Reveal day ..

This is what i did with the Windy Willows free chart NOEL for the September challenge at JA. I had a few ideas what to do with it, then came across the ribbons/bells that i'd kept from the Lindt chocolate reindeers last Christmas. An idea formed about a needleroll type cracker. Fabric is 28ct laguna, no label so no colour name, the thread is Carries Creations Mistletoe - a special edition thread i got from Jaynes Attic.

Hope you are all having a nice weekend, did you all watch Strictly Come Dancing? what did you think this week?

Papillon Part 9

Hope you all haven't fainted with shock, yes i have some stitching i can show you at last!!!

No yoga today, didn't feel to good, so i spent a quiet afternoon keeping an eye on DH. He had a bad experience at the dentist yesterday. We only went for a check-up but he ended up having 2 teeth removed! Technically that should be one and a half, the second one shattered and he has to have it surgically removed at a later date if it doesn't work its way loose on its own. Poor guy, he's in a lot of pain and seems to be going from one thing to the other recently. It's always such a pleasure to stitch this one, the colours are so bright and vivid and there are only 3 more parts to go till its all done.

Home life!

A lovely weekend with lots of autumnal sunshine, the garden looks good and some other jobs called for my attention too.

If your husband shouted he wanted you through the kitchen door and when you arrived he produced these lovely rose blooms to give to you would you be wondering what he wanted?? In this house it's a regular occurance, my DH knows i appreciate the simple and spontaneous things in life. We had been in the front garden cutting both of the large hedges, he did the cutting i did the sweeping up .... you would think he used a spirit level to get them straight, not a single twig out of place! I'd come in to make a cuppa and he decided a little thank you for my help was called for. This Queen Elizabeth rose is not a scented variety but her beautiful pink blooms are superb.

A difference of opinion from the family for this weeks baking session. Jam tarts using the homemade raspberry jam from last week was suggested and also flapjacks. As you can see, i made both and now not a crumb is left!

A visit to the allotment saw us coming back with a car full of produce. My pantry is well stocked with more jars of pickled beetroot and the autumn fruiting raspberrys gave me enough for some more jam. Rhubarb was in abundance and i now have 3 rhubarb crumbles in the freezer for future use. I spent some of the weekend in tears, onion peeling is not one of my favourite tasks, but it has to be done and there is now a supply of those in my freezer too ready for some nice winter casseroles together with the runner beans.

I did get some time to myself. The challenge for JA is all made up and a picture sent to Karen to put in the album ready for reveal day and i also finished that huge doorstop of a book, it was a good read and i enjoyed it in the end after it finally got going about 1/4 of the way through. Another knitted project was started and some TV was watched too. Saturday nights from now on i will be in control of the remote as i love Strictly Come Dancing and woe betide anyone who chatters when its on. I also watched the first episode of Merlin on Saturday night, did anyone else see that? What did you think to it?

Monday came round all too fast and brought with it some really cold and wet weather, i didn't want that after the last few nice days, i'd gotten used to the warm sunshine and being outside. Tonight we have a nice roaring fire in the hearth burning our logs/tree cuttings to keep us warm. Another penny pinching idea to save us some cash because i'm not putting the heating on just yet LOL

I'm a big kid!

Did you see this film?

Are you a fan of Wallace and Grommit?

Yesterday DH had an appointment at the hospital, he has to go in for an operation before Christmas and then take some time off to rest, lots of waiting around so i got a lot of my book read. After we came out, we visited the New Walk Museum as it is just around the corner from the hospital. They have a temporary exhibition of 7 of the actual sets from this film and lots of other stuff on show, it was amazing! You could watch how the little wabbits were made, watch a film of the sets being built and see how some of the characters come to life (Wallace had 10 different mouth expressions that are added onto him). There was a lot of interactivity stuff as well. We watched a piece of film showing where the sound effects were supposed to go and then you had to try and put them in the correct place yourself, it was such fun when it was replayed back to you ... i failed miserably but it gave DH a good laugh. I think i am going to have to watch this one again at the weekend. I have nothing but praise for the guys who bring this sort of film to life, i love em ....

I have stitched a bit. The monthly challenge for JA is almost done, but i am no nearer putting that Peacock Chair together, still got a bit to stitch on that. Last night was the stitchy club but i took my knitting for a change as i wanted to chat and not have to frog out what i'd done due to lack of concentration LOL

It was a lovely sunny day today, it certainly puts a smile on your face.

love to you all

No stitchy pics (AGAIN!)

On Chris's blog last week she showed homemade cakes for DH's birthday...yummy! One of them was a beetroot cake. A recipe was found here and yesterday afternoon i made this one with our own beetroot. There is only a bit left, a friend had a piece last night then came back this morning for a 2nd piece and the family also love it. Chris says it's a healthy option, 1 of your 5 a day - does that mean i could have 5 pieces a day LOL

I had a pressie yesterday. Amy (DD) came home from her shift on the Customer Service Desk at Tesco with some great news. She has been selected to complete the NVQ in retail for her store together with 3 others. As a celebration she treated me to the latest Cath Kidston designer bag they are stocking to help you to recylce and use your own bags. My daughter sure knows how to bring a smile to my face.

This blog seems to be missing the stitching plot recently and i bet you all think i'm turning into Barbara Good of The Good Life. We are not quite as bad as they are, but we are making efforts to save money and produce as much of our own food as we can and save it for over the winter months. I am doing craft stuff, although what i am doing is for Christmas secret stuff or exchanges so i cant show you. I did finish off a knitted Christmas gift this morning. I've also been reading my book which cuts into free time as well, it's a mammoth size over 1,000 pages and i'm not a fast reader. Karen and I were reading Child of the Phoenix together as she is a Barbara Erskine fan too but she's finished hers so i need to read more and PC less i think this week.





for stopping by, i do appreciate your visits.
Julie xxx

It's the weekend!

I met with a stitchy friend yesterday afternoon. She was passing through the City i live in. We spent a nice couple of hours together chatting and drinking tea. Thank you Kathy (no blog) for taking time to meet me in your busy weekend. I hope you made it safely to your SIL's and had a nice visit there too.

I have done a small amount of stitching. My design for the halloween exchange at TS is finished, i just need to find some goodies to go inside it now. Post out date isn't till early next month but it's nice to be organised and ready in plenty of time.

I think this weekend i'll try to complete the challenge piece for JA. The chart this month is from Windy Willows called NOEL. I've got no idea what fabric or thread to use so it could be a long morning if i have to get 'everything' out the cupboard and start fondling and drooling over stuff i'd forgotten about and of course there is also the chance that it might not even get started if i get too carried away LOL

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I did hear a whisper from the weatherman that Mr Sun might be making an appearance, watch out washing machine you might just be in for a marathon work out!

Good news ...

Midges appointment at the vets went well. Apparently there is no sign of cancer in the lump they removed but it does show rapid tissue growth. She thinks maybe he bit something like mouse or bird bones as they are brittle and it went in deep. The area is still not fully healed and it should be by now so she wants to see him again in 2 weeks to check it again. Thank you for you kind wishes for him, he sends lots of purrrs to you all.

Finally got Parts 7 & 8 of the Papillon SAL stitched, only 4 more parts to do. It really is a colourful piece and the range of stitches in it are fantastic. The stitch diagrams are superb, if you haven't tried some of these stitches i would highly recommend you go over to Papillon Creations and download this one and give it a go.

Tonight it's the stitchy club and i've kitted up something for the halloween exchange at TS, a nice little chart by a designer i really like. I wont be able to show you it though till its received, i seem to be saying that a lot recently dont i LOL

It's that time of the year when we all get in a panic and realise that there are not many weeks till Christmas and there was so much we wanted to do this year and be prepared. Have you done any stitching for it yet this year? I've made a start on some surprises but failed in my plan to stitch an ornie a month like i did last year .... Oh well, there's next year!

Who won the contest?

Its been a really soggy weekend here, lots of rain and flooding in some areas, and with the prediction of more to come this week, i think my wellington boots might be having an outing!!

DH has been off to the veg patch inbetween the heavy showers and picked lots of produce, so i've spent most of the weekend preparing green beans and french beans for the freezer, and making jam from the bucketful of raspberries he brought back. There was also a load of beetroot that is now pickled in jars ready for a nice cheese sandwich.

For those of you who asked about Midge, here he is today curled up nice and snug in the conservatory keeping out of the bad weather. He seems a but more lethargic than normal but i guess when you've had a lump removed from inside your mouth it's a little sore and you need some sympathy and lots of cuddles from your humans, he's certainly not short on those. We're back at the vets Tuesday for a check up and the results should be back from the lab then.


DH nearly blew a gasket watching the Formula 1 Grand Prix this afternoon, the last couple of laps he was up and down off the sofa shouting and oohhing and aaahhhing, bless the poor man it doesnt take much to get him hot under the collar!!! After it was all over and he was catching his breath i took him a cup of coffee and a couple of his favourite ginger biscuits. I added the dish with the drawing for the Elizabeth Designs charts onto the tray as well. I'd written out all the names and cut them up ready to do yesterday, but of course another of those forgetful moments ... i'm sure you all have them.

CONGRATULATIONS LYNN ...... DH picked your name out. Please can you email me your address and i'll get them in the post to you. Thank you all for your comments on that post, it was a record number of comments i've ever had, 26 in fact!!!

I did manage a little stitching this afternoon and finished a small gift for an exchange so i can't show you that. I really should have done the Papillon SAL but i wasn't in the mood to concentrate on that and didn't want to get a visit from Mr Frog. Hopefully next time i'll have that done and be able to show you.

I hope you all had a nice weekend

A celebration in Leicester ...

Today was the opening ceremony of our brand new 350million pound Highcross Shopping Centre. There's a posh cinema, lots of restaurants and more shops than you can shake Mr Stick at LOL. It's taken 3 years to complete with lots of traffic disruptions and some archaeological problems. They found skeletons, lots of them when they dug the foundations so work had to stop for a while. There have been lots of celebrations today but i didn't attend, i don't do crowds so will wait till all the excitement dies down and i can browse round safely and comfortably. Wonder if there's a stitchy shop in there???

Flower Samplers...

A finish at last and about time too with this one. I added the charms this afternoon and also made a change. The chart asks for a rabbit treasure under the 'N' but i didnt have one and i dont need to order anything so decided to add 2 little white flowers instead, i think they look fine, what do you think?

CONTEST
I've decided to pass on these 4 charts. They were bought from Ebay a few year back but if you would like them, please tell me which season is your favourite and why. I'll put the names into a bowl and get DH to pick one at the weekend to give those of your who only visit once a week the chance to enter.

Good Luck

Fruit & Veg Show

The trophies are awarded for a year and are returned for the next winner, you have your name engraved on and one even goes back to 1972. The stitched gifts are donated by the Stitchy Club to accompany them. The sampler in the middle is for the Best in Show and was expertly designed and stitched by Stephie - well done Steph it's fantastic, i think you might get the job again next year LOL

Some of the exhibits. Loppylou 'hollyberry' hardanger and the topsy turvy doll both won a 1st place and the Blue Ribbon Cancer Awareness biscornu won a 2nd place.


DD Amy was thrilled with her 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the photography. She had put in the photographs taken recently on her trip to Tenerife. There were some unhappy and disappointed exhibitors, but thats the same each year. The auction of all the produce and the flowers went well as did the raffle..... roll on next year and we can do it all again LOL