Happy Mothering Sunday

Wishing all the mums here in the UK a very happy day today.  Special thoughts are with those who have angel mums and angel children {{big hugs}} to you.

We're fast approaching the end of March, another month flown by, that means we have waved goodbye to one third of 2014 already.

I have a few pics to share with you before the month ends of the last 2 weeks stitching and a catch up of what I've done during March.

Nature Alphabet (Tuesday SAL with Gillie).....

M for Morning Glory

 

and this week, N for nest - thinking the nest looks a little bare, might have to add something in to make it look 'lived in'

 

It's growing nicely, over half way stitched now.     K, L M & N were added this month, I've kept up with this one and stitched every week this month.

 

CCN Santa Village (Wednesday SAL with Barb and the ladies at NH).....

 

A finish for Candy Cane Cottage...

 

and a new start on Santa Sleighworks

 

Not a lot of progress this week as the frog arrived and made me use the wrong colour thread so it all had to come out again!  Still, it's good progress this month, stitched on every week.  This makes house number 8 completed and number 9 a WIP.

 

A new start at the meet up, which is now stitched, just needs making up.....

 

 Blackbird Designs

 

Sewing machine practice at the Craft Share Thursday evening group consisted this week of making a needlebook. Mine turned out quite well i think.

 

 

and the week before I had made the 3 goody bags for the exchange at the meet up.  Confidence is getting better with the machine and hopefully will continue although there are some new things happening that look like fun to learn too.



 

Irish Garden - No progress last week and not stitched on this weekend yet... not doing so good with this one with only 2 weeks done this month.  Perhaps now the lighter nights are here as we put the clocks forward yesterday I'll be able to get some more daylight hours at the weekend to sit and concentrate on it - wishful thinking!

 

A few little finishes this month too - an easter bunny raffle prize, an 80th birthday bunny, also started a new pair of socks for DH.  Stitching on the pooh bear mattress pincushion was completed (that still needs making up). 

 

The monthly challenge was stitched and made up too. Reveal day is today so I can show you my version from Jura Point de Croix.  

 

 

It's quite a big design if stitched over 2, so I stitched mine over 1 on 32ct.  A small offcut of moss green fabric was used and I also made a few alterations to the charted design.  I left off the larger snowflakes and just did the small ones.  Also, I filled in the snowflake that was on the snowmans body.  A simple flat ornament with a twisted cord edge and a little bell added to the bottom completed it.  

 

Three old projects have also been framed this month ...

 

Hill House by Little House Needleworks

 

La SAL Pensive by Jardin Prive

 

The Rose in Morning by Little House Needleworks

 

All in all, not a bad March carftwise, here's to April although my SAL's wont be so good this month as I will be having a few days at the seaside during April, hopefully enjoying some spring sunshine.

 

A while back, I saw on a US blog that ladies were enjoying treat of peanut butter M&M's.   I love peanut butter and thought they sounded lovely.  Imagine my surprise when I was in my local supermarket (Tesco) and they now have an American stand with goodies on it.  I just had to get myself some of these ...

With the import tax that is paid the US goodies are not cheap.  This treat cost me £1.50, three times the price of the standard M&M packets here.  They were very nice though and didn't last long!

Reading has also been happening and i've read 4 books in March too.  I've had a lovely book arrive in the post this week too, a book from Barb, it really is lovely, i'll share that with you another time as I forgot to take a picture of it.  Thank you so much Barb, I'm looking forward to delving into that during the coming weeks. 

I am way behind on blog reading this week, i'll catch up with you all over the next few days and see how your March shaped up.

Have a lovely week everyone.

 

 

 

A lovely day with friends



The little local station is where my day starts when its 'meet up' day...

 

The train was on time and a short journey of just over 15 minutes is all it takes for me.  I was met by Clare at the other end and we waited for the train to arrive carrying 2 new ladies who were coming for the first time.  Angi and Gill arrived and we made the very short walk to The Abbey pub where we spent our day.

 

There were 10 of us this time in the separate lounge that has been newly decorated since our last time there ...

 

Clare's mum, Lisa and Tina

Clare and Lynn

 

Lindsay, Angie, Gill and Angi

 

and of course me.  To see me, you'll have to hop over to Clare's blog.

 

Wonderful work that we have seen growing on the forum since the last meet up was on the show table.  Lindsay's beading is always so beautiful and fabulous to see close up.

 

 

A morning of drinking something nice from the pub menu and chatting and stitching and soon it was time for a lunch break.  Lots to choose from and with waiter service, it does make the day nice. I had this ...

 

Afterwards it's time for the fun. 

 

A book exchange - if you are a reader, bring a wrapped book you have enjoyed to pass on.  Raffle tickets were given out and drawn for you to go and choose a parcel.   6 books were there this time.

 

 

I chose to wrap and giveaway a book that was given to me by Barb when I visited her last Spring. It was a lovely read and as she was not able to be with us - although we did have a lovely surprise as she rang and chatted with us during the afternoon which made the day that little bit extra special.

 

Angie received my book, which was this.

 

 

and the one I had was from Gill, she also included a beautiful stitched bookmark too. 

Thank you Gill.

 

The raffle was well supported with donations.  I'd knitted an easter bunny and Lindsay had made an easter chick bookmark, 10 prizes in all.

The money raised from the raffle is used to make the forum advert free, this time we raised enough to make it clear for the next 6 months, that will be till the next meet up, brilliant!

My prize was the mint choccies ....

 

We always have a goody bag exchange.  It doesn't have to be stash inside the bag but there is a price value and also a theme to it.  This time the theme was 'Nursery Rhymes'   No obligation to join, but its fun to try and think what to put into it.

 

 

Clare always does something different as a way to decide who gets which bag.  This time she had made gingerbread men for us, each had your name on it and a raffle ticket attached.

 

The corresponding ticket was added randomly to the bags.

 

I had an idea, I would do Baa Baa Black Sheep, I'd need 3 bags though to fulfill the nursery rhyme....

 

 

At the craft club I used the sewing machine and made 3 drawstring bags. I thought the fabric on the bags could be used to back ornaments and the ribbon drawstring also used if the recipient didn't want the bags.

 

One for the master ..... pirate ship fabric and the contents, a bottle of Black Sheep Ale...

 

 

One for the dame....... old fashioned sewing implements adorned the fabric for this one with stash contents to keep her busy lol

 

 

and one for the little boy who lives down the lane......teddy bear fabric bag and  a couple of little sheep chocolate lollipops filled that bag.

 

 

My bag was won by Angi.

 

Lindsay put together the bag I received.  Lots of differing nursery rhymes she chose to use for hers. A great assortment of things which were lovely.  Thanks Lindsay.

 

 

Just for the ladies who have attended the day, you are invited to take part in an exchange after the meet up.  This time it will be a coaster with a summer theme.  5 questions were asked, your name and address put on the card and sealed in the envelope.  You then chose an envelope with your partners details inside. No one knows who gets who, no host for this exchange.  Reveal date is 30th June so quite a while to wait, lots of time to decide what to stitch or make. 

 

 

All too soon the day draws to an end and it's time for home. 

 

Thanks ladies, I had a very lovely day and look forward to seeing you again at the autumn meet up and thanks to Clare for organising it for us.

 

 

 

Happy St Patrick's Day

Today is St Patrick's Day, what better way than to start my post with an update of Irish Garden.

Another quarter iris border added, this time the top right one.

Nature Alphabet now sports L for lavender

That's 3 rows completed, it's gets prettier each week.

 See you tomorrow Gillie - my SAL stitching buddy.

The bottom border was added to Candy Cane Cottage and this week will see the top border and a few snowflakes complete this one.

Hubby's asked for a new pair of socks. We bought this lovely wool at a local department store over 12 months ago. I think he's waited long enough for them to be started, don't you?

I'm trying out some new bamboo needles as well. If you knit, do you prefer metal pins or wooden ones, we were discussing this at a new craft group I joined last week.

My brothers mother-in-law will be celebrating her 80th birthday next month. She's a lovely lady, very friendly and lots of fun, so I've made her a little bunny to help celebrate her milestone birthday. No champagne bubbles this time, but a nice bouquet of lilac flowers instead.

Looking out of my kitchen window a lovely sight greeted me on Sunday. After waiting patiently my camelia is finally in flower. She's called Brigadoon and was a wedding anniversary present some years ago. Such a vivid pink and the flowers are so large. There's plenty more buds so hopefully the spring frosts will keep away and let me enjoy it for a few weeks as the buds fatten and open up.

Welcome to the new visitors, it's nice to see you stopping by.

Have a lovely week, hope the luck of the Irish stays with you all year....



p.s. This weekend is the Spring stitchers meet up, I'm really looking forward to seeing the girls again!