Ahoy stitchmates ...

Is that Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl i see through my looking glass??

Alas, no, unfortunately not ... *shame* but your eyes are not deceiving you, it's not a mirage, it is that long lost Shores of Hawk Run Hollow!

Do you remember how i left it in May this year... fed up and couldn't face all those boring ships sails.

Time for a jig around the deck with the accordian playing and a tot of rum me thinks. Come on lets all sing... "What shall we do with the drunken sailor?"..... I'm so excited, after a week on the frame (thank you Strictly for coming back, i had decided i would stitch on this each week when watching that and Merlin on a Saturday night) but enjoyed it so much kept going for a whole week and Block 6 & 7 were completed last night.

It's looking great and certainly spurred me on to start the next block next Saturday evening.

I did have one evening when i stitched something else. The Parlour evening with the ladies at NH stitching on an LHN, CCN or TSG design. This week the top flower border was added to my Daisy Lane Cottage.

The RR is ready to go onto the frame tonight. I'm planning to add the border to Lynn's square as she didn't get time to finish it when it was with her and then complete the whole thing by adding the final square.

I had a lovely gift in the post yesterday, a RAK surprise. Some of you might have seen it already on Clare's blog. She posted at the weekend that she had sent out a surprise to someone with a pic of her little stitched pillow. Isn't it cute and finished so beautifully.  Thank you Clare, it's so bright and cheery and has been added to my basket of finishes from friends.

The weather is certainly turning cooler and this week so far very misty, murky and damp. This coming weekend we put the clocks back, an extra hour in bed so that'll be nice, but i'm not looking forward to the darker nights, although it does make for more stitching time doesn't it.

This past weekend DH decided it was cold enough for us to have our first real fire of the autumn. It was so cosy Saturday evening sitting stitching and watching the TV with the roaring fire. It looks like we have a halloween bat on our fireguard but its not, it's only the fixing for the handle, strange how i've never noticed it looks like a bat before till i uploaded this pic.

I hope you are all well and happy and life is being kind to you. For those in need here's a ((big hug)).

Thanks for stopping by, hope you didn't get too tipsy on the tot of rum lol.

Nice to meet you

Yesterday was the bi-annual meet up of the ladies from NH. We all had a lovely day. Plenty of stitching was done whilst having some good conversation.  It's always nice to meet up with friends who travel to be with you. Thank you ladies for making the journey, for me it's only a short drive, i am really lucky i can get there in half an hour.  Mary came over from France to be with us which was great, it was the first time we had all met Mary, and very lovely she is too.

Lots of lovely work on show for all to see....

There was a goody bag exchange. This time it had a halloween theme to it. My bag was won by Clare and i was lucky to receive all these lovely things from Ursh.  Thank you Ursh, i love it and my grandaughter is going to love that flashing pumpkin and i think i might just loose the Milky Bar ghostie to her too, she certainly recognises that brand of chocolate when she has a little treat lol

There were a few of the regular ladies who could not make it for one reason or another and they were really missed.  I'm looking forward to catching up with them next time, but, we'll have to wait till next year for that. Although, with the way 2012 has been whizzing along it will be here before i know it.

When i arrived home, there was a parcel for me.  Hubby had taken delivery from the postie of my Round Robin. What a shame it didn't arrive on Friday instead, i could have taken it with me to show off the lovely work done by Dusty, Tina, Clare, Lynn and Jaclyn.

Thank you for stitching on my project girls, it really is lovely. I'll stitch the final square and get it made up ready for the next meet up. ***I know i said that about the last RR and thats still not done is it***  For those how don't recognise this design it is Debbie Drapers Book of Stitches from the Gift of Stitching Magazine.

SAL night with Barb and the girls was a disaster this week. There was a frog in the parlour, must have been all the rain that Barb has been having down south. I miscounted by 1 thread and had almost stitched all the flowers on the left side. How come its not until you finish for the evening and go to put it away it jumps out at you and you can see clearly the mistake. It wouldn't have been so bad if it was one stitch to the left or right but it was along the bottom so it wasn't level with the house, how did i do that..... ggrrrrrr. The following evening was spent unstitching it and redoing it again.

Last week i had to go into town and found a parking space right outside our cathedral. Not a very big cathedral but lovely nevertheless. As i was walking past one of the doorways i caught a glimpse of the lovely autumnal arrangements that had been placed there. It really made the entrance look colourful.

There have been some exciting things going on close to our cathedral recently regarding the strong evidence that the human remains that have been found are of Richard III, maybe you have heard about this on the news.

I hope you too have had a nice weekend and spent it doing things you enjoy with friends and family.

Much love

Reveals, new starts and some finishes

A beautiful sunny day here today, so lovely for October and here i am sitting inside at the computer, but i don't mind, it'll be nice to finally get a blog post done to show you what i've been doing recently.  Life here has been busy this week.

DH is still struggling with his cold and is settled under his new granny lap blanket that i finished for him during the week watching the Grand Prix. He's spent a bit of time there this week during the evenings and has had the comfortability tester (Midge)on his lap to check it out too.

It also passed the snuggle test with a certain little lady and her toys too when they visited.

Last weekend was the offical opening of the Autumn Exchange at Needlecraft Haven. I stitched for Kate this time and made her a needleroll using the Fall Fobs chart from Heart in Hand.

Unfortunately the postal service didn't play nicely and mine arrived late, but it was well worth the wait. Dusty made me this stunning little pocket that houses the beautiful scissors and needle threader on ribbons. Thank you so much Dusty, it's beautiful and i love it.

Last Sunday was also the reveal for the monthly challenge stitched piece at NH too. The chart chosen this time was Guardians of the Sea by The Little Stitcher.

My finish was due to a friends young man being cross that the bathroom door lock had been taken off due to an unfortunate accident with the youngest member of the house playing at locking themselves inside. Auntie Julie to the rescue and with me stitching it twice, he can now put this on the door when he goes in to show that the room is is use and hopefully harmony at home is restored for mum and dad lol.

August and Septembers ornaments that i showed you before i went on holiday are now made up. I'm really pleased this year, i have only missed 1 month so have a lovely collection to give as little gifts to family and friends. I love this monthly ornament SAL as i dont have to rush to stitch some at the end of the year.

I've also joined Barb and the Wednesday ladies in their weekly SAL. It's aptly called "The Little House in the Country with the Sampler Girl" as you can choose a design by Little House Needleworks, County Cottage Needleworks or The Sampler Girl to stitch on.

I chose Daisy Lane Cottage by LHN and Barb is also doing this design. 3 Wednesdays i've spent on this one and here's how it's looking.

Never one to miss and opportunity to stitch with friends -  yes i know i really need to stop signing up to things and make some progress on my Shores of Hawk Run Hollow that hasn't been out for a while - but this one i really couldn't resist.

Rachael has organised a round robin with speciality stitches. Only a small design, a bookmark size or slighty larger no bigger than band sampler size and we have to add 3 bands to each persons project.

I looked through a lot of magazines and charts that contain speciality stitches and came up with this.  The fabric is 28ct and from a Polstitches grab bag that Tina gifted me, no idea of the colour but it was the perfect size for this project.

Band 1 with the bees is part of a design from Just Cross Stitch magazine April 2005 and is called Lake Julia's Bees by Wendy Mosbacher. The bead flowers were added to set the band width. Band 2 is double herringbone and Band 3 is a brick satin stitch horizontally instead of vertically. I've called it English Summer Garden and am really looking forward to seeing what the ladies add to my floral border, any colour, any design, go for it girls!

The first posting has taken place and i received Rachael's last week. She's chosen a citrus theme for her bookmark and enclosed the threads she would like used on it. I added my 3 bands this morning. Band 1 is foursided stitch with smyrna crosses inside. Band 2 are rhodes stitches and Band 3 is eyelets over 8. 

Time to go and see if DH is still awake and put the kettle on i think.

Take care, see you soon.