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Saturday, 29 November 2008
November Monthly Finishing Challenge




November's Monthly Finishing Challenge was a needlebook. This is not the needlebook I had originally intended to finish for the the Challenge but as the finishing kit I had ordered from France for my original stitching has not arrived, I delved into my finishing box and decided to finish the needlebook that I designed to co-ordinate with the scissor fob (here - scroll down) that I did earlier this year. I wasn't overly happy with the finish as I think I should have incorporated a 'spine' into it but there you go - some you win, some you lose!

It's another cold, wet weekend and I should be out gift buying but I think I will do some online shopping instead. Tomorrow we are going out for Sunday lunch and I think I might choose my birthday gift too. I cannot decide between a leather jacket or the Apple Time Capsule so watch this space!

Thanks for visiting
Take care

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Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Two finishes and some stitching


I have had a couple of finishes this week. The first is for Jayne's Attic Redwork Exchange so I am unable to show a picture as yet but I can say I am going to find it extremely hard to part with! I have also partly stitched the Monthly Stitching Challenge for JA and I am trying to decide whether to carry on and complete the whole piece with the one colour or stitch the corner piece in different colours so it stands out. Watch this space - reveal day is August 30.  

The second finish is a scissor fob for the Monthly Finishing Challenge for August. This is a really tiny fob as I stitched one over one on the same raw linen that I used for the scissor pocket and it was not very easy to finish but I got there. I'm sorry about the poor photos but the light is really bad here today - I think the summer may have passed if the past few days are anything to go by!

Still no news on the Quaker Friendship Round Robin. It appears that there are 3 pieces missing and we are assuming they are with the one person who has moved house. Maybe they are travelling the globe and will eventually make their way back to the sender. We can but hope.

I have also stitched my piece for HOE Halloween exchange. We don't celebrate Halloween here in the UK (or at least we don't) so this is not something I would have normally chosen to stitch but I enjoyed it and it's kind of cute. I have no idea how I am going to finish it yet but I am sure I will come up with something. 

And now it's back to Hannah Beeby.

Thanks for visiting
Take care

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Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Monthly Finishing Challenge for July



I didn't think I was going to make the Challenge this month what with working at the beginning of the month and then stitching on Hannah Beeby for a while but I rose to the challenge and ........... drumroll .......... here is my finished scissor pocket. It is stitched on raw linen, which I believe is 32ct, with DMC 815 (one over one). The hand-twisted cord is DMC no 12 perle in 644. I have also stitched a co-ordinating fob which I shall now probably make up for August's Challenge! This With My Needle pattern is from JCS 2006 Christmas Ornament magazine. The inside of the pocket and the back is in the same striped fabric as the front which my friend kindly donated - thank you Lynn!

My new start is to be a piece for Jayne's Attic Redwork Exchange. I had decided on a pattern but something has happened (which I can tell yet) so I have to find something else to stitch.

There is a problem with the Quaker Friendship RR as someone has gone missing with at least two pieces of work! We are hoping that she will either re-surface or at least mail on those she has. We know she is ok as she has posted on another board as recently as last Monday.

Now the garden is calling and I need some sunshine so ...

Thanks for visiting
Take care

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Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Two awards in a week!


Oh my, two Awards in a week - I hope I don't get too big-headed!  I just heard from Meari that she has nominated me for the Brillante Weblog Award. Thank you Meari I am touched by your thoughtfulness.

Here are the rules for the Award:

1  Put the logo on your blog;
2  Add a link to the person who awarded you;
3  Nominate at least 7 other blogs;
4  Add links to those blogs on yours;
5  Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

So, here are my chosen 7 that I think are 'brillante'. In no particular order:

1  Deb
2  Yuko
3  Edgar
4  Carol S
5  Andrea
6  Nicole
7  Valerie


It's been a really lovely day here today so after doing the household chores I went out into the garden with my stitching. I stitched the scissor fob to match the Quaker Alphabet and, hopefully, I will get both the scissor pocket for the Monthly Finishing Challenge and matching fob finished in the next few days. I then worked for a while on Hannah Beeby until one of my stitching friends called round with a selection of red fabric for the scissor case finishing. I chose four and will make my final decision shortly. Thank you Lynn! The weather forecast is hot and sunny again for tomorrow so you if you fancy "Stitching in the Garden" you are welcome to join me.

Thanks for visiting
Take care 

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Monday, 21 July 2008
A waste of stitching time?


After three starts on a scissor pocket for the Monthly Finishing Challenge, I completely changed my mind and stitched the above! The chart is the Quaker Alphabet from the JCS 2006 Ornament magazine. I now need to find some finishing fabric to co-ordinate with the fabric and floss. The linen is, I think, 32ct raw linen but I am not sure as it came with an exchange gift. The floss is DMC 815. I enjoy stitching one over one as it produces such a delicate look to a piece. There is also a scissor fob pattern to match so I am going to stitch this too.

After posting that I had been awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award by Yuko and Deb, I have since been awarded it again - twice; firstly by Margaret S and secondly by Tammie - thank you so much. I am so pleased that anyone bothers to read my blog and they enjoy it so much that they leave me an award! Tammie has also chosen me to be a recipient of a RAK and is stitching me a gift. How sweet of her - thank you Tammie.   

By the way, have you seen the lovely floss tags that Deb has for sale on her stash sale (here)?They are absolutely gorgeous especially the French Script ones. 

Tonight Hannah Beeby might make an appearance. I have missed her and she does deserve at least a few stitches.

Thanks for visiting
Take care

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Sunday, 20 July 2008
Quaker Friendship round robin


Last night I finished up my section of Mindi's RR. This sampler has a real vintage look to it and I am thinking of using this silk (HDF* Raisin Wine) for my Beatrix Potter Quaker sampler when I eventually get round to starting it.

Yesterday, I started my scissor pocket for the Monthly Finishing Challenge, not once, not twice but three times. I think I am fated with this one but I have stitched the border in ecru perle no 12 and now have to decide what to put inside it and what floss to use. The only thing I do know is the finish!

I belong to a Lotto Bonus Ball draw and last night my number came up so I have won the princely sum of £33. My number is extremely lucky for me as I have won this draw on quite a few occasions. I just need those elusive other balls to come up as well - sigh - maybe one day.

Thanks for visiting
Take care

* Vicki Clayton's Hand Dyed Fibres

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Saturday, 19 July 2008
One swan a-swimming?



I heard from Judy that the Quaker Inspired's Animal exchange that I sent to her has now arrived. I was getting a little worried as I had mailed this three weeks ago but Judy has been away and now I can breathe again. I had already started to think of re-stitching! I decided to stitch the swan on, yet again, my lovely white 35ct Brussels linen using AVAS silk in 1714 blue. I wasn't sure whether to finish as a pinkeep but in the end I chose a pillow with tiny white silk bows in the corners. I am glad that Judy was pleased with the result.

Yesterday evening I finished off the remaining motif on Mindi's QFRR.  I will post a picture later as it's very dark and dismal today - definitely not a day for taking photos! I then searched out patterns to stitch a scissor pocket for the Monthly Finishing Challenge which I will be starting today and I also chose a pattern for the redwork exchange on Jayne's Attic.  So ... the house is clean, the laundry is done and I am going to have a stitching day. Would anyone care to join me?

Thanks for visiting
Take care  

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Monday, 30 June 2008
Six month blogiversary draw


Today is my six month blogiversary and I do not know where those six months have gone to! I would like to thank everyone that takes time to visit me and leave such lovely comments and what better way to show my appreciation than to have a draw. Up for the prize is the Quaker Biscornu (shown above), together with a little goodie package. This is the biscornu that I stitched for May's Monthly Finishing Challenge (for those that haven't seen it before go here). You have 7 days in which to leave a comment to say you would like to be entered in the draw (on this post only) and I will make the draw on Monday, July 7. So, don't be shy, leave a comment - you have to be in it to win it!

I have no new stitching pictures to show today although I have been stitching a little.

I have already lost 5lbs on my healthy eating plan - slightly more than my planned slow loss of lb per week.  Yippee!

Eggling is doing really well as he has 14 flowers out, with more buds to open. Do want another photo or are you bored of him now? He really wants re-potting but I need to buy one as the ones I have are either much too large or too small. My strawberry pot is wonderful now and has some rather large green strawberries. I can't wait til they turn red - yummy!

Thanks for visiting
Take care 

Edited: This draw is open to anyone who leaves a comment, including new visitors. Just leave a comment and you are in!

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Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Quaker tin topper




This is my tin topper for June's Monthly Finishing Challenge. As you can see I used my favourite black and white finishing. It's actually not completely finished as I want to put a tiny black bow where the pin is on the inside of the lid but I didn't have any narrow black ribbon so I will change this once I have the ribbon. On the sides I put the pins to hold the braiding while the glue set and decided I quite liked the effect so I decided to leave them there. The pattern comes from The Ackworth School Pattern book and is stitched on 35ct white Brussels linen with black Au Ver a Soie silk thread. 

I made a start on a Christmas ornament yesterday afternoon. I am using the scissor fob pattern from the Sampler Cove's Rhapsody in Red III but I will make slight amendments to it.  

I am reading Dead Sky by Tami Hoag - the synopsis reads "It was a crime so brutal it changed the lives of even the most hardened homicide cops...". So back to the garden I go to read a few more chapters!

Thanks for visiting
Take care

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Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Some mail and some finishes


The mailman was really good to me today, not only did he bring me Donna's Quaker Friendship RR for me to stitch my section, but he also brought me a couple of patterns. The first one is a Twisted Oaks Design - A Patchwork Garden Pincushion Ball - isn't that so pretty? And the second one (and stop drooling those Quakerites out there) is the Sampler Cove's Quaker Casket which I think is absolutely stunning but I need to find a supplier for the casket now. Can anyone help here? I will get in touch with Diane Jourdan to see if she can point me in the right direction but I have a feeling it's going to be rather expensive - ouch! Both of these charts I brought with the Gift Certificate I won on the Monthly Finishing Challenge and arrived really quickly from Down Sunshine Lane. 



And, talking of the Monthly Finishing Challenge, May's Challenge was a biscornu and here is my offering. The top is The Work Basket's January Quaker and the bottom is part of October Quaker with my own bit in the centre. The fabric is 35ct Brussels linen in optic white and the silk floss is Au Ver A Soie 1714. Usually, when I stitch the back-stitch outline around a project, I stitch over 2 threads but as this biscornu was larger than others I have back-stitched over 4 threads and although it's ok I won't do this again as I prefer a tighter finish. 

And, as my six month blogiversary is coming up shortly I will be putting this biscornu up for a draw so keep visiting so you don't miss out!

I also finished the HOE freebie chart exchange and Quaker Inspired's Quaker Animal exchange. Both of these I am unable to show just yet. 

Last weekend was a Bank Holiday here in the UK and on Saturday we had glorious sunshine and although it rained overnight, Sunday was quite nice too but Monday - OMG - the heavens opened and we had gale force winds. My garden is such a mess and my tomatoes in their tiny growbag greenhouses are devastated. Rain collected on the top and the more it rained the heavier the top got until it sank to the bottom and crushed the plants so what with Tommy climbing in and marching through them one day last week and now this, I think it will be a miracle if they actually survive. Maybe I am just not cut out for gardening?

Thanks for visiting
Take car 

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Saturday, 17 May 2008
A telephone and a fast stitch



Yesterday I decided to make a start on a biscornu for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. I chose my pattern, the fabric and floss and just before I sat down, the phone rang so I took the call and then settled down in my favourite spot to stitch but, before I had even threaded the needle, the phone rang again. I got up, took the call and sat down. This time I managed to get a few stitches in before the phone rang yet again! By this time I was getting slightly annoyed but I answered the call and then, as I was putting the phone back into the base, I dropped it down behind the unit - arrgghh - I just want to sit quietly and stitch! I managed to retrieve the phone by using a spatula to drag it from behind the unit and this time took a little more care in putting it back into the base. At last I could settle and just look how much I managed to do. I only have a few more stitches to put into the middle and then stitch the back. It's a little larger than my usual biscornus being 3 3/4" square but it's quite pretty. The pattern is January Quaker by The Work Basket, the fabric is 35ct optic white Brussels linen and the floss is Au Ver a Soie 1714 which is a pretty denim blue. I am sorry about the poor quality photos but it's raining and really dreary here today so hopefully the photos of the finished piece will be much clearer.  By the way none of the phone calls were actually for me - maybe I should charge Ken for secretarial services? LOL

Enjoy the weekend.

Thanks for visiting     
Take care

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Friday, 16 May 2008
Quaker Animals


Yesterday I finished the stitching on my Quaker animal for the exchange on the Quaker Inspired blog but ... which one did I choose to stitch... the sheep? the cow? the frog? or ... you will have to wait and see but, I am pleased with the result, and hopefully my partner will think so too.  I want to finish off all my exchange pieces in the next few days and I have, more or less, decided what finish for each piece. I still need to stitch my ornament for the Christmas in July exchange and I was persuaded by the lovely Carol, at the last minute, to sign up for the HOE Summer Quaker exchange! And next, a biscornu for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. I need to chose fabric and floss but I have decided on a pattern.

Now I should be doing the household chores rather than blogging and I know which I enjoy more but, as all good things must come to an end, I have to go clean the house!

Thanks for visiting and have a great stitching weekend
Take care

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Sunday, 11 May 2008
Stitching and reading


No stitching photos to show today although I have been working on both the HOE freebie chart and the LHN projects. Both are stitched and are ready for finishing although I still need to stitch my partner's initials on the LHN piece. Once this is done I will 'finish' off both pieces and put together my gift packages. Then I have a couple of gifts to stitch, one is already started and I also want to stitch and finish a biscornu for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. 

In the meantime, I have been catching up with some reading and have just finished The Devil's Teardrop by Jeffery Deaver. A well-written, fast pace book which I could not put down. This is the first book I have read by this author and it won't be the last as I am already checking out further titles on ebay.

Thanks for visiting
Take care


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Friday, 2 May 2008
My gift to me!


Yesterday the mailman delivered me a rather large package and inside was the above book - the Quaker School Girl Samplers from Ackworth by Carol Humphrey which I ordered from The Sampler Guild. It's a wonderful book and has great illustrations of Quaker samplers together with a history of the school. It's a must buy for all Quaker enthusiasts! I have been wanting this book since it was published in 2006 but never got round to ordering it and since I had some spare money, thanks to my 2 weeks working, I decided to treat myself and now I can't wait to settle down and go through it properly.

Last night I had some amazing news. I was surfing the web and went to visit the Monthly Finishing Challenge blog and, very much to my surprise, I discovered that I had won the April Needleroll Challenge! Now I know that there were some really beautiful needlerolls entered into the Challenge as I have been checking the photos posted, and I am so pleased that my Plymouth Mass Needleroll was thought good enough to win - thank you Becky. Ken says that he thinks needlerolls look like Christmas crackers so I have decided to stitch some teeny weeny ones in a Christmas theme as tree ornaments for the children. The May Challenge is a biscornu and although I have chosen a pattern I need to chose both fabric and floss.

Thank you all for the really great comments on both my stitching and finishing. They are much appreciated.

Thank you for visiting
Take care  

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Sunday, 27 April 2008
Plymouth Mass Needleroll


I have finished the Plymouth Mass needleroll for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. I was quite pleased with the finished result although I must admit a needleroll is not my most favourite way of finishing but I do like hem-stitching! It is stitched on 32ct platinum linen with the recommended DMC floss. 

I am now going to finish stitching the HOE freebie chart piece - not too much to do here and I will complete the finishing later this week. I really then need to put some stitches into Ms Hannah.

I finished reading Duma Key last night and would recommend it but definitely not as bed-time reading! 

Thanks for visiting
Take care

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Friday, 25 April 2008
Hurrah it's Friday! But no photos to show
At last it's Friday - my last day at work! Although I have enjoyed it I am glad it's over. It's been great catching up with my friends and, of course, the extra money will come in handy but I have missed 'my time'.

The only stitching I have done this week is to make a start on my freebie chart piece for the HOE exchange and this was only because I went to Stitch-n-Bitch on Wednesday evening. Obviously I cannot post a photo yet but it's nice and I like it, although I am not sure how I will finish it yet. I need to finish off my needleroll this weekend for the Monthly Finishing Challenge and I would like to put a few stitches in Hannah Beeby too. Apart from household chores I have nothing planned so hopefully I will be able to stitch some.  I have already mailed Wendy's RR (and the Quaker scissor keeps) off to Edgar and I am waiting for Wendy to send me Donna's RR. This is my first Round Robin (hopefully not my last) and I am really enjoying it. 

I managed to get a paperback copy of Stephen King's Duma Key off Ebay which I cannot put down. I wouldn't buy this in the hardback version as it's rather a large and heavy book which I find difficult to hold so I have been waiting for it to be released in paperback. The problem is that reading means no stitching - maybe I should have waited until I could have downloaded it from iTunes? I must admit I am not a great Stephen King fan although I have read a few of his earlier books, but Duma Key is set on a fictional island on the west coast of Florida which is where we go for our vacations (the west coast not a fictional island!). Stephen King lives on Casey Key and we have seen his house from Turtle Beach on Siesta Key and I can tell how well he knows the area as he has mentioned several places that I know. It does make me 'homesick' especially as I am not sure we will be able to make a visit this year :-(

Have a good weekend 
Thanks for visiting

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Monday, 14 April 2008
Needleroll update




My needleroll for the Monthly Finishing Challenge is nearly finished. The stitching, including the hem-stitching, is done. I did frog out the double thread back-stitching and I think it looks a lot nicer. I would have finished it off but I had a visitor and time just ran away with me. I don't think I will get it done today though and maybe not til next weekend! I got a call from my friend from work who is the Office Manager (Liam's grandma) to see if I could help them out for the next couple of weeks. Someone has left, another is on holiday, another is having surgery and another has had a death in the family. Of course, I could not say no, and it will actually be quite nice to see everyone again. Although I love being retired and at home, I do miss everyone - so - my retirement actually lasted a whole 3 months. And it is only for two weeks!



And for those watching my eggling ... just look. Eggciting or what?

Thanks for visiting
Take care

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Friday, 11 April 2008
Needleroll start


I made a start on my needleroll for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. The pattern is called Plymouth Mass by Eventide Designs and I brought it in a great needlework shop called  The Sampler Needlework in Plymouth a few years ago, to stitch as a memento of my trip. The fabric is 32ct platinum linen and I am using the suggested DMC floss but I really wish I had stitched with one thread instead of the recommended two but I've gone too far to change now. I worked from the middle downwards and am now working my way up. 

  

And for those watching my eggling  - it's sprouted!

Thanks for visiting
Take care and have a great weekend

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Thursday, 10 April 2008
Liam's Birth Sampler







Liam Stephen Joseph W. was born at 7.37am on Thurday, April 3 weighing in at 8lbs. He is the son of my friend's daughter - isn't he just cute? I stitched this small sampler in readiness on 28ct white evenweave linen using Caron Waterlilies Peach Sherbet which cleverly incorporates both blue and pink into the sampler so all I had to do was to complete the name, date etc in either blue or pink. The other materials I used are ecru no 12 perle cotton, blue and pink DMC and tiny silver and blue beads. I have blurred his surname for privacy purposes.

Today I am going to work on my needleroll for the Monthly Finishing Challenge. 

Thanks for visiting
Take care  

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