Friday 27 September 2013

Pumpkins for Cathey

Just for you Cathey on your  blogoversary. A circle of blogging friends enveloping you with friendship and love :)





Hugs  Sally xxx

To see the rest of the Pumpkins for Cathey gang visit Daffycat's blog :) Special thanks to Daffycat for organising this xx


Sunday 15 September 2013

Darn Sheep!

I have been doing a bit of frogging this week! I sat down eagerly anticipating a good evening's stitching with Barb ( oh how I wish) on Monday evening on Faith. Everything was going swimmingly until I suddenly realised my sheep was in the wrong place. Why? How could this have happened. Simple. I had too much grass which meant if I left it my border would not go right. So lots of unpicking happened. Poor sheepie had to run away to pastures new until the grass grows again. Poor sheepie hasn't returned yet :(. I had high hopes of getting this finished tomorrow evening. Not a hope in hell now! Lol! Sorry Barb I will give it my best shot!



Last Sunday I was very naughty. I fancied a new start so I had one. This is Cottage Garden Samplings January's Snowflake from the My Garden Journal series. I'm stitching each one on 40 count Pearl Grey Newcastle linen. Yep 40 count. I think I've taken leave of my senses. 

Tuesday at craft group I continued with my ornament for September. I'm loving the colours in this one.

A little bit of progress this week on my robin. Hopefully I'll be able to go back to two evenings a week on this soon.

Finally some of the border on Curly Q Ewe which is my SAL with Lainey and Mouse. 

Last Thursday was the year 13 celebrations evening which Abi did not want to go to but I received a phone call from one the deputy heads who organises the evening asking if we would go as Abi was going to receive two awards. I persuaded her to go and off we went for a very proud parents moment. She received awards for Art and Photography and here are some photos. 
 Abi and Mrs Egan, her art teacher.
 Abi and Mr Skinner, her photography teacher.
 Abi with Mrs Egan and Mr Skinner.
Abi with Mr Dawson, one of her IT teachers.

Finally more photos using my new camera. I will admit that my DH set the shutter speed and aperture for the moon shot for me. I asked him to help me as it's all double Dutch to me at the moment! 
The Moon.


Playing with scene modes. One taken in through glass mode and one in sunset mode.

Thank you all for continuing to visit me and for leaving such lovely comments. They mean so much.

With much love.

Sally
xxxx

Sunday 8 September 2013

September.....

September is here and the mornings and evenings have an Autumnal feel to them. In fact the whole day has had that feel as we have much welcomed cooler temperatures today. Phew. I don't know if it will last or if the heatwave will come back but I don't know about you ladies I don't want it back now! 

I have been getting some stitching in but have also been trying to get to grips with my new camera. Yes I caved and bought one and it's my treat with some of my inheritance. I think my Dad would approve. When I went to the store I went with two cameras in mind, one of which he said was very heavy and the other he said I wouldn't be able to get it anywhere, but I ended up with a different one. It's a Panasonic Lumix FZ72 and I will admit having bought it and then read reviews and comments on those reviews I did go through a period of regret and wished I'd waited to try and get one of my original choices. However having played with it I'm getting some pretty nice photos. I'm mostly using it on intelligent auto but am learning other bits too. I've only had it a week and am rather pleased with it now. I think I'll learn to try and make my own mind up and not listen to others! Anyway I'll pop up a few photos that I've taken with it later other than my stitching!

I finished the Love-ly Pincushion from the Lizzie*Kate Not All of Us Boxer chart and love it! It's not made up yet but I'll get it done sometime. My sewing machine is misbehaving and I'm not sure if I'm going to have to have it serviced so am not a happy bunny!



Lizzie*Kate Love-ly Pincushion

Unknown Fabric

DMC

So the chart for this and Not All Of Us is ready to go to another stitcher and that stitcher is...............Clare! Clare I will pop it in the post to you sometime this week :)

I've been doing a little finishing of a few pieces. These two I stitched way back last year. I've also started to finish off a couple of ornaments and just have trims to add on.

Country Cottage Needleworks Snowflake Serenade


JBW Designs French Country Flower Basket

I only have a few WIPs I can show this time. Here is LHN Little Sheep Virtues Faith which I'm stitching with Barb. Loving this one. Can hardly wait to get Patience and Wisdom!

LHN Curly Q Ewe which I'm stitching with Lainey and Mouse. I've started the border and am hoping when it's eventually done it'll meet!

I started my September ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL at craft club last Tuesday. I chose My Bog Toe Designs His Gift from last year's JCS Christmas Ornament mag. I'm feeling quite excited for this year's mag. 

Finally a little bit of progress on HAED QS Spirit of Winter Robin.

I've had some stash this past week or so. The final part of the LHN Song of the Seasons mystery arrived from Patchwork Rabbit then I had asked Dawn at The Crafty Kitten if she could get me LHN Needlworker and that arrived this last week. I can hardly wait for the end of my autos then I really must stop buying charts!

Just a few photos now taken with my new camera.




 Taken out of the window. My holly bush against the sunset.
 This cat likes to sleep under our conifer hedge. He belongs to the family next door but one.




My kitchen is almost finished. my DH is tiling as I type! Yay!

Until next time... with much love

Sally xxxx