Sneaky Peak Revealed

It's time to reveal the sneaky peak I showed you! My longtime cyber friend, Louise, got married on Saturday and I wanted to stitch a little something for her and her husband to be. So I decided on Ewe and Eye and Friends Love Letters. I stitched it in the recommended DMC colours on 32 count white fabric and made it into a little pillow. As you can see I highlighted Louise and Ousmon's initials in the alphabet in a different colour. I have not heard whether they like it or not but knowing Louise I am sure she will:)

Ewe and Eye and Friends Love Letters

32 count white fabric

DMC

Gift for Louise and Ousmon.

The chart is now for sale ( or trade) if anyone is interested.

Now Lisa has been kicking my butt ( I am so bruised!!!!) to get Shores block 8 finished this last weekend and let me tell you I stitched for hours on this to get it done! Saturday evening I stayed up until 11.30 in the hope I'd finish it but no it was not to be. So yesterday afternoon I did! Wahoooo!!! I can't believe this block took me so long but it's done now and I can have a fresh start for October on block 9:) I know that me kicking Lisa's butt has done some good too as she's finished her L*K Christmas ABCs this weekend and is hoping to get a photo up on her blog later so do pop along and have a look see if it's there!

Finally I did a bit on Blackbird Designs Their Song last night. I did have some frogging to do as I stitched a flower in the wrong place ( oopppsss!) but it's looking good! Lol!

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my Spring Morning finish. Wow such a lot of comments! I LOVE receiving and reading comments so they are always very welcome. My bell pull ends arrived on Saturday ( I cheat and will use one and save the bottom one for the Autumn design when I get it stitched!) so sometime this week I'll get that sorted and hung and will take a piccie for Ellen of it hung with the others.

Don't forget that I'm offering up a PIF on my previous post so please do join in if you'd like to receive something stitched by me. I have just placed a small order with Anita, seen as I had some funds,  for some things I would to like stitch for people. Thank you Michelle, Elisa, Jane and Carolyn for signing up.

I am behind on blogs again so will do my best to catch up tomorrow and Wednesday. I have to wait in on Wednesday as I have an engineer coming to look at our boiler as it's on the blink! Twice this last week we've had no hot water. We had the same problem around December last year and an engineer came and fixed it. It's a good job we have it insured!!!!

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Sally

xxxx

Pay It Forward at Stitchyangel's Treasures

I have been hoping to come across a fellow cross stitcher offering up a PIF and yesterday I struck it lucky and signed up for Susan's :) I love doing PIFs and have taken part in a few before although one I never actually received anything but never mind. So today I'm offering up a PIF on my blog. I borrowed the rules from Susan's blog as they are nice and clear!

"The idea is that 3 of you join my Pay It Forward and then I will send a hand made gift (made with love!!!) to each one of my THREE within the next 365 days!

So this is me, asking for 3 people to join my PIF -just leave a comment to this post !That's it...no Catches!NOW...I only need THREE...who wants to be my THREE????

So please come and join me and be one of my THREE because I would really love to make something special for you."

Now here's my rules :) If you would like to sign up please comment on this post only and I would really like it if you are a regular visiter to my blog. Now as I have also signed up for a PIF on Patti's blog ( she emailed me to ask if I would!) I would actually like 6 victims please lol!!! If I don't get any or enough interest I will simply pick 6 people to receive something from me. Simples as Alexander would say!  :)

Hugs

Sally
xxxx

Spring Morning on a Very Autumnal Day!

YES!!! It's finally finished!! After three years ( how embarrassing) Chatelaine Spring Morning is finished! Although I have just noticed whilst looking at the photos I've uploaded that I have missed some beads so please ignore that little hiccup and I'll go away in a bit and sew them on! No one will ever know:) Lol! Now that it's done all that beading was well worth it as it's just so pretty ( even though I say so myself!). The reason it took me three years is that when I got to the lily of the valley bit I simply ran out of steam and put it away. This year I decided it was time I tackled it and attempted to finish it and with the help of Julie, Mr Stick and the girls at Stitch and Stash on UFO night I have:) So thank you to all of you though especially to Julie who runs the UFO night. So here's some pictures for your enjoyment ( I hope!) They are not the best as it's a bit dull here today, plus I don't seem to be able to get them very clear either,  but as far as I know they are clickable if you'd like a closer look!

Chatelaine Spring Morning

28 count pale blue linen banding

Needlepoint Inc Silks, Threadgatherer Silk 'n' Colors, Anchor Marlitt, Rainbow Gallery Petite Treasure Braid

Delica beads, Swarovski crystals, Susan Clarke Hummingbird button

Started 20th January 2007

Finished 23rd September 2010

Thank you for looking :) I have ordered bellpull ends for this as that's how I finished the other two. Just Autumn to do now but I think that'll be a 2011 start and I will bead as I go along with that one!!!

Take care everyone!

Hugs

Sally

xxx

Another Sneaky Peak!

Another sneaky peak on my little WIP! I am rapidly running out of time to get this done but, hopefully, tonight should see it finished and I may just get it made up on Thursday if I'm lucky! This will be revealed next week :)

No finishes to show this time; just WIP. I have been beading away on Chatelaine Spring Morning and as soon as I get off here I'll be doing a little more. Do I see a finish in the not too distant future!!! I am hoping by the end of the month it'll be done and dusted as I will admit to getting a little sick of this now! It will be worth it though once it's hanging above my bed with the other two. Just one more in the seasons to go! I will definitely be beading as I go along on that one!

I still haven't finished block 8 on Shores and really feel I need a good kick up the butt for not having done so!! I mean come on it's an easy enough block but that big expanse of sea seems to be taking forever!!! Fingers crossed for this Friday and Saturday as I could really do to be starting block 9 so that I don't turn tired of this! So Lisa is stitching on her L*K ABCs on a Friday and Saturday and I wonder how she got on:)

Sunday I had planned to work wonders but it didn't happen but I did get some stitching in on BBD Their Song but I was watching the Battle of Britain programme with Ewan Magregor and his brother Colin so wasn't really concentrating too well on my stitching!!! I did get a good bit done though:)

Finally last night was my Jane night with Barb. Barb is away in the wilds of Dartmoor but was still going to be SALing with me:) This is my progress from last night:) Loving this piece so much. Isn't it wonderful when you start a piece and you just can't wait to stitch on it each week. Let's face it not all of our stitching does that sometimes!

That's it from me for today. Short and sweet as those beads are calling me so I'd better behave and get to it!!! Anything taking your fancy from Charles Market ladies???? I have seen a couple of things lol!!!!

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Sally

xxxx

Oh Wow!

I was waiting for postie to arrive today hoping my JCS ornament mag might arrive. I paid for it last Friday but have no idea if it's been sent yet and it's only coming from London so am guessing it hasn't been! Although you never know with Royal Mail! Anyway postie rang the bell so off I went eagerly anticipating what he might have for me. No ornie mag but a package for little old me. It was from Barb and I was wondering what she had sent me. I knew she was sending me TSG A Turn in the Garden chart which I'm trading with her but it was big package for that! Lol! Well imagine my surprise when I found, wrapped inside, this beauty! Barb very sneakily put a piccie of it up on her blog then sent it to me!!! This is The Sampler Girl Fancy a Jane Day. It is so beautifully stitched and finished and my photo really does not do it justice. Thank you so much Barb for brightening my day more than you can know {{{{hugs}}}} Hope you received my email. As my regular readers will know Barb and I have our very own Jane day/ evening on a Monday each week stitching Tanya's Jane Austen inspired designs:)

I am supposed to be beading on Chatelaine Spring Morning but I just had to do this blog post first to show my gift:) I did do a little yesterday but, if I'm honest, I am just sick of the sight of beads! I don't want to leave it or I fear it'll never get done so I am kind of forcing myself to keep at it. I just want it done now before I lose the will to live! Lol! This is the bit I did yesterday and you may be able to make out two blue crystals on it too. I don't seem to be able to get a decent picture of it.

Back to Jane and here's my Monday evening progress on The Sampler Girl Jane Austen Sampler Stocking. These designs are just lovely to stitch and I love the colours in this one. I am not using the hand dyed ones but subbing for DMC to keep the cost down!

Lastly a sneaky peek at my new start which is a gift for a friend. I need to get my finger out on this one. I started it last night and should, hopefully, have it finished by the time I go to bed tomorrow evening!

Right better get to that beading although I doubt I'll get many on! Thank you for all your lovely comments on my Halloween  ornaments. I have my next one planned already although I don't know when I'll get it started. I have decided to join in Becky's Great Pumpkin Challenge 2010. I may only get one stitched and finished in the allotted time but it's the taking part that counts! Lol! Although there are Halloween ornaments with pumpkins on so we'll see!

I have now managed two days without crying, well I did shed a tear when I opened my package from Barb but they were good tears:) I am still feeling tearful but hopefully I will be on the up soon. I had a lovely chat with Lisa yesterday telling her how I felt and she gave me a good talking to so thank you Lisa. You're the best {{{hugs}}}

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Sally

xxx

More Halloween Ornaments

It seems my black tree is now going to have at least 4 Halloween ornaments on it this year!! Lol. With about 6 weeks to go until Halloween it will, hopefully, have more. I stitched up 2 more since my last blog post and, to top that, all 4 are actually finished off ready to hang! I seem to finish things and leave them for a while before actually finishing them to display so I have now decided that I should finish each piece as soon as I can ( if finishing supplies are readily available either in my stash or from a local shop. If not then they will have to wait a while :)

So here's my 4 ornaments all finished up.

Homespun Elegance Boo Freebie

SMF Howling at the Moon 28 count fabric

DMC

The felt is even all the way around on this. It just looks as though it isn't with the angle of the photo!

Casey Buonaugurio Designs

Jack O Lantern

unknown fabby, possibly a Jayne's Attic.

DMC

Finally two you've already seen when they weren't finished up!

I have been managing to stay off the PC in the early evening, in fact I've hardly been on the PC in an evening at all, just last Thursday to chat to my friend Louise. So I have got quite a good bit done on my WIPs and hope to carry on that way. I have two gifts to get going and time is running out so I really need to knuckle down! Lol! Anyway block 8 on Shores is coming along and I have just have the sea to finish filling in ( and lots of it!!!) plus the swirly bit on the right to match the left. I am not feeling despondant anymore with this. Lisa and I have been chatting and she is trying to get back into her stitching and really wants to get her L*K ABCs finished so I said what if she stitched on it two nights a week like I did Shores and she liked that idea so she is now stitching along with me on a Friday and Saturday with the promise that we'll keep each other motivated ( lots of butt kicking if needs be!!!!). So Lisa, as you asked ( just a day late!!!!)  here's my proof that I stitched on Shores:) How are you doing with ABCs??

I stitched a little on Little House Needleworks Holly and Berries last week and am really enjoying it. It stitches up quite quickly. I may try my hand at a flat fold finish for this but I'll see how big it is when I'm finished first.

Last night was my Blackbird Designs Their Song night. I sat down quite early on last night determined to get on and get plenty stitched. Before I knew where I was it 10pm and this is what I'd achieved. It's amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it!

It's JA SAL night with Barb tonight so I'm really looking forward to that. I promised Barb that I would do better this week and do better I will!!!

I had word from Susan at Hanging by a Thread that the JCS ornament issue was in last Friday so I paid for it and am now eagerly awaiting it arriving with me. I had hoped it might come today but I don't know if she has sent it yet.

Last week I received Little House Needleworks Singing the Blues and some of the gorgeous daisy trim she used on her Cherry Wood Stitches finish in trade from Michelle. Thank you so much Michelle. Once I have finished The Sampler Girl Jane Austen Sampler Stocking I am sending her the chart in trade and also stitching her something for the LHN and the Cherry Wood Studios chart she sent me the week before:) Michelle and I seem to have very similar tastes!

Jess has finally got internet access so I was chatting her on Facebook for a bit this morning:) She was trying to get into her uni email and portal so she could register online but couldn't get it to load. I asked her for the addy so I could try it but it wouldn't load for me either but Mum does have brains ( even though my girls sometimes think I don't!!!) and put it in a search engine and tried a link from there and it worked!!! So Jess has the proper link saved and I left her to get on with registering! She sounded well but had had a bit of a to do on Saturday. It was the Freedom Festival in Hull and she and two friends had decided to go see McFly. They had to wait in a queue to get to the stage and she said it was very crowded and everyone was pushing and shoving. Well she doesn't do too well in crowds like that  and she was near to tears and had to ask her friends if they could leave and when they got out she realised her legs were shaking. Bless her.

Abi starts her role as a school ambassador this week. She has two duties and will also be asked to help out at parents evenings and other activities. If she does well at it she will become a permanant ambassador later in the year.

I am still feeling out of sorts and every day now for several days I just get this uncontrollable feeling and the tears come. I really don't know what's wrong me. I haven't felt this way for such a long time and really wish I didn't now. I am sure it will pass soon but my stitching certainly helps me.

Well time I went and got some dreaded housework done! Thank you for all your wonderful comments:)

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Sally

xxxx

Thankful

I have another finish to show you today. Just a small one that was an RAK for someone who is not only a wonderful stitching buddy but someone who has become a very dear friend to me. As you know Barb and I have been stitchingalong together on The Sampler Girl's Jane Austen inspired designs for while now. We started with At Home With, then did Return to the Sea With and now, after a small design in between, we are stitching the Jane Austen Sampler Stocking. Barb very kindly lent me A Sweet View to stitch as my in between piece so I decided that I wanted to stitch her up a little something to show my appreciation and as a wee pick-me-up for her. This is what I decided on as it just screamed Barb at me with the wee sheep and the little saying. She received it yesterday and loves it :)

Little House Needleworks Thankful

36 count flax linen

DMC and GAST.

RAK for Barb

I finished it as a little pillow/ cushion and I tried stitching up the opening using ladder stitch ( I used it on the casket) and it worked perfectly.

I have made so many wonderful friends in the stitching community be it on message boards or through blogs and I wish I could stitch something for all of you. I cherish you all very much.

Speaking of being thankful, thank you for all your wonderful comments on my casket and accessories finish:) This one was such a big deal for me as I never thought I'd be able to finish something like this and as it actually looks as it should that is a huge bonus and boost for me! Now I've done one I'd love to do more so who knows what I'll do in the future! Would just like to say to those of you who think like I did that you'll never be able to do anything like it or are afraid to try new finishes; give it a go! It's not as difficult as it seems :)

My stitching on my WIPs seems to be a little slow at the moment but I am sure that will change soon. I've been feeling a little out of sorts somehow so have been spending time on the PC for an hour or so in the early evening when I would usually be stitching so tonight I am not going near it!!! I still haven't finished block 8 on Shores and feel a little despondant with it. However if it takes me until the end of September it does not bother me as there is no rush. I would have liked to have to finished the whole thing by the end of the year but if I don't I won't sulk lol!

The most I have done on a piece all week so far was on Blackbird Designs Their Song on Sunday evening. I love this piece so much and, for all I'm not using the threads the model was stitched in, I love the the colours. I chose to use DMC to make it cheaper for me. I'm all for trying to economise a little these days ( as I'm sure we all are) so no buying the special threads!!

Mondays, as always, are my SAL nights with Barb. Again not much done. I finished the first row and made a teeny start on the alphabet. I have promised Barb that I will do better next week:) I actually can't wait to get to the sheep on this! Those who know me well will know I love sheep since we holidayed in Cumbria about 8 years ago!

I fancied a small new start so last week I just put a few stitches into Little House Needleworks Holly and Berries then last night I picked it up again and put a few more in. Not sure whether to stitch on this again tonight or do a Halloween ornament! I have one printed out. It's a freebie  from Sandra at Homespun Elegance and you can find it on her blog

And before Mr Stick starts shouting at me I did add more beads to Chatelaine Spring Morning yesterday afteroon! I have beaded the top part, the over one flower part and the lily of the valley and made a start on the big square. Fingers crossed for a finish on this before the end of September then I can move onto another UFO!

Final picture is stash! I had some pennies saved up from Ebay and private sales of charts etc that I'd finished with so I ordered the first 4 Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart charts from Wasatch Needlecraft. It's so nice not to feel guilty about buying with me having the money saved up. They arrived on Saturday. It's the first time I've ordered from Karen and she is wonderful to deal with and very helpful and friendly. Also in the picture is Cherrywood Design Studios Eat Sleep Stitch which I traded with Michelle. Thank you so much for trading Michelle :)

I fancy trying my hand at knitting a hat! I haven't done any knitting for many years but I saw a hat someone had knitted and really liked it. I went to have a look at Ravelry and downloaded a few free patterns from there so think I might have a go. I still have my knitting needles in a cupboard somewhere so all I need to do is get some wool. No idea when I'm going to make the time though as I spend my spare time stitching!

Abi went back to school yesterday and I have never known her so nervous, bless her. It is her final year so lots going on what with work experience, GCSEs and the year 11 ball so it'll be quite a year for her. Jess seems to have settled into her student house now and whenever she rings she is full of it. Monday she rang to see if her cocktail shaker was in the kitchen as they were having some friends round and wanted to use it! No doubt she will get the jitters again when the new semester starts!

I better get off now as I'm making a chicken casserole for tea with the leftovers from the carcass. It's simmering away in the oven in lots of water so I need to go get all the meat off and add some vegetables.

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Sally

xxxx

So What Have I Been Up To?

You may ask! This week I decided it was time I actually plucked up the courage to make up the Just a Thought Sampler Garden Needle Casket I finished stitching a while ago. Abi was out with a friend on Tuesday and DH back to work after the bank holiday weekend so I thought that day would be ideal to get everything out and get on. Of course it took me longer than a day, although I kept getting distracted, and what with all the cutting, gluing, sewing, ribbon gathering etc I finally got finished today! So I'm going to let the pictures do the talking!

Casket, needle custodian, needle cushion and needleroll

Casket top

Casket bottom

I am sooooooooo pleased with this. I never thought that I would make something like this in a million years but Judy O'Dell's finishing instructions are so clear that even I can follow them! Now I need to find somewhere to display it.

I can only show two other bits of stitching in this post. First piece is Blackbird Designs Their Song which I made good progress on on Sunday evening.I just love the verse on this one.

Next up is mine and Barb's new SAL start from Monday evening. Monday was quite stressful for us with Jess moving into her student house so I was glad of a new start and SALing with a very dear friend. So this is The Sampler Girl Jane Austen Sampler Stocking. I am already loving this one so much so thank you Barb for suggesting the SAL :) Looking forward to seeing how you got on and stitching more on Monday.

I'm afraid Chatelaine Spring Morning has not been out this week because I wanted to finish the casket. Thankfully Julie and Mr Stick have given us a week off this week so I don't feel so bad not doing anymore beading!

We got Jess moved into her student house on Monday. I must admit it looks so much better than it did the first time we saw it ( thank God) but it was so hard leaving her there and Abi and I cried when we'd left ( well Abi started before we left!). Tuesday lunchtime I decided to text Jess to see how her first night had gone. I wasn't expecting miracles but I wasn't expecting the text I got back. She said it was horrible, that she'd wanted to come home and had even thought about quitting university so she didn't have to live in that house. She did, however, say that she OK now. Well, as you can imagine, I was in bits at the thought of her being so unhappy that she'd quit uni. Both Abi and I spoke to her yesterday and she sounded a lot happier and I know she'll settle once she gets used to it.

Hopefully I'll be back next week with more WIPs and maybe a finish!

Thank you for all your lovely comments. I cherish them all :)

Take care everyone and stay safe if you're on the east coast of USA.

Hugs

Sally

xxx