Reveal, reveal, reveal

Today is reveal day for the challenge at Stitch & Stash. This one was carried over from December as only 1 lady had managed to find time to stitch it in December. It's a complimentary design from Blue Ribbon Designs called Red Birds for Peace. A lovely design that gives you the chance to try over 1 stitching for the birds if you haven't before. An ornament finish seemed perfect for this design.

Happy Birthday Stephie ~ A small gift for a friend who comes to chat and drink tea with me. This free design seemed appropriate for her gift. I made a pocketed hanging ornament so i could add some various individual tea bags to it.

I think it's an old design from The Sampler Girl, but unfortunately it doesn't say on my print out. Could someone please tell me if not and i will amend it.

I still haven't put a stitch into my new project, in fact i haven't put a stitch into anything this week. Good guesses as to what it might be but no one guessed right. As the title here says, reveal, reveal, reveal and i have only revealed two things, i'll tell you what it is going to be (when i get started on it!) It's by Liz Turner Deihl and is called Irish Garden. Has anyone stitched one of her designs before? The chart was a gift a couple of years ago and DH bought me the fabric and specialist thread pack as a gift the following Christmas. It's come to the top of the 'to do' pile as he keeps asking about it and also i wanted to try different things this year.

Postie brought me a very thoughtful and lovely gift this week. Thank you so much Karan for the book and lovely handmade card, i hope you had a nice few days with DSis

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend, we woke to a sprinkling of snow but Mr Sunshine soon came out and its been a really nice day although very cold. February tomorrow, January seems to have flown by, although i must say it does seem a while since we were all saying Happy New Year, doesn't make sense though does it....

New start

The final birthday gift for this month is now finished but a no show till it's been received.

It did mean all my goals for January are completed so time for a new start. With fabric and threads finally chosen (Fabric - 28ct jubilee antique white, threads DMC 224, 315 and 3347, i decided to make all the greenery green!) Sunday afternoon My Ladys Quaker got its first stitch and a little more stitched last night. It's a lovely design to stitch and does seem to grow really quickly, i've put it away now till next week though.

I do have another new start ready to have its maiden stitch. This one i haven't mentioned before, its been in my stash for a very long time and keeps getting overlooked. Its by a designer i haven't stitched before and i haven't seen many stitched by her either. There are over 22 pages with the chart and instructions! Some of the stitches are new to me so a learning curve with this one. It's based on a garden theme and there are 5 in the series but i only have this one in my stash ... any ideas of the designer and what it might be?

Tonight is UFO night at Stitch & Stash so Mr Stick is on the prowl keeping the ladies in order and watching for their progress pics this week.

Happy Stitching

Happy dancing

I took Lady Scarlets Journey by Just Nan with me to the stitching club last night as there wasn't much left to do and came away with only the cat charm and a few beads to add into the final band which i did this morning. It seems to have been on the frame for ages, started back in September but with Christmas stitching and knitting in between and me desperate to finish Beatrix in 2009 i guess its not that long really. It's been a super project to stitch and i have thoroughly enjoyed it. My fabric is 28ct laguna in bone and not the recommended fabric, i do prefer how the colours sit compared to the raw linen.

WHATS NEXT?

Chris asked on her blog if anyone wanted to SAL with her on last years free download of Le Grand Marquoir by Isabelle Haccourt-Voutier. I had already decided i would make this my 2010 long term project and have it printed off. I watched Sandra work on hers last year and wanted to make a start but with Beatrix on the frame i managed to resist. I just need to sort out fabric and threads and we can start next month. Do i want it red though? (thats the recommended colour and is nice) or would it be really lovely with all the letters in one colour and the rest in another, then again i quite like the idea of each one being a totally different colour!

Karen has also picked up her needle again and we are going to be stitching My Ladys Quaker together, she has already made a good start on hers but i'm still debating what count fabric and which colourway i want for mine.

The only project i have on a frame now is JN Ice Garden (and the HAED UFO sshhhh dont tell Mr Stick about that one though). I still have one more birthday gift to complete before the end of the month so i think i'll do that while i see what suggestions you all come up with, someone might mention something i haven't considered yet LOL

Thanks for visiting, i do appreciate your comments, thoughts and ideas

Blogoversary gift

I couldn't decide whether to stitch or knit something for my winner Gaynor, so i did both! She's let me know the parcel has arrived so i can show you what i made ...

Mrs 'Carrot Gathering Bunny' (because Gaynor and her family grow their own veg) accompanied the little scissor fob i stitched. The design is April Rose by Carol Tinson from the Gift of Stitching Magazine. She suggests in the pattern that you fill it with uncooked rice to make it firmer and weightier, i hadn't tried that before but it worked out well and i'll definately try it again.

A couple more bands were added to Lady Scarlet this weekend, but not a lot else has been done. Family are arriving from other parts of the UK for Uncle Bills funeral tomorrow so it's been a bit sombre here this weekend.

Birthday gifts

January is a busy month for Birthdays for me. I need to plan in December for a couple that are Jan 1st and Jan 2nd, also 2 male members of my family had a birthday last week (i didn't stitch a gift for them).

The shaun fob was for one of the stitchy club ladies and these bookmarks are for two older members. I also give them a jar of my homemade marmalade as its become a bit of a tradition that they have one after they had a sample jar one year. I'll be taking these with me to the club on Wednesday but i can show you them as neither of the older ladies blog. The alphabet and flower design is from a very old magazine.

Last night i finished the stitching on the challenge piece for Stitch & Stash and put it together this morning. The Dec challenge was carried over to Jan as only one lady had managed to complete it by the deadline but i can't show you it until reveal day at the end of the month. I'm planning to continue with Lady Scarlet this weekend and try to complete it before i begin my new project. The rain has been falling since last night, the snows all melted and there are puddles everywhere so its far too wet to be outdoors doing anything.

Enjoy your weekend whatever your plans