Magazines, WIP's, finishes and a little easter treat...

It's always nice to browse the magazine section when doing the weekly supermarket run, even better when you come across something that catches your eye and you have just got to have it.

A lovely knitting/crochet magazine came home with me this week.  Woman's Weekly knitting and crochet magazine is fairly new, the first issue was printed December 2013. This is the May issue and priced at £4.95.

 

A nice cardigan pattern for Isabelle as she grows ...

 

 

Crochet workshop on how to make some lovely flowers ...

 

A handy bag and some scented drawer sachets ...

 

Patterns also available to download (these you have to pay extra for)....

but there are some free downloads if you click the Woman's Weekly link above.

 

 

My three weekly projects i stitch-a-long with friends, Gillie, Barb and the UFO ladies at NH have had their usual weekly nights stitching added to them this week.

 

Nature Alphabet with Gillie saw O for oak leaves added this week 

 

Thank you for your suggestions last week about the bare 'N' for nest, I like the idea of adding some beads to look like eggs Carol, that sounds perfect.  I'll wait to add those till all the stitching is completed. 

 

CCN Santa Sleighworks had a bit more building work done to the house...

 

Irish Garden saw the bottom right triangle border stocked and another little kitty emerge... only 1 more triangle and the 4 spider stitch centre squares to add and the middle of the design will be finished next week I think.

The weekend was very quiet here.  DH was pottering in the greenhouse and garden and I spent quite a bit of Saturday sitting in the conservatory having a finishing marathon session.

The Pooh Bear mattress pincushion is finally put together...

 

 

Blackbird Designs - Pins and Needles - a pincushion finish with a flowery braid added...

 

Easter is fast approaching and last week I managed to finish stitching my holiday new start.  Farm Fresh by Prairie Schooler was complete and that also was made up Saturday afternoon, a little egg to go with my Easter display.   Can you spot the mistake??

I've missed off his two little backstitch toes!  Didn't see it till I was glueing the braid around the edges, too late then to do anything about it lol.

 

Talking of Easter, Thursday evening at the craft share group we had lots of fun knitting up this little guy and filling him with a chocolate egg that went inside a plastic egg and then inside him!  

 

A couple of ladies had never knitted before, they were given lots of help and encouragement and by the end of the evening had made themselves a little chick too, happy faces and a new skill shared by those that can and learnt by those that can't, exactly what the group is all about.

Those of us who could knit finished ours off quite quickly and were then sent to sit with James (the only guy in a room full of ladies, he's such a fun older chap) and he showed us how to construct a cardboard basket for our little chickie to sit inside.

 

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter

 

 

 

 

Little Spring Break

Lighter nights, a little more sunshine and a few days at the seaside... I had a lovely week last week.

DH's health had suffered a blip the week before and it was doubtful whether we would be able to go away, but with dr giving the ok, we decided to head off, not a long journey, somewhere we go often and we knew we could have a restful and relaxing week.  We were also having someone for a sleepover too.

Arriving at the caravan the welcome party came to meet us ... 

We enjoyed some quality quiet time with sunshine and blue sky...

 

A visit to the cake shop for a treat to go with our coffee on the beach... 

 

A fabric/craft shop - I had to go in there didn't I...

 

Spring flower gardens in bloom, wonderful to see....

 

especially after you saw the damage to the cliffs that had been caused by the big storm of December 5th last year when a lot of areas in the UK had the bad flooding.

Walks along the promenade...

and more gentle walking exercise in the evening watching the sun set...

 

 

When DH had to rest I was ok, I took a new start to stitch ....

Knitted a few more rows on his socks ...

or read my book ....

 

Midweek we had visitors -

 

and the welcoming party visited again, this time they were given a nice treat.  Fred and Mabel they were named, they tapped on the caravan door with their beaks at regular intervals and Miss Isabelle thought it was great fun and got so excited to see them.

 

A different couple of days with lots of family times ....

 

Bucket and spade activities (coats were needed as it was quite windy midweek)...

 

Shell collecting and general beach playing, while DH sat resting and watching ....

Some kite flying....

A visit to the amusements - look at the size of her eyes.... like saucers as she watched the 2p machine drop money into the tray below lol

You just have to have a little ride ....

Be careful... the sea comes right in at high tide and you can get very wet ....

 

DH played with his new camera and took millions of pictures.....

 

All too soon it was time to head home.  But, no little holiday would be complete without a railway visit (according to DH), so we stopped off halfway home at Neene Valley Railway and had a little picnic.

 

There was a drivers experience day going on, a couple of chaps were having fun driving the train, so a steam train was in action....

 

and we had a lovely surprise when we got home, my 4 camelias had all flowered magnificently whilst I had been away.....

 

Not our usual visit to lots of different places when having time away, but we had a lovely restful break, with nice weather and lots of fun and happy times with family and plenty of memories to cherish.

 

Oh yes, for those who like to see Irish Garden, I was good and added 2 rhododendron bushes and 2 more trellis panels this weekend, here's an update pic -

and a little something i put together just before we went away, a little gift for a family member who has a birthday coming up.

 

Thanks to all who come along and visit, I do appreciate your visits and look forward to reading your little comments.

 

Happy Mothering Sunday

Wishing all the mums here in the UK a very happy day today.  Special thoughts are with those who have angel mums and angel children {{big hugs}} to you.

We're fast approaching the end of March, another month flown by, that means we have waved goodbye to one third of 2014 already.

I have a few pics to share with you before the month ends of the last 2 weeks stitching and a catch up of what I've done during March.

Nature Alphabet (Tuesday SAL with Gillie).....

M for Morning Glory

 

and this week, N for nest - thinking the nest looks a little bare, might have to add something in to make it look 'lived in'

 

It's growing nicely, over half way stitched now.     K, L M & N were added this month, I've kept up with this one and stitched every week this month.

 

CCN Santa Village (Wednesday SAL with Barb and the ladies at NH).....

 

A finish for Candy Cane Cottage...

 

and a new start on Santa Sleighworks

 

Not a lot of progress this week as the frog arrived and made me use the wrong colour thread so it all had to come out again!  Still, it's good progress this month, stitched on every week.  This makes house number 8 completed and number 9 a WIP.

 

A new start at the meet up, which is now stitched, just needs making up.....

 

 Blackbird Designs

 

Sewing machine practice at the Craft Share Thursday evening group consisted this week of making a needlebook. Mine turned out quite well i think.

 

 

and the week before I had made the 3 goody bags for the exchange at the meet up.  Confidence is getting better with the machine and hopefully will continue although there are some new things happening that look like fun to learn too.



 

Irish Garden - No progress last week and not stitched on this weekend yet... not doing so good with this one with only 2 weeks done this month.  Perhaps now the lighter nights are here as we put the clocks forward yesterday I'll be able to get some more daylight hours at the weekend to sit and concentrate on it - wishful thinking!

 

A few little finishes this month too - an easter bunny raffle prize, an 80th birthday bunny, also started a new pair of socks for DH.  Stitching on the pooh bear mattress pincushion was completed (that still needs making up). 

 

The monthly challenge was stitched and made up too. Reveal day is today so I can show you my version from Jura Point de Croix.  

 

 

It's quite a big design if stitched over 2, so I stitched mine over 1 on 32ct.  A small offcut of moss green fabric was used and I also made a few alterations to the charted design.  I left off the larger snowflakes and just did the small ones.  Also, I filled in the snowflake that was on the snowmans body.  A simple flat ornament with a twisted cord edge and a little bell added to the bottom completed it.  

 

Three old projects have also been framed this month ...

 

Hill House by Little House Needleworks

 

La SAL Pensive by Jardin Prive

 

The Rose in Morning by Little House Needleworks

 

All in all, not a bad March carftwise, here's to April although my SAL's wont be so good this month as I will be having a few days at the seaside during April, hopefully enjoying some spring sunshine.

 

A while back, I saw on a US blog that ladies were enjoying treat of peanut butter M&M's.   I love peanut butter and thought they sounded lovely.  Imagine my surprise when I was in my local supermarket (Tesco) and they now have an American stand with goodies on it.  I just had to get myself some of these ...

With the import tax that is paid the US goodies are not cheap.  This treat cost me £1.50, three times the price of the standard M&M packets here.  They were very nice though and didn't last long!

Reading has also been happening and i've read 4 books in March too.  I've had a lovely book arrive in the post this week too, a book from Barb, it really is lovely, i'll share that with you another time as I forgot to take a picture of it.  Thank you so much Barb, I'm looking forward to delving into that during the coming weeks. 

I am way behind on blog reading this week, i'll catch up with you all over the next few days and see how your March shaped up.

Have a lovely week everyone.