Happy Halloween

Trick or treat time !! I hope you are all ready for the spooky fun. Our friends are coming round for dinner so I have made a Halloween themed dinner. Here's our feast:

Mummy Sausages with bloody guts (salsa) and
fly bread (olives) for starters

Ghoul-lash with jacket spuds for main

Ghostly pears

Death by Chocolate mousse

 I have decorated the lounge a little and carved a pumpkin too. It's been a fun day, I loved creating all the foodie bits.

Boo !!

Halloween table

My Pumpkin (not the best photo)

Halloween Mantle

 Have a great night everyone - Happy Halloween :)

Stitch from Stash report October

I've just made it for this month's report. I have had a few finishes too.

The birthday exchange in Needlecraft Haven shares threads to complete Little Blue Bungalow by Blue Ribbon Designs. I stitched mine this month and finished it. I use an old watch box as a needlebox for my holidays - it's the perfect size for my bobbins, tape measure and scissors. My needlebox now has a lovely new top :)

My Needlebox

I also finished the Monthly Challenge - a little late as it's September's. It's from The Shop Around the Corner. Hopefully I'll get October's and November's done this month.

Challenge 9

I spent a little money too this month - just a little trip to The Fabric Guild with my Mum. I didn't really see fabric I liked but I did by a few finishing bits.

My new stash - £5.95

Here's my October report:

Charts

• the Drawn Thread - October
• CCN - Sleighworks
• Monthly Challenge - The Shop Around The Corner (tree)
• Blue Ribbon Designs - The Blue Bungalow (birthday exchange)

Fabric

• 28ct white

Thread

• DMC colours as required for charts

Finishing

• red felt for Monthly Challenge
• white cording for Monthly Challenge
• lilac cording for needlebox
• old watch box for needlebox

Additions to Stash

fabric and lace from discount warehouse £5.95

I hope everyone has had a good October - it will soon be Christmas shopping time, now there's a different budget to stick to :)

Autumn and Birthday stitching

I have finally blogged about our trip to France http://aimetus.blogspot.co.uk/ (photo heavy) which is good as tomorrow we are off again - this time to Turkey !! but more of that another time.

I was very, very late in stitching my Autumn exchange piece for Dusty but it arrived yesterday so I can now share a photo. I used various designs from a book I have - 2001 Cross Stitch Designs. There were many colours but I love how it came together.

Autumn Bookmark for Dusty

Fabric backed

I was very pleased with the backing, I used fabric for the first time instead of felt. Using Bonda Web I made the backing by turning edges to be the exact size I needed then Bonda Webbed and fabric glued them together.

My birthday was in September and as I am part of the Birthday Exchange on Needlecraft Haven I had a lovely selection of DMC threads. Every year when I allocate threads I chose a design we can stitch using them - this year the design was an online freebie from Weeks Dye Works (so I had to convert the thread colours to DMC for the exchange) and is by Blue Ribbon Designs http://www.weeksdyeworks.com/free-designer-charts.php (last one on the page)

I started mine at the caravan last weekend and have now stitched it - I'll finish it after we're back.

Birthday Exchange

I have my stitching sorted for holiday - I just need to finish sorting my Kindle. I have the books sorted including the latest challenge from Needlecraft Haven, I just need to upload some music too.

Thank you for calling by - happy stitching x

Mid trip post

We had a lovely time in France - I haven't had time to blog it all yet but I did blog about our weekend in London prior to going. You can read all about it in my other blog Aimetu's http://aimetus.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/saints-bar-london.html

Last weekend was our fourth round in the scout wine tasting and that's in Aimetu's too http://aimetus.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/wine-challenge-round-4.html

We are off to the caravan this weekend and will be closing it for the summer - a little early this year but the reason my blog title is 'mid trip' is because next Monday Hubby and I are off to Turkey for a week of doing nothing !! Not our usual style of holiday but we both just want a complete rest. So with going away and a busy autumn I doubt we'll visit Wales again until 2015.

I received my Holiday Exchange from Dusty this week - it's stunning. Thank you Dusty for my beautiful biscornu, threads and chart. Dusty stitched a Chatelaine design - so lovely and perfect colours which match my tablecloth.

Holiday Exchange from Dusty

Dusty (http://dustysdailydoings.blogspot.co.uk/) sent Little House Needleworks 'Hands to Work' chart and two Crescent Colours threads; Joshua Tree and Tennesse Red Clay. Also in my parcel was a pack of iron on embroidery transfers, two lovely butterfly postcards and a brochure about Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens (www.MagicWings.com)

Dusty is coming to visit us in November, a whole week which will include the Needlecraft Haven Autumn Meet Up. I'm so excited to be able to meet and spend time together after so many years corresponding online across cyber space. I did wonder if Dusty's brochure was a hint for a return visit.

My gorgeous exchange

On Wednesday I went to Warwick to the Lord Leycester Hospital http://lordleycester.com/ to a talk by Jo Baker (http://www.jobakerwriter.com/) the author of Longbourn. It's a brilliant story that I discovered thanks to Ursh's nomination early this year for the Needlecraft Haven Reading Challenge. It's the story of 'below stairs' in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Jo's novel matches Jane's and is a delight to read following the activities of the big house and how it relates to the servants. Jo said her inspiration came from reading P&P (many times) and wondering who the other characters were who appeared with carriages, posies for shoes and other items. She began to think about their life and Longbourn was written.

It was a lovely talk, with coffee and cake from the Historic Tea Room. Jo very kindly signed my well read, well used book.

Well I had best go and pack for the weekend - stitching will be a priority as I am looking forward to some stitching time - it's been missing for a few weeks.

Have a good weekend everyone, thank you for calling by and reading my news :)