Thursday 25 September 2014

A New SAL With Barb Plus September Stitch From Stash

I don't know about you all but I do love a new start especially when that new start is a SAL with a friend.  Even though Barb is a long, long way from me we settle down a few times a week to virtually stitch together. As you know we finished our Friday night SAL of The 12 Days of Christmas so last Friday our new SAL started. This is Tra La La Tricotine. I'm stitching mine on 32 count white evenweave using Atalie Threads and DMC. Love it so far. I'm afraid the girl is legless at the moment. I had stitched her face minus rosey cheeks and eyes and she looked rather like an alien which freaked me out a little! Lol. So the legs had to wait in favour of the rest of her face and her hair! I already have plans how to finish this when I've stitched it but think I will need some help and guidance lol!


I had another new start on Sunday. This time July's Delphinium. I would love to try and get well on with these now but I know they won't be finished by the end of the year. I like to try and have everything finished so I can start anew but it won't happen as I still have too many to do on these and Frosty Forest.

Typing of Frosty Forest last night in the parlour with the ladies over at Needlecraft Haven I finished Snowy Friends and made a small start on Bluebird Cottage.  Who knew what looked like a little bit of snow that I had left to do on Snowy Friends could take so long to do!

I'm making good progress on LHN Summer Garden which is the travelling pattern. I'm hoping that I might have it finished next week so keep an eye out if you are interested in being the next stitcher :).


Garden Bliss is going well. I'm now on to the garden bit at the bottom. I love how this looks and can't wait to have it hung in my home.

A little bit of progress was made on my robin. Not a massive amount but as anyone who stitches HAEDs will know they don't grow very fast!

I did some making up on Sunday. I used finishing forms to finish My Big Toe Designs Always in my Heart which I stitched late last year from the JCS 2011 Christmas ornament issue. I am delighted with how it turned out. The ribbon, bow and heart were on a greetings card I had saved.

Stitch From Stash report time now.  Unfortunately I had a spend this month. Not only did I spend my full £15 budget but I also spent £8.15 of my balance from last month. *sigh*. Now I'm feeling pretty peeved with myself!  So that leaves me with a balance of £49.75. So what did I buy?  These!

I have been looking for the Tim Hotlz pocket watch fobs since I first saw people using them to mount stitching in. Every time I found somewhere in the UK who stocks them they were out of stock and never got them back in. To buy them in the States meant about $9.50 shipping making them expensive. Anyway I was looking on Patchwork Rabbit and saw that Karla had them on her sneak peak page. Knowing that they are likely to be popular once people know she has them I ordered 2 along with the Blue Bunting chart and the fabric. The good thing is I paid with pennies I had saved from sales from charts I'd finished with but I still have to declare it for Stitch from Stash. I don't know how I'm going to go on for the next month as I may need some fabric as Barb and I are going to start stitching Halloween stuff when we've finished Tricotine. I may have to look at Ebay and see if I can find some bargains! Hopefully I can keep this up for the rest of the year though but leave November as my free month for when I go to Harrogate Knitting and Stitching show and I'll also have to buy the chart  Chris and I are going to be stitching for our December  SAL. It's certainly getting harder as the year goes on and I'm using fabric up!

Typing of Chris I had a lovely day at her house on Friday.  Lots of chatting and a bit of stitching and a look round a couple of crafting shops. I was very jealous as she had started stitching the Hands on Design piece from the last Just Cross Stitch mag. I want to do that sometime! I wish there were more evenings in a week lol!

Oooh I almost forgot! Jess was saying she really wanted a poncho for winter so I said I'd knit her one if we could find a pattern she liked. She eventually found one so I asked my friend Gill if she could order it for me along with the yarn. It arrived last week, I started it at the weekend and here is where I'm at after my crafting morning this morning with Gill.

It's knitted in 2 strips then sewn together. The yarn is Sirdar Softspun Chunky and it is beautiful. It has a lovely sheen to it.

Before I forget there wasn't much interest for the Just Nan chart I was giving away but the winner is Christine. Christine I'll get it in the post ASAP.


Thank you to all those who congratulated Abi on finding a job. She did 6 hours last week and this week has done 12 as one of the girls is on holiday.  She's waiting to hear her shifts for next week. She is loving it. I have seen a change in her since she started. She smiles much more and seems so much happier. Not having a job had got her down. Hopefully Jess will find something soon as well. There seemed to be a few advertised all at once and now nothing! 

That's all from me for now.  Thank you for visiting and for all your lovely comments. I must get around to visiting you all very soon.

Take care everyone.

With much love.

Sally xxxx


Thursday 18 September 2014

Travelling Pattern, A Giveaway Win Plus Some Finishes ( Picture Heavy! )

Well here we are well into September and this is my first blog post of the month.  So much for getting back to at least one post a week!

Anyway, without further ado, I had a comment on my last post from Justine telling me I had her first blogoversary giveaway. I was so excited but felt awful as when I looked at her blog it was almost a week since she'd posted and due to me not looking at any blogs I hadn't seen it. Postie brought a package yesterday and this is what I found inside. All so beautifully wrapped that I hardly dare disturb it! Inside was this beautifully stitched and finished cushion. As I told Justine when I emailed her this is just so me. I absolutely love the colours and the design. Also inside was The Nebby Needle chart True Friend with some GAST threads and a gorgeous birdhouse needleminder. You may remember that I stitched the True Friend design for my dear friend Chris' birthday so I'm looking forward to being able to stitch it for myself as I love the words on it. Thank you so much Justine for a beautiful package.





Also this week I received this lovely package from Dani in Canada. I won the travelling pattern from her and she also sent me some of my favourite needles and a beautiful fob / ornament. Also see the fabric?  The fob was wrapped in that and I reckon I will use it to back Summer Garden with when I've stitched it. Thank you so much Dani!


Here is my start on it. I'm using Craft Kitten 32 count Fantasy Wings linen ( a second that I bought from the Crafty Kitten Facebook page last year ) and I'm choosing colours as I go along. So far I've used Carrie's Creations Hot Pink and Mistletoe.  So look out for when I've finished this as it'll be travelling again. 

Since  my last post I've had a finish or four!  Firstly this one.

Carriage House Samplings Emma's Alphabet Sampler ( from JCS June 2005 )

40 count Cream Gander Linen

DMC

As you can see it is actually finished properly and I am so pleased with how it looks. I had a vision of how I wanted it and it's close!

Next one is this beauty.

Just Nan Marching Orders

Silkweaver Solo 28 count

DMC & Supplied Soie D'Alger Lady in Red

I would like to pass the chart for this on now so if you'd like it please say so in your comment and I'll pick a winner next week :).

Finish no. 3 also made up with the other 3 that needed to made up.

The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas Day 12

32 count Vintage Country Mocha Linen

DMC

Thank you so much Barb for SALing with me on these. Barb and I will be starting a new SAL tomorrow and it will be Tra La La Tricotine :).

The  booklet for the 12 Days of Christmas is now for sale so please email me ( email in my profile ) if you are interested. SOLD

Final finish ( phew ! ) is this one.

Cottage Garden Samplings My Garden Journal June's Honeysuckle

40 count Pearl Grey linen

DMC

I'm all ready to start July's Delphinium on Sunday. Just have to cut my fabric.

Lisa and I are continuing our HAED SAL and although I'm struggling a little with getting used to it and thinking about still having 6 more pages to go is driving me mad I am enjoying it. I do feel better knowing that the last 3 pages are only small!

Frosty Forest is now coming out on Wednesdays in the parlour over at Needlecraft Haven so last night I tried desperately to get Frosty Friends finished but it didn't quite happen. Not to worry though as it will next week!

And I almost forgot Garden Bliss! How could I forget this!


I have some brilliant news this post! Abi has got a job! Yay! Both her and Jess applied for 3 jobs last week. Unfortunately Jess has not been successful as yet  but Abi desperately wanted to work at one of these places and told the lady when she went for the application form that she had been hoping a job would come up as she really likes it in there. To cut a bit of a long story short she had an interview on Monday and was offered it straight away. We are so pleased as she's been looking for over a year. She had her first shift today, which she enjoyed, and she'll be working 6 hours a week for now.

I'll be hopping on a bus tomorrow to go see Chris which I'm really looking forward to. I need to get some stitching sorted to take with me!

That's all my news for now. I'll be back with a stitch from stash report next week and the stash I very naughtily purchased but I'm still in!

Take care everyone.

With much love

Sally xxxx