ABC exchange to Wendy

Here is what I stitched and sent to Wendy for this exchange.
The design is a freebie from Indigo Rose which has been in my stash forever and I have always fancied stitching it. Its called 'A gift for you'.
I have stitched it on Polstitches 32ct Hot potato evenweave and ued the recommended DMC threads for it. I felt it leant itself to a wee bag type hanging so thats how I finished it and I made the wee tassels and added beads to them to finish it off.
It was a fun one to do.

I know I'll be asked, but I really can't remember where this freebie came from maybe it will be on the Indigo website still - if anyone has any idea let me know.

Pinkeep from Isa

Isn't it lovely!! This was what the postmas delivered to me today - much much better than stash deliveries. I really love it. Its called Petite Pause by Tournicoton and was stitched by Isabelle for me in the SBEBB Pinkeep exchange. Have you seen those wonderful pins around the outside and the lovely stitching and finishing.

Isabelle also added some wonderful goodies which will get used in the near future. Thankyou again dear Isabelle.
(if you click on the pictures they will come up much bigger)

Pinkeep exchange

Andrea was my recipient partner for the SBEBB pinkeep exchange. I gave it a lot of thought what I was going to stitch for her and decided as we are both UKers and its the time of year for daisy's to be popping up through the lawn and on grass verges I would stitch a design from De fil en Aguille magazine which I have had for quite a while now. I just loved the colours of this design and didn't change a thing, its stitched with DMC and I have done it on 28ct pearl evenweave. Its edged in some pretty braid I found in my stash and of course the obligatory pins. The fabric thats on the back of the pinkeep is what you can see in the background and its from Laura Ashley.



I didn't realise it was so long between my blog postings also I have been a bit slow answering comments and making comments on blogs - I do apologise for being so behind and I really do appreciate everyone that visits me and leaves me a comment. I have been so busy since we got back from holiday - I started a new job which is much more busier than the one before plus I have been stitching a lot, I have done some exchanges and so of course I can't show them (apart from this one) I'm still waiting for the ABC exchange I sent to arrive at its destination. I have 2 other exchanges to get done - I have stitched my SBEBB Garden exchange but not done the finishing and I have started on a couple more PIF's.

I've decided after these next 2 exchanges - apart from Angela's (a very dear friend of mine) of which on her exchange I have only the finishing to do, I'm not going to do any others until the back end of the year - I would like to do a few pieces for myself and I want to concentrate on my CA Wells pieces and get them finished - even though we haven't got our kits yet LOL!! ......... and as you saw in a previous post I have few for finishing! Plus I need to stitch Carols NRR and finish my Blackbird SAL with Eva (I am so far behind on that now)

I'm still waiting for my biscornu to arrive from where it coming from my poor partner is stitching me another in case it doesn't arrive - it seems to be taking a very long time - but I'm not giving up hope just yet :-))

On another note my dellightful niece has updated her blog you can find her in my sidebar under Amy, she has been busy sewing on the sewing machine and has made some very delightful things.

Plus also I have been buying stash - yes stash, me on a self imposed stash ban I've splurged and when the final things arrive I will show you what I have been getting - some very delightful treats I can tell you.

ABC Exchange FROM Svenja

The postman called yesterday with a parcel for me, when I opened it there was a gorgeous ABC exchange from Svenja

Svenja has made me this lovely wind chime in the most perfect colours for me. I really love it and I had a big smile on my face all day, it now hanging up in my sewing room/spare bedroom and looks lovely.




Anne S asked me what CA Wells class Helen and I are doing in November, on the Saturday we are doing The Sailors Valentine and then on the Sunday we are doing the Peacock Sewing Case. I am so looking forward to doing these we are going to have a fun weekend together we don't often get to spend the weekend as just the two of us so this will be nice we've promised ourselves a visit to Liberty's on the Friday too whch I'm sure will involve spending lots of money LOL!!

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.

Neighbourhood RR

Our Neighbourhood RR is nearing its finish now and I have just finished stitching Annemaries which has been great fun for me. Annemarie wanted a slightly 'wacky' neighbourhood which I hope she likes my interpretation of. The house is by Brightneedle as is the tree, its from the lovely pattern 'I spy', if you look carefully you can see the wackiness in the designs of the house and tree, I really love this one. I of course changed the house colours totally. The wee goat at the front is from CHS - 'Hopeful', I have him chewing hay (my own addition). The dog I just made up as all the other bits and bobs on it, apart from the birds which I took from I spy as well.

As I said our NRR is nearing the end I only have Carols left to stitch and then I will send it home to her. Mum has mine at the moment and then it will be coming home to me.

I'll leave you a picture of Annemaries NRR so far. I'm sure that you'll agree with me that its looking good!

4 things about me!!

4 Things about me:

FOUR JOBS I HAVE DONE IN MY LIFE:
1. Saturday girl in Littlewoods
2. Nurse
3. School Matron/Housemistress
4. Technical Support Officer

FOUR MOVIES I HAVE WATCHED OVER AND OVER AGAIN:
1. Ghost
2. Under the Tuscan Sun
3. Bladerunner
4. Pirates of the Caribbean

FOUR PLACES I HAVE LIVED:
1. Gosport, Hampshire
2. Valletta, Malta
3. Billingham, Teesside
4. Cumbria

FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH
1. CSI - Miami and Vegas
2. NCIS
3. Morse
4. Highlander

A FEW PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. London, England
2. Correlejo, Feurteventura
3. Golf de Sur - Tenerife
4. Peurta del Carmen - Lanzarote

FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS
1. Lasagne
2. Thai red curry (My own)
3. Chilli - (Marks own)
4. Cream cheese and peanut butter sandwiches on white bread

FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1. In bed
2. Somewhere hot sunny and quiet
3. Visiting family
4. Here

Love of needlework exchange

This is what a stitched and finished for Julianne in the SBEBB Love of needlework exchange. This was the forst time I did this finish. The front design was taken from casamia leafelt and the back of the design I made up myself.

It was quite a fiddle to do this finish and I struggled with it quite a bit but I'm pleased to know that Julianne loved it. I lined the inside with 2 different red and white cotton fabrics and the stitching is done on 32ct natural linen.

PIF from Wendy

Look at the PIF (Pay it Forward) I received from Wendy today. It was sitting on the doormat today when I got in from work, its so lovely, Wendy said it is called Quaker Tree by The Workbasket, I LOVE this wee deign its so beautifully stitched and finished. - Thankyou so much Wendy it has really brightened up my day!!

Now what else to tell, well our holiday was lovely - so relaxing and chilled, the sun was hot and we have all come back with a great tan, the apartment we were staying in was right by the pool so it was very handing on a morning at 9am for the sunbed rush LOL!! It rained tho' not by Cumbrian standards of rain it was only a couple of times for about 5mins, Dawn and I were sat in the jacuzzi and decided we wouldn't rush inside as we were already wet from sitting in there and we had had the jacuzzi pool to ourselves and were reluctant to give it up. But the rain was warm and very light, the lads got a bit wetter as they were playing golf at the time and the shower they had laster considerably longer and rained harder than ours LOL!! - We were of course very sympathetic to our spouses (NOT! lol!!) But the holiday as always wasn't long enough and we are back to normality this week and work!

I did get a little stitching done tho' I must admit not as much as normal, but I have still to wash it and take a picture. I also have a picture of the finish I sent to Julianne for the Love of needlework exchange as I know tht she received it whilst I was away, but I have been slow to put it on my blog but I will tomorrow.

Tin FOR Vonna

Ok, before I went off to Lanzarote I posted the tin I made for Vonna so that she received it before I came home again. I am really glad to say it arrived safely.

The design top is taken from Homespun Elegance ABC Friendship design, I again stitched the tin top on 40ct fabric.
I changed the style of the inside from what I have done on the other 2 tin exchanges and instead of lining it with just fabric I did a stitched inside and I took an element on the design and did the bird and flower and stitched a V for Vonna. The rest I lined with fabric and cotton ribbon.

FROM Cathy

Here is the wonderful exchange piece I received from Cathy in the Love of Needlework Exchange from SBEBB.



Isn't it just so pretty, I love the verse on it. Cathy said it was by Sweetheart Tree. The tiny, tiny beads decorating around the vine are so delicate.



Inside the needlebook Cathy has added some wonderful rose headed pins from France, I have coveted pins like these for oh so long and think they are wonderful and I love the fabric that lines the inside of the needlebook.



Thankyou so much Cathy - now to hide it from Mum until she goes home tomorrow otherwise I think it will be finding a place over in the North East.

For Sharon

The first exchange to show (FGBB) is the Biscornu I made for Sharon, I chose a Just Nan design and was really happy with the way its turned out,Sharon let me know that she loved it so I'm pleased about that as it was the first biscornu I have ever made and its certainly not going to be my last.

Quaker exchange TO Simone

Simone emailed me tonight to say that she has received the quaker exchange that I stitched for her and that she liked it.



I stitched 2 designs from A quaker pattern book by Ellen Chester (With My needle), as the spring quaker them was green and purple.



I stitched it 1/1 on 28ct Waterlily fabric using Vikkie Clayton silk thread. I decided to finish it as a flatfoldas I felt the design suited that finishing style.



Well my holidays are drawing ever nearer just 2 more sleeps and we will be there LOL!! My cold hasn't seemed to have budged an inch but its not going to spoil my holiday, so when I get back I should have loads to show as I will probably have received the SBEBB Love of stitching exchange and the FGBB Biscornu exchange, plus pics of what I sent to my recipients and of course what I stitched when I was on holiday, I've picked 2 projects to take with me, one is a LHN and the other CCN!!

Plus today in the post I received my wonderful stash order from Mary Kathryn which I will share on my return, but its all great stuff!!

Hope everyone has a great Easter weekend and I'll see you all when I get back!!

My latest finish

I wanted to do something that was more spring like and so I stitched Midsummer Night Designs 'And she gardened' I have stitched 1/1 on evenweave and finished it as a flatfold I'm really pleased with the way this has turned out.

5 more days and we will be flying to Lanzarote - I can't wait and we are both so looking forward to this holiday, winter has seemed to last forever and we keep getting cold and 'bugs' so a bit of sun will do us both the power of good we feel.
Tash is being left in the very capable hands of mum and dad who are having a holiday at our house, which is great.

I have finished the finishing on Vonnas tin and will be posting it on Monday to her so watch out for the postman Vonna.
Nothing much else to tell really, my cold is starting to come out so I'm hot and sticky all the time and tonight we have friends coming round for supper - I've decided to make curry and that way it might clear my sinuses LOL!!

Some-one asked me which designer DT was - sorry I have forgotten who it was that asked - its Drawn Thread!!

Today...

Well today was supposed to be a good day as it was a day off work, but it certainly didn't start that way - phone calls from work at 7:15am, sleepless night the night before and I woke up with Marks cold - thanks Darling!!

But it did start to improve, I managed to almost finish the finishing on Vonnas tin so I can send it out on Monday, and the sun started to come out a bit and then the postie arrived with a parcel from The Netherlands Barbara was the stitcher sending to me in the SBEBB Spring Quaker exchange (we had to stitch in either green or mauve on either green or mauve) and she sent me a parcel full of goodies - thanks Barbara (I have emailed you privately), the first goodie is this wonderful fob that she has stitched for me, its all done 1/1 isn't it stunning.

On the back of the fob is the year and our initials -its so exquisite.


Also included in the package are the scissors attached to the fob, some overdye fabric and some plain fabric, some threads and a needlework finishing form (I have wanted one of these for sooo long!!

So as you can tell my day has brightened up considerably since 7:15am, now to shake off the cold before we go on holiday next week.

I have also done the finishing on the Midsummer night designs stitching I was doing and I will share that with you over the weekend.

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.