August?!

Seriously how did it get to be August?! The weeks are just flying by and it's been a while since I blogged. I have to admit that I find it a bit of a chore but I want to try and keep on so that I have a record of my stitching. That was my plan when I said I'd post finishes only and it would seem I can't even do that lol!

Anyway I have been stitching and have had some finishes and I even have some FFOs too. Not many but I have some anyway!

The first finish I have to show is also an FFO! No I can't believe it either! 

With Thy Needle and Thread Snow Birds

32 count pearl grey linen

DMC, GAST, WDW & CC

Started 28th May 2019

Finished 23rd June 2019.

I joined in the Summer SAL on the Sheep Loving Stitchers group on Facebook. We had 4 designs to choose from and I chose this one.

Plum Street Samplers Woolemina

35 count light mocha linen

DMC & Classic Colorworks

Started 8th June 2019

Finished 7th July 2019.

Absolutely loved stitching this one!

Christmas in July stitching started on Instagram and I managed a finish!

Country Cottage Needleworks Merry Christmas

32 count mushroom dot murano

Classic Colorworks & DMC

Started 2nd July 2019

Finished 30th July 2019

Started and finished this next one in a day! 

Shepherd's Bush Joy to Ewe

18 count natural fabric

DMC

Started and finished 30th June 2019.

I really don't like stitching over 2 on 18 count!

Another Christmas stitch started and finished in a day is my July ornament.

Brightneedle To Thee Hope

28 count fabric

DMC

Started and finished 7th July 2019

Final finish is this beauty. Loved every single stitch!

Little House Needleworks Honeybee Sampling

Unknown fabric

DMC & Classic Colorworks

Started 14th July 2019

Finished 27th July 2019.

Of course I can't post without showing a WIP of A Saviour's Praise.

I ended the first half of Stitch from Stash with a very good + figure of over £300 so I was very pleased with ,myself. I'd sold lots of stash as I'd finished with it and also sold threads that I knew I wouldn't use as well having lots of finishes. So part B has started and we are allowed to use any balance leftover and not declare any purchases ( it gets used as a gift). So I have been buying some stuff which isn't good I know. I have still declared some of it though and no I haven't spent £300 or anywhere near that! Lol! I've been wanting some OOP Blackbird Designs books and managed to buy a couple ( Tokens of Friendship and With Needle & Thread) at a very reasonable price ( not extortionate Ebay or even some of the selling pages on Facebook prices!). My dearest friend Barb then gifted me another one ( Peppermint and Holly)  from her stash which made me want to cry but in a good way! I have also bought a couple of sheep charts from the USA that I couldn't get over here ( well I did end up with two of one as a shop over here had one so Barb bought that off me so look out for a SAL of Lulu's Flock next year). The other one was Sheepish Designs Betsy which I have wanted for a long time. Had to get that from The Silver Needle as they were the only ones with stock left. I read somewhere that a distributor had found some stock of it which was why it was available again. I am also trying to collect the Blackbird Designs Magical Mystery Tour charts and so far have ordered Blackbird and Strawberry Fields Forever. BBD have reprinted Eleanor Rigby and The Long and Winding Road which I am waiting to come into stock over here as well as Yellow Submarine which is OOS at the places I buy from. I'm hoping the BBD ladies will decide to reprint Octopus's Garden too. I think I need to hide myself away! At least I'm stitching my stash and getting that down more than I'm adding to it!

Well that's all from me now. I know my blog is pretty boring and I apologise for that and also for the fact that I don't visit your blogs. Maybe one day I'll come back to it properly.

Until next time.

With much love,

Sally xxx

March

Happy March! These weeks are flying by so quickly! Last week March came in like a lion with "the beast from the east". To be honest it was a bit of a let down where I live. We didn't get the amount of snow that was forecast but we did get the high winds which gave us a wind chill of -10. This week it is more like Spring although yesterday we did get snow but it melted very quickly. 

So since I was here last I've been getting a fair amount of stitching done. I really need to get myself motivated to do some finishing but I need to go through what I have to finish then go through fabric and trims etc. 

The first piece I have to show was finished last time I blogged but I couldn't show it as it was on the way to my dear friend and fellow stitcher Barb for her 70th birthday.

Silver Creek Samplers Sweet Friendship

28 count cream cashel linen

DMC

Started 19th October 2017

Finished 31st January 2018

Birthday gift for Barb.

I covered a paper mache box with fabric and mounted my stitched piece onto the top. Barb was delighted with it :). Inside the box I popped a sweet little glass bird that I spotted in the local garden centre. 

I have had a few more finishes since my last post.

The Snowflower Diaries I Will Be There

40 count sand linen

GAST

Started 8th February 2018

Finished 27th February 2018

I stitched this one for the third, and final, time.

Lizzie Kate A Little Stitch

28 count Amber linen

DMC

Started 19th February 2018

Finished 28th February 2018.

Final finish is a snowy one!

Country Cottage Needleworks Snow Place Like Home 1

40 count vintage country mocha linen

DMC, CC & WDW

Started 14th January 2018

Finished 24th February 2018

Of course I had to start Snow Place 2 :)

Lesleyanne very kindly lent me all 3 parts of the Lizzie Kate A Little Mystery. I did have it and stitched a couple of the bonus designs ( gifted one of them) then sold the charts. I had forgotten about the piece I had stitched and gifted and came across the photo on my PC late last year and instantly regretted selling the charts! So I have made a start on the main design and got part 1 stitched and part 2 started. Thank you so much for lending me them Lesleyanne :)

My progress on LHN Little Red Barn is going slow but, hopefully, I might have a finish on Sunday. The next one in the series, Horsin' Around, arrived last week. 

Barb and I still doing our sheep SAL ( and our LK one as well as the Farmhouse Christmas with a lovely lady called Sue) and I am plodding away on The Pastoral. I might actually have a sheep soon!

Of course no post is complete without my HAED pieces. Lisa and I stitched on the 25th of last month on our stockings. It doesn't look much but at least it's progress!

We are also doing well on our 300 stitches a week SAL. Last week I got carried away and did more but this week I haven't done any yet BUT Lisa is visiting tomorrow so I'm going to do mine then. We are both so excited to have the opportunity to have a stitchy afternoon again :)

Finally I'm still plodding along on the dragon. I'm getting there slowly!

Oh I almost forgot about the Stichrovia Quotes to Live By WIP. I only stitch on this at craft group and if I have something I need to get more done on it doesn't get much love. So it's going slow but I have got a bit done on it in recent weeks.

After Lizzie Kate's announcement about her retirement I decided to add a couple of her charts to my stash. I know I'm doing stitch from stash but I knew I'd kick myself if I didn't get them so I bought Winter Smalls and Collect Moments. Then the other day I was thinking maybe I'd get a few more. The places I use seem to be sold out of a lot and taking a while to get more in but I managed to do a couple of orders and picked up most of what I wanted. There is another but it comes with threads so I'll just look out for it chart only on the Facebook selling sites. I did miss out on it when a friend was selling some stash! 

Thank you so much to all of you who left good wishes for Jess. It really means a lot. She is doing really well, has been to the hairdressers, doctors and out to Dungeons and Dragons which she plays with old school friends without having a panic attack. She is also back at work. Work have been so good and very understanding.

So that is all my news for now. Until next time take care everyone.

With much love,

Sally xxxxx

New Starts & Finishes

Hello! Here we are in February and it has been chilly. We haven't had anything more than a few light snow flurries which has been so disappointing. Some parts of the country have had quite a bit but I'm still hoping! In the meantime I'll just stitch Winter.

So since my last post I've had quite a few finishes so that means a few new starts. First the finishes.

 

Lizzie Kate A Little Stitch

32 count Lambswool linen

DMC

Started 3rd January 2018

Finished 7th January 2018.

Birthday gift for Chris.

Of course this was finished when I did my last post but I couldn't show it as it was a birthday gift for my dear friend Chris. I am happy to say that she loved it :)

Another finish is this one.

Mani Di Donna Winter Cottage in a ball

Weeks Dye Works gingham linen

DMC & GAST

Started 1st January 2018

Finished 24th January 2018

Please excuse my photos. I think I had my settings wrong on my camera!

As you may remember Barb and I stitch on Lizzie Kate Designs on a Monday evening. I finished this one.

Lizzie Kate Christmas Sampler

28 count Amber linen

DMC

Started 20th November 2017

Finished 22nd January 2018

Then I started this one and finished it at craft group today.

Lizzie Kate Flora McSample 2016 Treats Do You Hear What I Hear

28 count Lambswool linen

DMC

Started 29th January 2018

Finished 13th February 2018

On Fridays Barb and I stitch on sheep designs.I popped the last stitches into this.

Little House Needleworks Born in a Manger

40 count vintage country mocha

CC & DMC

Started 10th November 2017

Finished 12th January 2018

Now I have started The Drawn Thread The Pastoral. No sheep yet!

As I said finishes mean new starts. First one is Country Cottage Needleworks Snow Place Like Home 1. I'm stitching it on 40 count vintage country linen using the suggested threads.

Barb, Sue ( no blog) and I are SALing on the new LHN Farmhouse Christmas series and we started it a week last Sunday. I am using threads from my stash for this one.

Lisa and I made a start on our stocking SAL. It is going to take us years to get them done but it's nice to stitch on it just one night a month. My start doesn't look much but this is 2 evening's worth.

My dragon is getting some love and I am now determined to get him done. It's going much easier now I've worked out exactly what I'm doing!

Of course Lisa and I are working on doing 300 stitches a week on a BAP of our choice and I'm doing well at keeping up with mine.

I almost forgot that I got my Winter Days Sewing Basket made up. It is far from perfect as I really struggled with it.

Finally you may remember my Baa-ble hat from my last post. Well I decided that it was too big and I was likely to lose it off my head so out it came. I had to order some smaller DPNs to knit it up again and it's finished and fits much better this time :)

So far 2018 has not been brilliant. Well it actually started Christmas Day going to a family meal and just went from bad to worse quite quickly. My eldest DD has been suffering with anxiety attacks and a couple of weeks ago it got so bad that she couldn't even leave the house to go to work. I rang our surgery to ask for a home visit but I was refused one because she's too young. I felt like screaming well what the hell am I supposed to do! Thankfully they were able to give her a phone appointment and she was given short term medication so that she could eventually get to the surgery. That was fun  trying to get her there last week as she had an anxiety attack but the staff were very good. Anyway she is now on longer term medication and seems to be doing that bit better. She is managing to get out the house now with me for short walks but the doctor has signed her off work for 3 weeks. It has been awful seeing her like this and it made us all very anxious but fingers crossed she's starting to improve. We know it's going to be a long haul and that there could be set backs.

That is all my news for now. Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxxx

HE'S FINISHED!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited! After way too long my Father Christmas is finally finished!! So without further ado here he is 😍

Heaven and Earth Designs Mini Jolly Old Fellow

Artwork by Dona Gelsinger

25 count Magic Guide fabric

DMC

Started 21st June 2013

Finished 6th December 2017

Yes he took me 4 years but he did get put away for quite a while. I am so pleased with how he turned out. In my opinion Dona Gelsinger does THE best Father Christmas! I have a frame for him so will be getting that done soon.

Next year my surrogate sis Lisa and I have some plans afoot to stitch so many stitches a week on our BAP WIPs so for me that is HAED Guardian B&W and Tilton Crafts Always ( Alan Rickman tribute ). I will alternate as and when I feel like it. I have HAED SK A Dragon History to finish but that will get stitched on a Tuesday evening I think in place of JOF but probably not until after Christmas. Then ( yep there's more) we have also decided to do a stocking SAL starting 25th January and stitch on them on the 25th of each month or more if we want to. As it is my birthday tomorrow Lisa suggested I buy into the HAED Birthday Club then the stocking chart would only cost the $10 for the price of the club. So that is what I have done and I shall email Michele at HAED tomorrow.

Barb and I will be carrying on SALing next year too so I am looking forward to that as well.

I just have a couple of things I have finally made up to display. I have WIPs to show but I'll leave that for another day.

This one is the one Chris and I stitched for our December SAL back in 2014. Jess had this tray she had saved that had toiletries in and was throwing it away earlier on in the year so I kept it. I've roughly painted it and mounted Silent Night into it and trimmed it with white pom pom trim.

This one is Shepherd's Bush Red Snowman which I stitched last year.

I have finally found a 5" tart tin so that I can finish off Plum Street Samplers Merry Ewe. I am going to have to paint it though as it's silver coloured rather than black or dark grey so I got some paint yesterday and DH has found some metal primer in the shed. I need to rough the surface up a bit then I can get on with it. It's too cold and was rainy and sleeting to go outside to spray the primer on so that will wait until another day!

That is all my news for now. I'll be back another day with my WIPs and maybe some photos from my birthday. I have had a few packages arrive in the post from my stitching friends :)

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxx

Stitching and Trying My Hand at Socks!

Seriously how did it get to be November already! Not only November but the 17th November!! Not long now to December!

So I have plenty to show since my last blog post but some bits that I can't show as they are ornaments for my private ornament exchanges with Chris and Barb and a couple of Christmas gifts that I'm stitching on too. Need to get those finished ASAP!

I've been doing a little finishing too. These bits were all sewn up and just needed the trim on so I gave myself a good talking to and got that done. 

I have had a finish :) Not sure I'll actually have anymore this month as I seem to be doing quite a bit of reverse stitching of late which is not good! As you will know Barb and I SAL together a couple of times a week and we have both finished our sheep SAL.

Country Cottage Needleworks Jump for Joy

32 count Permin Lambswool linen

DMC

Started 25th August 2017

Finished 6th November 2017.

It is just so cute!

So because we'd finished that we had to have a new start! well it would be rude not to wouldn't it?! We started Little House Needleworks Born in a Manger. I am stitching mine on 40 count vintage country mocha linen using DMC and Classic Colorworks. I love how it looks on 40 count and, of course, I love vintage country mocha linen. It is my favourite.

The new SAL on the LHN/CCN Facebook group has started so I've had another new start. It is LHN Christmas Angel. This is one I've had reverse stitching on! I didn't like the colour of the wings once I'd got a bit stitched on that so I took it out and used a lighter colour. Then I discovered I was out a little on one of her arms and it looked like it was broken lol! So that came out and I restitched it. Fingers crossed for no more mistakes!

I'm also using LHN Lantern Lane for the SAL as we can use Christmas/Winter ones that we have already started. I have also been reverse stitching on this one as I hadn't left enough space between one of the letters. I got them all restitched and a few more! 

I am still stitching away on Mani Di Donna Winter Days Sewing Basket and am so desperate to get it finished now. I am at the stage where I really don't want to stitch on it anymore. I don't know why as I love the design.

Final stitchy photo is..............................yep Mini Jolly Old Fellow. Ta-Dah I have finished page 8!!!! Just one more teeny page to go now :)

I was very lucky when my name was picked out on the LHN/CCN Facebook Autumn SAL group to win one of Vonna's gorgeous project bags. Let me tell you it is beautiful! It arrived the other day and I now have a project in it. This photo really does not do it justice. Thank you so much Vonna :)

I have picked up my knitting needles again. I haven't knitted anything since the aran jumper last year. I'd bought some tinsel chunky wool and a pattern to knit a snowman just before Christmas last year and had put it away in a cupboard. I decided it was time to get on with it and I now have a very cute snowman!

I think my plan is to use up my wool stash to give me room in the cupboard although I don't have much. So next on my needles is socks. I have had the kit for a few years and have been too scared to try. However it is one of the things that I really want to try so last week I cast on. I ended up having 3 attempts and on the 3rd attempt I was away thanks to a friend on Facebook who gave me a tip. I am now ready to do the heal and that is scaring me lol! Fingers crossed I can do it. I have heard many people say that socks knitting is addictive and I have already been looking at more sock wool! I am being good until I know whether I can complete a sock or not!

A couple of weeks my DH and I went up to Pickering to see my good friend Chris who has moved up there. It was so good to see her and her DH again and we had a lovely day. Then last Saturday my surrogate sis and dear friend Lisa was in Hornsea for the weekend so we had a stitchy afternoon. I don't think we've seen each other for 2 years at least so it was really good to get together and catch up. It makes me feel sad that my lovely stitchy friends live so far away but it makes it even more special when I get to see them. There are many I would love to meet that live too far away. 

That's all my news for now. I will catch up with you all hopefully over the weekend. Thank you for sticking with me even though my posts are few and far between.

With much love,

Sally xxxx