March comes to an end ...

Update of Needleprint Beatrix Potter Quaker, last day of the month and time to post my progress on the SAL blog. The ladies have made good progress again this month, there are 100 ladies in this SAL and lots of variations in colour and thread.

End of the month also means time to remind myself how much spare time or should that be essential time i have spent on my hobby and what was achieved

FINISHES :-
Papillon Creations SAL 2008 'How Does Your Garden Grow' - only 3 months late!
Monthly Christmas Ornament ~ Christmas Bouquet - Marie Chantel Lord
Monthly Challenge ~ The Workbasket - Berthi's Birdbath
Birthday card for DS
Knitted a pink bunny
Finally got round to making up The Cats Whiskers, Peacock Stitching Chair

PROGRESS ON :-
LHN Wool needlebook and fob SAL with Karen
Beatrix Potter SAL - 6 motifs added this month

NEW START :-
LHN Travelling stitcher

I always think i haven't done a lot in a month but when i see it written down at the end of the month it makes me realise that its not just the stitching time, its the making up that takes time too..... that chair for instance 14 hours!!! thats 2 days work for some folks LOL

Hope you all had a productive March, roll on April. I've updated the sidebar with the additional things i need to do in April but i will be spending some time thinking and planning for a couple of birthday gifts for May, i need to be organised and get cracking on those too.

Love and {hugs}

March Reveal Day

Reveal day at Stitch and Stash is exciting for all the ladies, lots of great ideas and colour combinations. This months album has all the wonderful finishes that have been sent to Karen to include. If you like quaker designs The Workbasket which was this months chosen site is a great place to get some freebies.

I decided to make a bobbin holder using the DMC colours the chart asks for and stitched 1x1 on 28ct lugana. One of the ladies at the stitching club has a Birthday next month and this will be my little gift to her.

Mr Sunshine has been out today, such a contrast to yesterday but not a lot of stitching going on here, i haven't quite woken up all day, maybe it had something to do with the clocks going forward last night and me loosing an hours sleep....

Lovely surprise

Postie rang my doorbell today and handed me an envelope, i wasn't expecting anything so it came as a real surprise when i saw my name on the front and Barbs (no blog) name on the back. Look what was inside, Barb has made me this stunning beaded scissor fob and enclosed a lovely pair of scissors to attach to it. There were also some other nice goodies too and a book by an author i have never read. Quite a few ladies at Stitch and Stash have been RAK'd by Barb today and are now proud owners of one of her fabulous beaded fobs. Thank you so much Barb, you really did brighten my day, i did rub the scissors with a coin as you instructed so as not to cut our friendship when i use them. DH was most impressed with your beading skills and had to have a feel of it, but then pointed out that i have a few hobbys already and i have no more room in my cupboard to put beads to try this out ... i have beads already like all stitchers :-)

Mamma bunny has news from the burrow ...
We have a new addition, this little 'pink lady' is going to live with a new baby when she decides to make an entrance into the world. Bunny doesn't have a name but i did hear a rumour that the new baby was going to be called Caitlyn. It's a year since the first bunny 'Rupert' was made. Who would have thought so many of them would have been made and sent out here in the UK and overseas. 33 were sent out in 2008 and 2 have been made so far this year. For those of you new to the blog you can see the 2008 ones here. I had a Happy Mothers Day email from one of the bunnies last weekend!

The weather here is really cold, windy and awful today, i think i'm going to settle down and finish the motif on Beatrix this afternoon. Have a lovely weekend whatever your plans.

A little progress

One nights progress on the LHN SAL with Karen, and a little bit more of the Travelling Stitcher. I've also done a small amount of knitting as DD has asked for a lady bunny for a friend of hers who is expecting a little girl in the near future. I seem to have been reading a lot more this week and have almost finished the book DS bought me for Mothers Day! Last night was the sitchy club and i took Beatrix with me, half a motif got stitched there and i'm hoping to get the other half finished before i post this months update on the SAL blog. Yoga class today, i really felt the need for some stretches and relaxation time this week, been a strange sort of week..... hope you are all having a good week.

Papillon SAL completed

At last, the plan i had for my stitching this weekend actually happened, not very often i say that! This weekend i finally finished Part 12 of the Papillon Creations SAL 'How Does Your Garden Grow' DH has decided he really likes this one so we will be keeping it, bless the dear man and there was me thinking he wouldn't like it as it was so bright.

I paid £1 for the new one and have received Part 1, although i think i'll wait and see a few in the gallery before i decide on colours to get an idea of how others look.

The card i made for DS's Birthday. His present this year was an actual VERY OLD landrover vehicle the same as this, although it has more holes in it than a tea strainer and needs a lot of work done to it, and most people would have had it crushed!! For the past 7 years he has been on a mechanics full apprenticeship so the repairs should be a doddle to him and it should soon be on the road. I couldn't find a chart, but a friend found one in an old mag and DH made a few alterations so that it looked the same, a true family effort :-)

I've also done a bit on the Travelling Stitcher, but i'll save a pic of that for next time. Tuesday again and Mr Stick is out and about looking for his UFO ladies. Happy and frog-free stitching to you all.

Mothering Sunday

This year was a very special Mothers Day here for me. My son actually celebrated his 24th Brithday today too. I received the lovely flowers above together with Peter Rabbit and the flopsy bunnies to go into my garden from my dear daughter and her partner. She also bought me this wonderful candle, the smell is gorgeous. My son bought me the book by a local author and has arranged for one of his friends who is studying beauty therapy to come over this week to give me a manicure and a facial, i cant wait for that.

I hope all the UK ladies had a wonderful day however you celebrated. We had a lovely family Sunday roast with my mum here too. I cooked and DH, DD and her partner did the dishes afterwards. We had a fun family time with Birthday cake and singing of the obligatory 'Happy Birthday' for afternoon tea.

My thoughts wandered during the day to those i know who have angel mums as we remembered my MIL, and also with other mums like me who have angel children. Much love and {{hugs}} to you ladies.

Thank you Edda

A very special parcel arrived here today.

Edda has RAK'd me with a beautiful pair of her hand knitted socks and they have flown across the water from Iceland. Thank you so much Edda they fit perfectly and i will treasure them, your knitting is so beautiful and i love the colour you chose for me.

I've been in a bit of an emotional mood this week and these just caused me to reach for the tissue box when i read the letter she enclosed with them.

Whilst i had the camera out to take a pic of the socks i thought i'd show you an update of the Needleprint Beatrix Potter Quaker SAL. It's progressing nicely and i now have 2 pages finished.

I've also finished my card for DS for his birthday, but sometimes he looks here so that will have to wait till the weekend after his birthday.

SAL's & new start

I was really good this weekend and finished Part 11 of the Papillon Creations SAL, that only leaves one final part now to do.

Did you see the new SAL that is starting over on their site? If not you can register to receive the newsletter which tells you all about it. It's called 'Castles in the Air' and will be in 24 parts. It's going to be a biggie but sounds really nice, will i be able to resist? I think i might have to pay the £1 they are asking for it and see part one then decide :-) Then the task of trying to choose a colour combination ...


LHN SAL with Karen and here's my progress for this week on the little scissor fob.

NEW START
Can you guess what this one is? As if i need to tell you! I couldn't resist, so the one i had planned to start this month has been put back into the workbox. I chose a different fabric from the one asked, still 32ct linen but i chose a mossy green.

Isn't it nice that we've had a few days of sunshine. DH was out in the garden at the weekend, borders were tidied and the lawn mowed. Its lovely to sit in the conservatory and see the nice colourful spring bulbs. He's been busy in the greenhouse too, lots of veggie seeds are shooting up ready to be planted at the allotment. I'm not a gardener but i do nod in the right places and praise him for his efforts and of course keep him supplied with tea and the odd piece of cake to keep his strength up!!

Happy St Patricks Day
and a little reminder to the UFO ladies that Mr Stick will be on the prowl tonight LOL

Stitching Chair

Peacock Stitching Chair

by

The Cats Whiskers

Fabric - Silkweaver 32ct lugana - Lemon Zest

Threads - DMC 823 (navy), Anchor variegated 1375

I've been RAK'd

I've received gifts from 2 wonderful ladies in the mail today.

Karen has sent me a book thong for my latest read. Karen makes the most fabulous handmade glass beads. Better pics and more can be seen on her bead blog where she records some of the wonderful gifts she has made. Thank you so much Karen, i love it.

Barb (no blog) had been snooping on my list of stuff i would like, this was added when the Nashville preview came out. I can't believe i have it here in my little mitts complete with the threads. I have the perfect fabric for it, mmmm i think i might just have to have a different new start than the one i planned :-) Thank you so much Barb for your generosity and kindness, i am so looking forward to stitching it.

Peacock Chair update - It's almost finished, i'm just waiting for the last of the glue to dry and add the scissors and fob on to it, a pic for you next time ......

Have a lovely weekend, Happy Stitching

Todays progress

A helping hand (or paw!)

UK ladies know of Bagpuss and Lizzie Mouse and her song about fixing things and making them as good as new.
I'm so glad she lives here with me, she's been such a help today. After 4 hours of glueing, cutting, sewing and stuffing we both needed a nap this afternoon. A good job you weren't here to witness me reading aloud and talking to her and asking if i was doing it right on the first part of the Peacock Chair LOL
Patience was needed after glueing the templates to the craftboard and waiting for them to dry.
I didn't stitch on the 'LHN SAL Wool Needlebook and Scissor fob' last week so pulled that out and started the border for the scissor fob. I wish the camera would show the true colour of the fabric as its so nice, its hazelnut from Silkweaver and a really rich brownish colour.

Weekend stitching and finishing March monthly ornament. The chart for this is from Gift of Stitching online mag Issue 11 December 2006. Marie-Chantel Lord from Sweet Stitching designed it. Just after the holiday season beaded chains were reduced to 10p at a local DIY store. I thought they might look like holly berries around the edge but not so sure now its finished?

A finish also for the album of the monthly challenge but i cant show you that till reveal day at the end of the month. I think i've been good and deserve a new start....

Thank you Ranae ...

I was the lucky winner of Ranae's 2nd blogoversary drawing and today postie came with a box from over the pond for me. It really gave my spirits a lift as i am suffering a cold virus and am not feeling the best, DH was kind enough to share his germs with me.

When i opened the box i was thrilled with the wonderful cushion she had made for me using the La-D-Da free design, she included the design in the parcel too. In the little note that was enclosed it says the threads are GAST in poinsetta and sasaperilla. Isn't the fabric just perfect, it matches the thread so beautifully. There were also these wonderful goodies inside too. I have heard people talk about Peeps but never tried them before.

Thank you so much Ranae for your kindness, i will treasure your beautiful stitching.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend whatever your plans.

Love and {hugs} germ free of course LOL

Stitch, frog, stitch, frog!

Not a lot of stitching to show so far this week. Part 10 seems to have haunted me with the Papillon SAL, talk about miscounting time and again.

I've also made a start on the monthly challenge. This month the charts are from The Workbasket, lots of nice ones on there and i've chosen one i haven't done before. These were the first ones Karen and i did when we were doing our weekend challenge, does anyone remember those?

Last night was stitching club and i took Beatrix to show the ladies, another motif was added. Today was my yoga class. It's been a strange week here, i've spent a lot of it waiting for a parcel to turn up, it arrived today and i now have a new updated mobile phone complete with camera .... just need to work out how to use it properly now, i suffer from techno fear and am useless with gadgets!

Hope your week has been better than mine!

Happy St Davids Day

March is here already, time to see what i accomplished in February and then to make a note of things i'd like to do this month (i'll add that to my sidebar)

February's Plans
'New baby' card/gift - BOTH DONE - card and cardigan
New start from 'to do' pile - DONE - Brightneedle, Christmas Window
Monthly Challenge (reveal 22nd) DONE - Elisa Passions Coeur 08
Monthly Christmas Ornament - DONE - LHN Snowbunnies
Start new LHN SAL with Karen - STARTED 'Wool' needlebook & fob
Mothers Day card ~ DONE
Wedding Anniversary card ~ DONE - JBW 'Love'

Everything on the list accomplished, but the Peacock Chair still didn't get finished off (not enough concentration this past week) nor is the Papillon Creations SAL parts 10-12 added, i did make a start on Part 10 but a visit from the frog sent that back into the workbox. These will of course now be added to March.

I did manage to finish and sew up the baby cardigan in yesterday. Call me old fashioned but i do like to see newborn babies in white, hence the plain and simple white cardigan i've knitted. Just awaiting notification of the little ones arrival and then i can parcel it up with the card and send it off in the post. Most of the little boys i know have arrived late so it might be the end of the month before that happens!

I hope March is a good month for you all. Spring is just around the corner, brighter days and lighter nights makes for happier stitchers. I've put in a request for better health and more energy this month, fingers crossed someone is listening :-)


**SewWilde - You have asked in your comment where i got the book from in the last post, it was a purchase from a local cheap bookshop, but you can see it here at Amazon and browse the contents. Hope this helps.