Petit Chat For Julie

Yesterday was Julie's birthday and a while ago I saw a wee design stitched up on Moreen's blog which I thought would be ideal for Julie. It is a freebie by Tralala and can be found here As Julie likes purple I picked DMC 95 to stitch it with. I made it into a pinkeep and stitched our initials to stick to the back of it. I heard from Julie yesterday and am delighted that she liked it :)

Tralala Petit Chat

Unknown fabric

DMC 95

Finished as a pinkeep

For Julie for her birthday.

As I said in my last post I did pick up the Halloween ornament I started way back when. I got a few rows of stitching in before I realised I'd miscounted almost back at where I started my afternoon's stitching so had to frog!!! Lol!!! Sometimes I do wonder about the state of my brain :) Anyway I did manage to get it all restitched before I went to bed and here is where I finally left it on Thursday evening. This one is from the JCS Halloween issue 2008 and is Raise the Roof Boo Whoo? So at least when I get this finished I will have one ornament for my black tree! I have a few others in the pipeline including more from this JCS issue.

In the piccie below you can see two charts that have come to live with me this week :) Barb kindly sent me the Plum Street Sampler Love Notes chart as she knows I like hearts and also that it is mine and DH's 25th wedding anniversary next year. I told Barb that I had looked at this chart many times and love it so will be stitching it as soon as I can :) A while ago I lent Claire Little House Needleworks Holly and Berries, which you may remember I stitched for Chris' birthday last year, and have recently had the urge to stitch it for myself. I asked Claire if I could please borrow it back but she couldn't find it or some of her other LHN charts so, bless her, she ordered it for me and it arrived yesterday. I felt bad that I had asked then she'd ordered one for me. I think once I finish the Halloween ornament and do the SB roll for August I will start it. I feel the need for some wintery stitching in this muggy weather :) Thank you so much Barb and Claire xxxx

Stitching on Shores went quite well last night so I am still hoping to be on track to finish block 6 & 7 tonight. Keep your fingers crossed for me please ( obviously not while you are stitching!) Tomorrow I'm hoping to finish all the stitching on the Sampler Garden Casket seen as I remembered to get the DMC 3051 I had run out of which also means I can finish the verse on Return to the Sea With Jane Austen on Monday.

Once again thank you for all your kind comments. I am feeling a little better now but am also feeling a bit frustrated as one day I don't feel so bad then the next day I feel yuck. Don't know what to think!!! Lol! I spent a little time at my Dad's this morning. With not feeling well I haven't been going as much so I watered his cucumber and tomato plants while I was there. I'm not happy with his weight loss so I am hoping to be there next time his dietician visits as either whatever she is suggesting is not working or he isn't taking notice!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! My DH has now finished work for 2 weeks so we can all chill :)

Hugs

Sally

xxx

I LOVE Shepherd's Bush!!!!

I'm guessing that my regular readers already know that actually seen as how I've been stitching one of their rolls a month for the past year and a half as well as other designs by the wonderfully talented ladies of Shepherd's Bush!! My latest finish is equally as gorgeous as anything else I've stitched by them so without further ado let me show the pictures and see what you think!!!

Shepherd's Bush 2010 Fob Kit

Started 22nd July 2010

Finished 24th July 2010

Made up 27th July 2010.

Now I must admit that I have more fobs than I do scissors so I have asked my DH to make me some sort of wall hanger that I can display them, and other things, on. I think I need to crack the whip flutter my eyelashes to get said hanger made!

Now this cute snowman has been in a draw for some time now patiently waiting to be finished into something so that he can be shown off. So he was part of my finishing Friday last week but he didn't quite get finished! As you can see he's another pinkeep but I do love them as they are so simple yet can be jazzed up. He is The Trilogy Sloane the Snowman.

Sunday evening I had hoped to finish the stitching on the pieces for JAT Sampler Garden Casket but 1) I ran out of DMC 3051 and 2) I'd be pussyfooting doing some very important things on the PC! However I did get a fair bit done whilst watching Top Gear and the modern day Sherlock Holmes which was just brilliant!

Monday evening was Barb and I's Jane evening. Unfortunately I couldn't complete the verse as I needed that elusive DMC 3051 which I had very stupidly forgotten to get on my trip to the shops on Monday morning ( I need a slap!) so I moved onto the flowers and stems at the top. I am loving this and I think I may just have a new obsession addiction!

Finally last night was S&S UFO night and to save a possible beating from Mr Stick and Julie I thought I'd better behave myself and get Chatelaine Spring Morning out. I am happy with the progress I made and I hope Mr Stick will be too!

 

So what to stitch today??? I think I need to pick the Halloween ornament I started God knows when back up and work on that or another year will go by with nothing on my black tree. My mind has wandered with thoughts of said tree coming out again for Valentines and Easter too. Now I never stitch for these occassions! Pray tell what is wrong with me???? Middle age crisis???? I have no idea but it does feel good!!!

 

Yesterday an envelope arrived from Barb. She has recently stitched up the Shepherd's Bush Glad Tidings Fob ( please see her blog for her lovely finish) and very kindly sent the chart to me. This will be started sooner rather than later as, well, I just love these fobs! Thank you so much Barb!

 

Right I have waffled on for long enough. I'm away to find that started Halloween ornament and pop a few stitches in it then have quarter of an hour on the Wii Fit. I am trying to get back into exercising after not doing any but I'm just taking it steady at the moment. Still not 100% but think I am getting there. I often think it is sort of stress/ menopause related. I am having relentless hot flushes and the muggy weather really doesn't help. I worry about my Dad as he is looking so thin and ill and all my sister says is there's nothing we can do to make him eat better which I know but it doesn't stop me worrying. It upsets Abi so much when she sees him and now she doesn't want to see him.

 

Thank you for all your lovely, kind comments. 

 

Take care everyone.

 

Hugs

 

Sally

xxx

A Little Penguin

Today is supposed to be reveal day for the Stitch and Stash Monthly SAL challenge so I hope I am OK to reveal my finish now:) I must say I am rather pleased with my finish. It took me quite a while on Friday to get it nearly done then I finished it yesterday.

The Workbasket Mr Penguinee

25 count lugana

DMC 310

Finished as a scissor keeper thing lol

It was a bit touch and go as to whether I'd get it finished in time as I mentioned before that I'd made a mistake and had to start it again!

Just a couple of WIP pictures now. Hopefully Julie and Mr Stick will be pleased with me again this week as I did stitch on Chatelaine Spring Morning. I finished the hummingbird, which looks absolutely gorgeous, and made a start on the next and final part. Fingers crossed I might just have a happy dance before the end of August :)

A huge thank you to Susan for emailing me and pointing out where I was wrong on Shores! She saved me hours of trying to work out where so I am very grateful. I feel so stupid at the mistake I've made as I've missed the gap inbetween the blocks so that is why block 6 and 7 will not go right. I must admit this big block has become the bane of my stitching life lol and I can't wait to finish it!!! I did get quite a bit stitched on it these past two nights so, hopefully, I might just get it finished for the end of July!

I'm afraid I have no progress again on HAED Guardian (sorry Lisa). I just could not face picking it up and think I may have to leave it alone for a while again. I feel really bad but this hobby is supposed to be ours to enjoy and everytime I think about Guardian I just think it'll never get finished unless I stitch on it every night and I just can't do that! I love stitching my smalls and I love stitching on bigger pieces that I know I can finish in a year even if I only stitch on them a couple of nights a week ( like Shores). I may go back to it after the summer or when I get other UFOs done, I don't really know.

So instead of stitching on Guardian I finished off Mr Penguinee then I decided that I really needed a small new start so I picked out Shepherd's Bush 2010 Fob which is abolutely gorgeous. I have finished the stitching on it so just need to make it up which I will do soon then be back to show it. I may have to have another new start this coming week!

This evening I'll be stitching on Just a Thought Sampler Garden Casket and, if I get a good evening on it, I might just get all the stitching finished then I can move onto the making up. I think I might just have to sweetheart my DH to help me cut the card for the casket so make sure I get it all correctly measured and cut:)

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my finish for Karan and also for all the good wishes. It hasn't been the best of weeks I must admit and I am still not fully fighting fit as yet. I do feel better than I did so I am hoping that whatever it is is finally going away as I am very fed-up and feeling quite tearful. The most I have done is grocery shopping at Morrisons yesterday with my DH and Abi and by the time we got to the checkouts I thought I was going to pass out :( I was so glad to get sat in the car with a cold drink.

Abi is now on Summer holiday from school and is so happy to finally be off! We are very proud of her as she has been chosen to become a school ambassador from September:) Those who have been chosen are on trial until Christmas and if they do a good enough job they continue.

Well that's all my ramblings for today lol! I have just listed the bits I had up for sale on my blog on Ebay so hoping they will sell!

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend.

Take care everyone!

Hugs

Sally

xxx

Just a Quickie Birthday Gift FOR Karan

Just a quickie post today, well as quick as I can, as I have been told by the doctor I saw this morning to stay off the PC and away from TV ( I don't care about not watching TV but I do care about having to stay off the PC!!!!) So I'm doing this blog post then will catch up on blogs another day. I actually feel as though she was taking the mickey but admittedly I did spend all afternoon on the PC on Saturday when I was feeling a bit better only to start feeling worse in the evening so maybe there's something in it! I thought I might have an ear infection but she couldn't see anything but she did say I could have a build up of fluid in my inner ear which she wouldn't be able to see. Thankfully I do know that there are no tumours,blockages or bleeds etc as the head and neck CT I had back in January was clear. Of course now I'm worrying as my pulse rate was up so she was concerned about that but I always get that when I got to the doctors but she made me hold my hands out and I was shaking ( which I do when I'm nervous or hungry) so that made her even more concerned! I think I should have just not bothered going! It's always the same as well, the doctor I wanted to see, the best one there in my opinion, was fully booked! Anyway enough of that or I won't get this post done before Jess drags me off here kicking and screaming! She's given me until lunch time then that's my PC for today done!!!! Lol!

So without further ado I heard from Karan that she had opened my wee birthday gift to her:) After seeing Chris' thread holder I decided to give one a go. I'd been thinking about for ages and seeing hers just spurred me on. It's by no means perfect but I am rather pleased with it. I chose to stitch Casa Mia Stitching Angel in a DMC Variations thread ( red as you can see!). Karan loves it :)

I didn't get much done on Shores this weekend. Friday evening was the start of the annual carnival here so DH and I decided we'd go have a look and see what was happening. Jess and Abi had gone together then Abi was meeting up with some of her friends. Her evening did not go well and she ended up with us in tears. Anyway yes Shores! I did do a little bit before we went out then did a bit more on Saturday evening. I'm not sure what is wrong but I couldn't get the sea part to go right all the way across so I decided just to do a bit at a time. I am hoping that I haven't gone wrong on the two blocks above this one and not done enough stitches. Finger's firmly crossed.

I am almost there on stitching all the parts for Just A Thought Sampler Garden Casket. This is the needle cushion almost finished then I just have the custodian to do and I can start making it all up. I have loved stitching this.

Last night was my Sampler Girl Jane Austen night and I got quite a lot stitched on Return to the Sea.

When Chris visited last week she brought the Just Cross Stitch ornament preview issue to show me and, as it has some lovely ornaments in it and other things, I decided to go order it from where she gets her subscription, Magazine Cafe. I was happily looking forward to getting it but I ended up getting a refund from them as they did not have stock of that issue:( I was very disappointed and vented my disappointment on Facebook!!!! Ann ( no blog) kindly offered to pick me a copy up from her local newsagent and that has just arrived so I'll be popping a cheque in the post to her and relaxing with the mag this afternoon:) Thank you so much Ann :)

Right my times almost up so I'd better get off here before I get into bother from Jess!!!! Not that she'll notice as she's on the PS3 but if helps me to feel better then I'll behave!!!!

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Sally

xxxx

Petite Lettres Rouge Revisited

You may ( or may not!) remember a while ago I stitched up the Blackbird Designs freebie Petite Lettres Rouge? Well let's say I made a bit of a mess of it after I'd started to make it into a pinkeep. I made the mistake of attempting to tea dye it ( using cold water) and the threads ran. At this point I threw it to one side in disgust and left it. After a while I thought well I've nothing to lose I'll take it to bits and try rinsing it in cold water. Although this didn't remove the runs all together it did seem to help a bit so I then put it back together and it's been waiting for me to add ric rac to it since! Abi says it doesn't look too bad as it makes it look old and even though I'm older and supposedly wiser than her I do trust her judgment! I am not happy with the ric rac so I might take it off and put something else on! This has my paternal grandma's name and year of birth on it and that is her in the picture:)

This week's finish is the SB roll I showed as a WIP last Friday. I loved stitching this one ( well I've loved stitching them all so far!). It is Americana roll. I just love the colours in it. I think the ribbon I've used is a bit wide but I thought it looked nice!

I have made more progress on Shores but I appear to be a bit out somewhere as the compass is a couple of stitches too close to the border but I have no idea where I've made the mistake so it's staying! Jane and Nicki how are you both getting on?

I finished the needleroll for the JAT Sampler Garden Casket on Sunday so will move onto the next bit this coming Sunday. I'm trying to pluck up the courage to start making the casket up but I'm still chicken!

Monday evening saw more progress on TSG Return to the Sea with Jane Austen which is my SAL piece with Barb:) Barb and I are planning another SAL on a smaller piece ( I think we'll be doing a different piece each) before we start the JA stocking! I do enjoy SALs!

I'm not sure if Julie and Mr Stick will too pleased with me this week!!! Lol! Don't panic I did stitch on Chatelaine Spring BUT it wasn't much. I had problems with the jessica stitch flower on the right hand side. No matter how hard I tried I just could not get it to go right so had to frog it several times before I realised what I was doing wrong and then when I did get it right I had to frog it again because I'd used too many strands!!!! Duh!!!!! So by the time I put it away all I'd done was finished the vines, two flowers and started the hummingbird! Still at least it is something:)

Last night I was not in the mood for HAED Guardian as I'd felt unwell ( won't go into detail but I've had this several times before) and I just wanted something simple. I had decided to join in the monthly SAL challenge over at Stitch and Stash and this month it's The Workbasket Mr Penguinee so I started that. He has been out again tonight but I've found a mistake and as I'm stitching over one on 25 count I won't be frogging it but will be binning it and starting again :( I can't show it until reveal day anyway which is 25th July and I'm hoping to have it restarted and finished by then!

I had some lovely post yesterday. Barb very kindly replied to my plea about SB roll charts and sent me Happy Pumpkin but not only that she also sent me the BBD Loose Feathers chart Hedgerow Birds:) Thank you so much Barb, I appreciate your friendship and kindness very much xx Andrea also kindly replied to my plea and is lending me the Antique Hearts roll so not many more to go now:) Thank you so much for your kindness and friendship Andrea :) Stitchers really are the best. I just wish I could meet you all in person. Woudn't we have a fantastic party!

I think, thanks to Siobhan, I have decided on my biggie project for next year! It had become a bit of a tradition for me to have a new start on New Years Day each year and each time it has been a biggie that has lasted me almost all year ( this year it's Shores). Well Siobhan is stitching the Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart series on one piece of fabric and personalising it with details of her family so this got me thinking about doing the same. It's a wonderful idea and I hope you won't mind me borrowing it Siobhan!

Unfortunately my box making day at Chris' had to be abandoned because of me feeling ill. The way I feel a bus ride was out of the question so I was very upset and just wanted to sit and cry. So Chris came here for a couple of hours, we had a chat and a natter and showed each other our stitchy projects. She cheered me no end. Thanks Chris {{{hugs}}}

I almost forgot I have some San Man Originals pieces that I have stitched and had on display that I no longer like so will be putting them up for sale. I'll add them to my For Sale page tomorrow but in the meantime if you think you might be interested please feel free to email me for details. They are nearly all snowmen!!!! Edited to add I've now put them up on my For Sale or Trade page.

Well it's time I was in bed. Hope you enjoyed my finish and my WIPs:) Thank you for all your comments, I love reading them:)

Take care everyone!

Hugs

Sally

xxxx

Two New Starts and Another Mattress

This week I finally got the backstitch border done on all pieces for my mattress pinkeep and sat on Wednesday afternoon in between naps ( yes I was so damned tired I had to nap!!!) stitching it up but didn't quite get it done before I had to cook our evening meal so it came back out again afterwards. I should really have been stitching HAED Guardian BUT it just wasn't calling to me this week again ( sorry Lisa. Promise I'll pick it up again next week). So here's my second mattress:) Only another two to go!!!

Monday I started The Sampler Girl Return to the Sea with Jane Austen which I'm SAL-ing with Barb:) I already love this and can't wait to pick it up again next Monday. Do pop over and have a look at Barb's lovely blog if you haven't visited her before. She stitches the most lovely pieces and her pics of her flowers and garden make you wish you were there:)

After I'd finished making the mattress I decided to start my SB roll for this month. Of course July means American Independance Day so what better roll to stitch than Americana. This is my start on it. Being a Brit obivously we don't celebrate it lol but I want to stitch all the SB rolls :) Anyway I think I only have three more charts in my stash left to stitch now so if anyone has any that they'd be prepared to lend me I would be so very grateful :) The ones I'm short of are Christmas Candy, Halloween, Happy Pumpkin, Long May She Wave, Pansy, and Antique Heart.

Oooh I almost forgot my progress on Chatelaine Spring Morning. I've decided to join in UFO night/ week on Stitch and Stash, where Julie and Mr Stick keep a very close eye on things, so that I am not tempted to put it away and not stitch on it. I have to admit that the vines have been a bit testing lol!!!

I was hoping to show the gift I sent but I forgot that the lady in question is on holiday so that will have to wait until another time :)

This little chap/ chapess keeps visiting us :) Mum and Dad are regulars in our garden so it was lovely to see him/her as well.

Finally a piccie of me and my DH from last night before we went to an 80th birthday party. We haven't been out for ages so it made a nice change :)

I am hoping for some cooler weather for a bit as this heat is just getting too much. I know I shouldn't complain but it's so draining and you can't sleep at night because it's still so hot!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thank you for continuing to visit me and comment:)

Take care everyone!

Hugs

Sally

xxxxx

I've Been So Naughty!

Yes I have to confess that I have been stash shopping! I wanted to find a stockist of Ewe and Eye and Friends charts but was having a hard time finding the one I wanted anywhere ( have they stopped designing???) so did a search and came across Des Filles Et Une Aiguille so I ordered Love Letters as well as a BOAF ( another one no longer designing????) Love ( do you see a trend developing here???)  which I had seen stitched up on someone's blog a while ago. I placed my order on Thursday evening and they arrived today but I am not too happy with my postie as he's bent the envelope thus bending the BOAF chart:( Anyway as well as that a while ago I asked Kate at Thread Bear if I could add Carriage House Samplings Hearts and Flowers to an order I had with them for some finishing bits and that arrived on Friday along with a couple of charts from Needlecraft Corner ( LHN Poinsetta House and The Workbasket Little Seasons ( that one was on sale) ).I also took advantage of the Wimble Bees closing down sale and bought some 32 count fabric at 50% off seen as I don't have any left! I do feel very guilty now but I have lots to keep me going and I know that sooner or later I won't be able to afford to buy new charts etc. I had planned to stitch the CHS one (adapting it a bit) for mine and DH's 25th wedding anniversary next April but I've had a change of plan!

Anyway enough of my stash acquisitions! Onto my WIPs. I didn't stitch on HAED Guardian last week so will have to make extra effort this week! I did stitch on my other WIPs although not much got done on Chatelaine Spring Morning. I love this piece so much now that I've got into it again. I wonder if I can get back to the Christmas Mystery that I abandoned???? LOL!

CHS Shores is continuing to grow and this block is growing surprisingly quickly. I am getting a little bored of the sails now so thank God they're just about done!

Finally JAT Sampler Garden:) This is just so pretty. This will be the needleroll when I get it stitched up and made up. I ran out of DMC 316 which is so annoying but I've bought another skein today:)

I do have another finish but until it's been received and opened I can't show it but it's another new type of finish for me which I am rather happy with:) Also hoping to finish up Drawn Thread Spot of Summer (both Spots charts are now up for sale) into a mattress pinkeep when I've exercised on the Wii Fit later this afternoon then this evening I'm making a start on The Sampler Girl Return to the Sea With Jane Austen which I'm SAL-ing with Barb:)

I think that's all my stitchy news for now:) Other news Jess has passed her first year at university so we are all very pleased and proud. Just three more years to go! Abi has an interview for her work experience tomorrow so she is very nervous about that. She's hoping to get a placement with our hairdresser as she agreed to take her so fingers crossed! Poor girl has been choked up with hayfever which led to her having three days off school last week and a visit to the doctors. Thankfully the eye drops and nasal spay that the doctor prescribed on top of her pills seems to be helping immensely.

Right time I got off here and did my Wii Fit session! Have a great week everyone! Hopefully I'll be back later in the week:)

Hugs

Sally

xxxx