~ Happy Christmas Dear Friends ~

"May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!"
  ~Author Unknown

~ What a naughty blogger ~

That's me....I know it's been a while but, no excuses unless you could call a major 'stitching lull' an excuse.  Well that is what I will use as my excuse this time :))

No stitching has been done here for some time now and as I wait for the lull to pass  I  have been keeping busy doing other things. I have an extra crafty interest now since my neighbour introduced me to card making and I have to admit to being quite hooked now on paper craft . I have also discovered  You Tube and am amazed at how much stuff is available to watch on there.  So many  people sharing their talents and doing amazing tutorials etc.  So much to learn!!

Anyway, I did want to show you a couple of things.  For sometime now I have been wanting a cabinet so that I could display my stitched bits and pieces and have them behind glass as opposed to sitting gathering dust in my two tiered cake stand.

  This is how they used to be and then in their new home......

...... 

DH gave the cabinet just the right amount of shabby - just the way I wanted it.

These are the 'guard dogs' keeping watch from above......

and here are the shelves....

Ben was a little bit upset that I posted a photo of the 'watch dogs' and not him.  He makes a much better job of looking beautiful than being a watch dog :)) He does have rather an odd expression on in this one though.

I had quite a job getting him to raise his head off the floor long enough to take this photo - lazy thing lol!!

Just to prove I have at least finished something, here is my Miss Mary Mack.

I have always loved Mary and here she is awaiting framing.  I love this dark linen.  I think it is from Birds of a Feather but can't think of the name of the colour now.  I have an image in my head of framing her in a big heavy dark frame like the one I used on my  La D Da Garden Angel here I think this would suit her beautifully.

A few weeks ago, my son became engaged and I plan to stitch a sampler for him and his beautiful fiancee for their wedding.  I ordered three pieces of linen which arrived this week.  The colours are from left to right....R & R Creme Brulee, Lakeside Vintage Luna and Lakeside Navy Bean.

 Aren't they lovely.  I am planning on stitching La D Da ~ Tie that Binds which you can see here  I think the Creme Brulee is the best option.  What do you think?

Have you ever had a song or a ditty just stuck in your head for days on end and you can't get rid of it?  That happened to me recently.  DD showed me this very cute You tube video of Shirley Temple singing The Cuppy Cake Song.  I had never seen it before and thought it so cute.  Decided on making it the ring tone on my phone but wish I hadn't (since changed it again).  It was just well and truly stuck in my head until it started to drive me nuts. Anyway, here it is if you want to watch it but don't say I didn't warn you LOL!!

(Hope my background music doesn't get mixed into it. I don't know how to fix that)

Well, although it had been a while since we chatted, I did have a few things to talk about.  Hope all is well in your worlds and as always, thanks for visiting with us.


"When late morning rolls around and you're feeling a bit out of sorts, don't worry; you're probably just a little eleven o'clockish." 
                  ~ Winnie the Pooh

~ Something Old and Something Even Older ~

Well I finally took the plunge and decided it was time to be brave and attempt to finish   Black Bird Designs Flowers for Sarah  from Thank You, Sarah Tobias.  This was a SAL I did with Sandra last year and although the stitching part was duly finished, the assembly part  kind of scared me so until a couple of days back it was hidden in the drawer with my other 'finished but not yet assembled 'WIP's.  I was always concerned about the putting together part of this beautiful design as it was stitched on a very long piece of linen, something like 54 inches long, plus it was quite an open weave linen and I could foresee issues in trying to get it all nice and even.  Anyway, here are the results.  I wasn't really happy with the colours either as although I stitched it in the suggested colours, it always looked rather 'wishy-washy' to me and didn't have the aged, vintage look that I was hoping for.  So, after I had put it together, I decided to once again be brave and dunk the whole thing in some coffee!!  Still not quite right so Plan B then came into play and I gave it a  spray with Parisian Essence.  I am now  pleased with the results - not perfect but okay and I am liking the rather crumpled look and don't plan on ironing out the wrinkles as it looks a bit rustic and  lets me dream that  it perhaps is something that has been hiding away in Great Grandma's workbasket for many years. Oh and yes, there is an extra bonus....the coffee makes it smells gorgeous :)

Now onto the 'something really old'....well, kind of really old!  Back in June, I took a trip back to New Zealand to visit my dearest, longtime friend who many years ago taught me to cross stitch and is now really ill. I think the second thing I ever cross stitched was this little picture  - very simple and and nothing special except for the sentiment... Forever Friends.  I know it meant something to my dear friend even though the threads I never tidied at the back showed through.  When I was there, she asked me to take it back home with me.  So this little simple picture, now hangs with pride in my craft room and I thank you my friend for teaching me to stitch - something that has become a real passion for me and over the years has made me lots of 'Forever Friends' just like you.

While surfing some blogs this morning I came across this beautiful quote and thought of you .....

~ Knock, Knock...Anybody There? ~

Well, it has been a while I know!!

No excuses really except to say, that since my blog is mainly stitching....I just haven't had a lot to show.  Now that isn't to say I haven't been stitching - I always have something on the go but often that something doesn't make a lot of progress....do you know what I mean???

However, I thought it would be nice to just drop by and say hi anyway as I do have some other wonderful things to show as it was recently my birthday and my lovely stitching friends once again really spoilt me with wonderful stitchy things but before that I will show you what I have managed to get done since I saw you last.

At the beginning of the year Sandra, Diane and I started a SAL stitching Abigail Colby's Workbasket  (lovingly renamed Abby) well  sadly, I managed to get way behind with mine as at the same time I was also stitching another SAL with dear friend Mary and being the slow stitcher that I am....found that trying to keep up with two just wasn't working!!  Never mind, they don't go away or have an expiry date on them so I have just been plugging away and they will get done eventually.

Abby, once finished will be a basket filled with beautiful stitching smalls as in the above pictures and so far I have stitched the basket top, and four of the accessories, the latest one being the needle pocket.  If you are interested in looking, the other pieces are in my Picasa album listed under SAL and here is a link to see Sandra's version as well.  Interesting to see how they look in different colour-ways. I am using the suggested colours while Sandra is being a bit more adventurous and using her own choice of colours.  I am not sure where Diane is at with hers.

I have hit a brick wall with my other SAL - Blessings Sampler,  the one I am stitching with Mary.  Mary has long finished hers but mine remains at a stand still on the last band which is satin stitch band and because this stitch is really quite long , I am having difficulties with it, just getting it sitting right and the correct tension.  I really want it finished as I am so close but can't find the motivation to work on trying to perfect those dreaded satin stitches.  Mary has a lovely blog over at Meakly Mine where you will see her Blessings Sampler completed.  She also has a lovely card making blog as well called Meakly Made where you can see all her beautiful cards.  There is a link on her stitching blog to that site as well. 

Here is my Blessings before attempting the satin stitch.  You can see it is a lovely sampler with a beautiful sentiment and I can't wait to have it framed and hanging but you can't force these things - right!!  It won't happen overnight but it will happen!! LOL!!

Oh, I do have one other finish to show you (actually, I have stitched more than I thought I had)

I stitched this little chookie for Sandra for her birthday last June... It is Coq au Pins by Twisted Oaks Designs.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, I was a very luck girl on my recent birthday and just look at what I received

From Mary

From Sandra

From Diane

Thank You Dear Friends - I really love my gifts. Stitching friends are the loveliest people.

I  was looking through some old photos earlier  and came across this one.  It was taken during a trip to Melbourne back in May where I caught up with Mary who kindly showed us around Melbourne.  We  went up to the Dandenong Mountains where we had lunch at a darling little Tea Room (I love that - it is usually 'cafe' nowadays) called Miss Marples which was just so English and lovely.  Here  is Mary and I outside after having a lovely lunch. Don't know who the gent is but I didn't want to cut him out or else you wouldn't see the name on the building. Do hope he doesn't mind being in our photo.

Well I can't finish a post without a mention of my shadow...beautiful Ben.  I wanted to show you that he actually does move, so this is a first attempt at adding a video to my blog.  He was actually in sleeping mode when I took this and probably not a good time to prove he moves and  please realise I disturbed his sleep LOL!! But anyway, here is Ben in all his cuteness and the subtle twitch of the tail and a quick lift of his head is all he could manage be bothered with at this stage of the day. :))

Well, I think that is about it for now.  I have been reading some of the US  blogs and everyone is sweltering over there it seems.  Well we are in winter here and it is just lovely.  I have really enjoyed the winter season this year.  A brief chance to wrap up warm, wear scarves and boots.  It is only for a short time and even now, the days are warm and sunny showing that spring is just around the corner and still another month of winter to go.

Until next time....Happy stitching!!

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,
 for the touch of a friendly hand and for talk beside the fire:

                          it is the time for home"

(Edith Sitwell, poet)

~ Anybody seen my Blogging Mojo?? ~

Yes, it has been a while since I dropped in to say hi  hasn't it.  Time flies.  To be truthful though - I really lost my blogging mojo somewhere along the way.  I hope I can find it again as it is always so lovely to keep in touch with fellow stitchers via our blogs.   Sometimes though, other things become a priority.  I have been stitching all  the while but haven't had a finish as such to show this year.

I've been doing two different SAL's this year with my friends Sandra, Diane and Mary and admit to being way behind with both!!

With Mary, who earlier this year started her own lovely blog Meakly Mine  I am stitching the Blessings Sampler by Wild-Heart designs.  It is a gorgeous sampler with a beautiful sentiment about being a Grandmother. Mary has finished hers which you can see on her blog whilst mine sits in my stitching bag waiting to be picked up to be finished.  I am on the last band though and here is a picture of it so far.

I haven't actually forgotten that flower at the top but decided on changing the colour and still have to adjust that row.  Actually, there has been quite a lot of adjustments with this one as I have changed most of the colours and messed around a lot with it. I am looking forward to finishing it and having it framed though as I really like it.

Sandra, Diane and I have been stitching Abigail Colby's Workbasket this year which for me is a big one.  I am clearly a slow stitcher as some of the motifs on the basket top I am about to show you took me 10 hours to finish!!

Yes, that is 10 hours just for one motif!! I have also finished the scissor fob and Cartouche for inside the basket which if you are interested in seeing are in my album. There are quite a few accessories that go inside the basket so at my rate of stitching I can see this project continuing for a long time yet. I had chosen a beautiful William Morris fabric to line my basket but since stitching this much I have decided the lining might look better in a less fussy design. However, I still have a way to go before I need to decide. I am enjoying this project which is stitched on 40ct Sand linen with lovely Belle Soie silk thread.

I recently had a lovely day out with Diane, the other friend who is stitching Abigail Colby (lovingly re-named Abby) with Sandra and me, whilst she was holidaying in my neck of the woods. We did the stitching shops, had a show and tell of our two 'Abbys' and enjoyed a lovely lunch. Diane is much further ahead with hers as well and it was interesting to see her version which is very different to mine as she is using different threads and a larger count linen. It is looking beautiful.

I couldn't finish this post without showing you a photo of my beautiful boy shadow - Ben.  He turned 5 year old earlier this month and I just took this photo of him enjoying the Autumn sunshine coming in through the door whilst 'meditating' on his old bean bag bed.  He actually gathers the bean bag up between his front paws and sucks on it kind of like a baby with a comforter blankie.  I always say he is meditating when he does it as he will lie there for quite sometime almost in a little trance like state.  I think it looks very cute and often wonder if it stems back to his puppyhood when he suckled from his mother.  I wish I knew :))

Well, that's about it from me for now.  Hope you are all well out there in blogland and happy stitching!!

"An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language."
  ~Martin Buber

Yoo Hoo!!

Anybody home, it's just me...Chrissie. I haven't been around much of late and so I do hope you had a lovely Christmas, a Happy New Year and that 2010 brings you Good Health and Happiness and of course some time to stitch:))

So what has been happening with my stitching over the last couple of months?? Hhhmmm, I can assure you I have been stitching although the last project of my 2009 SAL with Sandra still remains unfinished. Well, not entirely unfinished, the stitching is done it is just awaiting the 'putting together ' part. I can, with Sandra's permission, show you her finished version though so here is her Blackbird Designs ~ Flowers For Sarah

You can see more photos of it by clicking here. It's lovely Sandra and I hope mine looks as good.

2010 brings a new SAL for us and this year Diane, a longtime friend of Sandra's who I met back in October when Sandra visited, will be joining us. This year our project is Primitive Traditions ~ Abigail Colby ~ Workbasket and Accessories

We have all made a start but with not much having been stitched at this stage I will leave photos for a later date. For now though, here is a photo of my bits and pieces all ready to go.... gorgeous Belle Soie silks, 40ct linen, and William Morris fabric for lining and backings plus the Nantucket basket . The coffee mug is a special William Morris one which was a gift from Sandra for both Diane and me (Sandra has one as well) so we can all have our cup of coffee whilst we stitch-along in different parts of the world. We each also have one of the boxes to keep our project in which was a gift from Diane and the diary is for keeping a track of how many hours we work on the project. Watch this space for future updates.

I am actually doing two SAL's at present. The other is with my dear friend Mary and is the beautiful Blessings Sampler from Wild Heart Designs. Both of us are changing colours to suit and here is my progress to date ....

I just love this sampler and the sentiment is particularly lovely.

Mary has just started a new blog and you can drop in to see her progress at her blog " Meakly Mine".

I have seen lots of snow photos on blogs and with very bad weather conditions in some parts of the world I thought I would show you a photo of my shadow Ben, which I took just before as he had a short wander around the garden in temperatures in the 30's (Celsius that is) He wanted to get back inside to the air conditioning quite quickly!! Hope the cold weather isn't affecting you too badly and you are able to stay warm, safe and cosy.

"What.... you aren't expecting me to chase that ball in these temperatures are you"??

"No way Mum !!Let's go back inside!!"

"Good idea Ben, let's go back inside and I might just sit and do a little bit of stitching for a while"!!

So until next time ~ Happy Stitching!!

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather".

~John Ruskin