Finishes, Progress and Bad People

Well I am here at last with a couple of finishes and some progress. I was intent on blogging on Monday but other things happened which just left me with no heart to do it but I'm feeling a teeny bit easier now so here I am.

Last Saturday was my dear friend and SALing buddy Barb's birthday. Now anyone that knows Barb will know of her love of sheep. So this is what I stitched for her.

The Primitive Hare Awakening

28 count Vintage Country Mocha linen

DMC

Finished into pin cushion and a fob

Birthday gift for Barb.

Can you see the cute little sheep pin in the top of the pincushion? I am so pleased with how these turned out and I'm delighted to say that Barb loves them and the scissors. 

And speaking of Barb we have been stitching up a storm on both The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas and Little House Needleworks Little Sheep Virtues Gratitude.

Here is Day 3 finished :)

And here is Gratitude finished :)

I joined Barb and the ladies of Needlecraft Haven in the parlour virtually last night with LHN The North Wind. Now I seem to be having snow issues! I was thinking as I was stitching that I just might have messed up stitching with white as I couldn't remember whether I'd started with white or B5200. Of course it's difficult to tell stitching under artificial light. Guess what. Now I've taken a photo I can tell that I am now using white and I when I started the design I was using B5200! Why didn't I see this last time! Arghhhhhhhhhhhh! I have decided to frog the B5200 as there isn't as much of that!

More snow issues in Lone Elm Lane Snow Angel. I mentioned last time that I was not happy with the colour of the snow and to be honest it's making me not want to continue with this but I most definitely don't want to restart it. The photo makes the snow look much lighter than it is in real life. I wish I'd used white :( I will make myself finish it and see how it looks. 

Angela now has a full body :) Just need to add her eyes and mouth next week and do all the white stitching. Love this sweet design.

Finally some progress on March's Daffodill. I had made a mistake on this but I've sorted it. Not frogged it all but it looks right now!

My afghan is going well. The second block on the second strip is finished and I've also managed a little more of the insertion. I didn't go to craft group this week so block 3 isn't started. 

An envelope arrived from my dear friend Barb this morning. Look what was inside. This is the gorgeous fabric she has been using to back her 12 Days of Christmas. I had asked her about it but when I wanted to order some I couldn't ( don't want to tell the whole story on here but I will just say there are some bad people out there who like to steal your details ). Barb was ordering more for herself and as they had very little left she bought me some too. Thank you so much Barb, that is is so sweet of you {{hugs}}. I'm planning on getting some finishing done either this weekend or next week. 

Barb this is for you :) Taken by me :)

Stitch from Stash is still going well. Since the last report I've spent £1.60 on 2 DMC threads that I had run out of. My proper report and email to Mel will be done next week but so far I'm feeling very proud of myself. OK it's only 2 months but I haven't even been tempted. Usually after just a couple of weeks I'm rocking in a corner desperate for new charts! There are some lovely new things from Nashville Market but I'm still going to be good :) I keep thinking of all the lovely charts I have in my stash to stitch and that keeps me on the straight and narrow!

The weather over here appears to have calmed down. We've had a couple of sunny days up here but oh boy I am so not ready for double figure temperatures! We haven't had a proper winter yet! 

Fingers crossed I will be back after the weekend with some finished finishes! 

Take care everyone.

With much love

Sally xxxx

Title? Can't Think Of One!

Hello from a sunny, frosty, East coast of England.  It's so lovely to wake up to a frosty morning instead of rain. My heart goes out to those who have been affected by flooding and damage from high tides especially those on the Somerset plains who have been under water for weeks with no help until it was too late. I laughed to myself last night seeing army and navy out sandbagging near the Thames. No one helped on the Somerset plains when it was happening there. It's time we stopped sending so much money in aid abroad, especially as 9 times out of 10 it doesn't even reach those who need it, and help our own. We are in a mess here with the economy being the way it is yet all this government want to do is look good overseas. Anyway enough of that. I could probably write a whole post about how I feel about this pompous government of ours and the things they should be doing!

So stitching. Yes I have been. No finishes but plenty of progress. Barb and I continued with Gratitude last Monday and maybe, just maybe, it might be finished tonight. I managed 4 sheep fleeces. Poor little things have no faces or legs but they will come tonight! Next up will be Joyfulness our last lovely sheep.

I made a little more progress on Angela. I would love to get the angel when I pick this up again. I wanted to get the border done as I'm worried there won't be enough thread to finish it. There is supposed to be enough so fingers crossed.

I was in the parlour over at Needlecraft Haven on Wednesday stitching a little on LHN The North Wind. This one has been in my stash for quite a long time now and was a gift from my  dear friend Barb.

My SAL with Shirlee is progressing albeit slowly. I am unsure of the colour of the snow. It is nowhere near the colour of the model and I know the model is done is hand dyed but I think the DMC conversion could have been better. Yes I could have swapped it myself for something better and I still could bit I don't want to frog on 40 count so it'll stay. I'm disappointed though as it's it's not going to show up as well. We live and learn!

Barb and I started another 12 Days on Friday but this time I didn't finish mine. I ran out of 3012 and didn't have any in my spares box so I'll have to finish it next Friday instead.

I've done some knitting. I decided not to start something new in stitching on Saturday evening and picked up my knitting instead.  As I don't want to take the insertion to do at craft group I did some of that. Hmmmm I could not get it to go right. I either did not have enough stitches or had too many but in the end I did make progress and this is my insertion so far.

And this is my next strip which I took to craft group last week.

Finally my progress on March's Daffodil :) I see Karla will be getting the final chart in this series soon. It's just as pretty as the rest of them and I can't wait. That will be my final auto from her and then I just have the Frosty Forest. Of course any autos that were already signed up for are allowed in SFS.

I must say I do have a bit of a gripe with some ONS' who don't let you know when something has been posted until you ask or mention you're on auto. I had no qualms with Karla or Dawn over letting me know when something had been posted but some places well. I'll say no more lol!

I forgot to show these in my last post. Mouse sent me some lovely charms which I absolutely love. Thank you so much Mouse. She also lent me a couple of CCN charts which I must get around to soon.

Well that's it from me for now. Until next time stay safe if you're affected by the storms over here and in the USA.

With much love

Sally xxx

Needlecraft Haven Monthly Challenge

I am finally here with a post I was intent on doing days ago but things happen and you lose your enthusiasm for a little while.

So last month ( I can't believe we are into February already ) the monthly challenge on Needlecraft Haven was to stitch and finish The Little Stitcher Sheep Day. Although it was a very quick stitch I was late in the month starting it and had to rush to finish it so here it is.

Of course I had to stitch this one didn't I? I must look to see what Christine has chosen for us this month.

I have had 5 new starts since my last post and 2 finishes :)

First up  two of the new starts which are also finishes.  These are quick stitches, very sweet and my new SAL with Barb. These are Days 1 and 2 from The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas.  We were going to do one a month but as they stitch up quickly we decided to just do another as we finish each one.

My other SAL with Barb is, of course,  those cute Little Sheep Virtues, and here is Gratitude which we started on Monday.  I wish we weren't coming up to this SAL ending as they have just been so lovely to stitch. 

Another finish that I have been unable to show until now is this which I stitched up as a birthday gift Mouse. I am happy to say she loves it.

M Designs Spring Garden ( from JCS March/ April 2011 )

28 count Count On Me Rose

DMC

Started 12th January 2014

Finished 21st January 2014.

Birthday gift for Mouse

New start no.4 is Cottage Garden Samplings March's Daffodils. Love this already!

Finally new start no.5 is Little House Needleworks The North Wind which I started with the ladies over at NH in the parlour. Not a lot done on it but it's a start.

I picked up Snowflower Diaries Angela again. I hadn't stitched on it since New Year's Day.

Finally on the stitching front is my SAL with Shirlee. I'm getting there with the house and I also now have a dog :) I really need to drop by Shirlee's blog to see how she's doing.

I've also been getting some knitting in. I finished the first strip on my afghan,  started the second strip and made a start on the first insertion strip.  I think I have renewed enthusiasm for this!

Just over a week ago postie brought me an envelope from The Patchwork Rabbit. When I opened it I got such a lovely surprise as someone gifted me these.

LHN Warm Winter Woollens and the threads to stitch it with . I have absolutely no idea who gifted me these so whoever you are thank you from the bottom of my heart. It really lifted my spirits. Look at the note Karla has written at the bottom lol!

I'm still doing well on Stitch from Stash. My purchase of stuffing did not count so up to my last post I had spent nothing :) So far for my next month I've spent 80 p for a skein of DMC I had run out of.

That's it for now. Until next time.

Take care everyone

With much love

Sally xxxx

January SFS

We are almost at the end of January so time to report on my SFS for this month as well as show my finishes, WIPs etc. There are 130 of us taking part in Mel's SFS 2014 and we each have an allowance of $25 a month but I am only going to use that for fabric,  threads and finishing items if I need them.

So if you will just bare with me for a paragraph or two I'll show my finishes etc further down.

I have had three starts from my stash this month so far. I started both Snowflower Diaries Angela and Lone Elm Lane Snow Angel on New Years Day and then Little House Needleworks Little Sheep Virtues Kindness.  I haven't stitched on Angela since my first few stitches but hope to get  back to her soon. I'm a bit disappointed that it's only 3 new starts from my stash but there are a few days left yet to start more lol.

I have worked on several WiPs this month and actually finished 3 of those WIPs as well as finishing one of my stitch from stash starts.

As for buying stash I have been very good. I haven't bought any charts, fabric or thread other than my autos which don't count. I have, however, bought a bag of stuffing at a cost of £7.99.

Admittedly I was desperate to buy myself some stash on the first anniversary of my Dad's passing but I thought it's not going to make me feel any better and I'll just feel a failure as,  even though we have an allowance each month, I don't want to buy new charts when I have all these in my stash.

 

So that's my round up for January's SFS. Onto my finishes now!

Tuesday was my dear friend Chris' birthday and here is what I stitched for her.

Nebby Needle True Friend

36 count flax linen

DMC

Birthday Gift for Chris.

I am happy to say that Chris loves it :)

Last Friday I popped the last stitches into my one of my SALs with Barb. This is Jardin Prive La Pensee Positive which I'm sure you will have seen on many blogs of late. I just love the words on this. I plan on getting a hanger from Sew and So later in the year when I'm need of something else! Barb and I will be starting The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas this Friday :)

Jardin Prive La Pensee Positive

32 count white fabric

DMC

Started 20th September 2013

Finished 17th January 2014

Monday evening and another SAL with  Barb saw me finishing this one. Ignore the year on this. My mind went into 2013 overdrive!

Little House Needleworks Little Sheep Virtues Kindess

32 count vintage country mocha linen

DMC

We'll be starting Gratitude next week :)

Next finish is my December SAL with Chris.  Yes at long last I have finished!  I just love this piece!

Country Cottage Needleworks Silent Night

32 count linen unknown colour

DMC

Started1st December 2013

Finished 21st January 2014

Final finish, which means all 4 that I hoped to get finished are done, is this one! I actually stayed up last night until gone 11pm to finish this! However had Abi and I not been standing at the landing window watching to see where the firemen were earlier on in the evening I wouldn't have had to stay up later! Apparently someone a couple of doors down had accidentally severed an internal gas pipe. Hmmmm could have been very nasty.

Little House Needleworks Song of the Seasons

36 count WDW Straw linen

WDW

Started 8th July 2013

Finished 22nd January 2014.

So that's almost all my WiPs finished. What shall I do now? Of course Snowflower Diaries Angela will be getting some attention and I'll be carrying on with Snow Angel. I want something to replace Song of the Seasons in the parlour at Needlecraft Haven so I'm thinking of starting LHN The North Wind but I will have to change the robin for a British robin! I am also hoping to bet back to the Garden Journal series.

I joined in  the monthly challenge at Needlecraft Haven and Christine chose The Little Stitcher Sheep Day to stitch for January.  It's stitched but I have to make it up yet and have no ideas! Can't show it until reveal day and I hope I get it done before then.

Knitting now. Unfortunately I had to take back the block I was knitting right to the beginning of the pattern. It just would not go right and I was getting ready to scrap the whole thing and sell my wool! Anyway I set off again and managed to knit 20 rows without a problem so took it to craft group and knitted about 26!

So that's all I have to show for now and I'll,  hopefully, be back next week with WiPs to show and a finish that I can't show just yet. I'm feeling really pleased at getting those finishes done before the end of January. Tonight is Snow Angel with Shirlee and I am hoping for no frogs this week! I need to be stitching on winter designs seen as we still don't have snow here. We had a couple of lovely frosty mornings this week but that was it.

Until next time take care everyone.

With much love

Sally xxxx

Some Almost Finishes!

I am queen of the almost finishes this week! You know how it is you can see the finish but it's not quite there yet and no matter now much faster your needle goes it doesn't happen!  However by this time next week I * should * have 3 finishes or maybe even 4! Wow! To  be fair 3 out of those 4 were started last year.

So first almost is Little House Needleworks Song of the Seasons. Just have some leaves etc and the  bottom part of tbe border to do. Hmmmm not sure I can get all that done on my next session on this one but I will try very hard!

Next one is Jardin Prive La Pensee Positive. I am hoping that when I pick this up this evening I can get it done. Barb has finished hers so we'll be starting The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas next Friday :)

Neither Barb or I finished Kindness on Monday but we don't have much more to do so we should get done next Monday then we can start Gratitude.

Look what arrived yesterday!  The last sheep and November's Garden Journal chart. So that's one auto done and one more to go on the garden journal auto.

I also had a couple of bits from Crafty Kitten. Dawn said she could get me some finishing forms when I asked about them on Facebook a while ago and they arrived just before Christmas along with the autographed chart I won on the Norden Crafts Facebook page. As I'd ordered a piece of Winter Skies opalescent fabric I had to wait for it all to be sent to me  but it was paid for in December so does not count as money spent during Stitch From Stash!

I think I went a little off the WIP track there! Here is another one I am hoping to finish soon. My December SAL with Chris. I just have snowflakes to do and finish another bit as I ran out of thread.

Lastly here's my SAL with Shirlee. I had to frog a little last night and, boy, this house seems to be taking forever lol!

I do have the one finish I can show now. Yesterday was my surrogate sis Lisa's birthday and this is what I stitched for her. I changed some of the colours to ones we both like and I added two hand charms to represent hands of friendship. I am happy to say Lisa loves it. I always get in a panic when stitching gifts!

The Primitive Hare Sister Stitcher

36 count flax linen

DMC and DMC Variations

After over a year of being away from it I picked up my knitting this week. Let me tell you it had become so close to going back in the bag! I took it to craft group with me and managed to get a couple of rows done no problem but then ended up having to take a row back and reknit it several times! Then I couldn't work out hkw to do yarn overs before a purl so asked the lady next to me. I got going with it only to discover I was somehow making 2 stitches with my yarn over each time! So I told her what was happening and she got the lady who runs it to help me out. So in two hours I only got 4 rows done! By the time I got sat down late in the afternoon to try it I'd forgotten what she'd shown me but I worked it out in the end!

That's it from me today.  I really must apologise for not visiting and commenting on your blogs. I will get around to it one day!

Take care everyone.

With  much love

Sally xxx

Stitching From Stash Has Begun!

Happy New Year everyone! The New Year is here and stitching from stash is now in full swing! Admittedly the charts I have started haven't been in my stash for long but it's still 3 from my stash! I have had a couple of finishes but can't show them yet. I managed one final finish in 2013 which was this one.

Little House Needleworks Little Sheep Virtues Frindship

32 count Vintage Country Mocha linen

DMC

SAL with Barb.

We both made a start on Kindness this week. I stitched the tree and the wording. Can't believe we only have 2 more to stitch after this one. It has been a brilliant SAL and thank you so much Barb for not only being my stitching buddy but also a very dear friend.  Of course we are still SALing throughout this year as well :)

So my new starts first I think! New Years Day saw me having two new starts. Shirlee and I had decided to pop just a few stitches into Lone Elm Lane Snow Angel on New Years Day then make Thursday our actual day for stitching it. I didn't get a massive amount done and will admit to having a wee crisis with this fabric and wondering if I had made the wrong choice! It is 40 count Newcastle linen in Sand but as I am stitching the Garden Journal pieces on 40 count I should be OK.

My other start was The Snowflower Diaries Angela on 32 count Crafty Kitten Muted Garden opalescent using Nina's Threads and DMC. The lettering isn't showing up too well in this photo but I think it will be OK.

The 5th and final part of La Pensee Positive SAL came out last week so Friday saw Barb and I stitching on that. Here's my progress.  I shall be sorry to see this end but we will still be Friday SALing with The Little Stitcher 12 Days of Christmas. I am looking forward to stitching plenty of Wintery designs this year!

I've been trying to get Little House Needleworks Song of the Seasons finished but when I picked it up last night I stitched the word Autumn then realised it did not line up with Summer! Hmmmm! I checked Winter and it was positioned correctly which meant Autumn was as well. I was a little puzzled to say the least but then discovered that the I in Spring was not right so had to frog Summer and part of Spring!  Thankfully it wasn't too much and it didn't tKe me long to restitch it and carry on. I'm aiming to finish this by the end of the month. 

Finally my December SAL with Chris which is another one I'm hoping to finish by the end of the month. Chris has finished hers.

I'm hoping to get back to a proper rotation soon if I can as it's been a little hit and miss.  I have so much I want to stitch this year while I'm stitching from stash. Also want to get to the  bottom of my finishing pile too. We took some old frames to the charity shop a while ago and I kept one back to frame Curly Q Ewe. Can I find it?! Nope! I will have to have a good look. I thought I'd put it under the bed but.........

Thank you to those of you who voted in the poll in my side bar. There is still time to vote if you would like to. I haven't had a look lately but last time I looked the NYD one winning!

Last Saturday the 4 of us took a trip to Sheffield. We spent a couple of hours in an extremely busy Meadowhall before driving about 10 minutes down the road to the reason for our trip. At the beginning of December DH and I decided to book tickets for Sheffield Arena to see the FIM World Indoor Motorcycle Trials. We all love seeing it on TV so thought what the hell! We had a fantastic evening and what those guys can do with their motorbikes is no body's business! Unfortunately one rider injured his hand/ wrist and was unable to continue. The winner was God knows how many times world champion Tony Bou. He is amazing!

That's all for now. I'll try and get caught up on blogs soon. I've been getting tidied up after taking the Christmas decorations down and the post Christmas blues have now set in and games on my tab seem to be my best friend at the moment and the first anniversary on my Dad's passing is coming up and I have been struggling with that.

Take care everyone wherever you may be and whatever your weather is doing.

With much love

Sally xxxxxx