A finish or two

Here is my Homespun Elegance finish, it was such a nice one to stitch and I had been promising myself for ages I would do it. Its called Olde Shaker Poem, I stitched it using the recommended threads (I know thats surprising for me) and its on 28ct linen done 2/2. I finished it last Friday and I intend to make it into a proper sized cushion, which if I've time I will do over the weekend.

Now my absence has partly been due to my sprained thumb which is feeling much better now thankyou, I did it on the seatbelt in our car, it keeps sticking and won't go in properly into the catch and so it got stuck and I got mad and the orange button thingy popped back out again and hit the top of my thumb and I twisted it, so I'm blaming Mark as its his car and I've been moaning about it for ages LOL!!

I saw thatCarol has made a start on my RR, and she is doing the PS Birdhouse which I really wanted and it looks brilliant, I was ever so chuffed about it when I saw that she was doing it for me.

I have been stitching the mailart for an exchange I'm involved in, I was going to post a picture but I haven't quite finished it and I don't want to spoil the surprise in case Sandra visits my blog (tho' I don't think she does) and posting out date is for the end of the month. I have also been stitching on the last leg of the DT RR,
I was left with Winter Spot as Wanda had chosen the seasonal spots for her RR, it was a nice one to stitch and only used 4 colours it was also very quick to stitch, I hope she likes it and the charm I have added. Marie-Louise has told me she is stitching mine at the moment, I can't wait for it to come home.
Now what else are my plans, I want to stitch Sheepish Designs - Ewe Alone and I still want to do Brighneedles - Friendship so I can't decide which to do this month and anyway I will always change my mind, I'm doing the Stitching Smalls SAL this month of Bunnies in the Garden, I hope to start that tomorrow and get my first weeks target completed by Sunday and I also have my ornie to stitch in the next week as I'm doing a SAL with Romyfor ornaments.

Just to let you know....

.. I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, I've just been really busy of late and I managed to sprain my right thumb, which is my stitching hand, will post up some pics tomorrow of what I have been stitching, which has been very slow and painful.
">Link

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

Phew - By the skin of my teeth.........

I managed to get finished before my holidays. This is the centre of my neighbourhood,
its a stitching shop (couldn't fit needlework on the sign), I feel I should put something in the sky, but I'll wait I think til it comes home in 18months. Tasha is sitting there waiting to greet everyone, tho' I should have added some black on her, but I know its her. The garden is full of flowers, the shop is ALWAYS open. The shop is an adaption of Brightneedles Needlework shop, the tree on the left of the shop is an adaption of a Homespun Elegance tree and fence. The other tree with the swing hnging from it is by DT, the swing was my own thoughts, as I'm still a big kid and love swings (Mum you must have deprived me as a child as we never had a tree that could take a swing in the garden - LOL!!). This time the path is straight and paved in granite as granite never wears out and there should be a lot of walking in and out of the shop LOL!! - Do you want to visit my shop? - I hope so!
Here is a picture of my 2 finished squares, hopefully I have them blended together OK, I'm quite pleased with the result.

I have stitched yesterday the new PS - Spring freebie, though I haven't had time to make it up into an ornament or pin cushion, can't decide yet which to do with it, I will post a picture of it when I get back from my holidays next week. Holiday stitching had me in a quandry, I have finally decided to take 2 pieces with me, and then decide when I get there which to stitch or if I stitch at all, though usually I try and do some, my first choice is by Homespun Elegance - Olde Shaker Tune, the other is by Lori Markovic - Polly Wolly Doodle.

Did I mention I was going on holiday LOL!! - We are going to Lanzarote, the temperature will be around 20 C maybe warmer (hopefully), which is a darn site warmer than the UK will be if the snow arrives. We haven't been to this particular Canary Island before, though some of the lads at work have been with there spouses/partners and have said its really nice, Mark and I will just be chilling.
Link

How to be annoying

Well, I've managed to annoy everyone at work since Thursday, all my friends this weekend - haven't started yet on the family apart from MIL, - WHY?? you might ask - well let me tell you 'Did you know I'm going on holiday' ? We have only now got 3 and a half sleeps to go then we will be flying.
You know the snow I've been wanting and wanting? - Well, guess what, its coming next week when I go on my holiday - sods law that one, kneeeew that would happen, when you want something that much its bound to happen when you aren't going to be here, now as long as it doesn't prevent 1. Our journey down to Manchester Airport or 2. The plane taking off, then I really don't care.

Have I managed to annoy you yet - bet I will before Wednesday LOL!!!!
">Link

Nothing New

I'm afraid I have nothing new to add today, I have been really busy stitching my 9th square on my NRR and its almost finihed and then I can share it, I needed to have it finished before next Tuesday and by the looks of it I'll have it done by the end of the weekend. Why next Tuesday you might ask, its cos we are going on holiday YIPPEEEEE!! Just for a week but for once we are going on our own, as wonderful as it is that our friends always want to come away with us, its come to the time when we need our time - if you know what I mean and so we have dumped the friends (in the nicest possible way of course) and its just Mark and I. - Oooh Sun, pool, novels, stitching and cocktails - BLISS total Chill!!!

So I will be posting again by this weekend and hopefully I will have some bits to share, now its decision time what to take with me next week in the way of stitching.
Link

Warm and Fuzzy

My friend Maria sent me this today, its so great I just had to share, it reminds me of my cat Tasha.


Link

Lovely surprise

I got stitchy mail this week which was a lovely surprise. Maria a friend in Canada sent me some beautiful 28ct Quaker cloth in a soft violet colour and some lovely bundles of thread. It was a really nice surprise and a lovely thing for her to do, it quite made my day when it arrived. As you know I haven't been feeling 100% lately and that really perked me up - THANKYOU Maria.
Link

Ribbon Trim instructions

Gosh its not as easy as it looks to photograph what you do, so I apologise if the photos aren't brilliant, I will write step by step as we go along though and hopefully that will make it a bit clearer, if not I'm sorry and you'll just have to ask me instead.



To begin with you need 3 lengths of ribbon, usually I estimate about 2 metre lengths for a small hanging pillow so in total it would be 6 metres if you were doing it in all the same colour ribbon, make sure they are all seperate lengths.Next fasten the 3 lengths of ribbon to the bottom point (in this case is the heart point), I usually slip stitch this together.


Now here I catch the ribbons with the needle and cotton pushing the needle through all the ribbon thickness


Then pull the thread towards you so that the ribbon ruches


Then catch the fabric through the seams with you needle this is about 1/4 inch intervals as I go along, then catch the ribbon again, this is usually about 1 inch intervals along the ribbon or however far or close you prefer the size of the ruches,



You do this all the way around your pillow until you get back to where you started I then catch the ribbons altogether and make a slight knot with them and fasten off, then trim the ribbons to length and you have the finished project.



This particular project is for my MIL for Mothers Day, the heart is a freebie by Anne Les Petites Croix and the thread I used is Lasting Friendship by Dragonfloss, its a lovely varigated thread in soft lilacs and mauves, the fabric is 32ct Lively Lilac hand dyed by Kates Kloths

Ribbon trim

From this to This..........

As you all know I took some stitching with me to Durham at the weekend -quick reminder of what it was well now its Finished and sewn up.

My finished Wabbit
is going over to Durham to my SIL Dawn, when we were there she expressed a real liking for it, and as she passed her fitness instructor training exam on Saturday - WEY HEY WAY TO GO DAWN!!!!!
I think she deserves it as she has worked so hard for this, even though she wouldn't let me do the class on Saturday, but I understand her reasons 100% due to the fact it was her exam and me collapsing in the middle of the class would have done no good for anyone - not that I intended to do that, but Dawn wanted to be safe and careful and if I'd done the class I wouldn't have been able to have the lovely afternoon I had with my sister Helen.

So I still haven't managed to do a Wabbbit for myself, now a few of you have asked how I put the ribbon on like I have on the Wabbits, if you can bear with me til the weekend I will do a photo shoot (sounds very high brow LOL!!) and do a step by step, its really really easy honestly, you just need soft ribbon to do it.

My weekend

As my blog is a little about me but mostly stitching, I thought I would just pop in a few pics of our weekend we have just had over at Durham. I didn't take any actual pictures of Durham just of us lot. My 2 nephews Ryan and Kier, who I must thank for letting me spend 10mins on the computer on Friday night, which was really generous of them, as boys and their computers are not easily parted especially when Uncle Mark tells them 'Oh she says she won't be long, but its at least 90mins' which did of course cause a wee panic from Kier
We had a brilliant night and the red wine flowed rather to well as you can see by the state of colouration on Marks face and my BIL's eyes - LOL!!
Saturday day I spent with my wee sister Helen - sorry no photos, I forgot to take the camera, what a lovely time I had, I don't get to spend many hours with Helen on my own so I quite cherish the ones I do and although we often have a wee sisterly spat now and then we didn't fall out once (I know we sound like 15yr olds, but I'm bossy and she can be condescending, which we do laugh about it LOL!!) We wandered the streets of Durham in search of the perfect outfit and visited some lovely shops on the way, I love The Renovation shop it has some wonderful things for the home in there, we came out with some beautifully smelling rose soaps, but we could have spent an absolute fortune
Saturday night was a rather good night as we went out to a restaurant for dinner, but again the alcohol flowed rather too well and we had to visit 'Brown Sugar' to end the evening with cocktails, so here are just a couple of photos from there.




Link

Some progress

As we are going away for the weekend tomorrow I thought it might be a good time this afternoon to update my blog as I won't have time tomorrow morning. I thought I would show you progress with Woodland Walk, I am stitching it on 32ct Douglas Fir hand-dyed Sugar Maple Fabrics Belfast linen, the bit you can see that I've started is the fox cubs head.
I also have been stitching my next house on my NRR due to the fact I have 9 squares on mine and there are only 8 of us in it, I am stitching a needlework shop, seeing as the love of the needle is what brought all of us together, and no I'm not showing progress on that one yet.

The fabric and chart and thread which is the next picture is what I am taking with me for our weekend away visiting the family, I have to take stitching with me just in case..... I am in the Wabbit mood and haven't done one of these for ages, so this one I am going to stitch on 32ct Spring Green hand-dyed linen by Kates Kolours and the threads I am using are those by Heavenly Hues - of course as usual I have totally changed all the colours, the wabbits tail I will do in Whisper thread. Hopefully I will get it finished as they are so quick to stitch.

Here is a finished picture of one I did a few years ago, this one is called Wabbits Wonder and I stitched it for a dear friends wife.


The other I did as a birthday gift for a work colleague, they look very different although they are the same design.


">Link

No Bees No Honey completed

I have, whilst I have been off, finished No Bees, No Honey. I'm really pleased with the way its turned out, now to frame it!!

I have now started the picture Mark has asked and asked me for which is Woodland Walk, I will post progress on this one too, there are a lot of colour changes in it, so I am including this on my kinda rotation as I must do more to Mermaid Heaven, she is sitting looking half done, and of course Les Dentelles, so I will try and discipline myself - not a hope!!
I also have decided to do the needlework shop in the middle square of my NRR before I send it off next Month to Carol, but I think I will sort of design my own with elements of other designs in it.
">Link

My First House is complete!!

Well I think I have finished my first house, so here it is for all to see.The design of the house is Mill Hill Spring village. I have now got a clematis growing over the fence as this is one of my favourite flowers and I have at least 30 of them in my own real life garden. The small tree on the right of the fence is from DT as are the birds. I have placed Floozi sitting in the garden as that is where he loves to be, I haven't put Tasha there but I might as yet. The birds are suposed to be blackbirds - common in my area, the softer gray one is a female with 2 male birds chasing after her - must be something psychological haha!! I added what I would call a band stand as I have always fancied one in real life but no room to have one, there are roses on the bushes and an apple tree, I'd love a conservetory in real life so my make-believe house has one. I would have added more flowers and some bees and butterflies, but felt if I put much more in it would look really cluttered. The path is winding as nothing in life is straight I find it always has a slight bend and turn. The wishing well is there, cos we all have wishes don't we?
">Link

Massive Headache

Sorry I haven't replied to emails or posted for the past few days, but I have had a massive headache, something in my head went pop and then terrible pain, so I was rushed off into hospital on Friday afternoon when it happened as it was thought I had had a bleed on my brain, as all the symptoms I displayed were of that. So, I had a scan of my brain - I think to see if I had one LOL!! then later that evening I had to have a Lumber Puncture - not very pleasant I can tell you, even if the doctor was quite dishy, anyway I'm glad to say that they found my brain and the LP came back OK, its been decided that I had a massive migraine attack.

I can't sit for long at the computer at the moment as it irritates my eyes and my back is pretty sore too when I sit still for too long. But I have done some stitching for an hour or so yesterday and again first thing this morning and I have almost finished my house for the NRR, so I'll post that maybe later this afternoon. I will also email folks then that I owe emails too.

I am OK , so don't worry about me.


">Link

A Gift for a special Birthday

Today is my mums birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mum xxx. So its a special birthday. Shes going to hate me for showing this photo as since then she's lost about 3stone, but I love this one, it has such happy memories of a wonderful time we had on one of the times when her and dad came to visit this was May 2002, mum and I were in our bedroom, looking at stash, and we were teasing each other and having such a laugh, I think this picture shows what a happy lady my mum is - Love you!!
This is what I made mum for her birthday, its a hanging pillow which I stitched on lavender checked evenweave (28ct), I stitched it with the DMC linen thread, I quite liked the thread, though it does tend to make your stitches uneven which was a bit of a draw back, but I think the overall result was quite good, I know mum received it in the post yesterday but when I rang this morning to wish her Happy Birthday she hadn't opened her gifts as she was waiting for tonight when she was going to go to my sisters for a birthday party tea with my nephew and niece as they like to help open gifts.

Link