February Challenge

Amazingly it's the last day of February, another month that has flown by. As it's month end it was time to reveal our Monthly Christmas Challenge pieces on Needlecraft Haven. We have a new design everyone month, chosen by one of our members Christine. It's always a free online chart on the theme of Christmas, the idea being by the festive season we have twelve new ornaments.

This month's design was by Luli and is called Fairisle Hearts, two beautful designs. We could stitch one or both, I did both but in blue and white as they will make great fill in ornaments for my Winter Wonderland Tree at church. I'm hoping to stitch two a month, using perforated paper they didn't really take long so it should be easy to do.

My blue and white Fairisle Hearts 

I've also stitched another ornament for my church tree, again it's from Just Cross Stitch Christmas Magazine 2009. Another small one so again quick to stitch. I'll be have a mass make up day later in the year - it's easier to store them unfinished too.

There should have been a sheep button where I have stitched the house but as it was nearly £5 I stitched the house instead - it seemed a waste of money when it's for the church tree, I'd rather add the money to church funds.

Starry Starry Night - Elizabeth's Designs

My needle has certainly been flying these first tow months of 2017 - I've stitched 13 pieces and finished 6 of them, the most I've started a year with ever I think. You can see the full list on my 2017 finished page at the top of my blog.

Now all my Round in Circles pieces are done and we had a sunny day I washed them all and hung them our to 'drip dry'. They did look great all in a row, as you can see we don't get full sun in the winter in our garden. They've dried lovely and hopefully in March I can make a start on my finishing plans.

All in a row

Halloween has been and gone but we're still celebrating. In early November Hubby and I were shopping in Waitrose and spotted an amaryllis bulb on offer at 90p - yes just 90p. The reason was it was encased in an orange wax with a Halloween face. The box said it didn't need water or soil, just put in a light dry place and it would flower. It didn't do anything up to Christmas and we nearly threw it away but decided to leave it to see - and look what has grown !!

Beautiful amaryllis for 90p 

In it's Halloween wax holder

As it's March first tomorrow I'll be back again as it's Opening Day for Needlecraft Haven's Meet Up exchange, lots of ornament/display in the house and it's St Davids Day - see you tomorrow !!

Anticipation

It's nearly the end of February, a 'lovely' month but with the change brings new things. Today I had a parcel arrive !

Today's arrival from Postie

I have to keep it safe as it's my Meet Up Exchange from Needlecraft Haven's last get together in November - you can read about our day HERE.

We always arrange an exchange at the meet up, this time it was to stitch a needlecase for our partner (who is secret as we chose sealed envelopes). Mine has been sent so hopefully my partner has received her's too. Opening Day is 1st March so not long to wait.

I have been Happy Dancing too as I have completed my final Round In Circles piece. I think I know what I will be doing with them but I need a little free time to plan it properly - they also need a wash each as some have crease lines in and having been over a year since some were stitched I'd like to freshen them up. I did change this one slightly as I couldn't get the charted centre to sit properly.

December - Round in Circles

I have also stitched another design for my church tree. I am really liking the blue background for these winter scenes. I have found my next two charts as well when I was looking for something else, one's a small tree scene and the other a snowman. This one (and the others) is from Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments magazines 2009.

Comfort and Joy - Gentle Pursuit Designs

We have storm Doris here in the UK - the wind is certainly strong here in the Midlands and I know it has hit most of the country. I hope everyone stays safe.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's is a special day for Hubby and me as we got engaged on February 14th 1986. We always send each other cards and although we say no presents my lovely Hubby always surprises me - this year is no exception.

But before I share our Valentine's Day it was also exchange opening day for the Valentine's Exchange on Needlecraft Haven. This year it was a non-stitching exchange, we had to buy our partner a pair of pink or red socks with hearts or flowers design, a card and two skeins of thread to match the socks.

I used my orts jar to pick the partner details - it's always a fun thing to do when organising an exchange. I put everyone's name on apiece of paper and also on my list - starting at the top of my list I picked a paper and whoever's name was on was that persons partner.

Needlecraft Haven members taking part in
our Valentine's Exchange

Folded in my orts jar ready to be picked

 My partner was Mary and I bought a lovely pair of socks with love birds on and pink hearts. Unfortunately I knocked a cup of coffee over and of course it went over the socks; so they became mine and I bought Mary another pair. I was going to buy the same again but spotted a lovely pair covered in roses.

There was no requirement to stitch anything but I did stitch Mary a card, just a simple one and included a few choccies as 2017 has been a tough start.

My Valentine's gifts for Mary 

My parcel arrived in time for Receiving Day - we've started doing this, it's about a week before Opening Day and hopefully ensures everyone has their parcel. I knew who my partner was as I had organised the names but it is always exciting to open a parcel.

Inside was a lovely wooden card from Julie - I had not seen one of these before, they are very effective. The socks are beautiful but had me rolling around in laughter - they are the love bird socks I spilled coffee on - just perfect, thank you Julie.

My Valentine's gift from Julie 

I haven't baked anything for Hubby this year as I went to M&S and bought one of their £20 meal deals - starter, main, side, dessert, wine and chocolate !!

We always have a bottle of our favourite champagne on Valentine's Day so I also bought some nibbles to go with it. The table is laid so now Hubby is home we can sit down, enjoy the bubbly, enjoy our cards and Valentine's decorations I always put out and later on enjoy our M&S meal.

Our side board with our Valentine's cards 

Valentine's Mantle

Table's ready 

M & S meal deal

Nicolas Feuillatte our favourite champagne

And finally we'll be having coffee and the M& S chocolate hearts - coffee served in the tiny espresso cups we bought in Athens on our Honeymoon and the chocolates are served on the beautiful lace plate my Mum made us for our 25th Wedding Anniversary.

The metallic couple is actually a wine holder I bought Hubby for our 25th Anniversary - yesterday he surprised me with a new edition - it's just perfect, I'm a very lucky lady.

I hope everyone had a very happy Valentine's Day x x x  

Anniversary gift

Our friends had a party the other Saturday to celebrate their 25th Wedding Anniversary. As a little keep sake I stitched this sampler for them.

25th Anniversary gift for Debbie & Carl

I have two exchanges that I have stitched for but as yet cannot share, although as one is for Valentine's Day it won't be long before I can.

I have been catching up on my Round in Circles SAL from 2016. I didn't get chance to complete October, November or December but have managed to complete the first two and I'm working on December so they will soon be all done. I have stitched them all in the same colours, at the start of 2016 I wasn't really sure about how to finish them but I think I have now decided. I'll see how my idea looks once all twelve are stitched.

October - Round in Circles

November - Round in Circles

Wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day full of friendship and love x x 

January Challenge

Every month on Needlecraft Haven we have a challenge piece, usually a Christmas theme. Our lovely Havener Christine choses a freebie chart each month for us to stitch and uploads a Gallery at the end of the month for our photos.

January's chart was a cute New Year penguin, it's nice to have a momentum as each year changes. You can find the details of our Challenge on the forum Needlecraft Haven - if you are not a member already send a request stating you read about it on my blog

The forum is quite busy at the moment with our Valentine Exchange under way and our Easter Exchange sign up open. Being February 1st there will be lots of changes tomorrow too, one of which will be month two of our Four seasons' SAL stitching on spring. I've finished stitching and just have to make it up, all ready then for when the gallery opens in March.

I have just about finished a gift for early February and my needlecase for the Meet Up exchange. Talking of which it will soon be time to arrange our spring Get Together.

I've just written up my wine/travel blog Aimetu's about our three special meals last week - quite a journey all told.

This year I'm aiming to read 50 books, I've just finished my 4th which was The Miniaturist by Jesse Burton - very intriguing with all the various characters.

I'm not sure what I'll pick up next, I do have a few paperbacks I want to read so I can pass on and make some space on our shelves. I hope your January was a good one and that February will be too.

My first 2017 tree ornament

I've decided for 2017 my theme for the church tree festival will be 'Winter Wonderland'. Lots of deigns of snowy houses and snowmen, all stitched on blue fabric.

I have sorted through my stash and found a nice variety of fabric in various shades of blue and different count sizes.

I have all the Just Cross Stitch Christmas magazines so will be browsing through for designs to use. My first ornament was from the 2009 magazine - It took a Miracle by Still Stitching with Susan

I'll be finishing them all at once later in the year when I have a sewing machine and will get my sewing machine out. 

I have also finished stitching the Needlecraft Haven Meet Up exchange piece, this time it's gone a needlecase. I'll be making it up later this week but can't share any details for a few weeks until opening day. 

Another exchange I can't share just yet is the Valentine's Exchange, it's not a stitched exchange, just a bit of fun. 

I have also stitched Needlecraft Haven's first monthly challenge of 2017. I'll be finishing it later this week and can reveal it at the end of the month. 

Tonight I'm going to start my spring design for the Four Season's SAL - not a bad start to 2017 

First finish of 2017

Hubby and I are still unwell so plenty of sofa time which means plenty of stitching time !!

Every year I save my orts in a bonbon jar my MIL bought me from a second hand shop a few years ago. I love glass and this jar really caught my eye. It looks great as the year progresses and it gets filled with all my orts, their different colours shining through.

2016 orts

The jar is not so full this time so I guess I didn't stitch so much in 2016 - hopefully 2017's jar will be a bit fuller.

I need a full jar as I use the orts to fill an ornament. Every Christmas/New Year I stitch an ornament for the tree and stuff it with the orts. With being sofa bound yesterday and today I have stitched and finished my 2016 orts ornament.

It's Blackwork Journey by Yuletide Memories and is in the 2016 Just Cross Stitch Christmas magazine.

2016 orts ornament

As today I am still on the sofa it gives me a great chance to start 2017 stitching and start filling my jar!!