Ornament Exchange With Chris, My Birthday and Stitching!

I'm so sorry but this is going to be a rather picture heavy post!

Last Friday I hopped on the bus and went through to Hull to see my friend Chris. It was so lovely to get a day out to see a dear friend. We chatted and stitched, drank tea and had some lunch. I really enjoyed my day with her and it was over too soon. We do a private ornament exchange every December and here is what I stitched for Chris.

Little House Needleworks This Is My Joy

Classic Colorworks Belle Soie Fox Red

For Chris.

I am very happy to say that Chris loved it :)

This is what Chris stitched for me.It is a Lizzie Kate from a few years ago and I love it! It is so beautifully stitched and finished and I have it hanging with a few other ornaments above my fire in the dining room.

I look forward to us having another day stitching and chatting soon.

Last Saturday was my birthday and I just had a quiet day. It was grocery shopping in the morning then Abi wanted to visit a local to us garden centre and we had a look round the Christmas displays. They always do such fantastic displays and have lots of lovely Christmas decorations for sale. When we got home I got Jess' Doctor Who scarf out and finished knitting that. We did go out for a meal on Sunday evening though :). Anyway I received some gorgeous cards and gifts from both my family and my stitchy friends and I'll show the ones from my stitchy friends. Thank you all so much for making me feel so special. Love and hugs to you all. I will let the pictures do the talking but there are a few themes going here lol!  :)

From Chris

From Gill.

From Clare.

From Lisa.

From Karan.

From June.

From Christine.

From Lainey.

From Michelle.

From Lesleyanne

From Julie.

As I said in my last post I received a gift voucher for The Patchwork Rabbit from Barb and this is what I bought with it.

I went a little bit over, as I wanted to get what I didn't have to stitch the chart, so I also added this chart as well! I will get the others as and when Karla gets them back in stock!

Karla also included this beautiful needleminder with this note. Isn't that so sweet?!

I am so blessed to have such lovely friends who remember me on my birthday. I don't express my feelings very well but I appreciate your friendships so much and love everything. 

Chris and I have been stitching away on our December SAL. I had already started mine and Chris started hers when I visited her. I've stitched more on mine since then as I am really enjoying it.

I started the last CCN ornament and just stitched the red on the dress. I hope Barb has managed to start hers too.

I also got Fa La La made up.

This is how I made up my finish for the Mani Di Donna contest on Facebook. This is on the way to a friend for her Christmas tree :).

I was hoping to get the page finished on my robin but I didn't make it so we'll see what happens this weekend!

Goodness and Growing is growing slowly! I want to try and get the box done over the weekend but it depends on what else I have to do!

Oooh I better show Jess' Doctor Who scarf too! Not a great photo as I took it with my tab!

I am so behind with blog reading yet again but will try to get caught up over the weekend. I doubt I will be blogging again before Christmas so I'd like to wish you all A very Happy Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, Stash and Stitch filled 2016.

With much love.

Sally xxx

Ornament Exchange With Barb

Barb and I decided to do another private ornament exchange this year. We decided on a Monday post out and Royal Mail did very well and delivered both on Tuesday! This is what I stitched for Barb.

Shepherd's Bush Joy to Ewe

18 count Natural linen

DMC

Ornament for Barb.

I am very happy to say that Barb loves it :) 

Here is what Barb stitched for me. She knows me oh so well and I actually have this in my stash to stitch lol! Isn't it gorgeous. So beautifully stitched and finished. Look at the sweet Christmas card too!

Here is a better photo of it.

Look what Barb commissioned her DH, Martin, to make for me. I can't get a decent photo of it but as you can see there is a sweet little Robin inside the cage :) Thank you so much Barb and Martin. I love both my ornament and my Robin. 

It is my birthday on Saturday and I have been receiving some cards and gifts through the post and by hand which I have put away. Barb surprised me with a gift voucher for The Patchwork Rabbit a few days early which I will enjoy spending. I'm going to wait until next week to spend it :) 

A week ago today we lost a precious pet who was a huge part of our family. Abi's wee hamster Meeko passed away at the grand hamster age of 2 1/2. She is absolutely heartbroken and we all miss him so much. He was such a sweet little thing and a wonderful character who gave so much love and was loved very much by all of us. He has left a huge hole in our hearts.

A lot of stitching has been going on but one bit I can't show as it is a gift. I have had a couple of finishes and two new starts though!

Country Cottage Needleworks Fa La La

32 count Natural opalescent linen

DMC and WDW

Barb did not quite get hers finished but we will soon be ready to start the last ornament of the series which is Be Merry.

My other finish is this one. It is a Facebook contest by Mani Di Donna and I need to get it made up very soon. Not sure how I'm going to do it yet!

Mani Di Donna Christmas 2015

40 count Pearl Grey linen

Carrie's Creations and DMC Variations

I forgot to take a photo of one of my new starts which is the December SAL that Chris and I are doing. It is Little House Needleworks The Florist. I am going to visit Chris tomorrow and we're going to do some stitching together so will take a photo next time! I'm looking forward to seeing her as it's ages since we last got together.

My other new start is the third part of the Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Fold Goodness and Grace.

This one is just so pretty. I plan on getting started with the box covering as I bought some fabric off Ebay after deciding the one I bought a few weeks just wasn't right! 

My lovely Robin didn't get quite as much attention over the weekend as it was the Doctor Who finale on Saturday night and I had to concentrate on that lol! Nearly there with this page though and hoping to have it finished by the end of the month then I'll just have 3 partial pages to go!

Oooh I almost forgot the CCN cottages charts! There were just 2 people showed an interest as many of you are trying to get your stash down, which I totally understand, so the winner of the charts is Judith at The Fairy Stitcher! Judith please email me your address and I'll get them on the post to you. My email is in my profile.

That is all from me for now but before I go I'd just like to say how awful the floods and storms have been and my heart goes out to all those affected by them especially in Cumbria.

Take care everyone.

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxx

It's December!

My favourite month of the year but also the time of year we get a little stressed over the up coming festive season so the perfect time to relax and chill with some stitching! However all the pieces I planned on stitching or wanted to stitch in the last couple of months just didn't happen. Again. *sigh*. Every single year I have plans for Winter/ Christmas stitching and although the lovely ornaments have happened the rest just hasn't! I think to myself every single year that I will do better the next year and, well, you know how it goes! Now don't get me wrong I have had a very good stitching year but stuff in my stash that has been there a while still hasn't got into the WIP pile! I'm feeling quite snowed under somehow! So I'm not going to say I will do better next year! I will go with the flow and see what happens ( she says! ). 

Again I have been frantically stitching to get my cottage finished. It didn't quite get done in time but I sat myself down yesterday morning before going to craft group and popped the last stitches done then yesterday afternoon I made it up to hang. Phew! My last one finally done! 

Country Cottage Needleworks December Cottage

32 count Natural opalescent linen

DMC

As you may well remember Heather very kindly passed some of these charts onto me when she had finished them and I bought 3 of them new. I would like to pass all 12 on to someone who would really love to stitch them on the understanding that they are to be passed on. It does not matter how long it takes you to stitch them! So if you would like them please say so in your comment :).

*I have added some bits for sale to my For Sale tab above if anyone is interested.* 

I've been doing a little bit of making up. I don't seem to be able to focus on things and get easily distracted so these finishes have been ongoing for a few weeks but they are done!

I also got this lovely that Chris stitched for me made up too but I didn't make my cording long enough for a hanger so I need to do a bit more!

Not much else to show with me trying to get the cottage done. Of course Barb and I are still stitching on the CCN ornaments. I am loving this one!

I am slowly getting this piece by Mani Di Donna done. We have to have them finished, made up, and on the Facebook page for the 15th of the month. Can I do it?!

And no post would be complete without my lovely robin which is growing rather nicely! Just 30 odd rows on this page then 3 partial pages :)

I did a little stashing last week. Justine sent me an email to say she was selling her linen and would I like to buy it. I said I might be interested so she sent me photos and sizes and after much deliberation I decided to buy it from her! Yes I know it's naughty but it was too good to miss and I won't need to buy any fabric for a long time! 

Abi and have started putting the Christmas decorations up today. We haven't got very far but we said we don't have to do it all in one day. I can't wait to get my ornament tree up! Speaking of ornaments I have finished mine for my private exchanges with Barb and Chris so will show those once we have exchanged.

That's all my news for now. 

Take care everyone. 

With much love.

Sally xxx

A 21st Birthday and Some Stitching!

Oh dear I seem to have neglected my poor little blog for a couple of weeks! So much for blogging once a week! I've been having a bit of a busy time of it preparing for this event!

Yes my youngest baby, Abigail, turned 21 last Monday! I seriously do not know where all those years have gone but she has grown into a beautiful, caring young woman who I am so proud of. Here are just a few photos.

So at this time of the month I would normally be doing a Stitch from Stash post but, sadly, Mel has had to step down from doing this. However I will still be keeping on with it myself for the rest of the year and also next year. So here is my report.

Carried fwd:£92.94

Spent: £25 ( last Shepherd's Fold )

Earned : £24

Balance carried fwd: £116.94

Onto my stitching now. Not a lot of stitching has been done this week as we went out for a meal at the local Italian / Mexican restaurant on Monday evening to celebrate Abi's birthday then on Thursday evening as an extra treat we went to Sheffield Arena to see Disney on Ice which was amazing!

Barb and I started our next Country Cottage Needleworks ornament which is Fa La La. This is my progress so far. I love this one so much as it has sheep on it of course!

I joined Mani Di Donna's Christmas contest on Facebook a while ago and have finally made a start on it. I'm stitching it on 40 count fabric using Carrie's Creations and DMC Variations. I need to get a move on as we have to have them all finished and made up by the 15th December!

Another one I have to get a move on with is my December Cottage! I do love how this one looks but December is my favourite month of the year!

I added just a few more stitches to Evergreen Lane. This house is huge so it'll take a while!

Of course no post is complete without my gorgeous robin! I'm making even better progress on him since I've stitching two evenings on him. He'll be coming out tonight and tomorrow night then I can get my 100 stitches in for the challenge on the HAED Facebook group. I have done far more than the 400 already needed already but the more I do the faster I can get him on my wall!

That is all for now. I'm going to catch up on a bit of blog reading now as I am way behind yet again!

Take care everyone and stay warm. We are having our first cold spell but no snow yet! Some parts of the country have it and, as always, I am disappointed that we don't lol!

With much love

Sally xxxx