Catch Up

I've been so busy stitching gifts that I had fallen behind with Needlecraft Haven's Monthly Christmas Challenge. NH member Christine chooses a freebie online design for us each month which we stitch and finish but keep secret. All photos are sent to Christine who opens a Gallery at the end of each month. Because I'm late I can reveal mine, although I have sent Christine the photos for the galleries too.

Challenge 1 from Gazette 94

Challenge 2 from Luli

And being as it's only 5th of March I may get this month's challenge stitched in time.

I have also finished a little freebie kit I was given - my memory is not good but I think it was in one of the goody bags at a Needlecraft Haven Meet Up - and I think the goody bag was from Angi.

It's a lovely design by Rainbow Gallery called Victorian Posy Blackwork. I used the 14ct ecru that was in the kit and DMC 122 which is a lovely variegated green. Although the chart said one strand because I used a colour instead of black I used two - I'm really pleased with it.

Victorian Posy by Rainbow Gallery

I've been working on my November The Drawn Thread and Santa's Village but more on those next time. I have been baking again - I made a batch of Welsh Cakes. It was so easy with my new mixer, so much so I'm going to try scones next :)

Welsh Cakes

Thanks for calling by, and for the lovely comments that have been left on my posts :)

St David's Day

The 1st March is St David's Day - the patron saint of Wales. His emblems are daffodils and leeks, so I have a jug of daffodils on the sideboard and we've leeks with dinner. Being a Welsh celebration most people have lamb but we're having chicken - although I might make a few Welsh Cakes after watching the rugby on tv.

St David's Day daffodils

and as it's a new month it's time to change my Drawn Thread mantle piece. I love having these to change each month, they are gorgeous designs.

The Drawn Thread - March

This morning Hubby and I took a walk around Bosworth Battle Field - I have felt unwell since Wednesday and the fresh air helped although now I'm having a sofa afternoon. I have a feeling my MS has flared up after all the excitement of our daughter's birthday, a few more days rest should have my arms and legs back to normal.

Bosworth Battle Field is where King Richard III lost his crown to Henry Tudor. King Richard's remains were discovered in Leicester a few years ago and this year he will have a reburial at Leicester Cathedral. The website has so much detail, in, there's lots happening - we are very excited as my step-dad Keith has been invited to be at the Cathedral on 26th March for the reburial - even more exciting as it's Keith's birthday. The burial procession is going all around the villages near us on Sunday 22nd March.

King Richard III - http://kingrichardinleicester.com

After 4 weeks my exchange gift to Deb in USA has finally arrived. This was for Needlecraft Haven Sweet Feet Valentine's Exchange. The exchange was to stitch a card, send a pair of socks with threads to match. I was so pleased with my card - I stitched the hearts on perforated paper and hung them in the card opening so Deb could detach them and use as an ornament. I was so sad when they hadn't arrived and was just about to stitch again when they were delivered.

My Valentine's card for Deb

Sweet Feet Valentine's Exchange for Deb

 Wishing you all a very happy St David's Day - spring is on it's way, thank you for calling by x x x

Stitch from Stash February report

Another month has gone by already - amazingly it's time to check in for Mel's Stitch from Stash 2015. I really love taking part in this, thanks Mel.

My budget carried forward from January is: £41

Month: February

Spent: £1.90

Earned: £20 

My budget carried forward to March is: £84.10

I can finally reveal my secret stitching. Last month I claimed £8 as earnings from stitching a Lizzie Kate sampler. If you follow my blog and read my Gifted Gorgeousness post you'll know all about it but here's the photo again - our friends loved it. 

Wedding Gift for Niki & Sue

Last check in I also claimed £4 earned from stitching the bookmark I sent to Kate for the Needlecraft Haven Meet Up exchange - details and photos are in my Meet Up Exchange post.

So now to the items I have stitched this month - last Tuesday was our daughter's 21st birthday - DH and I went down to Cardiff to see her. her University friends had arranged a surprise party for her which we stayed to - it was a surprise as she thought we'd come home. I stitched this sampler for her - it's from Just Cross magazine June 2007. I did adapt it slightly and added a gold butterfly. I earned £8 on this finish.

Philippa's 21st Gift

I also stitched a Valentine's card for the Sweet Feet Exchange on Needlecraft Haven - unfortunately Mr Postie has not delivered my parcel although I posted it over three weeks ago. It must be taking the long route to New York. I will be stitching it again and re-posting but I'll only claim this time. I earned £4 on this finish. 

I have also finished my October The Drawn Thread - I stitched this at the weekends on my rotation as my UFO stitching. This weekend I have started November. I earned £8 on this finish. 

October - The Drawn Thread.

I had to buy two skeins of thread this month and although our local art shop charges 95p per skein it is cheaper if I just need one or two as buying online means paying postage. I do have a large purchase to make this coming month and will be checking my DMC stash so I can include any regular colours I'm running low on. 

I am not including my Santa's Village in SFS15 as I am not completing them properly. I have yet to do the white but last Wednesday I did all the coloured parts on Santa's Stocking Store. Now I have five houses in a row complete my next few Wednesdays in the Parlour on Needlecraft Haven will be stitching the white on these. I'm then going to cover them with voile to protect the work whilst I do the other designs. 

Santa's Stocking Store

Three of my stitching friends, Mary, Kate and Barb, have had birthdays lately and I made them each a beaded scissor fob. Theses are so easy to make and are just a small gift but I enjoy making them and I hope my friends liked them. 

Beaded scissor fobs

As I mentioned it was Philly's 21st - I made a cake to take and decorated a shop bought cake for her party. I was so pleased with both - thanks to my friend printing some photos onto icing for me. Philly loved them and they both tasted great. 

The cake I made 

The shop bought cake I decorated

I hope you've all had a good SFS15 February, if you have been buying I'm sure it was for important stash !! Thank you for calling by :)

Gifted Gorgeousness

It's February 15th which means it's the second check in of 2015 for Jo's Gifted Gorgeousness. I can at last share some of my stitched gifts from January. A very good friend from work is getting married on Wednesday, her and her partner had a civil ceremony in 2008 but now, thanks to a change in UK law, they are actually getting married.

I saw this Lizzie Kate sampler and though it perfect, and but using LK lettering I added the date of their civil ceremony and their names. I gave it them this afternoon and they loved it. I was so pleased.

Lizzie Kate design

Back in November at Needlecraft Haven meet up we set up an exchange where we made a bookmark for our partner (chosen at random and kept secret). I always feel that an exchange item is a gift so here is the bookmark I gifted to Kate.

Free online chart 

Thanks Jo for organising this mid month challenge - it's great fun and nice to share gifted work. In saying that I'd like ot share two gifts I received, my bookmark from Julie and yesterday my stitched Valentine's card for the Needlecraft Haven Sweet Feet exchange.

My bookmark from Julie

My Valentines card 

Thank you for calling by to see my latest gifts - there's a few more still in hiding but all will be revealed next check in :)

Quilts and 'the frog'

It's nearly Valentine's Day, we've a short break and a special birthday in our family so my next posts will be a little longer and will have many photos, but this one is a quickie.

Many bloggers have been asking about my Mum's quilts. Two were chosen to be in a Canadian exhibition representing the UK. She was very nervous about them being posted but they arrived and have arrived back in safety. This is the link to the exhibition http://www.ailsacraigquiltfestival.ca/

These are my Mum's two quilts

Mum makes many quilts, mainly hand stitched, large and small. We have many at our caravan and at home. She is involved in Project Linus which makes quilts for those in need, injured soldiers in hospital, young children. The quilts given go home with the patients - great form of comfort.

My stitching this week has been to finish off my secret projects as priority although I have kept to my rotation doing my UFO on Sunday and my Santa's Village tablecloth on Wednesday. This is my progress on my UFo which is now November by The Drawn Thread.

Doesn't it look amazing!! I had stitched the first chair and table when I realised I had the fabric the wrong way round so had to frog everything :( but it's all clean and ready to go for a new start.

Finally here's a little video of our son Michael - he's the Bar Manager at Saints Bar in our town. His speciality is cocktail making with the flare tricks and bar tricks. I love this one - enjoy

Thanks for calling by - have a great weekend and Valentine's Day x x

Meet Up Exchange Opening Time

Last November the members of Needlecraft Haven had our autumn meet up - it was a lovely day, as these meet ups always are. You can read about it here.

At the meet ups we always have a secret exchange - we all write our names and addresses on a card along with the answers to three questions. This time the questions were to do with favourite colours, flowers and cakes. The cards are mixed up and we all chose one at random. The exchange this time was to stitch a bookmark for the person whose card you picked, it had to have their name on and be linked to the things they had written on the card.

I picked Kate's card - her colours were lilac and green, her flower was freesia and her favourite cakes were macaroon. Using a free online chart I stitched this for Kate - it's backed with green felt and I used the same threads to make the fringe.

Kate's bookmark

A few goodies added for the exchange parcel 

My card was picked by Julie - she had picked me last spring too but did a swap so this was actually the first time she had stitched for me. I had put roses as my flower and Julie stitched this beautiful bookmark.

My bookmark from Julie

So that is one January stitch that's been revealed - the next one is the Valentine's exchange so not long to wait. I have received my parcel today and have put it away safe so I don't peep, it's very tempting though.

I have completed my October piece from The Drawn Thread. Using my rotation and stitching with the UFO ladies from Needlework Haven at the weekend it hasn't taken too long to finish. Now I have my November piece to work on.

October - The Drawn Thread

Yesterday I visited the Heart of England shopping village with a friend. It's a lovely place with little shops full of clothes, household bits and cooking items. We had a lovely lunch and I bought some primula for my hanging pots. I do need to re-pot them but it's too cold at the moment. They do look so bright and cheerful.

New flowers in my hanging pots

Thanks for calling by, we've had a little snow, I hope your weather is not too severe, stay safe :)

As January draws to a close

Amazingly tomorrow is the last day of January, a whole month of 2015 has passed already. It's been a busy month one way and another.

The month started off with us hosting a New Year Drinks Party at home - a great night with a house full of friends. We've been to friends for dinner and had friends at ours. A good friend of mine has had quite a serious operation but is very well, I've been visiting most days which has been great sitting chatting and drinking coffee. I've had coffee dates with a few other friends too and some lovely meals out with Hubby. We've had a full day in London visiting The France Show, sat quietly watching the birds in the garden for the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch and booked our June holiday. Phew it certainly was a busy month - you can read about our trip to London on my other blog Aimetu's.

Our day in London

I have been stitching too and started a new rotation for 2015 - it's gone really well all of January. I have joined Jo's Gifted Gorgeousness and Mel's Stitch From Stash 2015 but although I have been stitching I have not yet been able to share very much. However February will be a month of reveals as the two exchanges I've done have Open Days then and I will be able to reveal a gift I've stitched.

I have been keeping up with my UFO and Parlour stitching on Needlecraft Haven. My Drawn Thread October is looking good and Santa's Stocking Store now has a wall and a few windows.

Drawn Thread October

Santa's Stocking Store

My February stitching will be focusing on finishing my two projects above, finishing the January Monthly Challenge, finishing my Joy ornament for my church tree and if I have any spare time (hee hee) I'd like to get some finishing done as I have a few pieces stitched but not finished.

I hope January has been good for you too, even if it has gone by so quickly. Thank you for calling by :)