A Christmas Finish :)

As promised I am back to show some stitching and two of those are actually finishes! However first of all I would like to say a massive thank you for all your lovely birthday wishes on my last post. I had a fantastic few days ending on Sunday ( wasn't a birthday treat but I enjoyed it none the less!) with a trip to the cinema to see Disney's latest film Frozen which was brilliant! 

I do have a few more birthday gifts to show. These arrived from the lovely Lainey. Aren't they just so sweet?

Lisa B had been perusing my wish list and sent me this beautiful chart from Midsummer Night Designs. Bless you Lisa I love it :)

Jess came home on Friday so we could all go out for a meal and this is what she bought me :)

We met up with my sister and her partner for a meal on Friday evening and they had bought me a lovely pair of earrings and some rather lovely body lotion:)

I still can't get over how spoilt I was by everybody and again thank you to all my family and friends for making my 50th so special.

Onto my stitching now. I am hoping I can keep going as I am having problems with my thumb and refuse to stop stitching! The joys of getting older I guess! Anyway I have two recent finishes that I can show.First is this one.

Lizzie Kate Hearts and Holly Christmas Sampler

28 count Vintage Country Mocha linen

WDW threads

Started 5th October 2013

Finished 14th December 2013.

I am not sure how I'm going to finish this as yet so it won't be done for Christmas.

Second finish is this one with Barb.

Little House Needleworks Little Sheep Virtues Wisdom

32 count Vintage Country Mocha linen

DMC

Started 18th November 2013

Finished 9th December 2013

So Barb and I have now started Friendship. Surprisingly Gratitude arrived on Saturday. Just one more to get now!

I made a start on my December ornament last week at craft group and carried on with it today. Not sure when it will get finished as we don't meet again until January.

I still have to finish PSS Mary's Sampler. I did manage a little bit of the border of Sunday evening.

I'm still hoping to get LHN Song of the Seasons finished by the end of the year but I can't see it happening as I only have one more Wednesday to stitch on it before Christmas. I had hoped for an almost clean slate to start 2014 with but it's not going to happen!

Chris and I making progress on our December SAL.

I can finally show the ornament I stitched for the Needlecraft Haven Christmas ornament exchange. 

Any guesses who I sent to? It was Barb and I am happy to say she was delighted with it!

Chris and I exchanged ornaments on my birthday. This is what I stitched for Chris.

And this is what she stitched for me which I absolutely love!

I still have to fully finish my November ornament yet. Still sewn up but no trim on it!

I received some lovely Crescent Colours threads from Lesleyanne in a gorgeous Christmas card. Thank you Lesleyanne.

I opened a beautiful card from Michelle and her family and inside were these Christmas teabags. Can't wait to try these! Thank you Michelle.

I received a lovely card from June with a very sweetly named Rudolf Red Dragon Floss :) Thank you June.

The first chart with fabric for the Country Cottage Needlworks Frosty Forest arrived from Crazy Annie's Stitchin.

I also treated myself to a chart from The Snowflower Diaries in her Black Friday sale and I also bought the Nina's Threads to stitch it with. Maja is such a sweetheart to deal with and even sent me a chart for my birthday :) Thank you Maja.

I am in The Crafty Kitten birthday club so got 12% off any order during my birthday month so I bought a couple of pieces of fabric specifically to stitch some charts next year :) The top one is Muted Garden opalescent and the bottom one is Vintage Petals.

Almost forgot for Barb here's me with a barn owl from the other Sunday.

And my new hairstyle. Photo isn't good. It is layered and quite short at the back :)

That's all from me for now. I hope to be back before Christmas so until next time.

With much love,

Sally xxxxx

Yesterday... ( Picture Heavy!)

Was my big 50  birthday!  I had the most amazing day made very special by my lovely family and friends. I hardly know where to begin! I came down to this!

 

Abi had done this after I went to bed.

 

I received some beautiful cards and gifts. There are so many lovely things to show I'll more or less just let the pictures do most of the talking :)

 

This was from my DH. He wanted ideas so I gave him a couple and this is what he gave me. Isn't it beautiful?  The bird is a robin.

 

This was from Abi. Some beautiful earrings and a robin keyring.

 

This was from my DH's auntie. See the robin theme here? Lol. The bodyspray is my favourite body spray :). She also gave me some money.

 

My cute snowman needleminder from my surrogate sis Lisa.

 

This beautiful bracelet and 50 badge is from my dear friend Barb and her DH.

 

Seems a shame to eat this Thorntons plaque fron my DH, Jess, Abi, Billy the budgie, Wesley and Meeko the hamsters! They also gave me a massive 50 badge which I wore all day!

 

Look at this cute sheep tea towel, beautiful fabric and sweet sign from my dear friend Michelle and her family.

 

From my lovely friend Christine a gorgeous ornament. This is so delicate and pretty.

 

These lovely fabrics and threads are my from my dear friend Karan.

 

On the robin theme these were from my lovely friend Mouse. This will be getting stitched next year hopefully :)

 

I received a lovely HAED chart from my dear friend Lesleyanne. Isn't it cute? Love the look on this owl's face.

 

I have just been a given a bottle of champagne from my DH's brotherand his family :). Think we'll be drinking that over the weekend!

 

Last but by no means least a very special gift that left me in total shock and tears. I just cannot express how blessed I feel to have friends who did something so amazing to make my 50th birthday extra special. I was presented with a rather large box by Abigail after I had opened my other wonderful gifts. Inside was this amazing quilt! ! Lainey and Mouse were the master minds behind this and the blocks were stitched by them, Lisa, Chris, June, Michelle, Julie, Kate, Tina, Cath, Gill, Gillie, Jane and Lesleyanne then they were all stitched togther by Mouse. I've taken photos of each block too so you can see how amazing this is.

 

Abi spent some time on Wednesday making me a very tasty marble loaf. Let me tell you this is delicious!

 

I received flowers from family friends.....

 

And my DH :)

 

Just a while ago I was kind of dreading my 50th birthday. Not because I was dreading being 50  but because it's my first one without my Dad. I miss him so much and it was hard not having him here but my family and friends have made it so special and made me feel so loved and special.  Thank you and hugs to each  and every one of you. Love you all xxxx

 

I kept something quiet and only my girls, DH and surrogate sis Lisa knew I had actually made an appointment and was having this done yesterday.

 

Yes a tattoo! I said a couple of years ago if I got to 50 I'd celebrate by having one done. The word Believe is because I don't believe in myself and to remind me to try and the two stars represent my Mum and Dad. I am so proud of myself for getting it done as I wasn't sure I'd go through with it.

 

Afterwards Abi and I went for a deluxe hot chocolate ( mine ), a deluxe milk shake ( Abi's ) and a raspberry and white chocolate muffin!

 

Tonight we are going out for a meal with my sister and her partner! I may just have a new hairstyle too! Lol!

 

I will make that all for now and will be back again in a few days with an update on my stitching and my gorgeous ornament from Chris in our annual Christmas ornament exchange as well as the one I stitched for her :). We got together yesterday afternoon for a  cuppa and a natter :).

 

Until next time.

 

With much love and thanks,

 

Sally xxxx

Welcome December......

My favourite month of the year! It is just so magical.

My DH was off last week and we were out every day doing the festive thing! We had a lovely day at Meadowhall in Sheffield with both girls and also went to MacAthur Glen Outlet near York then into York with Abi which was manic!

I didn't stitch at all on Wednesday evening as by the time we got home, had something to eat and settled down I was too tired to pick it up which is very unusual for me! So no progress on Little House Needleworks Song of the Seasons. So much so for getting it finished by the end of November so I'll now try and ain for the end of the year! If I don't get into the parlour this week over at Needlecraft Haven they will be locking the door and not letting me in again! Lol!

So what I have been stitching.

Part 3 of Holly and Hearts Christmas Sampler is going very well and I hope to be almost done by the time I put it away on Saturday night. I just love this and really want to leave it up all year. It's too pretty to be put away.

Cottage Garden Samplings February's Primrose made an appearance again and I just have the border to do now :). Next year I want to make a journal or see if I can find a suitable one ready made to put these in. I now have July, August and September in my stash so just 3 more to get.

Barb and I have been carrying on with our sweet little sheep and here's my progress on Wisdom. Once this is finished we can start Friendship and we also have the next one at last but I won't be able to start that one until after Christmas providing Father Christmas is kind enough to bring me more of the fabric I'm using :). Just two more to get now!

I have made a bit more progress on my November ornament for the Christmas All Year Round SAL. I would like to get this finished this week so I can start on my December one . I've got rather behind but not to worry. Hopefully they'll both be on my tree by Christmas!

The 4th part of the Jardin Prive SAL is out now so as soon as I get an extension lead out so I can plug the printer in I'll have it printed ready for Barb and I to start on Friday. I still have to stitch the border on Plum Street Samplers Mary's Sampler. I managed to get caught up before the final part came out. I have so much I want to finish this month!

Chris and I started our annual December SAL on Sunday. We chose Country Cottage Needleworks Silent Night this year. Here is my start. I'm using an unknown colour of 32 count Belfast linen that I bought in the Viking Loom at York and DMC. I was going to use the hand dyed threads used in the chart but I decided it was just more expense. I'm going to use good old DMC as much as I can next year rather than hand dyes unless I already have them in my stash.

My Christmas ornament for the exchange on Needlecraft Haven has been received and opening day was 1st December but I can't show it as partners have not been revealed yet because some people are still waiting for theirs. Of course I messed up on mine as it's a secret exchange and I put names on the back lol! Christine please don't shout at me! Lol! Mine arrived today and look how lovely it is! My partner clearly knows me well and I have a sneaking suspicion I know who it is! Thank you so much whoever you are :) Here's the front.

And here's the back.

We put our Christmas decorations up on Sunday. I shed a few tears as we were doing them. I miss my Dad so much.  My stitched ornament tree is looking lovely now with a few more ornaments on. In fact I now have 3 shoe boxes full and need to start on another one. The pictures is not brilliant but will try and get a better one. I have a lovely selection of ornaments both stitched by myself, received in exchanges and stitched by friends for me.

That's it for today. Have wonderful week everyone. It's going to get colder again here later this week. Our temps are up and down like I don't know what! Wish they'd just stay down!

With much love,

Sally xxxx