Gifted Gorgeousness July

Another month has gone by and although I have been stitching, it's stitching for gifts so I can't share just yet ....... therefore this months GG is from me to you!

I have two charts to gift - let me know in your comment which draw you would like to be entered into, you can be in both. My gift-away is open to everyone.

If you link my giveaway on your page and send me an email to let me know I will enter you twice for your chosen chart or both.

Be Warm - Shepherd's Bush
including buttons

One Hundred Yesrs - Lizzie Kate

Gifted Gorgeouness is hosted by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching. The 15th of each month we post about any item we have gifted or been gifted or have used that was once gifted. Jo has a link page each month for us to visit each other's blog and our blogs are linked to Jo's. It's lovely to read about everyone's gifts.

Good luck in my gift-away, happy GG blog visiting.... next month I'll be able to share the gifts I've been working on.

June and July framed

I have changed my The Drawn Thread monthly designs from box finished to just the fabric stiffened with interfacing so I can put them in a frame each month

You can read about my changes in this post from August last year. The frame I had made has suited all months, I think July completes the year.

I forgot to share June so here's a photo of both June and July in the frame.

I have managed to keep up with my Temperature Quilt, the colours are a little darker again now we're home, although our daytime temperatures are quite good.

Temperature Quilt - day

Temperature Quilt - night

My current stitching is a few gifts and an exchange so I cannot share..... I cannot stitch much either at the moment as we are freshening the lounge.

Over the last two years it's taken a bashing with us having to sleep/live in the one room and me wheeling around. The carpet has moved and the laminate flooring is not looking so good, we can't complain as it's over 20 years old.

So we're having a new carpet (same colour)  new laminate flooring in the conservatory and giving the lounge a lick of paint. It's a big job as our wall units need emptying, moving and the stuff put back. We're doing the lounge first with everything in the conservatory then vica versa, all good fun.

Yesterday and today have been preparation days, stuff to the tip and the charity shop (we're having a new dining table), and rubbing down ready for painting tomorrow.... what a job!

Our four large units
stacked in the conservatory 

Dust sheets everywhere 

Watching a blurry Wimbledon

Our daughter is at Wimbledon today, she has Centre Court tickets .... I've been trying to spot her on tv which is nigh impossible anyway made harder by the dust sheet.

Hopefully we'll be hoovered up soon and can enjoy a glass of wine with a Chinese takeaway (we're both too tired to cook).

July already!

June passed by so quickly, it was a very busy month for us with family birthdays and our anniversary celebrations. Hubby and I had a super time on our cruise - you can see more photos and read about our trip in my travel blog - Aimetu's

My stitching this month has been for Needlecraft Haven's Summer Exchange and a few gifts so unfortunately I cannot share much this post.

A quick word about Needlecraft Haven Forum - we are a small friendly group of stitchers, knitters, card makers, quilters and general crafters. To prevent spam posts and keep our forum safe it is a closed Group BUT membership is free and it's very easy to join.

We've had quite a few new members lately but sadly they haven't posted so after 4 weeks their membership has lapsed. Maybe they just wanted to have a look .... if you join please post so we can chat and share your crafting too .... we have members in the UK, USA and Australia ... here's the sign up link

Needlecraft Haven Sign Up 

I have however completed my Temperature Quilt to the end of June .... we had an unusually hot day here in central UK on the 29th, it was a surprise to use my hottest colour. 

It wasn't a surprise to use the hot colours on our cruise, we expected the Mediterranean days to be high and the evenings warm .... thank goodness the cabin had air con, it was quite humid on the balcony.

Day Temperature Quilt 

Night Temperature Quilt 

My stitching plans for July are to finish the gifts, finish and make up the Summer Exchange gift, keep up with my TQ and hopefully do a few hardanger pieces for my church tree .... no holidays planned, although we might pop to Cardiff to visit our daughter, so there should be plenty of stitching time 🙂

Gifted Gorgeousness - June

It's a very special Gifted Gorgeousness this month - huge thanks for Jo for allowing my May post about my Mum's Afternoon Tea for her 80th birthday.

Her actual birthday was 31st May but as she was on a cruise to Canada I had to give her gift to my stepdad to smuggle on-board and keep safe until the day. I don't do very much quilting or machine sewing but as my Mum does I decided to make her a project pocket for taking away on her travels.

I stitched Jardin Privé design Ciseaux et Bobines (scissors and bobbins) which I thought was perfect for Mum as she makes quilts. Using elements of the design I also stitched a covering for a tape measure, a needlecase and a bag for scissors. Because Mum was travelling and scissors can be restricted I bought her a Clover cutter and made a stand using a bobbin.

I was very nervous putting the fabrics together and especially making the project pocket as I have trouble working out where to stitch when things have to be turned .... inside out is something I find tricky.

Mum opened her gift on board ship before spending her birthday in Corner Brook, Canada. I haven't seen her yet as they have only just arrived home but she did send a message to say how lovely the gift was.

Mum's complete 80th birthday gift  - a Project Pocket for her travels

Needlecase

Needlecase inside

Tape measure

Clover cutter, bobbin and scissor bag

The front of Mum's Project Pocket

The back of Mum's Project Pocket

The inside of the Project Pocket

Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching - on the 15th of every month we post about any item we have either gifted or had gifted or have used that was once gifted. Our posts are linked to Jo's blog so we can see each other's Gifted Gorgeousnesses. Thanks Jo for hosting this great blog link each month, and once again many thanks for allowing Mum's party for GG-May.

Flaming June

Well it isn't 😂

The first of June was glorious and I moved up a colour on my Temperature Quilt, however since then it's cooled down and has been raining everyday.

Here's my progress to 7th June, I'll be stitching this week's weather tomorrow as Friday is check in day on Needlecraft Haven.

Just one day of hot weather on my Day Quilt

The temperature overnight has stayed
the same for a few weeks

Whenever she visits our daughter brings flowers, as I do when visiting her in Cardiff. On her latest trip she brought some beautiful lillies, I love the deep colour. The flowers are so huge I've had to put them where they can't touch anything else.

Gorgeous lillies

Although it's midweek our friends came for dinner. We're all retired but our, and our friend's, weekends seem to be always busy. I made salmon mousse for our starters, our main was mussels with French fries and it was salted caramel ice cream with fresh fruit for dessert. A lovely light meal for a Wednesday night.

Hubby found some beautiful napkins in Dunelm, in the sale at 63p. They look lovely, I'd like to get some more if we go in store again.

Perfect napkins

I'll be blogging again soon as the 15th is Gifted Gorgeousness time with Jo from Serendipitous Stitching and I have a very special gift to share this month.

Another three for church

I'm not quite on track with my stitching, not behind just uncertain of which projects I have and what I should be working on. I guess I need an afternoon of stash sorting ! 

I did find some hardanger pieces that were half completed for a project I'm not doing anymore. The fabric is very soft but they have stiffened up with a little ironing starch.

I finished them with wrapped bars, eyelets and a spider's web centre. The edging was the trickiest, I have used diagonal blanket stitch which I think looks ok. There are two more to do which will make another five for my church tree.

Three more hardanger pieces for church 

It's been a busy weekend: Hubby's sister and husband are over from USA visiting my Mother-in-law who has just turned 83. Yesterday we had Sunday Lunch at a local pub, 11 of  us all together. It was lovely to meet up as we don't see each other very often.

Our daughter and boyfriend came up from Cardiff for the weekend so they could make the lunch and as it's our 30th Wedding Anniversary soon we went out for a meal on Saturday night. The five of us survived a very bumpy taxi ride down country lanes to a superb restaurant - Hercules Revived. 

When we got married it was Hubby's sister's husband who was our best man. They lived in Germany at the time and as a thank you we took them to this restaurant a few days before the wedding. It was a bit different in 1989 and since then it closed down and re-opened - hence the name.

It was lovely being all together; Hubby, me, son, daughter and her boyfriend. We had a superb meal, my pate was so tasty and my pork just melted. There was a good selection of wine too. The weather brightened up so we were able to sit in the garden overlooking the Leicestershire countryside for a pre-dinner drink - memories made :-)

A super evening - I love family time 

Well I best go and sort my stash and see what projects are calling. I have remembered to send Jo a photo for the Summer Blog Hop - you can find the details on her blog Serendipitous Stitching if you would like to take part too (it' at the end of her post)

May update

May has been a busy month with planning and baking for Mum's birthday and our tour of Scotland. I posted about the birthday surprise in my GG May (thanks Jo 😉) - if you want to read about, and see the photos of, our Scottish adventures (4 posts ) pop over to my other blog 

Aimetu's - wine, food and travel

I didn't do any stitching whilst away, the main reason being that the light in hotel and guest house rooms is so poor. I think they focus on 'soft lighting for a good night's sleep' but in some rooms even reading was tricky.

I recorded the highest day temperature and lowest night temperature in all the places we stayed and now we're home with good light I have updated both my Temperature Quilts to 23rd May. I'm really enjoying these, the colour changes are amazing, I love it when the temperatures rise. 

Day Quilt

Night Quilt

It's always a worry when we go away about our garden. We only have pots and they need watering every day. With Mum away too we had to come up with a plan ... so we bought a water sprinkler and timer for the outside tap. It came on once a day and although we had to do some dead leafing, weed clearing and general pruning the pots survived.

Hubby and I spent a day working on it, dodging the showers. I'm so pleased with how it looks, it's the first proper year after all the changes and I just love sitting outside with my coffee. 

We have a new clematis to climb the fence round the clock

I've added some pots to the edge
of the gazebo

I love the contrast of the red acer leaves and the greenery,
we now have a fig growing behind the chairs.

I love the exchanges we do at Needlecraft Haven, this year we have already had a Valentine's Exchange and an Easter Exchange. It's time for our Summer Exchange which is to make a pin cushion on the theme of either cats or dogs - at the moment it is still sign up time but our partners will be announced soon so I'll know which theme to stitch.

Huge apologies to everyone as I haven't had time to read any blogs for quite a while. I plan to spend the next few coffee breaks in Blogland catching up with all the news.