Thursday 2 January 2014

Storms, Dips and Hopes.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I can't believe how long it is since I've written anything
on here, I've even missed the last two scavenger Hunts although I'm determined to 
complete this months.





 It was so long ago that  I still had summer flowers in the garden
whereas now my winter Clematis are in full bloom and look lovely
on the rare occasion it is nice enough to wander around the garden.


A lot has happened since we last met and I will show you some of the things 
I've been up to in my next post which I promise won't be far away.

The Norfolk coast, along with so many other places around the country,
has suffered at the hands of the weather and my heart goes out to 
all those people who have had their lives and homes destroyed.






I haven't seen the damage anywhere other than at Cromer but that 
was shocking enough with huge chunks of concrete ripped from the sea wall
and thrown around like drift wood along the promenade.
Great gaping holes left in the pier, beach huts reduced to 
match wood and tons of mud having slipped down the cliffs.


But the British are a resilient lot aren't they.
Within a few days the pier was patched up and the 
theatre was open for business again even if you had to have a head for heights
to walk out to it past the fenced off holes.

By Boxing day it was business as usual with the 
BOXING DIP pulling thousands of spectators to watch
hundreds of those mad enough to run into the sea, not just once but twice,
wearing swimsuits or flimsy fancy dress as no wet suits are permitted.


My Son and Youngest daughter were amongst those crazy people
even after my son said last year that he would never do it again.



All my family have now returned to their own homes
and I have returned to my sewing room after it's temporary
use as a bedroom.

Now I don't make resolutions as I don't keep them, year after year I tried to give
up smoking in January and finally managing it (many years ago now) in September.

So I thought this year I would set out a couple of things I hope to achieve this year.

Firstly--I want to do more hand embroidery.
This has been brought on by finding this fabulous 
embroidery stand in a local charity shop for £3.75!--can you believe it.


I had this old linen table cloth among my boxes of old linen
which is printed and ready to embroider 
and even if I don't manage to finish it, it still looks good
in my room.


Then on my sewing table, other than one of my new mugs,


is something else I'm going to add some embroidered embellishments to.


It started with a little foundation piecing
and will end up as a book cover.
The pattern is by Anja Townrow
which I bought when I did a workshop with her a few weeks ago.
Now to just add some stitching. 



My second hope for 2014 is to be more organised 
so that it isn't 2 months before you hear from me again.


So with that in mind I wish you all a very Happy New Year
and will see you again soon.

Gillxxx

8 comments:

  1. Good to have you back!

    Happy New Year to you all.

    Helenxx

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  2. Happy New Year. Enjoy your embroidery, Joy x x

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  3. Lovely to read you again, Gill! I totally agree with all you've said about the flooding, fingers crossed for everyone with this latest lot forecast. How brave your children were! That is possibly the LAST thing I would ever want to do!!
    Like you I have turned to hand stitiching over the last year I use my machine less and less though I have done lots of free-machine embroidery and quilting. I just enjoy the contemplative nature of hand stitching.
    And like you, I don't do resolutions - been burned too often! But getting organised - yeah, that is a perennial intention of mine!! Happy New Year! Lx

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  4. Gill..so happy to see you here! Your children are very brave and adventurous! Such a coincidence... Today, I was thinking of finishing an embroidery sampler I began many years ago. Perhaps this is just the year for that project! Happy 2014! Susan

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  5. Happy New Year great to see you are coming back to blogging too! I love that little stand you found what a bargain! Like you say even if you never use it it looks super cute just as it is! xx

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  6. Lovely to see you back in blog land, my your son and daughter were brave! You hand stitching looks lovely and made even better by your bargain find. xx

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  7. Happy New Year! Your plans for this year with more embroidery sound lovely. xx

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  8. Happy New Year, Gill. They call the Boxing Day Dip the 'Loony Dook' here for obvious reasons! Always lovely to 'see' you. x

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