Stitch from Stash in May

It's report time for SFS15 - Stitch from Stash is a great SAL organised and run by the lovely Mel at Epic Stitching. It's month 5 in our 6 month SAL, I can't believe how quickly it's going.

My budget carried forward from April is: £153.98

Month: May

Spent: £zero

Earned: £12 

My budget carried forward to April is: £190.98

My stitching seems to have slowed down, well on paper but I am mainly working on big projects. Santa's Tablecloth will be a long long project (it's looking like 10 years minimum haha) and my other three main pieces are a reasonable size;

  December (The Drawn Thread), 

Earth's Sampler (The Primitive Needle) 

and a secret project. 

I do have two finishes this month, firstly the Friends Count (Victoria Sampler) bookmark I stitched for a friends's birthday. She was delighted with the gift, it is a lovely item to stitch and easily personalised. I earned £4 for this finish.

50th Birthday gift

I finally finished the snow on Santa's Sleighworks - I've used some silver to bring the snow alive a little as just white looked a little flat on the large tablecloth. I'm quite a way through adding the snow on Santa's Stocking Store which I'm hoping to finish in June. I only stitch on this on a Wednesday night and being stitched over one some nights I don't get very much done. I earned £8 for this finish.

Santa's Sleighworks

Santa's Stocking Store

Last month I claimed for completing the March and April Monthly Christmas Challenges on Needlecraft Haven. All my finishing items were from my stash :)

March Challenge - Kissy Cross

April Challenge - Balades et Broderies

My secret project is growing well, as is Earth's Sampler. My December piece is at a stop just now as I need to buy more DMC 934. I am going into town later today so I know already that next month will not be a zero spend haha, although I may do an online order with Sew and So and then it will definitely not be zero !!

Earth's Sampler

A huge thank you to everyone who supported my MS Cake Bake - all the final details are in my Aimetu Blog

The total amount of cash raised with my baking orders and the coffee day was £235 and my online Just Giving page is currently at £36. My raffle takes place on Sunday so I'll be able to have a final overall count by then but I am amazed and so grateful to all my friends and family :)

On a health note I have just finished a short course of meds as my own MS symptoms were affecting me. My legs finally feel better which is why I'm off to town later, the first time on my own for quite a few weeks.

On a much happier note it's Needlecraft Haven Meet Up on Saturday - a little later than usual and a new venue but it's always a fun day and a fantastic chance to meet, stitch and chat :)

Thanks for calling by - have a great weekend wherever you are, whatever you're doing :)

May Gifted Gorgeousness and Cake Bake

It's time to post Gifted Gorgeousness, a great SAL organised by the lovely Jo. GG is a chance to stitch anything that's for a gift or that we've received as a gift.

This month I have stitched the Victoria Sampler 'Friend's Count' bookmark for a friend who has a significant birthday early in May. I changed the text to her birthday. I was very pleased with it.

Birthday Bookmark

I have added a little more to Earth's Sampler and to my other gift piece but as that's a secret I can't share just yet. Here's my Primitive Needle progress.

Earth's Sampler

That's all my stitching for now - I haven't done much lately as I have been beading and baking. Here's a few more scissor fobs I've made - they are all gifts. 

Scissor fob gifts 

My baking is also 'gifted' as it has been for my Multiple Sclerosis Cake Bake - I posted about it last Saturday and the actual Cake Bake was yesterday. I have made 10 large cakes for orders so far - two more went out today, and I have 5 more to bake next week. 

I'm also offering LHN Baked Goods as a prize in an online raffle - thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far - the draw is 31st May. 

http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Clare-HearndenCakeBake2015

Chart prize for my online raffle

 Yesterday our house was buzzing with friends calling round for coffee and cake - such a lovely atmosphere and so nice to see everyone. I had made a Schokogugelhopf as the prize for a blackout game and had a small raffle too. I had baked quite a few cakes and my friend brought along some homemade flapjacks. 

Cake Bake Balloons

Gingerbread Ladies and Gentlemen

Raffle prizes

Schokogugelhopf for the blackout winner

A table full of cakes to enjoy 

  A HUGE thank you to all my friends who have ordered cakes and/or who came yesterday - the total raised so far is an AMAZING

£193.15

Cake Bake 2015

Not a stitching post - it's Cake Bake time. Every year the Multiple Sclerosis Society have a fundraising Cake Bake day. I've done this a few times, mainly when I worked at school selling cakes to the staff at break and lunch time.

This year I'm hosting a Cake Bake at home on Thursday 14th May

Our house will be open 10am til 6pm for friends and neighbours to pop by for a cuppa and a piece of cake. I've been given some gifts too for a raffle and there was a blackout card game in the fundraising pack from the MS Society so I'm baking a Schokogugelhopf as the prize.

Schokogugelhopf

As well as making cakes for the day I've been taking orders for large cakes. These are for collection between 6th May and 20th May as I cannot bake them all at the same time as well as baking for the Cake Bake day. I've made three orders so far and have another 10 ordered :)

Coffee and Walnut Cake - order 1

Victoria Sponge Cake - order 2a

Chocolate Guinness Cake - order 2b
(wrapped in foil ready to go)

I love making cakes and people seem to like my baking so really this is a win-win day for everyone.

I am having to be careful though as my own MS symptoms have been playing up since January. I am struggling to walk outside the house and feel quite tired after doing just small things. Baking is good as I can mix the cake, sit for a rest whilst it's in the oven and decorate it later (or even the next day). If things don't improve I may need a course of meds but I keep hoping tomorrow will be better hee hee

I was given Little House Needleworks 'Baked Goods' as a gift a while ago and will have it our on display at my Cake Bake (even though it's a Christmas one)

Baked Goods

I've also set up a Just Giving page as I wanted to include my friends who live too far away to enjoy my baking. I'm offering the LHN chart as a prize - for every £1 donated I'll put your name into the draw and will pick the winner on 31st May.

Raffle prize on Just Giving
http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Clare-HearndenCakeBake2015

I'm very humbled at my friend's generousity already - thank you x x 

Pour a coffee and cut a slice of cake on Thursday 14th May with me  - thanks for calling by :)