In My Garden

No that does not mean I have been gardening! I hate to say it but I am not a keen gardener which is why I only have a small raised flower bed in my front garden. I wish I was more into it as I love to see pretty gardens but I'm just not! Which is why this roll from Shepherd's Bush is so pretty as it brings some flowers into my life and beautiful colours:) Unfortunately when I got it all finished up into a roll and was messing with the ribbon to get it right the dragonfly button lost it's tail so I was really disappointed.

Shepherd's Bush In My Garden Roll Kit

Started 14th April 2010

Finished 21st April 2010

Another finish is the Dragon Dreams piece and I got it finished up as a bookmark.

Dragon Dreams Lost Dragon Sampler

25 count fabric

DMC, Caron Waterlilies, GAST

Started 2nd April 2010

Finished 14th April 2010

I've also finished the scissor fob to go with the LHN Needle and Thread scissor bed but I haven't got the braiding done yet to sew on so will show that another time.

Onto my WIPs now and at the moment I only have three! My 10 stitches a day on Chatelaine Spring Morning just aren't happening at the moment. I just can't seem to get myself motivated to pick it up again yet but I'm sure I will eventually. This is my progress on At Home with Jane Austen by The Sampler Girl which I'm doing as SAL with Barb, Hazel, Lesleyanne and Tracy. I have done more since this pic was taken yesterday as I've had a change round of my rotation and will be stitching on this on Thursdays now.

I did have a good go on Shores this weekend , my SAL with Jane and Nicki, so I'm really pleased. Block 3 seemed to take forever but it's now finished and block 4 is well on the way. The lettering seemed to go really well on this block after a bit of a shaky start!

Finally a little more progress on Just a Thought Sampler Garden Casket. I'm really enjoying this as it's such a simple stitch and so pretty. I'm looking forward, though, to getting onto stitching other bits of it.

While I think on I have added the two JN charts I've stitched recently as well as the LHN to my for sale blog if anyone is interested :)

You may remember I ordered a couple of small Shepherd's Bush kits from Fobbles back in February. Well I'm still waiting! This is not Fobbles fault by any shape or from as they thought they'd have it in by mid march but are still waiting for it to arrive from Shepherd's Bush. Oh well it's not like I don't have anything to stitch in the meantime!! Lol!

Hasn't it been a lovely week here in the UK for all it's been very chilly first thing in a morning and at night?

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Hugs

Sally

xx

My Lovely Scissors :)

I had a very lovely pick me up through the post day today as I received the gorgeous scissors I won in Susan's giveaway. My picture really does not do them justice as they are so pretty and lovely to use. Thank you so much Susan. I plan to stitch this in pinks to match the scissors to keep them safe. I bought it the other week after seeing it stitched up on Su's blog.

No finishes in this post but I am moving along quite nicely with my WIPs. I laughed at the comments on my last post about the mermaid being buried in the garden on Shores!! I told Abi and when she looked she said " Mum have you run over her with the car?!!!" lol. Anyway now she is safe and sound in the sea, no more looking like she's buried!!! This block is almost finished and, hopefully, will be when I pick it up next time!

Barb, Hazel, Lesleyanne, Tracy and I started our Sampler Girl At Home with Jane Austen SAL last week and here's my start. I am loving this and this design will be the start of my Jane Austen wall :) I chose to stitch mine on 36 count flax linen and I'm using mostly DMC with a couple of Crescent Colours.

My Sampler Garden Casket is going well. This is the casket end and one side with the next end just started ( birds legs!!) I really hope I can do this piece justice when it comes to the making up!

Finally look at the cute little dragon at the bottom of this piece! Lol! This is Dragon Dreams Lost Dragon Sampler. I have actually finished this piece since I took the photo but will get it made up before I show it again.

And I'm afraid I had another small new start but no piccie of that either. I started a Shepherd's Bush needleroll!!

I was supposed to be going through to meet Chris on Friday this week but I've had to cancel due to not feeling well and as it was Chris had to cancel too so we'll rearrange for another time. We were both looking forward to it too.

Hopefully I will be back with my finished up dragon piece soon and maybe even a needleroll! Who knows!! Lol!

Take care everyone!

Hugs

Sally
xx

A Lovely Package and a Finish!

 I received a lovely prize package from Robin this week:) She well and truly spoilt me with everything and it well and truly made my week. Just look at the lovelies she sent! I amost lost the cute pincushion as Abi took a liking to it! Thank you so much Robin. I LOVE everything!

This week I had another finish and that was Little House Needleworks Needle and Thread. I absolutely loved stitching this. I love the verse, the colours, everything! I took a piccie of it before I stitched it onto the Impie Hattie and Bea scissor bed too.

Little House Needleworks Needle and Thread

32 count linen

Gentle Arts Sampler Thread

Time now for my weekly WIPs. I do hope you're not getting sick of seing Shores yet! It's going to be a long process stitching this and block 3 seems to be taking forever!! I'm afraid the mermaid has no water to swim in yet so I hope she'll be Ok! Lol!

Last week I started Dragon Dreams The Lost Dragon Sampler. I am stitching this over one on 25 count fabric so I'm having to adapt it a little. I want to make it into a bookmark.

I have done almost half of one side of the Sampler Garden Casket. I do love this piece. It's so pretty with few colours.

Finally just to prove that I have been stitching on Chatelaine Spring Morning here's a picture! I haven't been managing my 10 stitches a day this last week but I will get back to it next week when everything settles down again.

Today is the start of our SAL! Barb, Hazel, Tracy, Lesleyanne and I are stitching The Sampler Girl At Home with Jane Austen. I have been looking forward to this and have made a small start on it but no picture yet. I'll take one for my next post!

Well that's all for now. Thank you for continuing to visit my blog and for all your lovely comments. I love your visits and reading your comments. Makes blogging worthwhile:)

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Sally

xxxx

Building a House

Yes that's what I've been doing! Building a house on my CSH Shores of Hawk Run Hollow! I absolutely love block 3 and although there is a lot of stitching in this block I'm not phased by it at all and am really enjoying it. I would love this to be my house!

As I mentioned in my last post I basted my fabric for Just a Thought Sampler Garden Casket and this is what I managed to stitch on Sunday and Monday. This will eventually be one of the casket ends.

Finally more progress on LHN Needle and Thread. I have actually done more on this since I took this picture and love it. It's so quick and easy as there are only a few colours.

I have been so lucky of late as I have won three blog giveaways. You may remember that first off I won Christine's giveaway, then the one Robin had on her blog and now I have won Susan's giveaway for a pair of gorgeous pink scissors! I am so excited by the prospect of receiving these gifts! Thank you so much to all three ladies. I will be having a giveaway of my own within the next month or so when I decide what it's going to be!

Finally thank you so much for all the lovely comments you left on my finishes in my last post! I do love your comments and treasure each and everyone of them.

Have wonderful Easter!

Hugs

Sally

xx

December SAL Finally Finished!!!

First of all I just want to say a huge thank you for all the lovely comments on my BBD stocking finish in my last post. It really lifts my spirits to get such wonderful comments. I am hoping that the recipient will like it as much as you all did and I do:) I will be stitching this again for myself and will more than likely do the beaded edge again.

Back on 1st December last year Chris and I embarked on our second December SAL. Well Chris finished hers ages ago and I have been a little slow with mine but at long last I put the final few stitches into it on Friday so here it is!

Blue Ribbon Designs Peppermint Twist

40 count own coffee dyed linen

DMC threads

Started 1st December 2009

Finished 26th March 2010.

I have thoroughly enjoyed stitching this gorgeous piece and plan on making it up into a hanging pinkeep ( yes another one!!). Thanks Chris for another brilliant SAL and looking forward to out next December SAL!

My other finish which I mentioned on my last post is Just Nan 4 Wishes which was one of my new starts for the new year as part of a Just Nan SAL with the girls from Stitch and Stash. As you know I've had this in my stash for years so am pleased to have finally got it out and stitched it. This is another piece I absolutely love and I can't wait to get it up on the wall.

Just Nan 4 Wishes

28 count raw linen

DMC threads

Started 4th January 2010

Finished 24th March 2010

Finally I have a little new start. I was at a bit of a loose end on Thursday evening as I couldn't finish Peppermint Twist as I ran out a thread I needed. So I decided to start Little House Needleworks Needle and Thread. I am using the suggested fabrics for both the scissor mattress and the fob. It's only a tiny start :) but it has wetted my appetite! Lol!

I spent all afternoon today basting my fabric so I could start Just a Thought Sampler Garden Casket. Oh what fun that was!!! Lol! Anyway it's done and I made a tiny start.

It's the Easter holidays for my girls! Jess has been home from uni for a week and Abi finished school on Friday. It's good to have them both together for a while.

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend!

Take care

Hugs

Sally
xxx

February's Violets

I have another little finish today! This cute little stocking should have really have been finished last week and in the post but I was so wary of stitching it up. Don't get me wrong the instructions with the chart are brilliant but it's just me when I come to making up a new shape and stuff. Anyway I decided to do a beaded edge on it and I am quite happy with how it looks.

Blackbird Designs February's Violets from Love is in the Air

30 count fabric

DMC and GAST

I just have a couple of WIP pics to show now. I do have another finish but it was dark by the time I finished it so I couldn't get a decent picture so will save that for another post. Friday and Saturday, as usual, were spent stitching on Shores. I decided I'd had enough of the white so filled in some of the colour. I do like the look of this block and am really looking forward to stitching more on it this week.

I am very close to finishing BRD Peppermint Twist so am going to stitch on it tomorrow to try and get it finished. I have done a little bit more since I took this piccie.

I am thinking of maybe starting Just a Thought Sampler Garden Casket next to replace Peppermint Twist on a Sunday evening and Barb, Hazel and I are hopefully starting The Sampler Girl At Home with Jane Austen on 9th April and I'm really looking forward to that. I am enjoying my stitching so much these days:)

I have received this lovely sunshine award from Claire Thank you so much Claire :) I am supposed to pass this award on to 12 bloggers but I am going to be very naughty and not do that but will say that it's for all the bloggers out there who I visit as there are so many wonderful, inspiring bloggers out there.

I am steadily catching up on blogs again and love seeing what you are all stitching. I get so inspired.

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my humbug finish:)

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Sally

xx

A Little Bit of Winter in Spring

Lisa and I started Just Nan Winter Heart Humbug last week and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed stitching this piece. I just love everything about it especially those Rhodes Hearts in the middle of the snowflakes. They are so pretty in GAST Jasmine. The making up was very easy too although I did read and re-read the instructions and keep checking as I was stitching it up just to make doubly sure! So here it is, front and back view:) I think I may have overstuffed it as it doesn't quite sit right but I do love this.

Just Nan Winter Hearts Humbug

28 count cashel pearl flecked white linen

DMC, GAST, Beads

Started 16th March 2010

Fnished 19th March 2010

I will be back later in the week with my WIPs and maybe another finish. BRD Peppermint Twist is close to being finished so I'm going to get that out again tomorrow then once that's finished I'll stitch on JN 4 Wishes for a couple of nights until that is finished. Then I can have some new starts!! Lol! And you will not believe what had been out today! Lisa was saying she was doing 10 stitches a day on her personalised sampler and I asked if I could join her in doing 10 a day on............... wait for it................ no Julie, sorry it's not the Christmas mystery......................... it's Chatelaine Spring Morning!! I dutifully popped 10 stitches in today but carried on and did a few more but, woe is me, I discovered a mistake I'd made the last time I stitched on it ( nearly 2 years ago!!!!) and ended up frogging all I'd put in today and more! Lol! However I did put at least 10 back in so that's OK!!

I had a wonderful start to Monday as I discovered I'd won a giveaway on Robin's blog. I am so excited to be one of the lucky winners and it certainly cleared that Monday morning feeling! Thank you Robin!

Have a great week everyone!

Hugs

Sally
xx

A Roll for March

Another small finish, this time my Shepherd's Bush roll for March. You may remember Chris and I did a SAL last year and decided to keep going this year. I hope you will not be fed-up of seeing this one as this is the 4th time I've stitched it but it will now be the last! Lol! This one is for my collection this time :) I did not have any heart charms left so I added a butterfly charm instead and it's also a little thinner as I somehow I managed to cut my fabric too small ( oooops!) but it looks OK thankfully!

Shepherd's Bush Friendship Roll

blue fabby from stash- no idea what it is!

DMC and Mill Hill beads

Started 15th March 2010

Finished 16th March 2010

I've been getting along quite nicely with my WIPs and, for once, CHS Shores went without a hitch this time. That means no frogging!!! Yay! No frogging makes Sally a happy stitcher!! Lol! I reckon this block may take me a while but having seen Nicki's almost finished will spur me on as it's such a pretty block.

Next up was Sunday ( Mother's Day) and a semi- lazy day sat with my lovely two girls was spent stitching. The girls had bought Final Fantasy XIII between them so spent their time taking it in turns to play that until Jess went back to uni! So BRD Peppermint Twist is quite close to being finished and I just LOVE it! I love the colours and everything about this piece. This was my December SAL with Chris ( we've already decided on our next December SAL!!!) and she finished hers ages ago but I'm afraid I'm lagging behind!

Another piece I am hoping to finish very soon ( can I do it for the end of March???) is Just Nan 4 Wishes. This is another one I absolutely love and for all I struggle a bit with the linen and have had to frog the border more times than I care to remember I enjoy stitching it. It's such a fresh, bright, cheerful design and it makes me smile everytime I look at it.

Finally two small WIPs that I have recently started. Lisa and I decided to SAL with Just Nan Winter Hearts Humbug and once we got all our supplies together we decided to start yesterday so after tea I sat and made a start. Unfortunately the picture does not show what a pretty piece this is. I love the colours and the sparkly fabby just adds to it. I think I'll be stitching more on this tonight.

Last week I made a start on one of the stockings from Blackbird Designs Love is in the Air. This one is February Violets and it's so pretty. I need to get this finished soon as it's for a gift but I'm safe to show it as the lady doesn't read my blog!

Thank you to those of you who have purchased charts from me and also traded with me. I recently did trades with Christine and Michelle, thank you so much ladies. In the piccie you can see The Sampler Girl Jane Austen Sampler Stocking which I traded with Christine for and The Sampler Girl Good Tidings with Jane Austen and 32 count linen were from a trade with Michelle.

Finally I have received this lovely blog award from Belinda, Carol and Elaine  I am very honoured to have received this award from these ladies as they are all incredibly talented. Thank you so much ladies {{{{hugs}}}}

Here's how the award works. The rules are simple:

1. One must accept the award


2. Thank the person who gave you the award


3. Add a link to the person who gave you the award


4. Paste the award on your blog


5. Write 10 things about yourself that others might not know


6. Pass the award on to 10 others

This is going to very difficult to write 10 things about myself as I'm an incredibly boring person but I'll give it a go! Lol

1. I have never been out of the UK but would dearly love to one day.
2. The place I would love to visit the most is Canada closely followed by New Zealand.
3. I never wanted children but am so glad I changed my mind.
4. I have a thing about angels and believe we all have one looking out for us.
5. In between having my two daughters I had a miscarriage ( although medical staff said it couldn't be termed as one) due to a blighted ovum.
6. I actually prefer being at home to going away somewhere, although I do enjoy it once we are away but it's always nice to come home.
7. This one you probably already know but I like to try and stitch every day even if it's only for half an hour. It's my way of relaxing.
8. I absolutely love listening to music. When everyone else is out I always have music on. At the moment I'm listening to Pixie Lott.
9. I love the Terry Pratchet novel The Hogfather from the Discworld series. I have the DVD although I'm yet to sit and watch it as it disappeared into Abi's bedroom when it arrived and I've not seen it since!
10. If I live to be 100 I will still probably not stitch everything I have in my stash!

Phew! Now to the even more difficult bit and that's passing the award on to 10 others as there are so many wonderful ladies out there. Anyway here goes.

Chris, Lesley, Harmien, Dovile, Becky, Christine, Hazel, Vonna, Wendy and Barb

Well that's it from today! I'm off to get some lunch, catch up on blogs then maybe stitch a bit before I go on the Wii Fit. I'm proud of myself as I have lost about half a stone since I started using it:)

Take care everyone.

Hugs

Sally
xxx

It's a Fob!

What's this, another blog post this week??? It's so rarely seen from me these days that I've surprised myself! And the reason for this is another finish. Yes I do sleep ( Christine!!) but this one was quick to stitch and easy to finish and it complete's the trio of stitchy accessories.

Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Fob

Stitched as kitted.

My cording leaves a lot to be desired but I am, nevertheless, really pleased with this.

I have updated my For Sale list so please take a look. Everything must go!!! Lol! I am open to offers and willing to trade for fabric or threads as well.

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my previous post. I love getting comments so really appreciate them all:)

Take care everyone!

Hugs

Sally

xx

Been Doing Some Finishing!

Well I was intent on blogging sooner but I was kind of putting off mounting my With My Needle Quaker Hornbook onto the hornbook incase I made a mess of it but now it's done and dry and I've also finished up something I stitched in 2007 I am here!

So, without further ado, here is my Quaker Hornbook!

With My Needle Quaker Hornbook

36 count flax linen

DMC Variations 4120

This was a lovely, quick stitch with my absolute favourite DMC Variation ( well who doesn't love red?!!! Lol! ).

Back in 2007 I stitched La D La Love is Patient and it's been in my stitching drawer ever since as I didn't really know what to do with it ( yes shame on me!). Anyway the other day I came across it and decided I really must do something with it. I didn't want to frame it so I decided on a hanging pinkeep type finish with a gathered ribbon edge. I used two colours of ribbon. I have to say I am delighted with the way this turned out.

Now onto my WIPs. Shores came out to play again Friday/ Saturday and block two was duely finished and block three started. Guess what??? I made the same mistake on block three that I did on blocks one and two. One stitch short on the border!!! I seriously need to learn to count! Anyway I had to frog all the white on the right hand side and the chimney on the house at the same side but thankfully I did get it all resitched!

Sunday I decided on Blue Ribbon Designs Peppermint Twist and made a little progress. I do love this piece even though I have made a boo boo on it and did not realise until I was stitching the cardinal's legs and realised I should have stitched the border of two of the snowflake borders the same colour! Anyway they are staying as they are!! I'm being a rebel! Lol!

Last night was JN SAL night and you may or may not notice on the piccie that I've missed the last band on the Summer bit and that is because I did not have enough DMC 932 to even start it! So I really need to remember that I have to go back to that! I have loads of DMC but none of that colour spare! How typical is that? Lol!

Last week I had another new start. Now that I've stitched Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Purse I couldn't resist starting the fob to go with it. This piccie is pre today's stitching so I've finished this bit of it barring the beads and made a start on the other side but ended up frogging what I'd stitched on there because I did it in the wrong colour!! Lol! I sometimes actually wonder why I bother stitching!!!! But I enjoy it and I have some beautiful pieces at the end of it so I think that's good enough reason!!!

I've also had some new stash this week. I really shouldn't have but I've been good for quite some time and the stuff I ordered from Fobbles ( not arrived yet as they were out of stock but should be arriving any time soon) I had the money for. Anyway in the piccies are Little House Needleworks Needle and Thread with CC threads and Impie, Hattie and Bea Scissor Bed and Pin Pillow and Blackbird Designs Love in the Air stockings chart with GAST and CC threads needed for those and the JN humbug Lisa and I are going to be stitching. One of the stockings will be stitched for a gift.

Well that's all my news for now. A huge thank you for all the lovely comments you left on my BRD Winter Wingding finish. I had some new commentors which is always so lovely as I love finding new blogs to visit. Thank you for your continued visits and comments. I treasure each and every one of you xxx

Hugs

Sally

xx