Final freebie for this months challenge

For my 4th freebie finish I have chosen DT freebie, I have stitched this on 40ct linen using Soi D'Alger silk thread and Kaalund silk thread and I used the same Kaalund silk for the trim and tassels. I enjoyed stitching this very much and it was fun making it into the fob as you can see from the photo its quite small.




Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful comments you have left and for those that don't comment, thankyou so much for visiting my blog - I appreciate both comments and visits

Part 4 GoL completed

I've finished part 4 of our SAL and am about to start Part5, I love how this is turning out so far.

I've almost finished my 4th and final freebie from the challenge this month I am just doing the finishing on it - hopefully I will have pics tomorrow.
I have lots of other finishes but can't show them yet as they are all secrets, as they are to do with exchanges, but I will eventually be showing them soon.

I have been quite naughty too and have ordered some stash from Mary Kathryn so hopefully that will be winging its way to the UK sometime this week.

Spring finish

This is my 3rd freebie finish of the freebie challenge for this month - Just one more to do. It was a quick finish too and as I had seen on Vero's blog this design finished as a pinkeep I thought I would do the same (I know its copying), but it makes as a great tiny pinkeep, and I have changed the colours to make it more zingier, I stitched it on 32ct Polstitches hand-dyed jobelan called sky high.

Vivi's tin

Yesterday the postman arrived with a parcel from France for me from Vivi. With great excitement I opened the parcel, inside there was a beatifully wrapped parcel and it contained my tin!!



Isn't it lovely, so beautifully stitched and finished.

On the outside it was edged with 2 different toning ribbons which were perfectly matched to the stitching on the top.



Vivi has lined the inside of the tin with a gorgeous fabric - I wish I could find fabric like that I loved it!



Also the fabric she has used on the base is lovely too. - Again I've not seen this fabric in the UK anywhere.



Inside the tin there was some goodies - a bar of french chocolate and some nougat and also nestled inside was this tiny wee fob - On one side it had a flower taken from the design on the tin top and on the other side it had my initials.



I have so enjoyed my tin exchanges I've now received 3 with one more to receive and I have sent 2 and still have 2 to send.
My plans this weekend changed too as I was either going to stitch freebies or finish tins but Real Life got in the way a bit and neither so far has been done - but I will catch up with myself.
I did finish stitching 'And she gardened' I have to iron it yet and then there will be a picture of that to show.
We have finally been forecasted by the weather men for some snow (a bit late now), and this morning its certainly been trying - so far I think we had been the only part of the UK that hadn't had any snow but now it looks like it could be arriving!! Maybe we might get snowed in again like we did a few years ago and I couldn't get to work - that would be marvellous - just think of the stitching I'll get done LOL!!!

Destination - France............

.... and its arrived safe and sound. This is another of my tin exchanges - this time I was sending to Vivi. I was getting a little worred as this one has taken a little over a week to arrive on her doorstep, but luckily she mailed me today to say that it had arrived.
This time I have stitched an EEF (Ewe & Eye & Friends) design called teaching sampler this of course isn't the whole sampler its just part of it, I loved the colours that is in it I have used all DMC thread and its stitched on 40ct cream linen



I lined the inside with MODA fabric that I had, and padded the inside lid and the inside base as well as the lid top, on the outside I edged the tin with lace that I had in my stash and trimmed that with a narrow ribbon that matched the colours of the flowers (I pinched it off a dress I had - which was lucky really as I couldn't find any ribbon that colour in the shops) The base of the tin I covered in a matching hand dyed felt.

I'm really enjoyed stitching this for Vivi and fingers crossed I 'll receive mine soon - it seems to be stuck somewhere between here and France at the moment and poor Vivi is getting a bit worried - I reckon it'll arrive tomorrow!!

My tin exchanges have been great fun I have finished stitching the tops for my last 2 but I haven't put the tins finishing together yet, I might just do that this weekend, though I might stitch another couple of freebies this weekend then I've finished my challenge.
Whatever you decide to do this weekend I hope that you have a lovely time.

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!!

Its arrived FROM Eva

Am I a lucky girl or what!!! Evas tin arrived for me (see previous post about exchange), I couldn't wait to get in from work today to see if it had come.
I opened my beautifully wrapped packet and this was what was inside:



- Gorgeous isn't it. It looks and feels like Eva has stitched it using silk thread.



Look at the outside, its beautifully trimmed around the outside of the tin with lace.



So now I've opened it and what did I find inside, a tiny fob with tiniest tassel I've ever seen. Eva has put my name on one side and her initials on the other and its trimmed with beads. There was also a pincushion with birds on one side and on the other its says Tin Box Exchange and the month and year.



Inside the box its beautifully padded and lined with the prettiest fabric and Eva has covered the base of the tin on the outside with felt.



Thankyou so much my friend its truely lovely and I can't wait til we decide to do another exchange with each other in the future (my fingers and toes are crossed that we will LOL!!)

Tin exchange TO Eva

Eva e-mailed me tonight to let me know that she has safely received her tin from me today. this is the first one of my 4 tin exchanges to go out, it arrived in France super fast too!!

I stitched BBD - Vintage flowers as Eva is a big fan of BBD's - It was Eva who moderates and organises the BBD SAL's that I join. We have become quite good friends over the past few months I'm pleased to say.

The tin top as I mentioned is Vintage flowers and its all stitched in the recommended DMC colours. I stitched it on soft cream 40ct linen. I added the different beads in colours that are in the design rather than just x stitches as I felt it added more interest. I edged the sides with vintage cream crochet lace.
Inside I lined it with 2 different moda fabrics and trimmed the inside bottom with cord around the edges. Inside the lid I added some silk ribbon to tie on the scissors and another piece of lace (the same as the front edges) to hold the scissors in safely). The bottom of the tin I have put some hamd-dyed felt so that it has a soft 'bum' LOL!!

I made a wee fob and took elements of the top design there's the rose and then on the reverse of the fob I stitched an E and used again part of the main design for the eyelet flowers. I edged the fob with some toning beaded trim and used the same hand-dyed silk ribbon to make the scissor fastner part of the fob.

I really enjoyed stitching and making this up for Eva and my next tin exchange went out today too so hopefully that will arrive the early part of next week.



I apologise for not doing my normal blogging, but we have still been feeling off-colour but I have been very busy stitching and getting on with exchanges and things andso I'm afraid that blogging has suffered a wee bit.

Thanks to everyone for your lovely comments on my work, and for the nice emails too, if I owe you an email I will get mailing soon I promise.

Have you missed me???

We have both been poorly sick what with tummy bugs and heavy colds - I won't elaborate - you get the picture!!! But we are both feeling a bit better now.

I haven't much to show you as a lot of what I've completed lately are secrets but I can show you that I have completed the next stage of the Blackbird GoL SAL. This is such a great piece to stitch and I am really enjoying it. I love this birs it really has texture and gives the piece some texture and depth.



I received Annemarie NRR from mum (Veronica) and I am now planning what I'm going to stitch on it, I have always known the house I want to do so I'll be starting that soon.

I'm sending away 2 of my tin exchanges this week and so hopefully sometime next week I will have some pictures of them to show you.
We received our names of our parthers on the FGBB Biscornu exchange and I have already starting stitiching my biscornu, the way its shaping I don't think I'll want to part with it LOL!!!

A pinkeep

Its a friends birthday real soon and I wanted to stitch her a little something as she is a lovely friend to me, so I chose to stitch this pinkeep by Fancy Work from the chart 'A pair of pinkeeps' this one is the Victorian one, its stitched on 32ct white linen and I used my silk threads by Kaalund. I'm going to pop this in the post today so that hopefully it will get to its destination in time.

New Build - new neighbourhood

It was Barbaras turn to get a house built on her neighbourhood, and for me this time I found it surprisingly easier to think what to stitch for her.

The house is by the 'Irish Hare' and taken from the chart Love thy neighbour. I of course changed all of the house colours to tone in with Barbs neighbourhood. The tree and squirrel are an adaption from Sheepish Designs 'Betsy' The fence and birdhouse is from Prairie Schooler 'A prairie village II' The flowers/butterfly are my own as I wanted them to kinda tone in with Barbs as I wanted to link our gardens together. The wee bird, I shamelessly copied from Barbara so that he followed on from her little chubby birds.

If you would like to see how her full neighbourhood is progressing (2 blank spaces waiting for their homes - Carol next to build) then pop over to our neighbourhood blog. There is also progress on there of the other neighbourhoods.

Needlework smalls exchange FROM Nancy

Nancy was drawn to send to me on SBEBB which I thought was great as I had sent to her (even though we didn't know we had each other - if you know what I mean), anyway she stitched me this gorgeous needlebook I just love it and its so beautifully finished and stitched, unfortunately the day is very dull here and my photos I don't feel does it justice.



On the reverse of the 'book' Nancy stitched our initials. - Thankyou so much Nancy I really love it.

Part 2 completed

I've completed Part 2 of the SAL for Garden of Life, - this wee house is so sweet and I love the colours that was used for it the bricks look old and warm, I'll be starting Part 3 in the next couple of days. If you would like to see everyones progress on this delightful design please visit our album that Eva set up - SAL Album

I've almost completed Barbaras Neighbourhood, and I was feeling very inspired with this one and I hope that she likes what I have stitched - pictures tomorrow.

I received my needlework smalls exchange and I received from Nancy, my camera is charging up at the moment, but hopefully before today is out I will have pictures of what she has sent - its really lovely.

You scored as Albus Dumbledore. You are very wise, observant, and analyctical. You have a very "well-organized" mind, which makes you function in a calm and fair manner. Though you get angered easily, its rare of you to ever act our of temper. You are constantly seeing the good in people and are naturally forgiving because of it. You're easy to please and a great person to learn from. Albus Dumbledore 84% Sirius Black 69% Luna Lovegood 69% Neville Longbottom 63% Hermione Granger 56% Remus Lupin 56% Harry Potter 53% Lord Voldemort 47% Severus Snape 47% Ron Weasley 44% Oliver Wood 41% Bellatrix Lestrange 38% Percy Weasley 16% Draco Malfoy 13% Harry Potter Character Combatibility Test created with QuizFarm.com

My stitching small exchange to Nancy

I heard from Nancy that she had received my SBEBB Stitching smalls exchange and that she liked it - which I'm glad. I had wanted to stitch for the longest time, carnations by Prairie schooler and after visiting Nancys' blog I could see that she liked PS so I was pleased. This chart is an old freebie. I reckoned the design shouted 'pinkeep, pinkeep' so thats what I did, I stitched it on 32ct pearl evenweave using all the rich recommended colours for it and I have backed it using a dark but faded green. When I was in Durham the last time I found a market stall that sold the really large headed glass pins and those were what I used for around the edge.



I always worry that folks won't like what I have stitched for them, but saying that I have signed up for 2 more exchanges lol!!! So this year I'm yet to be exchanging in the Our Love of Needlework, Spring Quaker, ABC Exchange, Needlework Smalls (Pinkeep), Garden theme and Biscornu, the Garden theme I'm moderating again.
Plus I have my PIF's and I am doing my Neighbourhood RR, and the Blackbird GoL SAL, I'm doing a SAL with KarenV when I get back from Holiday in April we are going to do BRD- Sealed with a kiss and I'm really looking forward to doing that one.
Plus on top of that I have some private exchanges I'm doing, I'm doing one with Chris and then I have my 4 tin exchanges - all of which are now stitched, I just need to do the tins all pretty and then I'm ready to start sending them out. So I can't share pics of them just yet but will be able to soon. I don't think I've missed anything out - all the exchanges are well staggered for me - Oh yes, I have missed out FGBB SAL's I'm moderator for Shepherds Bush SAL and we are in the process of seeing how many people would like to join in on a SAL and also I'm moderating the freebie challenge and for March I've set the challenge of 4 freebies to be stitched in the month - so come over and visit us, you don't need to be a blogger to join and its a friendly international board.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and if you've snow - Pleeease send some to Cumbria.

My Valentine exchange to Chris

target="_blank>Chris let me know today that the exchange I sent for Valentines Day has arrived safe and sound.

As Chris had told me that it was her wedding anniversary on Valentines day
I really wanted to stitch something very romantic, my inspiration came from target="_blank>VeroM's blog, a friend of hers had sent her a lovely pillow and I just loved the way it had been finished, so I'm truthful to say I stole the finishing idea and adapted it for myself.

The design is a Blackbird Designs one and its called 'Fond Hearts', but as usual I changed the colours, I didn't want the colours that were stated on the chart so I changed them to my own choice and used Linen thread from DMC. Its stitched on Pearl evenweave (32ct).

I just love the verse on this design:

'When two Fond Hearts unite
The yoke is easy,
The burden light'

Valentine Exchange from Patti

Patti sent me this wonderful parcel which I received today - Isn't it wonderful, she made this delightful and beautifully stitched and finished scissor fob with scissors attached in a pale pink leather holder - I have never seen any holders like that before.


I was absolutley delighted with it. The exchange was the Valentines exchange from SBEBB. It really brightened up my day as I'm not having the best of weeks so far, so now its bound to look up don't you think with all those wonderful goodies which were all beautifully wrapped in heart tissue paper (which I will try and re-cycle.



What else has been happening on the stitching front? - Well I have almost completed Part 2 of the Garden of Life SAL I will pos
t pictures before the end of the week for that. I have completed 3 of the tin toppers for the tin exchanges I just will have one more to do and then I can make up the tins and decorate the insides. One PIF has been stitched, but not made up yet and I'm still trying to decide who to send it to.

Hope everyone is having a good stitchy week?

Exchange Goodies

I was very fortunate on Saturday to receive my Valentine exchange from the JABB Valentine exchange, I was partnered to Sandra and she sent me a beautiful fob and some threads and a treasure, I love the fob and gifts- Thankyou Sandra.


This exchange was a great one with a really wonderful bunch of ladies.


Becky invited me to join her Friends Gather Bulletin Board (FGBB)which you can join even if you aren't a blogger which is marvellous and what a great board its going to be, there are all sorts of parts to it not just for exchanges but chat about various different designers and help and enthusiasm for stitching things well worth a vist I would say.

Exchanges & Birthdays

Yesterday was my mums birthday, she was 21 again or maybe not cos what age will that make me? - Amy told her she was going backwards now in age and promptly knocked her 2 years off - don't you just love 8 year olds LOL!! I stitched a wee fob as part of her birthday gift. The fob is by Shepherds Bush and called in my garden. Its stitched on 40ct white linen and for the writing I used WDW Iris the rest is the recommended colours.



On the back of the fob instead of the date I personalised it with her initials. Mum said that she loved it, so I'm pleased.



My next stitching piece is an exchange piece for the Valentine Exchange on Jaynes Attic and I heard yesterday that my partner Chris has received it. The design is by Ewe & Eye & Friends, I stitched it on pink 32ct evenweave I had in my stash, using the recommended colours I really enjoyed stitching this and I finished it as a flat fold (which was my very first one and very nerve racking to make up and hard to do when you've got both your fingers and toes crossed all at the same time LOL!!)

Look what I got today....

Isn't it lovely, Vonna said that she would love to do a tin exchange with me and............



this is what came in the post today - I just love it, I love bees and bee skeps and so Vonnas' choice was just perfect,



its all so beautifully lined with a really sweet fabric and really wonderfully finished, I love it - and Vonna spoiled me and kindly sent some goodies which was very unexpected, I really love my tin - thankyou so much Vonna.



I haven't done an awful lot yet on Vonnas tin, due to other commitments, but I will have it done soon and be sending to her.

I've been forced to change to the new blogger, not sure that I like this very much, I had no problem uploading pictures on the whole before but with the new blogger
its not playing nice, so its giving me quite a few problems to upload these ones, I'll give it a fair trial, but if it carries on like this then I might have to move blogs.

Valentines finish

Our eldest nephew Ryan (soon to be 16yr), asked me when I was over at his home the other weekend if I would make him something for his girlfriend Lauren as a small gift for Valentines day, so of course I said YES, I was very flattered that he wanted me to, so I made a small ornament and trimmed it with a beaded trim.

The design is by Ewe&Eye&Friends and is called 'I give my heart to thee' Ryan is quite a romantic young man and so I thought it fitted him perfectly, he thought so too when I showed him it.



I've stitched it on 36ct antique white linen and used mostly DMC thread apart from the writing which is an overdye and the crosses in the heart itself - again an overdye by WDW called Romance - very fitting I thought.



Now what else on the stitching front - I've been busy finishing exchanges and so I can't show them yet, but there are 2 valentines and a needlework smalls exchange to show you.

I'm doing 3 tin exchanges now as Argone (Vivi) has said she would love to do one with me so I was delighted. I have found some small altoid sized tins and they are from Marks & Spencer and contain extra strong mints and they only cost around 90p they are the perfect size and have hinged lids. So I am busy planning what to stitch on all 3 of them, plus its coming up to mums birthday and I want to stitch something for her too, so I'll have to get a move on with that as its real soon.

Thankyou so much for visiting my blog and leaving comments I really do appreciate them very much, even if you don't leave a comment I appreciate your visit.

Knitting & Finishing

Well I have a finish to show and some knitting!! - First the finish, the design is by Ewe&Eye&Friends and its called Brown bunny. I have changed the colour ways (as usual), Its stitched on 32ct hand dyed linen by Polstitches and the colour is called Hot Chocolate and I stitched it using dragonfloss which is a hand-dye by Polstitches and the colour is pearl.



The brown bunny and writing is stitched using DMC. The design had a mixture of stitches. I finished it as a pin keep, it looks a bit bumpy on the picture but it is quite smooth IRL.

The next to show is my knitting - I haven't picked up a pair of knitting needles for a good 10 years or more but I saw this wool and fell in love with it, unfortunately I thought I would have got more stitched than I have but other things keep side tracking me, but I have got one part completed and I have strted knitting a bit more - Can you guess what its is? The blob on the right is a finished knitted bit, not a ball of wool LOL!!!



Vonna and Eva have both said they would like to do a tin exchange with me, both ladies are such wonderful stitchers and finishers I am honoured that they wanted to, so watch this space for the results of our exchanges.

The weather here has been dreadful - really high winds - yesterday a few areas at work were sent home because of it - unfortunately we weren't one of them, but I don't think it would have mattered if we had cos when Mark and I got in yesterday afternoon we had no electricity, it had been off apparantly since lunchtime and came back on again at 5pm, but at least it stayed on when it did come back on again.
The weathermen are reporting that the Lake District will have snow on Sunday and Monday - hope we do then it will feel like winter!!

Hope evreyone has a great weekend!

Winter Quaker Exchange

I heard today that Cathy has received her Winter Quaker exchange piece from myself. It really got to Australia fast. Our theme from SBEBB was Blue and white so I stitched on 32ct white linen using an overdye that I had in my stash.

I chose to stitch the Balckbird Designs Quaker strawberry that was in the Christmas 2006 Ornament book, this was my first attempt at a strawberry and wasn't to sure whether I had made it up correctly, I trimmed it with some white glass headed pins as I felt it looked a bit plain, Mark thought it looked good (but there again, when have I ever listened), but I still wasn't to sure so I explained to Cathy that it was my first attempt and that if she wanted me to stitch something else for her I wouldn't be offended at all, but I think she seems happy with it.

No I've been asked for directions on how to decorate the biscuit tin, if you go Here there are some wonderful step by step pictures on how to do it. If you scroll right down to the bottom of the page and click on the わたしの空き缶リメイク text it will bring you to the step by step. All the other text above are wonderful tins that have been covered, its a very inspirational site. I hope that helps?? Does anyone fancy doing a small tin box exchange with me?????

Knitting pics will be added before the weekend!!