Stash, stash and more stash.

I have had two orders this week from Sew and So - I did one then signed up for some exchanges and realised I needed to go shopping (again) LOL

Here is the stash I can show:

Rose Anchor Pearl Cotton No. 8
Rose Anchor Stranded Cotton
4010 DMC Color Variation Thread
4160 DMC Colour Variation Thread
4220 DMC Color Variation Thread
S553 DMC Satin Thread
4010 DMC Perle No.5
4220 DMC Perle No. 5
28ct Jubilee Antique White
28ct Jubilee White
Stefan's Christmas Stocking Chartpack
509 DMC Perlé Cotton No.5

Because DS has now turned 18 I am stitching him the stocking and Santa will leave it this year with just a few goodies - his final gift from Santa :(

The other items are for some small projects I am working on that I can hopefully share soon.

Postie also brought my JA Autumn Exchange and JA Haloween parcels. We are off to the caravan today (once the new washing machine has arrived) so I will be taking them with me to open. A quick thanks to my partners - I will send a personal thanks once I know who you are.

AND Postie brought another ornament for the church. This was from Karan and is a gorgeous reindeeer. Thanks Karan - he's in the box with the others - all ready and waiting.

I'm taking quite a bit to the caravan to do but who knows how much will get done. I will share the exchanges goodies when I get back - see you all in November.

PIF- winners, Christmas Ornaments and "Old Bill"

Sorry the PIF draw was a little late - I admit I forgot with DS's birthday.

The winners are:

Jan

Kathy

Mariabee

Congratulations ladies - over the next 365 days I will be stitching and making a little something for you all. Jan and Maria could you please email me your postal address. Please offer the same on your blogs in return, thank you.

I received Julie's Christmas ornament in the post today and it's gorgeous. The finish is beautiful Julie, I might have to come over for some lessons.

Yesterday I stitched this from my JCS Christmas Magazine that arrived Saturday. The designer is Monique Keylon of My Mark, I used 14ct white aida and DMC thread (but I did change the pink to red).

And finally these are a couple of pictures from the statue dedication service yesterday. It was quite moving to see so many people attend especially the old veterans.

News, news and more news !

I have lots to share - and some of it is actually to do with stitching LOL!.

Firstly we had a fabulous time yesterday for DS's 18th birthday. We went to Frankie and Benny's and the food and service was brilliant. I gave DS some money so he could go the the bar and buy everyone a drink - of course they asked for id which made a lovely moment :) DS had said he didn't want a cake at the restaurant so we just had a balloon - however once we had finished our main course the lights dimmed and one of the waitresses brought over a chocolate brownie with marshmallows with a candle on and they played "happy birthday" music - of course the whole restaurant cheered him. All of this was the restaurant's own doing we hadn't asked and we were not charged - it was such a nice thing to do.

Here we are - going from left round the table - my mum (quilter supreme), DD (we don't look alike do we LOL), mil, me, mil's partner, DH, my dad (peeping over DS's head), DS (the birthday boy) and my step-dad.

We all came home then to have DS's cake - and got the grandparents to have a game of bowling on the Wii - just a practice really for Christmas Day.

Today I am going to a dedication service for a replacement statue in the town park. I am chairman for Nuneaton District Scouts and have been in scouting for over 20 years. We always take part in Remembrance Parade but two years ago the town statue to the Boer War soldier was stolen for scrap metal (there are some wicked people around). The town has raised enough money to have it replaced and it has a new postition outside the museum facing the war memorial. Today is the dedication ceremony and in a few weeks is Remembrance Parade where it will be part of our service. It has been on Central News so you may have heard about it. I think there will be many people there today to welcome "Old Bill" home.

Stitching news - As Julie said on her blog I am doing one of the decorated trees in my family church this year and have decided to deck it with stitched ornaments. DH and my dad came up with the name " A Fine Needle Tree" which I think is perfect. I have many ornaments from my stitching friends already which usually hang on our tree and I am going to get stitching to make a few more, especially as my JCS magazine arrived yesterday. Thanks to everyone who has offered to join in - special thanks to Julie for sharing her ornament and for stitching it so quickly :)

Final piece of news is I am organising a Meet Up here in Nuneaton. It will be on March 14th 2009 and if enough people are coming I will hire the school library again which is a fabulous room for stitching, the light is so good. Not that much stitching gets done as there is so much nattering LOL. We will be going to the pub for a meal afterwards and if anyone is wanting to stay over to help with the journey there are two Travelodges nearby which offer great value rooms. If anyone is interested in coming please email me - clare@hearnden98.freeserve.co.uk

What a lot of news for today - hope everyone is having a good Sunday and to friends in the UK "have you turned your clocks back?"

Half Term

Oh this has seemed a very long half term - but at last we have a week off, and tomorrow is DS's 18th birthday. We are all going out for a family meal at lunch time and then he's off down town with his friends. It feels a little strange but I don't really feel old.


I have been very busy with my exchange stitching which means I can't show you but I have also been stitching on my Drawn Thread piece which I can.



I am really enjoying it and it's growing quite quickly too - even though I only do it two nights a week with my rotation.


I have a needleroll to start now with a winter theme - another exchange so I won't be able to share for a while. I do love exchanges but not sharing is a down side, still only another week and I can share the Autumn and Halloween pieces.


Thanks for reading my blog and leaving such lovely comments.

Pay it forward !

I am one for the lucky three to be chosen on Elisa's blog as a member of her PIF. Being a winner not only means that I will be the lucky owner of a piece of Elisa's work but that I also get the chance to offer this competition on my blog.

*** Pay it forward - and how it works ***

If you would like to receive something handmade by me within the next 365 days, please comment on this post to say that you are interested.

I will then ask my DD to draw 3 names out of a hat on Friday 24th October (6pm GMT).

If you are one of the chosen three I will make a gift and send it to you within 365 days. In return, please post the same offer on your blog.

This is a simple and a lovely way of spreading joy in the stitching world. I hope that you will join in and possibly become one of my PIF members!

If you would like to see a sample of my stitching my album can be found here

This PIF is open for everyone - good luck !

Coffee!!

I had a wonderful time today - I meet up with my two Norwegien friends for a coffee. They had come over for a stitching meet up in Derby which unfortunately I couldn't go to but we met at Fosse Park just off the M1 for a coffee and a lovely catch up. I haven't seen Moll or Hege for over a year so it was great to be able to chat in person rather than emailing.

I did a bit of shopping too whilst at Fosse Park - a new brown cardigan from New Look and three books from Borders (they were 3 for 2) ;

Remember, Remember (the fifth of November) - Judy Parkinson - it's a great book with a page explaining each event in history, fabulous way to learn all about it.

My Grammar and I (or should that be 'Me') - Caroline Taggart - book for my job but so enteraining and answers many of the weird rules in English grammar.

Wiil - Christopher Rush - fictional autobiography for lovers of Shakespeare - to be a motion picture starring Ben Kingsley

So which one do I read first - and what about the other three books I have on the go - there just aren't enough hours in the day- hee hee.

Busy Saturday

We've had a very busy and productive day. Early this morning DH and I decided to take down the small fence in our garden. It was quite a task but without it the garden looks much bigger. Whilst DH was taking it down I cleared away all the dead leaves and trimmed the shrubs. But I had quite a surprise - I thought as I was working a leaf blew about - it wasn't a leaf but a toad moving around and it certainly made me jump. DS was very good, he knew to wet his hands (all thanks to his veterinary nurse training at college) and carefully put the toad in a large bucket and took it off to the brook where hopefully now has settled in to it's new environment.














Later on we walked into town to get some bits and bobs and enjoyed lunch at Wetherspoons. The bits and bobs turned out to be fours bags of shopping and a new tyre for DS's bike. The walk back seemed very long and we both wished we'd taken the car.

This afternoon I have been working on my Just Nan - I'm quite pleased with how it's growing, all the white is done now so the next bit is the inner wording border. The picture isn't very good as if I use the flash I just get whiteout because it's all white.

We have a quiet day tomorrow although we may be meeting some friends for coffee. Monday I'm off to Stratford Upon Avon with the Year 7 students. We're going to visit Shakespeare's birthplace and take part in a workshop based on A Midsummers Night's Dream, I'm really looking forward to it.

Exchange Success

I organised my first private exchange with Elisa, Angie, Jan and Diana. The idea was to make a bookmark specifically to suit your partners likes. Gifts were also to be included. I recieved a fabulous bookmark from Jan along with a birthday book, some perle cotton in lilac and some purple ribbon - I think Jan knew my favourite colour :) It's beautiful Jan - thankyou so much.

I had great fun designing the bookmark for Elisa, and choosing her gifts.

Although we do not all post on the same forum and couldn't really chat about our progress everyone enjoyed this exhcange. I will share the other pictures as soon as I have them all.

At last my cold has gone - hurrah - it certainly made me feel very low for 10 days and I didn't get much stitching done. I have been busy over the weekend, stitching some of my small project squares. Hopefully I will have six finished by the weekend but I am looking forward to getting back to my rotation and doing some more of the Just Nan tomorrow.

Going back a week, our weekend in London without DS or DD was brilliant. We had a bargain price stay in a Travelodge, spent Saturday morning walking round Covent Garden, The Strand and over the Millennium Bridge to the Globe Theatre. We took in the tour and exhibition of the Globe which was really good, it was amazing inside to see how it was constructed. After the tour we walked along the South Bank, pausing for a sandwich and coffee at a riverside cafe, before crossing the Thames again at Lambeth Bridge. The weather was glorious and it was so relaxing just walking along looking at all the famous sights, past Tate Modern, London Eye and Big Ben. In the afternoon we went to the Tesco Wine Fair (something we do every year) and sampled many many wines. It's a great way to try some of the really expensive ones that we would never buy ourselves. Dinner at Bella Italia finished off a fabulous day.