SOPHIE'S NEW FRIEND . . .

You may remember me saying in my last post that 'I couldn't put this one down' so I'm happy to say 'Sophie's Roses' is complete and I'm really pleased with it . . .

A few decisions to make along the way ~ there was a second border to stitch but I just felt this floral and vine one was so pretty and quite busy that I would leave it as it was . . .

but that gap at the bottom right hand corner bothered me!

more flowers? maybe a bird?  a watering can?

you guessed it ~ a little bunny with white bobtail fits perfectly and what every little girl and garden needs . . .

finished this morning into a pillow with the polka dot fabric shown in the background ~ a perfect match to Sophie's shoes xxx

Big celebrations this weekend in the UK as we celebrate our Queen's Diamond Jubilee with a 4-day holiday, hopefully the sun will shine and some time in the garden with the BBQ (and some cross-stitching) will be the order of the day!

Now, don't get the wrong idea, yes this is a can of Pimm's and yes, at 1.20pm in the afternoon it is OPEN!

but this is not a regular indulgence ~ I'm trying to steady my nerves as DD has just left for college and about to sit her first A level exam and as calm as she is . . . I'M NOT!  She's given 110% throughout her college years and really deserves to do well but it is a worry and her dream of Uni is dependent on successful results ~ Good Luck DD, love you lots xxx

Tomorrow DD and I are off to see Coldplay in concert in London ~ it's a sell-out Tour and tomorrow will see a crowd of 60,000 enjoying their brilliant music ~ can't wait, we shall leave early, have lunch out and then sing our hearts out!

Have a lovely weekend everybody

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

xxx

SUNSHINE AND FLOWERS . . .

Summer has finally arrived in England and gorgeous temperatures of 80 degrees have come to stay xxx

So good job Sophie now has a sun hat to wear . . .

I thought if I gave her a watering can too she'd look more comfortable with something in her hand rather than thin air . . .

Hey Pesto!  now that looks better ~ a bouquet of flowers and buttons . . .

WOW! definitely green fingers here ~ flowers and vines rapidly growing up the side too . . .

Just can't put this one down, I'm really enjoying it.

Quick health update ~ I saw the Orthopaedic Surgeon on Monday and he decided more investigations were needed before he could give me a diagnosis  and treatment plan so I returned on Wednesday and had a MRI  scan (YUK!) and now comes the waiting game yet again!

So, what to do in the meantime with all this lovely sunshine?

Al-fresco dining of course!

Hope you all have a lovely stitchy weekend

Thanks for stopping by

xxx

MORE OWLS AND A NEW START

Just loving this kit 'A Wise Old Owl', I'm stitching it rather randomly ~ an owl if I feel like it or as in today's case ~ some of the wording so I could see that thread colour in action! ~ anyway it's now 3 down and 6 to go!

I do like owls and talking of which . . .

A few more sitting around the house ~ the 3 ceramic ones all have space in the back for a tealight so that their eyes light up when it's dark and the other 3 . . .

Say Hello to 'TWO' Little Hoots ~ we bought this for our twins when they were just starting to read but as you will see from the wording on the box, it came with 'A' Little Hoot and what a nightmare it was to persuade the Seller to send us another one ~ if you have twins, you'll understand!

And if you have a third child, you'll understand even more why there's another little owl on the bottom shelf!!!

The set is still in lovely condition and it's tucked away safely for any further 'patter of tiny feet' in years to come, now that is wishing my life away but the way I feel at the moment with my aches and pains, I feel at least 20 years older so it just might arrive sooner than I think . . . talking of which . . .

I'm off to see an Orthopaedic Surgeon tomorrow to try and find out what my bones are up to, not particularly looking forward to it but if it's the start to recovery then it will be worth it?  I find it hard to walk any distance now without pain and driving isn't great . . . talking of which . . . I forgot to tell you DD passed her driving test last week and now has her new car . . .

Needless to say, there's already pink floor mats and a pink air freshener inside and if you look closely you'll see Disney's 'Stitch' sitting on the back shelf!  She's a really good new driver though and I thoroughly enjoyed being taken out this afternoon and seeing all the countryside as a passenger, you miss so much when you're the driver.

OK, so my new start . . .

'Sophie's Roses' by Shepherds Bush

This, too, is stitching up a treat and the pastel colours are gorgeous xxx

I have also had the knitting needles out again but will save that for next time, I want to give poor Sophie a hat to wear, although the weather is miserable here, there is the promise of some lovely sunny weather by the end of the week so she'll need some shade over her head!

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

xxx

AT LONG LAST . . .

Oh boy! Am I glad to be able to finally show you my finished 'Snowy Morn' . .  .

My eyes struggled with the 1 over 1 stitching on this design but to avoid frustration and keep frogging to a minimum I stitched 'those' bits when daylight was at its best and kept a glass of wine mug of cappuccino within close reaching distance!

warm, cozy mitten

Mr. Snowman with bugle bead for nose and a ' feathered friend' charm

patchwork heart with Smyrna stitched flowers and leaves

'Snowy Morn' kit by Shepherds Bush

32~count Dirty Linen & Au Ver a Soie Silks

Phew, now to finish, finish it?  I've been stitching another design inbetween this one and that looks like being another Happy Dance in the next couple of days, I'll keep you waiting for the big reveal!

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

xxx

TWO 'SNOWY MORNS'

Introducing 'Snowy Morn' number 1 . . .

As forecast, we woke up this morning to our garden covered with a pretty white blanket of snow ~ no more to follow just yet but the freezing temperatures mean it will be hanging round a while!

I know snow does cause problems especially when it turns icy but I have found one advantage to it ~ the brightness it brings means I can actually see to cross stitch the dreaded 1 over 1 on 'Snowy Morn' number 2.

Yes, after my last post and breathing a sigh of relief that that horrible part of Snowy Morn was complete, I now find that there's more in store!

Last night I sat for 3 hours stitching and un-stitching and went to bed feeling very fed up with my inability to see what I'm doing BUT this snowfall overnight has given such brightness to the day that I have, at last, seen a bit more progress . . .

The white row of feather-like satin stitch is repeated in blocks of 10 over 1 all the way round the design ~ YUK!

It has taken me an hour just to complete that one row and now at 3.45pm the brightnness has gone so if I could just ask for a little more snow overnight so I can finish it tomorrow, I'd be most grateful!

Thank you to everyone who sent 18th birthday wishes to DD, celebrations continued until 2am and a good time was shared by all.

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

xxx

THE COUNTRY FEEL . . .

Happy Sunday afternoon everyone ~ hope your weekend is going well?

I can now show you what I was 'itching to finish' in my last post.

Lurking back in the depths of my craft cupboard was my first unfinished attempt at a patchwork wall hanging and this is the sorry state it had been left in . . .

I'm embarrassed to say I bought this to do back in 2005 and progressed with it really well so why it got hidden away I'm not sure?  I just had to finish making the binding strips for the edging, hand-sew them on and then add buttons to each heart SO two afternoons of stitching last week gave me my first patchwork Happy Dance!
(Am I allowed to add it to my Happy Dance list even though it's not Christmas or cross-stitch? ~ I think Yes, as it is a finish and was from my stash ~ oh please!!!)


DH is, at this very moment, staining some wooden dowelling for me so that I can add some tabs to the top and have it on display next to the fireplace ~ I love the country feel it gives!

'Country Heart' Wall Hanging made with homespun fabrics and finished with buttons

As I was in the mood for 'finishing' I let the sewing machine out for its monthly outing and got 'Such Delight' sewn up and finished . . .

Keeping with the country feel, I added gingham fabric, ric rac and added a cream star button ~ I'm pleased with this one and think it might have to stay out on display for the foreseeable future!

So full steam ahead ~ what's the next choice from the stash list?

'Snowy Morn' kit by Shepherds Bush

My stitching needle was smoking on this until last night!  The design is stitched 1 over 2 on 32-count~ fine except the star in the top left hand corner is stitched over ONE and boy did that cause chaos to my eyes with the added visit of the odd frog or two!

Midnight saw me complete that first star BUT there's one more to do in each corner yet so I'm thinking that my 'smoking needle' will be more like a wet firework tonight!

There's some other interesting stitches to this design too but I'm not brave enough to think ahead to those at the moment ~ one step, hurdle, mountain at a time!

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

xxx

THE STOCKINGS WERE HUNG . . .

The South of England has its 1st covering of frost this morning and although it's so, so pretty that also means that the big day is fast approaching and I'm so behind on everything that I shall skip the subject straight away and instead share my new stitching addiction Happy Dance with you . . .

These were the ingredients . . .

32 count 'Country Grain' Linen, Au Ver a Soie and Mori Silk Threads and 5 button embellishments

and this is what those magic ingredients produced . . .

'The Stockings' by Shepherds Bush

Gorgeous subtle colouring and just love those cozy patterned socks!

3 stockings and a rather unusual funky Christmas tree with a present waiting at the bottom (hope it's another Shepherds Bush kit for me ~ Santa, I have been very good really, OK the housework is screaming at me and my Christmas preparations are zero BUT!)

Herringbone and Satin Stitch

I just can't make up my mind how to finish this one or my previous post ~ Red Snowman?  I don't really want to frame them behind glass and not sure if that would work with all the button embellishments either?  You all know how I'm a dedicated pillow finisher but with these lovely silk threads which could never be cleaned if they were handled too often ~ ummmmmmm! any ideas?

I'm keeping tuned in with all the lovely seasonal stitching you creative blogging friends are producing and everything is really fabulous and very inspirational ~ it's such a wonderful time of the year for cross-stitching :)

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

x x x

THE MYSTERY OF CRANBERRY BOG . . .

Hi blogging friends, I hope Wednesday 23rd November finds you happy and well and not in too much of a panic as the countdown now only says 32 days until Christmas . . . . what! 32 days . . . . I'm panicing!!!

My tease of only 1 photo in my last post of my latest stitch didn't seem to ring any bells to many of you yet I was sure the Cranberry Bog would give it away!

Here's a few more clues . . .

A funky stripey hat

Frosted Auburn flowers, Smyrna crosses and Eyelet stitches

A cute carrot button nose

2 sets of stripey legs!

Right that's enough clues!  Share a Happy Dance with me and enjoy . . . .

'Red Snowman' by Shepherd's Bush

Oh! just yummy, yummy to stitch, everything you need in one kit with lovely soft silk threads, gorgeous fabric and button embellishment.  My first attempt at one of their kits and I couldn't put it down from start to finish and what's more . . . . . there's a purple, green and blue snowman in kit form too . . .  mmmmmmm, wonder what's going on my Christmas Wish List to Santa!

Thanks for stopping by

HAPPY STITCHING

xxx