August - Smalls SAL

I love Mary's great blog sharing idea, this is my first year taking part and as the months have progressed so have I.

The SAL is 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.

This last month I have not been in blogland very much, apologises to all my friends. I now have my chemotherapy weekly and life seems to be in a bit of a haze. Last week my blood count was low so I have a week of rest and no treatment, it's so nice to feel a bit normal. I'm hoping to catch up on everyone's news soon. 

I have been stitching a lot more as my arm is now useable. I have been discharged from the fracture doctor as my bones have healed but I have lots of physio to do as I cannot yet lift it above the horizontal, good job stitching is a lap activity hee hee. 

I have caught up with my Lizzie Kate Monthly Flip Its, in fact I have finished September too. 

I have also managed to catch up with the Stitching the Night Away SAL with the lovely members of Needlecraft Haven. They have been a lifeline over recent times, a very special group of ladies.

I've been looking through my craft boxes and trying to use up a few bits. I have already made a couple of Christmas gifts and have ideas for a few more as well as thank you / birthday gifts. They are all smalls so I'll have plenty to share in future SAL posts although of course not until they have been given. 

I have received some beautiful flowers for my bouquet, thank you Jane, DJ and Nadine your flowers are lovely. I'll be sharing them in next month's Gifted Gorgeousness and once finished I'll post in Rachel's Fully Finished Gallery. 

Thank you for visiting today, I'll call by your blogs later when it's coffee time. 

Gifted Gorgeousness in August

It's Gifted Gorgeousness time, a time when we post about :-

• any chart, kit, thread, fabric or finishing item received as a gift
• any chart, kit, thread, fabric or finishing item won in a giveaway or competition 
• any chart, kit, thread, fabric or finishing item purchased using a voucher received as a gift or won in a giveaway or competition 
• any chart, kit, thread, fabric or finishing item you have gifted to someone else

This super blogging idea, which happens on the 15th of each month, is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching - thank you Jo 😘

Since my chemotherapy restarted at the end of July I have not been stitching much, reading any books or visiting blogland. I really enjoyed Jo's Summer Blog Hop but I just can't concentrate to do much at all. 

My GG is small but special. This flower is for my bouquet and was sent by my lovely friend Cathy who lives in Ohio. We've been friends for over 20 years regularly exchanging emails but it wasn't until lockdown that we actually spoke in person using video calls. 

Cathy has sent a get well, keep smiling or thinking of you every few weeks since my diagnosis last December and in her latest card was this lovely thistle - thank you do much Cathy.

I will try to visit everyone's Gifted Gorgeousness posts but please accept my apologises if I'm a little late or don't make it at all. 

Summer Blog Hop

This year Jo's Summer Blog Hop is all about Stitching Friends are Friends Who Count. 

Jo, of Serendipitous Stitching, has given us all a fellow blogger to visit and write about. We need to introduce our blogger and suggest something she may like. To keep everyone guessing the name of our blogger is revealed at the end of the post .....

..... so who is my Stitching Friend? 

She is a very talented crafter doing many hobbies including knitting, crocheting and cross stitch. She is often stitching gifts for friends and enjoys stitching along with IHSW. I know she has travelled quite a bt too.

She started her blog in 2014 but I don't think I became a follower until a few years later. One project I have enjoyed watching grow is her Ink Circle 99 - all those beer bottles! Her gift, Lady Justice, for her mum's 60th birthday is beautiful. She likes large projects and at the moment she is stitching Dark Forces and The Loneliness of Autumn.

My Stitching Friend is also a great knitter and crocheter making many beautiful gifts for her friends, I love her crocheted gloves.

She is often saying she is late in posting and reading but it's amazing how much she achieves when you see her pie charts each month, I don't record how much I stitch, I do record my finishes  ... when I remember

Have you guessed yet, maybe my choice of designs will help.

She has crocheted shawls and gloves but maybe she would like a summer item ... this lovely beach bag from Crazy Patterns

I'm not sure if she already knows this designer - Durene Jones has a great Facebook page with announcements of her latest designs and some free charts. I noticed my Stitching Friend likes square designs and cats I thought she would like this Durene Jones free chart. 

(The key and chart can be found on Durene's Facebook page - please visit and join before using this chart)

Have you guessed yet? 

My Stitching Friend can be found here.

My Stitching Friend - I have really enjoyed reading your blog, looking back at when you started in 2014, there was so much to choose from to include  - thank you for being my Stitching Friend. 

August - Let the People Choose

This SAL is hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching, each month she asks for suggestions for themes. These themes are voted on by members of the IHSW Group on Facebook, we all then post about our stitching relating to it. 

This month is Freedom and I was stumped until I read a few other blogs. It's ironic that this is the month Blogger has changed ..... I hope it hasn't restricted my blogging freedom.

Freedom is being free to do what you want .... in 2009 I was asked to teach hardanger to a group of stitchers in Wales who met each Saturday. I loved the idea and decided to design three bookmarks: beginners, intermediate and advanced. It was great fun having the freedom to not only design the charts but to write the instructions. It was a great day, everyone loved the designs and managed to make a bookmark, taking the other designs home to progress - giving them the freedom to explore this new hobby. 

A few of my online stitching friends also bought the charts - I donated the money to charity. I think the charts are on an old disc somewhere, although I don't know if I still have the program to open them .... something to look into as my shielding continues. 

The photos show the bookmarks stitched on different fabric counts, although 22count is traditional hardanger some people prefer 28count to give a denser background.

When I changed jobs from teaching at college to teaching school, and later when I retired from teaching altogether I gave my colleagues a stitched gift each. I had great fun making small ornaments, keyrings, bookcovers, coasters and bookmarks for individual people, trying to think what would suit them. 

I also wanted to leave a message for everyone. This was hung in the staffroom above the door leading back out to the classroom ..... freedom is mental and emotional and important for us all.

My final piece for this month's Let the People Choose is a freedom I give to everyone. I loved stitching this design by Sue Hillis. I hang it up every Christmas with a knowing smile and take down each New Year with a rye grin. 

Thanks Jo for hosting another great SAL, apologies I'm a little late. 

Next month is Geometric and October is Wizards.

July - Smalls SAL

I have been stitching, I have so missed being able to stitch properly although it was doable left handed. I haven't been blogging or reading much either so apologises to everyone, I'm hoping to catch up soon.

Anyway this month I do have some smalls to share as part of Mary's Smalls SAL. 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.

My first two smalls  were stitched left handed and took quite a while, mainly because my right hand/arm ached so much after holding the fabric more than 15 minutes.

These are two flowers for my church tree, they are designs I have already stitched. They are a set a six designs in an old magazine (I'll try to find out which for next time) and I swapped the colours to make new flowers. 

Yellow pansy

Pink lily

My arm is improving but is very restricted. From the elbow down it's fine, just pain in my ring and small finger and stiffness in my wrist. From my elbow up it is still painfull and my arm doesn't lift on it's own. I expressed concern at my last hospital appointment and thankfully they did an MRI scan. I haven't  seen the orthopedic doctor yet but my Oncologist looked at the results, there's no soft tissue damage but there could be nerve damage. She said it would not affect my chemotherapy which started again last Monday. It is weekly this time to hopefully reduce the side effects - it's not been too bad so far, a couple of not great days but overall a little better. Fingers crossed this is the last treatment I need and my arm will improve with physiotherapy.

Back to stitching ... I am now using my right hand to stitch, it's good exercise and I can hold the fabric perfectly in my left hand. My first two pieces were for the Stitch8ng the Night Away SAL with the ladies at Needlecraft Haven. I was behind so I have stitched black 6 and 7 (not sure why they look slanted in the photo, they aren't really). We were all debating which way round Block 7 looks best ... what do you think?

Block 6

Block 7 as per the chart

Turned 90 degrees

The other weekend was a lovely anniversary for Hubby and I ... 34 years living in our home. We moved in new in 1986, our first home, so many memories, getting married, having two fabulous children, family occasions, time with friends and time for ourselves. Here's just a few photos from our time here.

Our new house

Our first garden - it was just mud when we moved in
Hubby did all the brickwork

We got married from home, although Hubby
went to his mum and Dad's the night before

Michael and Philippa - our super children

Our garden for the kids to play

Hubby relaxing in our trendy black, grey and pink lounge

Christmas with my late dad

Needlecraft Haven's meet up in 2017 when I'd broken my leg

Our garden now, we have many visitors
to the feeders

Hubby's brickwork including his pond

Family celebration earlier in 2020

We've certainly had some fun over the years and in the last 6 months have enjoyed the results of our hard work. It will be nice to go out again when time allows but for now we'll stay at 'home'.

July's Gifted Gorgeousness

It's the 15th of each month which 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. 

Thank you so much for all the offers to stitch a flower for my church tree. When I put up my 'Could you help me make a bouquet' post I did not expect such a response. Although initially because of my diagnosis of breast cancer, with all of our lives becoming very different due to this awful virus  and my unfortunate broken arm, I think the bouquet of flowers will be very special for us all.

I was delighted to receive these two beautiful flowers from Ann. I'm a fairly new follower to Ann's blog, Colourful Cross Stitches, and I'm loving watching her projects grow especially her Harry Potter SYOA. Her accompanying card gave me such a chuckle ... thanks Ann. 

Poppy on white

This is on purple fabric

Such a great card

I haven't made any gifts this month although I had intended to. I am still stitching left handed very slowly. 

Today was the last of my radiotherapy treatments, another part of this journey completed. Next week I see the specialist about my arm and my Oncologist about my chemotherapy restarting at the end of this month. 

Our son's friend made we these lovely masks for my treatment visits, they have been great, it's nice not to wear the blue hospital ones all the time - thanks Jade. 

Let the People Choose - July

It's hard to believe we are in the second half of 2020, its been a very strange year and I'm surprised how quickly the weeks have gone by ..... although contra to the proverb they have not been fun!

Favourite designer is the theme for this month's Let People Choose hosted by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching. I couldn't decide if 'favourite' was the one I have stitched the most, or the designer I look at first when needing a chart ..... so I included both :-)

Lizzie Kate is my most stitched designer, this was the the theme for January's Let the People Choose, you can read my blog post about it here. I have included my absolute favourite LK design - Promise Me. I stitched this for our daughter's graduation in 2015.

Last year the theme for Needlecraft Haven's Summer Exchange was cats and dogs, I chose to receive a dog themed item and was delighted when Mary sent me this gorgeous mini pillow....

... delighted because I had used the same design for Mary's gift. I stitched her a pin cushion using an old ring box. I loved the design and was going to stitch it for myself .... it was perfect to receive it from Mary.

The designer I look at first for any gifts, large projects and exchanges is Jardin Prive. The style and colours are just me .... there are so many I still want to stitch.

The largest piece I have stitched is Sampler des Bouquets, it was a unfinished item for a while but I finally completed it in 2018 ... it now hangs in our bedroom opposite our bed. I have another sampler finished ready to be framed when life allows.

I love this scissor and bobbin design from Jardin Prive and used it to make Mum's 80th birthday gift. It's another one I would like to stitch for myself.

Jardin Prive offer some lovely free designs  I stitched the seasonal trees which I change in the frame. The designs are so lovely ... I just need more stitching time.

My final Jardin Prive piece to share is for Needlecraft Haven's Easter Exchange although it still lives here in an envelope ready to post as soon as we can all get to the post office again.

Thanks Jo for another great Let the People Choose - I'm looking forward to discovering everyone else's favourite designer.

Edit: Apologies Jo, I have just seen your post and realised it should have been Most Popular Designer .... oops