Little changes

always lead to bigger ones, I find and I have been making a start on changing things in my home.

My first project (which has taken me a week to do - but thats cos there were two of them), were my kitchen chairs.

This is what they looked like before:

Mind, I had started to sand them before I remembered to take a picture, so this shows one of them that I had only just light sanding too. Isn't it an ugly, unloved piece of furniture!!

This is what they look like after:

Not bad eh!!

I'm really pleased with the finished result especially as its all my own work.

I sanded them, primed them, painted them red in places,candle waxed them  painted them cream - 3 times, then wire wooled them to bring out the red paint slightly and give that distressed look to them.
What do you think, think they look the part!!

The cushions on the seat are from Laura Ashley and are red and cream checked gingham, I loved them as soon as I saw them, and bought them in readiness for this project.

I'm Safe

Thankyou to all who have contacted me to ask if I'm safe and dry, this is just a quick post to let you all know that I am and so is my stash and Tasha LOL!! Its been very bad here, though not as much in my village as some of the other villages around Cumbria, the local rivers are in flood and local roads are very bad to get past on, some are closed.

Its been sad that a local policman was washed away when a bridge collapsed at Workington.

The little tributary stream that runs along the side of the footpath near my house is running incredibly high and with a lot of force I've never seen it like that before. The rain has stopped throughout today, but we are forecast more rain and 60mph winds again this evening and all weekend, they reckon we will get at least 10" of rain from tonight til Monday - I really hope not!! To keep with the water theme, I've made myself fish pie for tea tonight.

Peek-a-boo.........

............Can you see me?
Aren't I just beautiful, I really think Autumn colors really go with my hair fur!!

My mum thought I was being cute but really I was just waiting for the mouse that lives behind the hydrangea , but lucky for the mouse, he didn't want to play and I had to go in cold and disappointed.

Is it too early for Christmas?

I know, I know I have neglected my blog terribly of late, and halloween has now just finished - I've put the broomstick away and my little old familiar cat is now curled up asleep after her jaunt around on the said broomstick, so I was wondering whether it was too early yet for Christmas, but I thought 'what the heck' I'll start showing some of my Christmas finishes.

Tonights little effort is my tin I made at the workshop class I taught in the summer, its the class I taught the girls how to make a tin finish. So I had to stitch one myself and do a step by step with the finish.

The design is by Crossed Wing Collection, and is from the 1998 JCS Christmas Ornament magazine. I really loved stitching this one, the little mouse is 1/1 as is the writing, the rest is 1/2 on 32ct evenweave. I used some sparkly thread in amongst the little bauble to give it a little more punch.

Life is pretty good at the moment, I have had a couple of weekends over at my parents and been out with my brother which has been fun, I've been working hard as always it seems, but I have also been stitching and framing things. Last Saturday I did another patchwork course at Fobbles, and the second part of it will be early next year, this time I was well stretched out of my comfort zone for this course, but I did enjoy it and I will take some pictures of my progress. My other progress on my other quilt has stopped, my heart is still not in it, but I will get it finished I am very sure of that, but it might not be any time real soon.

My poor dad had a fall last week and has managed to get himself quite a few stitches in his head, he was walking one of the dogs when he tripped on the pavement and went a clatter, he had an overnight stay at hospital nd has hurt his knee a little and his hand, and do you know (my time to vent), not one person went over to him to ask if he was ok when he fell, he was very shook up and was bleeding profusely from his head injury (he takes wharfarin whcih makes you bleed more too), Bailey (the dog), led dad home as he was in a daze a bit, which is so good that the dog did that, but I hasten to add, Dad is doing OK he's a little stiff and sore and has had a bad head for a few days, bt otherwise he is fine.

Hope you all have a good week, and thankyou for your continued visits and your patience in waiting for me to update my blog, I really appreciate your comments and visits very much.

For Yuko

I was as always very very late sending dear Yuko her birthday gift, then I fretted that I had sent it to the wrong address, but now I know its arrived safey and that she is really happy with her gift.

I have stitched her a wee floss/scissor fob and pin cushion, both designs are by one of my very favourite designers EEF (Ewe and I and Friends. The fob is called 'Lovely'Lady ' fob, and I changed the colourways to suit for Yuko as I know how much she loves pink.The ring is one of the lovely large MoP rings from Kelmscott Designs and suited the fob perfectly I thought.

This wee pincushion is called 'Viney heart' and again I changed the colours and matched them with my colour choices for the fob.

The box I covered with the faded 'vintage' style rose fabric I had in my stash, and used the same fabric for the backing on the fob and the pincushion. Then I used a complemeting fabrics for the yoyos on the the box top. I used faded pink ric-rac and satin ribbon for the other trims on the box.

I have had a wonderful gift myself through the post from Melissa who was my partner for Stitching Bloggers Birthdays, I haven't taken a picture yet of it, as my camera was out of charge I had left it turned on in my handbag and so it now needs charging, I will take a picture tomorrow to show you all.
I had a lovely birthday with my family, it was very quiet but I had a wonderful family party, with balloons and banners and a big chocolate cake and trifle, we all had great fun and my young nephew and neice thought it was wonderful, and they had kept it all a secret from me.
Saturday my brother came up to see me especially and took the family out for dinner and then afterwards he and I went out to the pub for a few drinks and had a good laugh, which was just what I needed as I have been beginning to feel that I had lost my sense of fun somewhere along the way, but I think its back again now!!! LOL!!

I blame Avril ......

....yes its all her fault, instead of stitching, what am I doing - knitting, Av by the way is my friend and an avid knitter and crocheter and has her very own wool shop!!
The wool is called Opal and the colour is called wintermarchern, I love the varigated effect its knitting up to, in fact I have almost finished the scarf, its just a 1 ball scarf (100g ball).

Do you see my gorgeous knitting needles they are KnitPro Bamboo needles and they are just the right length and have the right feel to them when I'm knitting, they are very psychadelic!!

For Edgar

Edgar had a birthday and as always I am late in getting anyone anything to their actual birthdate. Edgar was my partner for the Stitching Bloggers birthdays, and I knew when it got closer to the date what I wanted to stitch for him

This is of course Blackbird designs and is taken from the lovely little book that they brought out earlier this year in conjunction with dear Niki, I stitched the little bag using my own choice of colours and then very carefully coffee splashed it to age it slightly, its stitched on 40ct linen, and then I made the strawberry - this is actually from the BD Loose Feathers chart 'Its Berry Time' and I used one of the colours (I forget the DMC number) that was in the bag to make it, and then the little pin cushion is also from the same book and is stitched on 32ct linen. The backing is a Moda fabric.

I added a wee black safety pin and 2 of my MoP buttons that I got from 'Duttons for Buttons' (Ooo how I love that shops name LOL!!)

Edgar likes it so I am happy about that, now to wait for the my next very late birthday gift to arrive at its destination, it had even further to go, so it may take a little longer.

I have been busy stitching a couple of Halloween ornies - yet to be finished finished and I have also made a good dent in my Christmas Ornamant stitching, but as yet now 'finishing' done. I have been really busy working most weekends, and next week I am having a long one away, at my parents as its my birthday then and I am going home for it - the first time in a very long time and I am looking forward to the break and seeing everyone.

I have also finished 'Autumn Bouquet' by Blackbird Designs and its going over with me as is a few of the other picture finishes I have shown over the last few months and I am getting them framed or at least I am hoping to find frames for them.

Hope you are all having a good week and an enjoyable weekend to come, I am at Fobbles on Saturday and then working on Sunday (just 1 day this weekend for a change). I hope too that the weather stays fine its been a glorious day today, but last weekend was horrendous with high winds and heavy heavy rain down pours, I thought it was never going to stop.