A Holiday, Good News and Stitching. ( Picture Heavy)

Oh dear it has been a while since I last blogged. I had intended to do it a few weeks ago but.............well it didn't happen!

I have been doing some stitching. Not quite so much in recent weeks due to a holiday ( more about that later) and just not really wanting to. I haven't hit a slump. I just haven't been wanting to stitch as much.

That is mostly because mistakes have been made and the type of fabric I'm using!

You may remember I had started Silver Creek Samplers Through the Storms. Well I had almost got all the verse stitched when I looked at the thread key and realised I had been stitching in the wrong colour! Arghhhhh! I could have left it but I wasn't sure I'd have enough thread to finish the verse and stitch what should be stitched in that colour so it all came out. Every last stitch :( I then got started in what I thought was the correct thread only to discover that it was the wrong shade of blue! Needless to say I haven't taken it out again as I think, if I did, I'd end up scrapping it and never stitching it! So here is where I'm at now. Please excuse my awful photos. I really should have taken them somewhere else.

I had a new start of Lizzie*Kate Promise Me. I'm stitching this for Abi. I did a little bit of this while we were on holiday. I have now run out of one of the colours and, as my local shop has closed, it's no longer a case of just nipping in there for more. So I'll stitch on other bits until I can do an order. I am really enjoying this one.

I am not doing so well on The Magic with it being over 1 on 32 count. I did consider scrapping it and restarting it over 2 as I don't think I'm going to finish it as it's supposed to be but I've got quite a bit done. 

I almost forgot that I haven't shown my finish. I looked back at my last post and saw it was only a WIP then. So...........

Lizzie*Kate Good Things

Unknown fabric

DMC

Started 13th April 2017

Finished 24th April 2017

My sheep SAL with Barb is almost finished so I'll be finding another sheep inspired chart from my stash to stitch. This one has been such a lovely one to do. Just the house to fill in and a bit of border.

Finally my Father Christmas! I have, at last, finished page 6 and made a small start on page 7. I can almost taste that finish!

That's all my stitchy news for now. I forgot to take a photo of My Lady at Christmas but it is coming along nicely.

I don't remember if I have mentioned it on here but my youngest DD has been learning to drive since October last year. She did her theory test earlier in the year and on Friday she took her driving test and passed :). She was so happy and on such a high she looked like she was fit to burst! So yesterday she wanted to go looking at cars. She said it a bit overwhelming especially when we came across a bit of a pushy salesman at the final place we looked. We'll be taking her again to look and hopefully she'll find something within her budget that she likes.

As I said earlier we have been on holiday. We only plan on going once this year rather than twice like we did last year. I already want to go back which isn't good!! We went up to the Galloway area of South West Scotland again and stayed in a lovely little cottage just on the edge of the Galloway Forest Park so it was quiet and peaceful. We had red squirrels coming into the garden and lots of birds. We visited places we hadn't gone to before, some we had seen before, and the scenery was just amazing. I'll pop up some photos so this might be picture heavy if I get a bit carried away!!!

So until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxx

A Birthday Gift for Lainey

Oh dear I can't believe it is a month since I last blogged. I just don't seem to be able to get back into the swing of this or visiting blogs. I have, again, considered giving it up but I would miss it so if I manage one post a month then I'm fine with that even it's just for me to record my finishes etc. 

Anyway I have a month's worth of stitching to show and some photos from our holiday ( yes we took another trip up to Scotland but this time Abi came with us ).

Just before we went on holiday it was my lovely friend Lainey's birthday. I wanted to go with a sheep or snowman themed stitch as these are her favourite things ( and who can argue with that as they are mine too! ) so I decided to stitch a portion of Histoire De Moutons and I am delighted to say that Lainey loved it.

Portion of Jardin Prive Histoire De Moutons part 3

DMC and unknown fabric

Birthday gift for Lainey.

I've had a few other finishes. It seems they are like buses; you wait for one and several come along at once!

My Big Toe Designs Merry Christmas

28 count white linen.

DMC

WDC Needleworks 2016 Stocking

32 count nougat linen

DMC

Final finish is my sheep SAL with Barb piece.

Shepherd's Bush Red Snowman

Weeks Dye Works 30 count red pear

WDW, GAST and CC.

I love how this turned out. The snowman needs his nose but I have 4 buttons in my stash and they're all too big so he'll end up with a stitched one!

The other week postie brought me a surprise from The Nimble Thimble from my dear friend Barb. She knows I love SB needlerolls ( well SB in general really!) and had bought me this.

She has also bought herself one so we decided to abandon our sheep and ornament SAL just for the next few weeks to try and get it stitched in time for Halloween. I only started mine on Friday but I did manage to get a bit stitched. Thank you so much Barb I'm enjoying stitching this. It's so nice to do another needleroll to add to my collection.

Both my HAED pieces are coming along quite nicely. I have picked up SK Dragons History again and got a little stitched on it but oh last week I really wanted to just scrap it! However after Saturday's session on it I'm feeling better about it and am determined to finish it. I just have this page to finish and then a partial page to stitch!

Mini Jolly Old Fellow is looking rather good even though I say so myself. I've finished the 4th page and have gridded ready to start the next page. I don't think a Christmas finish will happen but I'll give it a damn good try!

I have been stitching away on the middle tree on Sotto La Neve and I will admit that it has been driving me mad! I did a working copy copy of the chart so that I could mark off what I'd stitched but it's not very clear and I have already personalised it ( as in made mistakes! ) but never mind! I'm happy to have been stitching birds on it now instead of just tree! Lol! It is a very pretty piece so that will keep me going!

My final WIP is the AotH piece by Blackbird Designs. I can feel the finish line! There is still a good bit to do and some of it will be over one stitching ( not good on 36 count! ) but it is looking so pretty! 

Oooh I almost forgot I finally took my Lizzie Kate Holly and Hearts Sampler to get framed. I finished this in 2013 ( hangs head in shame!). My framer did a great job as always.

When we went on holiday I took my Tilton Crafts Always with me. I didn't stitch every night but I did almost finish all the black stitching on the first page. I forgot to take a photo though so I'll take one next time.

So a while ago we decided it might be nice to go back up to the Dumfries and Galloway area of Scotland again. Abi said she would love to go with us so we decided on the last week of September and booked a lovely looking semi detatched cottage in a little village not far from Gatehouse of Fleet. We had the most brilliant few days up there visiting places we'd been before and discovering new ones. Abi loved it and we have vowed to go again next year. I'll add a few photos. The scenery is just amazing and the wildlife incredibly cute. It just takes your breath away!

Well that's all for now and I'll see you all in a month unless I manage another post before then.Tomorrow, hopefully, I'll pop by and see what you have all been up to.

Until next time.

With much love,

Sally xxxx