Wednesday 7 May 2014

Friendship & Blossoms

Hello from a slightly dull east coast of England. Apparently we are in for a few days of showers so umbrellas at the ready folks!

I have a few finishes to show as well as this wee gift that I stitched for my lovely friend Michelle for her birthday. I am happy to say that Michelle loves it. I used Homespun Elegance Friendship & Blossoms but rather than stitching it in one piece as charted I decided to do the top half as the front and the  bottom half as the back of a hanging pillow.

 Homespun Elegance Friendship & Blossoms

28 count vintage country mocha linen

DMC

Started 5th April 2014

Finished 25th April 2014

I popped the final stitches into this.

Country Cottage Needleworks The Tea Room

30 count R & R Irish Creme linen

DMC

Started 4th March 2014

Finished 2nd May 2014.

Thank you Mouse for the loan of the chart. As soon as I've finished Needlework Shop I'll get both charts back to you :)

After many months I have, at long last, finished Snow Angel. I have been stitching along with Shirlee on this and I was rather jealous when she finished hers a few weeks ago. I found that if I was very careful after my dizzy do I could stitch for a little bit so I got it done.

Lone Elm Lane Snow Angel

40 count  Newcastle Sand linen

DMC

Started 1st January 2014

Finished 2nd May 2014

Shirlee and I are starting our next SAL tomorrow which will be LHN Warm Winter Woolens. I had planned to stitch it on 32 count vintage country mocha but I don't have enough left so rather than order more just yet I'm going to use 36 count WDW Straw that I had left over from LHN Song of the Seasons.

The week before last I finished Day 7 of 12 Days of Christmas so Barb and I will be starting Day 8 on Friday.

April's Daisy is almost finished. It is full of mistakes but never mind. I do need to frog the rabbit though as it is too far over compared to the border.

Another one almost finished is CCN Frosty Forest Racoon Cabin. Just the border, fence and racoon's eyes to do.

Lo How A Rose is going better now I have frogged the DMC that was the old shade colour.

Finally The Needlework Shop is being slowly built. I think I must have those builders who stop for a cuppa every half an hour! I shall be in the parlour with Barb and the other ladies over at Needlecraft Haven this evening cracking the whip to get more built.

Thought you might like to see a few more of my photos. While my DH was on holiday a couple of weeks ago I rather naughtily bought myself another camera. I had been toying with it for a while as I wasn't 100% happy with the bridge camera I had. Anyway I had seen this beautiful,  retro looking Olympus that looked just like the OM10 film camera  my DH used to have and after much deliberation, online reading, telling myself no etc etc I went for it. Two days later we were on our way 70 miles to where I'd bought it to exchange it as it was faulty!  So I am now a compact system camera owner ( lighter than a DSLR but able to change lenses ) , which is what I originally wanted but talked myself out of, so no longer have that super zoom at my finger tips that I had with my bridge camera, and so far I am happy with it. I am getting used to having to change lenses when I want to zoom further than 42mm but it does feel like I'm havingto learn all over again! My bridge camera has been traded in for a good price so I don't feel so bad about having a new camera. These photos are a mixture of my bridge camera and  my lovely new Olympus.  Unfortunately I haven't been out with it for over a week.

With my old camera





 The following are with my new camera









It was a long weekend here with May Day on Monday. Not a deal was done as Abi has been full of cold since Monday last week. I felt like I was going down with cold then Thursday I got up out of bed with the room spinning rather unpleasantly.  After getting myself extremely upset and sobbing like I haven't sobbed in a long time I managed to get myself to the drs and was prescribed some medication. Friday I succumbed to the cold that had been trying to say hello all week.  I think the dizzy do was the final straw. Jess has been home for the weekend;just 4 more weeks before she's done with university and home for the foreseeable future.  Fingers crossed she graduates on 14th July.

That's it from me for today. I need to go the cemetary today to take some flowers then onto the shopping outlet near there to get a birthday present. I don't feel like it but needs must and I am sure the fresh air will do me some good.

Until next time take care everyone.

With much love

Sally xxx

27 comments:

Mii Stitch said...

Hope you are all feeling better!! Lovely finishes & progress on your stitching :) Beautiful pictures with both old & new toys :D xx

Margaret said...

Ugh. Sorry about your dizzy doo and the colds. Hope you are feeling better. Rooting Jess on to graduation too! Love your pictures -- the new camera seems to do a great job! Beautiful stitching too! Lovely finishes and WIPS both!

Tricia T said...

Hugs for the dizziness!! Colds are no fun. :( Your stitching is lovely, though. You always get SO much done! And the pictures are beautiful!!

Anne said...

Hope you are feeling better and the dizzyness has gone. Being dizzy is not fun :( The pillow you made for your friend Michelle is darling and I like how you separated the design for the front and back. Lone Elm is beautiful as is all the other pretty stitching you have been doing. I should join along with you on Lo and Behold!! Hugs!

Vickie said...

I saw Michelle's gift. It is great! My,you have a lot going on! Wonderful pictures Sally. Take care now.

Julie said...

Michelle's pillow is lovely, what a nice stitched sentiment.
Great pics with both cameras.
Time certainly has flown, I remember your concerns when Jess started Uni, can it really be that long ago.
Lots of lovely stitchy projects ...but, a couple of the pics are not too clear..sorry.

Michelle said...

Sally I adored my gift and will treasure it. All your stitching is beautiful. My friend I too was having giddy turns frequently and they found it was down to my iron level being low - you can buy iron tablets at the pharmacy its cheaper than a prescription - since taking them I have had only 1 giddy episode. They are worth it xx

butterfly said...

Hope you are feeling better now.
Lovely stitching and photos hugs.

Raven/Missy said...

Lots of gorgeous finishes and pictures! I hope you are feeling all better now.

gracie said...

Wonderful stitches and wonderful pictures.

cucki said...

Oh dear I hope you feel better soon
Sending you big hugs
Your stitching is always so lovely xx

Kay said...

Lovely stitching. I especially like the 2 sided present for Michelle, I had already seen it on her blog and was impressed to see both sides sewn. Hope you fell better soon. x

Mary Ann said...

I hope you feel better soon, Sally! Lovely finishes and WIPs!!And, the photos are very nice.

Southpaw Stitcher said...

Great progress--so many finishes and near finishes! Love all your photos--they're so well-composed! Hope you are feeling much better soon!

Linda said...

Congrats on all the finishes and progress Sally. I so love your updates. Great pics from both cameras.

Linda

Christine said...

Great stitching Sally, the double sided pillow was an inspired idea.
Enjoy your new camera. Is that a water rat? I've come over all Wind in the Willows ;)
Sorry to hear you've not been well, sounds like you've picked up an inner ear infection. Hope you feel better soon

Mary - Lecoeurceltique said...

Hope you are feeling better now. Some lovely stitching. Really like your idea of a double sided pillow. I must remember it.

Chris said...

What a lovely gift for Michelle!
Your other finishes are lovely too. Yea for the Snow Angel finish!
Great pictures.
Hugs!

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

I hope you get to feeling better soon! I know from experience it stinks to be ill :(
the photos are lovely from your new camera! yay! And your stitching is perfection, as usual! I love the Angel piece.

stitchersanon said...

I am def coming down with a cold..trying to pretend it isnt there! Love the stitching, and Michelle's gift is amazing! Lovely.

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Wow, what alot to comment on!

I love your adaptation of the HE piece, it looks designed that way.

Congrats on the Snow Angel too. The April piece looks lovely and the rabbit looks fine where he is, to me anyway!

Andrea said...

Hope you are feeling better.

Wow you have a lot of stitching on the go! A wonderful gift for Michelle and some beautiful finishes. Looking forward to seeing how your WIPs progress.

Great outdoor shots too.

Mylene said...

Oh such lovely finishes and beautiful pictures!
Hope you are feeling much better by now.

Carol said...

Hi Sally :) I just love what you did with that piece for Mouse--what a great idea to stitch on both sides like that! And your other pieces look wonderful. Sounds like you'll be enjoying more stitching time with Shirlee, too :)

Wow--another new camera! I hope this one works out for you even better than the last one. You have a great eye for photography and the photos are all lovely!

Karoline said...

Sorry to hear you've not been well, hope you're feeling better now.

Congratulations on all your finishes, they are gorgeous and your other projects look lovely.

Enjoy your new camera

Brigitte said...

I hope you are feeling a lot better by now having left that nasty cold behind you. Not very nice at this time of the year, or at any time of the year.

What a wonderful idea to split the Friendship & Blossoms design into two and use it for the front and back of a little pillow. How creative this is. And it really looks gorgeous. No wonder that Michelle likes it a lot.

Great progress on your WIPs and wow, even some finishes. You must have been stitching up a storm lately.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful stitching and photos.