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.

I'm still here

just been a bit upset still, plus Mark and I went over to Durham at the weekend for a family party which was nice, but I've come down again with the dreaded tonsillitis, so that makes feeling under the weather worse - still never mind I will bounce back as usual. I have been stitching and will have some updates to show, I've finished the Pendillium for the French exchange but can't post a picture of it yet as I haven't to send until next week, plus I have almost finished the stitching of my Au Fil des Reves set, then it will just be the finishing to do on that, hopefully I will have the cross stitching completed on that by tomorrow night. I still haven't done the finishing on 'Bunnies', I must get on with that one too, I have been planning my next ornie for the SAL I'm doing with Romy and Paula and I'm going to start the mailart exchange I'm doing with my sister this month, I have quite few bits and bobs to get on with really.


Thanks to everyone for your comforting words and hugs about Floozi, they have been greatly appreciated.

Floozi

My tom cat Floozi went missing from home from Sunday night, we went everywhere looking for him and couldn't find him and asked friends and neighbours if they had seen him. A friend whilst walking his dog this morning rang at 5:45am and said he had found him, I went rushing to where he said he was which was in the long grass in the house where he used to live before we took him in, he was all curled up looking for all the world as though he was asleep, I am so upset, he was my wonderful little man and he had such a gentle personality. I just can't stop crying. Mark is all upset too.

Link

A finish finish

I actually completed all the stitching I think either last year or the year before and its been sitting in the 'to finish' drawer ever since, its by Just Nan and its called Pearl Orchid, but I knew I didn't want to frame it neither did I want to make an ornament with it, when I was in Penrith last Saturday and visited the Silk Room cross stitch shop I found to my dismay they were closing and they had 50% off everything so I had a field day buying boxes and very expensive scissors at half price, and found this wooden box hidden away in a display cabinet and it perfect for Pearl Orchid. I have padded the top of the box slightly and placed it in the lid.

Our new front door

has finally arrived, typical for it to come on such a overcast day, but I am quite excited about it so I just had to take a picture, even tho' the house looks grayer and gloomy. If you look to the right you can make out our beautiful azalea, it comes with us from house to house so far and in the foreground is the wonderful montana clematis which we call mile a minute, its drenched with flowers this year and looks amazing from the other side of the road.

Link

Where I'm from..........

I found this on Barbaraand just had to try.

I am from the pebbly south coast where sailors roam, from Maynards winegums and co-op sterilised milk.
I am from homes that had rooms that smelt of tobacco smoke for a while, where laughter lingered and the sun always shined.
I am from dahlias and earwigs, roses and greenhouse tomatoes, tortoises too.
I am from Veronica and nanny Maud, great aunt Win, great grannies Stripe and Moorman - knowledgable, strong independant women, quick to smile and sing out of tune, but who had elegance and grace.
From 'Susan Pull your socks up' and 'Down comes the rain' from daddys sunshine and tuppence
I am from High church of England where Sunday school was fun.
I'm from the sea and the salt and the sailors who travelled the world, from cockles and winkles in vinegar, Guernsey butter and cream.
From my Grand-dad Mac with ears the size of Elephants who wiggled them at tea-time to make me giggle at the table and then get disapproving stares from Nana. He always smelt of greenhouses and tomatoes and from my Nanny Maud whose love of the garden was passed onto me and from Aunt Win whose love of the needle was passed down to me.
I am from wooden tea chests as packing cases, with steam trains and tv's with coin slots, I am from mixed memories of travels, and chocolate boxes full of photos and love.

Neighbourhood RR

Well I think I have finished it, I don't think I will add anymore to it, and I am quite happy with it. This is mums (Veronica) Neighbourhhod RR part that I have stitched, hope that mum likes it. Next week I will be sending it off to Carol, early I know, but I have a few other commitments that require my attention and I knew I neded to get this up and finished, before I stsrted the next think I'm doing which is an exchange of pendilliums.

RR has returned home

My RR has finally come home to me - whoppeee!! I joined a DT RR late last year, there were 4 of us in it, Marie-Louise, Wanda, Nelly and myself, I have in past posts put up the work I completed on theirs. For mine I picked DT's 'Summer', but with additions, I placed the house and trees on the top as the design wasn't really big enough for 4 of us to put an input onto, so my work on this was the house, trees, bird and border round, the ladies have done an absoluely wonderful job on stitching on this and I am really pleased with how it looks - Thankyou so much ladies for the work on it.

I have been sewing other things lately, I have finished bunnies but need to complete the finishing work so when I've done that I will have pics, I am also about 2/3's of the way through mums neighbourhood RR house and garden so will have pics of that too in the near future, and finally I have made a big start on my Au fil des reves designs and will have pics of that too, so I have been busy.

I had wanted to share today pics of my new front door, but unfortunately the main panel hasn't arrived yet and so they have put a 'borrowed' one in which is nothing like the one we have ordered so I have to wait a few more days.

Thankyou

I would like to say a big thankyou to everyone who visits my blog, I really appreciate it and your comments and questions. I would also like to say welcome to the newcomers to my blog who have left me comments and questions too.
Jorge asked me a question yesterday as to whether I knew anything about cactus or wild gardens and I have to say that I know absolutley nothing about either really at all - so I'm sorry about that.

More stash

Whilst I was over in the North East last weekend - gosh it seems like ages ago now, I went to Guisboro' and into Leven crafts, oh that shop is so tempting I'm glad I only go in a couple of times a year I treated myseld to some new stash, I couldn't resist the DMC colour variations that have just come out here in the UK.
I also added to my fabric, I needed just 1 piece for Bunnies for the finishing work, but once in the shop I was like a kid with her hands in the sweety jar and eneded up buying loads. Also they were doing a breast cancer material charity squares which was a really good buy there are 40 squares two each of 20 different fabrics I have some ideas using Essys friends to do something with them all. They also had some beautiful 7mm hand-dyed silk ribbon which I just had to get some of and buttons beautiful shell buttons, which I have forgotten to take a picture of.

Tiptoe

through the tulips!! I couldn't resist last weekend whilst I was over visiting my parents to take some photos of the beautiful tulips mum had planted of some tulips in a large sink, they are lovely.

Link

Ornament SAL

This is my ornament for this months SAL with Romy I have chosen to stitch a EEF designs I have had forever it my stash, it is a real delight to stitch. I used DMC Linen threads and its stitched on 32ct linen. I finished it with a fabric thats got wee bees on it and a gold trim, I'll be doing this one again as I so enjoyed stitching it.

MailArt Sent & Received

Here is the mailart I sent for Sandra as we were part of the Stitch & Stash Spring MailArt exchange, I stitched it on 28ct evenweave that was a hand-dye by Kates Kloths July 2005 colour, the wee rabbit is by EMS, the flowers on the back were by me.
and here is the delightful MailArt I received, now I don't think it was Sandra who was sending to me and as yet I haven't discovered who it was, but its a delightful envelope, I really like it.

I've been away for the weekend, well a long weekend visiting my parents and sister and her family, well I saw Helen and the family Monday and my wonderful little sis, cut and coloured my hair - it was in desperate needs and now I have a wonderful new hair style. I have been stitching, but very naughty really as I have been concentrating on my new French smalls and I am now behind on 'Bunnies' SAL and mums RR, plus I haven't finished my SB Columbine Sampler, but I have more or less finished my ornie for this months SAL with Romy, I will post a pic up tomorrow of that one.

Stitchers Blogger question

Q. Do you or have you stitched with over-dyed threads? (Weeks Dye Works, The Gentle Art Sampler Threads, Six Strand Sweets, etc.) If so, what is your opinion concerning them? If not, why not?

I love over-dyed threads, I have used them numerous times on numerous projects, I haven't a particular favourite, though I am enjoying using Vicki Clayton silk thread which is overdyed and lovely to use. I like to try different ones, some do not always have the effect I expected but I find some can enhance a project.

In door water features anyone??????

Never again to I want a day like today, in fact lets forget about the year so far!!! Lets begin at the beginning, - January,microwave blew up, February, washing machine blew up, March - dishwasher blew up, April - whilst placing a plant support in the garden on Easter Saturday Mark inadvertantly managed to puncture the gas pipe to the house - major catastrophe, May - now bear in mind we are only 3 days into May, we awoke at our usual time 5:30am to go to work, carpet in bedroom sodden and I mean really wet just what you want when you blearly open ones eys. Water leak from the airing cupboard, now from the photo it doesn't look that bad, but photos LIE, Tash bless her, is trying to help as you can see, and by then the water was turned off, so I had an impromtu day off work today with Mark and his uncle repairing the pipe which meant carpet lifted and floorboards, my nice cream carpet now is a funny greyish colour and I'm still drying it out with a heater, the photo doesn't show that so well either. So now I have a tidy and dry airing cupboard as everything had to come out of it and its not that huge anyway, so its been all go all day.

BUT in the post today I got my lovely french kits for some smalls I wanted to do, luckily they are translated into English as my french is not so good, all three are by Au Fil des Reves and are all themed on Maison de brodeuse, I love them and I am not going to wait to start them, I'm starting tonight.

Also the final part of the attic stash big 40 arrived there were 10 beautiful Vicki Clayton silk threads so I can add them to my silk box, so between washing towels and bedding that got very wet with very yukky water, I've been fondling my new stash. Luckily I have a wonderful Mother in law who because we had no water sor half the day, took away some of the horrible wet yukky bedding and towels, and not only did she wash and dry it she also ironed the lot for me and brought it back at tea-time - Thanks Mu, I love my MIL.!

From Water features to Onions

We have been doing a bit of work in the gardens over this Bank holiday weekend and before, as I may have mentioned in an earlier week, Maark and the nephews pulled down a tree and made me a water feature. It will look much nicer when all the Hostas have grown around it and the climbing Hydrangea is in flower.
But I must admit, I'm quite pleased with it.


The onions I will tell more later.... blogger is playing up. Whoppee at last its working, now the onions, Mark and I are members of an Onion Club and we grow BIG onions and show them later in the year, at the moment I'm beating Mark over the last 5years and get placed higher than him!!!LOL!!! These are my onions potted up in readiness to take up to the allotment then I can get them planted out of the pots into the ground, its fun and we quite enjoy it all, it also involves a lot of social time as there are 30 of us in the group.