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

Three Finishes & A Little Stash Enhancement!

Hello fellow stitchers! As usual I have been busy stitching away and have manged 3 finishes since my last post. It would have been 4 but guess who can't count and had to take out nearly all the vine border and start restitching it?! It was one mistake that I couldn't leave!

My first finish was my ornament for April. A few friends joined me in stitching an ornament a month from the JCS ornament magazines going on for as long as we want. I have 18 mags I think so for me it'll be 18 months! 

Knotted Tree Needleart O Holy Night ( 2013 issue )

32 count Permin Amber linen

DMC

Started 7th April 2019

Finished 21st April 2019.

I'll be starting my May ornament tonight which will be one by Brightneedle.

Next finish was this one. I took part in a SAL on the Sheep Loving Stitchers group on Facebook. We have a choice of several designs to stitch on and I had this one in my stash!

With Thy Needle and Thread Have Ye Any Wool

40 count pearl grey linen

DMC. WDW, GAST & CC

Started 30th March 2019

Finished 28th April 2019.

Our next SAL starts sometime in June and I have chosen Plum Street Samplers Woolemina which I have in my stash.

My final finish is one I've had in my stash for a few years.

Abby Rose Designs Angels Watching Over Me

20 count evenweave

DMC, WDW & GAST

Started 8th April 2019

Finished 1st May 2019

Lainey kindly sent me some 20 count evenweave to try and this was stitched on a piece. It was lovely to stitch on. 

So my stitching plans for the next few weeks are to finish Coeur de Cygne without having to frog anymore, try and finish O Tannenbaum and have a few starts.

I have had a little stash enhancement this last week. I have to admit that when I first saw this design by Shakespeare's Peddler  I didn't take to it but a SAL started on Instagram and as people showed their WIPs I fell in love with it. Of course it seems to have been very popular and the two places I found that stocked it in the UK were out of stock so I had to wait as patiently as I could for it to come back into stock. 

I decided to get the called for WDW and will be using DMC instead of Anchor. I bought some 25 count vintage country mocha evenweave to stitch it on and I'm hoping it'll look OK. I was going to make a start this afternoon but my fabric needs pressing first so I'll probably wait until tomorrow evening. I am waiting for one more Nashville release to come back into stock and a couple of newer ones to arrive in the UK but I am pleased to say that stash sales from threads I hadn't used and charts that I'd finished with will pay for them. It's been nice having the money there to buy the few bits I've had.

Actually stitching from my stash is going well and I have got my stash pile down a bit and haven't added the same amount as I've stitched! I can do this!!

That's all my news for now. The weather seems to be crazy and I see some places are still getting snow. It has come rather chilly here after some silly high temperatures. 

Until next time.

With much love,

Sally xxx

Happy Easter

Well this year is certainly flying by at an alarming rate! It's a good job I'm getting plenty of stitching in although there is no actual finishing of said stitching going on. I did make a list the other week of the pieces I had that needed finishing to display and there were 14. Now there are 16! I despair!!!!

So, as you may have guessed I have had 2 more finishes. They have been WIPs since September and December so it was time they were finished really! First finish of the 2 was this one.

Renato Parolin Sotto La Neve

32 count Crafty Kitten Latte Murano

DMC

Started 14th September 2016

Finished 5th April 2017.

I just wish I could get a decent photo to show how gorgeous the fabric is. 

Finish no.2 is this one. My Monday night SAL with Barb.

Cross Eyed Cricket Collection Winter

18 count Silkweaver Expressions Blueberry Delight

DMC

Started 2nd December 2016

Finished 12th April 2017.

I just love how this looks on this fabric. I am so pleased with it.

So you would think that 2 finishes would mean 2 new starts but I have been very restrained so far and just had 1 small new start. This is Lizzie Kate Good Things which I've had in my stash for..............................hmmm I don't actually know. A LONG time! I have no idea what fabric I'm stitching it on but I'm hoping it'll look OK when it is finished!

As I said in my last post I was going to treat myself to some Nashville releases when they reached our shore. Well they reached our shore at the end of March at Peakside Needleworks. I did buy 2 of the CCN Jump for Joy and gifted one to my dear friend Barb for our sheep SAL! The good thing is I'd sold some charts that I had finished with and that paid for them and I have a bit leftover :)

Before I forget the winner of the Stitchers Anon chart is Brigitte. Brigitte please email me your address and I'll get it in the post to you after Easter.

I can now show the gift for Mouse as she has received it and I am very happy to say she like it.

My Big Toe Designs Stitching Buds

unknown fabric

DMC

Started 14th February 2017

Finished 16th February 2017

I have been making on progress on my other WIPs. This one is driving me a little mad with it being over 1 on 32 count. I have a hard time seeing it when I'm stitching with DMC 3865. It will be worth it but I may have been better with a brighter white!

My Lady at Christmas is coming along rather nicely. All that lacy bit did drive me a little mad but it looks so pretty all done. Just got the colours to fill in and I'll move onto the top of the dress.I am loving the fabric and I can see more purchases from Chromatic Alchemy in the future although probably not this year unless I get desperate!

Barb and I are still stitching away on our Friday night sheep SAL. I am stitching MND Bloom and I finally have a sheep! This is such a lovely piece. 

Of course no post is complete without my 2 HAED WIPs. I have to say I am starting to get very fed up of these! Once these are done I do want to start another but I am just not sure that I can. Oh how I wish I hadn't bought so many of them especially as I can't sell them or give them away with them being PDFs. Hopefully I'll live a very time and still get a few more stitched lol. 

My DH took Thursday off as one of his privilege days so we went to Tophill Low Nature Reserve. Last time we went there wasn't much there but this time.........we saw kingfishers!!!! We have never seen one before and we got to see a pair. They were sitting on eggs so we saw them when one came out of the nest and the other one went in. There were well placed branches for them to sit on so we got loads of photos. Some pretty rubbish to be fair but I'm not getting rid of them! We also saw a pair of grebes carrying nest material, pheasants, egrets etc. Here are just a few photos. 

 Last Sunday we popped into our nearest city Hull, which is this year's city of culture, for a wander round with our cameras.

Well I shall be on my way now and find something to do. I am on my own today as both girls are working and my DH has gone to Tophill Low with a chap from the local photography group. I might see if I can finish reading Guards! Guards!.

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxxx

A Little Bit Of Stashing :)

Yes I have been stashing a little! Not a huge amount as I am still trying very, very hard to be good but in being good I'm not supporting my favourite online shop much so maybe next year I should get back into buying lol! I think I've only ordered twice from there this year so Karla must be wondering what on earth has happened! I did so desperately want to sign up for the new 5 part series from Country Cottage Needleworks and was going to do it when I was told not to sign up by my friend Chris. I'm not sure if she was being my voice or what but I've done as I was told................for now!!!

So what was my stash?! Well we have got to that time of year when the JCS Christmas ornament magazine is reaching our shores from across the pond and I couldn't resist ordering a copy but I couldn't order just that so I ordered another part of the Jardin Prive Histoire De Moutons series so I just have one more to get now. Oh and a couple of skeins of DMC white. Only one is in the photo as the other is in use!

There are some lovely ornaments in this issue so there'll be even more ornament stitching in my future!

When I blogged last I showed my cute little snowman by Val's Stuff which I've been stitching as part of the ornament SAL with Barb and Chris. Well I now have the snowflakes stitched so it's just to make up. I'm going to try and get this done this weekend as I have another piece which needs to be done very soon. I have picked out another to start for this month but I doubt it will get finished before the end of the month.

I also have another finish! 

Little House Needleworks Season's Greetings

28 count Vintage Country Mocha linen

Classic Colorworks

I'm so pleased with this one. It is so pretty. 

Once this was finished I started this beauty.

I've had this in my stash along with the fabric for a while now. My DH bought me it for Christmas a few years ago when I had it on my list :). It is Renato Parolin Sotto La Neve which I'm stitching on Crafty Kitten 32 count latte monaco. 

I have a little more progress on my AotH piece. I didn't get much done but every little helps doesn't it?!

On Saturday Abi wanted to go to Meadowhall and I was shattered and in a really strange mood with myself  when we got back so Saturday evening I couldn't be bothered to pick my Sk Dragons History. I just wanted some mindless stitching so out came Tilton Crafts Always ( Alan Rickman tribute ) and some black stitching! It's slow as I don't pick it up much but when Barb and I have our stitching for a week on one project I'm probably going to choose this piece to do.

This evening Barb and I will be doing our sheep SAL and look I actually have a sheep on mine now! Just love this!

Of course no post would be complete without Mini Jolly Old Fellow! As you can see I'm about halfway down the partial page on the right. The more I think about it the more I doubt it'll be finished for Christmas but if it's just after I do not mind. I'll probably want to keep it on my wall all year anyway. 

Just a quick post today as I wanted to get one in and try not to leave it so long between if I can. Thank you for visiting and for your lovely comments :) They truly mean so much to me.

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxxx

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