Stitching HDs

I can now reveal the gift I stitched for Hazel who won my Blogaversary draw. I stitched a hardanger biscornu.

Hardanger Biscornu by Meg Shinall
(from The Gift of Stitching issue June 2008)

Fabric - 28ct evenweave in ecru
Thread - DMC perle 8~ & 12#, DMC 603, DMC 3348

I have also made some ornaments for Aimetu's Stitchery.

TW Design - Beginner Whitework Ornament

Fabric - 28ct evenweave in ecru
Thread - DMC stranded cotton Ecru
Mill Hill beads - #00123 cream

Six Stranded Sweets Jessica Willis Burr - Dig It

Fabric - hand dyed 28ct
Thread - SSS Jelly Beans, Apricot, Expresso, Lemonade, Wintergreen, Black Liquorice, Grape Slushy & Strawberry Jam

Both these items are for sale at the Stitchery - the designs are by kind permission of TW Designs and Six Stranded Sweets.

On Sunday we went to Monkey Forest as mum had won some tickets. It's a great day out, the monkeys are in an enclosure which you freely walk around. They are sitting all around you and walk across your path. You are not allowed to touch them but you are so close it's amazing.

and finally...

I have lost another 1.5 pound making a total now of 12 lbs lost in 8 weeks - I am so pleased and it's really easy.

UFO

Firstly thank all for looking at my other blog - hopefully over the year it will grow and grow.


As I have finished my Perennial Garden I have decided to finish a very old UFO. Quite a few years ago I was a model stitcher for Millennia Designs. I love Karen Dixon's designs and fell completely in love with her Walter Crane's Jousting Knights.


I love France but am very proud to be English (I have my rose ready for tomorrow). These two designs are just me. I finished St Denis a few years ago and St George has been sitting in the cupboard waiting to be finished. You can tell from the creases how long they have been stored.














It thought it quite appropriate to pick up St George again especially at this time of year. The first job is a bit of ironing and then next Tuesday I can get going. With the help of Julie and my fellow UFOers on JA I am sure St George will soon be ready to joust.


My final bit of news is I have lost another 1 1/2 pounds - I am pleased but slightly surprised as it was Easter LOL

An Award and something quite exciting :)

For those who don't know I am District Chairman for Nuneaton Scout Council and yesterday was our St George's Day Parade.

St George was not only the Patron Saint of England but he is the Patron Saint of Scouts too. I love this parade and service, it is lovely to see all the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Networkers and Leaders together.

There are always awards at this service, some for the youngsters and some for the adults. Yesterday we gave out some amazing awards including our highest award for an adult - The Silver Wolf. This went to a very dear friend who has been in Scouting since before I was born.

I also received an award - 25 Years Service Award.

And now for the EXCITING bit...

I am starting a little venture - not for myself but for two charities dear to my heart. You can read all about it HERE .

It has taken me over a year to get this going - I have many more items in the process of being released, hopefully over the summer. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, thanks.

Home from Wales

We've been back a few hours, just long enough to put everything away, set the washing machine off, hoover through (DS was here on his own the week LOL) and cut the front lawn which looked like a jungle.

Wales was as good as ever, we had a couple of days out to Criccieth (by train) and Aberystwyth (by car). The train journey to Criccieth was beautiful, it goes right along the Cambrian coastline. It's only a small place but we had a lovely coffee at a cafe overlooking the bay and a steep climb up to the castle where we sat having out sandwiches overlooking the sea - absolutely beautiful as you can see from these piccies.












Bank Holiday Monday is a tradition in Tywyn for a huge street market, it's great fun but we didn't buy much. St Cadfan's church do their tea and coffee as always on market day. I didn't have time to make a cake for them this week so I gave some tea and sugar to help with funds. The ladies work so hard doing this, from May to September they do it every Monday and provide homemade cakes every week. They must do nothing but bake all weekend. I had a go on the raffle and amazingly won a huge tin of Roses.

I have done quite a bit of stitching this week. I have nearly finished the gift for Hazel who won my giveaway :) and I finished a lilac version of my beginners bookmark. I need to do the other two in lilac and then all three on a smaller fabric count.










I have also finished The Perennial Garden - I am so grateful to JA UFO Night because I know I would have not finished this in time without the group - especially Julie and Mr Stick - thanks everyone. I do have another UFO ready to come out - but you'll have to wait until Tuesday to see it. I am so pleased with the garden though, and I have plenty of time now to choose a frame and border. I am also going to get an engraved plate to go in the frame so it's a good job I have some time.










I bought Philippa Gregory's latest book before we went away - The Other Queen. I haven't read any of her books before and only bought this because I purchased some gift cards in Waterstones and having spent over £10 they were offering her book at half price. I absolutely loved it - I have joined The Reading Corner so will be blogging all about it on there.


When we got home today there was a parcel from my friend Denise who lives in the USA. She has been reading my blog and loves the idea of the Miss-tree. She has very kindly stitched an ornament and it is absolutely beautiful. It is all about chocolate whichis perfect and the ribbon she has used matches in beautifully. She very kinly sent me some of the ribbon and some lovely DMC variegated threads - thanks Denise you're an agel :)

Well I think that's enough news for now - DH and I are off into town tonight as DD is at her friends party overnight and DS is off to a gig. Wetherspoons have their beer festival on so DH is looking forward to trying a few new beers - good job you can have 1/3 of a pint of each to try LOL

Hope you all had a good Easter.

Easter Blessings

Happy Easter to everyone - it feels a bit weird today as this is the first Easter at home for 15 years (the year Philippa was born as she was too little to go - only 5 weeks). We used to always go away with my dad for Easter week, we've been all over the UK with the last three years being at the caravan. Dad is now too ill/old to travel and Michael is working so cannot come for the week, so we decided to stay here, go out for Sunday lunch with all the family and then Nick, Philly and I will go up to Wales. That way dad and Michael have seen us over the hols.

Amazingly the Easter Bunny found us every year and Michael and Philippa would have great fun collect the tiny eggs he's scattered all over the lounge - a very clever bunny to find us no matter where we stayed LOL. This year the Easter Bunny left an egg of mini eggs outside their bedroom doors as maybe at 18 & 15 it's not cool to rush round the lounge collecting eggs - the gifts was quickly found and claimed though.

We have a song thrush in our neighbourhood and although he's not in our garden he sits on a huge tree a couple of doors and sings all day. We can see him quite clearly, even better through the binoculars. He is just a little too far away for any pictures but I did take a couple of the garden which looks gorgeous.

This is my camelia - Lady Clare













and these bleeding hearts look so delicate.













Easter blessing to you all, enjoy.

The lucky winner is ...

Hazel - congratulations - could you please pm me your address through JA, thanks :)

I have been busy getting ready for our week at the caravan. Of course I have sorted all the important stuff first ... STITCHING ... and have my projects all ready to go.

Tonight I finished another three ornaments for the JA Christmas Ornament SAL. This time I did some choccies, a glass of wine, and another handbag.

I meet up with Julie yesterday for a coffee, we chatted away for ages. It's amazing how time flies when you are having fun. She gave me these gorgeous gifts for Easter. There is a cream egg inside the knitted one which I will enjoy sometime next week in Wales. I just need to pick a day when I'm light on my syns LOL.

I also had a beautiful scissor fob from Barb (no blog). She has been making many of these, they are beautiful and I'm the lucky owner of this fantastic bronze and white one. It's coming to the caravan to go in my needle case there.

Sending you all Easter Blessings.

Belated Blogoversary Giveaway

It was my First Blogoversary on 30th March and I missed it ... BUT I am having a belated celebration by offering a little stitched something. I will ask Philly to pick a winner out of a hat on Good Friday, please let me know in your comment if you would like to be entered - good luck.

I lost another 1.5 pounds this week making 9lbs in just 5 weeks - how cool is that. I was amazed as we had quite a weekend away as you can see from my previous blog - I was quite good with food just don't ask about the wine LOL. I am not going to Slimming World for two weeks now as we are going to the caravan on Easter Sunday for a week. At least I am still cooking for myself unless I give in to the delicious fish and chips, pizza at our Welsh local and the Halo honey ice-cream; makes my mouth water just writing it.

I have finished my next flower on the Perennial Garden, this time it's aster. Only 3 flowers to go and then I can think about getting it framed. I am so glad I joined JA UFO Night as I know I would have been thinking "I have plenty of time, it's not until September" and then had to rush it. I do have another UFO (and this time it really is a UFO) waiting in the wings so even more reason to finish the garden.


Philly and I are off to Nottingham on the train today to visit my stitching friend Melanie and her gorgeous baby Elizabeth. We quite enjoy these days out as the train journey isn't too long, Philly loves the shops and of course we get to cuddle Elizabeth and chat with Mel. I could do with a summer weight jacket and maybe some casual tops so I will also be shopping - all in a smaller size too.

Much as I like my job I love the hols more LOL. Have a good break for those who are also off :)

An Extraordinary Amount of News

I can't believe I have so much news to share - I know I was busy last week but I didn't realise I had this much LOL.

Firstly - my three PIF winners were Jan, Kathy and Maria and I stitched them each a pinkeep. These are the three desings I used.

The Sweatheart Tree - Teenie Hardanger I
28ct evenweave in ecru
DMC floss - Ecru, 316, 646, 931, 3051 & 3052
Mill Hill Beads 42027
DMC Perle #8 & #12 ecru

The Sweatheart Tree - Teenie Hardanger II
28ct evenweave in ecru
DMC floss - Ecru, 316, 646, 931, 3051, 3052 & 3802
Mill Hill Beads 42027
DMC Perle #8 & #12 ecru

Hardanger House in Canada - The Aroma of Lavender
28ct evenweave in ecru
DMC floss - 827 & 825
DMC Perle #8 & #12 ecru

I hope you all liked your gift, happy stitching.

I have been stitching for Miss-tree again and hopefully will be able to make the ornaments up tonight or tomorrow.

Tuesday was Slimming World night and I lost another 1/2 a pound. I was very very pleased with this as although I do hope to lose more than 1/2 a pound a week I needed to stay much the same or my dress would have looked too big. As it was it fitted just perfect. We've had a fabulous weekend in Warwick. Friday Nick and Philly picked me up from work and we went straight to MIL's to drop Philly off - she has also had a great time being spoilt by Nanna.

Our hotel - Lord Leycester - was in one of the main streets in Warwick but thankfully had a car park. Our room on the second floor had a great view of the castles highest turret - it peeped over the top of the buildings opposite but looked really close.

As I said my dress fitted lovely and we had a really nice evening at the Warwick Arms Hotel for my friend's 40th Birthday Party. My friend looked stunning in a beautiful blue evening dress. There was a live band most of the night with a disco in their breaks and for the last hour - my legs did ache from all the dancing. One of my colleagues was also staying at our hotel so after the party finished we decided to have a night cap in our bar - it was 1.30 by the time we got to bed.

Saturday Nick and I wandered around Warwick and found a the beautiful Mill Garden (open to the public to raise money for charity) which was right next to the castle and River Avon. We spent ages watching a beautiful swan swimming around and eventually returning to its nest. The flowers were gorgeous and the views stunning. We sat for quite a while on the many benches dotted around, it was so peaceful. These are just a few of the photos Nick took.

We found a lovely Bistro for lunch then went back to the Hotel. We were thinking of having a quiet rest after being up so late but events took over resulting in an amazing moment. First we heard loads of sirens going up the street, two fire engines followed a while later by the Simon Snorkel with the crane; followed by ambulances, police cars and the air ambulance. We thought it was a bad smash as the motorway is nearby but the helicopter appeared to land at the castle. For the next couple of hours there were sirens going up and down, then a really noisy helicopter sound. To our amazement the RAF Rescue huge yellow copter was coming right over and began to hover over the castle's turret, narrowly missing the flag pole. Nick grabbed his camera and zooming in we realised the people at the top were not tourists (as before) but fireman and they had ropes going down the outside. The helicopter winched someone down and a few moments later he went back up carrying a large bundle (at the time we wondered if it was a baby), he then let the winch line down again and another emergency man and a civilian were winched up into the helicopter and flown away. It was so dramatic and looked very dangerous. Nick has some of it recorded but here is one of the photos he took.

We found out today it was a man (who we also found out was coming to stay at our hotel) who had had a heart attack after climbing the turret and the emergency services could not get him down the stairs. The were going to winch him down the side if the helicopter could not manage becauseof the flag pole. Such excitement and we had a perfect view - hopefully the man is recovering well in hospital.

After all the excitement we decided to go back to the Bistro and have a light tea - we each had a plate of nibbles on a Lazy Susan - great idea which I might do at home.

Today we went to The National Herb Centre - I bought some new herbs for my garden, a beautiful flowering tyme, an indoor gerannium, a pot of mixed salad for the kitchen window (so I can pick and it will regrow) and a lovely flat terracotta pot to grow our own lettice outside.

Quite an exciting weekend really.