A finish and giveaway results

Jane Atkinson - Scarlet Letter

Jane is finished but this is not the final photo. Somehow I have managed to delete it from my phone and she is now at the framers so will post again when she is back. I made many changes from the original and finally I have a "aide de memoire" for our wedding date. We can never remember the year but now it will be looking us in the face.

The winner of the Keep Me chart my Moira Blackburn is Vickie of A Stitcher's Story. Well done Vickie, please can you email me your postal address.

I want this blog to be positive so will only mention once that MIL passed away. It was a peaceful passing and a blessing.

We have been busy with a badger rescue. For the last several weeks one of the badgers that feeds in the gardens has had an injured foot/leg and was unable to put it to the ground.

I contacted Cornwall Badger Rescue and they advised that badgers often cut their paws or damage a claw when digging for worms etc., and that we needed to give it some time to see if it would heal by itself. I have been in weekly contact with them and on Tuesday night they came out to trap it.

We have several badgers that visit and we had to get the right one. They advised that if the badger's leg was broken they would have to destroy it as it would be suffering. I offered to pay for the veterinary bills and care whilst its leg set but apparently it would not be possible to return it to the wild after a prolonged absence as it would be attacked by the other badgers.

It was with much worry that we watched the trap being set. At 9.00pm the right badger arrived and after some sniffing went into the trap. The two person team dashed from their vehicle and quickly transferred the badger into a cage and covered it with a blanket.

It was taken to a 24/7 veterinary hospital in Truro and we then had to wait. It was with great relief that at around 11.00pm they telephoned to say that the leg had been broken but sometime ago. It had set crooked and that was why she (it was a girl) could not use it properly. As she was not in any pain and as she was in good condition (9KG) they felt that she could manage in the wild.

She was returned at midnight and very quickly scampered off. I will now make sure that extra food is put out in her feeding spot every night.

I wanted to share with you some photographs that I received from John Wright a very gifted amateur photographer who visits with us. 

John has really captured the mood of the Cove

Here is Porthleven in a storm.

It must be quite scary living in those houses as this is a regular occurrence. Check out the sea wall that has been built to stop the road being swept away.

Building work on the cottage is progressing well but so slowly. Next week I should have some photographs of the interior to show. My own home has been filling up with furniture and accessories for the cottage. It will be a relief to get them into place.

I hope to get back into regular posts and blogging soon.

Warm Wishes from Stitching By A Cornish Sea Shore Nicola xxx

A Cross Stitch Awakening - a giveaway

Jane Atkinson - Scarlet Letter

Progress on my current projects has been a little slow, there have been lots of other demands on my time, my darling Archie for one.

I had a very short stitching session this Saturday on SDW but some progress has been made which is always better than none.

SDW - Scarlet Letter

Recently our SDW SAL shared their journey to cross stitching reproduction samplers. The common theme the group shares is a start on Aida and cotton floss as a child mostly stitching Dimension kits.

Subsequently each one of us have had an awakening when we have been "inspired" and thus set off stitching samplers.

I ultimately fell passionately in love with reproduction samplers and  the mystic surrounding them and spend many happy hours thinking of the young girls and what they were dreaming of whilst stitching the original and what their lives were like. 

Every sampler tells a story that comes from the heart and none more so than an antique sampler. 

Did their dreams come true ? I like happy ending so all my girls lived happily ever after in my imagination.

Certainly all of these girls live on today because of their samplers. 

Would you share with the me your "inspiration" to start cross stitching and what you is your favourite type of project. 

Every comment will be entered into a draw for a gently used copy of Keep Me which seems very appropriate as it was an article on Moira Blackburn that was my inspiration to pick up a needle and my cross stitching journey started.

Keep Me - Moira Blackburn

Thank you Moira for starting me on this wonderful journey.

Manifesto is progressing slowly but surely. I can envisage increasing my days to two per week very soon.

Manifesto - Scarlet Letter

Ray is busy preparing for his round the UK voyage on board the Hey Ho and there are many things to get ready and tested. He had me in a different sort of "stitches" yesterday. Check out the video.

Thank you for all your the wonderful comments, I read them all and respond but I have noticed that there are quite a few no-reply bloggers. If you have not received a response from me it is because I able unable to as your email address is hidden by blogger. It is well worth checking your settings.

I see I have a few new followers, a warm welcome to you.

Good luck with the giveaway.

Thank You Dear Friends

Jane Atkinson - Scarlet Letter

I have been having great fun with Jane and despite not picking up a needle on Friday I am pleased with my progress. I have decided not to stitch the creepy crawly insects and will replace them with ladybirds and bees.

SDW - Scarlet Letter

My sister and her girls came for the weekend, we tired them out with lots of Cornish sea air and they retired early on Saturday night so I managed to get two hours in and a few more letters. Hopefully I will achieve more next Saturday.

Sunday afternoon was spent on Manifesto

Ray thinks this frame is hysterical as my arm span iss not wide enough to tighten it by myself.

Here is my progress after Thursday evening (in lieu of the earlier aborted Sunday session) and this Sunday. It is such a fun stitch.

Libby has always been afraid of Blue but he became her best friend on this visit and bless him he allowed her to pull him around the house and endured lots of cuddles.

Libby adored Archie and was in charge of him. As the weather was nice we ate outside on the beach front in Falmouth.

I love this photograph of Libby and Bethany and will be having it framed.

The girls enjoyed their visit to the farm, there is so much new life there at the moment.

Three lambs were born on the weekend.

We are expecting a new dexter calf any day.


We have been blessed with cold but sunny days since my last post and work has been progressing well on the cottage.

It will be worth it as the views from all living, dining and kitchen areas will be breathtaking.

I have to thank all my wonderful "pin" pals from the bottom of my heart for making my 50th birthday a truly special one. I have been touched by all your birthday wishes, emails, text messages, comments and gifts.

Elizabeth gifted me a  "Nicola" rose which has been planted today where I can see it  from my sun room. Thank you Elizabeth, you know how dear my garden is to me.

Krista sent me a delicious box of chocolates which I am ashamed to admit I have already sampled together with a chocolate delight thread sampler bag from The Gentle Art. I was so touched that Krista has put together a book of by blog posts from 2011.

Margaret sent me a wonderful wooden box of Winter Delights. It is so prettily painted and filled with a matching thread holder, scissors, needle keep and thread winder. I shall have much use from these

Jo sent me a Scarlet Parcel

filled with Scarlet Goodies. I am wearing my badge Jo. 

Barbara sent me a kit of The River, a Scarlet Letter design that is OOP. Barbara stitched this for her daughter and 

I fell in love with it but had been unable to track it down. Barbara came up trumps and found a friend who had the kit in her stash. I cannot wait to start stitching it.

Kathy sent me the kit of Give Thanks and arranged for the chart to be signed by Cynthia. The fabric and silk threads are scrumptious. I truly do give thanks Kathy for all my wonderful friends.

Betty gifted to me a gorgeous pair of scissors and beaded fob and charm, together with a corner gauge which I have not seen before but will be so useful. Betty also included the softest cuddly rabbit for Archie.

Margaret sent me an Inspirations magazine, which is one of my favourite and not always easy to track down in the UK and another magazine which has a very interesting article about Olwyn Horwood. I am looking forward to reading both.

Deanna sent an exciting box of goodies including the Louisa Earle chart which I will greatly enjoy stitching.

Katherine of Windy Ridge Designs sent me some of her own designs. How wonderful to have your own designs published.

Elaine sent me an intriguing package wrapped in the most delicious fabric.












Inside were two charts, one for a quilt from Don't Look Now. This is a must do project for Archie and the other a Heartstring sampler for me.

Faye  wowed me with one of her accessory pouches.













Faye puts so much attention to detail into her finishes. I love the little charm attached to the zipper.

My initial is absolutely charming and in Scarlet too, look at the little flowers.

Ellen has spoilt me with three of her own charts. They are beautifully designed with excellent instructions.

Angie who is a very gifted quilter made a glasses case for me and sent me Jean Baggott's book The Girl on the Wall which I having been looking forward to reading.

June sent me a sweet wooden angel "50 and nifty" I have a place already to hang her. June makes wonderful ornaments and I will have great pleasure using the pin cushion. The address book and pen will be put to use straight away. 

Dawn sent a gift voucher for The Scarlet Letter, what fun I am going to have choosing some charts. 


I have to finish today with a photo of Archie

He is thriving, we feel so blessed to have him in our family. 

Much love and hugs to each and every one of you.





Warm Wishes from Stitching By A Cornish Sea Shore Nicola xxx

Valentine Exchange

This is the Valentine I received, thank you so much I adore it. I am looking forward to finding out who stitched it. Isn't it beautifully finished?

Thank you Jo of serendipitous stitching for organising the exchange, it has been great fun again and a good way to get to know other bloggers.

Steady progress has been made on SDW and the SAL is now on week 15.

SDW German Band Sampler - Scarlet Letter

Jane's garden is in full flower and her beauty is blowing me away.

Jane Atkinson - Scarlet Letter

I was hoping to start The Scarlet Letter's new pictorial sampler "Manifesto" on Sunday. On 35ct this measures 34.5" wide by 21" high. I am planning on personalising it quite a bit so it is going to be much wider. It is going to be dedicated to my grandson who was born on the day the design of the sampler was completed and as it depicts a family scene it seemed a perfect choice.

My current plan although this may change as I stitch is to have the three verses of the poem Family Ties Are Precious Threads Woven Through The Years stitched in three blocks across the top, a dedication to Archie at the bottom and as many of the names (inc. dates of birth, place and death) of the ancestors I have traced through my family history research stitched down both sides. This will make the sampler very wide.

Manifesto - Scarlet Letter

The extra long bars that I ordered the first week of January for my Millennium Frame have not arrived. With no firm delivery date I have had to be inventive as I found that I could not stitch comfortably with a q-snap or hoop. I have been quite spoilt by my frame.

It hit me on Tuesday night that I had a carpenter working in the holiday cottage we are refurbishing on Wednesday so I sent him a text and he promised to see what he could do for me.

Now one of the reasons that the bars are taking a while to come is that they need to be laminated to stop them warping because of their length so these bars are only a temporary measure.

 Guess what I started to stitch Wednesday night ?


The news stations in the UK have been covering the blizzards in America and my heart goes out to all effected. We got quite excited when we had a dusting.

Poldhu Cove Mullion

Snow is rare in the Cove so when we woke to this I had to get the camera out to record the event. The salt in the air caused it to melt away very quickly.

Poldhu Cove Mullion

By the time I went out for a walk with Poppy and Blue it had all disappeared.

Archie continues to thrive and my calendar is becoming well booked up with baby sitting duties. He is a dear little chap. I looked after him for a few hours yesterday, I was exhausted but happy at the end. 

The painting of Millie, Poppy and Blue is back from the framers and hung in Ray's study. We are so pleased with it.

The building work on the cottage is proceeding well and yesterday the front elevation started being knocked out to be replaced with floor to ceiling glass to enjoy the stunning views. Typically we had heavy rain and winds blowing straight in from the sea. The work had to proceed as we have brought extra men in for this particular job.

This is the view from the second bedroom taken when the cottage was used as an office. This is the view I used to enjoy from my desk. It was fatal to look out when trying to work.

This is the main bedroom which enjoys the same views.

I cannot show interior shots of the work at the moment as there is so much going on it is difficult to get a clear photo.

The island for the kitchen has arrived and I am thrilled with the quality.


Wishing every one a very Happy Valentine's Day.