Stitchyangel's Treasures

Some Proper Finishing!

2012-01-31T14:22:00.000Z

My sewing machine has been working overtime so I actually have some finishing up done. I can't show all of them though as two of them are winging their way somewhere as I type so will show them once I know they've arrived safely at their destinations.

First proper finish is Shepherd's Bush Feed My Sheep. I just did a simple finish with a bow on the top. I put this one with my little collection of sheep :)

Next one is another simple finish for The Sampler Girl Jane Austen Winter. I added a ribbon for hanging and a couple of Mill Hill Snowflake Treasures. This will hang on my Sampler Girl on my stairs:)

Last one I can show is Shepherd's Bush Merry Be. I have to say that I LOVE how this turned out. I certainly don't want to put it away and not bring it out until next Christmas.

I finished the stitching on my January ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. I really love this one and am so glad that I chose it.

Sisters & Best Friends Believe ( JCS Ornament mag 2000)

Unknown fabric ( think it's 28 count Polstitches)

GAST and Carrie's Creations

Started 15th January 2012

Finished 28th January 2012

I had chosen my next one but changed my mind and am now going to stitch this one from The Cat's Whiskers.

Friday evening I made a start on the next BBD Aoth Swan Lake. I'm using DMC for this as I didn't have enough of the GAST. I wasn't sure I was going to like this one but I really like how it's stitching up.

Finally last night was SAL night with Barb and Colleen and we went to Barb's cosy abode where we had tea, coffee cake and choccie biscuits. ( virtually but oh how wonderful it would be to do it for real :) ). I had a small new start of the SB 2011 Fob. The piccie is a little blurred as I took it in a hurry this morning before I went to craft club. I think this will be my last small SB for a while I fancy something a bit bigger for my next one.

I can't believe it's February tomorrow. Where did January go and where is the snow??? We have had a mild Winter so far but it looks as though February might be the big chill. I long for some snow! So as it's the last day of January I have survived my first month stitching from my chart stash ( yay me!). One down, five to go!!! I have to admit that late last week I was close to caving but I stayed strong as I'm determined not to let myself down! I do it too often.

That's all for this time. I really need to spend some time catching up on blogs in the next few days to see what you've all been stitching:) Thank you all your lovely wonderful comments on my last post and for visiting me:)

Until next time......... keep stitching!

Much love

Sally

xxxx

Merry, Merry Be

2012-01-25T15:21:00.002Z

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my box finish for Chris and my Christmas Tea finish. Thanks for the tips on sewing on chenille trim too. I'll be trying them next time I use it:)

On Monday evening Barb and I travelled ( virtually) to Colleen's lovely house over the pond. While there I had a happy dance so may I present......

Shepherd's Bush Merry Be

32 count Light Taupe Evenweave

DMC

Started 20th December 2011

Finished 23rd January 2012

I'm hoping to have it all sewn up in the next day or so.

I can't show what I started on Sunday and continued stitching on Monday once Merry Be was done as it's for a thank you gift. What I will say is I had to frog it!!!!

At craft club yesterday I managed a little progress on my ornament for the Christmas All Year Round blog. I need to get this finished by the end of January so may add a few stitches before craft club next week.

Last night was SAL night with Lisa. Here's Snow House. I'm really pleased with what I got stitched and love how it's looking.

Last week Gillie bought a chart from me but it turns out it was just her cunning plan to get my address so that she could send me this! ( Not really- she really wanted the chart!!!!)

Gillie started stitching this when I mentioned my Halloween tree on my blog last year. Isn't it sweet?? Needless to say I'm hanging it up now instead of waiting for Halloween! Thank you so much Gillie. I love it {{{{hugs}}}}

I set on with good intentions to do some finishing but I have no enthusiasm for it. Enthusiasm for the stitching -yay- enthusiasm for the finishing- nay! This is as far as I got; picking backing fabrics and trims. There are other stitched pieces under the backing fabrics!

Not sure whether to have a new start tonight or finish off stitching my start from Sunday. I seem to want to start everything I have at the moment!

I received my appointment to see a gynaecologist today. I go on 21st Feb so can't wait to get the ball rolling and hope they agree on surgery.

That's all for today. Until next time..... keep stitching :)

With much love

Sally

xxxx

Happy Birthday Chris And A Few Finishes

2012-01-21T14:33:00.001Z

Today is my dear friend Chris' birthday and I decided I wanted to do her a box finish. Chris and I met online on a stitching forum a few years ago and since then we have met up several times, as we don't live too far away from each other, and have become good friends. I have just had a text from her and she loves her gift so I am very happy:)

Blackbird Designs Love Letters

32 count light taupe fabric

GAST & DMC

Started 11th January 2012

Finished 13th January 2012

Birthday gift for Chris

This is from the Joyeux Noel booklet. I replaced the word Noel with Chris. Happy Birthday Chris!

Tuesday evening was SAL night with my surrogate sis Lisa and I finished Snow Fun and made a small start on Snow House. Snow Fun stitched up so quickly.

Lizzie*Kate 6 Fat Men Snow Fun

32 count amber linen

DMC

Started 3rd January 2012

Finished 17th January 2012

A little progress on Country Cottage Needleworks Snowflake Serenade next. I have changed the colour of the wording White Christmas as the grey colour the chart suggested didn't show up very well on my fabric.

Next "finish" is the bonus block on Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart. This one seems to have taken ages with me taking a break from it so I'm relieved it's finally done! I'll start Swan Lake next week I think as I have something else I want to stitch tonight!

Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart Bonus Block

36 count rosewood linen

GAST & DMC

Started 7th October 2011

Finished 20th January 2012

At long last I got the chenille trim sewn on Christmas Tea so here it is! I found the chenille trim quite difficult to sew on so does anyone have any tips please? :)

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my giveaway wins yesterday. I cannot tell you how lucky and blessed I feel to have won all those goodies. Thank you again to Kate and Myra :)

My new camera had to go back to the shop as there was a mark on something, possibly a sensor inside the camera, which showed on my photos. Thankfully I was able to exchange it for the same make and model and this one appears to be fine. I will know better when I get the opportunity to get out and take some photos as it didn't always show up on my stitching photos.

Until next time...... keep stitching!

With much love

Sally

xxxx

Lovely Post Day

2012-01-20T11:35:00.001Z

Yesterday I had a lovely post day so my postie ( not my regular one) was my best friend! It was so much nicer than getting bills and junk mail!

First he arrived on foot with this lovely chart from Barb which she has recently finished stitching. Of course she knows my love of Shepherd's Bush rolls so when she asked me if I would like the chart for Tiny Garden Roll when she'd finished with it I immediately said yes please! I'm looking forward to seeing Barb's finish of it. Of course this will be coming out sometime for our SB SAL on a Monday evening :) Thank you so much Barb {{{{hugs}}}}

A little later on postie came back in the van and delivered two boxes for me. Just before Christmas I was so happy to have won Kate's 100 Followers giveaway on her blog and as Kate had emailed to say she'd posted out my prize I knew one of them must be from her. I excitedly opened up the box and inside found a big tissue wrapped package.

Inside was all this. I had seen Kate's Christmas bauble filled with ORTs of her blog and thought what a wonderful idea it was and now I have one of my own:) Kate filled it with trims, thread, charms, chocolate and needles. See the little book with the bird on the front? That has needles in it and there is also the chart to stitch the wee design on the front. I have never seen those before and just love the idea. As you can see there is also a bag of lavender ( I LOVE lavender), some gorgeous fabric and a sheepy notepad. Kate well and truly spoiled me and I already have an idea for the trims and lavender:) Thank you so much Kate {{{{hugs}}}}

The second box was from Myra. I was delighted to win her New Year giveaway of one of her gorgeous handmade birds and thread catchers. Again I excitedly opened the box to find not only a bird and a thread catcher but also a delightful little pouch and some Hershey's chocolate bars. I have been very good and only eaten one bar so far and I did offer to share it with my DH but as he doesn't like dark chocolate ( yay!) he declined my offer! Unfortunately my photo really does not do Myra's beautiful creations justice. They are just gorgeous. I have some artificial poppies in a vase so I have hung the bird from one of those and he looks so sweet. The thread catcher and pouch will be going with me to craft club:) Thank you so much Myra {{{{hugs}}}} again I have been spoiled :)

I'll be back another day with some progress and to show a birthday gift I stitched. I still need to get that trim on Christmas Tea ( someone give me a kick please!). I've also been looking through my chart stash to try and decide on what to start next but then I really feel that I should finish CCN Snowflake Serenade first so not sure what to do! I did pick out Stacy Nash Primitives Love Sampler Bag and Pin Keep so I still might pop a few stitches in that soon. I've also been very good and picked out all my ornaments for the year for the Christmas All Year Round SAL!

Until next time.......... keep stitching!

With much love

Sally

xxxx

A Birthday Gift for Lisa and A Winner!

2012-01-17T14:21:00.002Z

Yesterday was my surrogate sis Lisa's birthday and I wanted to stitch something a little bit special for her so I did this.

Blackbird Designs Tulip House Stitching Companion

32 count fabric

GAST & DMC

Started 6th January 2012

Finished 8th January 2012

I stitched up the pincushion too and backed it with the same fabric as I lined the box with.

Blackbird Designs Tulip House Pincushion

32 count fabric

GAST & DMC

Started 10th January 2012

Finished 11th January 2012

I am very happy that Lisa loves it :) Happy Birthday for yesterday :) xx

Do you remember this that I last picked up back in November? Well it now looks like this after two evenings on it.

I really wasn't sure I wanted to pick this up again as I'd been enjoying having no big pieces to stitch but now I've picked it up again I'm glad I did. Fingers crossed I can get this block finished this weekend then move onto Swan Lake.

Last night was SAL night with Barb and Colleen. They both came here ( virtually of course:) ) and sat by the fire having tea and cake, chatting and stitching :) Lol! Barb is stitching the beautiful Tiny Garden Roll and Colleen is soldiering on with the adorable Checkered Sheep. I think I might have another finish next week as Merry Be went very well last night!

Sunday evening I decided, seen as I was a bit behind in joining and starting my ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL, to start my ornament. I stitched a bit more on it at craft club this morning. It is Sisters and Best Friends Believe from the 2000 issue of the Just Cross Stitch ornament magazine. I'm stitching it on some Polstitches 28 count fabric with the recommended GAST except for two of them.

Finally I used a random generator to pick the winner of the BBD LF Peacock Pin Keep. The winner is..................

Lois
Shar
Lisa S
Southpaw Stitcher
Elisa
Hazel
Cucki
Solstitches
Gillie
Karen
Gracie
Mouse
Shirlee
Kaisievic
mollycaff
Tatkis
Butterfly

Timestamp: 2012-01-17 14:18:44 UTC

Lois please email me your address and I'll get the chart in the post to you over the next few days!

That's all for now. Cranberry Tea is still waiting for the trim to be sewn on. I was going to do it at craft club but I've never sewn chenille trim on before as I've only used it on boxes and pin keeps and have glued it on.

Until next time............. keep stitching :)

With much love

Sally

xxx

Feed My Sheep

2012-01-13T13:57:00.002Z

My third finish for 2012 and second one I can cross off my stitch from chart stash list is little little cutie!

Shepherd's Bush Feed My Sheep ( as kitted)

Started 2nd January 2012

Finished 9th January 2012

SAL with Barb and Colleen.

I loved stitching this one up and now have to decide what to do with it! I'm thinking a simple pin cushion finish.

Once that was finished my next SB was an easy one to choose. I'd started Merry Be at the last craft club meeting before Christmas and hadn't picked it up since so I decided to carry on with that. I'm using DMC on 32 count evenweave but I can't remember the colour without going in m fabric box! Lol!

I've stitched a bit more on Country Cottage Needleworks Snowflake Serenade. It's slow but sure and I'm loving it.

I made lots of lovely progress on L*K 6 Fat Men Snow Fun on Tuesday evening. Both Lisa and I thoroughly enjoying our SAL on these cute little men!

I have joined Lainey's Christmas All Year Round blog. I'm sure how I missed this but I really like the idea of stitching a certain theme each month and I can do these at craft club on a Tuesday morning. I haven't made a start on this as yet so I may be a bit behind getting this month's done but I'll give it a damned good go! This is what I've chosen to stitch.

That's all my stitchy progress:) I've got Plum Street Samplers Christmas Tea sewn up but have to sew some trim on yet so will show you that another time.

Don't forget my giveaway of BBD LF Peacock Pin Keep. I'll pick a winner after the weekend.

Until next time......

With much love

Sally

xxxxx

Yiota's X-Stitch Kit Review

2012-01-11T17:29:00.001Z

I received an email at the weekend from Yiota asking if I'd do a cross stitch kit review of one of her kits. I do not have time to start stitching one at the moment but she was happy for me to review one and stitch it at a later date.

For a start the site is very easy to navigate. There are lots of lovely kits to choose from and something for all tastes and experience levels. My eye kept going back to the same kit over and over, as I just love robins and anything Wintery, but this one had already been reviewed. However my second choice had been reviewed twice so Yiota kindly sent me my first choice.

The kit arrived today which I was very impressed by. You know how impatient us stitchers can be when it comes new stash! It was well packed in a card backed envelope clearly marked with Do Not Bend. The kit itself is packaged in a plastic sleeve keeping all the contents clean and tidy. As you can see I chose Robin Birds which I love.

The Madeira threads are all wound onto bobbins so that you are ready just to pick up your needle and stitch. One of my pet hates with kits is when you have to spend time sorting the threads before you can set on and stitch so having them ready wound is a big plus for this kit.

Having stitched other artwork from other designers I was a little apprehensive about this kit however I need not have been. The chart is very clear with easy to read symbols on 2 A3 sheets of paper. This will make stitching so much easier than having small symbols on A4 sheets so that is another big plus.

There is a very clear, concise instruction sheet.

The kit includes an ample sized piece of white aida so you can start stitching as soon as the kit pops through your letter box.

So all in all I am very impressed with this kit and give it a definite 10 out of 10. I would highly recommend these kits. Please pop over to Yiota's X-Stitch and have a look for yourself.

A Wee Giveaway

2012-01-10T09:10:00.006Z

You may remember a while ago I stitched and finished this. Dear Barb very kindly lent me the chart but when I'd finished with it she decided she didn't want it back. Soooooo I would like to now pass it on to someone else who would love to stitch it. There is also a needlebook chart which I have stitched but not got around to making up yet.

Anyway if you would like to be in with a chance of winning Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers Peacock Pin Keep chart please leave a comment on this post.

There are just a few rules! You do not have to be a follower but you must be a regular commentor on this blog. Please do not post this to your blog as I just want it to be for my regulars. Finally if you win please pass this chart on to someone else when you have stitched it.

Good luck everyone!

I'll be back another day with a finish so that is now 2 crossed off my Stitch from Stash list!

With much love.

Sally

xxxxx

Two New Starts and A Finish!

2012-01-07T15:26:00.002Z

Here I am with my second post of 2012. This week has seen two new starts and a finish and I must say that I am thoroughly enjoying my stitching so far in 2012!

Monday evening saw Barb, Colleen and I back to our Shepherd's Bush SAL. We had all enjoyed it so much in 2011 that we decided to carry it on this year and I have must admit that while Barb and I took a break from it for the last couple of months I really missed it. I was feeling a little lazy and low so I really didn't feel like sorting fabric and threads so went for simple kit. This is Feed My Sheep which Barb bought me for my birthday in 2010. Barb knows how much I loves me some Shepherd's Bush! I think I might have a finish next Monday.

Lisa and I were chatting before Christmas about our L*K 6 Fat Men SAL and as she wanted to do some secret stitching for her DH on Wednesdays I said I was happy to move our SAL to another evening if she wanted so we decided that from the first week in January we'd stitch it on Tuesdays so this is my other new start. OK I suppose it's no exactly a new start but I think each of these blocks can be classed as one! I chose to start Snow Fun.

I decided that I wanted to get Plum Street Samplers Christmas Tea finished before I started anything else new so I stitched on this Wednesday and Thursday. I cannot tell you how much trouble I had with the blackbird! The amount of times I had to pull it out is nobody's business but let's just say it almost took flight across the room!!! I wouldn't mind but it's a mirror of the red one which I stitched no problem! It's not exactly right as after finding I'd made a mistake again I decided I wasn't going to pull it out yet again! You may notice that I haven't stitched the snowflakes. The thread I'd chosen didn't show up on the fabric and neither did a few others I tried so I left them off. I love this piece so much and already know how I'm finishing it.

Plum Street Samplers Christmas Tea

25 count opalescent Silkweaver Stormy Skies ( I think!)

Crescent Colours & Carrie's Creations

Started 25th December 2011

Finished 5th January 2012

SAL with Michelle.

I got my Kelmscott Designs Miniature Monogram Hornbook finished of yesterday. Love this so much and it will be very handy. I have popped it into my Travelling Stitcher pouch.

Finally I promised a photo of what I bought with my birthday GC from Colleen. I'm looking forward to stitching both of these. This year is going to be my year for stitching smaller charts so hopefully I should get plenty done. The only biggy I plan on is finishing my BBD AotH and once that's done going back to HAED Guardian and try and stick at it!

I haven't been to craft club this week so no progress on SB Merry Be. I should be going this next week so hope to get plenty done while I'm there.

I have been catching up on your blogs and seeing lots of lovely new Crazy starts and getting enabled! Of course I'm being a good girl and not buying especially as I'm feeling really good about stitching from chart stash :) Tricia is joining us too. Welcome aboard Tricia:)

I had a visit to my doctor yesterday and she's referring me for surgery so I see lots more stitchy time sometime in the future! I know I won't get seen for a while so it will probably be well into Summer ( if that) before I get the surgery.

That's all my news for now. I think I'll pick up CCN Snowflake Serenade tomorrow.

Until next time, keep stitching.

With much love

Sally

xxxx

Last Finish of 2011 and First of 2012

2012-01-02T14:32:00.005Z

Happy New Year Everyone!

Just a quick post today to show my last finish of 2011 and my first of 2012.

I finished up the December SAL piece on Friday with a wee bit of time to spare for 2011! I loved stitching this so much. I don't know if Chris started hers as she has tennis elbow and had to have an injection so hasn't been stitching much. Lesleyanne was stitching L*K Snowman 2010.

Tra La La Snowman

32 count Cobblestone linen

GAST, Crescent Colours & Carrie's Creations

Started 1st December 2011

Finished 30th December 2011

Lisa and I had a new start on New Years Day. We did this last year and decided to do it again. We decided on Kelmscott Designs Miniature Monogram Hornbook and here's my finished stitching. I have to mount it yet but will wait for a few days and do it. This is the first finish I can mark off my list:)

Kelmscott Designs Miniature Monogram Hornbook

32 count fabby ( unknown)

Dragon Floss Lasting Friendships

Started and Finished 1st January 2012

Yesterday saw the start of my stitch from chart stash challenge of 2012. As you will know I'm hoping to keep this up for at least the first 6 months of this year but I am allowed the last BBD LF chart as I'm on auto for those plus any fabric and threads I may need for charts I'm stitching. This is just to get my chart stash down :) I have a few friends joining me including my surrogate sis Lisa, Lisa B, Claire, Colleen and Lesleyanne that I know of:) So good luck my fellow stitch from stashers lol!

I received my birthday GC order from Wasatch Needlecraft on Saturday. Thank you so much Colleen {{{{hugs}}}} I look forward to stitching what I chose:) I haven't taken a photo as yet so will have to show what I chose in another post but I will tell you! I chose Carriage House Samplings Wash Day with the fabric and Little House Needleworks Snow White.

I've stitched some more on Plum Street Samplers Christmas Tea and have the verse stitched and a bit of the vines. I'd like to try and finish it this week if I can. Tonight I'm back to the SB SAL with Barb and Colleen. I've really missed our SAL night. I haven't decided what I'm stitching yet but I think I'll pick a kit for ease lol! I'm feeling too lazy to sort fabric and threads!

Finally it's time to reflect on 2011's stitching and what I achieved. I did have a lot of finishes and I'm rather proud of some of the finishes I had particularly my BBD pin keep and the LHN Travelling Stitcher pouches. I have lots of things that I would love to stitch in 2012 including some RAKs if I get myself sorted out.

I must apologise again as I've just marked all the new posts in my reader as read as there were over 200. I'll start over tomorrow and see what you're all stitching in this New Year:)

Until next time......

Much love

Sally

xxxxx

It's Nearly 2012

2011-12-30T16:15:00.003Z

Nearly time for my stitch from my chart stash and I'm going to start it with a determination to make it through until at least July!

I've been busy stitching away since my last post and spending time with my DH and girls. We've had lots of lovely festive food and a little bit to drink ( spiced rum- yum! ) but first of all I'd like to show you the two gifts I stitched.

First off is what I stitched for my surrogate sis Lisa. We've both had a rough year this year and sometimes we both need a reminder that it is a wonderful life for all the crap it sometimes deals us so I stitched this for her.

The Sampler Girl Wonderful Life

Can't remember the fabric

DMC

Started 24th November 2011

Finished 3rd December 2011

Christmas Gift for Lisa.

I also stitched a little something for Michelle

Little House Needlworks Thankful

25 count fabric

DMC and Crescent Colours.

Started 4th December 2011

Finished 9th December 2011

Christmas Gift for Michelle

Now you will have to please excuse the following photos as I've taken them using this, which was one of my Christmas presents,

and am trying to get used to it. I usually use my DH's DSLR camera but fancied something of my own that I can pop in my pocket when I'm going out for a walk and also use for my stitchy pictures. Although the colours of the threads are as near as the fabric isn't but I might have been better using the flash! It's trial and error at the moment. I will say that for an inexpensive camera it takes some good photos as I took it out with me the other day and got some good ones.

Anyway we had a lovely Christmas dinner with my Dad, my sister, her partner and DH's Dad here. It went much better than I expected and everyone enjoyed themselves. My sister and her partner even played with us on the Wii at Mario Kart Wii and it was hilarious! I am, however, rather cross with myself that I let myself get so worked up and stressed over it as it totally spoiled the run up to Christmas for me. However I seem to look on the black side these days rather than the bright which is not good.

I did get some nice stitchy stash for Christmas. DH's Dad, auntie and my Dad give us money for when we go Christmas shopping and we buy gifts for each other from our lists. This is what I got from DH's Dad.

And this is what I received from my surrogate sis Lisa. Thank you so much {{{{hugs}}}} I did confess to Lisa yesterday though that I have two of these as I very naughtily ordered it in the JJ's End of year sale not thinking that someone would buy me it but I have plans for both of them!

And this is what I received from Michelle. Isn't it gorgeous? Thank you so much Michelle {{{{hugs}}}}

So Christmas Day evening was the start of my SAL with Michelle so with a cup of "Christmas Tea" and my fabric and threads I made a start. The tea cup and saucer was a Christmas gift, amongst other things, from my DH.

This is where I'm at as of Tuesday afternoon. Michelle's needle has well and truly been smoking as she is almost finished and it looks gorgeous!

Of course on a wet and windy afternoon there is nothing better than a cup of Twinings Lady Grey and a cinnamon cookie:)

Tuesday evening I decided it was time I picked up CCN Snowflake Serenade. I'd stitched on it on Christmas Eve as well.

Wednesday as usual is my SAL night with Lisa although from 2012 we are moving it to Tuesdays. I finished stitching the wording across the top and the bird house. The fabby colour is definitely not right on this one!

Last night I decided to pick up Tra La La Snowman my December SAL with Chris and Lesleyanne. As I'm so close to finishing it I think I shall stitch on this tonight as well.

I don't know if I will stitch at all tomorrow evening but if I do it'll probably be on Christmas Tea. On New Years Day Lisa and I are having our New Years Day new start as we did last year and we're both looking forward to it. Here is what we are stitching along with the thread I have chosen. I just need to sort a small piece of 32 count fabric and I'd ready to go!

Well if you've got this far thank you for reading! I'll be back more regularly in the New Year. Happy 2012 to you all. I hope it is Happy, Healthly, Prosperous and Stitch filled. Thank you all for your friendship in 2011 and I will see you in 2012! I have some photos from Christmas but will leave those for another time as I need to make them smaller yet! I must apologise as I've been mostly marking blogs as read in my reader as I just haven't had time to read and comment but normal service will, hopefully, resume next week!

With much love

Sally

xxxxx

Definitely.......

2011-12-24T14:38:00.003Z

My last post before Christmas! I had to squeeze one last one in to show two finishes and a WIP before I go offline for a few days to spend some precious time with my DH and two wonderful daughters.

I finished up the next block on L*K 6 Fat Men so it's another finish for 2011. I love this one. The snowman's friends are just so cute! I'm stitching this with my surrogate sis Lisa

Lizzie*Kate 6 Fat Men Snow Friends

32 count Amber linen

DMC

Started 2nd November 2011

Finished 22nd December 2011 ( wow this took ages!)

I stitched up a little of the extra bit and will finish that before I start another block.

Last night, after seeing this on Michelle's blog I started and finished this TSG freebie ( available at Pattern Mart) whilst watching A Christmas Carol ( the Jim Carrey version) and A Muppet Christmas Carol. I love the simplicity of this. It's not made up yet as I don't have time to get it done.

The Sampler Girl Jane Austen Winter Ornament

Unknown opalescent fabric

Caron Waterlilies Moonglow

Started and finished 23rd December 2011

Last photo is my progress on Tra La La Snowman the December SAL with Chris and Lesleyanne. I just love this piece and am enjoying stitching it so much. I don't want to put it down when I'm stitching on it.

Not sure what I'm going to stitch on tonight. The girls and I will watching the Patrick Stewart version of A Christmas Carol ( our Christmas Eve tradition) after Merlin so I might just pick up the Snowman or maybe CCN Snowflake Serenade.

Here's Father Christmas with my last two days of my wonderful advent calendar from my surrogate sis Lisa :) A very useful diary which I will use to write my stitching starts and finishes in and a lovely Dragon Floss called Everlasting Friendship :) Thank you so much Lisa.

I'm all set for my SAL with Michelle starting tomorrow evening and am looking forward to putting in the first few stitches.

I listed my chart and kit stash but I think I may have missed some. In fact I know I've missed two small kits so will add those later on. I just can't remember exactly what they are!!! Have fun reading and don't laugh too much at the amount of stash I have!

So, once again, Merry Christmas to you all.

With much love

Sally

xxxx

The Stocking is Hung.....

2011-12-22T14:25:00.001Z

Do you think Father Christmas will fill it for me??? Lol!

I had a spurt on with the stocking and as I was so close to getting it finished I stitched on it last night instead of picking L*K 6 FM Snow Friends up. I shall go back to that tonight:) So here it is...... my stocking. I changed the colour of the flowers and the letters where the name is ( they should have been white)

The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock

35 count tea dyed linen

DMC and GAST

Started 3rd October 2011

Finished 21st December 2011

SAL with Barb.

Thank you so much Barb for SAL-ing with me. I look forward to us getting back to our SB stitching in 2012:)

Last time I promised to show you my TSG finish another SAL with Barb:)

The Sampler Girl Good Tidings with Jane Austen

28 count count fabric a greeny colour

DMC

Started 8th November 2011

Finished 16th December 2011

SAL with Barb.

I have finished this the same way I finished my other Jane sampler pieces and it is now hung up the stairs with those:)

A very simple, last minute finish now of Daffycat Designs Peace ornament. I really wanted to get Sharon's cute reindeers stitched too but it didn't happen so I'll try and do one a month next year :)

I did have my new start at craft club on Tuesday of Shepherd's Bush Merry Be but I forgot to take a photo so will save that for another time. We all had a lovely time at the craft club Christmas "do" after our crafting session. The room looked lovely with tinsel and lights up and candles and there was lots of food and drink.

Here's Father Christmas doing his duty of showing my advent gifts from Lisa from the last few days. There is a Galaxy square, some silk thread, the L*K Snowman 2010 chart and a pin wheel:) Thank you so much Lisa. Just two more days now. I have loved my advent so much and I can't thank you enough for doing this for me {{{{hugs}}}}

It'll soon be 2012 and I'll be starting stitching from my chart stash for the first 6 months of the year. It's going to be hard but I have to admit that I am rather looking forward to getting to grips with my charts and stitching some that I've had for a while. Now I have thought about doing a page on my blog to list all my charts/ kits and cross them off as I do them. What do you think? Would be interested in seeing what I have and what I, hopefully, achieve and if I do well I might even consider doing it for longer! Dare I list what I have!!!!

I am looking forward to my SAL with Michelle of Plum Street Samplers Christmas Tea over Christmas. Michelle very thoughtfully sent me some fruity tea bags and some ginger to make some Cranberry Tea so I shall be doing that to drink while I'm stitching :) Thank you so much Michelle {{{hugs}}}

I am also thinking of no new starts until I've finished everything I have started ( BBD Aoth and HAED Guardian are the exceptions to this!) other than any gifts I might want to stitch. Or maybe no new starts unless I finish something! Lisa and I are having our new start on New Years Day as we did last year but we have picked something that we start and maybe finish on the day.

I think this will probably be my last post before Christmas unless I can squeeze one more in so I would like to thank you all for visiting me and also for all your support through the difficult times when I was so low. I'm not out of the woods yet but I certainly don't feel as bad as I did at the beginning of this year. It goes without saying that I treasure each and everyone of your friendships and you are all the best. Merry Christmas to you all and here's to a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous, Stitched Filled 2012.

With much love

Sally

xxxxx

Busy Finishing, Stitching & Birthday Gifts

2011-12-18T15:30:00.000Z

My sewing machine has been out this week and I've finally got a couple more finishes under my belt. Just three more to go now and that's it for now! I seem to be a bit finishing shy but once I get going I'm OK with it. So here's my couple of latest ones.

Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler was a recent SAL with Lesleyanne and Angela. I wasn't really sure what to do this one but didn't want another pin keep type finish as I seem to do so many ( having said that I am finishing two other things as hanging ones!). So I decided on a pin cushion / pillow type finish with a gathered ribbon edge and beads. You can't see the beads on this picture though but they are green in contrast to the red ribbon.

Next up is Renato Parolin Peace Love Joy. It hasn't turned out quite how I would have liked but it's OK I guess.

I have finished stitching The Sampler Girl Good Tidings with Jane Austen but will show that next time as I haven't finished doing the nun stitch around the edge. I have thoroughly enjoyed stitching this piece with Barb.

I've done more on Tra La La Snowman the December SAL with Chris and Lesleyanne. I love this one so much and love stitching on it. I think I'll do more tonight.

Last night while the Stricly final ( way to go Harry!!!!) I decided to pick the Christmas Carol Sock up. I thought if I get some extra stitching in on it here and there I might get it finished. The white does not show very well at all but nothing I try makes it any better so it can stay as it is! I still have quite a bit to do yet but it the festive season and miracles happen!

On Friday I received a package from dear Lainey for my birthday. I couldn't believe all the goodies that she sent me. She well and truly spoilt me. See the stitched snowman? She said that I loved it when she showed it on her blog so she saved it for me:) Thank you so much Lainey {{{{hugs}}}}

I feel humbled to have been gifted all the gorgeous things I have been for my birthday, as I really don't think I deserve it, and I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart. Lots of hugs to you all.

Advent calendar time now. I've got two photos as I wanted to get a photo of Fridays so that I could wear it. It's a band with my name on it but it also has lots of inspirational words on it like believe, wish, hope, dream etc etc. I intend to wear it every day. Yesterdays and todays were DMC thread and my favourite needles:) Thank you so much Lisa :)

I still haven't got caught up on blogs yet but I'm going to have half an hour or so once I've published this as I may not get time tomorrow or Tuesday. Tuesday is craft club and afterwards we're having a bit of a Christmas party. We're all providing something and I've been chosen to do mince pies so I'll be making those tomorrow. I might have a new start for Tuesday as I'd like to stitch SB Merry Be in time for Christmas but I think I might be pushing it a bit!

Thank you for all the wonderful comments on my last post and my Duo Noel finish. I think it's my favourite finish of this year:)

Take care everyone.

Lots of love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

I Am So Chuffed!

2011-12-15T15:28:00.000Z

First of all I want to say thank you to all of you who left me birthday greetings on my post on Monday. I am truly blessed to have so many stitching friends and I treasure each and every one of you. I have made some amazing friends and many of you have been wonderful and helped me no end this year ( you know who you all are) and for that I am truly thankful. It has been a tough year and many of you have been there for me when I really needed someone.

Before I start crying I'll move on to what I'm chuffed about before showing a couple more of my lovely birthday cards and gifts.

A while ago I was chosen to become part of the stitcherhood by the lovely Mouse and I duly stitched Shakespeare's Peddler Count Your Blessings. I have been wondering how to finish it and a while ago Kathy gave me the inspiration to finish it like this. It's sort of a needle roll but bigger and chunkier. I absolutely love how it's turned out.

I am desperately trying to get my pile of unfinished finishes out of the way before Christmas as they are on a chair in the dining room at the moment! I have card cut, some bits are laced on the card waiting to be be sewn up and have trim added, some are nowhere near that! However this one is now done! I showed my finish a while ago but now I can show my finished finish! I added some organza ribbon but more loosely than I usually do, a bow at the top and added one of the JABCO Sheep pins that Jane sent me for my birthday. I love how this turned out too and am hoping that the other bits I have to finish turn out as good! I am actually feeling quite good about my finishing for once!

I have a couple of other finishes too but can't show those until Father Christmas has delivered them:)

I am humbled by all the lovely birthday cards and gifts I received and I have received two more.

Look at this lovely card that Karan made for me and the fabric and threads she sent me. Thank you so much Karan {{{{hugs}}}}

Lisa B sent me this lovely card and limited edition Dinky Dyes silk. Thank you so much Lisa {{{{hugs}}}}

Here's Father Christmas again showing my advent gifts from my surrogate sis Lisa. There should be a packet of Haribo sweets but I ate them!!! Lol!

OK stitching progress now. Actually I have a finish first of all. It's the last of the Renato Parolin pieces and it's Joy. Hopefully the next time you see these I will have them made up.

I can truly say right now that my Christmas Carol Sock is not going to be finished for Christmas although I guess I could stitch on it more than one evening a week then I might just get there! There is snow on top of those trees and also round the house! Not sure if they show up on the photo or not. Barb was hoping to finish hers this week.

Good Tidings with Jane Austen is going well and this will get finished next week! I took it to craft club with me on Tuesday and did a bit there and then stitched more on Tuesday evening. I think I shall take it again next week. I don't have much more to do on it.

The headless, handless snowman now has a head and the blind owl can now see! No hands yet but I'm sure I'll put that right the next time I pick him up! I am really enjoying this now I've got used to the stiffness of the fabric. I think Lisa was hoping to finish block this week :)

Finally my progress on Tra La Snowman who now has a hat and a bird on his arm! Love this piece so much!

My order arrived from 123 Stitch today. I am very impressed with the speed my order was despatched and considering the time of year 10 days from the USA is not bad going at all so all in all I am one very happy customer and ready to SAL with Michelle on Christmas Tea!

I decided what to treat myself to with my gift certificate from Wasatch Needlecraft from Colleen:) I've told Colleen and will show you on here when it arrives!

That's all from me for now. Hopefully I'll have some more finishing over the next few days. Maybe I should lock myself away until I get it all done!

Take care everyone.

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxxx

I Am So Blessed.....

2011-12-12T14:41:00.000Z

To have the most amazing family and friends. Today is my birthday and I have been so spoilt. I feel so blessed to have these wonderful people in my life to make my day so special. I have been gifted with some lovely cards and gifts and I feel like a Queen!

So this post will be picture heavy with photos of the gorgeous gifts I've received. I hardly know where to start!

My DH bought me a charm for my Nominations bracelet. It's a red opal heart which is beautiful. I saw this book on Barb's blog and added it to my Christmas list so was surprised to see it when I opened my gift from Abi this morning. It's the illustrated book of The Secret Garden. Like Barb I have never read it. It is so beautifully illustrated. A card arrived from Jess on Saturday and she says there's something in the post for me!!

My surrogate sis Lisa made me this lovely pillow. I absolutely love this and the saying is so true!!!! Thank you so much Lisa {{{hugs}}}

My dear friend Barb sent me an email the other week saying she'd ordered me something from The Nimble Thimble and it would be arriving soon. I was a very good girl and kept it until today to open and look what she gifted me! Shepherd's Bush Pink Snowman! Thank you so much Barb {{{{hugs}}}} it's on my 2012 to do list:)

From my dear friend Chris, who came to see last Friday, I received a lovely band sampler. I don't know who the designer is but this is just so gorgeous. Chris actually stitched this for my birthday last year but lost it then found it later! I'm so glad she did as I love it and I have it hung in my dining room. Thank you so much Chris {{{{hugs}}}}

My lovely Sb SAl-ing friend Colleen gifted me with a $25 GC for Wasatch Needlecraft. Thank you so much Colleen {{{{hugs}}}} I haven't decided what to treat myself to as yet but I will definitely tell you when I do :)

My dear friend Lesleyanne stitched me this sweet sheepy pincushion:) How cute is this?! Thank you so much Lesleyanne {{{{hugs}}}}

My dear friend Michelle sent me a lovely package containing some fabric, thread, a sweet little sheep charm and a keyring with my name on it. Thank you so much Michelle {{{{hugs}}}}

My dear friend Elisa sent me this gorgeous birdy pillow which is so me! It is so sweet. Thank you so much Elisa {{{{hugs}}}}

I am just in total awe of all the lovely gifts I received. From my lovely friend Christine I received these lovely Carrie's Creations threads. Thank you so much Christine {{{{hugs}}}}

From my dear BBD AotH SAL partner Jane I received this cute sheepy pincushion and JABCO Pins. Thank you so much Jane {{{{hugs}}}}

From one of my stitchy friends that I have known the longest, Julie, I received this gorgeous bunny pinkeep which is just so sweet. Thank you so much Julie {{{{hugs}}}}

Last but by no means least from another of my stitchy friends that I have known the longest I received this gorgeous hand made card. Fiona makes the most gorgeous cards. Thank you so much Fi {{{{hugs}}}}

I just feel so blessed and an so thankful to all my friends for thinking of me and making my day extra special. I cannot thank all of you enough. I have had lots of birthday wishes on Facebook too so thank you all and lots of love and hugs :)

I do have some stitching to show and a finished finish but I'll save that for another day:)

I'm so sorry I'm so far behind on blog reading but I hope to catch up tomorrow. I miss seeing what you are all stitching :)

Take care everyone!

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxxx

Ornament Exchange with Chris

2011-12-10T16:30:00.000Z

Not as an amusing title today as the other day lol! My snowman is still headless and handless and the owl still blind but next Wednesday they should be better! Thank you for all your lovely comments.

Yesterday Chris came for the afternoon and we had a lovely afternoon chatting, having cuppas and buns I'd made fresh that day. We were good and only had one each! The last few years we've done a private ornament exchange and this year was no exception. This is my ornament for Chris which I've happy to say she loved.

JBW Designs Love & Joy

35 count white fabric

DMC

Started 19th November 2011

Finished 27th November 2011

For Chris

And this is what Chris stitched for me which I absolutely love! I don't have any stockings on my tree so this is perfect and it's a Blackbird Designs too:) Thank you so much Chris xxx

On Thursday I stitched a bit more on Tra La La Snowman , the December SAL with Chris and Lesleyanne, which I love! My snowman addiction is well and truly coming out again lately!

Last night I finished a gift which I can't show yet and then picked up Renato Parolin Joy again and am hoping to have it finished tonight while I watch Strictly Come Dancing. I've never watched it before until this series as it's always been X factor for me but I'd rather watch Strictly and would love Harry to win!

Finally here's Father Christmas again with days 9 & 10 of my lovely advent calendar from Lisa. Yesterday was the SB Red Snowman chart ( a must stitch in 2012!) and today was some gorgeous silver Madeira metallic thread:) Thank you so much Lisa {{{{hugs}}}}.

That's all for today! I'm getting excited for my birthday and at last I'm getting excited for Christmas! I thought I was going to feel numb about it right through ( won't go into detail here as I've written about it on my other blog) so am happy to start feeling excited!

Take care everyone.

Until next time.........

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxx

It's The Headless, Handless Snowman and The Blind Owl

2011-12-08T16:27:00.001Z

Before you think I've totally lost the plot ( well I did say I was stitching from my chart stash for the first 6 months of 2012 so I probably have!) and call the men in white coats I'd better explain that title! Actually I'll let the picture explain.

See????? I was taking this picture earlier and Abi said it looked creepy!!! Poor snowman. Poor owl! How can he find his next meal??? Will he manage to last until next Wednesday when I stitch French Knots so he can see?! Oh I think I need some therapy! I am seriously beginning to think that I should not be let loose with needle and thread after more mistakes and more frogging this week. On this one I started stitching the snowman's coat too far down and had to frog! {{{sigh}}} I hope my surrogate sis Lisa had more luck!!! I did get a good evening in on this though as I enjoy stitching it so much.

Monday Barb and I were stitching on The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock and I decided to make a start on the row of trees. Did the first two then went to start the third and thought something is not right here!!!! I'd made a mistake on the "I" in Christmas which meant that the gap between the second and third trees was smaller than it should be. Needless to say I left it!

Jane came out on Tuesday evening again with dear Barb and as far as I know I didn't make a mistake on that ( famous last words!!!). I hope to have this lovely piece finished either next week or the week after.

I picked up my Shepherd's Bush Family Sampler from the framers on Tuesday. I am very happy with the way it's turned out seen as we had a hard time deciding on mounts and a frame. I'm sorry for today's crappy photos but it's been so dull all day. You can click on them to make them bigger:)

Here's Father Christmas showing off days 5 to 8 of my advent calendar from my surrogate sis Lisa. A very cute photo bookmark in which I'm going to put the photo of Lisa and I from our stitching day back in August, a very pretty Vikki Clayton silk thread, a lovely blue DMC Variations thread and a gorgeous piece of Christmassy material:)

I've been a good girl today! I told myself that I wasn't allowed to do a blog post or look at Facebook until I'd finished the ornament for Chris for our exchange and a Christmas gift and I did then both!!!! Lol!

I'm going to have a quick catch up on blogs now then cook tea for Abi and I. My DH is working late tonight although I was kind of hoping that the check would be abandoned due to the high winds. We haven't got it as bad here as further up north. Scotland has well and truly been battered and I hope all my stitching friends up there are safe.

Take care everyone and stay warm.

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxx

Welcome December!

2011-12-04T15:36:00.001Z

December is my favourite time of year as it's such a magical month. Apart from it being Christmas it is also my birthday a week tomorrow so it's extra special for me. I love the magic of the season but I find myself quite stressed in the run up but come Christmas Eve when everything is done and we can relax I start to enjoy things a little more.

I've been missing in action for a week as DH had the week off and we've been Christmas shopping. Thankfully it's all but done now. I have been stitching but not as much as usual as by the time we've got home, had tea, done bits on the PC and finally got relaxed time has been getting on. So I'll catch up now on what I have stitched. All WIPs except one finish as I can't show the others.

Monday was Christmas Carol SAL night with dear Barb. I didn't get much done and honestly don't think it's going to get finished in time. I decided to frog the snow and try DMC B5200 as it's a much brighter white but I have to finish frogging and restitch it yet!

Tuesdays are Jane days with Barb at the moment. I was horrified to realise that I have messed up on this one but there's too much to frog so it's staying as it is. I started the word meetings too far across but as I'd got the whole of the verse, the top and below the word stitched before I realised there's no way it's coming out!

Another SAL ( I'm doing 4 at the moment!!!!) is with my surrogate sis Lisa and it's L*K 6 Fat Men. We are both on Snow Friends and loving this piece so much.

My final SAL is the December SAL with Chris and Lesleyanne. Chris and I started this tradition a few years ago and this time the design we're stitching is Tra La La Snowman and Lesleyanne is stitching Lizzie*Kate 2010 Snowman. Loving the Tra La La Snowman already! Looking forward to seeing how Chris and Lesleyanne have got on.

Final stitching is my finish of Renato Parolin Love and start of Joy.

1st December meant I could start on my personalised advent calendar which my surrogate sis Lisa made up for me. I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying opening these gifts each day. Here is our Father Christmas showing the first 4 days gifts :)

Day 1 was the Shepherd's Bush Merry Be chart. Lisa stitched and finished this beautifully recently :). Day 2 was a very cute Sharpie highlighter. Day 3 was a Wish chocolate ( yummy!) and today was some lovely Kiwi Illusions fabric:)

If all goes to plan Chris is coming through on Friday afternoon which I am really looking forward to. I'm hoping to have her ornament made up by then so I can give it to her.

I was reading my dear friend Michelle's blog and noticed that she was planning on having a new start at Christmas and that is Plum Street Samplers Christmas Tea. I have loved this design since it came out so emailed Michelle to see if she'd mind me stitching along with her and she said she would love it:) So I've just ordered the chart from 123 Stitch ( never ordered from them before but have heard good reports about them) along with a couple of Crescent Colours threads. I'm using cotton as opposed to the silks as I just can't afford those. I'm really looking forward to starting it ( please postal service get it to me in time!) as I love settling down with something to stitch on Christmas evening.

Lisa and I were chatting yesterday and she asked if I had a new start planned for New Years Day. I said I'd like to start something as I have the last few years and she mentioned she might start something small like the Kelmscott Designs Miniature Monogram Hornbook-Margin Marker which I have so we've decided to start that! That is if I've decided on a thread colour by then :) Lol!

Now I'm thinking I have finally lost the plot as I've decided to stitch from my chart stash from 1st January to 30th June 2012! Yes I know I'm crazy. I've tried this before and failed but this time I am determined to make it work and get my chart stash down a bit. I buy new then the older stuff goes to the bottom of the pile and it's such a shame as I have some lovely charts. Lisa is possibly joining me. The only thing I will be buying is the 3rd BBD Loose Feathers chart as I'm on auto for that. It was supposed to be released this month but I think it might be late seen as the 2nd one was. So I'm going to ask y'all to encourage me please!

That's all for now! I have loads of finishing to do so thinking I might do some tomorrow once I've done some housework . Who invented that dreaded thing???? Lol!

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxx

Winter Sampler

2011-11-27T13:48:00.001Z

I stitched up a little thank you for Lisa S for very kindly sending me the fabric to make a pouch for LHN Travelling Stitcher. Not only was there enough fabric for a pouch and a needle case but also enough for me to make another set to send to my surrogate sis Lisa. I searched Lisa S's blog to see if she'd stitched this one or been sent it in an exchange and as she hadn't I set on to stitch it! I added our initials to the back. I am very happy to say that Lisa has received it safely and loves it:)

Little House Needleworks Winter Sampler

32 count Permin Amber Linen

DMC

Started 1st November 2011

Finished 4th November 2011

Thank you gift for Lisa S

Wednesday evening was SAL night with my surrogate sis Lisa. My DH, Abi and I were at school for a while at the GCSE Celebration evening then I stitched when we got home just after 8.30 pm. I am catching up on blog reading as I type and saw Marylin's WIP of it and realised I shouldn't have stitched up all the border on Snow Friends. I am so damned cross with myself and wonder sometimes why I bother stitching at all! Thankfully it's not a lot to frog so I might do it when I've finished catching up so that I don't forget!

Typing of my surrogate sis Lisa she told me to look out for a box from her this last week. Of course I missed the postie by about 15 minutes so had to wait until the next day to see what it was. Lisa said I could open the box then read the card on the top. I was very intrigued! When I opened it my first thought was why have I got all these parcels! Then when I read the card I was even more gobsmacked. It's my very own, personalised advent calendar! I cannot tell you how touched I am that Lisa did this for me and how excited I am for the 1st December! Thank you so much Lisa. I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful gift.

I've been doing a little secret stitching so just have Renato Parolin Love to show. I just love red thread on white fabric. I'm hoping to maybe get more stitched on this tonight.

Thursday is 1st December ( where on earth did November go???) so it'll be December SAL time with Chris and Lesleyanne. Chris and I decided on a design no sooner had we finished the last one! Lesleyanne is stitching L*K Snowman 2010. I am hoping that Chris will be OK to start as she had a cortisone injection on Wednesday for Tennis Elbow and was in a lot of pain.I have decided to stitch mine on Cobblestone linen as I think the colours will really pop on it. Here's my fabric with the threads I'm going to use. I decided on a mixture of DMC, Carrie's Creations, GAST and Crescent Colours. There should also be a darker green that I haven't decided on yet!

Thank you for all lovely comments on my Winter Band Sampler finish. I'm hoping to get it made up soon so that I can get it on display.

I'm going to catch up on blogs now and see what lovelies you've all been stitching. No doubt I will end up being enabled as well!

Have a great week everyone!

Take care

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

Winter Band Sampler

2011-11-23T13:43:00.004Z

I got rather excited at craft club yesterday as I thought I'd finished Winter Band Sampler just before I left. One of the ladies was admiring it when I realised I still had 6 stitches ( individual ones for snow) left to do! So last night before I picked up my TSG I popped those in and it is now finished!

Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler

32 count tea dyed evenweave

DMC

Started 18th October 2011

Finished 22nd November 2011

SAL with Lesleyanne and Angela.

I'm not sure how I'm going to finish this just yet but as I've got three things lined up to finish as pin keeps I think I'd better think of something different! The chart is now for sale ( or trade)

I stitched a little bit more on CCN Snowflake Serenade since my last blog post. I was a little iffy at my choice of fabric but now I'm happy with it as the snow will show up very nicely. Frosty is looking a little strange at the moment!

I did make a start on one of the ornaments from that page I showed in the JCS ornament issue. I nearly got it stitched on Saturday but just have a little bit more to do. I can't show it as it's for my exchange with Chris which we do every year now :)

I finally finished the house on The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock on Monday evening. I made a start on the wording and love how it's looking now. I'm stitching this with Barb who has lots done so do go over and have a look at her blog to see hers. Unless I get a move on I can't see me finishing it for Christmas! I am still worried about the white so I may change some of the colours of the flowers etc on it so that they show up better.

Finally yesterday was a Jane Day for Barb and I with Good Tidings with Jane Austen. I won't be at craft club next week but the week after I might take this with me seen as I've finished WBS. Although I do still have two SB ornaments that I'd like to get stitched for my tree before Christmas as well as numerous other things! Will I ever learn!

I've taken my Shepherd's Bush Family Sampler to my trusty framer today for framing. I should have it back in a week or so:)

Right I am going for a quick catch up on blog reading then I think I'll stitch for a bit!

Take care everyone and Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends:)

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxx

Peace

2011-11-19T10:37:00.003Z

This stitching what I want for 3 evenings a week is pretty good!! Lol! OK so I'm stitching what I want all week but now that I've finished The Sanctuary and AotH is on hold I'm stitching stuff that I've wanted to do for ages and not done. Then I can do Christmas stuff too without being last minute!

Anyway I finished up this beauty on Thursday evening.

Renato Parolin Peace

DMC 321

32 count white evenweave

Started 12th November

Finished 17th November

Then I made a small start on this one.

Wednesday evening was my SAL night with my surrogate sister Lisa ( thank God for my surrogate sister. We've been online friends for many years and I love her to bits). I had a visit from the frog as last week I'd run out of B5200 so moved onto the rabbit. Unfortunately I'd miscounted and left one row too many and didn't realise until after I'd stitched all the bunny so out he had to come! He did get restitched and I forgive him as he's so cute!

I was told I had to start this last night! I just hope I've made the right choice of fabby.

On FB I'm in a group called The Superstar Serial Starters and Divine Disciplined Divas Club and I posted asking if it was bad that I wanted to start loads from stash! Of course the question was asked what did I want to start! One of them was Country Cottage Needleworks Snowflake Serenade and Paula ( I won't link to her blog as it looks as though it's one of the ones that has been hacked recently) said I had to start it and do as I'm told! Lol! What's a girl to do? Seriously there is no hope for me at all but at least it keeps my mind off things:)

DH is at work today and Abi is out with friends so my plan is to have a stitching day and start one of these.

I had some rather nice post yesterday. I won this on Rowyn's blog. I absolutely love this and once I get my Christmas/ Winter stitching done I want to start this. Thank you so much Rowyn. I'll be passing this on when I've stitched it.

I was admiring a finish on Suzanne's blog a while ago and it was from a JCS mag so I asked which one. Suzanne kindly offered me to send the mag as she'd been sent it by Rowyn and she didn't want it back. When I opened the envelope I realised that I'd actually had this magazine from when I originally had it on order through my newsagent and sold it! I guess my tastes have changed since 2005! Anyway here's the mag.

And this is what I saw stitched on Suzanne's blog and fell in love it.

Thank you so much Suzanne! I hope you received my email :) Again I'll be passing the mag on when I've stitched the CHS piece :)

Almost forgot I did a little more finishing. As usual the SB ornament is plain and I finally got By the Light of the Moon done!

Finally Abi will probably kill me for this but here's a photo of her blowing the candles out on her cake on Wednesday!

Off to stitch in a bit! Have a great weekend everyone!

Love & hugs

Sally
xxxx

It's A Needle Case!

2011-11-16T13:37:00.000Z

After my sort of success at making my pouch for LHN Travelling Stitcher I decided to finish stitching the needle case and have a go at making that up on Sunday. This time I decided not to add any wadding like I did with the pouches as the extra bit of thickness made it difficult to sew on my machine. I have to say that I am really pleased with how it turned out. I have sewn the design onto the outside of the case rather than on the inside. I also made one for Lisa to go with the pouch I made.

Little House Needleworks Travelling Stitcher Needle Case

32 count white evenweave

Crescent Colours

Started 3rd November 2011

Finished 11th November 2011

I don't have any other finishes to show at the moment just a few WIPs. You know me I like to have a different one for each night on the go if I can lol! I have to admit that now Jane and I have decided to put AotH on hold until the New Year I feel like I have some freedom. Crazy isn't it but I think I'm falling out of love with long term projects at the moment so I may make some changes to my stitching in 2012 and not do any big pieces once AotH is finished.

So I now have 3 evenings free to stitch on whatever I feel like so on Saturday evening once the needle case was done I picked this beauty up. Not that you can see much yet but it's Renato Parolin Peace from Peace, Love, Joy. I'll be stitching all 3 and hopefully finishing them in a similar way to the photo on the chart. I'm stitching them on 32 count white evenweave with DMC 321.

I've been stitching up quite a ~~snow~~ storm on Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler both on Sunday evening and at craft club yesterday morning. I wasn't feeling terribly chatty whilst I was there but it was good to get out amongst company for a couple of hours.

Do you think I'll be getting sick of Winter/ Christmas designs??? No I don't either. Winter is my favourite time of year and my favourite designs to stitch and I don't really care what time of year I stitch them! So my next two WIPs are Christmas ones. First off that darn house on The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock is DONE! Well actually I thought it was done until I was putting my chart away and realised I had chimneys to stitch! It's nearly there though. One thing I'm worried about here is that the white is not going to show up but I don't want to start again on darker fabric now so it'll have to do!

Finally last night was my other SAL with Barb and Jane Tuesday:) I really didn't want to put this away last night and could have quite happily carried on stitching well into the night!

I have made a boo boo with my iStitch Mystery SAL and now won't be mounting it into my DMC box :( I stitched it over one on 25 count knowing it would turn out quite small but I thought I could use trim to fill the gap. However I started stitching it too far over so haven't left enough fabric! Duh! So I'll have to rethink and find something else to stitch for the box.

It's Miss Abi's 17th birthday today so Jess is coming home later today then has be back for 4 pm tomorrow as she has a lecture. I can't believe my youngest baby is 17! She has grown into a beautiful young woman and we are so very proud of her.

Oh and my blogoversary has been and gone again! I'm amazed that I've kept up this blog for 5 years. I have "met" some of the most fantastic people all over the world and I treasure you all. No blogoversary giveaway just yet but I will sort something soon.

That's all from me today! Thank you for all the wonderful comments that you leave for me. I love getting and reading them :)

iStitch Mystery SAL

2011-11-12T18:55:00.004Z

Last night I finished off the iStitch Mystery SAL. It has been great fun stitching this SAL over the past few months and I just want to say a huge thank you to Carol for designing and organising it. Anyway here's my finish. I'm going to mount it in the top of my DMC box soon.

iStitch Mystery SAL

25 count lugana

Victorian Motto Thread

Started 13th August 2011

Finished 11th November 2011

Another little finish is this sweet freebie from Sharon at It's Daffycat. Thank you Sharon for this sweet freebie. If any of you haven't seen it yet pop on over to Sharon's blog where you can find her email to request a copy:) I loved stitching this up as it didn't take very long and it's a cute design. I'm thinking of frogging the footprints and stitching some snow then restitching the prints. What do you think? I never thought about stitching it on white fabby!

Daffycat Designs Snow Hop Freebie

32 count Permin Amber Linen

DMC

Started and Finished 10th November.

Last photo is from my Wednesday SAL with my surrogate sister Lisa. I ran out of B5200 for the snow so moved onto the rabbit! I can't wait to pick it up again as I just love stitching these fun little snowmen.

So what else have I been stitching. Well I have almost finished a little gift for someone and tonight I'm hoping to finish the stitching on LHN Travelling Stitcher Needle Case. Only got the border to do. I've been sorted things that I would really like to get stitched before Christmas ( some LHN ornaments, CCN Snowflake Serenade, amongst others!) plus Chris and I are doing our usual Christmas ornament exchange which I really look forward to. Not long now to our December SAL either.

Best dash and get on with the needle case :) but before I go one very important message to us all.

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxx

Some Sewing and The Sanctuary is Finished!

2011-11-09T14:45:00.002Z

My second finish of the month that I can show is Drawn Thread The Sanctuary! I finished the stitching on the 1st of the month and finally finished all the hemstitching yesterday. I took it to craft club with me as I was feeling really tired so my eyes were tired too and I thought the hemstitching would be nice and easy. Several of the ladies were intrigued by this piece and thought it was beautiful. This was so lovely to stitch and it definitely keeps you interested with all the different stitches. The chart is now for sale so please email me if you're interested.

Drawn Thread The Sanctuary

32 count linen

DMC and WDW

Started 24th May 2011

Finished 1st November 2011

I'm not quite sure what to do with it now it's done. Any suggestions on how to hang it on the wall?

I plucked up the courage to make my pouch for LHN Travelling Stitcher at the weekend and armed with the instructions Katrina sent me and the measurements and fabric Lisa S had sent me I set on. It is most certainly not as easy as it looks but by Sunday evening I had these two. One for me and one for my surrogate sister Lisa seen as we started stitching TS together when we had our stitching day back in August. I don't think they are too bad for a first attempt. As you can see I've got my stitching sewn to it so it's ready to use:) Once I get the needle case done I'll use it for craft club for smaller charts and fabric.

Jane and I have decided to put our Blackbird Designs AotH on hold until the New Year so we can concentrate on some Christmas stitching. I haven't actually picked mine up for a while as I wanted to get The Sanctuary done. So I'm planning on some ornament stitching and a few other bits I think.

I stitched a bit more on Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler, my SAL with Lesleyanne and Angela, on Sunday evening. I just love this piece and am really looking forward to having this on my wall.

Monday was Christmas Carol SAL night with dear Barb and we are now both building. I just don't seem to be able to get this house done but, hopefully, next week I will have it all finished. I'll move up then I think.

Finally Barb and I started another SAL last night! Yes I did say another one. This time we're having a Jane day again and we're stitching Good Tidings with Jane Austen ( I've been calling it Glad Tidings- sorry Tanya!). I got quite a good bit stitched last night and really enjoyed it.

It's SAL night with Lisa tonight and 6 Fat Men ( lol) so looking forward to that. I'm going to order the next 3 charts in the JJ's Birthday Sale tomorrow:)

Thank you for all your wonderful comments on my Peacock Pin Keep finish! I loved reading them all.

I just got the latest BBD Loose Feathers from Amy at Down Sunshine Lane. I also got Little House Needleworks Snow in Love ornament as it's so cute!

I better get going and get myself sorted. I planned on stitching up The Primitive Needle By the Light of the Moon this afternoon ( a bit late for Halloween I know!) but I'm not sure I'm in the right mood!

Thanks for popping by my little stitching place.

Take care everyone.

Love and hugs

Sally

xxxx

A Bit Proud of Myself

2011-11-04T14:16:00.000Z

It's not often I actually say this but I am a bit proud of myself:) I have finally made up the Blackbird Designs Peacock Pin Keep that I finished stitching a while ago. It's not perfect by any means but I am extremely happy with it and right now feel as though I could tackle anything ( that won't last!!!!). So I'll share a couple of photos of the finished item :)

My DH came in yesterday and saw it on the table and said " Wow that looks good!" :)

Almost done and dusted is DT The Sanctuary :) Yesterday I did all the folding and mitering and all I have to do now is the hemstitching which I am hoping to make a start on this afternoon.

On Tuesday I received some fabric from Lisa S. She very kindly offered to send me some to make a pouch and needlecase for LHN Travelling Stitcher so hopefully this will be made into a pouch tomorrow as DH is at work. I'm a little nervous but I know I can do it if I try very hard! I haven't stitched the bit for the needle case as yet but I did make a start last night. Thank you so much for the fabric Lisa:)

Stitching wise I've been getting on well and managing to stay away from the PC after tea on a night. Monday was SAL night with dear Barb and I am still building the house! It does rather seem never ending but it'll be worth it!

On Tuesday morning at craft club I stitched a bit on Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler my SAL with Lesleyanne and Angela. I made a mistake no sooner had I started stitching but thankfully noticed before I'd got too much done!

Last stitchy pics are of Lizzie*Kate 6 Fat Men which I'm SAL-ing with Lisa on. I finished Snowed In on Wednesday and started Snow Friends. I just love these designs and can hardly wait to get the next 3 charts but am waiting until the next JJ's sale!

Lizzie*Kate 6 Fat Men Snowed In

32 count Amber linen

DMC

Started 5th October 2011

Finished 2nd November 2011

I'm not sure what I'm going to stitch tonight. I should get back to BBD AotH but I feel the need for more Christmas ornament stitching now that November is here so will see what tonight brings!

Next Tuesday Barb and I are starting another SAL :) This time it's The Sampler Girl Glad Tidings with Jane Austen. I've been looking forward to us starting this but wanted to finish The Sanctuary first which is why I've been in such a rush to finish it!

Almost forgot my part 7 of the iStitch mystery SAL. I'm looking forward to seeing what part 8 is:)

Other news is I've been to the doctor's this morning. I won't go into detail (womens things!) but I have exercises to do for 8 weeks and if there's no improvement I will more than likely have to have surgery. Right now I don't care if surgery has to be the option as I'm uncomfortable.

That's all my news for today. I'm off to start the hemstitching on Sanctuary :)

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

Almost There!

2011-10-31T15:54:00.000Z

It's been over a week since my last post and I have to admit that ,although half term played a part in my lack of blogging, I just did not have the enthusiasm for it. I did, however, do quite a lot of stitching and have been on a mission to try and get Drawn Thread The Sanctuary finished, stitching on it 4 nights a week, and it's almost there. I wasn't going to post a photo today but changed my mind. I just have to finish stitching the pink flowers around the border then I'm done and can finish it with hemstitching. The cutting, removing and reweaving threads went badly and I thought I was going to have to scrap the whole thing as my threads kept breaking. It may not be perfect and I may not be 100% happy with it but the piece is so pretty so it makes up for it! Hopefully by the end of the week it'll be totally done:)

I've also been doing a bit of finishing off on a couple of pieces. First up is LHN Belle Pepper which I stitched ages ago. This is a simple hanging pin keep type finish with some rather nice trim that I found in Hobbycraft.

Second piece is LHN Red House in Winter with a gathered ribbon finish. This will go on my Christmas tree:)

I've also been trying to finish my Blackbird Designs Peacock Pin Keep. What a carry on! I am guessing that the BBD ladies must have used a thick coat type wool for the pin keep as I must have used way more than the 1/4 yard on the chart! I went and bought a pair of wool trousers from one of the local charity shops and by the time I'd got those cut up and wound I still didn't have enough! So back to the charity shop this morning and another pair of wool trousers! I don't need a lot but I'll make sure I keep what's left just in case I need some in the future! So I will, hopefully, have that to show later in the week.

Scrooge's house on The Primitive Hare's Christmas Carol Sock has grown a wee bit since the last time I posted it and I'm hoping to get more done this evening with Barb. If I'm to get it done and on display for Christmas I'd better get my finger out. I can't believe it's November tomorrow!

Craft club last week was much warmer so no fingerless gloves needed thankfully! One of the ladies had brought some knitting magazines she no longer wanted and so I didn't feel left out she brought some cross stitching ones too so I spent some time looking through those before I started stitching then a break later for a cuppa and a yummy piece of flapjack made by the lady who runs it. I really must get the recipe. Anyway this progress picture of LHN Winter Band Sampler is two Sundays and a Tuesday mornings worth! I hope Lesleyanne and Angela are enjoying it as much as I am.

Last but by no means least is my Wednesday night SAL with my surrogate sis Lisa. Mine went much better this week and I just have the scarf and a few snowflakes to stitch and I can start the next one:)

I'm looking forward to the final part of the iStitch mystery SAL this weekend. I finished stitching part 7 yesterday and will post a picture in my next blog post.

That's all from me for now. I need to get caught up on blogs again when I get home from craft club tomorrow.

Take care everyone!

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

Lots of Stitchy Progress

2011-10-21T14:41:00.000+01:00

Before I show my stitchy stuff I just wanted to thank everyone who left such kind comments and hugs for both Abi and I on my last post. I am trying so hard to be strong for Abi but I have to admit that I am missing little Leo loads and I've sheds many a tear. Poor Abi has been so upset by the passing of her beloved little pet and can't bare to talk about it. I feel so bad for her and as a Mum really wish I could put things right.

Anyway on to my stitching before I cry again! Monday evening was Christmas Carol SAL night with Barb. I added some window frames and more brick work to Scrooge's house and am hoping to get more done next week. Half term means a lie in so no need to go to bed quite so early! Now that I have got used to the 35 count fabric I am really enjoying stitching this.

Tuesday at craft club it was freezing! The museum is now closed but the heating had, supposedly, been put on for us but I was frozen. My hands were freezing and were going blue! Two of the ladies kept their coats on! I think I shall take my fingerless gloves next week just in case! Anyway I made a start on Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler and am loving stitching it. I'm stitching along with Lesleyanne and Angela.

So Tuesday evening I didn't get much stitched on The Sanctuary as my heart just wasn't in it. I had got some done on Sunday evening and I picked it up again last night. I must admit that I am quite desperate now to finish this so that I can start TSG Gald Tidings with Jane Austen with Barb. I want to get some more Christmas ornaments stitched too.

Final progress picture is my SAL with Lisa which is Lizzie*Kate 6 Fat Men. I had such a going on with this this week! I got so far on the snowman then had to keep frogging one bit as I just could not get it to go right. I know my mind was not exactly on it and I almost threw it across the room! I dislike the fabric but am not starting over as I can't afford to waste it. Hopefully it'll go better next week.

I've been gearing myself up to get some finishing done and have been making the "pin keep" bit of the BBD Peacock Pin Keep this morning whilst waiting for the plumber to arrive. I do have all my stitching to attach to the bits yet and I'm hoping to do a bit more when I get off here. I ordered some fabric and one trim from Thread Bear last night to finish three pieces ( Duo Noel, A New Day and Dandy Dreams) and will have to see if I can get some ribbon or trim from Boyes next week. I also need to get a Halloween piece finished or it won't be on display this year!

I popped to my local newasgent the other day to pay my Dad's paper bill and just happened to notice the JCS Christmas Ornament magazine on the shelf so asked if they had one put away for me, which they hadn't, so I grabbed one off the shelf! I'm been eagerly waiting for it to come in and I have to say I was not disappointed when I looked through it. There are several that I really want to stitch so I really need to make a point of getting some done.

Hmmm I just realised the Online Needlework Show has started. Should I look???? Lol!

After having no hot water or central heating for over a week we have finally got our boiler fixed today! Phew. It feels so good to have hot water again and know we can have the heating on if we want. £250 worth of parts have been fitted. Thank God we have insurance and don't have anything to pay as there'll be labour on top of that.

That's it from me for today. Carol R has sent out part 7 of the mystery SAL today so I'm hoping to get that stitched over the weekend and maybe start a Christmas ornament? Lol!

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxx

Little Leo Hamster

2011-10-19T13:46:00.001+01:00

Abi's lovely little Leo Hamster left us yesterday evening to play happily over the Rainbow Bridge :( He had only been with us 7 weeks but he has left a huge gap in our hearts. I could never have imagined such a small soul could leave such a big pawprint on our hearts. He was such a funny little thing, so lovable and so mischievous and very much loved by us all.

Abi is devastated and I feel so bad for her. I just want to make everything all right again.

Boiler is still not fixed. Not happy. Still waiting for parts.

I am behind on blogs and have tried to get motivated to catch up today but I can't.

Will be back soon with some stitching.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

A Teeny Finish

2011-10-16T16:20:00.004+01:00

I made the mistake of not double checking the fabric I'd taken to craft club with me on Tuesday to start my latest Shepherd's Bush ornament so it's turned out rather teeny but it looks so cute! I'll have fun making this one up- not!

Shepherd's Bush Shepherds Watched

25 count fabric

DMC

Started 11th October 2011

Finished 15th October 2011

I also finally stitched up the holes in the SB ornaments that I made up the other day. I have to say that I am ashamed at the way these look. I wanted to finish them simply like the others I've stitched and finished so far but I don't think they look very good. Well I guess you learn by your mistakes lol! I think I'm having a crisis of finishing confidence!

Wednesday was SAL night with Lisa on our L*K 6 Fat Men. Poor Lisa has been ill so has not been stitching much. Hope you are feeling much better soon Lisa {{{{hugs}}}}. Here's my progress. I'm loving stitching this. I'd forgotten how much fun L*Ks were to stitch.

Friday I did a little on Blackbird Designs AotH Bonus block. This is such a pretty block and so easy to stitch with it just being an alphabet and some flowers.

Lesleyanne, Angela and I are, hopefully, starting Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler on Tuesday. I've dyed some fabric today and sorted my threads so I am all ready to go:)

I stitched up part 6 of Carol R's iStitch mystery yesterday. I am still hoping that will look OK for my DMC box:)

We have been without hot water and heating since Wednesday evening. We probably wouldn't have been using our heating anyway but I sure do miss the hot water. Thankfully we have an electric shower so at least we can showered! I really feared our boiler had died a death when the plumber rang on Friday morning to ask what make and model it was and when I told him he said the parts weren't easy to get. We have an insurance to cover parts and labour and that does pay a small amount if it is unrepairable but that wouldn't go anywhere near to the cost of a new one. Anyway he came out to have a look, rang his office to tell them what parts to order and hopefully they should be available Monday or Tuesday. However I am not holding my breath!

Yesterday I had a bit of a mishap whilst getting out of the car when we got back from grocery shopping! I caught my foot in the strap of my bag taking a bit of a stumble and I hit my chin on the top of the car door. Ouch! The air was blue, my eyes were watering and, boy, did it hurt!!!!! I am now sporting a rather fetching bruise on my chin which I am very conscious of!!! I may have to see if I can find some concealer in my make-up bag!

Well that's it from me for today. I'll be back in a few days with progress on other bits.

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

Gifts For Friends & A Finish

2011-10-12T13:55:00.000+01:00

It was my friend Elisa's birthday on Monday so I stitched up a little pincushion for her from the Blackbird Designs Joyeaux Noel book. I've been itching to stitch something from this since I bought it months ago and I thought Elisa might like this and I'm happy to say that she not only likes it- she loves it! I changed the year to her birth year ( yes she is 40). Happy Belated Birthday Elisa!

Blackbird Designs Vintage Pincushion

25 count fabric

DMC 4210

Started 27th September 2011

Finished 2nd October 2011

Birthday gift for Elisa.

I was being nosy the other day and looking at Lesleyanne's list of things that she wanted to stitch and saw this so stitched it up for her and sent it along with the travelling pattern.

Lizzie*Kate Peace Joy Love freebie

Silkweaver 28 count Sparkling Cider lugana

Carrie's Creations Hollyberry & Mistletoe

DMC B5200

Started & Finished 6th October 2011

Just because gift for Lesleyanne

I added the year to the back and finished it with a beaded edge using red and green beads. Lesleyanne said I was a very naughty girl lol but she loves it:)

Monday evening was SAL night for Barb and I on The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock. I finished the roof of Scrooge's house and made a start on the "brick laying"! I am sure he'll appreciate me building his house to keep him warm lol!

At craft club yesterday I had a finish and a new start! I knew I didn't have much to stitch on Tra La La Duo Noel so I took a couple of other things with me so that I wouldn't be sat there with nothing to do. So here's my Duo Noel finish :)

Tra La Duo Noel ( Mouton)

28 count own tea dyed evenweave

DMC

Started 20th September 2011

Finished 11th October 2011

Thank you so much Lesleyanne for sending the chart onto me when you'd finished stitching yours:) I have now sent it onto Barb:)

So what did I start after that? Well I took LHN Summer Splendor with me and the next SB ornament from the JCS ornament mags and decided on the ornament. As Lesleyanne and I are going to be starting Winter Band Sampler soon I decided to leave Summer Splendor until after that :) What I didn't realise was the fabric cut I'd taken with me was 25 count so here's a very teeny shepherd!

Finally my progress on DT The Sanctuary from last night. I'll be stitching on this again on Thursday as I really want to get it finished. I'm in two minds at the moment whether to finish it once I've got the words done or whether to carry on and do the removing threads, border and hemstitching. I'm thinking that if I only do the words I'll finish it sooner and I'm very nervous about removing and reweaving threads!

I have been so lucky of late winning a few giveaways so I couldn't believe it when I saw that I'd won Rowyn's giveaway for Shakespeare's Peddler Weeds Make Haste:) I'm looking forward to seeing Rowyn's finish of it and receiving the chart. Thank you so much Rowyn:) I keep thinking that my lottery numbers might come up but noooooooo!!!!

Tonight is SAL night Lisa and those cute 6 Fat Men! Can't wait!

I seriously need to get some making up done as I have several things waiting in the wings. Some I would really like to get framed but they will be have to wait a bit. I started making the "roll" for the BBD Peacock Pin Keep but got bored with it so must get back to that! I also have the pouch for LHN Travelling Stitcher to make but I haven't managed to find any fabric online as yet. Can anyone suggest any good online stores in the UK where I might find some? 'd like something similar to what was used in the picture on the chart. I have 4 SB ornaments sewn, stuffed and waiting for the holes to be sewn up! I should be ashamed of myself for leaving them like that lol! Oh and I also have SB Rosy Egg to make up but still on the fence about how to finish it and if my skills are up to an egg shape!!!

Thank you for visiting me and reading my ramblings today and for leaving me lovely comments:)

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

A Birthday Gift and the Winner of the Travelling Pattern:)

2011-10-09T16:17:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was my friend Fiona's ( no blog) birthday. We have known each other online for many years ( in fact I'm not entirely sure just how many!) and I wanted to stitch a little something for her. I decided on this little Lizzie*Kate freebie and finished it as a pinkeep type finish. I am very happy to say that Fi likes it :)

Lizzie*Kate Friendship Grows

Unknown fabric

DMC

Started & Finished 2nd October 2011

Birthday Gift for Fi

Now onto the next member of the stitcherhood:) It was an incredibly difficult choice but the travelling pattern will be on it's way to Lesleyanne:) Congratulations and welcome to the stitcherhood! I will get the chart out to you hopefully tomorrow. Don't forget to follow the travelling pattern to Lesleyanne's blog for your chance to become part of it next time:)

I finally got part 5 of the iStitch Mystery SAL stitched up just in time for part 6 coming out!

Friday evening I made a small start on the bonus chart on my BBD AotH piece and I continued with it last night. Unfortunately I realised that when I'd left the gap for the bonus chart I'd miscounted and hadn't left the gap I should have :( Thankfully it will still fit in but instead of being a three stitch gap at both sides there will be three at one and two at the other. I am so cross with myself especially as I'd stitched a line across the top! Obviously I cannot count:(

That's all from me for now. Not sure what I'm stitching on tonight. Either an SB ornament or Tra La La Duo Noel:) I need to catch on blogs too but think I will do that tomorrow now. It's been one of those weekends as my Dad has been without his phone due to a fault since Friday afternoon and no working phone line has meant no working Lifeline so we've both been very uneasy. After numerous phone calls to the phone company and a final angry one at 6.30 pm yesterday evening he finally got a working phone line at about 10 pm last night night BUT the phone kept ringing through the night keeping him awake so yet another call to them this morning! Keeping my fingers firmly crossed that it's all fixed now and he'll have no more problems. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxx

Two New Starts & Progress

2011-10-06T13:32:00.000+01:00

It has been the week for new starts this week and I don't feel guilty at all! Lol! As I said in my last post Barb and I are putting our SB SAL on hold for a bit to stitch The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock. I am stitching mine on 35 count superfine linen ( from Sew and So) which I have teadyed. I have to admit that I was in a panic as it took me a while to adjust to stitching on that count fabric and I was thinking what if my eyes are getting weaker and I can't stitch on it anymore:( Anyway once I got going it was fine and here is my progress. I have started in the middle so that I get it placed right on my fabric so this is the roof of Scrooge's house and it's a huge house so may take a while to stitch! Please excuse my bad photos today but it was rather dull when I took them.

My second new start of the week wasn't supposed to be started for a week or two yet but both Lisa and I were rather eager and I can stitch up the needlecase for LHN Travelling Stitcher anytime. So last night we made a start on Lizzie* Kate 6 Fat Men and here is my start. I'm stitching this on the recommended 32 count Amber linen but it's so stiff which makes it quite difficult to handle. Again I seemed to struggle to see it until I got going so I am now wondering if it's because they're linen rather than evenweave or maybe I just need my eyes testing! Having said that I'm fine stitching over one on 25 count and I can see evenweave fine.

On Tuesday I took Tra La La Duo Noel to craft club and lo and behold my poor bodyless sheep from the week before is now sporting a rather nifty looking body! I didn't get a great deal done in the 2 hours and I have to admit the way I was feeling I was close to getting up and coming home after half an hour.

The only other progress I have is on Drawn Thread The Sanctuary. These trees are going so much faster than I thought they would and I am now thinking of putting HAED Guardian on hold ( Not again I hear you say but I really think I'm just not a HAED stitcher anymore, at least not on a BAP) and concentrating on this for two evenings a week to get it finished ( so Barb and I can start TSG Glad Tidings with Jane Austen).

I am getting into Christmas/ Winter stitching now and Lesleyanne and I are going to SAL on Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler soon which I am looking forward to :) I got my chart out of my box and I'd already sorted some fabby when I was sorting it all out the other week. I just need to dye it:)

Don't forget there's still time to have a go at becoming part of the sisterhood of the travelling pattern in my previous post. It's open until Sunday but if there's no more interest ( I honestly thought there would have been more) I might choose a name earlier.

Thank you for visiting me and for all your wonderful comments. I appreciate them and your friendships :)

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxx

Tricia's Prize, A Birthday Gift & The Travelling Pattern is Ready to Go!

2011-10-02T11:49:00.002+01:00

When my surrogate sis Lisa and I had our stitching day way back on August 10th you may remember she gifted me with the cutest sheep who now sits on my mantlepiece in my living room. I asked for suggestions for names and Lisa and I chose Cecil which was Tricia's suggestion. So I stitched a little something up as a prize for her. As it was a sheep naming thing what better than stitching something sheepy so this is what I stitched!

Shepherd's Bush ABC Sheep ( freebie)

28 count Pink Dahlia Fabric

DMC

Started 2nd September 2011

Finished 20th September 2011

Prize for Tricia

I am so pleased to say that Tricia loves it:)

Friday was Heather's birthday so I stitched up a little gift for her. Happy Birthday Heather :) I decided on something from the Blackbird Designs A Stitchers Journey book and this is what I chose.

Blackbird Designs Summer Sachet

Unknown fabric

DMC

Started 23rd September 2011

Finished 24th September 2011

Birthday gift for Heather.

Last but by no means least the Travelling Pattern is ready to continue on its journey around stitchers of the world:)

I feel very honoured to have been part of the Stitcherhood so now it's time for one of you to become a member.

The rules of the TP are as follows:

1. Comment on this post, saying you would like to be part of the Stitcherhood.

2. By leaving this comment, you agree (if you are chosen) to stitch the design and send it along to the next person in a timely manner. If this means dropping everything in your rotation to concentrate on this project...so be it. If you can't bring yourself to do this ~ don't sign up.

3. You must have an active blog to participate. If you have a blog but never post to it ~ you won't be chosen to be the next stitcher.

4. This is a giveaway-type Traveling Pattern. That means you must follow it from blogger to blogger to enter each time it is ready to send along. Commenting on this post doesn't make you a guaranteed part of the Stitcherhood.

The Traveling Pattern has been stitched by:

1. Sharon of It's Daffycat, Oklahoma, USA

2. Karen of Karen's Handiwork, South Carolina, USA

3. Patty of Hanging On By A Thread, Florida, USA

4. Terri of Chocolates for Breakfast, Stitching for Lunch, USA
5. Lynda of A Cozy Little Place for Stitching, Oregon, USA
6. Nataly of Nataly's Needle Creations, Massachusetts, USA
7. Erin of Fairy Tales & French Knots, NY, USA
8. Jo of Serendipititous Stitching, Suffolk, UK

9. Mouse of talesofastitchingmouse South Yorkshire uk

10. Sally of Stitchyangel's Treasures, East Yorkshire UK

11. ????????? Could it be YOU?

The above are all the blogs where the TP appears in all it's glory so you don't have to rummage through the blogs to find them.

I'll chose the next stitcher next Sunday 9th October. Good luck everyone!

Now here's my finish:) Not sure how I will finish finish it lol as yet!

Shakespeare's Peddler Count Your Blessings

28 count Silkweaver Tutti Fruiti linen

GAST & DMC

Started 27th September 2011

Finished 1st October 2011

Plans for October are birthday gifts, new SAL with Barb, new SAL with Lisa, continue stitching my other pieces, get part 5 of the iStitch mystery SAL stitched before next weekend plus anything else that I may fancy!

I plan on having a stitching afternoon unless my DH and Abi have any other plans but I reckon Abi will be doing work for her photography A level. She seems to be settling well now after some upsets the other week ( general studies again- same thing we had with Jess) and is getting into quite a good routine. Her courses are heavily coursework based so it has been quite a shock to the system for her with the amount of work. Jess starts her course at university tomorrow and I have to admit I am feeling extremely unsettled and just hoping that she will stick this one out. Oh and she has to have yet another blood test! This time a fasting one as they found a slight abnormality but why the hell they couldn't do the fasting one in the first place is beyond me! Of course she'll have to get registered with a GP there and get it done.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend and for those of us in the UK who are enjoying an "Indian Summer" at present make the most of it! Normal temperatures are coming back soon ( thank God!) and I, for one, am looking forward to the cooler temps and Autumnal days.

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

The Travelling Pattern Arrived......

2011-09-29T13:49:00.000+01:00

At my humble abode from the Mouse House on Tuesday ( thank you Mouse:) ) so of course I had to do some immediate stash diving so I could make a start on it :) I had some SIlkweaver fabric I'd bought off a fellow blogger/ stitcher a long time ago so I decided to stitch it on that! It's 28 count Tutti Fruitti linen so a bit different and I'm using 2 GAST and the rest DMC. I have to admit that I really fell out with the Grape Arbour GAST as it kept knotting then breaking so it was very nearly a scrapped piece! Anyway I persevered and finished the wording so now I don't have to stitch with that any more! I popped my first few stitches in it on Tuesday evening and stitched more yesterday. Guardian will not be coming out tonight as I want to get a good go on Count Your Blessings so I can pass it on as soon as possible. Watch out for a post sometime soon.

Tuesday was a very nice post day as postie also brought some Shepherd's Bush charts from kits from Barb that I knew she was sending me. They are the two she has stitched recently, My Mom's Garden and French Heart, and they are so pretty! Thank you so much Barb:)

There was another package that totally threw me as I wasn't expecting anything else. When I opened it there was something wrapped in pink tissue paper and on opening that I just stood there in shock with my hand over my mouth and tears welling up in my eyes. It was the new Blackbird Designs book A Schoolgirl's Work via Fobbles from dear Barb. Barb I cannot thank you enough and wish I could come and give you a big hug. I was going to put it on my Christmas list but Barb has beaten Father Christmas to it. I am blessed by our friendship and treasure it so much. {{{{hugs}}}} For any of you thinking of investing in this book I would say go for it. There are pages of beautiful old samplers sewn by the most talented young girls plus lovely things to stitch inspired by those samplers.

While I was taking photos I thought I'd show you my stash from JJ's that I mentioned in my last post. As you can see there are the new L*K 6 Fat Men charts which Lisa and I are going to be stitching very soon and the Shepherd's Bush 2011 Fob kit. I love the fabric in the kit!

Monday evening and a little bit on Tuesday evening I stitched on Drawn Thread The Sanctuary. A few more trees were stitched and another arch. I am hoping to get on well again with this next Tuesday as as soon as it's finished Barb and I can start TSG Glad Tidings with Jane Austen:)

Last night I finished up Little House Needleworks Travelling Stitcher, my SAL with Lisa, but I do still have the part for the needle book to stitch which I shall probably do next week. I've loved stitching this with Lisa and am looking forward to our next SAL:) I stitched both of our initials over one on this as I thought it would be nice seen as we started this when we had our stitching day together last month:)

Little House Needleworks Travelling Stitcher

32 count white evenweave

Crescent Colours

Started 10th August 2011

Finished 28th September 2011

SAL with Lisa.

I'll be on the look out for some suitable fabric at half term probably to make a pouch unless I can find some on-line in the meantime. Thank you so much Katrina for the instructions you sent me :)

I still haven't got part 5 of the iStitch mystery SAL stitched yet. It's a good job we have 2 weeks this time. I've been busy getting a birthday gift stitched and I can't show what I stitched at craft club this week either! One thing I will say is we had a very yummy chocolate cake made by the one of the ladies this week :)

I've been thinking a lot about my stitching lately and the fact that I buy charts when I have lots in my stash already ( like so many other stitchers I know!). It's really hard to stick to a no chart buying rule when there are so many gorgeous charts out there but I'm getting to the stage now where if I want to stitch something new ( like for starting a SAL or a gift) I'm having a real hard time finding fabric in my stash as I sorted a lot of it and cut it to put with charts in my stash so that I had to stitch those!!! So now I really need to stop myself buying charts and just buy fabric if I can be a good girl! I am on auto for the new BBD Loose Feathers so have to have those and of course I need the next 3 L*K 6 Fat Men charts when they're released then I really have to behave myself!

Also next year I'm planning on only one biggie which will be Guardian although I know I won't have finished my AotH piece by the end of the year. It'll take a miracle for me to finish that by then. So it's going to be **mostly** stitching from stash ( ha-ha I feel a fail coming on already but notice I did say **mostly**!) and no more biggies! Wonder if I can stick to that!!!

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my Snow finish for Lainey. I found my chart so will be stitching it again for myself sometime lol! I've searched to see if I can find it on-line anywhere but I can't. I got it in an order from Needlecraft Corner ages ago.

That's all my stitching news today so I'll catch up on your blogs now then go get some exercise done on the Wii Fit Plus. I hadn't been on it for well over a month until yesterday and I really need to get back to that and walking plenty. I totally lost my enthusiasm.

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally
xxxx

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

2011-09-26T14:44:00.002+01:00

Nope not really! Not yet anyway, although according to the forecasters there's a strong chance that some of the country may see a considerable amount of snow as early as October and more of the country will have it from November through to February. Looks like we're in for another harsh winter but it wouldn't surprise me as there are a lot of berries on the trees and bushes.

Anyway I am digressing here! The Let It Snow is for a finish I have recently had. It was dear Lainey's birthday on Saturday and as many of you know she is rather partial to snowmen ( and sheep!). So I was debating what to stitch for her and I came across this freebie that I'd had for ages. I really want to stitch this one again for myself as I'm so pleased with how this looks. I've been trying to find the chart again this morning but don't know where I've put it!! Duh!

Little River Snow ( freebie)

Jayne's Attic COM Sweet Pea

DMC

No idea when I started it but finished 18th September 2011

Birthday gift for Lainey.

I am very happy to say that Lainey loved it:) Happy Birthday Lainey xx

I had another finish on Friday and that was this.

Blackbird Designs AotH Pumpkin Farm

36 count Rosewood Linen

DMC & GAST.

Started 19th August 2011

Finished 23rd September 2011

I dedicated this block to my DH. I added his birth year as well as the initials on his parents and brother. The bonus block is next:)

I posted Tricia's wee prize for naming Cecil the Sheep on Friday so hoping to be able to show that as soon as it arrives over the pond:)

I haven't had chance to stitch part 5 of the iStitch mystery SAL yet as we had a bit of a busy weekend but hoping to get it done before the next part comes out.

My other bit of stitching is Tra La La's Duo Noel Mouton. The mouton lol just has legs at the moment but hopefully will have a body next time! I'm loving stitching this!

I think I'll be stitching on Drawn Thread The Sanctuary tonight and tomorrow night so I can get more done. Barb and I are having a wee break from our Monday night SB SAL to stitch The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock and I think we are starting next Monday. I had to dye some fabric as the only piece I had big enough was white so I'm hoping it'll look OK. I used Lady Grey teabags lol. We were going to start it when I'd finished The Sanctuary but Barb suggested the break from our SB SAL so we can have a better chance of having it finished ready to hang for Christmas and I'm all for that! I hope Colleen won't mind. I have emailed her :) Also we can then start The Sampler Girl Glad Tidings with Jane Austen which we had also planned to do sometime this year!

Lisa and I will soon be starting our L*K 6 Fat Men SAL. I finally got my charts on Saturday so now just need to buy some fabric which I will do this week. We are going to finish Little House Needleworks Travelling Stitcher first.

I had a lovely surprise when Mouse emailed me the other day as I have now become part of the Stitcherhood by winning Shakespeare's Peddler Count Your Blessings chart:) This chart is so apt for the way I've felt this year. I am so pleased as I've been following this on blogs I read for a while now so as soon as I receive it I'll be stash diving. Look out for a post in the next week or two if you'd like to be part of this although rules do apply:)

Jess is now in her new student digs. She rang me this morning and sounded quite settled so I feel a little easier. I will feel much better when she starts her new course next week and I know she's settled on that. However we thought she was settled on her chemistry course! She does seem much more excited about English and Creative Writing and was so chuffed to find nearly all of her reading list in a second hand book shop on Saturday. She even started reading one of them straight away!

Well I think I'd better get myself sorted and get my sewing machine out again! Must get caught up on blogs tomorrow after craft club and see what you've all been up to.

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

I Seem To Be On A Roll.......

2011-09-21T13:25:00.001+01:00

With finishes this week. They are mostly what I've been stitching on for a bit except for one which I started and finished on Monday evening! I can't show two of them as one is Tricia's prize for naming Cecil and the other is a birthday gift, both of which need sewing up so my sewing machine will, hopefully, be coming out to play later today.

Anyway I'll start with my progress on BBD AotH Pumpkin Farm. I couldn't finish this as I ran out of one of the threads. I should have it finished this weekend all being well. I am personalising it for my DH even though he wasn't born in October.

Sunday afternoon I settled down to stitch on Carol R's iStitch mystery. It stitched up really quick and I love how it's looking. I think this will be perfect for my DMC box.

Sunday evening I wanted to get the BBD Peacock Pin Keep Needlecase finished but it wasn't to be. However my Monday evening Shepherd's Bush stitching went very well so I put the last few stitches into it then. I've dyed some white fabric this morning to use as backing for the pin keep and the needlecase and will have a go at finishing it all soon.

Blackbird Designs Peacock Pin Keep

28 count tea dyed fabric

DMC

Started 24th July 2011

Finished 18th September 2011

I decided that I couldn't stand to take SB Wisemen Came with me to craft club again on Tuesday so before I had my new SB start on Monday I finished it. I have a few of these to get made up now so I think I'd better go through my finishing fabrics and see what I can find!

Shepherd's Bush Wisemen Came

Unknown fabric

DMC

Started 30th August 2011

Finished 19th September 2011

My new start for the SB SAL with Barb and Colleen was Rosy Egg. Lisa stitched this a while ago and kindly sent me the chart and leftover silks and there was enough for me to stitch it. I couldn't believe how quickly this stitched up and how tiny it is! It is so cute! I used a scrap of Jayne's Attic COM fabric and can't remember the colour but I think it's perfect for this piece. I need to add a button to this and I think I might have a purple heart button that would be perfect for it. I have no idea how I'm going to finish it though! Any suggestions? I'll have to decide on what to start next Monday! Lol!

Shepherd's Bush Rosy Egg

Jayne's Attic COM Fabric ( unknown)

Leftover silks from kit

Started and Finished 19th September 2011

I went to craft club yesterday thinking I had all the threads I needed to finish Tricia's prize and also took something else with me in case I finished it. After I'd been stitching a while I realised I was one thread short so just stitched what I could. I then asked the other lady who cross stitches if she happened to have any DMC 316 on her. Would you believe it she had it! So I "borrowed" a couple of strands and was able to finish that. There were 20 minutes left by then so I started Tra La La Duo Noel:)

Last night I stitched a little bit on Drawn Thread The Sanctuary. I finished the trees at the top and started the bit down the left hand side. I am itching to get this finished especially as I now have The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock chart which arrived yesterday:)

I'm really looking forward to my LHN Travelling Stitcher SAL with Lisa tonight:) Does anyone know of a tutorial or have any tips for making a pouch similar to the one used?

I also had another chart in the post yesterday. Last week I won Mary Ann's giveaway for Little House Needleworks Summer Splendor which she has recently stitched. She posted it in Friday so it arrived very quickly! I fell in love with this chart from the minute I saw it so was delighted to have won it. I think this will be my next small new start:) Thank you so much Mary Ann and her DH who picked my name:)

I was hoping my JJ's order might be here today as both mine and Lisa's were shipped on Friday and she got hers yesterday. So I'll hope for tomorrow lol!

That's all my stitching for news so I shall pop off and catch up on your blogs. Thank you for all your good wishes for Jess. She's had her blood done today and the results should be back in a couple of days. Fingers crossed it's clear.

Hope everyone is having a good week. Take care.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

Pansy Roll Finished :) & The Blessings of Stitching Friends.

2011-09-15T13:32:00.001+01:00

On Monday evening I finished all the stitching on SB Pansy Roll and added the beads. I decided I wanted it all made up and done before next Monday so that I could have a new SB start ( not sure what it will be yet). So yesterday I added the lace, more beads and sewed it up and ended up with this! It is so pretty and I love the over one verse on it.

Shepherd's Bush Pansy Roll

32 count white fabric

DMC and Mill Hill Beads

Started 29th August 2011

Finished 14th September 2011

So which SB shall I start next? Rosey Egg? Feed My Sheep? I'm trying to think of what I have everything for! The Journey maybe if I have suitable fabric. Our Hearts Pincushion? Elizabethan Pincushion? Sophie's Pincushion?

I started stitching the trees on Drawn Thread The Sanctuary on Tuesday evening. I am hoping that these stitch up quite quickly as I am now on a mission to get this piece finished ASAP ( more about that later in this post!). There is still so much to stitch but I love how this is looking. How I'd love to sit in a garden like this stitching away!

As usual on a Tuesday morning I went to craft club. There wasn't so many of us this week so it was easier to join in conversations etc so my stitching was feeble! It didn't help either when I started doing the back stitch that I realised I would have to frog some of the stitching I'd done there last week! I'd had bother with the moon too with the thread for that being close! So we'll see if I can do better next week and actually finish it.

Last night was SAL night with Lisa on LHN Travelling Stitcher so I stitched on it until 10 pm then picked something else for half an hour. I finished stitching the house then did a bit on the verse.

I had a lovely surprise from Lesleyanne the other day. She recently stitched the sheep from Tra La La Duo Noel which I love and have on my wish list after seeing it on June's blog. Lesleyanne very kindly sent me the chart so I am looking forward to stitching that. I think I shall pop it into my rotation when I've finished Blackbird Designs Peacock Pin Keep. Thank you so much Lesleyanne {{{hugs}}}

I am really excited about the next SAL Lisa and I will be doing which is going to be Lizzie*Kate's 6 Fat Men. We've both received our invoices from JJ's so looking forward to receiving the first 3 charts. We're starting when we've both finished Travelling Stitcher. I need to see what fabric I have and decide what to stitch them on but I am thinking of getting the Amber that the model is stitched on as Sew and So have it.

Another SAL I'm super excited about is one Barb and I are going to be doing later on in the year. Barb is such a terrible enabler ( love you though Barb:) ) so I should have known better than to look at The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock chart when she mentioned it in an email. Jess and I have a Christmas Eve tradition of getting into our PJs and into her bed and watching A Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart in it so I had to look at it. I fell in love with it straight away but wanted to see how many pennies I had left when I'd paid my JJ's invoice. So yesterday I emailed Isabella of The Primitive Hare to see how much the chart and shipping was and it'll be on the way to me tomorrow morning:) Barb has also put an order in for the chart so our SAL is a go ( once I finish The Sanctuary) Isabella is a sweetheart to deal with:)

I'll be stitching on HAED Guardian tonight and hoping I can keep up with it while we watch Torchwood as it's the season finale.

I was chatting to Lisa yesterday and she asked about the iStitch mystery as she had more branches and leaves on part 3 than I did. Well guess who had missed some of it off???? Yep me!! So I sat down for a few minutes this morning after I'd done some housework and finished it properly!

Poor Jess is not having a good time of it of late. You may remember she had two urine infections lately as well as having two lots of blood tests for "womens problems". Well the last time she had her urine checked the doctor thought there were still slight signs on infection but said to leave it a couple of days then take another sample in and they'd send it away. Anyway she's been back today but the results weren't back so the doctor rang through for them. Thankfully there were no signs of infection but ketones were present. He said that that could be sign of diabetes ( which my Mum had) or starvation so he asked if she eats breakfast which she doesn't. So just to be on the safe side she has to go have a blood test for blood sugar! So now that means she won't be moving this weekend as she had planned. Good job there's another couple of weeks to the start of the new semester.

Well I had better go now. Not sure what I'm going to do; maybe do some finishing or stitching.

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxxx

iStitch Mystery SAL Part 3:)

2011-09-12T15:46:00.000+01:00

Part 3 of CarolR's mystery SAL arrived in my inbox on Saturday so I immediately printed it out ready to get started on Sunday morning. Each part has been quick to stitch but this one was even quicker and is my favourite part so far because it's a bird:) I can't wait to see what's next! I'm waiting until I've stitched the whole thing before I decide what I'm going to do with it. I havea box which I bought with DMC threads in it with some of the money I was given for my birthday last December and it might fit in the top of that:)

Friday and Saturday I stitched lots on BBD AotH Pumpkin Farm. I am loving this block because of the autumnal colours and am hoping that I might be close to finishing it next week. I think this is now my favourite block so far and a refreshing change from Happy Birthday!

Finally my progress on Blackbird Designs Peacock Pin Keep Needlecase from last night. I had hoped to get this finished but we have a new member in the family and I was sitting with Abi while she handled him ( more later lol) but I'm happy with the progress I made.

The new family member is Abi's Syrian hamster which she has named Leo ( full name Leonardo after Da Vinci!). She bought him herself and loves him to bits! We are trying to get him used to her ( and us) so we sit for a while after tea and she handles him. He's very good but does have a tendancy to bite now and again but I think it depends on what we have had on our hands! After last night I am thinking she should rename him phsycho! He has a little wooden house inside his cage and he sleeps in it and hides his food in it. However I think he forgets as he was getting the corner of the house in his mouth and lifting it. Later on when we looked he's tipped it on its side then this morning it was on its roof!!! He also climbs up his cage ( which is normal I know!) but the best laugh is when he sits on top of his wheel and it moves so he slips off!! I was helpless this morning watching him. Anyway here's a slightly blurred photo of the mad thing!

Right I'd better get going and do some veg for tea. Roast pork tonight.

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

The Stitchy Week That Was!

2011-09-09T11:02:00.000+01:00

OK I know it's not been exactly been a whole week since my last post but I'm desperately trying to get back on track with a couple of posts a week instead of just one.

Anyway I have a few progress pictures to show. I started the needle case from BBD Peacock Pin Keep on Sunday and this is where I got to. It's on the same tea-dyed fabric I have used for the pin keep itself. Hopefully I should be ready to have a go at making all the pieces up soon.

Monday was my ususal SB SAL night with Barb and Colleen and I hope we all got plenty of stitching done :) This is my Pansy Roll so far. It looks so pretty. As I just have the chart I must remember to go on the SB website and find a photo to see what the charm is for this. I'm hoping I might just have something suitable!

I managed to finish the bottom left hand block on Drawn Thread The Sanctuary this week. I will admit that it didn't quite get finished on Tuesday evening so I finished it on Wednesday before I picked up LHN Travelling Stitcher. I do have the four sided stitch to do around this block and the bottom right one and that seems to take forever so I might do a bit then move onto something else like the trees. I want to get this finished this year but there seems to be so much still to do.

Almost forgot the SB ornament I've been stitching at craft club. This one is Wisemen Came and I'm really enjoying it. It's easy to stitch in company although I do have to stop if I'm getting involved in the chatting! Sometimes I do sometimes I don't; it depends on what the ladies are talking about. This week I managed to squeeze myself round to a vacant seat near the window so could see better.

Wednesday evening was SAL night with my surrogate sis Lisa. I am loving stitching LHN Travelling Stitcher. I've been looking forward to this SAL for such a long time and just love the colours of this piece. I remembered this week to stitch the leaves on the second tree and also finished off the grass before moving back to the house. Hopefully I'll finish building that one next week:)

Final progress for this week is my start on the next page of Guardian. The crazy thing is I settled down after lunch yesterday to grid the page and lo and behold it had been that long since I gridded my last page I could not remember how I'd done it!!! I did the outer gridding just fine but when it came to the rest of I just sat there staring at it. I actually don't think this is how I have gridded HAEDs before but it works so that's OK! Anyway this is my start and I won't post another progress picture until the end of the month.

Back to Blackbird Designs AotH Pumpkin Farm tonight and tomorrow night and the third part of Carol R's mystery SAL is due to be released so I may get some stitching in during the day over the weekend to stitch that. I was thinking yesterday that I have the urge to start something Autumnal but realised I have Pumpkin Farm on the go! Duh!!!

Is anyone thinking of or is joining Measi's WIPocalypse? I am thinking about it as I think it will be a good way of keeping up with my WIPs that might otherwise fall by the wayside ( like Guardian!). I'll only, hopefully, have two long term WIPs that I'll be carrying over into 2012 and anything else you start in 2012 can be included.

Well I think that's all from me for now. I need to go update my other blog too as I haven't written there for weeks.

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

A New Start and Another Page Finished

2011-09-04T17:24:00.000+01:00

Yes another new start! What's a girl to do when she has so much to stitch????!!! Of course I have the excuse that I finished Shepherd's Bush Family Sampler so just had to start something else to replace this so that I can carry on my SAL with Barb and Colleen. What is better than stitching with friends even though they are at the other end of the country and the other side of the world? So before I waffle on anymore here is my new start for our Monday night SAL. I chose Pansy Roll and I just love this so far. I can't actually remember what the fabric is but I think it may be 32 count. That's what you get for sorting your fabric and putting it with your charts. I really must learn to make notes in a notebook! Barb and Colleen are visiting me tomorrow evening ( virtually of course!) for our SAL:)

So what else have I been up to stitching wise. Well I have to admit I have been a tad bit restless again this week so progress has been a little slow some nights. However Drawn Thread The Sanctuary did go rather well on Tuesday evening and I got the border of this block stitched up as well as more of the block. There is still a fair bit to do on this block so I think my hopes of finishing it were a bit much to ask. However I don't know if any of you noticed that I have already stitched the year on this piece so I have to finish it this year right??!!! Speaking of Drawn Thread have you seen Cynthia's gorgeous new releases??? I keep telling myself no new stash but this one is going on my Christmas list and I'm hoping my DH will treat me to it for Christmas! Has anyone in the UK ordered direct from Cynthia?

I was eager to get stitching on LHN Travelling Stitcher again this week ( my SAL with my surrogate sis Lisa) but again the restlessness in me thought otherwise and it was later than usual when I finally got settled enough to stitch. I had an email from Lisa, who has been on holiday, asking how I'd done with it and it suddenly dawned me that I hadn't stitched the leaves on the tree before I'd moved onto the next house!

The "another page finished" in my post title ( I know I'm not very imaginative when it comes to titles these days!) is my 7th page on Heaven and Earth Designs Guardian. I am quite ashamed that I started this so long ago and I've only done 7 pages and had I had the enthusiasm/ drive whatever you want to call it to keep up with it I could have had so much more done. However I am pretty pleased with myself to have another page down. Just 23 more to go now! I need to grid the next page which will, again, be just background.

That's all my stitching for this post as I forgot to take a photo of BBD AotH and to be honest I only stitched on it last night rather than Friday night as well. Friday night I started Tricia's prize for naming my sheep from Lisa. I also had a new start at craft club ( another SB ornie) but it wasn't reallt worth taking a photo of the little I got stitched.

On Friday I placed an order with JJ's on their Labor Day sale. I've had a few sales on Ebay and privately recently so I caved and ordered the Lizzie*Kate 6 Fat Men Flip-its and the Shepherd's Bush 2011 Fob kit which I'm hoping is included in the sale too. Lisa and I are going to SAL on the 6 Fat Men when we've finished LHN Travelling Stitcher so I'm looking forward to that. I admit that I hadn't taken much notice of the new releases at market other than the L*Ks and the SBs. Someone on a group on Facebook posted about the new Bygone Stitches Quaker Christmas II so that has now gone on my wish list with a couple of others I just happened to notice. I swore I would buy no more biggies so will leave it on the ole list for a while and see if I still like it in 6 months time!!!! Lol! Please is there no cure for this addiction????

I forgot to mention in my last post that I got called in for a job interview a week last Friday. I came away from that interview feeling really disheartened as the supervisor said my lack of references could hamper my chances and that they also expected a passport and a drivers licence! I'd never heard anything like it! Yes I expected the references but even that after almost 17 years away from working outside of the home is difficult. I don't have and never have had a passport and although I do have a drivers licence it's a paper one and not a photo one. Needless to say Jess took a message for me last Tuesday while I was out to say that I hadn't got the job because I didn't have a passport or references. I was a little upset and have since been wondering how the hell I'm supposed to find work. Does the fact that I worked for 5 years with one employer and 9 years with the next count for nothing?

Back to school ( well 6th form) for Miss Abi this Thursday while Miss Jess staying home for a couple more weeks yet. She picked her keys up for her new student house last Friday and we moved some of her stuff in. I have to say the house is lovely. It's been gutted and is all lovely and clean and new. So much better than the one she was in last time. She's sharing with two lads one of whom we met on Friday and he seems a really nice lad. We have let the other one before as they've been firm friends since their first year.

Well I guess I'd better upload the photos and publish this post. I've got caught up on blog reading and commenting so I can pop off and stitch after tea:)

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

It's Been Nearly A Week!

2011-08-29T11:37:00.001+01:00

I can't believe it's been nearly a week since my last post. I had nothing to show other than progress and I haven't been in the best of moods but that's best left for my other blog I think.

I've had a small finish, and two part finishes these last couple of days so at least I have something other than progress to show!

Yesterday we went out for Sunday lunch courtesy of my Dad to celebrate Abi's GCSE results ( more on that later) and on our return we were all too full to do much of anything so I picked up my SB ornament and finished that. I subbed all the WDW and GAST on this one for DMC so the colours are probably a bit off but I like it so that's fine lol!

Shepherd's Bush In A Stable

36 count Sand Linen

DMC

Started 9th August 2011

Finished 28th August 2011

I've now run out of the fabric I've been using so will use some off cuts of other fabric rather than buy more of the same I think.

Also yesterday I finished off part 2 of Carol R's mystery SAL. I am loving this so far and am so pleased with the thread colour I chose.

After I'd finished part 2 of the SAL I picked up Blackbird Designs Peacock Pin Keep and finished stitching the top. When I looked at it in good light I'd made a bit of a mess of it in places at craft club on Tuesday due to the bad light so not sure what to do when I go tomorrow. I may have to invest in a small clip on light. I'll be starting the needlebook next then when it's all done I can get the chart returned to Barb:)

Now onto my weeks progress on my other stitching ( except for my HAED, I'll post that when I've finished the page which might just be this week). I made good progress on Drawn Thread The Sanctuary on Tuesday. I didn't finish the border round this block as I ran out of thread so I started on the inner bit of it. I'd like to get this block finished tomorrow if I can then I can start on the other bits.

I enjoyed stitching on LHN Travelling Stitcher knowing that Lisa was stitching with me. I love the colours in it. It's so pretty.

Finally Blackbird Designs Pumpkin Farm. Love the colours in this one too and it's still stitching up fairly quick.

I've been pretty restless these past few days and can't seem to settle to stitch for long before I'm up and wandering about. I seem to be worrying about every little thing and I wish I could stop it.

Some brilliant news is Abi's GCSE results. She was so nervous when we set off to collect her results as she didn't think she'd done very well and when we got outside school she didn't want to go! When she came out with her envelope I was watching her face and thinking by the look on the face she hasn't got what she wanted but she was in shock! She got 2 A's, 7 B's and a distinction in her IT which is equivalent to an A. She also got a pass in an IT module that her and a few others were "guinea pigs" for. This is all to go with the A, B and C and two distinctions she got last year. So she was one very happy girl with very proud parents:) She was so relieved when we got out of the school grounds that she started to cry, bless her. She enrols for 6th form at her school on 6th September and starts on the 8th:)

I hope all my blogging friends that were in the path of Irene are safe.

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx