Saturday 31 December 2011

Heading into 2012

Good Morning to you all!

I am having fun at my mum and dad's house.  It is lovely to be here and see my folks and my sister and her kiddies.  My eldest niece popped in with her 2 kiddies which was lovely.

Whilst over here I just had to have a trip to Hobbycraft!  I actually didn't buy any stitching stuffs at all.  Instead I got a Latch Hook Rug kit which I have started!  So easy to do and it will look really good when finished.  Cannot wait to do some more on it but first it is out to lunch with a friend and then a New Years Eve party so crafting will have to wait for a day or so!  I might be sneaky and pinch a few minutes here and there during the day.  Will post pictures when I am home.

Have a safe and Happy trip into 2012 everyone

Bye for now

Love Heather xxx

PS watch out for a LHN and CCN chart giveaway next week 
(once I am back home on the 4th Jan)

Sunday 25 December 2011

Heading for new crafting fun

I have always wanted to learn new crafts basically try new things, even if I only do them one .... so watch this space!

After watching Kirstie Allsopp's Crafting programmes on TV and receiving 2 of her books from my daughter Laura as a Christmas Present I am really itching to start.  I am very short on fabric and other goodies I might want to use so I feel a good shopping trip coming on.  I am over at my mums for a week so I will have access to a great number of shops and places I can obtain supplies from.  Lets hope I can find lots of goodies to use!!

Of course I will plough through my list of WIP's ... I promise :-)

Merry Christmas to you all

I hope you all had a brilliant day!  kids are in bed so time for a quick blog then a tidy up and early bedtime for me I think!  Totally worn out lol

This is just the tiny bit of Christmas Stitching I did this year

For my Bessie Jan
For Gail

For Katie's Nursery teachers
On the 27th December I am off to mums for a week.  I cannot wait to see them and my sister and her kiddies.  It has been 9 years since I have been over there at this time of year.  I plan to meet up with a few friends too.  

Have a safe and Happy Christmas Evening and enjoy the rest of the festive season

Love Heather xxxxx

Friday 9 December 2011

First Craft Club and definitely not the last because ...

I LOVED IT!!

Roll on Next Friday for another session!  We had a lovely chat and crafted the morning away.  I took Mark's Pirate stitch with me.

Lovely to see sewing, crochet and knitting in action :-)  I have also recruited a lady to be a possible cross stitcher so fingers crossed!

Next week one of the ladies is bringing in materials to make Christmas Crackers!!  I will be popping in and out as my 4 year old Katie has her Nursery Christmas play but it will be fantastic just to be there even if it is just for a little while.

I did learn something new .... there are craft lessons in my area so I will be putting my name down for sewing machine lessons, crochet and knitting classes and any others like patchwork!!  oooo so exciting!!

All in all a wonderful and beautiful morning!

Have a lovely weekend all

xxxxxx

Wednesday 7 December 2011

News, Stitching and Stuff

Good Morning to you all!  I hope you are all in the festive spirit.  Last weekend myself and 7 kiddies put up some of the Christmas decorations and the Christmas tree!!  We had great fun :-)

I bought a new tree this year which already had the light on it, how lazy am I? lol

Our Christmas Tree
I am totally delight because a couple of the mums  from my kiddies Primary School and myself are setting up a Craft Club which will run every Friday Morning at the kiddies school.  I am so exited, it will be so nice being able to sit and craft, chat, drink coffee and eat cake with some lovely people!! We take our own crafting stuff with us so needless to say I will be taking my stitching with me.  You never know I might even convert a few to stitching and I hope to learn a few new crafts myself!

Finally my stitching over the last week or so!!  I have done a few things for Christmas, which I need to make something out of them before Christmas has come and gone ... which it tends to do in the blink of an eye lol

I have stitched 2 of the LHN ornies again for presents, plus a few other things.  I have stitched a little bit more on my Fairy Grandmother and Mark's Pirate stitching.

Christmas Stitching

Fairy Grandmother
Pirates Life for my son Mark

Thursday 24 November 2011

Happy Birthday Gail

This is the hanger I stitched for my friend Gail.

The hanger is about 6 inches by 6 inches backed with wadding and card with a yellow check ribbon.

I am delighted to say that Gail is totally delighted. :-)

The design by waxing moon was a delight to stitch with my specialist threads.  I really enjoyed stitching it and I did change some of the colours to Gails favourite colours and used yellow as that is my favourite!!  Instead of pink stitches for the flowers I used pink beads... lots of pink for Gail lol

This hanger represents a rekindled friendship ... Gail found me on Facebook and got in touch after many years.  We had lots of catching up to do and after many chats and texts I thought this hanger suited the pair of us down to the ground!

Thank you Gail and hope you had a good birthday evening out tonight xx

Birthday Hanger for a very good friend

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Catch Up Time

Hello followers,

Hope I find you all well and crafting away.  It has been such a long time since I blogged but I am back.

My stitchy bug seemed to have ran off for a good few months but it is back and catching up will all I missed out on :-)

I have actually finished the page on my Heaven and Earth design Fireside Fairytales so I am delighted with myself.  I aim to get at least half way down the second page by he New Year .... start 2012 with a bang lol

I have stitched a few Christmas presents but I wont be able to show them until after Christmas .... don't want any surprises spoiling.  Also completed is a Birthday present for my friend Gail.  Her birthday is tomorrow so I will post a photo in the morning or once she has opened her gift!  I love it and think I will be stitching a few more for me and other friends.

Page 1 of HAED completed
and page 2 started
In between Fireside Fairytales I have started Lavender and Lace Fairy Grandmother which is to Me from Me as my Christmas present!!  I have had this chart in my stash for a very long time and wished to stitch it as a reminder of my lovely Grandma xxxx  I have made a little start but hey its a start ha ha ha!!

Chart Picture of L & L Fairy Grandmother
My little start on Fairy Grandmother.
This part is the top of her wing

Next on my list of new starts is Pirate's Life by CCN for kids.  This is for my son Mark.  I promised way back in September that I would start it and because of a few mishaps and 'road bumps' in my personal life I never got it started.  This is what i got done yesterday but I have done more this evening so will post an upto date photo tomorrow.

Chart Picture of what I am stitching for Mark
A Pirates Life

Stitching as at 22 Nov 11
I think for the moment this is all!

I will say that I am glad to be back once and for all and that my 'road bumps' can either go away and give me peace or be ignored!!

Bye for now, Happy Stitching and keep safe and well as the weather gets colder.

Saturday 24 September 2011

New stitching start required and WIP'S

I have hardly done a stitch since finishing Thread Gathering so I think I will have to get a new start on my hoop.  I actually managed to do some on Conor's Penguin that I promised him but that's about it so I think its time to get back into the swing of things and get that needle smoking again.  This is my next project and I think it suits me down to the ground since I seem to be travelling backwards and forwards to mum and dads at the moment!!  I am in their house until tomorrow morning so I think I will make a start on this piece tonight!  I also need to start (according to the world of Mark my son) Pirate's Life by Country Cottage Needleworks for him! lol

A project to start for me
Traveling Stitcher by Little House Needleworks

This is one of my projects to start
Pirate's Life by Country Cottage Needleworks

None stitching news is that my 3 year old (4 tomorrow) is starting school on Monday and she is so looking forward to going and making new friends.  As I said I am in mum and dads at the moment but myself, eldest daughter Laura, eldest son James and my dad are all travelling back to my house tomorrow.  We are booked on the early flight so will be home in time for presents and cake :-)

Friday 16 September 2011

Thread Gathering

Finished !!!!!  :-)  I totally love this design and enjoyed every stitch.

Autumn Bag Exchange

This is the bag, ornie and goodies that Tricia received in her Autumn bag exchange



Sunday 4 September 2011

Apologies to you

I just wish to say that I am sorry for not being about much over the past 2-3 months.  I have been away at my parents plus it was the 8 weeks school Summer Holidays her in Northern Ireland.  My kiddies have totally hogged my laptop over the holidays and I have not been able to keep in touch.

So apologies to friends and fellow bloggers for lack of communication and I shall be back to full swing with comments etc.

Happy stitching and Blogging to you all.

xxxx

Finishes, Exchanges and New Start

After 2 finishes over the last week or so I have started Thread Gathering which is a chart by Little House Needleworks.  I am totally enjoying this design and cannot wait to get back to stitching it later on this afternoon.

'Thread Gathering' by LHN
Crescent threads being used :-)

I am really pleased with myself after having very few finishes over the last weeks that I have now finished another Ornie by LHN and Liberty Lane.

Silent Night was a dream to stitch as I loved the fabric.  A lovely relaxing stitch for the Friday night SAL


'Silent Night' by LHN
Stitched on 30 count Tin Roof linen by Weeks Works
DMC and Crescent Threads used

Ok I did cheat a little with Liberty Lane because I have only stitched the row of houses and trees but I really like the look of the design like this.  Shhhh dont tell anyone I cheated! :-) 

Liberty Lane by CCN
Stitched with Sampler threads and DMC

I have joined a Halloween exchange so will have to get stitching for that.  I have also completed a Autumn bag exchange ... sorry no photos yet as I will have to wait for my partner to receive and open the Autumn Bag Exchange before showing it off.

Happy Stitching to you all
Take care and be good!!

:-D


Tuesday 9 August 2011

Update of stitching from the last 4 weeks

Hello everyone!

Here is my stitching progress from the last 4 weeks.  I was busy getting ready for my holiday to mum and dads in England.  Whilst there I was quite busy and when I did start to stitch it wasn't long before I was off doing something else!  Now I am back home I have got myself into the swing of stitching and will start making regular updates to my blog again.  Looking forward to getting 'back to normal' :-)
(not sure normal would be a word used for me!!)


This is Sweet Treats by Country Cottage.  There are 6 designs in total which will be stitched on the same fabric then a boarder stitched around them all.  These charts use only Crescent Threads which is a sweet treat for me as I love the Crescent threads!  I am really looking forward to getting stuck into another one.  I still need to stitch the buttons on as each design has its own special little buttons.

Sweet Treats by Country Cottage Designs

Joy to the World a Little House Needleworks Ornie is now complete.  I stitched this during a Friday Night SAL.  I now have to decide what one to start this Friday.  I have plenty to choose from so I am totally spoilt for choice!

LHN Ornie Joy To The World

This piece is Liberty Lane by Country Cottage Needleworks.  Liberty Lane is another SAL which is done on a Saturday night.  I am a little behind Lucie but that was because I was 'annoying' my family in England at the time. lol :-)  I hope to be back on track and ready to start another Saturday SAL in a week or so!

Liberty Lane by CCN
Last, what a lovely surprise in the post from my friend Jenny.  I love surprises in the post and my ornie really cheered me up!  It is now hanging around my 'fireplace' with the rest of my ornies and mix of stitched goodies.

Thank you Jenny xxx
I think this is all I have for now.  I hope to have lots more to show you over the coming weeks.  I have lots of new charts to start and I am re-starting my HAED.  Now there are no RR's at all I can decide what I am stitching during the week then have Friday, Saturday and Sunday joining in the SALs.  

Happy Stitching everyone and keep safe and well.

xxxxxx




Saturday 23 July 2011

Turning 40, Holiday and stitching

On the 9th of July I turned 40 years young!  It was lovely having my family, Lucie, Ruth and Tricia there to celebrate with me and we had a good stitch a long with cake!!

Then on the 10th July I came over to my mum and dads for 3 1/2 weeks with my 2 eldest kiddies Laura and James.  So I can say that I have done very little stitching.  I will do the Liberty lane SAL today as Mum and Laura are playing in a ladies Golf Competition for the day.  Dad has taken James to the golf club to hook him up with some lads so he can play golf too so I am home alone.  A perfect time to get lots done!

Photos soon ....

Happy Stitching all!

Monday 4 July 2011

The last two weeks stitching and SAL's

I didn't really get much done, more like hold my stitching whilst watching Wimbledon!

I started M'Ladys Strawberries by Little House Needleworks on the first day of Wimbledon but spent too much time watching the TV!!  I stitched for a day and then really hated the fabric so I started again ... fabric looks so much better now.  I hope I get this finished this week as there is not that much left to do.


I stitched this lovely Lizzie Kate design for my sister... I think this suits here very well!


I have also started some SAL's with Lucie and Ruth.  

Friday nights SAL is an Ornie from Little House Needleworks, I chose to do Joy To the World.


Saturday nights SAL is Liberty lane by Country Cottage Needleworks.  I am loving this one already and I have only done a little bit ...


Now maybe now the Tennis is no longer on I might get a little bit more done ... well once I have packed and got myself ready to invade my mums house for 3 and 1/2 weeks!!!  Whoop!  Cannot wait as I have not seen them for a very long time!

Happy Stitching everyone!

TUSAL - July

This is my TUSAL for July!  Looking lovely now ...

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Two more finishes

I finally got around to doing the last RR in the Dictionary of Homes RR.  Here ends my RR commitments, which is a lovely feeling!


I also finished my bookmark and I love it!  I think I shall have to do one for myself.

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Two new finishes and a start ... plus booty

I have been quite busy with my studies but I did manage to squeeze in some stitching!!

I started on a bookmark last night that is in with the Little House Needleworks 'Garden Pleasures' chart.  This bookmark is for an exchange.  I hope to finish this today!  (fingers crossed)

Bookmark for an Exchange
Done on DMC Aida Band
Sampler, Crescent and DMC threads

'Garden Pleasures' by Little House Needleworks is just for ME!  I totally enjoyed every stitch!  On the chart the lady had no face but she looked spooky so I copied how the face was on Alphabet Rhyme and gave the faceless lady eyes and mouth!

Stitched on 28 count evenweave
Crescent, Sampler and DMC threads

Now, this is a favourite of mine ... 'Alphabet Rhyme' by Little House Needleworks.  This I stitched for Katie as well as me because Katie, aged 3, loves to sing this rhyme so I just HAD to get the chart and threads and stitch away at it!

Stitched on 28 count evenweave
Crescent and DMC threads

I have had fun buying and receiving lovely booty.  I sold some of my stash that I have never used so I could buy some lovely things.

Summer Bag Exchange sent to me by Lucie
I love my bag and goodies
xxx Thank you xxx 

My booty!!
Lots of LHN charts and a Lizzie Kate chart.
Plus a mix of threads ... yummy!

Now I had better get my bookmark finished otherwise I will miss the posting date! After than I have one RR to do and thats my last one!!  Then, I plan to spend the next 2 weeks watching Wimbledon and stitching!  my first stitch just has to be M'Ladys Strawberries by LHN.

Happy Stitching all

xxxxxxxxxx

Sunday 5 June 2011

TUSAL 1st June

ooops I forgot to post my TUSAL picture ... I did take it on the first of June even after being reminded 3 times by friends lol  :-)

Monday 30 May 2011

Red House In Winter

Just a little something whipped up over the last few days!

Oh yes another Little House Needleworks Ornie!

Friday 27 May 2011

Peppermint Twist

I am delighted with this piece of stitching!  I chose to do this one because it had a mix of threads and a lovely button that I was just dying to use!  

Peppermint Twist LHN Ornie N09 2010
Stitched on 28 count evenweave
Weeks Dye Works, DMC and Crescent Threads
Candy Cane Button from Just Another Button Company

Sunday 22 May 2011

I seem to have started a Folly with myself!

I think after doing Katie's horses I have run out of steam to start and finish a project!

I started Alphabet Rhyme for me.
Alphabet Rhyme

I decided to stitch on yellow evenweave but as it got dark it was hard to see the holes in lamp light (mental note to self - get a daylight lamp!)  So I thought I might as well start Conor's penguins but battled with the same problem of  not being able to see.

Conor's penguin

Then I started Golf Chick but got bored!  I have stitched this design before and I am not really one for stitching the same thing over.

Golf Chick

I also have Peppermint Twist on the go, which is a Little House Needleworks ornie ...but I had to frog half the candy cane as I had stitched a row to far!  I didn't think I  could get away with saying someone took a chunk out of the cane, so I and will restitch!!

Peppermint Twist
I hope to have a productive week and get some things finished!

Happy Stitching all :-)

Thursday 19 May 2011

Horses finished

All I can say is Katie is delighted!  All that stitching and all day sessions was well worth it just to see her face when I showed her her horses!

Country Horses


Doesn't she look delighted!  She kissed and kissed her horses!  Just glad the fabric didn't get all soggy!

Katie (ages 3) with her horses
Now .... something for me and Penguins for Conor.  Well I say for me but I picked Alphabet Rhyme by Little House Needleworks because Katie always sings the song but I am sure we can share!  I hope so anyway.

Saturday 14 May 2011

Finished and New Threads

Well, here is Gingerbread Village.  'He' is wonderful!

Lucie won our challenge by 20 minutes :-)  It was a very close finish and lots of fun!  Lucie your prize will be in the post on Monday! 

I have a few of the LHN ornines stitched at the moment so I must figure out how to finish them off so I will have a wonderful looking Christmas tree this year ... providing the children leave the tree alone! 


I got lots more Crescent threads this morning plus weeks dye works and Sampler Threads and a Dinky Dye thread.  There will be no stopping me now as I have all the threads needed for many of the charts I have bought!  BUT before I start another LHN or CCN I must get the Country Horses finished for my 3 year old Katie.  So this is my challenge for myself this weekend then I can start something new for me! 




Gingerbread Village LHN Ornie challenge with Lucie - after 2 evenings of stitching

This is a close one .... I am a little behind Lucie from Lucies stitching journey

I cannot wait for this evening .... bring it on Loops!!