News to tell???

Well not a lot from me really, I'm severly suffering with hot flushes and forgetfulness at the moment, I had thought it had stopped but no it sneaks back up on you when you least expect it, as Harmien said to me tonight 'Who said hot flashes are a woman's personal summer ... ? A man, probably!

I had a lovely conversation with Jayne tonight from Jaynes Attic I had placed a small stash order with her, I joined the VC thread club so I get 10 a month and I can't wait for them to arrive, plus she rang to tell me about the delay in the mystery stash pack that I had ordered.
MarieLouise mailed me too let me know she had started on my DT RR. I have not got a current WIP picture for you as I have been working on Woodland Walk. Also I had run out of DMC 869 so couldn't finish my current WIP (the one thats a Homespun Elegance but as yet no-one has guessed which one)which I will do tomorrow night and post up pics probably Thursday, I have been working on my mailart exchange and again, I will probably have some pics of that to share of that by the weekend.


I'll leave you with an old finish of mine as I am trying to keep in the Spring mode although its wet cold and windy here, but its by Waxing Moon and its Spring Bluebird, I finished this many moons ago along with the other 3 seasons and have not yet made it into anything - Any ideas for this and the other 3?

Stash

I got myself a wee bit of stash this week, I won on ebay the JN & CD Side by side collaboration charts 1 & 2 which I was really pleased about. I also visited Sew and So, which is always fatal, and bought 32ct Summer Khaki linen for the Bunnies in the garden SAL, a piece of flax 32ct linen and 2 threads NN Mouse grey and WDW Taupe I needed for the Brighneedle 'Friendship', I also whilst I was there bought myself DT - A Garden Recipe and Homespun Elegance - Springtime. Whilst perusing the threads I found a WDW Forget me knots small bag of threads so I just had to get that too.

Mystery projects

Today's SBQ was suggested by Carol and is:Q. Have you ever participated in a needlework mystery (i.e., a design that you started before knowing how it will look in the end and by which you receive parts of the design via the internet, magazines, or leaflets at spaced intervals)? If so, why did you decide to do the mystery? What appealed to you about it? Did you enjoy it? If you have not done a mystery, would you ever do one?

I have participated in one mystery and that was JARDIN A DECOUVRIR...
from ALPC, this was because it was a garden, I really enjoyed doing this very much, I stitched mine on pearl evenweave and all the flowers are stitched in 'Love' and that was literally as I used WDW 'Love' as I liked the colours that was in it. The house was stitched in Kates Kolours in mellow yellow which was very subtle shades of warm yellow. This is one I framed myself again and it was one of the one-offs from my LNS its a yew frame.
I signed up this year to do Chatelaines MysteryIX again as its a garden, but as yet I haven't started it, partly because I haven't had the time, partly cos Mark really doesn't seem to like Martinas designs (I don't know why - he says they remind him of an old maiden aunts house???????) but I will do it regardless of that comment, and lastly the other reason I haven't started it is I can't afford it as I want to do it in the silk threads etc.
The other 2 mysteries I have been going to start is the Quaker 6-monthly one and also the Quaker design in the Gift of Stitching, I will start either of those soon and play catch up.

Completed Ornie

I have completed the finishing on my PS - Spring ornie, this is my SAL (with Romy and Paula) ornie this month. I didn't think it needed anything fancy doing to it, so it is just a simple finish. Quite apt really as I finished it last night before going to bed and yesterday was the first day of Spring. Our weather has been really bright and sunny, but very very cold, we still have a lot of snow on the hills too.

I received the last round of the DT RR -(this is Wandas one) from Marie-Louise today, I have been part of this RR since last October, my part to stitch is Winter Spot which I intend to get started at the weekend. Hopefully my own will be home next month and I will be able to share a picture of that one completed. So I had better get my needles out as I want to finish my current WIP, get started on mums NRR and stitch some more on the Woodland Walk all before the end of March.

">Link

A couple of questions answered

Thankyou so much for everyones comments, very much appreciated, now in answer to the questions about the matting and the frames.
I buy the matting ready cut from my LNS, theyhave a small selection of different colours, sizes and basic shapes, nothing fancy and nothing that is an odd size (which is unfortunate sometimes for me), the frames mostly come from there, the ones I have used for the last 3 framings were from there, now and again they have special frames and they are one off's and I often try and buy them if I can afford too, the one that LHN design is in is one of their specials.
I don't really pay a lot I don't think for the mounts at all they vary between £1 each to £2.50 which isn't too bad really, if I want a special sized mount I tend to find a framers and get them to cut me a mount. All my 'special' projects that I class as heirloom I take over to the Guisborough in the North East and get them professionally framed and mounted.
">Link

Finishing Weekend Continued

Today I have managed to frame some pieces that were lying in the drawer. This one is Cats Meow by Drawn Thread, I actually completed this last year but have never got around to framing, the only change I made was the border colour and I think I used Salt Petre (WDW), I thought a simple Pine Frame did it right by me.

The next I have framed is by Elizabeth Design - House of my own, again I finished this at the end of last year, I didn't change any of the colours but I did change the beads, this was a fun one to stitch
My other framing finish has been Stitchers Prayer by Little House Needleworks, this was my first piece I put on my blog last November, this I changed a lot, I stitched the words in WDW Swamp Water and stitched it 1/1 on vintage Belfast 32ct linen, I was rather happy with the result.



Thanks to everyone for all the comments, I really appreciate them. KarenV you are right my current WIP is a Homespun Elegance, but can anyone guess which one?
Link

Finishing weekend

This weekend I have decided to do some framing and finishing - haven't got very far yet due to the major catastrophe, but I have done this one its a Pine Mountain design and my dear friend Gels sent me this sometime ago now in fact she sent me a few and I have never got round to doing them all, well this one is completed and is hanging off the radiator in the lounge. I added the hanging ribbon and I changed the material to evenweave instead of the white aida that was part of the kit. Its called Friendship.
I hope to before Sunday ends have framed No Bees - I haven't found an antique frame I like yet so will do with the one I bought. Needleworkers Prayer and also House of my Own, at leaast when they are done I will feel I have accomplished something, I also want to do some finishing work on Spring -PS, and a couple of others that are sitting in the drawer.
">Link

Major Catastrophe

Well it was to us a major catastrophe, yesterday I diligently loaded the dishwasher - now bear in mind this was the machine that I never ever wanted, but got talked into having one 7/8years ago, I went off to my LNS to buy some frames to frame up some finishes that have been sat in the drawer a while, when I came back about 45mins later, I could hear a funny noise as I walked up to the back door, opened the door and the dishwasher was making very very loud crackling hissing type noises, immediatley switched it off, Mark was playing golf so text him, he didn't believe him when I said it was knackered (my words were a little stronger), so he had to listen on the phone and made me switch it back on - more noise. He came home - dishwasher full of water- door opens - you get the picture!! - He tries it turning it on, lots of major sparks and noise. (Why don't men believe you when you say something is broke?)
Anyway we had to go off to Currys this morning and be there for 9am, and he bought me a brand new dishwasher, this time I have a Miele, all new and digital and nice, took him an hour to fix it up and its so quiet, now he's laughing at me as I was so distraught about the old one breaking seeing as I didn't want one in the first place.
">Link

Stitching Bloggers Question

STITCHING BLOGGERS QUESTION THIS WEEK
Q. Do you stitch “over one?” If so, describe your experiences. If not, have you considered it?

As you can see by a lot of my stitching I love to stitch 1/1, I find it very easy to do and I am always thrilled with the results. I find as long as I have good lighting I don't require a magnifier. I only find I have problems if I am using a dark fabric or really dark thread, then I find my eyes get tired.
">Link

My current project.......

Can you guess what it is??? Its a 1993 design, thats the only clue I'm giving you and for once I haven't changed any of the thread colours.
Link

Polly Wolly Doodle

Here is my Polly Wolly Doodle by Lori Markovic, I stitched this on 36ct white linen 1/1, so as you can imagine its quite tiny.
I hadn't any Neeldpoint Silk apart from Purple Iris, which the words are done with. So I substituted with Gloriana silk thread. I used Grecian Gold, Charcoal, Rosewood and GrannySmith Green, and the blue is Au Ver a Soi Navy. I've framed it in a tiny leather frame that I had in my frame box. This was my stitching project whilst we were on holiday. It was a lovely project to stitch and I enjoyed every minute of it. It measures approx 7cm x 6cm, I did think to make it into an ornie or a needlebook or even a pinkeeper, but because I found the frame I felt it looked at home in there.
Link

Finally a picture of some sewing

and its no thanks to blogger it won't upload any pics for me tonight and No sorry AnneMarie its not Polly Wolly Doodle, although that is finished, my battery has died on the camera and so I can't take a picture of it.I did scan it, but as I never ironed it it looks all askew and so I'm not happy, but I will photograph it tomorrow when my battery has re-charged. This is the new PS freebie - Spring, my intention is to finish it as an ornie, I started an ornie a month SAL with Romy and Paula, Romy has finished hers and its up on her blog and its beautiful, I was going to stitch a heart thats fuull of spring flowers by Sabine Wachtel and hopefully I will get chance to do it before the month end, though as its quite large I will have to do it 1/1 on 36ct so it becomes ornie size, otherwise if I don't get chance it will have to be this one and anyway I digress as I was saying its PS - Spring which I actually finished the night before we went on holiday, I stitched it using the lovely Natural Dye Company fine silk thread which Barbara recommended, I managed to get some on ebay it was the rainbow pack and I tried to match up the DMC colours to the thread that was in the pack so of course they aren't the same colours and appear much brighter, I am pleased with the result though. 
I sent my neighbourhood RR off on Saturday to Carol, I won't get it back in my hands now for about 18months, whilst it does its journey around the world it will of course be well travelled more than I as it goes to the USA, Canada, Holland, Germany, its a lucky piece of fabric as it gets to meet everyone who taking part in our RR. Unfortunately one of our group has dropped out which is Novia, though I do understand why she has I think its a shame, but I hope that she keeps visiting our neighbourhood of Makebelieve blog and comments often. I received mums part before we went on holiday, its gorgeous and I have been busy deciding which square to stitch in, as Novia has dropped out, I asked mum if she wants me to do 2 squares which she said would be great and she will do 2 on mine when she eventually gets it. 

As promised

A few pictures of our holiday in Lanzarote, my photography skills on an evening aren't as good as they should be, probably due to the fact I've imbibed a few too many cocktails LOL!! - Make mine a mudslinger - I had a real passion for those whilst we were there and for Mai Tais - LOL!! Any way this is the view from our apartment balcony - Wonderful isn't it

Whilst we were in Costa Teguise it was leading up to carnival week, of course we didn't realise that when we booked because if we had we would have booked to be there this weekend when the big carnival is on, but every evening last week there was a parade and a small drum band on, they just got better and better, so we were sorry to miss the big night tonight.
Our weather was good most of the time we were there, we had we reckoned about 3 1/2 days of really warm sunshine the rest was overcast and very very windy, and we even had rain on Sunday - now that was a cold day!! We visited Teguise which I understand is the old capitol, the streets were narrow and winding and there was a huge market on which filled the streets, and in the little squares there was music and dancing, unfortunately there were so many people it was very hard to get close to watch or take photos.
We had to wear jackets on an evening as it was a bit chilly, but it is Lanzarote winter and it was a million times better than the winter here in the UK. On one of the very windy but bright days we decided to have a walk around the shore line and the waves were spectacular to say the least but again my photography skills aren't showing them as great as they were, but they were amazingly high and the colour of the sea was a brilliant turquoise and the sound of the surf crashing against the rocks was lovely.
We never really sunbathed this time we were away we wandered around the streets and took in the views, found a lot of lovely little cafe/bars which sold Tapas and coffee and sangria and beer, it was fun to sit outside and people watch. We had a couple of favourite bars we went to on a night, they were fun places and one of the big things that impressed us was everywhere was so clean, no rubbish lying around and the toilets - those who know me I have a thing about toilets, well every bar we went to had incredibly spotless toilets it didn't seem to matter how many people were using them they were sooooo clean and smelt clean too, tiles shined, sinks gleamed, I was most impressed, better than anywhere else we have ever been before for public loos.
We have come back regretful that it was so soon, but with a lot of anticipation to go back again, next time I am hoping we go for longer and visit a few more places, but if we only stay in Costa Teguise I know I won't be disappointed.
">Link

I'm back

We had such a brilliant holiday, I will tell more tomorrow, I'm still at the unpacking, washing and ironing stage and so will have some more time tomorrow, I have a few pictures to show, its leading up to the big carnival in Costa Teguise and we are really sorry to have missed it. The weather was a bit iffy some days but we have both managed to come back with a tan so it wasn't that bad. I could really see us living there, it was such a beautiful clean place and everyone was so friendly. I did manage to get a wee bit of stitching done, again I can show more of that tomorrow or Sunday for the stitching.

We both feel very rested and suitably chilled, I wish we were still there though.....
">Link

A quick Cheerio

An I'll 'see' you all next week with holidsay photos(maybe) and any stitching progress I have made. We should be back around the 7th, just checked the weather temperature in Lanzarote for tomorrow and its 21 C, here is about -2 C - BIG difference. Those who I owe emails too - Gels, Angie, Annemarie, Barbara and anyone else I'v forgotten I will mail on my return. I'll leave you with a finish I did this time last year for a wee surprise gift for my niece Amy - she loved it and has it hanging in her bedroom. Its by Stitchy Kitty and was a freebie called Spring paw.

Link