Ornament Exchange with Chris

Not as an amusing title today as the other day lol! My snowman is still headless and handless and the owl still blind but next Wednesday they should be better! Thank you for all your lovely comments. 

Yesterday Chris came for the afternoon and we had a lovely afternoon chatting, having cuppas and buns I'd made fresh that day. We were good and only had one each! The last few years we've done a private ornament exchange and this year was no exception. This is my ornament for Chris which I've happy to say she loved.

JBW Designs Love & Joy

35 count white fabric

DMC

Started 19th November 2011

Finished 27th November 2011

For Chris

And this is what Chris stitched for me which I absolutely love! I don't have any stockings on my tree so this is perfect and it's a Blackbird Designs too:) Thank you so much Chris xxx

On Thursday I stitched a bit more on Tra La La Snowman , the December SAL with Chris and Lesleyanne, which I love! My snowman addiction is well and truly coming out again lately!

Last night I finished a gift which I can't show yet and then picked up Renato Parolin Joy again and am hoping to have it finished tonight while I watch Strictly Come Dancing. I've never watched it before until this series as it's always been X factor for me but I'd rather watch Strictly and would love Harry to win!

Finally here's Father Christmas again with days 9 & 10 of my lovely advent calendar from Lisa. Yesterday was the SB Red Snowman chart ( a must stitch in 2012!) and today was some gorgeous silver Madeira metallic thread:) Thank you so much Lisa {{{{hugs}}}}.

That's all for today! I'm getting excited for my birthday and at last I'm getting excited for Christmas! I thought I was going to feel numb about it right through ( won't go into detail here as I've written about it on my other blog) so am happy to start feeling excited!

Take care everyone.

Until next time.........

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxx

It's The Headless, Handless Snowman and The Blind Owl

Before you think I've totally lost the plot ( well I did say I was stitching from my chart stash for the first 6 months of 2012 so I probably have!) and call the men in white coats I'd better explain that title! Actually I'll let the picture explain.

See????? I was taking this picture earlier and Abi said it looked creepy!!! Poor snowman. Poor owl! How can he find his next meal??? Will he manage to last until next Wednesday when I stitch French Knots so he can see?! Oh I think I need some therapy! I am seriously beginning to think that I should not be let loose with needle and thread after more mistakes and more frogging this week. On this one I started stitching the snowman's coat too far down and had to frog! {{{sigh}}} I hope my surrogate sis Lisa had more luck!!! I did get a good evening in on this though as I enjoy stitching it so much.

Monday Barb and I were stitching on The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock and I decided to make a start on the row of trees. Did the first two then went to start the third and thought something is not right here!!!! I'd made a mistake on the "I" in Christmas which meant that the gap between the second and third trees was smaller than it should be. Needless to say I left it!

Jane came out on Tuesday evening again with dear Barb and as far as I know I didn't make a mistake on that ( famous last words!!!). I hope to have this lovely piece finished either next week or the week after.

I picked up my Shepherd's Bush Family Sampler from the framers on Tuesday. I am very happy with the way it's turned out seen as we had a hard time deciding on mounts and a frame. I'm sorry for today's crappy photos but it's been so dull all day. You can click on them to make them bigger:)

Here's Father Christmas showing off days 5 to 8 of my advent calendar from my surrogate sis Lisa. A very cute photo bookmark in which I'm going to put the photo of Lisa and I from our stitching day back in August, a very pretty Vikki Clayton silk thread, a lovely blue DMC Variations thread and a gorgeous piece of Christmassy material:) 

I've been a good girl today! I told myself that I wasn't allowed to do a blog post or look at Facebook until I'd finished the ornament for Chris for our exchange and a Christmas gift and I did then both!!!! Lol! 

I'm going to have a quick catch up on blogs now then cook tea for Abi and I. My DH is working late tonight although I was kind of hoping that the check would be abandoned due to the high winds. We haven't got it as bad here as further up north. Scotland has well and truly been battered and I hope all my stitching friends up there are safe.

Take care everyone and stay warm.

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxx

Welcome December!

December is my favourite time of year as it's such a magical month. Apart from it being Christmas it is also my birthday a week tomorrow so it's extra special for me. I love the magic of the season but I find myself quite stressed in the run up but come Christmas Eve when everything is done and we can relax I start to enjoy things a little more.

I've been missing in action for a week as DH had the week off and we've been Christmas shopping. Thankfully it's all but done now. I have been stitching but not as much as usual as by the time we've got home, had tea, done bits on the PC and finally got relaxed time has been getting on. So I'll catch up now on what I have stitched. All WIPs except one finish as I can't show the others.

Monday was Christmas Carol SAL night with dear Barb. I didn't get much done and honestly don't think it's going to get finished in time. I decided to frog the snow and try DMC B5200 as it's a much brighter white but I have to finish frogging and restitch it yet!

Tuesdays are Jane days with Barb at the moment. I was horrified to realise that I have messed up on this one but there's too much to frog so it's staying as it is. I started the word meetings too far across but as I'd got the whole of the verse, the top and  below the word stitched before I realised there's no way it's coming out!

Another SAL ( I'm doing 4 at the moment!!!!) is with my surrogate sis Lisa and it's L*K 6 Fat Men. We are both on Snow Friends and loving this piece so much.

My final SAL is the December SAL with Chris and Lesleyanne. Chris and I started this tradition a few years ago and this time the design we're stitching is Tra La La Snowman and Lesleyanne is stitching Lizzie*Kate 2010 Snowman. Loving the Tra La La Snowman already! Looking forward to seeing how Chris and Lesleyanne have got on.

Final stitching is my finish of Renato Parolin Love and start of Joy.

1st December meant I could start on my personalised advent calendar which my surrogate sis Lisa made up for me. I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying opening these gifts each day. Here is our Father Christmas showing the first 4 days gifts :)

Day 1 was the Shepherd's Bush Merry Be chart. Lisa stitched and finished this beautifully recently :). Day 2 was a very cute Sharpie highlighter. Day 3 was a Wish chocolate ( yummy!) and today was some lovely Kiwi Illusions fabric:)

If all goes to plan Chris is coming through on Friday afternoon which I am really looking forward to. I'm hoping to have her ornament made up by then so I can give it to her.

I was reading my dear friend Michelle's blog and noticed that she was planning on having a new start at Christmas and that is Plum Street Samplers Christmas Tea. I have loved this design since it came out so emailed Michelle to see if she'd mind me stitching along with her and she said she would love it:) So I've just ordered the chart from 123 Stitch ( never ordered from them before but have heard good reports about them) along with a couple of Crescent Colours threads. I'm using cotton as opposed to the silks as I just can't afford those. I'm really looking forward to starting it ( please postal service get it to me in time!) as I love settling down with something to stitch on Christmas evening.

Lisa and I were chatting yesterday and she asked if I had a new start planned for New Years Day. I said I'd like to start something as I have the last few years and she mentioned she might start something small like the Kelmscott Designs Miniature Monogram Hornbook-Margin Marker which I have so we've decided to start that! That is if I've decided on a thread colour by then :) Lol!

Now I'm thinking I have finally lost the plot as I've decided to stitch from my chart stash from 1st January to 30th June 2012! Yes I know I'm crazy. I've tried this before and failed but this time I am determined to make it work and get my chart stash down a bit. I buy new then the older stuff goes to the bottom of the pile and it's such a shame as I have some lovely charts. Lisa is possibly joining me. The only thing I will be buying is the 3rd BBD Loose Feathers chart as I'm on auto for that. It was supposed to be released this month but I think it might be late seen as the 2nd one was. So I'm going to ask y'all to encourage me please!

That's all for now! I have loads of finishing to do so thinking I might do some tomorrow once I've done some housework . Who invented that dreaded thing???? Lol!

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxx



Winter Sampler

I stitched up a little thank you for Lisa S for very kindly sending me the fabric to make a pouch for LHN Travelling Stitcher. Not only was there enough fabric for a pouch and a needle case but also enough for me to make another set to send to my surrogate sis Lisa. I searched Lisa S's blog to see if she'd stitched this one or been sent it in an exchange and as she hadn't I set on to stitch it! I added our initials to the back. I am very happy to say that Lisa has received it safely and loves it:)

Little House Needleworks Winter Sampler

32 count Permin Amber Linen

DMC

Started 1st November 2011

Finished 4th November 2011

Thank you gift for Lisa S

Wednesday evening was SAL night with my surrogate sis Lisa. My DH, Abi and I were at school for a while at the GCSE Celebration evening then I stitched when we got home just after 8.30 pm. I am catching up on blog reading as I type and saw Marylin's WIP of it and realised I shouldn't have stitched up all the border on Snow Friends. I am so damned cross with myself and wonder sometimes why I bother stitching at all! Thankfully it's not a lot to frog so I might do it when I've finished catching up so that I don't forget! 

Typing of my surrogate sis Lisa she told me to look out for a box from her this last week. Of course I missed the postie by about 15 minutes so had to wait until the next day to see what it was. Lisa said I could open the box then read the card on the top. I was very intrigued! When I opened it my first thought was why have I got all these parcels! Then when I read the card I was even more gobsmacked. It's my very own, personalised advent calendar! I cannot tell you how touched I am that Lisa did this for me and how excited I am for the 1st December! Thank you so much Lisa. I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful gift.

I've been doing a little secret stitching so just have Renato Parolin Love to show. I just love red thread on white fabric. I'm hoping to maybe get more stitched on this tonight.

Thursday is 1st December ( where on earth did November go???) so it'll be December SAL time with Chris and Lesleyanne. Chris and I decided on a design no sooner had we finished the last one! Lesleyanne is stitching L*K Snowman 2010. I am hoping that Chris will be OK to start as she had a cortisone injection on Wednesday for Tennis Elbow and was in a lot of pain.I have decided to stitch mine on Cobblestone linen as I think the colours will really pop on it. Here's my fabric with the threads I'm going to use. I decided on a mixture of DMC, Carrie's Creations, GAST and Crescent Colours. There should also be a darker green that I haven't decided on yet!

Thank you for all lovely comments on my Winter Band Sampler finish. I'm hoping to get it made up soon so that I can get it on display.

I'm going to catch up on blogs now and see what lovelies you've all been stitching. No doubt I will end up being enabled as well! 

Have a great week everyone!

Take care

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

Winter Band Sampler

I got rather excited at craft club yesterday as I thought I'd finished Winter Band Sampler just before I left. One of the ladies was admiring it when I realised I still had 6 stitches ( individual ones for snow) left to do! So last night before I picked up my TSG I popped those in and it is now finished!

Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler

32 count tea dyed evenweave

DMC

Started 18th October 2011

Finished 22nd November 2011

SAL with Lesleyanne and Angela.

I'm not sure how I'm going to finish this just yet but as I've got three things lined up to finish as pin keeps I think I'd better think of something different! The chart is now for sale ( or trade)

I stitched a little bit more on CCN Snowflake Serenade since my last blog post. I was a little iffy at my choice of fabric but now I'm happy with it as the snow will show up very nicely. Frosty is looking a little strange at the moment!

I did make a start on one of the ornaments from that page I showed in the JCS ornament issue. I nearly got it stitched on Saturday but just have a little bit more to do. I can't show it as it's for my exchange with Chris which we do every year now :)

I finally finished the house on The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock on Monday evening. I made a start on the wording and love how it's looking now. I'm stitching this with Barb who has lots done so do go over and have a look at her blog to see hers. Unless I get a move on I can't see me finishing it for Christmas! I am still worried about the white so I may change some of the colours of the flowers etc on it so that they show up better.

Finally yesterday was a Jane Day for Barb and I with Good Tidings with Jane Austen. I won't be at craft club next week but the week after I might take this with me seen as I've finished WBS. Although I do still have two SB ornaments that I'd like to get stitched for my tree before Christmas as well as numerous other things! Will I ever learn!

I've taken my Shepherd's Bush Family Sampler to my trusty framer today for framing. I should have it back in a week or so:)

Right I am going for a quick catch up on blog reading then I think I'll stitch for a bit!

Take care everyone and Happy Thanksgiving  to all my American friends:)

Lots of love and hugs

Sally 

xxxx

Peace

This stitching what I want for 3 evenings a week is pretty good!! Lol! OK so I'm stitching what I want all week but now that I've finished The Sanctuary and AotH is on hold I'm stitching stuff that I've wanted to do for ages and not done. Then I can do Christmas stuff too without being last minute!

Anyway I finished up this beauty on Thursday evening.

Renato Parolin Peace

DMC 321

32 count white evenweave

Started 12th November

Finished 17th November

Then I made a small start on this one.

Wednesday evening was my SAL night with my surrogate sister Lisa ( thank God for my surrogate sister. We've been online friends for many years and I love her to bits). I had a visit from the frog as last week I'd run out of B5200 so moved onto the rabbit. Unfortunately I'd miscounted and left one row too many and didn't realise until after I'd stitched all the bunny so out he had to come! He did get restitched and I forgive him as he's so cute!

I was told I had to start this last night! I just hope I've made the right choice of fabby.

On FB I'm in a group called The Superstar Serial Starters and Divine Disciplined Divas Club and I posted asking if it was bad that I wanted to start loads from stash! Of course the question was asked what did I want to start! One of them was Country Cottage Needleworks Snowflake Serenade and Paula ( I won't link to her blog as it looks as though it's one of the ones that has been hacked recently) said I had to start it and do as I'm told! Lol! What's a girl to do? Seriously there is no hope for me at all but at least it keeps my mind off things:)

DH is at work today and Abi is out with friends so my plan is to have a stitching day and start one of these.

I had some rather nice post yesterday. I won this on Rowyn's blog. I absolutely love this and once I get my Christmas/ Winter stitching done I want to start this. Thank you so much Rowyn. I'll be passing this on when I've stitched it.

I was admiring a finish on Suzanne's blog a while ago and it was from a JCS mag so I asked which one. Suzanne kindly offered me to send the mag as she'd been sent it by Rowyn and she didn't want it back. When I opened the envelope I realised that I'd actually had this magazine from when I originally had it on order through my newsagent and sold it! I guess my tastes have changed since 2005! Anyway here's the mag.

And this is what I saw stitched on Suzanne's blog and fell in love it.

Thank you so much Suzanne! I hope you received my email :) Again I'll be passing the mag on when I've stitched the CHS piece :)

Almost forgot I did a little more finishing. As usual the SB ornament is plain and I finally got By the Light of the Moon done!

Finally Abi will probably kill me for this but here's a photo of her blowing the candles out on her cake on Wednesday!

Off to stitch in a bit! Have a great weekend everyone!


Love & hugs


Sally
xxxx

It's A Needle Case!

After my sort of success at making my pouch for LHN Travelling Stitcher I decided to finish stitching the needle case and have a go at making that up on Sunday. This time I decided not to add any wadding like I did with the pouches as the extra bit of thickness made it difficult to sew on my machine. I have to say that I am really pleased with how it turned out. I have sewn the design onto the outside of the case rather than on the inside. I also made one for Lisa to go with the pouch I made.

Little House Needleworks Travelling Stitcher Needle Case

32 count white evenweave

Crescent Colours

Started 3rd November 2011

Finished 11th November 2011

I don't have any other finishes to show at the moment just a few WIPs. You know me I like to have a different one for each night on the go if I can lol! I have to admit that now Jane and I have decided to put AotH on hold until the New Year I feel like I have some freedom. Crazy isn't it but I think I'm falling out of love with long term projects at the moment so I may make some changes to my stitching in 2012 and not do any big pieces once AotH is finished.

So I now have 3 evenings free to stitch on whatever I feel like so on Saturday evening once the needle case was done I picked this beauty up. Not that you can see much yet but it's Renato Parolin Peace from Peace, Love, Joy. I'll be stitching all 3 and hopefully finishing them in a similar way to the photo on the chart. I'm stitching them on 32 count white evenweave with DMC 321.

I've been stitching up quite a snow storm on Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler both on Sunday evening and at craft club yesterday morning. I wasn't feeling terribly chatty whilst I was there but it was good to get out amongst company for a couple of hours.

Do you think I'll be getting sick of Winter/ Christmas designs??? No I don't either. Winter is my favourite time of year and my favourite designs to stitch and I don't really care what time of year I stitch them! So my next two WIPs are Christmas ones. First off that darn house on The Primitive Hare Christmas Carol Sock is DONE! Well actually I thought it was done until I was putting my chart away and realised I had chimneys to stitch! It's nearly there though. One thing I'm worried about here is that the white is not going to show up but I don't want to start again on darker fabric now so it'll have to do!

Finally last night was my other SAL with Barb and Jane Tuesday:) I really didn't want to put this away last night and could have quite happily carried on stitching well into the night!

I have made a boo boo with my iStitch Mystery SAL and now won't be mounting it into my DMC box :( I stitched it over one on 25 count knowing it would turn out quite small but I thought I could use trim to fill the gap. However I started stitching it too far over so haven't left enough fabric! Duh! So I'll have to rethink and find something else to stitch for the box.

It's Miss Abi's 17th birthday today so Jess is coming home later today then has be back for 4 pm tomorrow as she has a lecture. I can't believe my youngest baby is 17! She has grown into a beautiful young woman and we are so very proud of her.

Oh and my blogoversary has been and gone again! I'm amazed that I've kept up this blog for 5 years. I have "met" some of the most fantastic people all over the world and I treasure you all. No blogoversary giveaway just yet but I will sort something soon.

That's all from me today! Thank you for all the wonderful comments that you leave for me. I love getting and reading them :)

iStitch Mystery SAL

Last night I finished off the iStitch Mystery SAL. It has been great fun stitching this SAL over the past few months and I just want to say a huge thank you to Carol for designing and organising it. Anyway here's my finish. I'm going to mount it in the top of my DMC box soon.

iStitch Mystery SAL

25 count lugana

Victorian Motto Thread

Started 13th August 2011

Finished 11th November 2011

Another little finish is this sweet freebie from Sharon at It's Daffycat. Thank you Sharon for this sweet freebie. If any of you haven't seen it yet pop on over to Sharon's blog where you can find her email to request a copy:) I loved stitching this up as it didn't take very long and it's a cute design. I'm thinking of frogging the footprints and stitching some snow then restitching the prints. What do you think? I never thought about stitching it on white fabby!

Daffycat Designs Snow Hop Freebie

32 count Permin Amber Linen

DMC

Started and Finished 10th November.

Last photo is from my Wednesday SAL with my surrogate sister Lisa. I ran out of B5200 for the snow so moved onto the rabbit! I can't wait to pick it up again as I just love stitching these fun little snowmen.

So what else have I been stitching. Well I have almost finished a little gift for someone and tonight I'm hoping to finish the stitching on LHN Travelling Stitcher Needle Case. Only got the border to do. I've been sorted things that I would really like to get stitched before Christmas ( some LHN ornaments, CCN Snowflake Serenade, amongst others!)  plus Chris and I are doing our usual Christmas ornament exchange which I really look forward to. Not long now to our December SAL either.

Best dash and get on with the needle case :) but before I go one very important message to us all. 

Lots of love and hugs

Sally

xxxx

Some Sewing and The Sanctuary is Finished!

My second finish of the month that I can show is Drawn Thread The Sanctuary! I finished the stitching on the 1st of the month and finally finished all the hemstitching yesterday. I took it to craft club with me as I was feeling really tired so my eyes were tired too and I thought the hemstitching would be nice and easy. Several of the ladies were intrigued by this piece and thought it was beautiful. This was so lovely to stitch and it definitely keeps you interested with all the different stitches. The chart is now for sale so please email me if you're interested.

Drawn Thread The Sanctuary

32 count linen

DMC and WDW

Started 24th May 2011

Finished 1st November 2011

I'm not quite sure what to do with it now it's done. Any suggestions on how to hang it on the wall?

I plucked up the courage to make my pouch for LHN Travelling Stitcher at the weekend and armed with the instructions Katrina sent me and the measurements and fabric  Lisa S had sent me I set on. It is most certainly not as easy as it looks but by Sunday evening I had these two. One for me and one for my surrogate sister Lisa seen as we started stitching TS together when we had our stitching day back in August. I don't think they are too bad for a first attempt. As you can see I've got my stitching sewn to it so it's ready to use:) Once I get the needle case done I'll use it for craft club for smaller charts and fabric.

Jane and I have decided to put our Blackbird Designs AotH on hold until the New Year so we can concentrate on some Christmas stitching. I haven't actually picked mine up for a while as I wanted to get The Sanctuary done. So I'm planning on some ornament stitching and a few other bits I think.

I stitched a bit more on Little House Needleworks Winter Band Sampler, my SAL with Lesleyanne and Angela, on Sunday evening. I just love this piece and am really looking forward to having this on my wall. 

Monday was Christmas Carol SAL night with dear Barb and we are now both building. I just don't seem to be able to get this house done but, hopefully, next week I will have it all finished. I'll move up then I think. 

Finally Barb and I started another SAL last night! Yes I did say another one. This time we're having a Jane day again and we're stitching Good Tidings with Jane Austen ( I've been calling it Glad Tidings- sorry Tanya!). I got quite a good bit stitched last night and really enjoyed it.

It's SAL night with Lisa tonight and 6 Fat Men ( lol) so looking forward to that. I'm going to order the next 3 charts in the JJ's Birthday Sale tomorrow:) 

Thank you for all your wonderful comments on my Peacock Pin Keep finish! I loved reading them all.

I just got the latest BBD Loose Feathers from Amy at Down Sunshine Lane. I also got Little House Needleworks Snow in Love ornament as it's so cute!

I better get going and get myself sorted. I planned on stitching up The Primitive Needle By the Light of the Moon this afternoon ( a bit late for Halloween I know!) but I'm not sure I'm in the right mood! 

Thanks for popping by my little stitching place. 

Take care everyone.

Love and hugs

Sally

xxxx