The Ball

Last night we went to a Ball, the Onion club was celebrating 20 years as a club and we decided last year to celebrate this by organising a formal dance. What a great time was had by us all. Mark looked so handsome in his Tux



We sat on our table with Karen and Graham,and we had such a good giggle,

this is Karen and I, Karen wore a beautiful sequined dress we called it her mermaid dress and she looked lovely.





My SIL Dawn - missed you hun!! and BIL Jim and the boys were supposed to be with us, but unfortunatley J has damaged his back and they couldn't drive over - but we all had a great time, we danced to 'Midnight Express' and good duo and they sang a good mixture of music, people were up dancing to Dashing White Sargeants and St Bernards Waltz as well as to disco and barn dancing, it was good.

Mark took a piccie of me before we left so here is my dress, I love this dress and my glamorous shoes. Its velevet devore in shades of cherry and the back has a fishtail (not that you can see that here), which is good as it hides my big 'bum' LOL!! My wrap was a gift from my mum and this was the first chance I had to wear it even though I have had it a couple of years, this was a really soft velvet and covered in pretty sequins.

Blackbird SAL - Part 3

Well I have caught up a little with my Blackbird SAL, I am now about to start Part 4. I got behind with Part 3 due to me stitching exchanges - which have been great fun, though no pictures to show as yet cos I've not sent them out yet and because we have been socialising - August and September have been very busy months. Plus what didn't help was the 'frog' came a visiting and I had to frog out the whole of the tree on the right hand side.

If you would like to see our SAL groups progess we have an album which you can find here - http://perso.bellapix.com/SALBLACKBIRD
I have completed and finished my SBEBB 'Stitching Smalls' exchange piece and I am really proud of the way its turned out, so now I want to do one for me in the near future, - can't show a pic yet though.

Look what I got - Redwork from Cari

I received the most gorgeous Redwork exchange from Cari on Saturday, I really love it.

Its a scissor case, Cari told me its pattern was from Amonami Pierre which is one of her favourite designers. Its stitched on gingham linen and its all done 1/1 and has our initials on the back, I absolutely love it. Inside the case was the cutest small pair of scissors with red silk ribbon tied to them.

Thankyou so much Cari, this is so lovely.

Know your Onions

This may or may not come as a surprise but Mark and I grow Onions!! We are committee members of our local Onion Club and this year the club celebrates 20yrs. We only have 30 members so we are quite a small club. On show day we have to present 3 onions cleaned and dressed for the supreme category and 1 onion for the heaviest Onion award, then various prizes are given for most points awarded in show, movement of most places, best onion in show etc etc.



Also Mark and I have a mini competition between ourselves as to who beats who, well this year I did miserably against Mark (girl power didn't help me this year Annemarie), he moved up about 18 places to 8th and I dropped 10 places to 16th, still never mind there is always next year.



The winning onions were deservedly winners each onion weighed around 6lbs so our winner Dave really grew some beauties, he also won the heaviest onion class. My heaviest onion only weighed 4lb 7oz so I was out of the running fairly quickly

My redwork exchange to Patti

The redwork exchange from SBEBB has been great fun and I really enjoyed stitching for Patti and I was pleased to hear today that it had arrived to her. My pattern choice I used was Miniature Alphabets by V Graindorge and I used Vicky Clayton silk thread in Dragons breathe.

I decied to make it into a scissor holder, I stitched it 1/1 on some pretty banding that I had, then lined it in red material and added a silk ribbon fastened with 2 tiny hearts to close it, The scissors are attached using a magnet. I managed to find some dark red scissors to match the thread as well as I could and this was the first time I made a keep this way and was really chuffed with the way it came out. So much so I'm going to make myself one now.

A new Finish

Gosh isn't life busy, I don't think I've paused for breathe much all week, apart from when I have been sitting stitching. My latest finish is by LHN - Daisy Lane Cottage. Stitched on 32ct almond linen, the only change I made was the house colour as I didn't have the CC one and so used GAST Cornflower.
Haven't decided as yet how I will finish this one, maybe a box lid, maybe a cushion.....
I have also started again on the Blackbird designs SAL, we are now on part 3, no pics to show yet.
I had hoped the redwork exchange piece I did would have arrived at my partners, but as yet it hasn't, bu as soon as it does I will show a pic.

This weekend I am off to Durham and leaving Mark house/cat sitting, I am going over to my SIL and we are off to get our hair done, so next week I might come back with a total new style and colour!!!!

The Wedding

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Thought I would share a few pics with you of the lovely wedding we went to the other week of Jo and Tosh - Jo is my best friend Karens daughter, we had a really wonderful time.

August SAL Ornie

Can't you tell the weather is changing, I have had to photograph this inside as its raining outside and very dull. I picked 'Sit and Sew' by Mary Garrys Sewing Cabin, I have loved this wee one for ages, and decided as the weather is so rotten I would stitch this one yesterday and I did the finishing yesterday too, it didn't take very long to do as you can see.

I am still trying to catch up with blogs and emails, I have a good excuse tho' I have been stitching all week, I have finished 3 of my exchanges, - sorry can't post pics yet, the first finish is the Redwork exchange and I will send that out tomorrow. I have finished the Autumn exchange and the Halloween exchange and done all the finishing on them I am really pleased with how they all look, but I'm afraid you'll all have to wait a bit to see them.

The other excuses I have, we were at a wedding not last weekend but the one before and that lasted the whole weekend I have some wonderful pics to show you but haven't sorted them out yet. The weekend gone was a bank holiday here and we went to a Hot Tub party at my friends on Friday after work - WOW I want one now they are wonderful things, and then on Saturday we went to a BBQ for Marks Golf society, in fact the whole weekend revolved around socialising.

I will catch up with blogs and everyone soon.....meanwhile enjoy the rest of your week.

Link

My House exchange

Whew relief, my heart is always in my mouth when I send an exchange in the post, but I am relieved to hear from Annette that she received my house exchange to her.



I chose 12 houses by DT - I couldn't decide what house to stitch when I first thought about it, then decided 12 houses would be perfect. I finished it as a Bourse.



Instead of the alphabet which is in the centre of the design I placed a wee pin cushion and added buttons on the four corners instead of ribbons as I thought ribbons would be a wee bit too fussy for the design. Its all stitched on 32ct linen using the recommended colours.

Blackbird SAL - Part 2

I have completed my Part 2 of the Blackbird SAL 'Remember Me', it was real fast to do, and I used the recommended threads. The fabric I'm using is 30ct R&R reproductions linen - American Chestnut, this was the recommended fabric and as I liked the colour so much I just had to use it.


This is a close up of the finished flowers on the roof, my lazy daisies leaves went slightly askew I'm afraid. My next part 3 starts again in about a week I think, I don't know whether to start the right side, the top or start on all that chamomile grass, I'll think about it this week.

I haven't any other stitching to share at the moment as I am busy stitching exchanges for Septemeber and October, but hopefully some time this week I'll have one to share as my partner will have received it (I hope!!)

House Exchange from Svenja

I received the most wonderful house exchange from Svenja. It is a notebook holder which is so beautifully stitched and finished, I really love it - Thankyou so much Svenja for this. Svenja also included some wonderful linen banding which I know I will use and 3 of my favourite threads by Vicky Clayton


This is the noebook holder opened and you can see the inside, with pad and the pen holder.


This is the notebook holder opened so that you can see the front and the back.

I'm Back

Well we had such a wonderful time on holiday it was a real chill factor holiday and we all relaxed, sunbathed and ate and slept, it was wonderful, I'm afraid I took very few pictures whilst I was away I kept forgetting to take the camera out with us. We did manage on the last night to get a group photo taken which is what I am sharing with you.



The resort was so peaceful and quiet I always thought Tenerife was a real boom, boom, boom place but I was pleasantly surprised and we have great plans to go again next August this time for 2 weeks. The lads had a great time playing Golf 3 times, Jim won the first game (or is it round?) and then Mark won the next 2 that they played - Mark is in love with the golf courses over there. Dawn and I, well we just lazed by the pool and I did a wee bit of stitching.

Mind the only stitching I did was for my redwork exchange which is now completed and I just have the finishing work to do.- So thats one I can't share just yet.
On the stitching front when we got home Sunday - well I have to play catch up with the BD SAL - Remember me.



So my needles are red hot, we start the second 5th tomorrow and I'm not ready yet, plus I had to be at work today so I haven't done any stitching today, but this is my progress so far, and I should by a wing and prayer get the first part finished tonight, everyone else in the SAL seems to have theirs finished.



When we got back into the country on Friday - ohh it was way late, we had some delays but we didn't mind as it was all about security. Saturday we went down from Durham to my sister Helens as it was her birthday and what a lovely time we had,
all the family were there, my brother, SIL Sara, their children, Helens family and her in-laws and of course my parents, we all met at Helens house and then we all went out for a meal together, it was really nice and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone. Helen received some really great presents but I will let her tell you all about them on her blog, and her cake was sooo her LOL!!!

Excitement and holidays

I am so excited - 2 more sleeps and we will be on holiday, I only have to go to work for a couple of hours tomorrow and then I'm finished - yippeeee!!!LOL!!!

On the stitching front I have made a start on the SBEBB Redwork exchange - can't say much about it all yet.
As from August 1st, we started our Blackbird Designs SAL - unfortunately I was going to post a pic of my start, but the weather is awful and lighting not good and my camera battery is on charge so I haven't taken a pic yet, but I will work on it again tonight and then put it away til we return and then I can take a picture of my progress, its such a nice group of ladies I'm stitching this with.


So this is my final posting for the next 10 days or more.
Hope everyone has a great stitching time and a fun week next week. - Will visit everyones blogs when I get back - Now I'm off to finish the packing and pack my stitching stuff.

I Love it

Its been a while since I instantly fell in love with an SB design, but this new one of theirs was instant love its called Oh Beautiful and to me it is, this is DEFINTLEY on my wish list!! LOL!!

Summer Exchange

This is what I stitched and finished for Mylene Its a SB design for a fob really (The summer fob), but I could just picture it as a pinkeeper.

have stitched it on sand 28ct linen fabric and used all the suggested threads, I enjoyed stitching this one and I think I might do another for myself.

I finished it with a wee brass bee charm and gold trim and gold glass headed pins. I am so pleased to hear that Mylene liked it.

My Sunshine

I have really enjoyed stitching this - I do love La-D-Da designs, I stitched this 1/2 on 32ct Silkweaver solo that I had in my fabric drawer so cos its a solo I have no idea what the colour of it is. The threads are totally changed I used OWS - Midnight rain, DMC 111, Dragon Floss - Impulse, Dragon Floss - Riverside. I haven't quite decided yet how I will finish this one, probably into a cushion of some kind.

On a good note too, my Summer Exchange partner has posted to say she received hers yesterday, I have some pics to post of what I sent but I will put them up tomorrow.

8 more sleeps - whoppeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

Feeling HOT, HOT HOT, HOT........

Isn't it wonderful this weather I Love it, but I do wish we had Air con, both at home and at work, never mind we don't have this type of weather for long.

I thought I might have been able to show you my summer exchange piece I sent to my partner, but as yet she hasn't said that she has received it yet, I hope that she has, and as soon as she does I will share a pic with you.

Have a tiny bit left to stitch on My sunshine and then that will be finished, should have a pic of that by the weekend.

All my threads and my fabric arrived for the Blackbird 'Remember Me' SAL which has been organised by Eva we are starting Aug 1st and our number has now grown to 11, this will be great fun and I'm looking forward to starting it even though I'm away on holiday for the first part of the SAL and won't be taking it with me, but I know I'll catch up. When we have started I'll put links to our SAL album.

Did I mention we are going on holiday? - No? - Oh well we are going on holiday soon - next week in fact and I'm counting down the 'sleeps', I am taking a wee bit of stitching with me when I go but what I haven't decided as yet, when we come back it will be Helens birthday - not sure if I should disclose her age LOL!!!! but she is younger than me LOL!! so we will call at her house as we will be flying in at Newcastle and then we can journey down to see Helen and the children and BIL, plus of course mum and dad

On a roll

Seeing as I was in the mood the other day for some finishing I knew in my 'To Finish' drawer there was another wee fob to do, this one is a freebie from Dames of the Needle, I haven't quite finished it the way that was suggested I have just done my own thing, this took all of 30mins to actually stitch and another 30mins to finish, I just used some cord I had in my finishing basket and added a beed charm, I think my corners are a bit off, but never mind.

On the stitching front I have started La D Da's 'You are my Sunshine', ever since I saw this one I have so wanted to do it, so whilst I have had a couple of days off I thought I would, and it seems such a quick stitch as well. When I have finished it I'm going to make it into a pillow and give it to Mark cos he is my sunshine.
I have done some more work on Dianne NRR and I do hope that she likes what I have done cos its finished!!!

On a British board I frequent (Jaynes Attic), I have volunteered to organise the Christmas Ornie exchange - Wish me luck as this will be the first exchange I have ever organised, but I must admit I'm quite excited about it.

July Ornie SAL

This is my July ornament, well really this one is a fob, but I'm counting it in the ornies - again its another EEF this time this one is called Rose Basket fob.
I stitched this on 36ct white linen and used almost all the recommended threads but changed the basket colour and used a very pale overdye for the pale eyelet stitch. Again I have used a beaded trim I had in my stah - I like this trim and added a narrow white ribbon for the scissors to fasten too.

Summer Exchange

Look what I received today from Nicki

We were part of the summer exchange that was from The Robins Nest (Renees) board, I absolutley love this, and she also sent me some lovely 40ct linen fabric by Lakeside linens - French Lilac colour and some cute bee buttons THANKYOU so much Nicki - I have emailed Nicki privately with my thanks, ohhhh I am so delighted