Ornament Exchange , A Big Finish & Happy Birthday to Me!

Can you believe that Christmas Day is just over a week away?! How did that happen? I still seem to have so much to do but I'll get there.

Anyway I can now show the ornaments I stitched for Chris and Barb for our private ornament exchanges.  I am happy to say that both were very well received :).

This one is the one I stitched for Chris.

Historic Handworks Friends are Christmas Treasures

32 count Nougat linen

DMC.

Then this is the one I stitched for Barb.

Charlotte's Web Needlework For My Friends

28 count cream linen

GAST, DMC & Classic Colourworks

I showed last time the lovely ornament I received from Barb and this is what I received from Chris.

Isn't it gorgeous?  Chris was saying this is the first thing she has made and finished on her new sewing machine so I feel very honoured. We were hoping to have a meet up before Christmas but she has been rather poorly with this nasty cold virus that is going around. Get well soon Chris.

Ooooh big, big news!! I have finished my Anniversaries of the Heart! I was forgetting all about that. How could I forget?!  So I'll let the photos do the talking on this one!

Blackbird Designs Anniversaries of the Heart

36 count Rosewood linen

DMC, GAST, WDW and Classic Colourworks

Started January 2011

Finished 12th December 2016.

A long time in the making as it got put away for a while but it was well worth every stitch.

This week Barb and I have been having our stitch on one thing week and I've been stitching on Mini Jolly Old Fellow. I've not done a massive amount but every stitch counts, right?! We still have a few days yet to make good progress.

I've done a little bit more on the December SAL with Chris.  I took it to craft group to do a bit more on Tuesday ( I remembered my tin with needle and scissors in this time ) but the snow on the right took some getting right! I stitched and frogged that bit several times. Arghhhhh!

I also made a teeny bit of progress on my Winter SAL with Barb. Poor Barb has been waiting on fabric to start this. I think we'll be stitching it well through January and into February as there is a lot of stitching on it!

No progress on anything else but we'll see how things go next week. There are things I was hoping to get finished for the end of the year but it's fast approaching so it's doubtful.

Monday was my birthday and I was thoroughly spoilt by my family and friends. Rather than take lots of individual photos I've been rather lazy and taken just 3. I am so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends. I had a quiet day as everyone was at work so I just had a lazy day and stitched a little. We had a takeaway at teatime then watched a film. Thank you so much for your beautiful cards and gifts :)

These are from my DH, Jess, Abi , my sister and her partner, auntie and Carl's brother and his wife.

These are from Barb, Lisa, Julie and Mouse.

Last but by no means least from Lainey, Christine, Chris, Michelle and June.

Yesterday my big sister got married to her partner of 25 years! It was so lovely to see her get married at long last and we had a lovely time. I'll have some photos next time hopefully as my DH took quite a few.

Stitch from Stash is coming soon and as it was birthday I'm going to have just a little last splurge. Well I say last but I'm signing up for an autoship on CCN Snow Place Like Home so I will have a chart to pay for for the first few months of 2017 but it will be well within my budget. I might even get the first 2 this month as Karla has the first 2 in. I won't be buying fabric as I have the perfect one in my stash :). It's a bit naughty but I've wanting it since I first saw it announced and got talked out of it but it'll be a birthday treat to myself!

I don't know if I'll be back before Christmas but I will try and get one more done so I can show some wedding photos.

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxxxx

Done and Dusted:)

Christmas shopping is done and dusted barring a gift certificate and some bits and pieces that we've ordered online! Phew! I just have the second bourse to finish stitching and make up then I might just get some Christmas stitching in for me as I'd love to try and get the JN Christmas biscornu done and Lynne Nicoletti's Christmas Robin but I can't see it somehow. When I plan to stitch in an afternoon I find something else I have to do and end up not stitching! Lol!

I have a few things to show you in this blog entry:) First off Andrea from The Craft Room emailed me to say that she'd like to send me one of her stitched Christmas gifts. She had wanted it to be a surprise but did not have my address. Now Andrea's stitching is beautiful as is her finishing. Look what I received from her yesterday. This picture really does not do it justice I'm afraid. It is absolutely beautiful and is backed with the prettiest rose fabric. It is so me! Thank you so much Andrea. You truly made my day with this gorgeous gift {{{{hugs}}}}.

While I remember I really must show Chatelaine Christmas Mystery IV part 11! I have started part 12 but have only stitched so much of one angel's wings. Yes we have two angel heads to stitch this time with over one faces! HELP! It's a long time since I stitched over one on 32 count fabby so it may prove interesting! I'm not sure when I'll get it finish but I think it's certain that it won't be on display this Christmas. I don't see how I can get it finished and made up for Christmas!

Still unsure about this but I think the angels might make a difference to the piece.

I sent Karen's PIF gift out to her last Friday and she received it yesterday so I can now show it:) This is the Assissi Pincushion from the June issue of The Gift Stitching. I know that Karen likes pink so I stitched it with DMC 68 I think it was. I hope you like it Karen:)

My last piccie today is of the ornament I stitched for some family friends. I chose Charlotte's Web Needlework For My Friends from the 2006 JCS ornament issue. The couple it is for have been friends of DH's family for many many years. Margaret was his Mum's best friend and it hit her very hard when she died. We have kept up giving them a small present at Christmas for all his Dad does not bother with them and their family much anymore and I thought this little ornament was quite apt.

The ornament I stitched and sent to Kerri in Simone's ornament exchange has reached it's destination safely and I'm happy to report that she loved it:) If you'd like to see a better piccie of it as well as the back of it head on over to Xmas Ornament Exchange 2007 where I have posted it:) Still excitedly waiting to see what the ornament I have been sent is like and who has made it for me:)

Oooh I almost forgot ( bad girl!). Last night was JN Queen of the Needle SAL night with Helen. I didn't get much done as I was messing about on the PC trying to sort some stuff out BUT I am pleased with it so far. I love the colours in this and am so pleased I chose the fabby I did for it. Nancy the fabby I'm using is Polstitches Dragon Shades Dusky Rose. Anyway here is my progress before I forget to upload the photo!

A few of you asked what I was going to order from Needlecraft Corner using my birthday discount. Well the answer now is nothing:( I was going to get Just Nan Christmas Wallet chart with embellishments, fabric and Pamela's Finishing Touches finishing kit BUT Drema no longer stocks older JN charts so doesn't have it nor does she have the finishing kit. As you can imagine I was very disappointed but I have ordered the chart and embellishments from Sew and So with some threads I needed ( then I forgot I needed more perle for QOTN and white DMC!) so at least I will have those. I have no idea where to get the Graziano fabby from so will more than likely end up stitching it on plain fabby but I'm not that bothered really.

I hope everyone is having a good week and not getting too strssed doing Christmas shopping etc. I'm feeling much more in the Christmas spirit now especially now we have all the decorations up:)