I won an award - THANKYOU

Thankyou to Chris and Nina and Yuko for nominating me for this award, so in the spirit of it all I would like to tell you my 5 favourite addictions:

1. Stitching (naturally)
2. Collecting stash (goes without saying really)
3. My garden
4. Coffee
5. SIM Societies game

The 5 people to nominate is harder in fact I haven't got 5 to nominate as everyone's blog are fabulous and give me so much pleasure when I visit, but I will nominate A DOZEN of the blogs I visit almost every day, but this is so hard as during the week I visit so many FABULOUS blogs so I am truely sorry if I have missed yours off, just take it that you have the award from me anyway, AS this is so hard.

1. Dovile
2. Loreta
3. Staci
4. Karoline
5. A.B.
6. Gio
7. Nataliejo
8. Carol
9. Nancy
10.Anita
11.Mary Kathryn
12..Jane

A Missing PIF

This is the oher PIF that I sent at the same time as Laura's, which is about 3 weeks ago nearly I still don't know whether its arrived for Cathy or not, I hope that it hasn't got lost!!

Again its Mes petits coeurs I by Au Fil des Reves but this time I made different modifications and of course I've used Antique red hand dyed thread. Its stitched on 32ct white linen and the top is a red satin ribbon bow and the button is a little chequered one I had in my stash, the backing fabric is a small red and white gingham check that matched the thread perfectly......

Hope that you are all having a good weekend, My SIL Dawn and I have just had a wee trip to Fobbles this morning and got Dawn stocked up with a few things we are now going to do a SAL together in the near future of Shepherds Bush 'Family Sampler' as Dawn bought it this morning and I have been wanting to start mine for ages. I bought myself a headband magnifier today its really cool and I can see 1/1 on 40ct really easily instead of straining my eyes. I look a bit of a noggin with this green band stuck on my head but hey! does it matter, it just might start in a new fashion trend LOL!! I also treated myself to some lovely shot silk fabric.

Blogoversary Gift from Carol

I consider myself very lucky, as I was the lucky winner of Carols blogoversary draw, and this wonderful pinkeep came through my door earlier this week isn't it just so charming!!

Also included was all the lovely stitching stash below, I felt really spoiled and can't thank Carol enough for it all.



I'm getting a little worried now as my other PIF hasn't seemed to have arrived as I have not heard from my recipient and I sent it over 2 weeks ago now, I hope that it hasn't got lost somewhere.
My cold has improved, but as with all colds I'm left a little breathless and I still feel quite heavy headed, I have had quite a bad headache all day today, but its began to improve now. At the weekend I didn't do any finishing just more stitching but I must concentrate on some finishing this weekend as I have some gifts and exchanges to go out really soon.

Bluebird or should I say red bird

I heard from Carol last night that my Blackbird exchange to her has arrived safe and sound and that she was delighted with it.

I chose to stitch Bluebirds needles and pins which is a favourite of mine and is out of 'With Needle and Thread' book. I decided to do a new take on it and have stitched it in antique red overdyed thread 1/1 on natural linen. The back of the fob is a tiny tiny checked gingham fabric and I added some very tiny buttons that I had for the flower head and for the fob ribbon. Its edged with red ricrac.

Well I can't decide whether to have a stitchy day or a finishing day today, The cold is still sitting in my sinuses, but its not gonna get me down LOL! The snow that was forcast for us today hasn't appaeared as yet but its very bright. The high winds we had last evening blew themselves out in the night and so didn't keep us all awake, we walked or should I say were blown round to some friends home last night for a Tapas night which was a lot of fun and the Tapas was wonderful.

Blackbird Design from Hazel

What a really great week I seem to have had last week, not only was I the lucky name to be drawn for Carol's blogoversary prize,this wonderful exchange came through the post for me from Hazel , isn't it just a stunner and so so me, the colours and everything, I really was delighted and was straight on to email her that it had come.

Hazel told me that she used some special silkweaver fabric that she had, its a wonderful mottly shades of pinky browns and that she stitched the exchange with Crescent Colours. The design has been taken from Blackbird Designs 'Sarah Tobias'.

All around the outer edge it is trimmed with antique beads.

This was a specific designer exchange that we were to have on SBEBB, but with the board closing it had to be cancelled, but a few of us still wanted to stitch it - I'm not sure how many as it is now an unofficial exchange, and won't be posted up on SBEBB or moderated, so it'll be a bit of a lucky dip really. I sent mine out at the beginning of the week, so hopefully by next week it will be received.

The dreaded cold has returned,I managed to go all festive season without it, back to work , what 10 days and its back with a vengence I reckon its our air con. as I seem to be not the only one in the office with the sneezes and sniffles and we all started on Thursday with it - strange eh!!

I have been stitching up a storm too, and have lots to share, I even managed to get Barbaras' Spring exchange piece stitched - wowser!! So during the next couple of weeks I should be able to share some of my stitching and finishing(no finishing done yet though) with you - but not Barbaras as its not being sent yet nor would I like to spoil her surprise.

Have a great weekend everyone - we have sleet, snow, rain, cold and gale force winds forecast from this evening, so I hope its better where you are.

A PIF has been sent

I am really hoping that my PIF to Laura has arrived safe and sound, Laura has been poorly and so MIA for a while so I hope that this has cheered her up a little.

Its a modified take on Mes petits coeurs I by Au Fil des Reves I have added a couple of speciality stitches to the design and stitched it as a monochrome in an overdyed hazy pink that I had in my thread box of unknown threads! The button is one I got from Duttons for Buttons in York and is MoP, the backing fabric is a small gingham check in hazy pink and white. The fabric is 32ct white linen and the ribbon hanger is some satin ribbon I had that matched perfectly.

I was really pleased with the resulting finish and hope that Laura likes it too, I also sent another PIF at the same time but that has a wee bit more of a journey to travel,and so can't show it yet cos I don't want to spoil the surprise and I know that the recipient looks at my blog occasionally, so now I have 2 PIFs left to do.

I haven't ordered the chart in the post below yet, but will do I think, if Mary Kathryn has it after I get paid, plus of course I will want the threads and some more fabric, I'll let you know when I get it!!

Ooo I WANT, I Want, i want

Isn't this just gorgeous, do you want this one too? "No place like home" Designer - La de Da.

Holly and Berries

Apologies to everyone who visited yesterday and expected to see what I had received in the post, it was such a hectic day I just didn't get the time to do a posting, I was busy taking down the decorations and tree and cleaning up the house, as unfortunately I am back to work on Monday ;-((
So without much further ado, here is what I received - ta da!!!

Jes so spoiled me, not only did she stitched me this wonderful picture - which had been on my "think I just might do this pile", she also included some wonderful extras, some fabric and crochet ribbon, chocolates and wonderful little carry purse to name but a few, this is such a lovely RAK, and it was so nice to get something when you least expect it, Jes had emailed me a week earlier to tell me that there was a surprise coming, this little parcel has been all over the world as it had been mistakenly addressed to the USA not the UK by Jes's hubbie, and had been returned to Jes so she re-addressed it and sent it to the UK herself, she hadn't wanted to let me know about it, but due to the wrong country the first time she thught she had better.

Its really lovely and feel very lucky to have received such a wonderfu RAK, - Thankyou again Jes I really really appreciate your wonderful stitching and thoughtfulness.

Well I hope everyone has had a good weekend, and for those of you who are back to work next week you have my sympathy (thats of course if you aren't looking forward to going)less stitching done again ...sigh!

Sail Away SAL Part 2

I've finished the second part to the SAL I'm doing with Sail Away, now to think about Part 3!!

.......And I've been very industrious ove my Christmas break, and stitched and finished a few other things, 2 of my PIF's are all ready to send next week, the Blackbird Designs exchange that was happening then got cancelled, but is happening for those that still want to do it who signed up on SBEBB for it, thats all finished, so those 3 things I can't show at all yet, but I can show you something I received in the post today, - it'll be on my blog tomorrow and its so nice.
I've also finished stitching an ornament for the Christmas ornie monthly, but thats not had its finishing done on it yet, and finally I've done SB's Glad Heart which I'll show probably next week.

Now to think about a couple of exchange stitching I have lined up for February, as to what to stitch and how to finish.