Believe

First of all I'd just like to say a massive thank you for all your lovely comments on my HAED QS Holly Fairy finish. I am so happy with this finish. It's my first HAED finish in God knows how many years and it feels so good to have one. Hopefully there will be many more! She's at the framers now and , hopefully,  we'll have her back next week.

As promised here's my June ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. This is the last of the three in the leaflet so it is now for sale if anyone is interested in purchasing it from me.

Lizzie*Kate Flora McSample Ornaments 2012 Believe

32 count Rose Gander Linen

DMC

Started 3rd June 2013

Finished 12th June 2013

If I remember correctly my choice for July is Lizzie*Kate Love from the Just Cross Stitch ornament issue.

Typing of things for sale I have decided to sell my Blackbird Designs Joyeaux Noel booklet. Please email me if you are interested.

Lainey, Mouse and I have been stitching away on our SAL piece Little House Needleworks Curly Q Ewe. I'm also stitching this with the ladies in the parlour at Needlecraft Haven.  Which reminds me I haven't posted my progress on there since the first week. Sorry Barb and the other ladies. I'll do that later.

So I had some new stash last week. As some of you may remember I asked Karla at Patchwork Rabbit if she could get the Garden Journal series by Cottage Garden Samplings a while ago. Well she emailed me to say she'd got the first 6 in and would I like her to add any to my sheep order as Courage had arrived. Yay! So I asked her if she would kindly send 2 at a time with my sheep order until I get up to date and she said yes. So here's my stash from last week.

I also very naughtily added another HAED to my stash which was Mini Titania. The 50% off was too good to miss plus the minis are going up in price so an ideal time to buy. No more for me until Faces of Faery 199 is released! Fingers crossed it is one day as I requested it on the BB!

Of course because Courage arrived Barb and I started it on Monday. Look how much I managed to stitch!  Very pleased with myself!

As I was trying to get Holly finished I didn't stitch at all on Guardian so only have progress from the week before and on Sunday when I should really have been stitching on QS Spirit ofWinter Robin I was stitching on this. I can't believe how many stitches I've managed to add to this since I picked it up again.

The robin has now moved into Holly's slot on my rotation so I'll be stitching on him on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

I will be having a new HAED start ( yes I know I must be mad! ) and a SAL with my friend Gill.  I'm starting Mini Jolly Old Fellow and she's starting Mini Sleigh Ride both by the wonderfully talented artist Dona Gelsinger. Her Father Christmas' are just so perfect!

Sunday was Father's Day of course and a sad time for us as it was our first without both my Dad and my DH's Dad. It didn't seem right not to have to them here and we put flowers on their graves. Sunday would also have been my mum in law's 74th birthday and Saturday was the 28th anniversary of Mum's passing.

Good news as my smear test finally came back and it was normal. So not sure what the cause of the inflammation is but I'm going back to see my doctor in a couple of weeks to discuss having my surgery again as I have lots of questions before I go ahead so will ask her then.

I don't know if I'll be around over the next week or so as my DH is taking a week off next week and at the moment we're not sure what we're doing. Jess is home for the summer and Abi has finished her A levels and is having a bit of a break before joining hunting.

Until next time.

With much love

Sally xxxx

She's Finished!!

33,990 stitches later here she is!

Heaven and Earth Designs QS Holly Fairy

25 count Magic Guide Fabric

DMC

Started 11th September 2012

Finished 15th June 2013.

Loved every minute of this! Now to my next start!

I'll be back in a few days with my June ornament finish and some new stash.

Sorry I haven't been commenting on your blogs. I will get around to it if it's the last thing I do!

With much love

Sally

xxxx

Tea and Peace and Puffins ( Picture Heavy)

I thought it was time I did an actual stitching post as I haven't done one for over a week. As always my stitching is my therapy. My stitching and my DH and girls. Poor Abi has been heartbroken at losing little Fozzie and I will admit that my DH and I have shed tears as well. So this week we've been having some mum and daughter time going for some walks. Yesterday was a very long walk and I swear when I got up from stitching last night I was ceasing up! Just want to say thank you for all your lovely comments on my post about Fozzie. The house really isn't the same without him. He would often be at the side of his cage waiting for us when we came down in a morning.

So what have I been stitching. Well I finished the LHN Peace Virtue with Barb last week so am now impatiently waiting the arrival of Courage so we can start that.

Little House Needleworks Little Sheep Virtues Peace

32 count Vintage Country Mocha Linen

DMC

So this Monday I couldn't make my mind up at first whether to start my ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL or something else or stitch on something else that I already had started. In the end the ornament won and and this is how far I got.

A few weeks ago Shirlee did a post about tea and I mentioned Twinings Lady Grey and said I would send her a few of my teabags to try rather than her buy a box and waste money if she didn't like it. I decided to stitch up this and send it along with the tea. It's only a very simple finish as my creativity ( what creativity? Did I really have it in the first place? ) has gone out the window but Shirlee loved it and also loved the tea. Julie first got me into Lady Grey a few years ago when she sent me some to try. I hope Shirlee won't mind but I borrowed this photo from her blog as I can't find the one I took.

The Sampler Girl A Spot of Tea

Gift for Shirlee

Wednesdays are SAL nights with Mouse and Lainey and also Barb and the ladies in the parlour at Needlecraft Haven. Here's my progress on LHN Curly Q Ewe. I shall have plenty of LHN stitching to keep me busy in the parlour as I very naughtily signed up for mystery. It was extra naughty as I decided to treat myself to the threads and fabric as well which I don't do very often anymore. I decided I needed a treat. I'm still waiting for my other test results and they should be here any day now.

HAED stitching now ( and just incase you didn't know they are currently having a 50% off sale for Father's Day. I think the rush to buy broke the site though! I'm being good as I have way too many in my stash plus I'm holding out for Jasmine Becket- Griffith's Faces of Faery 199 to be charted. I requested it on the BB a while ago and keep hoping! ).  I'm still plugging away at all the black stitching on pages 5 and 6 on QS Holly Fairy. How I wish I hadn't left all this until last but never mind at least I don't have to think too much about it! Aiming for a July finish now rather than a September one!

I'm about half way through page 13 of Guardian and am loving the detail.

A little bit of progress on QS Spirit of Winter Robin. I did stitch in the wrong colour in one bit but decided not to frog. It's not noticable I don't think.

We decided to have a trip out on Saturday afternoon. We had been waiting for decent weather and as Saturday was forecast  to be nice in the afternoon off we went up to Bempton Cliffs RSPB. We had a brilliant afternoon watching the seabirds and actually managed to spot the odd Puffin or two in amongst the thousands of other seabirds on the cliffs. It only cost us £5, which was for parking, and that goes towards the upkeep of the reserve. We all took cameras. I use my DH's old DSLR and am still learning so my photos aren't brilliant but here are a few.

That's it from me now.

With much love.

Sally xxx

Bye Bye Little Fozzie

RIP little Fozzie. Run wild and  free over Rainbow Bridge. You were the most wonderful, friendly, loving little hamster who brought so much light to the darkest of days we've had. We love you so much and in the 14 months since you joined our family you became a huge part of us. Even though you were Abi's little Fozzie Bear you have left a hole in all our lives.  Rest peacefully little buddy.

Winners

Time to announce the winners :) Please give me time to get all these in the post. I may only post a couple a week so bare with me. I will get them all out in time but postage is not cheap these days!

So here we go!

Just Nan Beehive Violets - Nicola 

Milady's Needle Quakers Rule Accoutrements - Christine

Blackbird Designs LF 40 Hedgerow Birds- June 

Shakespeare's Peddler Weeds Make Haste- Carolyn

Plum Street Samplers Love Notes- Mii Stitch 

Just Nan Ebony Rose- Marlene

Cross Stitch & Country Crafts Mag- Cucki 

 Congratulations ladies! Can you email me your addresses please and I'll get them all out over the next few weeks. Christine and June I already have yours and unless you've recently moved Nicola I also have yours :) 

I'll be back in a few days with some stitching updates. My little gift has reached it's new owner, Shirlee, so I'll be showing that and I've also finished Peace :)

Take care everyone.

With much love,

Sally xxxxx

Giving Away A Few Charts NOW CLOSED

I have just gone through my charts and have decided to give away a few. These are all ones that I have either won in giveaways or that I have been given. They are ones that at the time I thought I would stit h but as time has gone on I've decided that I won't so would rather someone else get some pleasure from them. I'll list them here so just comment and say which ones you would like to be entered for.  All I ask is that you pass them on in the same way when you have finished with them so, therefore, you must have a blog.

Just Nan Beehive Violets

Milady's Needle Quakers Rule Accoutrements

Blackbird Designs LF 40 Hedgerow Birds

Shakespeare's Peddler Weeds Make Haste

Plum Street Samplers Love Notes

Just Nan Ebony Rose

Cross Stitch & Country Crafts mag ( Shepherds  Bush design inside).

I'll leave this open for a few days.

May Ornament and Stuff!

Not so good morning from a rather chilly, windy, rainy north east coast of England! Brrrrr it's more like Autumn right now ( although further North Winter as they've had snow!) and according to newspaper reports it's not going to get any better for the first 2 weeks of June. I reckon we'll be having a heatwave at Christmas at this rate. Not that I want a heatwave as I don't like it really hot but some warmth would be nice!

I've been getting on with my stitching and have had a couple of finishes one of which I can't show just yet as it's winging it's way overseas but as soon as it's been received I'll pop up a photo.

My other finish is my May ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. It's only taken me a couple of mornings ( 2 hour sessions) at craft group so I am really pleased. My bird's legs are a bit shorter than they should be I'm afraid as I quite clearly wasn't concentrating properly!

Lizzie* Kate Flora McSample 2012 Ornaments Rejoice

32 count rose Gander Linen

DMC

Started 14th May 2013

Finished 21st May 2013.

Monday evening was sheepy night with my dear friend Barb so here's my progress on Peace. I just love these sheep. Have you seen the newest one Faith? So pretty. I have to say all these little sheep so far have been so apt for me this year.

Wednesday evening was a new start and a new SAL with Lainey and Mouse and I'm also stitching along with the ladies in the parlour at Needlecraft Haven. Here's my start on Little House Needleworks Curly Q Ewe. I'm stitching on 36 count Flax linen using DMC and Crescent Colours.

Onto my HAEDs now and a little more progress on Guardian. I am so pleased with how this looking and I am just in awe of this beautiful artwork.

QS Holly Fairy is going very well! On Sunday I had an afternoon to myself as my DH and Abi went to Scunthorpe to the speedway so I settled down with Holly with the intention of getting the main part finished so it just left me with the blue and black background and I did it! I've stitched a bit of the background on Tuesday so this is where I was at after Tuesday. I did some more last night and have almost for all the blue done but I couldn't be bothered to take a new photo!

Finally I started page 2 of QS Spirit of Winter Robin on Sunday evening. I'm loving the colours in this. 

Thank you all for your visits and lovely comments and all your good wishes for my blood tests. They all came back clear which is good but it doesn't explain why I've been feeling like I have. She gave me some decongestants when I was there last and she suggested I keep taking them until I've been taking them 2 weeks then stop and see what happens. Also it looks as though I'm going to have to go for surgery again ( yep I've been saying all along it didn't feel right) but I've put off being referred for now as I don't think Abi would cope with me having surgery again at the moment although my doctor said I have to stop putting myself to the bottom and put myself first plus I had another test and I want to see what the results say before I make my decision and that I am very worried about. I can't really put into words how fed up I feel right now and I thank God I have my stitching to keep me sane! Sorry I do try to keep my blog just about stitching and keep it upbeat as much as I can.

Better news my sister and I have accepted an offer we had on my Dad's house so fingers crossed it goes through without hitches. We are waiting for the gentleman to get a survey done and are hoping to hear soon that the sale is going ahead. I want to get all of that out of the way before I decide on whether to have surgery or not so that I don't have to worry about that.

I'm sorry that I haven't been commenting lately. I really must get my finger out and get visiting.

That's all my stitching and news for now. 

With much love.

Sally

xxxxx

Gentle Stitches

I have another finish :). After not many finishes so far this year I'm on a bit of a roll but I reckon that will stop for a bit now! I do love stitching my HAEDs but a finish every so often keeps me going! So without further ado here is my finish.

Shakespeare's Peddler Gentle Stitches

32 count evenweave

Crescent  Colours

Started 27th March  2013

Finished 8th May 2013

SAL with Mouse.

The chart for this and LHN A Stitcher's Heart is for sale if you are interested.

I am now getting ready to start the SAL with Lainey and Mouse when they are ready. Still have to sort some fabric which I intended to do last week but didn't get done.

I do have another finish but it's a page finish on HAED QS Spirit of Winter. It's taken me since my late Dad's birthday on 10th February to do just one page but I do only stitch on it one evening a week at the moment. The next page will take longer as it's a fuller page than this one.

I have a little more progress on Guardian this time. It's growing albeit slowly and I am very pleased with how it's looking.

Finally QS Holly Fairy. I am now thinking I might get this finished before my target which is 11th September as that's when I started it last year. I do still have a fair lot to stitch but she seems to growing better than Guardian although that is maybe my imagination! Once she is finished I'll move QS Spirit of Winter into her slot.

Tonight is Little Sheep Virtues SAL night with dear Barb which I'm looking forward to.  I just love stitching these cute little sheep.

Tomorrow at craft club I plan to start my May ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. Fingers crossed I get back on track!

I almost forgot my little L*K chart giveaway. I popped the names into a bowl and the winner is Vickie! Congratulations! I have your address so I'll pop the chart in the post as soon as I can :)

I'm going for blood tests on Thursday. I haven't been feeling well for a while but have put it down to menopause and my Dad passing away but I finally pushed myself to seeing my doctor last Friday as feeling ill every day is getting me down. I decided, rightly or wrongly, not to mention my Dad as I knew she would immediately put it down to that and say I'm depressed which maybe I am but I didn't want her brushing me off. My lymph nodes in my neck are slightly up so I guess I'm fighting something but on checking my ears, throat, eyes, balance and blood pressure she couldn't find anything there which is weird as it feels like it's my ear, throat, etc. I go back for the results a week tomorrow as my doctor is on holiday after that so fingers crossed the results are back by then. I just want to feel well again.  

We have had some interest in my Dad's house which is good and we had one offer on Friday which I didn't even bother to discuss with my sister as it was just short of £20, 000 less than the estate agent valued it at. To be fair it seems that the gentleman didn't know what the market was like here and he hadn't even looked round it as it was his parents that had and he was just dealing with it! I know it needs modernising inside but it has been valued to take that into consideration. Fingers crossed for a better offer from someone as I hate having to keep checking that everything is OK. My Dad isn't there and it's upsetting.

Until next time.

With much love.

Sally xxxx

Here Again!

Here I am again and with another small finish. As I had hoped I finished my April ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. I desperately want to keep up with this SAL as it's good for me to have some focus so I'm hoping to get started on my May choice at craft group next week.

Lizzie*Kate Flora McSample 2012 Ornaments Noel

32 count Gander Rose Linen

DMC

Started 23rd April 2013

Finished 7th May 2013

While I remember I'd like to give this chart away. It is Lizzie*Kate Friends Are Like Angels. I won it on Needlecraft Haven a while ago and  I've stitched it a couple of times and would like to pass it on. I would very much like it to go to someone who comments regularly so if that is you and you'd like to stitch this please say so in your comment. All I ask is you pass it on when you have stitched it :) I know a lot of you will probably already have stitched it as it's a design that has been around a while. I'll pick a winner next week.

Monday Barb and I SAL'd on LHN Little Sheep Virtues Peace. I am really enjoying this one. I got the sheep stitched and made a start on the tree. 

Onto my HAED stitching now and my progress on Guardian from Friday and Saturday. Not sure if you can actually see what I've stitched here but it's the first 7 rows across page 13.

I'm planning on getting page 1 of QS Spirit of Winter Robin this Sunday however the bits I have left  has lots of confetti in it so it may take another Sunday to finish! 

Finally my progress on QS Holly Fairy. She'll be coming out again tomorrow evening so, hopefully, I should have more done then. Isn't she so cute?!

I was having a tidy up this morning and had a count up of the pieces I have to finish. I'm not counting the pieces I have already sorted fabric, trims etc for ( that amounts to 6 I think) so I have 10 pieces. 10!!!!!!! HELP!!!! Arghhhh! I NEVER leave myself that many to finish but my heart just hasn't been in it. I think I need to start to finishing a couple of weeks before I disappear underneath a mountain and get suffocated by my own unmade-up stuff!

Thank you for all your lovely, kind comments on my last post. You are all so wonderful and thoughtful. 

That's it for now. Fingers crossed I might get Gentle Stitches done tonight :)

Take care everyone.

With much love,

Sally xxxxx

Happy Birthday Michelle!

Last Friday was my lovely friend Michelle's birthday. I was contemplating what to stitch for her when I remembered this design from the Jan/ Feb issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine. I wanted to stitch it in one of Michelle's favourite colours so rather than being subtle about it I just asked her what her favourite colours were lol! So here is what I stitched.

Homespun Elegance Family, Friends, Faith Forever

Unknown 28 count fabric

Thread Pickerz Silkz Peacock Blue.

Started 16th April 2013

Finished 23rd April 2013

Birthday Gift for Michelle.

I had a finish last Monday. It should really have been finished the Monday before but I got distracted! This my SAL with my dear friend Barb

Little House Needleworks Little Sheep Virtues Love

32 count Vintage Country Mocha linen

DMC

Started 1st April 2013

Finished 29th April 2013

The next sheep, Peace, arrived last week so we'll be starting that one tonight. I've got to sort my fabric yet but that won't take me too long!

I haven't taken any photos of my HAED progress from last week so will save that for another post. I managed 7 rows on page 13 of Guardian and am getting on well with QS Holly Fairy.

Mouse and I are still SAL-ing on Shakespeare's Peddler Gentle Stitches. I managed to stitch a few of the flowers on Wednesday.

Typing of Mouse I received a surprise package from her. She had been on a stitchy weekend to Whitby and look what she sent me! A lovely piece of sheep fabric and a sheepy button ( she knows me so well!) but look what else! She found my marbles and sent them back to me! Now I lost my marbles long ago and it's so good to have them returned to me! LOL! Thank you so much Mouse. I did email you to say a huge thank you so hope you received it :)

I'm way behind on my April ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. Yep still stitching on it and it's now May. How on earth did that happen???? So I'll most probably be late starting and finishing my May one and on it'll go! I'm going to take it to craft club tomorrow and try and finish it.

It has been a lovely Bank Holiday weekend here in England but it looks as though it'll be downhill after tomorrow with cold weather, winds and rain forecast. I hate to say this ( please don't shout at me!) but I do not like the hot weather. I don't want it cold as we've had a long winter but it's too hot for me today! DH and I went to my Dad's house this morning to cut the grass and tidy the garden a little so that it looks presentable for when people view the house. It just makes me feel so sad when I see it empty and my Dad not there. I just want him back. 

Until next time take care everyone.

With much love.

Sally xxxxx