Meeting up with friends

April started with a lovely chance to meet up with friends.  It was the Spring meet of the ladies from Needlecraft Haven.  Just a small group of 5 of us this time.

Clare is the organiser of this and we met at her home this time.   The morning was spent stitching and drinking tea/coffee and chatting. 

Soon it was time to stop and have a bite to eat.  Clare made us a lovely buffet lunch ....

and gorgeous cake to follow - black forest gateau.... yummy.

 

There was a show of work.  It's lovely to see peoples work close up especially when you have watched it grow over time on the forum.  The quilt that sat on the sofa was handmade by Jan, she is such a good quilter and does lovely work.

 

 

We are all readers so a book exchange is always fun.   Wrapped up no-one has any idea what's in each parcel.  Inside the book you add a card to say why you have passed it on and whether you liked it or not etc

 

 

I wrapped up and took along Celia Imrie's debut novel called Not Quite Nice which was won by Clare.    I enjoyed it, she writes very much as she acts and the sequel to it is out soon.

 

The raffle ticket I chose corresponded to this one, included was the fabulous handmade lace bookmark made by Clare's mum.  Thank you Jan for such a beautiful gift as well as the book.

 

 

Everyone donates a prize or two to the raffle.  The money we raise from that always goes to make the forum advert free for a while which is nice.  Great choice of gifts to choose from.

 

 

I chose the wrapped parcel when my number came up, a little surprise inside of a colouring book and pencils, that's going to be fun to use.

 

 

A few weeks before we meet, Clare gives us a theme for the goody bag exchange.  There is a price limit so all bags are roughly the same value.  This time the theme was "A song from your childhood" this one took some thinking about!

 

Here is the assortment of bags awaiting choosing

 

 

The choice is made by picking a homemade cake - carrot cake this time and taking the hidden ticket underneath (hopefully not your own)

 

We had a fun time watching each person open their contents and trying to guess the song they had chosen to use for it.

My bag came from Jan, a great choice and the song was "Grandad" by Clive Dunn.  She had put a picture of her own granddad on the outside and all the contents were wrapped in brown paper and string.  It was super and well thought out.  DH loved the comic when I got home and was so excited to see most of his childhood favourites were still inside it.

 

My bag went to Clare, the song I chose was "The Ugly duckling".  I did have another theme in mind, but came across the Marjolein Bastin duckling kit and my mind was changed

 

Angi received Clare's bag, the song for that one was "The Unicorn song"   Gertrude the goose gave us all a giggle and as Angi had travelled on the train to meet us, Gertrude had a nice journey home inside a bag! (pic on Clare's blog as well as more information about Needlecraft Haven membership)

Angi's bag was won by Gill.  Her song was 'How much is that doggy in the window'

and finally Gill's bag which was won by Jan (Clare's mum).  "Sing a song of Sixpence" was Gill's choice with a clever chart added with both a blackbird and a pie on it by LHN.

 

All too soon it was time for us to pack away and head home, the day does fly by when you are having fun.   Thank you Clare for organising another lovely day for us and baking such delightful treats.

 

Perhaps you saw on the 'show and tell sofa' my latest socks, just in case you missed them here's another pic I took at home before I left.

 

 

I stitched on my LHN WIP during Saturday morning as I had missed my Wednesday evening with Barb and the ladies from Neeedlecraft Haven as we all stitch an LHN or CCN design that evening. I've just the border to add now.   Angi and Gill like this one so it will be off for them to stitch next when its completed.

 

 

I was also stitching on the Joyful World - April.  That's almost finished as I have done some more so i'll wait till its completed to show you.

 

The March challenge was revealed at the weekend.  The gallery can be seen here.  This design was from Sub Rosa.  I changed the colours and did a very simple finish.

 

 

I hope you had fun over the weekend and your life was filled with love and happiness

 

Blessings to you all

 

Julie

 

Happy Easter

Hello blog readers, I hope you are enjoying a lovely Easter

 

March of the Joyful World was made up quite a while ago.  Fabric and threads sorted for April, i better make a start on that....

 

 

A lovely surprise arrived last week, a beautiful handmade card from June to thank me for the bunny - which she has named Honey Bunny - and the travelling chart.  Thank you June

 

 

DS had a birthday too last week and I had been given this lovely hanger some time ago so stitched a little snooker/pool player to fit into it. He plays in a weekly team with friends.

 

 

A little more on the weekly LHN/CCN SAL with Barb and the ladies at Needecraft Haven, it's grown a lot since I last showed you....

 

 

The craft group have decided to stitch a Square for Syria so I stitched another square to go into their envelope.  The thread for this one is a Vicki Clayton silk named 'grapevine'  I thought it was appropriate as that's how word of this SAL has spread!

 

 

We had some lovely sunshine last week, I was in the garden and captured some pics of the lovely spring blooms ...

 

My camellias are finally in  flower ...

 

 

A host of golden daffodils...

 

and the primulas really do brighten up the pots ....

 

This little chap was having a fun time collecting nectar in the sunshine ....

 

Easter weekend and DH has gone up to the community allotment to help prepare for an event tomorrow afternoon for the community.    There's been lots of activity and will be goodies available to eat as well as Easter crafting things for children.  I've made a few Easter nests to add to the food table. 

 

I hope the rain holds off for the event - but not sure it will if the weathermen are to be believed, such a shame when lots of people are away or hoping to attend things.

 

If the weather does not behave and it has to be postponed till Monday, I can still enjoy an Easter treat at home.  This little lady has a couple of crème eggs inside her. The pattern was from a weekly magazine and she knitted up really quickly.

 

Holding out the cup of friendship to you all, and wishing you all blessings for a lovely Easter spending time with those you hold dear.

 

Julie

Gifted Gorgeousness - March

The 15th of the month so that means it's time for a Gifted Gorgeousness post. 

Created by the lovely Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching, a way to show what kind and wonderful people crafting folks are with their lovely gifts they send out to others.

The rules are quite simple and can be found on Jo's sign up page at the top of her blog

 

March's link up page can be found here if you want to see what Gifted Gorgeousness posts everyone else has made.

 

This month I've gifted my daughter a new pair of hand knitted socks ...

 

Let's take a closer look, oh dear there seems to be somewhat of a faux pas - yes, I ran out of wool just at the toe of the second sock.  I tried to knit faster so the wool went a bit further (does anyone else do that when they are nearing the end, or is it just me!)  

 

 

My daughter wasn't bothered about the differing toe end as they will be inside her wellington boots when she's doing her gardening.

 

The travelling chart has been gifted on to June, she's received it today and inside the envelope I added one of my bunnies and a little sticky notepad with a hare looking at the moon - an envelope filled with bunny rabbit delights.  Happy stitching of the chart June.

 

 

A little square design that is going off to Stitch for Syria.  A gift for them to make into a wall hanging.  You can find out about that here.  I've seen a few of these on blogs recently, and measuring 2.2" square they don't take long at all to stitch up.  I chose to use purple thread as that is supposed to be a healing colour and I had some scraps of 14ct aida in my box that was perfect for the job.

 

 

The Joyful SAL for March is my final addition to this months gifted gorgeousness post.  A design gifted to all stitchers from Maja at the Snowflower Diaries.   I decided on a hand dyed piece of blue fabric for this month. 

 

 

Time for me to nip off and visit your blogs to see what gifted gorgeousness you have all been sending/receiving since last months post.

 

Love and blessings

 

Julie

 

 

Travelling chart = winner announced

It's time to draw the next stitcher for the travelling chart by Tra La La

I printed off all the comments on my last post and cut out the ones that wanted to be entered

 

Folded them all the same and put them into a large bowl ...

 

 DH gave them a swish round and drew a winner ...

 

the winner is   .............. JUNE

June, please can you let me have your mailing address and i'll get the envelope with the chart and a little something else in the post to you this week.

I hope you enjoy stitching as much as I did

Thank you to all who entered.  You will have to wait until June has stitched it and re-enter on her blog next time it goes on its travels.

Love and blessings

Julie

 

Travelling pattern needs a new home

End of February was the reveal for the monthly Christmas ornament challenge.  A free design chosen by Christine to finish anyway you choose.  Februarys design came from Pineberry Lane. 

March arrived and with it has been some lovely sunshiney days with fluffy clouds

 

Spring flowers are blooming at last in my garden

 

 

For the season SAL at Needlecraft Haven, I chose the free design from here.  It's been printed out and sitting on my pile for many years.    I popped it into a lovely frame with border found in the local Sainsburys supermarket.

 

 

A start on the Joyful World SAL - March.   I went for a pale blue fabric this month.

 

 

A new start in the Wednesday parlour with Barb and the parlour maids.  CCN A Place we call Home.

 

 

 

Here in the UK we celebrated Mothering Sunday yesterday, I hope all mums had a wonderful day.  My thoughts were with those who have angel mums and angel children.

I visited my own mum on Saturday to hand over a little parcel and some seasonal flowers.  She loves hedgehogs so when I spotted this lovely fabric decided to make her a couple of placemats using it.

 

Another finish recently has been the travelling chart that Jacqui gifted to me.   It is by Tra La La and now that I have finished it, it is ready to hop off to another home.

 

 

If you would like to have this chart, stitch it and pass it on to another person then please say in your comment.  Jacqui included a sheet of paper with it so that we could add our names and where we are from so as it travels we can all see where it has been previously.

 

 

 

So far the list only has two of us on it  ..... 

 

Jacqui and her blog is My Journey - and here's a link to her Finish post (details of her stitching of this chart and how it came to be a travelling chart)

 

My name and blog will now be added to the list .... will yours be the next one? 

 

I'll draw a winner on Sunday 13th March, so it can be off in the post to you ready for Easter - i'll also add a little surprise in the envelope with it for you.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, sending love and blessings to you all

 

Julie x