Let the People Choose - Modern Samplers

I am really enjoying being part of Jo's Let the People Choose each month, I only joined this year and it isn't always easy to find relevant pieces but it is making me look back at my previous projects bringing great memories. It's more than just a blog post, thanks Jo.

This month it's Modern Samplers .... so what is modern and what is a sampler.

The dictionary definition of modern is 'relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past'

Wikipedia's definition of a sampler is

 'a needlework sampler is a piece of embroidery or cross-stitching

produced as a 'specimen of achievement', demonstration or a test 

of skill in needlework. It often includes the alphabet, figures, motifs, decorativeborders and sometimes the name of the person who embroidered it and the date'

I have stitched many pieces that I would say were samplers but using the definitions above they are more like saying or quotes. Having spent a very enjoyable time looking through my photos I have decided these two projects are the ones to share this month.

Mum's project bag for her 80th birthday

Last year was my Mum's 80th and she was away on a cruise for her actual birthday. Mum is a crafter too, mainly quilting but tasting, crocheting, card making and other small crafts.

This beautiful design is Scissors and Bobbins from Jardin Prive, I stitched the main design for the project bag and then used parts of the design to make a scissor pouch, needlecase and a tape measure. Due to flight and cruise restrictions I couldn't include scissors so I included a Clover cutter and used a cotton reel to hold it.

My step-dad hid it in his case, Mum was very surprised to receive it on her birthday at sea mid way between England and Canada.

Sampler aux Bouquets - Jardin Prive

I am so pleased with this piece, it hangs in our bedroom.  I started it quite a few years ago but it got left unfinished for a while. I picked it up again in 2018 and finally finished it.

It's a three part design, you can stitch each part as a separate piece or stitch as one large design. I absolutely love it, it makes me smile every morning as I sit in bed with my coffee looking straight at it.

Both my pieces are from Jardin Prive, there are so many beautiful samplers and I am so tempted to do others but I do have another one of her designs finished and waiting to be framed .... my first task once the restrictions are over.

Stay safe everyone x x

I'm home

Morning all ..... I'm home 🙂

I won't lie yesterday was not the nicest days I've had. 8.30am at Coventry Hospital for a pre-op procedure (you don't want to know and I'm not telling 🤫) followed by an operation at Nuneaton in Day Theatre and finally home 7.30pm 😔

I'm feeling ok, bit washed out but the scar is in a less restrictive place so a bit easier than last time. It's a pj day as that is easier to check my dressings but not a sofa day as I'm hoping to enjoy a coffee outside as the sun is shining.

I am still self isolating, as are Nick and Michael; my follow ups will be by phone but I have a scheduled hospital appointment later in April, this of course may change. So now it's a time to get stronger, get the last bits of drugs out my body, calm my mind and hope the op results are good.

I cannot thank the NHS staff enough: my consultant, the Breast Care nurses, the radiographers, the theatre staff, the recovery team and everyone who works behind the scenes to keep it all going. Focus on the news is the virus but the NHS is still looking after other patients, certainly less in numbers and I think soon this will change. Patient wise we were very small in number, usually one in one but we were spaced apart and I only saw three other patients, I was the only one in theatre recovery whereas before the bays have been full.

All staff were protected for my safety and theirs, face masks on everyone, one dedicated nurse per patient, constant hand washing, changing gloves and aprons (why I think there is a shortage, they get through so many so quickly) and sanitising everything. One nurse is now off three days ... her priority is the ease her hands, they were red raw from the constant washing, hand gel, glove routine .... it really is dedication 😍

Thank you so much for all your messages, it's been a long, troublesome road that happened out the blue and hit us all. Your kindness has really helped, thank you 😘😘😘

Our son Michael has stayed home too, great cooking ... he's thinking of making pretzels next 😘 With technology help Philippa have been chatting online, she lives in Cardiff with her partner Michael, it's hard being separated but it's good to video call so we do see each other 😘😘

HUGE thank you to my amazing hubby Nick, I could not have got through this without him both at hospital visits, at home looking after me and supporting me emotionally .... I know yesterday was a long day for both of us 😍

Hopefully the news will be good when I next see my consultant and the next steps will be a little easier, thank you everyone, stay safe x xx

As summertime begins

It's been a beautiful few days and I have been able to make the most of it doing a few bits and bob's in the garden. Our spring bulbs are looking lovely and now I have cleared away some winter decay everywhere is looking brighter.

On a personal note life turned upside down a bit this week with the hospital calling to say my chemotherapy was being stopped due to the high risk if I caught coronavirus. That said the doctors have decided to do my lumpectomy earlier than initially planned and today I have been to the hospital for my pre-op. It was a very unnerving visit, not just because of the details of my op,  but the worry of the virus. I have been in isolation at home for over 10 days, Hubby and son have been for eight so it felt wrong to be visiting such a public place. The hospital does have many precautions in place, in all four departments I visited the staff were so caring when they themselves must be concerned. I am sure I am fine .... just need to get my head round what's happening next. My op will be (hospital still working due the virus permitting) next Wednesday ..... I did ask if it could be after noon 😉

I have been busy stitching, Needlecraft Haven has it's annual Easter Exchange coming up. We are delaying posting but still finishing our ornaments. Mine is stitched and I hope to finish it soon, I'll share when I can.

I have completed Block 3 of the Needlecraft Haven Stitching the Night Away SAL. I'm really enjoying these designs, this time I used the same thread as Block 2 but the darker part of the variegation.

Finally I have stitched two more flower heads for my bouquet, I have also received some beautiful flowers in the post but I'll share those in April's Gifted Gorgeousness post.

Clematis 

Camelia 

This weekend here in the UK we move our clocks forward into summertime, for a while we will have darker mornings but our nights will be lighter for much longer. I think we will all feel a little brighter as we move towards the summer, although they have said it will be a little cold for the next few days.

I'll close with my spring tree from Jardin Prive, I have all four trees and change them in the frame depending on the season. Stay safe everyone, make use of our wonderful technology to keep in touch with your families and friends .... keep stitching !

Spring

Gifted Gorgeousness - March

It's Gifted Gorgeousness time, the third of the year. Every month on the 15th we post about any gift sent or received or any item we have made using fabric, thread, chart or finishing item that was gifted. This super idea is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching, you'll find links to all the other bloggers taking part on her blog.

My first gift was sent to me from my good friend Kat, this great bag is perfect for my other GG. Thanks Kat, it's perfect.

My       bag from Kat

Back in August 2018 Justine very kindly sent me the full set of Lizzie Kate's monthly Flip its. I want to stitch these (and some other monthly charts I have) to be part of a sun screen for our gazebo.

Thank you Justine for my Flip Its

There is a gap between the fence and the gazebo roof and in the afternoon and early evening the sun is so strong through it. Of course I had the grand idea of stitching the pieces and making a quilted curtain .... quilting is not something I have done on a large scale and the curtain would not be ready this year.

So when I'm having a good day we're going to pop to Dunelm and look at buying a cheap pair of eyelet curtains which we can hang using clear hooks. I'm going to make the months into ornaments and then play around with attachment ideas.

I had a nightmare ordering the fabric, I want to do my CCN set and these on the same fabric but in my confused state I mis-read the ordering table so my first piece was too small to do both design sets. Then got very confused ordering a second piece. Huge thanks to Karla at Patchwork Rabbit for sorting me out, great service and delivery.

I'm stitching them on one piece as it's easier to hold but might make four up at a time once done. Here's my first two.

My two finishes so far

It is such a worrying time for us all right now, our hobbies are so important in keeping our minds occupied and happy. Online forums, blogs and communities will be an important to many over the next months, thank you for all your posts and for visiting my little home in blogland. 

Stay safe and stay close to those you love x x

Fully Finished Gallery - March

The Fully Finished Gallery is hosted by Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher and encourages us to finish our projects and although I am quite good at only stitching items I know will be used or gifted to others I am a bit slow at actually getting them fully finished.

This month I have stitched and fully finished three more cards for scouts, I've bagged them all up too and put the peel off stickers in the back so whoever buys them can have a choice of occasion.

RSPCA cover kit

Piglet cover kit

Archie - he fits :-)

The peel offs in the back of each card pack

My eight cards ready in their plastic bags

I think without Rachel's encouragement I would have stitched these and maybe left them waiting to be made up. Now I have eight cards ready for our next Craft Fair (that may not be until the autumn) and hopefully I will do a few more over the next few months.

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And now for something not Fully Finished but I hope you may help me with. For my Christmas tree at church I'd like to have a 'bouquet of flowers' tree and I'm asking if fellow stitchers/bloggers would like to stitch a flower.

Here's the not FF thing .... just send me the stitched fabric and I will do all the making up. Here's the link to my blog post about it Could you help me make a bouquet?  and here's one of the flowers I have already stitched .......

..... if you'd like to help please leave a comment and I'll reply with details of my UK postal address .... thank you!

Coffee - Let the People Choose

Jo's Let the People Choose this month is Coffee .... perfect for me as I love coffee

Jo of Serendipitous Stitching  hosts many blog activities for us all to join in with, this one is really making me think each month.

In 2011, I cannot believe it was so long ago, three lovely ladies at Needlecraft Haven and I decided to do a Round Robin. It was a first for Julie and Hazel but Tina and I had taken part in these fun stitchings before.

At the time I had a new car and all the interior accessories were pink ... steering wheel cover, floor mats, air fresheners. I decided to make a pink cushion and using Lizzie Kate design I made this chart for my Round Robin. The photo is  bit blurred because I had to screen shot it from an old post in 2011, apologies but I think you can see it still

I loved stitching this, I did the borders and my name before sending it off. Julie, Hazel and Tina chose one of the design squares and stitched their name (I charted the names using LK alphabet) I stitched the final square when it came home .... and that was 'coffee crazy' perfect for me.

Sadly I no longer have my car but I do still have the cushion although no-one uses it as I don't want it spoilt.

My superb Round Robin cushion

Happy St David's Day

Welcome to March, the month that brings signs of warmer days, more daylight and new life as it is the first month of spring. Today is also St David's Day, the patron saint of Wales.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus - Happy St David's Day

It's also the day I traditionally get out my grandmother's vase and have daffodils in our home from now until after Easter.

Spring daffodils in my
Grandmother's vase 

This year I have baked a bara brith as our Welsh celebration, we're not having lamb for dinner but I may have a small glass of Welsh whisky.

Here's a few things I was working on at the end of February, I'm saving full finishes for my FFG post in March.

I finished another cover kit, this was Margaret Sherry's Relax with Archie. I have four of these but he was quite tricky to do from the picture and it needed two kits worth of thread so I could only do one more if I can be bothered.

Fingers crossed he will fit on his armchair.

Archie 

Margaret Sherry's cover kit

Will he fit?

I also stitched two more cover kit. Piglet was a small one to do, every loves Disney and he does look very happy. My other kit was an RSPCA dog, I'd take him home, he's adorable.

Piglet

RSPCA dog

This year I am doing Stitching the Night Away SAL with the ladies at Needlecraft Haven. It is actually a 2019 SAL so we have the full year's charts already but we are stitching one block per month. February's block was blackwork but I chose a pink variegated thread.

Block 2

My two blocks - I will be finishing them individually
but wanted to stitch them all together

My orts jar is filling up, I can see the threads from my February projects. I have quite a few already planned for March so there should be quite a few more this month too.

Two month's of orts

Finally a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has pledged to stitch a flower for my 'bouquet', thank you too for sharing my request on your own blogs.

Can you help me make a bouquet? - is my previous post about my church tree for this year. If you would like to help please leave a comment on that post or on this one and I will pass on my postal details.

These are the two flowers I have already stitched ... I have sorted the threads for the next ones which I'm hoping to do later in March.

Pansy

Lilly

Thank you for all your well wishes, they really do help especially the days after my chemotherapy treatment. This last time I didn't go out for nine days, five of which I was sofa bound, just about shuffling to the bathroom. But now it's passed I am feeling like myself and managing to walk round town shopping.

It is so so hard to hold on to why the doctors give such an aggressive treatment that makes you feel so ill, especially as there will be eight cycles of it stretching into the summer ..... however last week we had some fantastic news .... my latest scan shows the chemotherapy is working!

My next treatment is the 9th, being honest I do not want to go, more needles and horrid side effects but this time I know it is the right thing to do and things are getting better 🌻