bottom edge. I think this might be the most enjoyable piece I have ever embroidered. Embroidering something I have designed myself doesn't count. The enjoyment of that is of a different kind. But in terms of a prepared design, this has been deeply satisfying. I’m  surprised, because there are so many small components which I thought might be frustrating, but it has proved quite the opposite.

I worked the interior of the hummocks first, and then  the outlines and grasses..

This lower section looked quite different when finished - less busy, more harmonious.

I  removed it from the roller frame. I must say I haven’t really enjoyed using the frame. I chose it because it was very wide. Narrower ones didn’t work.






It does give a smoother finished fabric, but I need to block it anyway. I certainly prefer working with a seated  hoop. 

I was feeling tired when I finished it so thought I’d take a break before blocking.  Much more relaxing to prepare for my next project, which I thought might be the Anna Scott bag in the most recent issue of Inspirations. Earlier in the week I had assembled the magazine, linen, lining and my light box. What I hadn’t sorted was the threads. I figured I must have enough Appleton’s wools to do it, if I were to sort them. 

I’m not sure that it wouldn’t have been more relaxing to have blocked the finished piece!

I sorted them by numbers - putting them into bags by hundreds, and removing any that are listed for Anna’s project. I then checked the Appleton’s colour chart online and chose substitutes for the colours  I didn’t have.

It’s been a chilly, Grey day here in Adelaide, although it finished rather nicely. I haven’t been checking on the dove since this morning when she appeared soon after the seed. There was  a lot of water around after last nights rain. By the end of the day the seed had all gone,.




I put  the materials for the Anna Scott bag aside and retuned to the owl bag I had worked while travelling. Midsomer Murders and Death in Paradise got me through the sorting process and dinner and I have called on Volume 2 of the Lord Peter Whimsey Series 2 CD set I bought last year to help me through the owl. It's the Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club.







Neither the CD nor the owl is very demanding.

Just the ticket!

Post 65 Good News

 This post begins at the end of the day. News of Jennifer's operation was a long time in coming, but around 8pm I received the news that Jennifer is awake and doing well. She can't vocalise because of the tracheotomy device but has been communicating with the nurse by nodding and using her hands. She has asked for her spectacles so she can watch TV! Doctors indicated her latest swab is negative for Corona virus and they may not need to test again.

It is by far the most important thing that happened today and deserves to be up front. It's such a joy and a relief.






It has been a cold, wet and windy day. Around 9am I noticed a young Adelaide rosella clinging on to a branch for dear life. The wind was whipping the branches. I didn't have time to take a video but managed to get three shots that give a bit of an idea.  I've put them together here.

The dove put in several appearances. In the second one, she sat on the balcony rail while I slowly opened the door, picked up the container of seed, opened it and distributed some on the tiles. She didn't pick it up until I closed the door and retreated inside, but a bit of trust I think.

Yesterday I ordered this most interesting colouring book from Etsy. It was in my letterbox by midday today! The author lives a couple of blocks away.  It has some amazing representations of Adelaide locations for colouring in..
One page is a map of Adelaide, complete with the squares and other features.  I am interested in the possibility of using them for embroidery.

On my way to visit a friend this afternoon I called at the Camera shop in the Central marked to try to buy a replacement battery for my SLR. Unfortunately they did not have one in stock. I might have to try online.



My friend made wonderful cheese scones. Really good. I drove along the beach on my way home - just to check it is still there.

It was.


It was too cold and windy to stop and walk out on the jetty, but it was a treat to see the beach.


My friend gave me some celery, which I swapped for some grapes.

I added celery  to my soup.  I usually add celery at the last minute but had forgotten to buy it.




It really improved my soup tonight.








Because I was out for the afternoon I didn't do as much on the Mellerstain screen as I had hoped, but I still made progress.

I really love the 3D effect that is the result of the long and short stitch shading on the hillocks.















Here's where I got to. There's not a lot left to do.  And there's plenty of time.

Tomorrow.

Post 64: Rain

The sunrise drew me out of bed this morning because of the glow and the grey. There was a lot of water around and more falling.

When the sun got a bit higher the dove seemed to find a spot with the sun on her wing and sat there, quite still, head hunched down into her feathers. She pecked at the seed, but left as the rain began, to return an hour later. This time she was much bolder, exploring the whole floor of the balcony, including the door mat. It’s the first time she has come so close to the door, and the longest time to my knowledge, she has spent on the balcony.

Sandra's stocking.

It was great to get an email from Sandra, in Manchester. Her resident pigeons have, unfortunately,  left her tree. She has been working on Phillipa Turnbull's Christmas stocking.
Rather than a unicorn on the stocking she has added a stag. It looks really lovely. Sandra is also making wash bags and scrubs for Health workers as well as working on her piece from Phillipa's class at our recent retreat (seems like a world away - which, of course, it is!). I don't think she will mind my using her photograph.

I spent many hours on the hillocks beneath the stag.  I like the effect. It’s very textured and Three-dimensional from the layers in shading.


I had a long phone conversation with a friend. Great to catch up.  I’ve also plunged into a third of Patricia Wentworth’s Miss Silver books. Indulgent, but very easy reading.

The best moment of the day was the news that Jennifer will have her tracheotomy at 10am Perth time tomorrow. While the procedure itself is apparently quite quick, it will take a long time to set up and clean up, because of the Covid19 infection. Doctors said Jennifer is stable at 20% oxygen, and her sedation has been reduced to the point where she’s moving her arms. After the procedure tomorrow it will be reduced further. This is very encouraging.

It continued raining all day and there is more to come tomorrow. It’s been a good day to be inside stitching.. I spend a bit of time contemplating what I will embroider next. Quite a bit to choose from.

But before I get carried away I have 8 hillocks to finish.

Post 63 : Hope

I missed all but a hint of one end of this rainbow, which was captured by my daughter from her 18th floor office in the Adelaide CBD around 2.30 this afternoon.

It rained on and off all day, increasing in the afternoon. My closing the Vergola roof didn't deter the dove but she did pick a time when it wasn't raining to collect her daily offering of seed and water.

I also had a surprise visit from a Noisy Miner (that's really its name). I haven't noticed one of these before, certainly not on the balcony rail. The sound came first. For those who are interested and don't know the bird, or why it has it's name, you can hear it at  https://youtu.be/dphBB5xMvOw.

The news from Perth came early this afternoon. Jennifer is booked to have a tracheotomy on Friday. The hospital is apparently waiting on negative pressure suits for the ENT specialists who will operate. Her oxygen support is down to 20%, and she is stable. The procedure is expected to make her more comfortable and she will be brought out of sedation afterwards. A bit more waiting - but very promising.




Late in the afternoon my Coles delivery came. I am so grateful for this service. You might notice the toilet paper - ordered for a friend who is having difficulty finding a supply. It's the first time I've bought it. I have enough for about 10 weeks so this is for my friend.






















I concentrated on the stag today. Again, it was relaxing and enjoyable to stitch.  I then filled in the hillocks beneath the stag.











So now it's hillocks all the way.

That's manageable.

Post 62: after 40 days I visit a shopping centre!

The Adelaide Rosella is back! He appears on that tree in Spring, as the new shoots are visible, and again in Autumn, when, I assume, there are seed pods ripe for the picking. Unfortunately, the battery in my SLR is refusing to hold its charge. My iPhone is good for most things, but not photographing birds at a distance of some 5-10 metres. I will see if I can get to a camera shop, because this visitation will only last, at most 14 days.












I spent a bit of time trimming plants and emptying water from balcony boxes and taking it to the plants on the Western balcony.













There is more rain coming tonight.

With hesitation, I visited the Unley Shopping Centre. I wanted to take my soft plastic to the recycling bin at Woolworths at the end of this corridor. I have been collecting this since I returned from England - now 40 days. It was a good decision. There were a few people around, but everyone kept their distance. I was able to walk straight down to the bin. The butcher was trading, so I bought meat for 3 meals. Price's Bakery was also open, with only one person inside and crosses on the floor to mark where to stand. They didn't, unfortunately, have any Cornish pasties, so I got 2 sausage rolls, a lime milkshake and a florentine to take away (the only option anyway). A big treat when I got home.





On a roll, I went into the bank with a cheque that has arrived while I was in England. This is the first time I have been anywhere near a bank. Only 8 people could enter the bank at a time and we had to stand on one of the marked positions.

I was surprised by how easy it was. It wasn't crowded, but there were people around, all taking care and businesses were clear about distances and processes. All clothing shops were closed.

By the time I got home, the rain was beginning. The dove managed to visit and clear up the seed before it got wet. It has continued to rain.



I had a phone call from Susan in her new hotel in Perth. She has been cleared of Covid19 and is expecting her certificate of clearance to be delivered to her hotel. Once she has that she can leave the hotel if she wishes.

Jennifer is still not off the respirator. The swelling in her vocal cords has improved, but not enough. The respirator is still providing 25-35% of her oxygen. Doctors want this at 21-25%  before they remove it. They are considering a tracheotomy. Clearly I would prefer to hear more straightforward news that she is breathing on her own. She is, however, slightly improved, and in the best possible hands.

I spent the afternoon scrolling my frame to expose the bottom edge of the linen.  I would prefer to have this on a seated frame. I did try to fit the frame into my Nurge seated frame, but the clamp will in no way take the roller frame. At this point I'm not going to move this to a hoop. I wish there were wider clamps for the Nurge.








In the meantime, I'm back on my Lowery frame.


The scrolling process took a fair time, with the lacing, so there is not a huge amount of stitching to show. I finished the little vegetation on the right, put in the lattice framework and the first colour on the stag.

This last section is different. There are no leaves - which have been the dominant feature of the rest of the screen. There is much more solid fill - mostly long and short stitch. I'm really looking forward to working it tomorrow. The forecast is for rain and wind. I have a Coles delivery coming, a pot of soup and an embroidery. Shaping up to be my kind of day.

Post 61: Progress

It was a promising dawn, even from my bed, once the blind was raised. The forecast rain did not eventuate . It is now predicted tomorrow evening. 

I discovered, however that the heavy rain last Friday was still lying in the flowerpots and containers. It glad a remarkable brightening effect on the plants, especially the ‘black’ geranium,

The dove waited for me to go inside then cleaned up the seeds I’d distributed - and sampled the fresh water,

I finished reading the second of Patricia Wentworth’s Miss Silver series then focused on the Mellerstain screen. It is such relaxing and enjoyable stitching. I shall be sorry to finish it!

I had a call from my hairdresser. I had had an appointment for a haircut this week. The salon had sent a generic email a couple of weeks ago saying all appointments were cancelled (although, hairdressers are, for some inexplicable reason, regarded as an essential service). My hairdresser is not working at the moment but is planning to work from May 12 and offered me an appointment, which I have accepted. She is a young woman who bought a home in the Adelaide  Hills last year with her partner. They were evacuated during the bushfires. Their house survived but the fire came close, In response to my question about how she was travelling, her only comment was  “2020 is a sucky year”.  I do hope I can keep the appointment.

I was stitching on the balcony when school came out today - the first day back after our school holidays with our government recommending students return to face to face classes. I was lucky enough to see Niamh and Veronica. They called up that they’d had a good day - and sounded as if they meant it. 

Later I got word that Jennifer is still on a respirator, Her oxygen has improved to 35%. Doctors want 25% or better. They believe the swelling swelling has reduced somewhat. If her oxygen levels have reduced sufficiently tomorrow they may try again to take her off the respirator. It is slow, but it is progress.



I've made the progress I wanted across the firescreen. There is a little bit to finish on the lower right hand corner leaves, then the stag. I think I will scroll the linen up tomorrow morning before I start on the stag.