I honestly didn’t intend to be away for so long. I am taking a very brief respite between groups of house guests to catch up on my recent creative endeavours. Despite the quiet on the blogging front, I have been up to all kinds recently. I have finished this hoop. I cannot express how happy … More Inspiration to Realisation – Almond Blossom on Tiled Background
In the last week it really feels like summer has begun here in Sicily. The weather is much warmer, obviously, but there are lots of other signs. I have just stepped outside to bring in the laundry from the line and the evening air was all soft and perfumed. The pace of life – never … More Summer Time
In the last couple of weeks I signed up for Twitter (@ambrosiastitch – if you are interested in catching up with me there). Am I the only one who finds it all a bit bewildering? Instagram was easy, Facebook was frustrating, Twitter was a little overwhelming and Pinterest…. I like it but I don’t feel … More Crafting is my Therapy
After everything I said about social media recently, I came stumbled across another unexpected positive effect of all this tapping away at phones and tablets we seem to be engaged in. Scrolling through some old Instagram pictures, I came across the photo above. This was one of the very first cross stitch designs I worked … More In Retrospect
Today was one of those occasional days – a far too rare occurrence -where I Got Stuff Done. I managed to wrap up my two ongoing projects. First, I framed “Who Killed Pedro?” Having taken the photos, I now want to tweak the slightly wonky mounting job but it is an easy fix. Completing a … More Completion
I just had to use the Italian word for strawberries. Isn’t it it great? Actually, what I have been particularly in love with recent is the fragolina. Obviously, it sounds even cuter than a fragola but that isn’t the only reason. Let me explain. Fragoline, or wild strawberries are quite widely available in Sicily I … More Seasonal Sicilia – Le Fragole
This is how I have spent much of the week so far. A nasty bug has kept me at home since Monday. When I have been feeling up to it, I have been propped up in bed in a regal fashion working away on these two projects. I have struggled with both of these pieces. … More “Who Killed Pedro?”
It is very easy to focus on the beautiful and charming here in Sicily. There is a such a lot of it. We live in Mascalucia, a peaceful village within a short distance of the city of Catania. I have to admit though, we really struggled with Catania when we first arrived. The dirt, the … More Persistence Pays
All of a sudden, like the flick of a switch, Sicily has snapped into summer mode. Spring, so far, has been a pretty poor affair so it has been good to watch everything come back to life. The granita sellers are back on the street. I will have to write more about Sicily’s answer to … More Feeling the Blues
I have mentioned before how moving to Italy has allowed us to develop a greater awareness of food seasonality. This is even more the case now we live in Sicily. You only need to look at what all of the street vendors are selling to know what is being grown locally. Just now, we are … More Seasonal Sicilia – Oranges
Ambrosia Stitches 