WIPocalypse - April

WIPocalypse is all about stitching we want to do before the End of the World. Measi hosts this great idea at Measi's Musings. As well as sharing our stitching Measi asks month there is a question too, you'll find my answer later on in my post.

So how did my April stitching go? Here were my plans:

• 12 Days of Christmas - Calling Birds by Jardin Prive and Plum Street Samplers 
• JCS ornament SAL - Rejoicing Reindeer by Blue Ribbon Designs
• Rainbow name tags for a friend
• Spring Challenges with Needlecraft Haven 
• December Flip It

I managed to stitch my Plum Street Sampler Day 4 but I'm only half way with my Jardin Prive piece.

I have stitched this month's JCS challenge however I forgot to take a photo and we're on holiday just now.

Yes that's right ... holiday ... the first time away from home in over a year. We've booked a caravan for a werk in the north east of England and so far the sun has been shining. We've had a drink at a pub, in the garden as indoor hospitality is still not allowed. No real plans, it's just nice to have a change of scene.

Back to WIPocalypse and I have finished the name tags for my friend's sister's wedding. We'll meet up once we're home.

I have not yet done any stitching on the Needlecraft Haven challenges and December Flip It is still in my to do pile ... oh well! 

Here's my May plans: 

• 12 Days of Christmas - Five Gold Rings by Jardin Prive and Plum Street Samplers 
• JCS ornament SAL - Ursula Michael Designs My Friendly Gnome
• Starting a wedding gift
• Spring Challenges with Needlecraft Haven 
• December Flip It

This month's question is - 

Have you found yourself to be more or less productive in your stitching during the Covid-19 pandemic?

For me the Covid-19 lockdowns have coincided with a health shock, all last year I was undergoing treatments for breast cancer and broke my right humerous ball. I am very very pleased that last week I had the results of my latest scan and the results show 'no abnormality'. My arm has mended but I do not have full movement, mainly lifting upwards, reaching behind me and stretching to reach something. 

So thinking about the last 12 months my stitching did slow down but I still managed to complete many projects including finishing all the lovely flowers my blog friends sent for my Bouquet of Flowers. 

Celebration time 🎉

Not a stitching post or a stitching happy dance ... yesterday I had my mammogram scan results. This is the first scan since my breast cancer diagnosis in December 2019. Although I had many treatments, an operation and many consultations with various doctors there was never really what felt like a closure; that came yesterday as the letter stated ...

no abnormality seen 

I cannot begin to tell you how much joy those three words brought. I screamed, I cried, I whooped and cried again. 

Hubby and I celebrated with a glass of English sparkling wine sitting the garden in the spring sunshine. 

I am so so grateful to all the amazing doctors, nurses and other medical staff at both George Eliot Hospital and University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, they do amazing work made even harder  with all the restrictions and changes that Covid brought. 

I am also very grateful to all my online friends, in blog land, at Needlecraft Haven and on social media. The messages you have sent over the last 18months have meant so much and really did help me through a yuk yuk yuk time. 

Hubby and I are going away for a week, a self catering holiday for a change of scene as apart from hospital visits and recently a few shopping trips we have been at home for over a year. We're looking forward to walking new streets as we know every inch of our local area haha. 

I'm not taking a charted project away, I'm taking some flowers that I received late and could not be included in last year's Bouquet of Flowers. 

I am really hoping the beautiful flowers everyone stitched will be in church this year, fingers crossed the restrictions will be lifted by then. If you would like to know more about my Bouquet of Flowers here are my blog posts from last year telling the story.

Could you help me make a Bouquet

Bouquet of Flowers - St. Laurence's Church Christmas Tree Festival

If you would like to make a flower, or another flower, to add to the tree for Christmas 2021 please email me aimetu.clare@googlemail.com and I will send you the details. 

I will be mounting and lacing the flowers I have whilst on holiday then finishing them on the coloured backing once home. It seems quite apt to be doing these as life begins to resume and I can finally feel relaxed after such great news yesterday. 

April's Gifted Gorgeousness

 

The 15th of each month means it's Gifted Gorgeousness time, the time each month when we share our latest gifts. These can be gifts given or received, or any item made using fabric, threads, buttons, ribbon, chart, backing fabric that has been gifted.

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. 

My GG this month is a very special gift ... 12 gifts in fact. 

Over the last year my friend Ann, who I used to work with at college, has been so supportive. She has sent so many lovely messages, especially on days when I had treatments or appointments, despite having health worries of her own. 

When we were at college we had staff training days, one of which was called 'Blue Sky Thinking' - I don't miss these days haha. I was asked to do a session on cross stitch - Ann still has the handout I did.... it's over 15 years ago! 

Ann asked for some advice as her sister is getting married in June and would like cross stitched gift tags. Ann was not sure about how to design them or what fabric was needed. These are the gift bags her sister and partner want to give to their guests with a personalised tag. 

I searched my stash and found the perfect thread - Anchor variegated 1375, some multi-coloured heart ribbon and some yellow foam felt for the backing .... of course fabric was never an issue, I have a box full. After finding a suitable alphabet I showed Ann a mock up of my idea which she showed to her sister, they loved it.

Knowing Ann has not done much cross stitching, although I know she has stitched them a beautiful card, and as I said is feeling a little unwell just now, I offer to stitch the name tags. 

Oh they were such fun to do, it felt strange stitching names of people I don't know but I imagined their surprise upon receiving their bag. I had just enough ribbon to complete the 10 guests and two brides. I made sure each border measured the same, they looked quite impressive on my cutting board waiting to be finished. I used double sided tape as glue would have seeped through and I think spoilt the stitching. 

They turned out lovely, I hung them on my new ornament tree to show Ann. She has shown her sister and they are both really pleased with them, it was a pleasure to make these, they really were fun to stitch.

That's all I have for this month's GG but what a special post - best wishes to Dawn and Mary, I hope they have a super day in June and a very happy future together. 

Fully Finished Objects in April

 

Rachel, Ten Hour Stitcher, hosts Fully Finished Objects for us to show and tell about the crafty items we have completely finished. These are the pieces I finished in time for this month's check in. 

The first FFO is my JCS SAL ornament, this SAL is on Facebook and is hosted by Jo. The design for March was Snoelle by Linda Jeanne Jenkins. I slightly padded it which is why it doesn't look flat in the photo. 

My other two FFOs are for my 12 Days of Christmas SAL. I'm stitching along with Jo on Facebook and the members of Needlecraft Haven. I'm stitching the designs by Jardin Prive and Plum Street Sampler.

I do have some more finishes but they are for a friend and I don't want to share until I have given them to her. I'm hoping I can include them in April's GG. 

It's a special day today as 36 years ago tonight I was in the Hawthorn Tree pub in Coventry in my Scout Leader's uniform selling raffle tickets 🙂 A lovely chap bought a ticket, he didn't win the raffle but I think he did win first prize ... me ... it was the start of our many adventures 😃 

Hubby and I have had an amazing 36 years, so many memories, so much fun, a few tears but so much joy and laughter 🤩🤗😂 I'm so glad he bought a ticket and changed my life 🥰 there's more adventures are still to enjoy 🤗

Happy Easter with an Exchange

 🐣🐰🐣🐰🐣🐰🐣 Happy Easter  🐣🐰🐣🐰🐣🐰🐣

Our decorations are up including the lovely cards we received today. 

I made a Simnel cake for my mum and stepdad, it has a layer of marzipan inside which you bake and then marzipan on top. The balls represent Jesus' disciples.

I have decorated our cork wreath that our daughter made us a few Christmases ago. I love being able to change it for the season/occasion.

Today is opening day for Needlecraft Haven's Easter Exchange. This year we made Easter cards and included thread to match, chocolate treats were optional. I made this card for Gill, I made it so it could later be used as an ornament. 

I received a beautiful card from Julie and some gorgeous threads, I felt very spoilt. Julie also included some yummy mini eggs, thank you Julie.

Time for Easter dinner soon, we're having a roast beef and I have made a creme egg cheesecake for dessert. It will just be the three of us but it's always nice to have a special dinner.

I hope you have all had a lovely Easter, hopefully soon we will be able to celebrate with family and friends

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2021

 It's Easter Treasure Hunt time 🐣🐰🐣🐰🐣

Thanks Jo for organising another Blog Hop. I love visiting everyone's blog looking for the letters to make up the message - it's a lovely way to say hello to blogging friends and meet a few new ones along the way.

If you'd like to go blog hopping you'll need to visit Jo's blog Serendipitous Stitching where you'll find the links to all the bloggers taking part, of course you can just visit the first blog and follow their links as we all post who to visit next.

But before we start hopping here's my spring picture: I have realised I don't have many Easter themed pieces, something I must remedy but looking back to 2005 I found a photo of this lovely spring sampler I stitched for an exchange. 

My letter is perfect, it's my daughter's initial. We will not be able to see her this Easter, it's lovely that she is part of my blog. My letter is ....

Keep it safe and get ready to hop over to Mary's blog for you next letter ... good luck! 

🐣🐰🐣🐰🐣 Happy Easter 🐣🐰🐣🐰🐣