Travelling Pattern Winner Plus Some Stitching

I am sure you're all itching to know who the next stitcher of the travelling pattern is but I'm going to leave announcing it until later in my post!

I had hoped to have my interpretation of the travelling pattern all sewn up but, unfortunately,  I hurt my lower back on Monday whilst getting ready to leave Gill's after helping her out at her open day. Something as simple as bending to zip my boot up left me in pain and discomfort.  So much so that when I set off to walk home I knew I wouldn't make it so thankfully Gill said I could stay until my DH got home from work and could pick me up. I haven't set foot outside the house since until day when  I very slowly and carefully walked round the corner to the PO. I am relieved to say that I have been able to get comfortable to stitch or knit with breaks to move about or I'd have been climbing the walls with boredom!

I can't show everything I have been stitching as one is a gift and I'm just hoping I can get it finished off soon as it needs to be in the post in the next week really. However I can show my WIPs.

I am hoping that poor Barb has finally had some luck with Tra La La Tricotine. I am sure she must be cursing me now for buying this design for us but it is just so lovely. Here is where I am.

Lisa and I are continuing our SAL of our HAED Christmas designs. I managed to get a good bit done on my lovely robin. I wonder if I can aim to have him finished by Christmas 2015?!

Speaking of HAEDs I made a little more progress on Mini Jolly Old Fellow. I sat for a while yesterday as though Gill and I were having our crafting morning and decided to fill in some of Father Christmas' hat. I am really enjoying stitching on this again and would love a page finish before the end of the year.

I have been house building on Frosty Forest. Need to get a move on as the snow has started to fall a little and those bluebirds are going to need shelter! Lol! Oh dear I am losing the plot!

Meanwhile on July's Delphinium the lemonade is chilled and ready to drink :)

Final WIP is Garden Bliss which is coming along so beautifully even though I say so myself. Not much more to do now.

I saw on Vickie's blog a while ago that she had shown her top 5 ornaments from the JCS Christmas ornament issue. So I have decided to show mine. I have to say I am a little disappointed in it this year although there are still several I would like to stitch and it won't stop me buying it again next year. 

So, in no particular order, these are my top 5.

Little House Needleworks Snowy Days

Country Garden Stitchery Snowflake Frost

Blue Ribbon Designs A Woodland Wish

New York Dreamer Merry Christmas

Nikyscreations Faith

Are any of these in your top 5? There are others that narrowly missed out!

Well I have kept you guessing long enough so I'd better announce the next stitcher of the travelling pattern. I lazily used a random organiser to do the picking for me lol!

There were 10 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Nic
Stitching Noni
Ellen
Beauty Bonnet
Erin
Pam in IL
Kathy A
Jhm
Lindsay
RuthB
Timestamp: 2014-10-09 11:52:15 UTC

Congratulations Nic! Please email me with your name and address and I'll get it in the post ASAP.  My email is in my profile :). If you weren't lucky this time follow it to Nic's blog and try again over there!

Well that's it for me for this time.  The weather is getting cooler so guess I'd better get a move on with Jess' poncho. I'm 20 cm off finishing the first strip but with it being chunky yarn it grows very quickly.

Take care everyone.

Until next time.

With much love

Sally xxxxx

Travelling Pattern Is Ready To Go!

Get your pompoms out and happy dance with me! The travelling pattern is done so ready to go on to the next stitcher!

Here is my version.

Little House Needleworks Summer Garden

32 count Crafty Kitten Fantasy Wings second

Carrie's Creations, Crescent Colours, DMC Variations

I changed all the threads except for one and I really like now it turned out.

So if you would like to be the next stitcher of this travelling pattern please say so in your comment. Open to all who have a blog. If you know someone who might be interested who doesn't read my blog then please send them my way. I'll pick a winner next week.

Last week the lovely Lainey had a birthday . I had planned what I was going to stitch for her but still managed to be late getting it in the post to her. Here is what I made for her. I'm not 100% happy as I struggled to get ribbons that would match.

Lamb Alphabet from World of Cross Stitching

Vintage Country Green linen

DMC

Birthday gift for Lainey.

I also included a sheep needleminder from No More Needles ( if you're on Facebook have a look for the page. It is my surrogate sis Lisa ).

I'm very happy to say that Lainey loves it :)

I've been beavering away on my WIPs although as you can see from this photo HAED QS Spirit of Winter Robin is going slow! I'm SALing with Lisa and she is the one keeping me going with it.

Another HAED has come out to play this week as Gill and I decided that we'd get our Gelsinger Santas out again this month and stitch on them through until Christmas. We will stitch on these when we have our crafting mornings.

I'm getting on very well with Garden Bliss. It looks prettier with every stitch! A few more weeks and it might be done :).

I am getting back into Frosty Forest now. I hadn't said anything but I'd got a bit fed up of it although I love all the blocks. Anyway I started building Bluebird Cabin and am now feeling much better about it! It's funny how a slight change can make all the difference.

My delphiniums are growing nicely on July's Delphinium.  Love these colours. They look so pretty. I'm so bad as no sooner have I started one of these I'm desperate to finish and start the next one! I've seen WIP of both the August one and October one and wish I was stitching those lol!

Final WIP which I adore is Tra La LaTricotine.  I just love every single thing about this and of course there will be a sheep on it soon! Poor Barb has had problems with hers and is now on her 3rd start :(.

I had some super post yesterday as my Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments magazine arrived and also the last year's Halloween special. I have been following Dani's WIP and finish on Instagram of Silver Creek Samplers Happy Halloween from that mag and loved it. By the way if you're on Instagram please feel free to follow me using the link in my sidebar :). I haven't had a proper look at the ornament mag yet. A quick glance left me deflated after the excitement of it arriving but I usually feel like that until I've had a proper look!

My tickets for Harrogate arrived the other day so reality has set in that I'm actually going! Time to start that list I think!

That's all for now. Thank you for continuing to visit me and leave me such lovely comments. I appreciate them all. It seems to have been a little quiet of late on the blogging world.

Take care everyone.

With much love.

Sally xxx

Travelling Pattern, A Giveaway Win Plus Some Finishes ( Picture Heavy! )

Well here we are well into September and this is my first blog post of the month.  So much for getting back to at least one post a week!

Anyway, without further ado, I had a comment on my last post from Justine telling me I had her first blogoversary giveaway. I was so excited but felt awful as when I looked at her blog it was almost a week since she'd posted and due to me not looking at any blogs I hadn't seen it. Postie brought a package yesterday and this is what I found inside. All so beautifully wrapped that I hardly dare disturb it! Inside was this beautifully stitched and finished cushion. As I told Justine when I emailed her this is just so me. I absolutely love the colours and the design. Also inside was The Nebby Needle chart True Friend with some GAST threads and a gorgeous birdhouse needleminder. You may remember that I stitched the True Friend design for my dear friend Chris' birthday so I'm looking forward to being able to stitch it for myself as I love the words on it. Thank you so much Justine for a beautiful package.

Also this week I received this lovely package from Dani in Canada. I won the travelling pattern from her and she also sent me some of my favourite needles and a beautiful fob / ornament. Also see the fabric?  The fob was wrapped in that and I reckon I will use it to back Summer Garden with when I've stitched it. Thank you so much Dani!

Here is my start on it. I'm using Craft Kitten 32 count Fantasy Wings linen ( a second that I bought from the Crafty Kitten Facebook page last year ) and I'm choosing colours as I go along. So far I've used Carrie's Creations Hot Pink and Mistletoe.  So look out for when I've finished this as it'll be travelling again. 

Since  my last post I've had a finish or four!  Firstly this one.

Carriage House Samplings Emma's Alphabet Sampler ( from JCS June 2005 )

40 count Cream Gander Linen

DMC

As you can see it is actually finished properly and I am so pleased with how it looks. I had a vision of how I wanted it and it's close!

Next one is this beauty.

Just Nan Marching Orders

Silkweaver Solo 28 count

DMC & Supplied Soie D'Alger Lady in Red

I would like to pass the chart for this on now so if you'd like it please say so in your comment and I'll pick a winner next week :).

Finish no. 3 also made up with the other 3 that needed to made up.

The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas Day 12

32 count Vintage Country Mocha Linen

DMC

Thank you so much Barb for SALing with me on these. Barb and I will be starting a new SAL tomorrow and it will be Tra La La Tricotine :).

The  booklet for the 12 Days of Christmas is now for sale so please email me ( email in my profile ) if you are interested. SOLD

Final finish ( phew ! ) is this one.

Cottage Garden Samplings My Garden Journal June's Honeysuckle

40 count Pearl Grey linen

DMC

I'm all ready to start July's Delphinium on Sunday. Just have to cut my fabric.

Lisa and I are continuing our HAED SAL and although I'm struggling a little with getting used to it and thinking about still having 6 more pages to go is driving me mad I am enjoying it. I do feel better knowing that the last 3 pages are only small!

Frosty Forest is now coming out on Wednesdays in the parlour over at Needlecraft Haven so last night I tried desperately to get Frosty Friends finished but it didn't quite happen. Not to worry though as it will next week!

And I almost forgot Garden Bliss! How could I forget this!

I have some brilliant news this post! Abi has got a job! Yay! Both her and Jess applied for 3 jobs last week. Unfortunately Jess has not been successful as yet  but Abi desperately wanted to work at one of these places and told the lady when she went for the application form that she had been hoping a job would come up as she really likes it in there. To cut a bit of a long story short she had an interview on Monday and was offered it straight away. We are so pleased as she's been looking for over a year. She had her first shift today, which she enjoyed, and she'll be working 6 hours a week for now.

I'll be hopping on a bus tomorrow to go see Chris which I'm really looking forward to. I need to get some stitching sorted to take with me!

That's all my news for now. I'll be back with a stitch from stash report next week and the stash I very naughtily purchased but I'm still in!

Take care everyone.

With much love

Sally xxxx

The Next Stitcher .......

For the Lizzie*Kate Life's a Stitch chart is....................

Michelle! Michelle I'll get the chart in the post to you tomorrow:) I hope you enjoy stitching it:)

Keep an eye on Michelle's blog if you'd like to be considered to be the next stitcher.

I'll be back another day with some stitching updates. I've had a finish and an almost finish :)

With much love

Sally

xxx

Travelling Pattern and Other Stories

I was lucky enough to be chosen by Susan to be the next stitcher of the Lizzie*Kate Life's a Stitch travelling pattern a while ago and it arrived the other day along with one of Susan's gorgeous handmade project bags.

As soon as I'd taken this photo I popped my LHN/ SP chartpack in it along with the fabric I'm stitching both pieces on. It is so pretty and I absolutely love it. Thank you so much Susan {{{{hugs}}}} It will be put to good use and I will treasure it.

So I duly started stitching the pattern and finished it last night. I did mess up but didn't realise until I'd got so far on the satin stitch border so I frogged that and have left it off. 

Lizzie*Kate Life's a Stitch

Polstitches fabric from grab bag.

DMC Variations

Started 13th June 2012

Finished 14th June 2012.

So let's get this travelling pattern on the move again! If you would like to be the next stitcher please leave a comment on this post saying that you would like to be considered. You must have a blog to participate and you must be prepared to drop everything and stitch it in a timely manner and offer it up again on your blog.

On Wednesday a package arrived from my lovely blogging friend Shirlee. Inside beautifully wrapped were a fantastic knitting magazine ( loads in it I would love to knit!) and a gorgeous Shepherd's Bush kit Snowman Treat Bag. Thank you so much Shirlee {{{{hugs}}}}. I hope you received my email. Naughty me still hasn't replied to yours but I will get soon:) 

Onto my other stitching now. I don't seem to have achieved much this week  ( considering what I have been achieving) considering I have nothing else to do but I have, hangs head in shame, been looking at knitting yarns online and have spent lots of time on Ravelry. Don't worry knitting isn't going to take over from cross stitch as for one it seems to be quite an expensive hobby but there are several things I really want to knit. Anyway I've had a new start this week. June is flying by so I thought I'd better get on with my ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. This month is a free choice so I chose Plum Street Samplers Yuletide from last years JCS ornament magazine. I love this one. I decided to use the suggested GAST apart from one that I didn't have.

Monday was SAL night with Barb and I stitched more on my SB Elizabethan pincushion. This piece is so delicate looking. I should have it finished next week.

I've stitched a bit more on My Big Toe Designs Happiness. 

Nothing on LHN A Stitcher's Heart with Mouse this week as I wanted to get the travelling pattern done. Also nothing on JN Christmas Sheep.

Knitting now and I decided to use my spare ball of yarn from my Holden Shawlette to cast on the Crest of a Wave Baktus. I decided to see how I felt when I got up Tuesday morning and DH's auntie took me to the needlework group at the museum and I took this with me and managed to get a bit more done. I did feel a bit off it while I was there but I have to get myself going again and get out or at the rate I'm going I never will. It was nice to see the ladies again and they were all pleased to see me which was nice. 

That's it from me for now. I'm managing to walk a bit further now but must admit it's a bit scary! Still feeling uncomfortable and unsure if the surgery has done what it should however I'm trying to be positive but the more time passes the less confident I feel but whatever will be will be!

I just want to say a huge thank you to all those of you who have stuck with me, visited my little blog and left comments. it means a lot to me {{{{hugs}}}}

Take care everyone.

With much love

Sally

xxxx

  

I Am So Chuffed!

First of all I want to say thank you to all of you who left me birthday greetings on my post on Monday. I am truly blessed to have so many stitching friends and I treasure each and every one of you. I have made some amazing friends and many of you have been wonderful and helped me no end this year ( you know who you all are) and for that I am truly thankful. It has been a tough year and many of you have been there for me when I really needed someone.

Before I start crying I'll move on to what I'm chuffed about before showing a couple more of my lovely birthday cards and gifts.

A while ago I was chosen to become part of the stitcherhood by the lovely Mouse and I duly stitched Shakespeare's Peddler Count Your Blessings. I have been wondering how to finish it and a while ago Kathy gave me the inspiration to finish it like this. It's sort of a needle roll but bigger and chunkier. I absolutely love how it's turned out.

I am desperately trying to get my pile of unfinished finishes out of the way before Christmas as they are on a chair in the dining room at the moment! I have card cut, some bits are laced on the card waiting to be be sewn up and have trim added, some are nowhere near that! However this one is now done! I showed my finish a while ago but now I can show my finished finish! I added some organza ribbon but more loosely than I usually do, a bow at the top and added one of the JABCO Sheep pins that Jane sent me for my birthday. I love how this turned out too and am hoping that the other bits I have to finish turn out as good! I am actually feeling quite good about my finishing for once!

I have a couple of other finishes too but can't show those until Father Christmas has delivered them:)

I am humbled by all the lovely birthday cards and gifts I received and I have received two more.

Look at this lovely card that Karan made for me and the fabric and threads she sent me. Thank you so much Karan {{{{hugs}}}}

Lisa B sent me this lovely card and limited edition Dinky Dyes silk. Thank you so much Lisa {{{{hugs}}}}

Here's Father Christmas again showing my advent gifts from my surrogate sis Lisa. There should be a packet of Haribo sweets but I ate them!!! Lol!

OK stitching progress now. Actually I have a finish first of all. It's the last of the Renato Parolin pieces and it's Joy. Hopefully the next time you see these I will have them made up. 

I can truly say right now that my Christmas Carol Sock is not going to be finished for Christmas although I guess I could stitch on it more than one evening a week then I might just get there! There is snow on top of those trees and also round the house! Not sure if they show up on the photo or not. Barb was hoping to finish hers this week.

Good Tidings with Jane Austen is going well and this will get finished next week! I took it to craft club with me on Tuesday and did a bit there and then stitched more on Tuesday evening. I think I shall take it again next week. I don't have much more to do on it. 

The headless, handless snowman now has a head and the blind owl can now see! No hands yet but I'm sure I'll put that right the next time I pick him up! I am really enjoying this now I've got used to the stiffness of the fabric. I think Lisa was hoping to finish block this week :)

Finally my progress on Tra La Snowman who now has a hat and a bird on his arm! Love this piece so much!

My order arrived from 123 Stitch today. I am very impressed with the speed my order was despatched and considering the time of year 10 days from the USA is not bad going at all so all in all I am one very happy customer and ready to SAL with Michelle on Christmas Tea!

I decided what to treat myself to with my gift certificate from Wasatch Needlecraft from Colleen:) I've told Colleen and will show you on here when it arrives!

That's all from me for now. Hopefully I'll have some more finishing over the next few days. Maybe I should lock myself away until I get it all done!

Take care everyone.

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxxx