Birthday Gift For Shirlee and Other Stories

Hmmmm, my blog post titles seem to be getting worse! Oh well never mind! Lol!

First of all a massive thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post. I am still looking for a suitable alphabet to use to personalise Garden Bliss but I am sure I will come across one soon.

Last week it was dear Shirlee's birthday and as she loves sheep, like me, I decided to stitch this for her.

Christy Schmitz Swirly Sheep

Unkown fabric

Victorian Motto Thread

Birthday Gift for Shirlee.

I am happy to say that Shirlee loves it. I also included a needleminder but didn't take a photo of that!

I've been attempting to get some stitching finished up and this week I've managed to get two pieces done.The first one is the travelling pattern Little House Needleworks Summer Garden. 

I used the ribbon that was on the flowers that DH sent me for my 50th birthday last year and the lovely little wooden button was in a pack I bought from The Works ( where Abi works! ). 

I had plans for Little House Needleworks Warm Winter Woolens after I saw it finished on Pinterest. Mine is a little different in that I used gingham ribbon for the handle. I'll be on a look out for some wintry foliage or something to display in it.

No finishes since my last post although I have had a new start. It nearly wasn't as I couldn't make my mind up which fabric I wanted to use. The big piece I bought from Sew and So on sale would have been fine had I not already cut a piece off to use and I knew I wouldn't have enough for all 12 cottages. It's discontinued so I may not have been able to get anymore so I ended up using 32 count raw opalescent linen! So here's my start on Country Cottage Needleworks January Cottage. 

More Country Cottage now and Frosty Forest! I actually can't wait to get all these done and have this up on my wall!

Oooh talking of on the wall here's my Needleworker! I took it in to get framed and remembered to go pick it up yesterday. It's hard to get a good photo but I'm really pleased with it. 

Barb and I are keeping up with our Spooky SAL! I now have a spider, a bird ( who does need a bit more to him!) and I have started the key. Loving stitching this as it's such a fun one!

I think I may need to have a finished page happy dance this Saturday ( fingers crossed) as I think I will finish page 3 of QS Spirit of Winter Robin. I'm aiming to make time before then to grid the next page just in case. I'm so excited to get more of this done. I definitely have my enthusiasm back for him.

I now have more delphiniums on July's Delphiniums. They are so pretty too. I have to admit I'm itching to get this one finished so I can start August's Poppy as it's one of my firm favourites. 

No progress on Tricotine as DH and I were at an evening wedding "do". I've been stitching away merrily on one of the ornaments for the private exchanges I'm doing and it should be finished tomorrow then I'll start another :). I've missed ornament stitching so thinking I should go back to one a month next year! 

That's all my stitching news for this time. You never know I might have done some more finishing by the time I blog again lol! 

Take care everyone.

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxx

In Memory Of My Dad Finish & October Stitch From Stash

Well I did say I'd be back hopefully with a finish and I am! Of course I thought I might be jumping the gun a little as when you think you're close to a finish that last little bit seems to take forever! So without further ado here it is!

Silver Creek Samplers Garden  Bliss

32 count Crafty Kitten Vintage Petals

DMC

In Loving Memory of my Dad.

I just love how this has turned out and am just so grateful to Diane of Silver Creek Samplers for designing this. I know my Dad would have loved it. I am thinking of adding some personalisation but need to find a nice alphabet and work out where etc! I have loved every single stitch of this and think my Dad will have  been with me with each one.

I am planning on starting the Country Cottage Needleworks monthly cottages next but haven't decided on fabric yet! I am probably going to use 32 count raw opalescent linen for them. 

I didn't get on quite as well as I'd hoped with Tralala Tricotine last week as I had a visit from the frog but I'm back on track now. So I only stitched a bit of grass!

A little more progress was made on my lovely robin, another memory piece for my Dad, and I am quite close to finshing the page. So it'll be 3 down, 6 to go!

Before I show anymore WIPs I'll do my SFS report for October.  We have a bonus of $50 ( around £30 ) to spend before the end of the end of the year and I'm very embarrassed to say that I have spent it * hangs head in utter shame *.  Altogether I spent £34.84 on 3 charts, 2 lots of fabric and 1 thread that I needed which means I spent £4.84 of my £15 monthly budget.  I have a total leftover balance of £59.91. Phew! Thank God for that bonus although I would still have been OK! November is going to be my free month but then I will still have a little to spend in December should I want anything I can't get at Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show!  I've finally started my list but can't decide on finishing items!

Back to my WIPs! July's Delphinium is coming along rather nicely.  I still have the purple ones to stitch but I'll,  hopefully, get those done this Sunday or at least some of them!

Finally my 3rd SAL with Barb which is Barbara Ana Designs Wicked Since.  I needed a DMC Variations for this, hence the thread I needed and of course I couldn't just order one thread so  bought some linen that was on sale! A massive piece for half the price! Anyway here's my progress on Wicked Since!

Oooh almost forgot. My finished up Shepherd's Bush Rosy Egg ( I think ) which I stitched an age ago and finally attempted a finish a few weeks ago.  It's nowhere near perfect but I am fairly happy with it. I used a polystyrene egg to finish it.

I can't show my other WIP as it's for one of my private ornament exchanges but will say I'm stitching it on some of the half price linen:). Sew and So is well worth keeping an eye on for sale fabrics.

Thank you for continuing to visit me. It still seems quiet compared to how it used to be and I sincerely hope it picks up again as Instagram and Facebook are just not the same . I much prefer blogging!

Take care everyone.

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxx

Around The World Blog Hop

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to take part in the Around The World Blog Hop by Frances, whose blog is a recent discovery for me, and after a little deliberation I agreed to have a go! It'll probably be the most boring post as there are much more interesting, prolific stitchers than me out there but I will give it a go!

1. What am I working on?

Well anyone who has read my blog since the beginning will know that I stitch on several things over a week. This way I don't get bored stitching on tne same thing and it means I can have a bigger design and some smaller ones to stitch on.  At the moment I'm stitching on the Cottage Garden Samplings My Garden Journal series, which I absolutely love,   the Country Cottage Needleworks Frosty Forest series, Tralala Tricotine, Barbara Ana Designs Wicked Since, HAED QS Spirit of Winter Robin, Silver Creek Samplers Garden Bliss and Christmas ornaments. 

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I'm not really sure that it does differ from others. Not sure how to answer this one lol!

3. Why do I create what I do?

It's funny because I was never any good at any form of needlework at school. I worked with a lady who did cross stitch and she showed me magazines she had bought. I just loved the look of it and the  thought of seeing something grow as I stitched really appealed to me. So off I went to the shop nearby and I bought myself a kit that was on sale. I nearly died when I got home and opened it up to see this blank piece of aida, a chart and a bundle of threads!  However I started and here I am 23 years later still stitching. My tastes have changed over the years but I still love spending an evening with needle, thread and fabric in hand creating something I can keep or give as a gift. It has helped me through bereavement,  depression and all the things life throws at us from time to time.  It makes me happy, keeps me sane, stops my mind going into overdrive when I'm feeling low and has also brought some great friends into my life who I would never have met without stitching. Plus I feel like I am good at something ( maybe nkt the finishing as I do struggle with that! ) which for someone with very little confidence is a wonderful thing!

4. How does my creating process work?

As we are allowed to interpret / make changes to these questions I'm going to make this one how do I choose what I buy to stitch?! Obviously I have certain designers that are my favourites but there are still some designs that I maybe don't like  by them. If you know me well you'll know I love sheep, Winter and snowmen so a design with any of those themes is usually a big hit with me but there are still designs with those themes that I just don't like. Of course there may be a design that just calls to me or is an instant hit as soon as I see it. I do tend to make a wish list with designs that I love and if they are still there a few months later then I know that they are a must buy for me. I have made mistakes too often buying something straight away then regretting it later and, of course,  Stitch From Stash has been great for making me think very carefully about what I add to my stash!

I hope you have enjoyed reading my answers and that it all makes sense!

Of course the idea of this hop is to nominate others to take part so please look out for Justine's Around The World Blog Hop on the 27th October! Justine has a lovely blog and stitches a wonderful array of pieces.

I'll be back later in the week with some WIPs,  maybe a finish and my Shepherd's Bush Rosy Egg that I stitched God only knows when and finally got made up! I did it a couple of weeks ago but keep forgetting to take a photo!

Also please pop along to my Facebook friend Nicole's blog which she is resurrecting.  She is currently having a contest :).

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxx

A Little Wicked Stitching!

Hello everyone. First of all I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who commented last time and for all your good wishes for my back. Thankfully it is much easier now and I'm managing to move about much better now. I just have to be careful how I bend etc as I'm so scared it will happen again. It's just feeling a little fragile and I can well do without the hassle of not being able to do things!

This week Barb and I started a new SAL. You may remember me mentioning we had decided to do a Halloween SAL over the next year and Barb just happened to mention she'd ordered some things from Creative Poppy so that she had plenty of Halloween bits to stitch! I had been looking at something to stitch for one of my private Christmas ornament exchanges and, after Barb had mentioned it, Barbara Ana Designs Wicked Since just happened to fall into my basket and with the instant gratification of a download it was on my PC and printed in no time! So here's my start.

I am stitching it on Colour Cascade Fabrics Silver Springs using the suggested threads.

Barb and I are also SAling on Christmas ornaments for exchanges starting this evening but, of course, I won't be showing those until later in the year!

My other SAL with Barb is coming along well and she is trying to get caught up after her few false starts. Thankfully it has been third time lucky for her :) So here's where I'm at on Tricotine. Look I have a sheep!

No stitching on HAED Mini Jolly Old Fellow this week as Gill and I aren't having a crafting morning this week. Hopefully we'll be back to it next week. I have, however, been SALing with my surrogate sis, Lisa, as usual on our  HAEDs. Here's my progress on QS Spirit of Winter. I seemed to do really well on this on Saturday.

I didn't manage to get Garden Bliss finished this week but I think it should be done either next week or the week after. Then I'm starting the CCN monthly cottages :)

The roof is finally on Bluebird Cabin which is a good job as look there is more snow!

Final bit of stitching is from Sunday evening and on July's Delphinium :) I was going to start putting my finished ones in the book I bought to mount them in but I decided to wait until I've finished them all.

Towards the end of September I entered a competition with DMC for the chance to win £50 worth of DMC threads. I could not believe when , on Monday, I received an email telling me I was the lucky winner! Today postie brought me an envelope packed with 53 DMC threads! Yay for me! They will keep me going for a long time! 

More good news! I think Monday was a good day. My DH and I noticed that the card shop on the retail site where Abi works was advertising for temporary staff so I got an application form for Jess. She took it in just before 1 pm on Monday, by 2 pm they were ringing her to go for an interview and by 3.20 pm she was ringing me to tell me she'd got a job! Like I say it is only temporary but at least it'll give her some experience. She has no idea what her hours will be as it's a zero hours contract ( which I don't like but a job is a job and she can still look for something more permanent ) but she starts early November with an induction and she's also in the following day. Abi is still loving her job and getting on really well.

That's all my news for now. I'll be back Monday, hopefully, as I'm taking part in the around the world blog hop. 

Take care everyone.

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxx

Travelling Pattern Winner Plus Some Stitching

I am sure you're all itching to know who the next stitcher of the travelling pattern is but I'm going to leave announcing it until later in my post!

I had hoped to have my interpretation of the travelling pattern all sewn up but, unfortunately,  I hurt my lower back on Monday whilst getting ready to leave Gill's after helping her out at her open day. Something as simple as bending to zip my boot up left me in pain and discomfort.  So much so that when I set off to walk home I knew I wouldn't make it so thankfully Gill said I could stay until my DH got home from work and could pick me up. I haven't set foot outside the house since until day when  I very slowly and carefully walked round the corner to the PO. I am relieved to say that I have been able to get comfortable to stitch or knit with breaks to move about or I'd have been climbing the walls with boredom!

I can't show everything I have been stitching as one is a gift and I'm just hoping I can get it finished off soon as it needs to be in the post in the next week really. However I can show my WIPs.

I am hoping that poor Barb has finally had some luck with Tra La La Tricotine. I am sure she must be cursing me now for buying this design for us but it is just so lovely. Here is where I am.

Lisa and I are continuing our SAL of our HAED Christmas designs. I managed to get a good bit done on my lovely robin. I wonder if I can aim to have him finished by Christmas 2015?!

Speaking of HAEDs I made a little more progress on Mini Jolly Old Fellow. I sat for a while yesterday as though Gill and I were having our crafting morning and decided to fill in some of Father Christmas' hat. I am really enjoying stitching on this again and would love a page finish before the end of the year.

I have been house building on Frosty Forest. Need to get a move on as the snow has started to fall a little and those bluebirds are going to need shelter! Lol! Oh dear I am losing the plot!

Meanwhile on July's Delphinium the lemonade is chilled and ready to drink :)

Final WIP is Garden Bliss which is coming along so beautifully even though I say so myself. Not much more to do now.

I saw on Vickie's blog a while ago that she had shown her top 5 ornaments from the JCS Christmas ornament issue. So I have decided to show mine. I have to say I am a little disappointed in it this year although there are still several I would like to stitch and it won't stop me buying it again next year. 

So, in no particular order, these are my top 5.

Little House Needleworks Snowy Days

Country Garden Stitchery Snowflake Frost

Blue Ribbon Designs A Woodland Wish

New York Dreamer Merry Christmas

Nikyscreations Faith

Are any of these in your top 5? There are others that narrowly missed out!

Well I have kept you guessing long enough so I'd better announce the next stitcher of the travelling pattern. I lazily used a random organiser to do the picking for me lol!

There were 10 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Nic
Stitching Noni
Ellen
Beauty Bonnet
Erin
Pam in IL
Kathy A
Jhm
Lindsay
RuthB
Timestamp: 2014-10-09 11:52:15 UTC

Congratulations Nic! Please email me with your name and address and I'll get it in the post ASAP.  My email is in my profile :). If you weren't lucky this time follow it to Nic's blog and try again over there!

Well that's it for me for this time.  The weather is getting cooler so guess I'd better get a move on with Jess' poncho. I'm 20 cm off finishing the first strip but with it being chunky yarn it grows very quickly.

Take care everyone.

Until next time.

With much love

Sally xxxxx

Travelling Pattern Is Ready To Go!

Get your pompoms out and happy dance with me! The travelling pattern is done so ready to go on to the next stitcher!

Here is my version.

Little House Needleworks Summer Garden

32 count Crafty Kitten Fantasy Wings second

Carrie's Creations, Crescent Colours, DMC Variations

I changed all the threads except for one and I really like now it turned out.

So if you would like to be the next stitcher of this travelling pattern please say so in your comment. Open to all who have a blog. If you know someone who might be interested who doesn't read my blog then please send them my way. I'll pick a winner next week.

Last week the lovely Lainey had a birthday . I had planned what I was going to stitch for her but still managed to be late getting it in the post to her. Here is what I made for her. I'm not 100% happy as I struggled to get ribbons that would match.

Lamb Alphabet from World of Cross Stitching

Vintage Country Green linen

DMC

Birthday gift for Lainey.

I also included a sheep needleminder from No More Needles ( if you're on Facebook have a look for the page. It is my surrogate sis Lisa ).

I'm very happy to say that Lainey loves it :)

I've been beavering away on my WIPs although as you can see from this photo HAED QS Spirit of Winter Robin is going slow! I'm SALing with Lisa and she is the one keeping me going with it.

Another HAED has come out to play this week as Gill and I decided that we'd get our Gelsinger Santas out again this month and stitch on them through until Christmas. We will stitch on these when we have our crafting mornings.

I'm getting on very well with Garden Bliss. It looks prettier with every stitch! A few more weeks and it might be done :).

I am getting back into Frosty Forest now. I hadn't said anything but I'd got a bit fed up of it although I love all the blocks. Anyway I started building Bluebird Cabin and am now feeling much better about it! It's funny how a slight change can make all the difference.

My delphiniums are growing nicely on July's Delphinium.  Love these colours. They look so pretty. I'm so bad as no sooner have I started one of these I'm desperate to finish and start the next one! I've seen WIP of both the August one and October one and wish I was stitching those lol!

Final WIP which I adore is Tra La LaTricotine.  I just love every single thing about this and of course there will be a sheep on it soon! Poor Barb has had problems with hers and is now on her 3rd start :(.

I had some super post yesterday as my Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments magazine arrived and also the last year's Halloween special. I have been following Dani's WIP and finish on Instagram of Silver Creek Samplers Happy Halloween from that mag and loved it. By the way if you're on Instagram please feel free to follow me using the link in my sidebar :). I haven't had a proper look at the ornament mag yet. A quick glance left me deflated after the excitement of it arriving but I usually feel like that until I've had a proper look!

My tickets for Harrogate arrived the other day so reality has set in that I'm actually going! Time to start that list I think!

That's all for now. Thank you for continuing to visit me and leave me such lovely comments. I appreciate them all. It seems to have been a little quiet of late on the blogging world.

Take care everyone.

With much love.

Sally xxx