Valie came to visit today and we exchanged gifts. I gave her this miniature pinkeep which is stitched 1*1 on white 35ct Brussels linen with AVAS 2925 - this pinkeep really is tiny - it measures 1 1/8" x 2 3/8". The pins are Clover Applique pins - the red ones are painted with red nail polish. 

Not too much stitching on the back - just the year and a tiny heart. I am glad my friend likes it!

I will show my gift from Valie very soon - suffice it to say she knows I like tiny - it's tiny and I love it! Thank you Valie.

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Here's a quick shot of Spring and Autumn, part of the combination chart Sew Seasons. I must admit I am enjoying stitching this one - the creme on raw linen is quite therapeutic. I am, however, going to make a new start later today on Sew Sew which I hope, will be ready for release next week.

I said I was going to show my orts jar at the end of each month but I will be rather busy in the next couple of days with my dear friend from across the English Channel. So ... here is my jar ... not a lot to show for this month except for the creme and a touch of brown from the bunny although there is red and green (from Sew Summer) blue and green (from Sew Nautical), plus a little red from a gift (ssshhh secret) at the bottom of the jar which doesn't show in this picture.

Is anyone having a problem with uploading pictures into blogger? They seem to have changed the format - again. I don't like it as took ages to post the above pictures. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

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Kirby brought her Sew Patchwork with her when she visited today. Not a great picture - the fabric is actually white! She used DMC 3740, 713, 504 and 335 stitching 1*2 on 32ct white linen.

Sew Patchwork is still available *here* or by clicking on the CHARTS button on the sidebar.

She also brought Hector along for a visit - he's a real baby when she's around! Hector is staying over tonight as her mum and dad are taking Kirby back to Uni tomorrow very early in the morning. He loves staying over as Grandad takes him for long walks on the beach!

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The names went into the basket; the basket went into the garden with the grass that really needs cutting and the following names were picked by 'he of the hairy fingers' who is now cutting said grass! 

Here's a little glimpse of Sew Seasons which is a combination of the four separate Seasons charts. As you can see Spring is stitched and I've made a small start on Autumn. It's stitched 1*2 on 40ct Newcastle raw linen using AVAS Creme thread with the little rabbit in AVAS 3844. The whole sampler will be stitched in the creme and each season will have a little splash of colour.

Nothing new stitched in a couple of days but I will be working on a couple of finishes in the next day or two.

The sun is out - the garden lounger is beckoning .. have a great weekend.

Thanks for visiting

Take care

No stitching pictures to show you so here's a picture of a storm over Deal pier. I love storms and would love to go storm chasing!

I'm in a stitching slump and I can't get into anything. I'm a quarter way through Sew Seasons (a combination of the iStitch seasons charts). I have a few finishes to do but I'm waiting on skirtex to come from the US and I have no idea when it will arrive. Hopefully it won't be too long now as the planes have started to fly again after the Icelandic volcano. I started a gift and I really don't like it so it's been thrown to one side. I am tempted to start a little red sampler as I find these soothing to stitch on but ... 

Stitching aside, I am a little excited that a dear friend is coming to visit for a couple of days but at the same time I am sad that Kirby is leaving to go back to Uni at the beginning of next week. I really miss her when she's away and even though we catch up on Facebook, emails and texting, it's not the same. 

My computer is still temperamental - somedays it works just fine and other days it drives me mad with the applications taking ages to open and I'm left looking at a spinning beachball. 

Ok my moan is over - it's gone mid-night and I'm going to bed but I have made a decision - tomorrow I will start Sew Sew and stitch it in red, or maybe black, or maybe red and black - see how decisive I am?

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Sew Nautical - stitched on 55ct white linen with AVAS Soie Surfine 2652 (blue), 2065 (teal), 2499 (red) and 679 (gold). DMC equivalents are listed on the chart. You can see by the scissors how tiny this one is but the stitch count is 91 x 78 and you have no need to stitch it on 55ct unless, of course, you want to! There are fishes, a crab, a mermaid and other sea creatures together with a golden sun - what more could a seafarer ask for?

This chart can be obtained from *here* or by clicking on the CHARTS button on the sidebar.

Thanks for visting - enjoy your weekend

Take care

I guess you must have thought I'd gone missing but no, I'm still here! I've been having a few computer problems and have had to reinstall the OS. I'm not sure it's fixed - it's still very slow to boot up and the programs are slow to start up too - I have one more 'fix' to try (resetting the PRAM) and if that doesn't work then it's off to the Mac doctor as I am out of ideas. And the guarantee ran out two weeks ago!

In the meantime I have been stitching on Sew Seasons, a combination of the four Sew designs into one. Sew Nautical is stitched apart from the 'sun' and I am awaiting on a reel of gold Soie Surfine to make it's way here to enable me to finish this one. Sew Sew is charted and yet to be stitched - I'm not sure what fabric and threads I will use for this one. 

And here is an updated picture of my Christmas cactus. OK only one flower but what a splendid flower it is!  

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I think it's time for a little giveaway so, as I was making some scissor fobs, I made a few extra. As the picture shows there are three fobs, one with rose quartz, one with jade and one with amber beads. All have heart charms at the bottom. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post only together with an email address if it is not shown on your profile. No email address - no entry - sorry but I do not have time to search for you if you win! You have until mid-night (GMT) on Friday, April 24 to enter. Good luck! There will be 3 winners.

The cherry tree has now blossomed. This tree was given to us by my sister the Christmas before last and is no ordinary cherry tree, it's an 'Iford Weeping Cherry' and has a story to it. This tree was first discovered on an expedition to China by Harold Peto, one of the UK's foremost plantsmen of the 20th Century. A romantic at heart, Peto planted the trees on the terrace of his famous house, Iford Manor in Wiltshire so the branches would shower the pathways below in a carpet of delicate pink flowers for the ladies of the house to stroll through ...

After his death in the 1930s, the house fell into disrepair and the tree was lost in the encroaching undergrowth. Re-discovered after the 2nd World War, the current owners lovingly restored the house and garden to its former glory but only during the 1990s did they come across the 'Iford' Cherry. Savaged by time, the only remaining living branch was saved by Will Sibley, a world renowned 'grafter' and, with his tender care, this fascinating story has a very happy ending. Having managed to propagate six new trees from the original branch, a further 1700 were ready to take their place in gardens across the UK and our tree is one of them!

  

And, lastly, a little hello to Tommy sunning himself in the border! It's still too cold at night for him to stay out all night so back into his box he goes!

I am stitching on Sew Nautical but it's taking a little time as it's on 55ct linen but suffice it to say, it's pretty and I am enjoying the challenge!

Thanks for visiting

Take care

For 'small' this time it's Sew Quaker stitched by Valie. Stitched 1*1 on Zweigart Belfast Vintage Marble linen with three shades of DMC thread (3607, 3068 and 3609) and finished as a tiny (8cm x 5cm) pin pillow. Isn't it cute? Thank you Valie for allowing me to show this picture.

Sew Quaker is available *here* or by clicking the CHARTS button on the sidebar.

My grand-daughter, Kirby loved the Sew In Love chart when it first came out and decided to stitch it in her spare time at Uni - not that she gets much spare time with studying and, of course, the partying! So here is her version which she is going to frame as a gift for a friend. It's stitched 2*2 on 28ct white evenweave linen with DMC 115. She is now working on Sew Patchwork and has chosen a really pretty colour palette for this one.

Sew In Love is still available *here* or by clicking on the CHARTS button on the sidebar.

As I always forget to post a picture of my orts jar on the New Moon (or should that be on the Full Moon), I have decided to post a monthly picture at the end of each month and, yes, I know I'm late but it is only the third! So what have we got inside for March - some teal blue from Sew Peacock, some rust red from Sew Quaker and some deep red from my miniature stitching. And what, you may ask, is the jar standing on? Why of course it's a sneak glimpse of the Sew Summer chart! 

This stunning Christmas cactus belongs to Angela (no blog) - just look at all those flowers in full bloom!

And now ...

HAPPY EASTER