Our Family & Another Wee Giveaway

Hello again everyone! It's supposedly a little cooler today and, even though the wind is blowing and it's cloudy, it doesn't feel like it is.  Phew it has been way too hot for me but these last few evenings I've been sitting out on the patio stitching and it has been lovely. Much cooler than sitting indoors.

First of all I have a finish. This lovely chart was passed on to me by dear Julie I don't remember when. I started it and for some reason it became a UFO. I picked it up and still have no idea why it got put away as I have thoroughly enjoyed stitching it. So here it is!

JBW Designs Our Family

Unknown fabric

DMC

I did not have a bird charm so used a bee instead. My plain heart charms did not fit in the box so I used a made with love charm.

Now Julie has said I can pass this chart on so if you would like to stitch this please tell me in your comment. I would prefer it if you have a blog so that when you have finished with it you can pass it on or if you are a member of Needlecraft Haven and can pass it on there.

Typing of Julie it is her birthday today so Happy Birthday Julie! I saw a lovely design that Gaynor of Stitchers Anon  had designed for her retreat both virtual and real but as I couldn't stitch it straight away I asked if it was OK if I stitched later! So this is what I stitched for Julie and I am happy to say she loved it. I also sent her a needleminder but forgot to take a photo of that!

Stitchers Anon From The Heart

40 count sand Newcastle Linen

DMC

Just want to say thank you for all your lovely comments on my Lo finish.  It will be going to the framers soon I think. Sue asked which Better Homes and Gardens book the design was in.  I can't contact you directly as you're a no reply blogger and you have no blog either so I hope you will read this :). It is from the Better Homes and Gardens A Cross Stitch Christmas book which you can find on Amazon UK or USA  here and here. I do hope that helps.

I do have another finish and this time it's the 9th Day of the 12 Days of Christmas.  I can't believe that Barb and I only have 3 more to do!

The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas Day 9

32 count vintage country mocha linen

DMC

I had a new start on Saturday to replace Lo. Oh how I like a new start! I have felt a little stale with some of my stitching lately so it's been nice to finish some things and have  new starts. Helps keep the ole creative juices flowing! Just wish I could get more creative with the finishing!  So this is my new start. It's from a Just Cross Stitch magazine from a few years ago and is Carriage House Samplings 1823 Emma Elizabeth Blackwood Sampler. I'm stitching it in DMC on 40 count cream Gander linen.

Sitting outside stitching has kept me away from my tablet so has meant no interruptions playing games etc so more progress. Here's June's Honeysuckle from Sunday evening.

Snowman's Cottage from Monday evening. Hoping to finish this next Monday and start the next one.

I managed to stitch on LHN Needleworker with no frogging this time. I'll be stitching on this tonight with the ladies in the parlour at Needlecraft Haven.

Finally some progress on Just Nan Winter's Eve.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my final auto of Frosty Forest will be here soon as that will mean that Garden Bliss will arrive too. My long time online friend Fiona asked me to order her one too which I was happy to do. It should still be within what customs will allow but now I'm worrying a little as if they include postage it won't be. I think if they take postage into consideration it's a con! However I will see what happens. I'll have to be patient but waiting for new stash is not a patient matter! Lol. ETA IT'S HERE! Will show it next post :)

I am hoping to try and blog and comment on blogs more regularly than I have been doing of late. I start off with good intentions but it never seems to last. I need a good kick up the butt and a good talking to lol!

Take care everyone and thank you for visiting :) Please leave me a comment if you have time as I love reading them.

With much love

Sally xxx

July Stitch From Stash & Another Finish!

It has soon come around to my Stitch From Stash report. I can't believe that we are a week away from August.  Also ow on earth did that happen?

This month does seem to have been rather productive in the finishing department and I have also started some older stuff from my stash :).

So my big finish for July is this beauty.

Brightneedle Lo How A Rose ( from the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas book )

32 count Crafty Kitten Fall Foliage ( lighter dye that Dawn did for me )

DMC

Started 8th March 2014

Finished 20th July 2014.

The book is now on the way to Barb :) Thank you Lois once again for sending me it.

I have made a little progress on Country Cottage Needleworks Frosty Forest Snowman's Cottage.

Day 9 of the 12 Days of Christmas didn't quite get finished so Barb and I will, hopefully, finish it this Friday.

Almost finished JBW Designs Our Family.

I made a start on June's Honeysuckle.

New start in the parlour over at Needlecraft Haven was Little House Needleworks Needleworker. I messed up and had to frog twice!

Another new start in place of Warm Winter Woolens is Just Nan Wintry Mix. I've had this in my stash for God knows how long!

Do you remember this finish I had last year? Finally all finished up properly!

I'm debating what to start in place of Lo. It may be a Carriage House Samplings from a JCS magazine that Suzanne passed on to me a while ago then I bet it passed on as I promised it to Faye. I've sorted threads and fabric.

So before I announce the winner of the Jane Greenoff chart I'd better fess up to my little bit of spending for July. Last year some of you may remember that my sister and I had a poem read out at our Dad's funeral and I was after a chart of one of the verses which was his favourite. My sister remembered him writing it in her autograph book and he'd bought me a bird bath with the verse inscribed on it. Well at the time I couldn't find anything that I liked so, just on the off chance, I emailed Diane of Silver Creek Samplers to see if she would consider charting it. I had a lovely reply from her then left it at that. A few weeks ago I noticed that she had some new releases and there it was! The verse I had asked her about so beautifully charted. It is called Garden Bliss. Thank you so much Diane for a beautiful design. I will admit to having tears in my eyes when I saw it. I entered a contest she had running to win our choice of her new releases but decided that I would buy it when the next Frosty Forest auto came out which it just has so I'm hoping I won't have too long to wait for it arriving. So I spent about £5 on that lovely chart. My Frosty Forest doesn't count as it's an auto. That leaves me with £10 from the July budget so I have £42.90 to carry over :).

So onto the winner of the chart I was giving away. Just 4 people entered, Gracie, Bianca, Dani and Cucki, and the randomiser chose Cucki :). Cucki I think I have your address so I'll get it in the post to you as soon as I can.

I was very happy to receive a message from Dani to say that I'd won one of the travelling patterns, LHN Summer Garden, so watch out for that one when I receive it and get it stitched :). Thank you Dani :).

Finally thank you to everyone who posted congratulations for Jess on her graduation. Let's hope it isn't too long before she can find a job. Poor Abi has been looking a year and still not got one. She's applied for several but not even been offered an interview.

So that's it from me for today. I should be finishing a gift so better get this post published and get my sewing machine out!

Take care everyone and  try and stay cool in the  rather warm weather we're having. It has been too hot for me I'm afraid!

With much love

Sally xxxx

 

Wee Giveaway & Finishes

Oops it has been a while since my last post so this may be picture heavy. I haven't really been in the mood to blog then last week was quite a busy one.

On Monday last week I helped my friend Gill with her first open day for her wool business. She had asked me a while ago if I would help out and I was happy to. It was a brilliant day and I enjoyed it. Of course I could not resist buying a hank of lovely wool and a pattern. Tuesday morning was my usual craft group morning then Wednesday I hopped on the bus to see Chris for the day which was brilliant as we hadn't seen each other since my birthday last December.  We had a lovely day chatting and stitching. Thursday Gill came up to see me and we spent the morning chatting. No crafting done but it's lovely to just sit and chat.

Since I last blogged I've had some finishes. You know what they say about buses, you wait ages for one then several turn up, well it seems to be the same for me and finishes! 

This is the first one.

Country Cottage Needleworks The Needlework Shop

30 count R & R Irish Creme Linen

DMC

Started 9th April 2014

Finished 9th July 2014

Thank you Mouse for the loan of the charts :)

Next finish is my SAL with Shirlee. I must reply to your email Shirlee.  I have been so lax of late.

Little House Needleworks Warm Winter Woolens

35 count WDW Straw Linen

GAST

Started 8th May 2014

Finished 10th July 2014

SAL with Shirlee.

Final finish is this one. There hasn't been one of these that I haven't loved.

Cottage Garden Samplings My Garden Journal May's Lily of the Valley

40 count pearl grey linen

DMC

Started 18th May 2014

Finished 13th July 2014

Last Tuesday was my dear friend Karan's birthday and I stitched this little beauty for her. It is a Jane Greenoff Tiny Linen Pinkeeps Dutch Sampler. Karan loves it so I'm a happy stitcher.

I won this chart in a giveaway June had so would now like to pass it on so if you would like to win it please say so in your comments and I'll pick a winner next week :)

I have almost finished Brightneedle Lo How A Rose.  The wording is done so just have the rest of the flowers to stitch. This design is so pretty.

As you may know Lois very kindly sent me the book with the chart in so I decided to stitch a little something as a thank you. I like to do this when people lend me chart etc and even though it may take me a while I do get around to it eventually. So this is what I sent her and I'm so pleased that she loves it.

Shakespeare's Peddler Jenny Bean's Pin Tuffet

36 count fabric

DMC

Started 31st May 2014

Finished 10th June 2014

So not many WIPs now until I have some new starts. Only other ones I have are the CCN Frosty Forest series so here's my progress on Snowman's  Cottage.

My lovely friend Barb is feeling a little better so is back stitching with me so Friday we did a little on Day 9 of The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas.

Do you remember this WIP?

It is JBW Designs Our Family. Julie very kindly sent me ages ago and I started it but it turned into a UFO. I decided it was time to pick it up again and get it finished.

A while ago I purchased some wool and a pattern from my dear friend Gill.  I started knitting it a while ago but not very often so I haven't done much but this is where I am at. It is knitted sideways which is new to me but it is going OK so far! This photo doesn't show the true colour though.

My big news of this post is that at the beginning of July Jess  got her results  from uni and obtained a 2.1 Batchelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English.  Yesterday was her graduation ceremony at Hull City Hall so off we went for a proud parents / sister day :). She didn't really want to attend but we said it was a celebration of her hard work so she agreed to go. We don't have the official photo as yet as we have to order it but I have a few that we took. It was a lovely day and we all shed a few tears when we first saw her in her robes and then again when she went to receive her degree.

 Jess and Abi

 Jess and Me

 Jess, her Dad and me

 Jess

 Spot the redhead!

Actress Sheridan Smith became an honorary doctor

I will be back next week I would think for my Stitch From Stash report!

Until next time.

Take care everyone.

With much love

Sally xxx