a week of stitching Leo

a before and after pic, i've just started the bottom half of page 1. It's easier to stitch downwards on this (i know it's not like a lot of you do with the HAED's) but the curves in it make it harder to stitch across the fabric.


I'm loving it this time round and have decided to carry on with it for a couple more nights till May, but as i promised an update pic at the weekend decided to share with you today and not wait till she goes away



Visited my SIL today and left her with the little JN bag i stitched for her birthday tomorrow, can't wait to see what she thinks to it when she opens it !!

What exciting plans do you all have for this week then ... next weekend will be the May Day bank holiday weekend here in the UK so that means an extra day off work for some on Monday bet you wish it was this week LOL

love to you all

just checking in ....

it's been a busy week at home doing stuff for the family, appointments for one thing and another, why is it everything always happens in the same week? therefore, i've not been around much on the PC but i have managed to catch up on blogs and MB's i think

I have stitched quite a bit on Leo in the evenings though, there was a lot of the same colour this time so it's grown & i'll post a piccie for you to see before it goes away again

Happy Stitching

Hare 0 - Tortoise 1

those of you who read Lisa's blog as well as mine will know that she has now finished the Lavendar Mandala after comparing herself to a tortoise as Sally & I had already completed ours. Well .... when i looked at the pic on her blog i noticed that it looked different to mine, I went and checked with my stitching and the chart and (confession time!!)
sure enough i had missed off the beads at the bottom of the flower stems and the ones in the corner flower borders too, so CONGRATULATIONS LISA the story of the hare and the tortoise on this occasion is correct, you finished yours before i did, mine came back out of the workbox this morning to have the missing beads added to it LOL so here's an updated piccie, maybe you could check to see if i've missed anything else !!!

Just Nan update

2 more days added to the JN 12 Days of Christmas, this really is a colourful project to stitch, although i didn't enjoy number 9 for some reason.... and then i had to stitch a frog for Day 10 !! I'm thinking i might make it into a hanging using some nice christmas fabric and hang it on my front door at Christmas, a bit different from the usual holly wreath and it might give visitors something to talk about

This weekend i plan to stitch a gift for a stitching friend who has a birthday next month so i won't be able to show you that for a while, i've sorted the threads, chart and fabric but i can't tell you what it is as she reads the blog sometimes LOL

Only one more to cross off of the April stitching plans this month - Leo. She'll be setting up home on the floorstand next week as the following week of course we'll be entering May and i'll be back to the SAL's again and hopefully i'll get JN finished and also have a couple of new starts to add to my WIP's

The sun we've had recently has brought my lovely cherry tree into blossom, it looks gorgeous. Hope you all have a lovely weekend, it's supposed to be another nice one for all you sun worshippers.

Thanks to you all for taking time to read my blog and leave me comments, i really do appreciate them and enjoy reading them
{{hugs}}

Huswif update

as promised, here's April's update of the Heirloom Embroideries huswif SAL, the fabric on this is really thin and i'm not that keen on stitching on it, i love the design and the threads but i have to be so careful not to pull to tightly and cause a hole in the fabric. I think i'll get the JN 12 Days out tonight, i could do with a bit of colour i think LOL

Isn't this just the cutest thing - a dog made from flowers, how clever is that ????

It's Christmas !!!

Thanks for your comments on the Mandala, i've been looking at the freebie ones on the Chatelaine site, they are gorgeous, think i might have to have another go soon LOL

Santa was the theme for this months xmas ornie @ TS, i found this cute little guy in the 2003 JCS Ornament Mag, it's by Moon Pi Madness, i love his little button wobbly legs !!!

Lynda gave us Aprils installent for the Loopylou SAL, not a lot to show this month but here it is, i've learnt a new stitch 'reed stitch' it's the bottom row with a four sided stitch in the middle, a very effective stitch and easier than it looks

The mini mystery exchange at TS is also stitched and on it's way to my partner, i enjoyed stitching it and was very pleased with the result, will show you a pic when i know it's got to it's destination OK

My plans for April are getting crossed off quite quickly this month, the huswif mystery will be next so watch this space for an update of that !!! LOL

Enjoy the lovely spring sunshine and have a lovely weekend

Lavendar Garden Mini Mandala

This morning i added the last of the delica beads to this, it has been a pleasure to stitch and i've really enjoyed it, i'll definately be stitching another

It's stitched on 28ct Quaker cloth - light mocha, using DMC and Vikki Clayton silk in Lavendar (i hadn't got the required Silk n Color so substituted with the VC silk) and delica beads, a BIG THANK YOU to you Sally for sharing with me, it wouldn't have looked the same with mill hills LOL. I've certainly had my monies worth from the Gift of Stitching mag this year !!!

Thanks for your comments on the little bag for my SIL, Lynn asked how to make it ..... i have the chart 'Heartstrings' from Cats Whiskers (halfway down the page)and the instructions are in there, this time i made some alterations as follows .... cut a square of fabric 10" x 10", stitch your design in the centre, and in the 4 corners if you wish (i added buttons this time) back it with nice fabric, turn inside out and sew up the opening, turn down the corners and sew along leaving a gap for the cords. Make/buy two cords approx 24" long. Start at middle left and thread top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left with one cord and start at right hand side and go top right, top left, bottom left and bottom right with the other, pull gently and east the bag into shape. Hope this makes sense. Here's a link that Ish gave me with piccies Bourse instructions
Happy Stitching

Easter Sunday

Midge sends big purrs and thanks for the good wishes, he's on the mend and didn't sneeze at all yesterday, so fingers crossed the meds have worked. He's still got a few more days worth to take (and he does it so lovely, not like Mr Moe!) He's really enjoying the spring sunshine and is at present sleeping under the birdtable on guard LOL


As it's Easter Sunday i've decided to show the tuck i stitched for the easter exchange @ TS, it's been a month since i posted it out and i hope it was not lost in the post



I've also finished my SIL's birthday pressie. I decided to stitch another of the little bags and put the Happy Birthday design from Just Nans 'Hearfelt' chart inside it. My SIL has a basket of little stitched items which she loves so each time her birthday comes round i have to think what i've already stitched and try to find something different, this certainly fits the bill this year

It's the Lavendar Mandala weekend SAL with Sally & Lisa, it's nearing the end although there are loads of beads to add and thats a job that i am not very keen on, wonder if i'll get it finished this time round ?? I've received the mini mystery item for April @ TS, i've chosen a design for that, just need to kit it up, stitch it and get it in the post by mid April at the latest. The monthly SAL's have also come out, part 3 of the huswif arrived via e.mail on Friday night so i need to print that off, and part 3 of Hollyberry was posted on the MB too, looks like it's going to be a busy month

Have fun and enjoy the lovely weather this easter weekend whatever you are doing
love and {hugs}

Midge

He was rushed to the vets this morning after sneezing blood out of his little button nose. She thinks he has a serious nasal/sinus infection and probably an inner ear infection too. He had 2 injections and has to take antibiotics and ear drops for a week, she wants us to keep a close eye on him and let her know immediately if he worsens

Vet thinks he may have had this before he came to live with us, but after eating good food and having a nice warm place to live he was able to keep it at bay till he had the anaesthetic for the neutering and then his 1st round of vaccines, his immune system is now in overload and can't cope

What a worry these pets are and i'm also another £50 out of pocket so no stash buying here for a while LOL

On a lighter note, i did receive some stash mail today, a beautiful Kelmscott Designs needleminder 'Curious Cat' that i won at Jo's Polstitches forum, it's very pretty and heavier than i thought it would be

Stitching wise, i've started a little something for my SIL's birthday pressie, but i'll tell you about that another time ...

2nd weekend on the Chatelaine

this is such a beautiful project to stitch, i'm definately going to be doing more of these, i always thought they looked so difficult, but i'm actually finding them a very methodical stitch, i did stitch on it again last night to make up for the time i missed Sunday

Thanks to you all for your support and being there for me on Sunday. Helen, i know exactly what you mean about it being different chatting to online friends, it's sometimes easier to write what you want to say instead of making eye contact with someone and then deciding not to say it because of their reaction, it's like writing them a letter the old fashioned way, but you get instant response !!

Take care and love to you all

when i needed you ...

you were there ..... I copied this from Edda's blog and today it has a very special meaning to me, as some of you know today would have been my dads 71st Brithday, i lost him to lung/colon cancer 19th December 2005 after a short but brave fight and without my friends on here life would have been unbearable at times. Happy Birthday Dad, God Bless you xx


Please copy the verse and photo for your blog and carry on the chain of friendship! Leave a comment so we can all follow the chain…

Holding Hands
This picture shows a line of little girls holding hands facing the immensity of ocean waves. Alone they might be washed away, but together they stand strong. Thank you for holding my hand somewhere along the way when I was facing a wave of my own. I hope you will reach for my hand when your own wave threatens.

All of us girls…
Old and young…Near and far…
Hold special memories of good times we´ve shared.
We´ve had our share of hard times when our friends were there to make us feel better.
We´ve shared…
our hearts…
our time…
our secrets…
our fears…
our hopes…
and our dreams…

Let us never break the chain of friends! I am thankful for precious moments…precious memories and precious friends…