Post 363 Plants, real and embroidered, scaffolds of all kinds.

My apologies to those who get this blog by email. Last night I posted just after midnight but somehow missed the 11pm-1am window in which the email is set to go out. Thanks to Robin for alerting me and enabling me to reset the window this morning. 

In spite of the Post number, this is the 365th post since I began this blog a year ago tomorrow. I missed one because of an international date change on the plane and I doubled up numbers on three posts. My thanks to all who are still following along. It's not yet the end - weekly posts will follow for the rest of the year.

 This morning brought a lovely long email from Genevieve in Brussels. She is in fairly restrictive lockdown, and missing seeing her family on a daily basis.She has, of course, been very busy stitching. I really love the biscornu. The monogram is pretty impressive too.  

Most impressive, however, is the finished panel for the Floris ende Blancefloer tapestry project that I wrote about eight months ago. Genevieve worked the bird, the columns and the executioner.

It is such a privilege to have found a dozen or so people in the world who share your interests. Even when we can't get together we can share, support and learn from each other. It's a reason why I will continue to post weekly as long as it helps to keep us in touch. I trust friends will continue to send me bits of news or simply stay in touch. 

Another surprise this morning was a photo from a second cousin I met through Ancestry. He lives in Lincoln, England and my maternal grandmother and his maternal grandfather were siblings. This is a photo of my grandmother's brother Charlie and his second wife, Ethel, in the 1980s. My grandmother was one of 12 children and I had photos of all but two of them. Now I'm missing only one, Edwin, who died aged 19 in 1925.

I needed to go to Taking Shape in the Unley Village to pick up a top I had bought online and had thought I might go on to Create in Stitch to see if they had some A Ver a Soie red silk to replace the orange in the kit I bought for the Remembrance project in Inspirations 109. 

I should have realised from the photo in the magazine that it was not true red. I can't bring myself to make this in anything other than blood red. It occurred to me that I might have some suitable red silk. Sure enough, I had a skein of 12ply Soie Cristale silk in a perfect red!

So instead of Create in Stitch, I went to Barrow and Bench on Unley Rd and bought some plants to replace the geraniums that are looking a bit tatty on the Eastern balcony. I also found another healthy looking frangipani - the common white with yellow centre I am missing - and a chain of beans (like chain of hearts, but bean shape).  

I picked up the top on the way home.

The scaffold had risen another layer by the time I got home. I settled my new flowering colour then trimmed and moved the geraniums to pots on the front balcony.

For now I've hung the chain of beans on the side of the wall garden. I shall probably put it in the top basket so it hangs down the side.

The scaffold at the front of the apartment was in the process of being raised as well.  I settled the frangipani into a large watermiser pot alongside one of the yukkas. Here's hoping!

I intended progressing the squirrel, but couldn't resist trying the red silk thread on the poppy, so I transferred the leaf templates and hooped up the orange fabric. I'm going to try making two poppies, so I traced 8 leaves to the fabric and began outlining the wire on one of them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I've managed to finish one petal. The red silk works brilliantly, using 4 strands. Now, shall I continue on the poppy or return to the squirrel? Or alternate?

For the moment I added some leaves to the squirrel. Hedging my bets.

Hopefully there will be something to show on both in a week's time when I next post.

The story will continue in a week's time. I'm planning on Wednesday posts. I'm tempted by Tuesday, but I have another 50 minute dental appointment next Tuesday which may leave me a bit the worst for wear - so I'm aiming for Wednesday.

It's also in my diary to check that the email went out as soon as I wake on Thursday.

Until Wednesday.