Gifted Gorgeousness - a little late

I'm late, I'm late ... but with two good reasons; we've been away and the last of these three gifts will be given today 😄

My first gift was a 40th birthday coaster for a good friend at scouts. I have known Sarah since she was born and she was one of our bridesmaids when she was 11.

The chart was a freebie card chart from a very old magazine, I added the 40. The coaster was a gift to me from my Needlecraft Haven friend Gill.

My second gift was for Deb, another Needlecraft Haven friend who lives overseas. It was her birthday whilst we were away but I managed to get it in the post before we left - however she received it after her birthday as she was away celebrating her daughter's Masters Graduation 👩‍🎓

I used Weeks Dye Works for this, I love the way the variegation works; the thread was Hunter.

My final gift will be given tonight, one of my scouting friends is 60. I have looked at this Quaker chart many times and finally found a reason to stitch it. Most of this has been stitched on our holiday in Turkey sitting on our balcony looking at this view - wouldn't it be lovely if that was my permanent stitchy seat 😍

I adapted the centre and added 60 - the thread was  Six Stranded Sweets Sugared Violets, another variegated but very subtle. I'm very pleased how it turned out, again I used one of the coasters Gill gave me. I hope Bev likes it 😉

Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching - every month on the 15th our blog posts are about gifts we have sent or received - it's a lovely way to say thank you to our fellow stitchers, my thanks this month go to Gill for the two lovely coasters 😍

May Day

Happy May Day everyone - it's a french tradition to give Lily of the Valley flowers today but mine are only just sprouting so I will not have a bunch in the house this May Day. All our garden seems to be a few weeks late, this is my Lily of the Valley in 2014.

The garden is the reason I have not been stitching so much, plus the fact I am working on a couple of gifts so cannot share. We've had our deck replaced and new slabs on the patio. Over the last few weeks DH and I have been cleaning the slate in our borders, repotting some of our larger plants, painting fences and generally tidying up. We still have quite a bit to do but it's looking good so far.

Our old deck being taken out

Our new deck, new slabs and
cleaned slate

Our potted plants and new bird feeder

Today he put up my new bird feeder, we used to have a tree here from which we hung feeders. Since it's been down we hung the feeders the other side of the garden - the birds were very confused again today when they moved back on the new hanger.

Last week DH and I joined some friends for a week in Burnham-on-Sea - you can read about our holiday on my travel blog Aimetu's. One of our days out was to Wells Cathedral and Glastonbury Tor, the tapestry coat of arms panels and cushions in the Cathedral were stunning. My ankle is improving; I have a strong support when walking and wore my hiking boots for walking any distance which really helped. So much so I made it to the top of the Tor on a very very windy day. There's photos in my other blog, but I thought I'd show the beautiful needlework here too.

Stunning work 

I hope the sun stays with us and we can finally see some flowers appearing - I hope your gardens are coming to life too.

A little progress

I have finally finished March's Challenge on Needlecraft Haven, although I have yet to make it up. The dedign us Christmas Joy by Cuore e Batticuore. It took a little longer than I thought as I changed the design to include two girls. This will be a gift at Christmas for someone I send something to every year; they have two girls.

Stitched but needs finishing

My other progress is on my Bouquet Sampler by Jardin Privè - I haven't worked on it for quite a while as I was busy doing the Easter Exchange, the challenge piece and another birthday bookmark but I did join everyone in The Parlour (Needlecraft Haven) on Wednesday. It is growing and there is not too much more to do..

Before

After

The bookmark was for Dusty, my friend overseas. It's always a worry posting abroad especially with it being Eastertime but it did arrive in time for her birthday.

Dusty's Bookmark

Today I need to look at my projects and time as I have a few more birthdays coming up, some big ones so I need to find suitable gifts to stitch. We have two holidays as well, almost back to back so I really do need to plan ahead, always exciting.

Huge thank you to everyone who sent the link to their first posts for my blogiversary, I really enjoyed reading them and looking back to how we all began. Thanks too to everyone who posted, it's always nice to receive your comments.

Easter Exchange

Happy Easter, today is also the Opening Day for Needlecraft Haven Easter Exchange. It's an annual exchange that is great fun to take part of each year.

We had to stitch an Easter gift for our partner, include a card and a sweet treat. I was absolutely amazed when I opened my parcel this morning, Justine has stitched a beautiful biscornu, thank you Justine I love it!

My Easter biscornu from Justine

The reverse with such delicate beading and backstitch

Close up of the cute bunnies 

In my parcel Justine included some mini chocolate eggs, two skeins of Week Dye Weeks thread - daffodil and spring bouquet - and a super Easter card.

My Easter Exchange from Justine 

My exchange parcel travel overseas to Mary. I hadn't stitched in relief before and I did find this a little unusual to start with. I used DMC variegated thread and I stitched it over one to make it ornament size.

The ornament for Mary

Mary's Exchange 

I've been baking for Easter - chocolate nests for our not so little kids and a Simnel Cake for Easter Day.

Chocolate Nests

Simnel Cake 

My Easter decorations are out - just for a few days. My Easter tree is a piece of a contorted hazelnut tree that we had in our front garden for over 20 years and was before that in my Grandmother's garden. I saved these branches and use them every Easter, along with her jug.

My Dad's cousin bought me a beautiful bunch of tulips when we took her shopping on Good Friday and my daffodils timed it perfectly to come out today. The ornament on my mantle is my exchange gift from Christine last year and the stitched egg one my tree is also from Christine from an exchange a few years ago.

My Easter Tree

I love the colour of these tulips

My Easter mantle

There are a few chocolate eggs in our house but we've all been quite good ....... so far .......... and only eaten a little.

Happy Easter 

Easter Blog Hop & 10th Blogiversary

It's Easter Blog Hop time - a fun event organised by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching

In all the Blogs taking part you will find a letter, simply find all the letters to reveal the Mystery Phrase. How do you know which blog to jump to - just follow the link after each letter and hop your way around - make sure you visit Jo's Blog too. 

The letter I have for you is ....

The next blog to visit is The Alchymyst's Study to find out which letter Christine has for you.

My Easter themed picture is the beautiful Easter Exchange Christine sent me last year.

Whoo Hoo today is my  💕 10th Blogiversary 💕

In March 2008 my first blog was titled New Adventure and was about my hardanger tablecloth (which I still have) and my sampler for my school diary. I didn't actually write very much hee hee.

My hardanger tablecloth - the center panels where stitched in a Round Robin
and I then completed the hardanger to make the tablecloth

I stitched this on perforated paper and had it on the front of my planner
when working at school - I managed to move it to the new planner each year 

As a Blogiversary celebration I asked for links to everyone's first blog, be that recent years or many years ago - thank you to everyone who sent a link - here's our first blog posts :)

RJ and Mary - Stitching Friends Forever

Rosey - Ishkabibble

Jo - Serendipitous Stitching

Barbara - The Flashing Scissors 

Vickie - A Stitcher's Story

Julie - Julie's Stitchyknitter Journal

Brigitte - At Brigittes Place

Sharon - It's Daffycat 

Thank you so much to everyone who has visited, read and commented on my blog posts over the last ten years - your friendship is very dear to me, thank you

Special books and a special request

Special books - this year on Needlecraft Haven our Reading Challenge is based on our childhood favourites. This month is Justine's choice ..... Heidi :-)

To be honest this was on my list to nominate as I loved this story. I used to read my Mum's copy when I was younger, a beautiful book with a few colour prints in. I also read Mum's Heidi Grows Up and Heidi's Children.

I was delighted when Justine announced her choice and even more delighted to re-read those old copies. Hubby kindly ventured into the attic and retrieved all three books - they are well loved and smell of my childhood..... it's a pleasure to be reading them again.

My Mum's copy of Heidi

Beautiful inside cover - Heidi getting into bed in the cabin
and Clara in her finery 

Heidi and her Grandfather - one of the superb colour prints in the book

This colour print is such fun - one of my
favourites in the book

The lovely goatherd Peter

Heidi Grows Up - not such an ornate book
but loved just the same

The detail in the colour prints is amazing in this book too

The third book of Heidi

The inside cover pencil print, I'd love to live near mountains

Heidi, Peter and the Children 

Thank you so much Justine, I really have revisited my childhood with these books, in more ways than just the stories.

My special request - join me in a 'first blog' celebration for my 10th Blogiversary on 30th March.

I'll be sharing the link to my very first blog post - if you would like to take part please email me a link to your very first blog post and I will post up '10 years of blogging'.

It will include all the blogs/links sent so we can see how we all started - I do hope you'll join in. Huge thanks to the three bloggers who have already emailed me their links, it will soon be party time :)

My email address is     aimetu.clare@hotmail.com 

There's no stitching this time, but Easter will soon be here which means I will be sharing photos from the Needlecraft Easter Exchange, and of course it will soon be Blogiversary time !!

Afternoon Tea

No stitching to show this week as all my work has been for gifts or exchanges .... but I have been baking. Today is Mother's Day here in the UK, a quiet day for me as our daughter is abroad and our son is working however I have been spoilt withflowets, wine and chocolate. DH has cooked a lovely meal and I had a great afternoon watching Wales win at rugby.

Yesterday our mums came over for Afternoon Tea. We enjoyed a variety of sandwiches, plenty of cakes and I baked a few scones.

Usually I cook a dinner but being as they came for lunch this seemed and was a much better meal.

An evening of stitching whilst watching the tribute show to one of our greatest entertainers, Sir Bruce Forsythe.

Happy Mother's Day