June - Smalls SAL

My third month taking part in Mary's great blog sharing idea and I'm not doing so well! The SAL all about small stitching, any little project you have stitched, it doesn't have to be fully finished.

Here's the full details about Small SAL 2020 - thank you Mary.

I haven't stitched much at all, my right arm is so painful and although I can hold the fabric and stitch left handed after fifteen minutes I've had enough. That said it is getting easier so hopefully I will stitch more again soon .... to be honest my enthusiasm is also lacking ... for many things!

Anyway I have completed Block 5 in the Stitching the Night Away SAL with the ladies as Needlecraft Haven. It took about four weeks, all stitched left handed.

It was our 31st Wedding Anniversary on Wednesday, no meal out or holiday but we did enjoy our quiet day at home. It's  English Wine Week, there's a piece about it on my Aimetu's wine, food and travel blog.

Hubby and I enjoyed a bottle of English Sparkling Wine, a little at breakfast and then with our dinner. I'm not drinking much at the moment due to medication but really enjoyed our bubbles.

My radiotherapy starts on 1st July, I'll try to keep up with all the blog news and hopefully I will still have some stitching news to share.

Thank you to everyone who has sent a flower for my church tree and thank you to those who are stitching one to send - I really do appreciate them.

Gifted Gorgeousness- June

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.

Over the last month I have received four beautiful flowers for my bouquet for church. I still haven't decided how to finish them and just now I can't really practice. If you have missed the details of my bouquet idea you can read about it here.

From Deb in USA - thank you

From Georgia in USA - thank you

From Sheryl in Spain - thank you

From Sheryl in Spain - thank you

Luckily I had stitched this cupcake for my friend's special birthday before I broke my arm. I was going to frame it but decided, with the help of Hubby, to make it into a card. Once restrictions are lifted we'll be able to meet up for a real cupcake with a cup of coffee.

Thank you again to everyone who has sent stitched flowers and for all the well wishes for my arm and cancer treatment  ... I start my radiotherapy soon. 

June - Fully Finished

The Fully Finished Gallery is hosted by Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher and encourages us to finish our projects.  My stitching items are ones I know will be used or gifted to others but I am a bit slow at actually getting them fully finished so Rachel's FFG is perfect.

This month I have one fully finished item, I'm finding it very hard to stitch, motivation wise as well as actual stitching.

It was my Mum's birthday at the end of May and because I'm not going anywhere other than the hospital due to being shielded I decided to make one of the cover kits into her card.

I had already started Popcorn before I fell and broke my arm/shoulder joint. I managed to hold the fabric between my fingers, as you can see it was slow progress stitching left handed.

That was all I could manage at a time

Hubby helped me make up the card, using double sided tape one handed was impossible, very funny as I got my hand completely stuck together. I did manage to add the stickers myself. 

Because of the restrictions it was impossible to buy and give gifts so we sent Mum a bouquet of flowers from us all. However on her birthday Hubby  drove me round to hers. I stayed in the car but Hubby and DS laid out the table with her cake (joint effort by me and Hubby) and cards. Not the usual birthday but one to remember. 

I'm not sure I'll have anything either stitched or finished for next month ..... tine will tell !

Let the People Choose - Dragonflies

Let the People Choose is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching. Every month is a different theme chosen by bloggers and on the first Saturday of the month we all post about our craftwork relating to the chosen idea.

This is my first year taking part in Let the People Choose, some month's I've had quite a bit to share but others hardly any.   January was Lizzie Kate, February was Penguins,  March was Coffee,  April was all about Modern Samplers and last month was Fire.

I only had one penguin item and last month I had nothing to show for fire but I did enjoy reading everybody else's blog. I'm a little late posting this month as this weekend has not been good for me, my arm has been very painful however I do have a dragonfly.

This beautiful beaded dragonfly broach has been in my possession for many years; I love it and I've worn it many times including on one of me bandanas.

I do however have a huge apology to one of my stitching friends. I know this was gifted to me a long time ago but I cannot remember from who.  I absolutely adore it and send grateful thanks to whoever is my dragonfly stitcher.

I am managing to stitch with my left hand but it's very very slow. Thankfully I have some stitching already done to cover most of this month blogs but I have a feeling my July posts will be very very empty!

Stay Safe Exchange

At Needlecraft Haven we have quite a few exchanges throughout the year, all great fun to both put together and receive.

Needlecraft Haven 

This time of year I am usually putting together the summer exchange but as many of our members are staying at home due to the virus our exchanges are on hold ...

... and so the Stay Safe Exchange was born

On the 31st May we emailed our partners with the following:

• a freebie cross stitch chart of any design or theme but nothing big
• an online recipe for a cake or biscuits
• recommendations for a film or TV series

My Stay Safe email went to Astrid although I initially sent a book review in error and had to send Astrid a second email

My stitching design was Grateful Thankful Blessed by Beth Twist. Although for Thanksgiving I thought this perfect for life just now.

The recipe I sent was for a ginger cake it's a light moist cake very similar to McVitie's brand.

Ginger Cake Recipe 

The book I recommended was the Ribbon Weaver by Rosie Goodwin. She lives in our town and this story is set in and around my local area.

The film I eventually sent to Astrid was one Hubby and I watched a few weeks ago about how the Oxford dictionary began.  It isn't actually about words but about the lives of the two men who worked on so hard on it - The Professor and the Madman. Although not a scary film it isn't really suitable for young peeps.

My Stay Safe Exchange email came from Mary. She really spoilt me with a gorgeous summer design, two recipes and two film recommendations.

The fist film is one Hubby and I have seen,  I've read the book too. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is a super story about the effects of World War II on the people on this small island. If you haven't seen it you must, it's a super story.

The other film with one I haven't heard of; Green Book sounds like a sofa evening film for us to enjoy.

Mary sent me the link to this Bailey's Cheesecake. It's a no bake recipe which is always a good thing, I love Bailey's and will certainly be making this soon.

The other recipe is for Chocolate Cake, not any chocolate cake but the one Mary has been baking for many years. I'll be making one this week as Hubby and I enjoy a slice of cake with a coffee as we watch the daily virus announcement from 10 Downing Street. I'll do my best Mary, no pressure!

The summer designer is from Lizzie Kate Sweet Summer. It's a fun design that has also been used as a challenge on Lizzie Kate's blog. I'll be stitching this when I can as yet I'm not sure how to finish it but it will be something for the gazebo. You can download the chart here

It's been a super exchange, very different to receiving something in the post but just as much fun. We have shared the links to the designs, recipes and film TV recommendations on Needlecraft Haven and at the end of the month I'll be opening a gallery for us to share photos of any stitching we have done.

Thank you to everyone at Needlecraft Haven who took part in our unique Stay Safe Exchange - happy stitching, good baking and enjoy your films!