It's officially Spring

 

 

Hello Spring  

 

 

A few daffodils on the mantel and I changed the frame from winter to Spring stitching today.

 

 

although it doesn't look much like it from my window. We've had windy and wet weather for the most part of the day so far. 

 

But I can see my camellia buds have popped open over the weekend.  Lets zoom in and have a look.

 

 

It was a lovely mild day yesterday, DH was pottering in the garden, his favourite Sunday pastime.  I felt the urge for some needle and thread therapy - seize the moment!

 

I sat happily stitching away for quite a while on the summer square of the Four Seasons Sampler, doesn't it look pretty.....

 

Time to make a cuppa, come back and pick it up again and notice a glaring mistake.

 

2 spaces at the top halfway across the border,

 

 

it should only be 1 space like down the sides....

 

Aaarrgghhh , Mr Frog you paid me a visit - rippit, rippit, out with the right hand side....

 

and then to re-stitch it.... that's better!

 

 

I turned the page on my happiness calendar today and had to smile and the words.....

 

 

 

Stitching the same design twice on the same day, does that count as frugal??

 

Springtime is a gardeners delight, time for seedlings, new growth and anticipation of times to come, I hope Spring brings lots of good health and happiness your way.

 

Love and blessings

 

Julie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gifted Gorgeousness March

   

What is Gifted Gorgeousness?  

For those who haven't read about it before, it is a chance for us bloggers to show off gifts we have received.  It could be yarn, a thread, a piece of fabric or something that's not for crafting but was sent/given to brighten your day.  Have you made or given a gift, that counts too as does a free chart you have found and have used, given by the designer.  Did you previously receive stash that you have finally got round to using? 

You can read more about 'GG' here.  It's the brainchild of Jo at Serendipitous Stitching

I'd been looking at cable socks in a magazine that June kindly sent to me some time ago and thinking that i had never knitted a patterned pair.  A new learning curve for 2017?

Unfortunately, the magazine pattern wasn't for the size needles I have or the thickness of wool that I had, so I looked at the recent free pattern from Christine, Winwick Mum blog.

 

DH peered over my shoulder and commented on how lovely they were and he could see himself in a pair of those but perhaps not the cricket colour.   I had some 4 ply wool/alpaca mix from his Christmas gift to me, so decided to give them a try.....

 

I also had another request for a summer cardigan.  Nice jazzy pink wool hopped into my basket when I was out a few weeks ago.

Jo over at Through the Keyhole kindly sent me two lovely books to read after having a drawing on her blog.  Once I have read them they will go off to my Book Borrowers group for them to read before they head off to a local charity shop where one of my ladies works as a volunteer, so thank you Jo for your kindness, they will be very well read books.

Thanks for stopping by and i apologise there is not much to see recently on here or that I have not left much of a comment on your own blog.  To be honest, I am not so well at the moment so not a lot of crafting has been happening at all - not a lot of anything really due to steroid meds and other strong stuff.  An appointment with the specialist early April has come through and hopefully we will get some answers and I can get back to some sort of normality again real soon.

Love and blessings

Julie

Signs of Spring

A break in the recent rain, the sun came out on Saturday.  DH suggested we go for a drive and take a snowdrop walk and enjoy some sunshine.  He felt we both needed to breathe some fresh air, enjoy some exercise and take in the peace of the countryside.

A field of sheep and my first sight of spring lambs this year

One particular ewe was shouting to us and came running across the field

 

 

She came right up close to the hedge to show us her new baby, I was delighted by this small gesture.

 

 

A little further on you can cross the bridge and enter the gates to the churchyard although there are only services there in the summer months so it is locked at all other times.

 

 

The water was gushing over the lintel under the bridge, a lovely splashing sound

 

 

The ducks were enjoying a swim. 

 

 

There was such a commotion when Mr Drake decided to mate with her and almost drowned her.  I didn't take a pic of that moment!

 

Masses of snowdrops along the waters edge

 

 

Just had to get a close up of these beauties

 

 

Further along a big house sits in the woodlands with a lake in the garden

 

 

The afternoon sunshine on the lake was lovely and more ducks were swimming

 

 

This one seemed to be needing a snooze.  He was sitting right on the pathway and we had to step around him, he didn't mind.

 

 

The woodland was amass of snowdrops as far as the eye could see.

 

 

Seeing all that springyness spurred me to add the final stitches to my Spring project.  I have to say stitching mojo has been a bit hit and miss this year, but maybe it's springing back now.... 

 

 

I've had this in my stash for a long time. It's My Four Seasons Sampler from Giulia Punti Antichi and has all four seasons on it.  The other three seasons are equally as lovely.

 

We have the sun out again today, so fingers crossed there is more to follow this week and we have a rest from the recent wet stuff.  The blackbirds nesting in our tree seem to think so.

 

Love and blessings

 

Julie

 

 

Needlebook Exchange reveal

Each time the ladies from Needlecraft Haven meet for the day an exchange is organised just for those in attendance.  Something to stitch and make to remind you of the lovely day we had and pass on the love and friendship to a fellow forum member.

When we met last autumn, we all filled in a card stating a colour, a flower, a chocolate and a season that you liked.

A card was then picked by each of us.  This exchange is totally anonymous so everyone gets a surprise stitcher, there is no organiser like in a usual exchange.  You are reliant on everyone keeping to the rules of exchanges and making sure their parcel arrives in plenty of time for opening day.  For this one we did have a receiving day and then opening day was a week later (this was to allow for postal delays or any other problem), so hopefully there would be no disappointments on todays opening day and we all opened our parcel on the same day.

I opened my parcel this morning, all wrapped in lovely pink tissue paper ......

 

My parcel was from Angi (no blog) - Angi was one of the first ladies I met online when I was first introduced to online stitchers, forums and blogs etc .... that must be about 14 years ago now!

 

The theme for this exchange was set as name or initial -

 

The front ..... 

 

 

the back ...... 

 

and the inside, with a lovely packet of needles ....

 

 

The whole parcel including the chocolate treat and little notecard.... 

 

 

Thank you Angi, it's beautiful and something I will treasure.

 

I chose to stitch a Just Nan design called Ornamental Letters and used red felt as the main body of the needlebook.   Lynn's was the card I chose and she had expressed a preference for red, roses, dark chocolate and her seasonal choice was Spring.

 

 

I attached the design to the front piece of felt and some ribbon roses, then blanket stitched around the edges of the front and back piece to hold them together.   A piece of wadding was added to the inside with a careful backstitch.   A press stud fastener attached and a little heart pin together with a packet of needles finished it off.

 

The inside ....

 

and the chocolate I chose to add .....

 

I hope you liked it Lynn!

 

What would your choices have been if you had been taking part in this exchange?

 

Love and blessings

 

Julie