Peace

I have really got back into my stitching these past few weeks and yesterday I even took it to craft club with me. I wanted to get on with my Christmas stitching so knitting will be taking a back seat for a few weeks now. I don't have a lot to do but Chris and I are doing our Christmas ornament exchange again this year. I look forward to this every year and am so pleased when Chris said she wanted to do it again. I've got threads and fabric sorted for what I'm stitching for her:) Also want to stitch ornaments for a couple of people.

Anyway I have a finish to show! On Sunday I was determined to get my ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. As you know I've been stitching Sam Sarah Designs Peace so I beavered away and got it done. Obviously needs making up so one day next week I think I need to get my sewing machine out and get it done along with other pieces that are waiting in the pile!

Sam Sarah Designs Peace

32 count Vintage Mocha linen

DMC

JABCO Buttons

Started 14th October 2012

Finished 28th October 2012

I had quite a good couple of evenings on HAED Guardian. I got more of the woman's hair stitched and a bit of the background so not much more to do before page 9 is finished! 

SAL night with Barb went well. Barb is now stitching the word plays and very kindly passing the charts on to me so that I can stitch them as I only have January! This is going to be our next SAL and I'm really looking forward to it. Does anyone know if there anywhere you can buy the rusty jingle bells and pins in the UK?  Anyway I'm still stitching LHN Snow in Love. This is just so cute!

Finally last night I did a little more on HAED QS Holly Fairy. Getting closer to getting her eye stitched and can hardly wait!

I was one of the very lucky ladies chosen by June to receive one of her beautiful stitched Christmas ornaments and it arrived on Saturday. I was so excited but have decided to be very good for now ( if I can hold out!) and open it when we're putting our Christmas decorations up. June not only sent me an ornament and a Christmas card ( which I have also saved) she also sent the sweet needle keep that you can see in the picture. I love it and is it perfect for when I'm stitching on my HAEDs as I tend to just stick the needle in the fabric ( then wonder why I can't find my needle when I go to rethread it!). Thank you so much June. You are a real sweetheart {{{{hugs}}}}

Before I go I just want to say my heart goes out to all those on the east coast of the USA affected by Hurricane Sandy. I have been watching the news over hear and cannot believe the devastation it has caused. I can't imagine having to live through that. Bless you all and hope you are all safe.

That's all for now!

With much love.

Sally

xxxx

Here's Looking At You Kid ( Almost)

Hello from a slightly chillier east coast of England. The forecast says we might get a few snow flurries today but I think that will be a bit further north and we will get rain. It's definitely winter coat weather today!

Before I show my progress, bit of stash etc I have added some more charts to my for sale page if anyone would like to have a look :)

If the title of my blog post is puzzling you I'd better start with the reason for it! I have been working towards the eye on page 1 of HAED QS Holly Fairy and I now can see the outline so she is almost looking! I am so pleased with how she's coming along and so happy that I started her again. 

Friday and Saturday last week HAED Guardian came out again. I am getting closer and closer to finishing page 9 which is brilliant as I don't think I'll have finished a page this quick since I started it! 

I've stitched a little more on my ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. I hope to make more of an effort this Sunday and get it finished before the end of October! Love the fact that I'll have 12 new ones this year. Plus my dear friend Michelle emailed me to say she would love to stitch The Primitive Hare ornament from the JCS mag for me and so I can't tell you how thrilled I am. 

Monday was SAL night again with Barb. I'm really enjoying stitching LHN Snow in Love. It's such a cute design and I can't wait to get it on my Christmas tree this year.

The parlour was nice and cosy over on Needlecraft Haven for our SAL on Wednesday evening. More progress was made on LHN Home of a Needleworker ( Too!) and we almost have a roof! Good job now it's getting chilly!

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win one of Veronica's gorgeous pin cushions in her giveaway and it arrived this week. Let me tell you that this photo really does not do it justice! It is so pretty and I will treasure it always. Thank you so much Veronica. I hope you received my email. {{{hugs}}}

My dear friend Michelle went to Ally Pally to the needlecraft show there and very kindly sent me this gorgeous East of India ribbon. I love their ribbons so I was delighted to receive this. Thank you so much Michelle. It'll look gorgeous on my Christmas stitching {{{hugs}}}

A while ago Lois very kindly sent me a sample of some linen she'd been stitching on that I really liked the look of. I forgot to show it on my blog so here it is at last! It is available at The Sampler Guild. The colour is Salamander! Isn't it lovely? I'm going to use this to stitch an ornament on:)  Thank you so much Lois {{{hugs}}}

Chris and I will be starting our December SAL soon. We had planned on Shepherd's Bush Holly and Ivy Sampler but had a change of plan and we're now going to do Country Cottage Needleworks Gingerbread Cottage. As I had some funds in decided to get the chart, fabric and two CC threads for it now rather than wait a few weeks.

I also bought all this fabric from Lisa B for the grand total of £9.70 including postage. It's mostly 28 count with a few pieces of 30 and 32 but  it'll all come in very handy. I'm already using a piece for a birthday gift:)

Finally my knitting progress. I've started block 4 on the Arsenic and Old Lace afghan I've been knitting. This one has been knitted and taken back more times than I care to remember as I didn't think it was right but it is!

That's my news for now. I'm behind ( again) on blog reading and commenting but I hope to catch up with everyone soon :)

Until next time.

With much love

Sally

xxx

SAL Change, New Starts & A Teeny Giveaway

After a little deliberation Barb and I decided to change from our Blackbird Designs SAL. I hadn't wanted to say anything to her that I wasn't really feeling it for BBD at the moment but thankfully she said it to me :) She still wanted to SAL and as it was on Christmas ornaments or With Thy Needle Wordplays I said yes please!!! So Monday we both started a Little House Needleworks ornament. Here's my wee start. This one is Snow in Love and I have been looking forward to stitching this since I bought it but just never got around to it. 

I also made a start on Sunday on my October ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. The theme is snowmen so I chose Peace by Sam Sarah Design Studio. I think I'm into snowmen at the moment!

On Friday and Saturday I picked up HAED Guardian. I didn't make quite as much progress as I would have liked but if I could stay off Facebook and the PC I'd be well away! I am still enjoying this so much though and am so glad I have my love of HAEDs back. Hmmmm I probably said this the last time but after everything we've gone through this past few years  I am more determined than ever to keep going and finish him no matter how long it takes. Plus after seeing a WIP picture of Spirit of Winter by Josephine Wall, which I have, I want to finish Guardian so I can start that! We shall see!

HAED QS Holly Fairy is coming along pretty well. It wasn't until I got my photo up on the PC screen that I saw how gorgeous the holly in her hair is. It seemed to take forever with all the different shades in it but it is so worth it.

Finally my progress from the parlour with the ladies of Needlecraft Haven. I almost scrapped this last night to restart it on different fabric but decided against it! By the time I put it away I was feeling happy with it again.

Having a small giveaway now for two charts that I was gifted with and have stitched this year. If you would like to be in with a chance of winning them please say so in your comment. Please don't post this on your blog as I would it like to be just for regular commenters. I'll pick a winner next week :) 

Thank you for all your wonderful comments on my last post. I appreciate each and everyone of them. No productiveness on the finishing front this time but hopefully next time if I get the chance!

Until next time.

With much love

Sally

xxxx