Happy 3rd Birthday

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas

Christmas here was not the peaceful time i had hoped for, circumstances out of my control prevented that, but DH and i enjoyed each others company and we received some wonderful gifts. Karen stitched me this lovely mistletoe ornament and DH wasted no time holding it above his head after commenting on Karens perfect stitching and her fabulous idea for the perpetual mistletoe! She also sent me the lovely JBW Christmas Tree charts too. I'm looking forward to using them as part of the monthly Christmas ornament SAL at Stitch & Stash next year. The Prairie Schooler santa and JBW 'Secret Garden' chart was a gift from Karan and the choccies and shower wash from Clare. I also received some lovely gifts from Kathy (no blog) but unfortunately they are not in the picture. Thank you ladies for your kindness.

This little pinkeep i stitched and sent in Karens Christmas parcel. It's by JBW and was so lovely to stitch. I had been gifted the chart earlier in the year.

I do like JBW designs, they are quick stitches and always look so effective and splendid when finished, i have quite a few now that i hope to stitch this year, so wathc this space as they say LOL

Tina (no blog) from Stitch and Stash had a birthday just before Christmas but had kept it very quiet so unfortunately i had missed it.

She is one of my UFO stitchers so i decided to knit up a bunny for her. It did arrive just before Christmas and i'm pleased to say Tina loved her.

She doesn't have a name as yet, but is holding a 'prodding' needle and a reel of thread to help make sure Tina stitches on Tuesday UFO nights.

I bet you are all wondering why i titled this post 'Happy 3rd Birthday' well... according to the blog counter, today is the 3rd anniversary of my blog. Surely i can't have been waffling on and still have folks reading since December 2006. To say thank you for your visits i've decided to make something for one of you. What should it be? something stitched? or something knitted? Please say in your comment if you would like to be entered into the draw and if you would like a stitched or knitted gift and i'll get DH to pick a winner New Years Eve.

Edited to say .....
Not sure if i will blog again before the New Year, so i'll take this opportunity to wish you all health and happiness and send my warmest wishes to you all for 2010.

Last post before the big day

Preparations for a quiet family Christmas here at my home are complete. The tree is up and being guarded by a certain fluffy puss, Midge has decided to curl up and wait for Santa underneath! The cake is iced, mince pies baked, larder and fridge full of wonderful goodies and fit to burst. All gifts and cards have been delivered to friends and family and we have plenty of coal and logs in stock to keep us warm and toasty.

Tomorrow we are off into the village to hear the brass band playing carols and have a sing-along. It's going to be a Christmas card scene if the snow is still lying around and we are all dressed in our scarves, gloves and warm clothes. It's always so magical to see the little ones so excited and singing along with the carols they have learnt in school.

I apologise to you all for the snowy weather here in the UK. I know i wished for it to come for Christmas but i did ask for it to be here Christmas Eve after you had all finished your shopping and were settled inside home for the holidays, i guess i better be careful what i wish for in future.

Wishing each and every one of you a very Happy Christmas with your families, i hope you have a wonderful stress free time and enjoy every minute. To those who have sad anniversaries at this time of year as i do, and to those who have loved ones who will not be with them for whatever reason, my thoughts are with you.

Posties been busy

I had a lovely afternoon yesterday, i travelled to meet Clare and see the wonderful ornaments other stitchers had made for the Miss-Tree she decorated to raise funds for the local church. Well done to all the laides who stitched an ornament for the tree. You can see pics of the tree on Clare's blog.

Angi (no blog) was one of the first ladies i met when i started being an online stitcher and she is also one of ladies who stitch on UFO night over at Stitch and Stash. This year she completed a UFO that i know has been in her stash for over 5 years. Last week she had a birthday and i decided to surprise her with 'Barker' another of Mr Sticks spys to check out what other UFO's she has in her stash box.

Barb, (that should say Seymour and Rose) also received a package from the stork (postie) and inside were two little baby bunnies. I thought it would be fun seeing as they have been married for quite some time and you know that saying about 'breeding like rabbits' LOL There is a lovely pic of the family over on Barbs blog!

An envelope arrived here for me too from Rachael, she said i could open it now and inside was this beautifully stitched ornament which is now hanging on my tree, she also included the 2 lovely Polstitches threads. Thank you Rachael. x

We've had plenty of snow the last few days and it is so cold, i hope you are all safe and well.

Reveal Day

Remember the Christmas ornament exchange that was posted out at the end November, well now is reveal day.











I chose to stitch Colonial Christmas Ornament by Cherished Stitches for my partner Christine. It nearly didn't get in the post as DH was so impressed with it he wanted me to stitch something else for the exchange and put this one on our tree. As i keep telling him, we cant possibly keep every one i stitch although i have to say even though it was a bit fiddly to stitch together i really did like it myself and was pleased with how it turned out.

Christine sent to me and the stitches in this one are so teeny tiny and perfect. Thank you so much Christine, i love it and it is now hanging in my tree ... yes i finally put it up at the weekend. The card is a photograph Christmas card, the picture taken by her husband.

3 little finishes

My mum arrived today to spend the day with us and we exchanged Christmas gifts as we wont see her again till after the holidays.

She was really pleased with both of the bookmarks i had stitched, here's the second one all completed but only just in time. I hope the ladies who receive them get plenty of use out of them, i did wonder what type of book they might end up in though ... its strange the things that go through your mind when you are stitching something for someone else.

DD was also here today and i was able to give her the ornie for her tree, i finally made it up this morning after putting the roast into the oven and preparing the veggies.

I decided to stitch Herald Angels by Prairie Schooler from JCS ornament issue 2003 as i felt it would compliment her other ornaments on the tree as she has some nice black and gold creations that she bought this year. She loves it and made a request for 'one every year please mum' to build up a nice collection for her tree, i'm sure i can accomodate that request LOL

Sally had a birthday yesterday and knowing her love of Just Nan, i decided on a floss bobbin holder using the ornamental letters chart. I hope you had a lovely birthday Sally and were thoroughly spoilt by your family and friends.

I hope you all had a good weekend too.

Spirit of Christmas in our neighbourhood

A busy week at our Community Centre this week.

Wednesday afternoon there will be a carol concert with children from two local schools singing for the senior citizens and tea/mince pies will be served and a free raffle ticket given to each of them. My stitchy club ladies have donated grocery goodies and i made up these 2 hampers today towards the raffle. Thursday evening is a Christmas Fayre. There will be rides for the kids, lots of other activities and Santa will be in attendance, also the local brass band will be playing Christmas carols. There will be another raffle and the horticultural committee have donated fresh fruit hampers for this. It's going to be a fun and exciting week.

Having stitched one of these bookmarks for a family member earlier this year i've been asked to stitch two so they can be given as Christmas presents, this is the first one. I'm quite organised with my preparations for the festive season so i didn't mind. Most of the pressies are wrapped, the cake is marzipaned and just needs to be iced although i still need to write some cards. A December birthday gift is finished (cant show that yet till its been received) and the second is stitched and just needs to be made up (i can show you this when its done as the receiver isnt a stitcher). I'm halfway through stitching an ornie for DD to put onto her new 6 foot tall Christmas tree - she was here today telling me that shes put it up, so i guess i better get off here and stitch faster so it can be on the tree for the maximum time this year LOL

The weather has been rain, rain, rain for the past few days and its getting to be a bit boring now, i know i am not keen on snow but i think i might like some of the cold and frosty mornings that come with a nice cold sunny day and can i put in a request now for my all time dream ..... to go to bed Christmas Eve with no snow but wake Christmas morning to even just a sprinkling of snowflakes or possibly a whiteout. I know what you're all saying.... grow up you big kid!!!

It's December ...

Sunday was reveal day for the monthly challenge at Stitch and Stash.

This time it was Elizabeth Designs freebie 'Peace', not so many in the album this time for you to look at.

I thought this was going to turn out a lot better than it did, not sure i am very pleased with it but it will be nice to burn the woodland fruits scented candle over the holiday season and maybe i'll be able to use the design and make something else when i have more inspiration.

Knitting needles have been busy again making these socks for my SIL's Christmas pressie. I really like these ones myself, such a nice colour combination.

First day of December sure has let us know winter is approaching fast. We woke up today to a real hard frost. I lay in bed and could hear my neighbours scraping car windscreens before they could leave for work. I did give a thought to them standing out in the cold, but only for a minute before i pulled the duvet over my shoulders and settled down for an extra hour before DH brought me my morning cuppa LOL

I have updated the sidebar with things that need doing in December, not a lot this time with all the Christmas preparations to do. Although, there are a few Birthdays coming up in early January that i need to get organised for too. I hope you're all warm and cosy (i hear on the news 200 miles north of here had snowflakes this morning!) and getting organised with your Christmas preparations

Christmas is coming!

My plan at the beginning of 2009 to stitch one ornament a month is still on target. A lovely collection ready to wrap for family and friends are already completed and now i will add Loopylou Designs 'Christmas Joy' from JCS ornament 2007 for the month of November. In the magazine it's stitched white on white, but i decided to go with the more traditional festive colours for mine.

My ornament in the exchange at Stitch & Stash has been sent and i have received mine from my partner (its wonderful and i say a big thank you, you know who you are), unfortunately i can't reveal this till everyone has received theirs so as not to spoil the guessing of who sent to who for those still to receive. There are differing opinions on revealing exchanges:- A)show a pic and say who as soon as you receive, or B)wait till a reveal date and post pics all at once on the forum so all is revealed together - which do you prefer?

I hope all my friends over the pond had a lovely Thanksgiving with their loved ones and are not suffering from too much overeating today!

I've been thinking of Karan today as she underwent her surgery, i hope all went well and she is soon back with us in blogland feeling much better.

Have a good weekend whatever your plans

A gift in the post...

Something very nice was delivered today, it sure did brighten a very dull, wet and dreary Monday.

Barb has sent me this lovely parcel, look at the cute little card, he's a knitted dog, how cute is that! There was a lovely message in the card, also telling me that the design on the larger cushion is by 'The Spinsterhood' and the smaller one is a Blackbird Designs, this one is full of lavender - my favourite and it smells heavenly, its stitched on her favourtie Sassys fabric called Dusk.

Barb has recently joined blogland and set up a blog for herself after lots of badgering by other bloggers (yes Karan thats you), if you've not visited yet, why not pop over and say hi, i know she would appreciate your visit.

Thanks again Barb xx

A wet and windy Sunday

Lots of horrid weather this week, high winds and heavy rains, but no where near as bad as some areas of the UK. I've done a little stitching, some knitting and made up the monthly challenge ready for reveal next weekend. These are another pair of socks for DH. The monthly ornament is stitched but i still need to make that up before i show you and my friends birthday gift is almost ready to be made up too.

DH is feeling much better but still not 100% and DD is now 12 weeks into her bad throat and cough, she's back off to the Dr this week after finishing her antibiotics and still no improvement. I'm still germ free, so i'll send you all a {big hug}

Happy stitching and knitting

Unclean! Unclean!

Our front door should look like this to warn visitors to enter at their peril as we have the 'lurgy' at our house, thats what they did in 1665 in Eyam, Derbyshire to stop the spread of germs to other villagers.

Poor DH not satisfied with having tonsillitus thought he would like to have a very bad case of D & V this weekend. I can honestly say that in the 25 years i have known him i have never seen him so bad with a stomach bug. I have no stitching updates to show you today as i have been playing nursey and taking care of him and washing and disinfecting the bathroom to within an inch of its life. He seems much improved today and his asthma seems to have settled again, so life can return to relative normality again .... normal whats that!! LOL

Hope you had a better weekend than we did!

***Happy Dancing***

Back in December last year i was invited to join the Needleprint Beatrix Potter Quaker SAL blog. I put the first stitch into mine on 15th Jan. Membership grew fast on the blog as ladies showed updates on their own blogs and we soon had the maximum 100 stitchers. With all good intentions of finishing this by the end of this year and thinking yeah right in your dreams... I HAVE!!

There are such a lot of different wonderful variations and all so lovely, its been great to watch them all grow over the year, and see 7 finishes to far. Mine is stitched on 25ct laguna in potato using Carries Creations - Wedgewood and Bordeaux.

Thanks to you all for your encouragement over the year with this, my first large Quaker project.

Remembrance Day

IN FLANDERS FIELDS.
In Flanders field the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
~~By Major John McCrae, May 1915.~~


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I'm pleased to report that DH's test results showed no sign of H1N1, although he was quite poorly with whatever it was. He is now much improved and went back to work late last week. DS and i seem to have escaped the germs, fingers crossed it stays that way as i know lots of people who are unwell right now.

Stitching news - Christmas Wishes by Linda Bodkin of Loopylou Designs is finished, i decided against the doves eyes in the bottom hardanger panel as i prefer it without. The threads of this one are different to those the charts asks for too although they are basically the same colours. I also finished the final part of the hardanger bookmark from Clare Aimetu

Beatrix also has a motif added but as there is only one more to add till its completed i'll save that for the happy dance!

Just Nans Lady Scarlet has also grown and there are 4 more bands added. Its such a lovely one to stitch, hopefully i'll be on target for a finish in 2009 if i can get part 2 done this month but its that time of the year again when we are all busy with secret projects that can't be shown as we are secretly sending goodies off to santa for friends and family.

I hope you have all had some productive stitching time and the bugs and germs are keeping well away from you. Thanks for visiting.

Beatrix and the boys

Beatrix has been put away now till next month. It's amazing what you get done just taking it to the stitching club each Wednesday night and the odd evening inbetween. This month i managed to add 4 motifs and that just leaves 2 for a finish. Two months to go till the SAL ends so i should easily get it finished in 2009, thanks Hazel for organising this SAL, its been great fun and was my first quaker biggie.

Marian has asked how my "fluffy boys" are as i haven't posted any pictures for a while. They have been busy perfecting the art of cushion hugging, although i think Midge has an identity crisis as he is in 'her ladyships' chair (yes girls thats mine) my SIL bought me the lovely cushion as a birthday gift. Oh to be a furbaby and enjoy the comforts of a good home!

DH is off work right now and confined to home with what they think is acute tonsillitus, they have swabbed the bacterial growths to check for H1N1 as apparently its on the increase again. With his asthma history they want to be certain as he is due to have a flu jab and also the swine flu one when it is available at our surgery.

Reveal day

Octobers monthly challenge was for either Four Fat Friends or First Snow from The Drawn Thread. I had almost finished stitching First Snow and had a great idea of how it was going to be finished when DH looked over my shoulder and said 'i do hope that one is our Christmas Ornament for this year, its really nice' so it ended up as just that and will adorn our tree this year. Its stitched on 36ct edinburgh linen using Weeks Dye Works and Gentle Art Sampler threads. Instead of stitching the snowflakes i used Delica beads which sparkle that i had in my stash although they dont show up so well in the picture.

The mini christmas stockings that DS wanted knitting for his friends children are to be filled with mini chocolate santas. He didnt want traditional christmas colours but asked if they could be typical blue/boy and pink/girl but i did add some holly leaves and berries to them to make them seem a bit more Christmassy. He was really pleased with them and i hope the kids are too.

Did you all remember to put the clocks back last night and enjoy your extra hour in bed...

Knit not stitch

Only 1 evening of stitching this week which was Wednesday at the club, i took Beatrix with me and accomplished half of another motif, its growing but very slowly, why is it the last little bit gets so boring and always takes forever?

It's been more of a knitty week, DH's halloween socks are complete, he's really pleased with them especially as they are a bit longer in the leg than the other pair.

I've also been knitting some Christmas surprise smalls which grow really fast. DS saw them and has asked for 2 for his friends children for Christmas.

Thank you to Gaynor for the lovely knitting mag which i won in a contest on her blog. It's got a great book about crochet with it, thats the 'lets try something new' i want to do in 2010, this year it was the socks and i have mastered those (i know its only on 2 needles and i have yet to master the 4 needles LOL) Lots of stitchers seem to be enjoying taking a break from stitching and trying knitting or crochet recently i have seen it on lots of blogs.

This morning i finished off the monthly challenge piece. This month it's a choice of 2 free designs from The Drawn Thread, not long till the reveal of this as its next Sunday.

Enjoy your crafty time ...