June Ornie finish

I have completed my June Ornie, this one is stitched on 28ct linen - though I forgot to put a label on the colour it is, but its a lovely soft aqua'ish colour. The threads are the recommended colours. The Ornie is by Ewe&Eye&Friends and is called 'Flower Scissor Companion'. I have trimmed it using some soft aqua beads I had in my stash. The button is a small Capiz shell button. The back has also got the same button and I used some pretty cotton fabric I had in my stash that was cut into the perfect size for the ornie.

I received my Pendibuille....

.........and isn't it lovely, Thankyou so much Pom, I love it!!


Pom told me she put bells on it to bring the summer to me.












In answer to the question on whether I hand stitch or use the sewing machine for my finishes, I have to say for the majority its hand-stitching, I'm OK with the machine for larger things but when they are smaller - even ornament sized I tend to get real wavy lines when I sew LOL!! - looks like I was drunk when I stitched it, so I gave up with that idea and do them by hand its much quicker for me that way.

My new style looking blog is courtesy of my lil' sis Helen ( Lena-Lou ), she was feeling very creative and offered to change my style, which I of course said Yes too, in fact snapped her hand off, for her to do it and I think its lovely, very gardening style which is just me to a T. I love how she has done hers too very seasidey.

Bunnies in the Garden

Well its finally all put together my 'Bunnies in the Garden' by 'With my Needle' from Elegant Stitch, this was such a delight to do.



This is the inside which I trimmed using silk hand-dyed green ribbon and I used a cotton polka dot fabric I had in my fabric box.




This is the outside with my initial. I made very few changes to the colours apart from the blue (darker one) on the bluebirds. I wish I had changed the flower sprigs colour as I feel they are a bit insignificant against the bunny and the linen colour.

Missing

I know I've been missing a bit of late, for this weekend I have a really good excuse, my dad trailed all the way over from the North East to the North West on Friday T-time after I had finished work and picked me up and took me back over to their home in the North East so I have been computerless all weekend, I haven't done a lot of blog visiting either this past week as I have been really busy stitching.

Tomorrow I'll post a pics up of Bunnies as I have finally done all the finishing whilst I was at mum and dads. I have finished my summer exchange in readiness to send and I have almost finished my house exchange piece, but of course the latter two I can't show as yet.
I received my pendibuille from Pom and let me tell you its gorgeous, I 'll post pics up durring the week
Hope everyone has had a great weekend

Nothing new.....

.....to show, as I have been busy stitching exchanges which of course I can't show yet, I have finished the summer exchange and have now started on the SBEBB House exchange. I did start Carriage House Samplings beeskep ornie for this months SAL with Romy and Paula, but somewhere along the way I went wrong and can't seem to find where so in frustration its hidden away in my finishes draw to egt back out at a later date, so I will have to find another to do for this month.

The weather here the past couple of days has been diabolical, heavy rain, wind and its cold, we have had our 2 weeks of summer I think.
On a good note, Carol let me know that the NRR (Veronicas) arrived safely with her today, we were getting a little worried that it was lost as I had posted it on the 10th.

The finish is an old one now, its a freebie from Tournicoton and I finished it as a flat ornament.

2006 JCS Christmas Ornament Mag

Here is a sneak preview of the front cover of this years ornie addition, I love this mag keep your fingers crossed I manage to get one, up to press I have every year, it looks amazing this year I can see LHN, Prairie Schooler, Shepherds Bush, Mosey 'n' me and Brightneedle on the front, can you guess who some of the other designers might be on the front cover?

Pendibuille Exchange

I was part of an exchange on a french board I occasionally visit, the exchange was organised by Wanda and Lisa who were part of the DT RR that I was in. It was to do a pendibuille (sp), it was a lot of fun to do, I still haven't received mine yet but I'm sure it will be here soon, I exchanged with Pom. My pendibuille was based around the colours that Pom likes, and I have added her initial on the front and lots of tiny seed beads. The back I added a wee heart button and also a a 1/1 butterfly. Its all stitched on 32ct linen and the thread I used was Dragonfloss 'Friendship'

Phew it arrived

My mailart to Lena-Lou arrived safe and sound today, I tried to fit around the things that Helen likes, the birdhouse on the front of the envelope is a Cedar Hills design, which I added tiny buttons and changed the colours. The back of the envelope is a mixture of different things, there is Marsha her cat, and a garden with different flowers in and of course a bee skep and some butterflies (stitched 1/1).

Its all stitched on 28ct linen banding and I used DMC linen threads for it all. My pics were a bit of a rush job as I wanted to get it into the post so I scanned the mailart instead of photographing it and of course they are much too bright and not very clear, if you visit Lena-Lou she has taken and posted some much nicer pics than me. Glad that you loved it H!!!xxx

Look what I received today

I did a Mailart exchange with Lena-Lou our theme was summer, and today in the post I have received the most beautiful envelope. For all we both posted on the same day and at the same time (we pre-arrnaged to do this), mine to her hasn't arrived yet, hopefully it will arrive tomorrow.
I absolutely adore it. A BIG HUG sent to you for this.



This is the back


what's more when you open the envelope there is even a wee verse that Lena-Lou made up herself. Its so beautifully lined and stitched.

Questionnaire

Found this on Anne S blog and thought it was a fun one to do. - Tagged you Helen you have to do it too!!!

1) What is your occupation? Technical Support officer
2) What colour are your socks right now? Not wearing any
3) What are you listening to now? George Micheal - Ladies & Gentleman
4) What was the last thing you ate? Chicken salad
5) Favourite colour? haven't really got one
6) Music Preference? Rock/Pop style
7) Last person you talked to on the phone? My mum
8) How old are you today? 47yrs and 8 months
9) Favourite drink? Vodka and Ginger beer
10) What is your favorite sport to watch? Rugby Union
11) Have you ever dyed your hair? Ohhh yes most definitley
12) Do you wear contacts or glasses? Glasses
13) Pets? Tasha my cat
14) What will you stay home to watch? CSI Miami/Vegas
15) What was the best movie you have seen lately? Under the Tuscan Sun - A real chick flick (watched it 4 times so far)
16) What is your favourite day of the year? Christmas day
17) What do you do to vent your anger? In the summer I deadhead flowers, in the winter I hoover everywhere
18) What was your favourite toy as a child? Didn't reall have one, I was a book worm so I would say my books.
19) Vanilla/Chocolate? Milk or white chocolate
20) Living arrangements? 2 bed semi with my Mark and Tasha
21) When was the last time you cried? 2 weeks ago when Floozi went to kitty heaven
22) What did you do last night? Stitched
23) Favourite smell? Peony flowers in the garden
24) What inspires you? Life
25) Least favourite person right now? A guy I work with he is an obnoxious, arrogant, sexist pig!!!

Wowser

Thankyou everyone for all the wonderful comments about my House of the Embroiderer set, I'm really stuck for words (for a change), I've never had so many comments before and was amazed at the amount I had and I appreciate every last one of them.

I'm sorry I haven't been posting of late, but I have been so busy stitching and gardening and working, I have been doing a couple of exchanges as you might remember me saying, I have sent them off (the pendibuille and the mailart) an hopefully this week pictures can be shown of them, probably tomorrow for the mailart as I sent it today the pendibuille has gone to France last week and should get there this week, I have started my monthly ornie SAL with Romy and Paula, and will have progress of that, I still haven't done the finishing for Bunnies in the Garden, I must get that done soon. I have another exchange to get done and posted by mid July and I'm busy thinking waht to do for that and I also want to get started on Diannes Neighbourhood RR.
So I will have something to show you this week I promise.

Happy Dance

I have finished my stitching and all the finishing work on the Maison de Brodeuse (House of the Embroiderer)by Au fil des Reves, this was a delight to do and I completed my first 'Bourse' and I know it won't be my last.



This is the inside of the bourse.

This is the pinkeeper and the needlebook front.




This is the pinkeeper and needlebook back



This is the inside of the needlebook which includes the scissor pocket. The wee button fob I made as well as it was part of the instructions in the kit. Its all stitched on 32ct linen using 1 strand of silk thread, the majority of the stitching is 2/2 but some parts are 1/1.

Sewing area

I thought I would share with you the area in the lounge where I sit and sew, now I've been really canny about this cos if I stood further back you would see all my paraphanalia around the floor beside me, but I sit on the left hand end of the sofa, - very comfortably I might add and stitch to my hearts content.
Facing in front of me is my mantlepiece, and my big mirror which I love as it bounces light all round the room, the butterfly on the top right hand side of the mirror was a gift from my brother its really beautiful all gauze and diamantes, I also have a dragonfly in our bedroom made the same. From here you can also see my treasured handpainted glass dragonfly lamp, which when lit up looks amazing.
Over to the left of where I sit is my small table which I have a couple of my tea cups on and always a bunch of lilies. My beautiful figuirine that mum and dad gave me ages ago sits here also

Hostas

Here are some of my hostas, these are beside the new water feature at the rear, the climbing hydrangea is doing well this year too and is full of buds, the little violas I planted around the water feature are growing well and seem to like it there too.

Clematis

I can never remember the names of the clematis we have in the garden apart from 1 or 2 of them, these two I will have to look up. The smaller delicate looking one is on the stand in the front garden, this has been the best year ever for it. The larger blousy one in the mauvy, lavender colour is currently scrambling along the fence in the back garden, its been in the garden for 2 years now and this is the first year its decided to flower for us and boy what a showing its doing, the inner sepals have still to open out which makes it all feathery inside.

Its a Beautiful day

so I thought I would share some pics of my front garden, this is the view when I come out of the front door
This is the view to the right of the garden, my lovely yellow lupin is just breaking out into flower today, the beds along here are predominately blues and pinks with touches of lemon, I have campanula in a beautful blue/purple, agapanthus, lilies, london pride, a bright day lily and a hydrangea, all to grow a bit more yet. further up this side is the small rockery with our little water feature

The left side has my red hot pokers, and lots of different clematis, the peony has budded up well and I hope that the weather won't batter it like last year, this leads round to where my poppies and ivy bed is, today saw the first oriental poppy pop open. The pot you can see in the foreground is again a clematis, but as usual I have forgotten its name, we only planted it last year and it was very poor with no flowers, but fingers crossed this year it seems to be growing well, but I haven't found any flower buds yet.