March Stitch From Stash

Well can you believe it is almost the end of March?! Where did it go? So time for my March Stitch From Stash report before the week gets away from me and I'm too late to do it.

 

Firstly from my stash I started Country Cottage Needleworks Frosty Forest Racoon Cabin. Ooops I put Little House Needleworks on the photo!

 

I also started Cottage Garden Samplings My Garden Journal April's Daisy.

 

Day 6 of The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas was started. 

 

Day 5 was finished.

 

Progress was made on Country Cottage Needleworks The Tea Room.

 

Little House Needleworks The North Wind.

 

Lone Elm Lane Snow Angel.

 

And Brightneedle Lo How A Rose. Unfortunately when I finished my skein of DMC 3022 and started my new skein the difference between the two was very noticeable so I am going to have to frog what I had already stitched in it so I was not a happy bunny!

 

I did spend a wee bit more in March.  I was sick of going to my local shop and paying 80 p for DMC when I ran out sooooo I went through what I am using at the moment and put a  small order together for Cross Stitch Heaven and spent £7.83 including postage on 17 DMC.

 

So that's my report for March.

 

On Friday I had a lovely surprise through the post from my lovely friend and SALing partner Shirlee. She sent me a beautiful belated birthday card and gift of Little House Needleworks Hands to Work with the fabric and threads to stitch it with. Thank you so much dear Shirlee.  I'm looking forward to stitching this one and getting it on my wall. Hope you received the email I sent :)

 

Abi and I went to the mere again this morning then we decided to have a look at the stream / dyke that runs from there to the sea at the end nearer to the sea. A kingfisher had been spotted there on Friday so we wanted to try and spot it ourselves. Unfortunately we didn't see it but we did see 4 water voles which are supposedly becoming quite rare. I managed to snap this one sunning itself on the bank. Not a good photo as my camera doesn't take very clear photos when you have to zoom well in.

 

In the field next to the road going to the mere we spotted sweet little lambs. 

 

I love this beautiful black swan.

 

This swan was looking to see what Abi had.

 

 

And these were taken last week in the memorial gardens. 

 

I am back at the drs tomorrow early on. I am feeling brighter and hope it is going to last as I am just so fed up of feeling ill. My dr suggested I see my dentist to rule out any dental problems so  off I went last Wednesday. A good examination, an x ray and £18 less in my pocket showed nothing. No shadows on my jaw, no problems with my teeth, clear nasal passages and sinuses. I am beginning to think I have just got very run down and am tensing up which might cause discomfort and pain  but who knows. I feel as though a damned good cry would help but it just doesn't come. I daren't cry in front of people so hold it in then I can't cry!

 

Well that's it for this time. Way behind reading and commenting so I really must apologise. 

 

Until next time.

 

With much love

 

Sally xxxx

Finishes, Starts and A Birthday Gift

Lol! It would seem my blog titles are not very creative these days! I can never think of a good, gripping title to draw you all in but never mind. My mind is too full of stitching and what to with it when I finish it at the moment.  I was waiting for Abi to get ready to go feed the ducks, geese and swans this morning ( it's a regular thing now ) and decided I'd get all the finishes that are in one of the drawers out, make a note of them, their sizes and what I plan to do with them in the hope that as the year goes on I'll get them ready to display.  Friends don't hold your breath as the pile will probably just get bigger rather than smaller. 

Yesterday I had the house to myself so decided I'd get all the Little Sheep Virtues out and sew basting lines around them in preparation for sewing them up. I'd nearly got them all done when I picked up Friendship, looked at it and realised something was not quite right. Hmmmmm I'd stitched the left hand border too far over so it has to come out! I can't leave it as it will bug me. It's a good job Chris and I hadn't got together since my birthday as I still have the last few charts. She is buying them from me.

Last Friday was the lovely Lesleyanne's birthday so I stitched this for her. It was so lovely to stitch and I'm looking forward to stitching it again later for me :)

Lizzie* Kate Bonus Chart from Simple Things

Polstitches 28 count fabric from grab bag.

DMC

Birthday gift for Lesleyanne.

I am so happy that she likes it :)

I have had a couple of finishes recently.The first one is this beauty.

Cottage Garden Samplings March's Daffodil

40 count linen

DMC

Started 26th January 2014

Finished 9th March 2014.

The second finish I had mixed feelings about because it was the final sheep of my SAL with Barb but I have 12 adorable sheep :)

Little House Needleworks Little Sheep Virtues Joyfulness

32 count Vintage Country Mocha linen

DMC

Started 24th February 2014

Finished 10th March 2014.

Thank you so much dear Barb for SALing with me on these. It was has been a sheer pleasure and I'm looking forward to next week for the start of our next one :)

I have had two new starts since my last post. It's funny how something as simple as starting something new can give you renewed enthusiasm. Firstly I started Country Cottage Needleworks The Tea Room which Mouse lent me. I was originally going to stitch it over one on 28 count but the white wasn't going to show up so I found this  30 count RR linen ( can't remember the colour off hand ) which I bought last year from a friend who was selling off a lot of her fabrics and I really like how it's looking. I have enough to stitch the Needlework Shop on it too.

Second new start is Brightneedle Lo How A Rose from the Better Homes and Gardens book which Lois kindly passed onto me when she'd finished stitching this one. I am stitching it on a lighter dye of Crafty Kitten Fall Foliage which Dawn dyed for me to stitch Sally Spencer Sampler which I started then hated so I unpicked what I had stitched so I could reuse the fabric. Unfortunately you can still see where the red stitches were but I am hoping that might get stitched over and not be noticeable.  I am loving stitching this and The Tea Room so far.

Last Friday Barb and I started Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas.  This will be finished this evening :)

Wednesday in the parlour with Barb and the girls at Needlecraft Haven saw me frogging! I was stitching the lower verse on The North Wind when I discovered that it wouldn't fit in! After much deliberating as to where I had messed up I found it was on the branch where the robin is sitting so out came the words and so much of the branch. With branch corrected I decided I wouldn't restart the words but would move onto the border.

Finally a little progress on my SAL with dear Shirlee. Yes it's the dreaded Snow Angel which I am enjoying more now! I have got a little more stitched since I took the photo but will show that next time.

So that's all my stitching. I'll be having more new starts as I'll be starting the next Garden Journal, April's Daisy, as well as the first Frosty Forest. Barb and I will be SALing, me with Frosty Forest and Barb with Calendar Girls :)

After 3 weeks I finally managed to get back to craft group this week. It was lovely to be back and lovely to see all the ladies again. My friend Gill and I have started our crafting afternoons again after a few weeks off and we were knitting and chatting away for ages on Wednesday afternoon.  I had messed up on my next square of the afghan at craft group *sigh* so I was knitting that back up again. I was looking at the pattern for the next block and as it is very lacy I'm thinking I should maybe not try that one at craft group!

A few photos from this morning. This goose is actually on my foot! 

 These two saw us walking along and thought we had something for them! They were too late!

The Helleborus  in my garden

I finally gave in and went to see my doctor last Friday. I came away with some pills, which I have taken before, but not so sure they are doing any good. I am feeling brighter than I was but there are also times when I feel as bad so I don't know what the problem is and neither did my doctor really! I had blood tests on Monday and had no idea what for as she never mentioned it. It turned out it was for haemoglobin and something else that I can't remember which has me totally puzzled as to why so I will have to ask when I go back.

That's it for now. Thank you for visiting me and for your comments :). They mean more than you know.

Until next time.

With much love

Sally xx

Day 4 and Angela.

Hello everyone from a sunny east coast of England.  There was a keen frost this morning which meant a walk would have been lovely but I have not felt too well for a few days so no walk. I did need to go to the PO yesterday and to the local arts and crafts shop for some DMC ( yes again! Why do I never have spares what I run out of ? ) but I felt rotten by the time I got home.  Of course they did not have both the DMC I needed but one of my Facebook friends has come to the rescue. In fact several offered. Stitchers are just brilliant. Then the parcel I wanted to send yesterday didn't get sent as they were queuing to the door at the PO and I didn't feel like standing there. The joys of the main PO currently being closed until further notice.

Ooops Edited to add the winner of the Silent Night! I totally forgot! The winner is........... Julie! Julie I'll get it in the post to you ASAP. Enjoy stitching it :)

Anyway onto stitching. I said in my last post that Angela was close to a finish. Closer than I thought as I only needed to add 6 stitches and backstitch her eyes! So here she is :)

The Snowflower Diaries Angela

32 count Crafty Kitten Muted Garden opalescent linen

Nina's Threads & DMC

Started 1st January 2014

Finished 26th February 2014.

This was just so lovely to stitch. The   chart is now for sale ( see my for sale page ).

Barb and I are stitching away on the 12 Days of  Christmas and here is Day 4 finished. These are a pleasure to stitch and I can highly recommend this lovely little booklet from The Little Stitcher.

Typing of the 12 Days here's the first 3 made up ready to hang. I am not sure where I will hang them yet. Possibly on my Christmas tree although I'd love to keep them out all year.

We are also stitching away on our last little sheep. This one just makes me smile every time I look at it. I think it will be finished next week then we have the massive task of making them all up. I have one sewn up but still need to do the trim. As I'm using the same for all I might do them all at the same time.

Wednesday I was over in the parlour with Barb and some of the other ladies at Needlecraft Haven ( virtually ) so The North Wind came out. I had decided I wanted to change the robin for a European one and although it has the look of one it is not brilliant and that is why I'm not a designer!

My SAL with Shirlee was almost no more and unbeknown to me Shirlee was also having second thoughts with this!  I think we have both calmed down now and are going to keep going with it until it's finished as we both love the design. Lesson learned though if you're unsure pick your own colours and  make a working copy for an intricate tree! Lol!

I almost had another finish on Sunday but this is what I needed those 2 threads for ( one of them is also used in The North Wind ) so I had to put it away. So it'll be finished this Sunday hopefully.

So now I am wondering what to start in place of Angela!  I have so much I want to start but think it'll be one of the charts Mouse lent me but I also think I should start Lo How A Rose so I can get that stitched and pass the book onto Barb. Maybe I should start both and stitch an hour on each! Lol. Then of course I have all my lovely chart stash. I think this stitch from stash has given me a new boost for my stitching. I just need a boost to get stuff made up!

I'll leave you with some photos from mine and Abi's recent walks. Some of them are not very good as those ducks, geese and swans move fast when they want to and there's food involved! 

Thank you for visiting me today. I hope to get caught up with you all soon.

With much love

Sally xxx