Eggs...cetera

This sweet little design is from CEC No. 109 Eggs..cetera, I have loved this small design ever since I first saw it and have had it in my to do pile for years it seems, so I finally got round to stitching it.

Its on 36ct R&R linen Hogs Wild Blue and stitched using DMC. I have finished it as a small hanging pillow, with no frills..... I made a beaded hanger for it and trimmed the top with a brown satin bow.

My rotation is starting very slowly, I have started AMAP - Quaker cherub, which I will stitch Mondays and Tuesdays, Wednesday its a Sheepish Designs days, Thursday and Friday is Goode Huswifes One seed for another and the weekend is whatever I want to stitch days and finishing days, this Saturday is also a Fobbles day for me, as I promised to help with stock taking, Sunday, Mark is taking me away for the night and we come back Monday so not much stitching happening here this weekend, but at least there is no extra work days.

Edited to add: CEC stands for Cross Eyed Cricket. HTH All who are searching for this chart.

A floss fob

I considered myself very very lucky recently as Paula from Kelmscot designs surprised me with a wonderful, wonderful package and inside the package were her new MoP large rings, now I know that floss fobs tend to be made in a different way, but this just shouted out floss fob to me (and to my SIL Dawn - but thats another story for later on in this posting). So I stitched Nina's pretty little freebie added a pretty matching ribbon and used one of the rings and made the wee fob.
Also inside the package were the very pretty cancer ribbon scissors and although I haven't done the finishing up yet I have stitched Mary Kathryns charity Think pink design from last year over 1 and will be making it up into a scissor fob.

Thanks for all your good wishes regarding my rotten cold, I have gone back to work, but its sitting around my head and I look oh so attractive - NOT!! with my very red and scabby nose and my balance is a all out of sync and I tend to almost fall over if I move my head to fast as I think my ears have a minor infection I'll know more tomorrow as I will just have to go to the docs as I can't sit for long with this awful ear ache!

Oh and going back to the floss fob, Dawn now holds it in her possession and it comfortabley holds 6 skeins of thread around it and she's using it!!

My wish was granted

Becky has done it again and sent me the perfect ornament for the wish she granted for me on MaW board, its Brightneedle stocking stitched on 32ct over 2 and its sooo pretty, Thankyou so much Becky for stitching and sending me this its one of my very favourites and one I haven't done for myself yet so Helens advice was perfect as is the pretty finishing and your stitching.

Other news for you - well I have been naughty, oh so incredibly naughty and treated myself to the new miniature sewing set from Sajou its a limited edition tiny weeny sewing set with tiniest but very very usable pair of 'monster' scissors inside, I will take a pic I promise. We were away at the weekend and again I was so very bad and bought myself some lovely fabrics I visited the 'fat quarter' shop over in the North East at Blackhall Mill and wow what a wonderful amounts of fabrics and tilda things there was, good job I was not feeling well otherwise who knows what might of happened, but I have bought 2 more Tilda books and some lovely fabric and some tilda angel hair, again I will take some pics and show.

Yep again we set off to go away for a break and again I manage to feel unwell, this time though nothing serious just a very heavy cold which seems to have affected my ears and has knocked my balance off a bit, I came home from work yesterday and lost the will to do anything, so have stayed off today but will go back in tomorrow.

Wish granted by Chris

Pretty isn't it! I really think so, the colours are so very me not to pale but not to bright. Chris very kindly granted my wish on the GaW board the design she chose for me was from the Gift of Stitching magazine and this I can't believe - Chris said that this was her first time and doing this style of finish and if you could see it IRL you would know why I'm amazed - its really beautifully put together.

This is the other side of it, I can't decide which side is the nicest to display so I will change them round every week as both sides are equally pretty. Thankyou again Chris I really love it.


What else is new - well my niece Amy is coming to stay with us for the weekend she arrives tonight and I am so excited about it, I love having her over to stay, its her birthday next week so we always try for the weekend before her birthday, I have some ideas planned in my head for things to do - the weather is supposed to be awful too this weekend, so I don't think we will go far.

Ummm I've a confession too, I really tried and tried to resist and I did hold out until last night but I just had to do it in the end, I've joined the Me, Myself, I neighbourhood SAL along with mum, The 'designers' were out today (instead of drawing flow charts and correcting documents, the 'designer' was drawing layouts for Neighbourhoods, and thinking of house styles LOL!! At least its not to start stitching until New Years Eve. though I won't be starting then, my builders are proper contractors and won't start work until the 2nd or 3rd Jan, so they told me, they will be too busy partying to get a start and I would much rather the contractor didn't have a fuzzy head and blurry vision when the build starts!!

Heve a great weekend everyone, I will be back tomorrow as Daisy is now got a sulk on as she says she's posed for pictures, and she wants her 15 minutes of fame like Rosie did, though I do believe that Rosie managed to get in the photos somewhere too - sisters you got to love 'em LOL!!

Le Papillion

To A Very Little Maid

She has a little elfin face
And little elfin ways.
Her toes were made to dance upon
Within a leafy glade.

Her eyes were made to swift beguile,
Her hair to toss in glee;
Her hands are tiny pixie hands
That hold the heart of me.

Sometimes her ways are solemn ways
But soon I know will show
That elfin bent to mischief
Within her eyes aglow.

I wonder if she sees two worlds.
I wonder if she knows,
That heavy-footed grownups long
To follow where she goes.

--Marjorie Kahl Lawrence

You know when you see a design and it shouts at you to do it, well this is one of those ones for me, as soon as I saw Le Papillion I had to stitch her. I chose to stitch her 1/2 on 32ct Enchanted fabrics (colour unknown)- Designer is Nimue.
She was an absolute delight to stitch, now to decide on a frame for her. This is what I have been stitching since I changed my name to Florence (as in Nightingale - in honour of the fact I have been nursing Mark). Mark is doing really really brilliantly - he has come off his pain meds today and is fine, his wound is healing really well and is so neat.


There may be fairies at the bottom of the garden. There is no evidence for it, but you can't prove that there aren't any, so shouldn't we be agnostic with respect to fairies? --Richard Dawkins

Wish Fairy been a visiting

The wish fairy visited me the other day - apologies to Katrina for not showing you this pretty little floss fob sooner. I love this its so sweet, Katrina told me that she used colours reminiscent of Shepherds Bush colourways for my initial. Thankyou so much again Katrina for being the wish fairy granter for this wish.

I'm busy stitching - not got round to finishing though, the stitching is a secret and all will become clear in a couple of months. We have a golf society BBQ this Saturday - keep your fingers crossed that the sun shines for us.

Good Post day

When I got home from work this afternoon, the postman had been and it was such a good post day because I found a package waiting for me from Susan as she has granted my wish on the make a wish board. I was very good and didn't rip it open straight away, I made my coffee and looked at it, then I sat down and then I ripped it open, inside was this lovely pinkeep all wrapped up in pink tissue paper.

I wished for a pinkeep and this one is really lovely, its stitched on 28ct linen and around the edges is a pretty white ribbon and the top is tied with a bow and the pretty glass white pins really finish it. The fabric on the back is a lovely soft check, its perfectly stitched and perfectly finished. Thankyou so much Susan for granting my wish.

What else on the stitchy front? well I have been working on Barbaras Autumn exchange piece, making a birthday gift for Vonna and still stitching on my LHN Garden pleasures (do you know I have been put off working on this cos I had to frog it twice - it really puts me off sometimes - does anyone else get like that with a piece?)Never mind hopefully it'll be finished soon LOL!

Wish No 4

Gaby made a wish too on the Make a wish board for a tin topper as she has never had or made one.

The design is by one of my most favourite French designers Anne Reginier of Tournicoton (I love Anne's designs and her newest one is just so divine! - but I diverse back to the subject in hand),
This little one is called C'est une Secret and I have stitched it 1/1 on 28ct evenweave which was lilac and white checked and I used DMC threads.

It was such a fun one to stitch and finish, I have lined the inside of the tin but forgot to take a picture of it - never mind. Well anyway Gaby received this yesterday, but I didn't get her email til after I had done yesterdays posting so hence I'll show you it today.

On another sitchy note: OK Own up, who sent the FROG?? P.... Leeeease no more visits, I hope I have managed to send him packing out to the Irish Sea somewhere, preferably stranded on a rock with no escape (though I did give him fresh water as I wouldn't like him to die of thirst), he arrived here probably on Monday, but didn't realise until Tuesday that he was sitting on my shoulder, I was going great guns at Garden Pleasure when I realised that I had mis-counted big style and had to pull loads of it out Arrggh. Any kind of way that I looked at it I couldn't hide the mistake so it was frogging I will go. Its sorted now and serves me right for stitching when I was so tired and forgot how to count, now to catch up on myself again!

Thankyou for all your lovely comments and visits, those who belong to Jaynes Attic, just to let you know I've opened a redwork or mono exchange it would be great if you could join us.

Whoo hoo Wish Fairy No 3

She made it in double time and arrived at Carolyns door today, Boy that was fast.

Carolyn had made a wish for something done in red so I took the wish for her and made her a floss holder, the design is a favourite of mine and is one of the Miniature d'alphabets, I stitched it in DMC and used some of nana's lace to trim it all, I was so happy to know that she liked it very much. Now I'm waiting to hear that the wish fairy has arrived in Germany.



I also received a wonderful gift today from Nicki who I had been sending to for the last Seasonal exchange it was something from my wishlist with the threads that are recommended -I won't say more as I will show you it finished when I have stitched it, after I have finished Garden Pleasures, Following that I hope to stitch another gift that was sent to me from Vonna, its a WMN design and again I'm not telling which until its finished.

Hope your week is going well

Wishes Granted No 2

Phew......... I had a real panic on, I sent this last Thursday to Chris and it wasn't really going that far in the UK to where I am, but it didn't arrive until today. Chris made her wish on the Make a wish board, and this is what the wish fairy came up with.
The design is 'Tender Heart' by Shepherds Bush I just missed the writing off, and I also changed the colours of the outer border to match the fabric I wanted to line it with.

This is the second wish I have managed to grant, the first was the LHN tin topper to Susan, there are two more out there, being whisked to their destinations as I type, they too were sent last Thursday but have a bit further to go. I have had a lot of fun stitching different ones and I hope that I will get chance to do a few more.

Nancy asked me what the beaded background was on one of the pictures of Barbaras exchange, its a bag, and a very pretty one too, that I got for my birthday off my friend Karen last year it just shouted to me that it wanted to get in on the photos and was a perfect backdrop I felt for the lovely ornie.

I have also been asked what camera I use - well its a Sony Cybershot 8.1 and I love it.
We had a great weekend, we were at a BBQ on Saturday with the Golf Society and it was a lot of fun, this weekend I'm off to Penrith for the night, another golf do, but this involves some shopping through the day - yippeee!
Hope that everyone is having a good start to the week and are fine and perky. I've made a new start on something LHN Garden Pleasures, can't quite decide what I will do with it when its finished hmmmmm!

Thankyou for the lovely comments and visits that you have been doing to my blog I really appreciate it.

Pinkeep for Yuko

I received a lovely email from Yuko today letting me know that her pinkeep had arrived and how happy she was to receive it - I was so relieved to hear that it had arrived safely and that she loved it.


I chose for her LHN - Ladybug, ladybug as I knew that she loves LHN designs very much, its stitched using the recommended threads on 40ct R&R light cappacino linen.


I double trimmed the edge with silk ribbon and a red flower braid I had and edged it with black and red headed glass pins. The top of the pinkeep has a handmade (not by me) pin in reds and yellows that matched the trimming and fabric I felt.

Now I'm looking forward to our next exchange Yuko!!

Fortunate

I really consider myself so very fortunate to have such wonderful stitching friends and I really don't know what I have done to deserve them, my friends give me pleasure with their blogs, emails,albums,phone calls and comments.

So yesterday afternoon there was a knock on the door and yes I mean knock I thought he was going to come through the glass LOL!! and it was the parcel force man with a HUGE envelope for me from Japan.

Now Yuko and I decided to do a pinkeep exchange together, so I wasn't expecting the large envelope that arrived at all,I was expecting a much smaller one and it came in record time, Yuko had posted it on Sunday and it got to me Wednesday now there's speedy delivery, poor lass is still waiting for mine to arrive and I posted that on Saturday!

As I unwrapped it all I was fairly gobsmacked to see what was in it, Yuko had made me one of her beautiful bags and had personalised it for me with my initial. Inside the bag there is a pocket and that has Yuko's initial beside it. Its so lovely in real life my pictures don't do it justice I'm sure. Its now hanging in my bedroom as its too nice to use.



The next part of the parcel was no exception either it was the reason for our exchange. The pinkeep, again its so beautifully stitched and finished. Yuko has stitched EEF Rose Cottage for me as she knows how much I adore EEF designs its just perfect, I love the personalisation on the back and the wee pocket, you would never know that she has only been stitching for a year would you. Yuko is so incredibly talented.

I'll leave you with a picture of the extras that I received too and the of the bag and pinkeep and I think the quote below says it all about ALL the lovely exchanges that I have received from some very wonderful ladies throughout the year.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever; Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness." — John Keats. 1795-1821 Endymion. Book i

Up to much lately??

As the question asks up to much lately? Well I thought I would show you what else I've been doing during and after my holiday.



This wee ornament is a real favourite of mine its by Homespun Elegance and I so love this silhouette I've used it numerous times now, this is about the only finish finish I've done these past couple of weeks.

The next is what I actually stitched over in Lanzarote its instantly recognisable, its Rose Sampler by LHN stitched on 32ct using the recommended colours - this is the design I'm going to use for the embellished bag tutorial I'm going to do in October - unless of course something else comes along and I think will be better.



Next is a Cross eyed Cricket from the leafelet 'Love and Inspiration stitched on 32ct using the recommended DMC This I'm going to finish as an ornie.



Following on from that is another Homespun Elegance design stitched on 28ct natural linen with slight colour changes......



.... and finally a wee design by L'R de Rien called Coeour aux Oiseaux, stitched 1/1 on Polstitches Autumn leaves fabric using the recommended DMC colours - I have a couple more of this style to do and then I will show you what I'm going to do for finishing it all.



Thanks to everyone that visits my blog and emails and leaves me comments I really appreciate it all and get quite overwhelmed that folks like my stitching and blog.

News to tell too, My sister Helen and I have been really fortunate to get booked on the CA Wells course in November in London and we are so excited about it.

Well hope everyone has a great weekend!! I'm stitching my garden exchange piece.

Freebie weekend

This weekend I thought I had better make a start on the freebie challenge from FGBB seeing as I was the one that set the challenge LOL!! I stitched and did the finishing on 2 different designs. Now I have just 2 more to go, and I think I have decided which ones they are!!



The first is the sewing angel from http://www.casamiainitalia.com/hp/crossstitch.html. Its such a dinky wee design, its stitched on 36ct raw linen using a NN thread I had in my thread box, and I've finished it as a fob and trimmed it simply with 4 ribbon bows.



The second - again finished as a fob and again in the redwork style this time using DMC and stitched on 32ct linen - now I can't remember which web site I found this as its been in my stash for ages, but its called Cadeau de l'amitie - designed by Edith A pour le PCB if thats any help to anyone. I trimmed this one with a red beaded trim.

Both designs are backed with red and white gingham fabric.

Thanks everyone for your concern about our health - I must admit I have felt better but never mind eh!!

Thankyou for all the lovely comments you have all left too about mine and Evas tin exchange.
Someone asked me where this exchange was set up from - well it was from here, I asked a while ago if anyone would like to do a small tin exchange with me and 4 lovely ladies said 'Yes !!!' - Vonna, Eva, Vivi and Angela, 2 tins have now been sent - 1 received, I'm waiting for Vivi to get hers, and I have received 2 tins - 1 from Vonna and one from Eva, I still have to send Vonna and Angela theirs.

I've started a new small project for myself last night its by Midsummer Night Dreams and I'm loving it!!

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.