On the mend!

I should never have said that i was lucky to have escaped the cough/cold bug that i have seen so many bloggers suffering with.

I could have renamed one of my childrens all time favourite childrens books.....

 

Julie goes to the doctor

 

and she didn't like what she was told either ...... for the past 2 weeks i've been nursing a throat and ear infection, sinus and chest infection.

I'm feeling lot brighter now, but i have no stitching to share with you, i haven't pick up a needle for simply ages...... no parlour stitching, no stocking-a-long either.  I've missed the dealine for the monthly challenge this month too so that didn't get done either.

I can show you a couple of small things i finished before i was sick.

Isabelle celebrated her birthday on Sunday, she was 2 this time and i had already knitted her a topsy turvy dolly with 2 heads.  The pattern came from this Jean Greenhowe booklet.

Miss Pansy

 

 turns into Miss Rose

We bought her a wendy house for the garden, it was very PINK

 

It's even big enough for nanny's to play inside too!

My mum will be celebrating her birthday this weekend. Just a small something to add to her other birthday gift, this time i added a small stitched design to a mirror from framecraft.  I liked the muted colours of this scene, it made me think of the scottish highlands where my late maternal grandfather used to live, i hope mum likes it too.

I've been reading and finished the book i received from Maggie at the stitchers meet up last month. Me Before You was a fabulous book, i thoroughly enjoyed it. 2420 readers on amazon have given it 5 ***** and i agree with them.  There are so many recommendations from newspapers and magazines and individuals.  Not many books reduce me to tears, but the final chapters in this did.  I've passed it on to the ladies at the Book Borrowers and one has already read it, its now gone to a new home this week.  I can see this one being something we talk about a lot after they have all read it.  Thanks Maggie, Jojo Moyes is not someone i have read before, but i will certainly be trying more of her books.

Tonight is Parlour night stitching with the ladies at NH.  I've only got the bottom floral border on Little Hill to do, so am planning on having a finish this week.  It will be nice to have needle in hand again, i've missed it.

I see i have a couple of new followers, shouting a big WELCOME to you, it's nice to have new folks stop by and leave a comment.

See you soon with my Little Hill finish ....

Finishes, WIP's and other stuff

Good Saturday afternoon to you all.......

 

Do you have a nice weekend planned? Or like me are you catching up with things that need attention and planning some rest and relaxation time. 

 

We've had a busy few weeks so this weekend it's going to be calm and relaxed for us. 

 

Hubby's been in the garden this morning, the camelia is blooming very late this year but he's had to dive into the greenhouse and potter in there, rain stopped play outside.

 

 

I've been playing with my new food mixer and baked a nice cherry cake for us to enjoy at teatime. 

 

 

Finishes ....

My SIL loves a handmade gift and this year i was getting stuck for ideas, she's had so many different things over the past 20 years.  We bought her some lovely mugs from the Victoria and Albert collection and i thought these coasters would make the perfect addition to the parcel.  The design is a very old freebie from Just Nan called Whimzi Rose (i don't think its available any more).



 

 

North Pole Post Office, the third in the CCN Santa's Village had the final stitch added

 

A little crochet baby blanket for a friend at the Book Borrowers. Her new grandaughter was due yesterday.  I'm awaiting a phone message to say she has arrived. It's such an exciting time waiting for a little one to make an appearance into the world isn't it.

 

WIP's....

LHN Little House is growing, there's only the bottom border to add to that now.  Next Wednesdays SAL with Barb and the ladies at Needlecraft Haven will see that finished i think and then the chart will be off to a new home.

 

Friday was the stocking-a-long and i made great progress this week on Nativity Stocking.   

 

New stash...

Postie has brought me something different.  Ursh was very naughty at the meet up last month when we were admiring a lovely tassel ornament that had been made, she made me encouraged me to buy this.  I've never done any beading at all before so this will be a first.  Lindsay, you might be getting lots of emails shouting for help!!

 

 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend whatever plans you have for it.

 

Take care, love and {hugs}

Julie x

 

Bank Holiday weekend

Hubby and i have been away again, this time we went to stay with family and saw the Spalding Flower Parade in Lincolnshire.

The first flower festival was in 1959 and it's been an annual event since.  But number 54 this year will be the last one.  The council can no longer help to fund this spectacular event in the current economic climate - such a shame.   

This years event was also masked by the recent bad weather.  Poor growing conditions have meant only 200 bags of tulips have been collected for the Lincolnshire festival compared to 1,020 in 2012.  Other things such foil and rafias have been used this year to make the floats look beautiful.

People come from miles around to watch the parade and view the floats and see all the hard work that has gone into the event.  Lots to see and do and a fun day out.

Here are some snapshots we took on Saturday.  This years theme was "Lets Celebrate" 

Peterborough Morris Men entertaining the crowd in the

 town centre before the parade

Previous Flower Parade Queens

 

 

 

A marching band from Northern Ireland

were taking part

 

All the floats are usually decorated with just

tulips like this

 

Coventry Scout Band

A big well done to all the volunteers and those who took part in the event, it really was a magnificent sight to see in the streets of Spalding.

Having fun times

Home from our little trip away down south to Dorset.  We saw some lovely places, i think we'll be visiting this way again. 

Weymouth was our home for the week.  With a view over Radipole Lake and just a 5 minute walk from the beautiful harbour

 

and lovely sandy beach seafront with stunning town clock that was erected to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria

 

 

We ventured out of town to quite a few places of interest during the week ....

 

Lyme Regis, visited by Jane Austin in  1803 and 1804 and mentioned in her book Persuasion and we walked The Cobb too although the sea was very rough and coming over the harbour walls.

 

 

Anyone been watching Broadchurch on the TV recently? We stopped off for a visit to West Bay where they had filmed it and a walk along the beach.  No clues to the murderer though and no sign of David Tennant....shame!  It was a really murky day with the sea mists rolling in and gale force winds, just the place to visit to feel the atmosphere ready for the final episode of the TV drama that was shown this Monday.  I didn't guess 'whodunnit', did you?

Nothe Fort built in 1872 tells the story of Weymouth at war through time.  Used by the British and then also by the Americans in the second world war when they embarked to Normandy from Weymouth.  A truly fantastic step back in time to see just how things were and walking through the underground tunnels thinking about what actually happened here was very thought provoking.

Many original items were on display and the big guns are magnificent.  DH loved our visit here and was chatting to the museum staff for quite a while about his family members from his family history research.

We climbed to the top of Portland Bill lighthouse.

 

Here i am right at the top next to the bulbs of the light.  Yes, i really did climb all those 153 steep and scarey steps, not bad for someone who likes to have their feet firmly on the floor and gets the collywobbles just standing on a chair!!

 

Cerne Abbas was so peaceful. The abbey itself and St Augustine's Well where i washed my hands in the waters. 

 

 

We went there of course to see the Cerne Abbas giant who stands 180 feet tall high on the hills, a famous landmark of the area. 

 

Please skip the next pic if you are dont want to see the naked man as he is called, although he does need re-chalking and is not as clear as he sometimes is!

 

 

Lulworth Cove  - very picturesque

 

Durdle Dor - magnificent, but a steep climb to view it!

 

A steam train ride on the Swanage Railway

 

 

 passing by Corfe Castle, we stopped off here on the return journey for a wander round.

 

and the final stop on our way home was to Stonehenge

 

 

There was a great big highlight to my week away.  I got to spend a whole evening stitching with my internet friend Barb on Wednesday.  We had the most lovely time.  Thank you Barb for welcoming me and hubby into your home, i hope we can stitch together again one day, for now though, i will have to be content with our 'virtual' Wednesday evenings in the parlour.

 

 

Barb was kind enough to donate a large quantity of books she had read to the Book Borrowers

 


Arriving home there were 2 packages awaiting me from fellow bloggers.

From Carol, one of her lovely ornaments and beautiful surprise goodies in her 1000+ followers drawing.  Carol stitches and finishes the most beautiful things, I am not surprised she has over 1000 followers to her blog, there is always something lovely to see when you visit there.  The little black and white thread holders are fabulous.  I have only ever seen plain white ones before.  Many thanks to you Carol and to your hubby for choosing my name in the drawing for the beautiful PS bunny ornament.

 

 

The second parcel was from Carin, I have never tried the Victorian Motto threads, so thank you Carin for including those into your parcel.  I will enjoy giving them  try.  Your little pillow is superb and I will treasure it.

 

 

Wednesday of this week I was treated to a day out. My friend had been given a spa and afternoon tea treat at Barnsdale Hall Hotel as a Christmas gift and she kindly asked if I would like to go along.  We had the most wonderful time.  A lovely swim in the pool and use of the spa facilities, a relaxing massage and then afternoon tea with homemade cakes overlooking Rutland Water, simply wonderful.

As if all this wasn't enough excitement for me recently, today was the meet up of the Needlecraft Haven ladies. We met at The Abbey in Nuneaton and had a fabulous day.  Thank you ladies for your company today, I've really enjoyed myself.

 

We had a book exchange - each person took a book (wrapped up) with a card inside to say what you liked about the book and why you thought it would make a nice read for someone else.  I wrapped up The Island by Victoria Hislop as mine which went home with Clare.  I had this one from Maggie.  I'm going to enjoy reading this, thank you Maggie.

 

 

 

We also did a goody bag exchange, the theme this time was afternoon tea.  I didn't take a pic of the goodies I put into mine that Maggie took home, but this is what I unwrapped from Diane (no blog) - thank you Diane.

 

 

There was lots of stitching on show for us to see.  I took the things I had been doing recently.

 

CCN - North Pole Post Office

 

 

Nativity Stocking (after last nights Friday stocking-a-long)

 

and my new start that I stitched with Barb last Wednesday, Little Hill by LHN which I stitched on today at the meet up.

 

 

Tomorrow is the reveal of the monthly challenge at NH, but i'm going to be naughty and show you mine tonight so it's included in this post.  I gave this little wind chime to Barb when I visited her.  I hoped the tinkling of the chimes would remind her of the chat and laughter we had when we met and stitched together, I added the year to the design as a reminder too. 

 

Well, I think that's caught up with all that's happened since my last blog post, just one more lovely thing for me this month, my brother will be visiting tomorrow for Sunday lunch and we'll be celebrating his wifes birthday.  April has certainly been a month spent with friends and family and of fun, laughter and happiness for me.  I hope you too have enjoyed some happy times this month.

 

Thank you to my regular readers and commenters, I see there are also some new followers, welcome along, I hope you find something interesting to read when you visit.

 

I really need to do a blog reading catch up after my busy couple of weeks, i'll be dropping in on your blog to see what you have been up to over the coming week.

 

Bye for now, love and {hugs} to you all