Temperature Quilt - no red this week

A quick update on my Temperature Quilt. It's been much cooler here so no red on my day chart this week. It's been quite a wet week too and very windy!

The forecast is for warmer days next week, we're in London for a few days and it's usually warmer there than here in the Midlands.

Temperature Quilt  - day

Temperature Quilt  - night

It's great fun doing these quilts however I am still undecided on how to finish them.

Gifted Gorgeousness - August

It's Gifted Gorgeousness time - on the 15th of each month we share our latest gifts. Any gift given or received and any item made using fabric, threads, buttons, ribbon, chart, backing fabric that has been gifted is also allowed in our GG posts. 

This great idea is hosted each month by the lovely Jo at Serendipitous Stitching,  if you visit her blog you'll find the links to everyone's Gifted Gorgeousness posts. 

I have a few things this month to share, the first items are very special. Our super daughter and her boyfriend have moved into a new flat, no more sharing, this is just for them. 

As a new home gift I stitched them a zodiac coaster each and we bought them matching mugs. They were delighted with them. The designs were in an old magazine and matched the mugs perfectly. 

Zodiac coasters 

Coasters and matching mugs.

 Our lovely Philippa and her boyfriend Michael

As I was stitching for them I also made our son a coaster. This one I designed myself. He organises and runs game nights for his friends, they play Dungeons and Dragons. He's the Dungeon Master!

He loved his D & D coaster 

A while ago I stitched this for Hubby's sister who will be 60 in October. She lives in Michigan so we gave her her card and gifts when she visited the UK in June. She couldn't resist opening them which is why I can share the photo now.

Gift for my sister-in-law 

My final gift this month is a rose I bought for my Mum to say thank you for all her help whilst I recovered from my fall. It's a pink patio rose called 'thank you and I found the perfect colour matching pot at the garden centre.

Thank you patio rose

It's great to at last be able to show the gifts I made, there are a couple more but they will have to wait until next GG as I haven't given them yet.

Summer Postcard Blog Hop

I've received a beautiful postcard from Katie as part of Jo's Summer Postcard Blog Hop. It's a lovely design, beautiful stitching too.

Here's Katie's postcard and message.

Hello Friend. 

Great Smoky Mountains is a beautiful place to visit in the United State of America. One city in particular is Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

My husband and I was celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary in 2011 and we rented a cabin in the mountains. It was a wonderful vacation. 

There is a stitching store in Pigeon Forge a very nearby town and I bought this pattern to remember the trip. 

Katie from Ft Wayne, Indiana

Thanks Katie for your lovely postcard.

You can hop around everyone's blog to see the othet postcard that have been received.

Jump over to Katie's at http://dragonsluver.blogspot.com

and don't forget to visit Jo's blog too http://www.serendipitousstitching.blogspot.co.uk

Happy Summer Postcard Hopping!

Summer Exchange with Needlecraft Haven

Yesterday was Opening Day for Needlecraft  Haven's Summer Exchange.  Those members who signed up had to choose between a dog or cat theme - I chose dog. 

We had to then stitch a pin cushion for our partner, and send it with a card signed 'love from everyone at Needlecraft Haven' as it was a secret exchange. That said with just four of us signing up I think we all knew who was sending to who, obviously I did as I organised the exchange hee hee

I was sending to Mary who chose a dog theme and Mary was sending to me ... I also wanted a dog themed pin cushion. I decided to stitch Lizzie Kate's 'dog leave paw prints' chart and made a pin cushion using an old Pandora charm box. I loved the design and planned to stitch it for myself when I get a chance.

I was absolutely delighted when I opened my parcel yesterday morning .... Mary had stitched me the same design. I absolutely love it. She has made a box finish pin cushion which will be perfect when I'm using the sewing machine ... I have quite a bit of machine sewing to do soon too. 

My gorgeous pin cushion from Mary

As well as the pin cushion Mary also sent three doggy charms, some beautiful fabric and a wheel of pins. Thank you Mary for a super exchange parcel.

My Summer Exchange from Mary

As I said I stitched the same design but I stitched it over one so it would fit on top of the small box. I couldn't find a charm small enough for the bone so had to stitch one instead. Inside I lined the box with some dog fabric and made a soft cushion for pins using felt and wadding. I have not made one of these before, it turned out really well and I might make one for myself (using a different design) for when I'm hand sewing as I use less pins than when machine sewing. 

I found a small dog cross stitch kit in my stash so added it to Mary's Exchange parcel and luckily I found a dog card in my card box. I've really enjoyed taking part in this year's Needlecraft Haven Summer Exchange. 

The top of the box pin cushion I made for Mary

Mary's pin cushion box from the side

Inside the box

The Summer Exchange Parcel I sent to Mary

For Gifted Gorgeousness July I had nothing to share so offered two charts as gifts - my lovely Hubby has picked the winners ....... drum roll ......

Shepherd's Bush Be Warm was won by Ariadne 

Lizzie Kate's One Hundred Years was won by Rachel 

I'll be emailing you both and popping the charts in the post soon - congratulations.

This month I will have a few gifts to share, two special ones as yesterday our daughter and her boyfriend moved into a new flat .... no more sharing with others .... and I have stitched them a little something sssshhhhh!