A Fleeting Visit

It’s been a busy one today, the kiddiewinks have gone to Grandma’s & Grandpa’s, I have spent the day doing housework and laundry catch up, baking some fruit loaves and ironing our Sunday best ready for tomorrows First Holy Communion Mass, it starts at 9.30am so an early start!

A little stitchy stuff to share with you…I finally got around to making my Gingerbread Village May ornie up for the Christmas All Year Round blog…here’s a pic

I also completed my June ornie too, I haven;t made that one up yet but here is a piccie..

Giulia Manfredini – Christmas Heart (GOSM November 2011)

28c Ivory Evenweave  (stitched over one)

Needlepoint Silks – Peacock Green & Crimson Tide

Finally I finished one of my UFO….this had been in my in and out pile for ages…but I decided it was so near completion to get my finger out and finish it…

Little House Needleworks – Prairie Sampler

28c Wichelt Linen Lambswool

Crescent Colour Threads

I started this early 2010…not quite sure of the date…Completed 15th June 2012

I am now selling this chart if anyone is interested please email me!

Thanks for visiting today…enjoy your weekend!

Hugs & Stitches

Monday’s Mutterings

Not a lot of mutterings really, but a few pictures to share….firstly Michelle RAK’d me some lovely WDW and GAST threads…I am very spoilt by my lovely friend :0) thank you Michelle xx

My Mum also spoilt me this week, she went shopping and saw this plate and thought it would be a perfect addition to my new kitchen….and it certainly is!

A little stitchy progress over the weekend, one is a secret stitch so I cannot show any of that, but I managed some work on Prairie Moon Sampler…I don’t think it will be long before this is completed.

and finally….my Valentines gift….to myself…well a single girl of a certain age needs to treat herself now and again doesn't she!

I have a tutorial tomorrow evening, which I am very pleased about I have been struggling with motivating myself and I have another essay to be handed in next Friday, a biggie too…grrrr!

Enjoy your week!

Hugs & Stitches

Frosty Friday!

Its cold and frosty here this morning, but lovely and sunny and bright….I have the time to update my blog this morning as my kitchen is currently out of bounds due to the decorator being in there…wallpapering as I type!

I have managed some progress on two of my WIPs and my current UFO, plus I have knitted up another dishcloth.

Firstly my progress on my Witch School Sampler, which I am stitching as my SAL piece for the Sampler Girl SAL over at Needlecraft Haven, I have had quite a slow start on this one….but completed most of the dress on Wednesday evening so I am finally off and running!

Secondly Milady’s Needle “A Gift From A Friend” this chart was gifted to me at Christmas by my wonderful friend Michelle, I stitched this Sunday evening whilst enjoying Call the Midwife and Birdsong.

Tuesday Evening is my UFO stitching evening, I re-started LHN Prairie Moon Sampler, I had forgotten what a lovely stitch it is, I have swapped some of the thread colours around slightly…

I knitted up another dishcloth, I used Lily’s Sugar & Cream cotton yarn…the colours are divine….I will have lots of lovely new dishcloths for my lovely new kitchen :0)

I spend some time researching for my next Uni assignment, it’s a bigger essay this time on one particular subject, something to get my teeth stuck into…as they say. I am struggling where to start on it to be honest but this evening I think I will just start writing and see how I get on, often that’s my trouble it’s just the getting started, once I’m off then it does flow…finger’s crossed anyhow!

I hope to be back sometime early next week, if I don;t get lost under all my notes…lol

Have a great weekend!

Hugs & Stitches

Monday Macarena….(Edited)

A Happy Dance here in cold, dark York this morning…..I put the final stitches into this at about 10.30pm last night…

Little House Needleworks “Home of a Needleworker”

32c Belfast Linen “Raw Flax”

DMC threads as recommended but swapped around slightly!

Started: 2nd January 2011 Completed: 3rd April 2011

This chart is now for sale…I have added it to my For Sale page here
*EDITED the chart has now been sold

Hugs & Stitches

In Love….

….with these gorgeous books which arrived in the mail this morning from Michelle…

I have had a quick flick through them…OMG so many to stitch…which one will be first I wonder!

As promised yesterday…here is my progress on “Home of a Needleworker”…as you can see, it’s almost completed…just the top and bottom borders to finish…that could be this evenings stitching, then it’s all done. I have swapped the charted threads around on this one…but I like how they look.

My parents are having the kids this afternoon…so the second coat of paint will go on the bathroom walls and if I have the time the last coat of satinwood will go onto the tongue and groove…then it’ll almost be done :0)

Hugs & Stitches

Party time….and nearly a HD!!

The children had been invited to a joint birthday party yesterday…which they both really enjoyed…here are the gifts I made for the two birthday girls…I embroidered the initials, hearts and flowers freehand…the bags contain a selection of glittery nail polishes and groovy eye colours…perfect for young ladies!!

I have been working on two of my WIP’s this week along with secret stitching which I cannot show yet…my Lizzie*Kate Double Flips was a UFO but as you can see it’s almost a HD now…just the last word and the border to complete…it’s my aim to complete this piece during the week…this has been an on and off WIP/UFO for 2 years so it will be a relief to finish it…!

My other WIP progress this week is my LHN “Home of a Needleworker” which I am SO loving stitching…I have just started on the house…which is a great stitch when wanting to watch something “good” on the TV as I don’t need to do lots of counting and thread changes…

Martha is back to full health now…and is eating everything in sight…making up for the 5 day's without food! She wanted to pose this morning whilst I had my camera out to take my progress pictures…she loves this new top I bought her…it says “Mummy says I’ve got the X-Factor!”

 

Not much going on today, the wind has died down but it’s wet, dark and miserable here, but at least the temperature has increased…it certainly makes a big difference. The washing and ironing is all done..just the Sunday dinner to prepare…turkey dinner today with all the trimmings…yummy…:0)

Have a great Sunday!

Hugs & Stitches

123 Go!!…Maybe Not!!

It’s not been a fun few days here, Martha has been quite poorly, she started with an upset tummy on Saturday but was perky in herself, but by late Sunday evening she started vomiting which continued half hourly throughout the night and half way through Monday..I had to wash 4 sets of bedding and clothes etc in a no sleep state…lol. She still was bringing water back yesterday evening so I made a call to the out of doors doctors, they asked us to take her to the hospital immediately as she was at risk of dehydration. This was about 8.30pm, so we had to wake up Isaac and take him to my parents to sleep the night there and then head over to the hospital, they saw her straight away, gave her a full check over and asked that we try to get as much fluid into her as we could…difficult with a 2 year old who just doesn’t want to. Anyhow she is a bit perkier today and has drunk over a cup of juice and water, she’s still not eaten and is very sleepy and crying a lot more than the past few days, which I feel is a good sign. Let’s hope she has another good nights sleep and is brighter tomorrow.

Now onto something better…

I have a second finish of the year (the first cannot be revealed yet!)

It’s “Blueberry Tea” from the Shepherd’s Bush “Bramble Hearth” chart leaflet which I bought from Su’s stash sale! I loved stitching this and can’t wait to stitch the rest of them too!

Shepherd’s Bush “Blueberry Tea”

28c Jobelan Jayne’s Attic hand-dyed “Lily of the Valley”

DMC threads as charted

Started 14th January 2011

Finished 24th January 2011

I have done a bit of work on 2 of my WIP’s

Needlecraft Haven forum are currently running a SAL for The Sampler Girl designs, I have oodles of them to stitch, so I decided to join in…I will be starting “In the Garden with Jane Austen”…I am stitching it on 28c Jobelan Jayne’s Attic hand-dyed “Dick Whittington Streets of Gold” using my own choice of Dragon Floss and DMC threads…

  I will be back later in the week….with more updates I hope..

Hugs & Stitches

Stitching, Knitting & Baking

I’ve managed to do plenty of finishing up this week, which I am pleased about…firstly here is the pillow I made for my Mum for a birthday gift.

Little House Needleworks “Lavender Hill”

Stitched on 28c Jobelan in Bay Leaf with DMC threads

Finished as a long pillow with cotton lace trim

I have made some more progress on my “Cheryl” SAL, it’s now 3/4 done so I hope that I will now complete it my the end of the year…this is such a lovely piece to stitch and the threads are so pretty too.

And now for something a little different from me…I have finally finished my scarf, which has been an on and off knit since the start of the year…its so soft and snuggly…the light doesn’t really show the colours too well, but from the close up you can see its a multi-textured yarn with flecks of green, beige and gold running through the rusty orange colour.

Also some other knitting…washcloths for gifts :0)

I baked some banana loaves today as I had some very ripe bananas in the fruit bowl…I have tried many recipes for this over the years but this one is by far the easiest and best

4oz butter softened

6oz sugar (caster or soft brown or a mixture of both)

8oz self raising flour

2 medium eggs

2-3 medium ripe bananas mashed

Cream the sugar & butter together, beat in the eggs and add the bananas, fold in the flour then spoon into a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin. Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven 180c for 40 minutes and the turn to 150c for a further 30 minutes…leave to cool then slice and munch!!

Hugs & Stitches

Elisa x

Frosty Flakes & Summer Pillow

I received a lovely package in the mail today, Lynn from the Seasonal Exchange blog has stitched me this lovely L*K design and finished it as a beaded edged pillow…isn’t it sweet…thanks Lynn I adore it!

I have managed to complete 2 pieces of stitching this past week, firstly the latest LHN ornie for the year long SAL…here he is…

LHN “Frosty Flakes”

Stitched on 32c Murano “Beige” using DMC threads and black seed beads

Finished as a hanging ornament with garden twine

I can’t wait for the next one…..I have also completed stitching LHN “Lavender Hill” this is a gift for my Mum’s birthday, I need to finish it and then I will reveal it for you to see.

I have also been busy Christmas gift making and popped into town this morning for a few supplies, I also picked up some lovely lace and ribbon for the pillow for my Mum.

Isaac is heading away on holiday with my parents and nieces tomorrow for a week…it’s the longest time we have been apart, but I am sure he will have fun. Mark, Martha and I are having a few days break next week at the East Coast…finger’s crossed for the weather…I need to decide what stitching to take with me…decisions decisions…lol!!

Hugs & Stitches

Elisa x

LHN Exchange Received

The theme for the monthly exchange on the Stitching Exchanging blog was LHN/In the style of LHN. I decided on LHN “Paper Whites” which I stitched on Moss 28c Jobelan with the recommended DMC threads. I backed it with checked fabric shown and finished as a pillow with tassels. I did slightly adapt the design by only doing the leaves border top and bottom and just doing a line of stitches down the side. Kate likes the gift very much, which I am pleased about :)

Other news to follow in a later post once I have taken some piccies…

Hugs & Stitches

Elisa x

PIF for Michelle and other “stuff”

WARNING - lots of pictures in this post!!

Michelle messaged me this evening to let me know that the PIF piece I stitched for her had arrived. The design appeared in June 2007 edition of GOSM and is the first ever Assisi cross-stitch I have done, I stitched it on 32 white Murano with Carries thread in “Happy”. I backed it with the fabric shown in the picture and finished with tassels made in the same thread.

Since receiving my redundancy pay I have been so good and not bought any stash with it, mainly house stuff and saving the rest for a “rainy day”. But I did treat myself to a couple of small packages firstly from Sew and So some Crescent Colour threads for my new project (which I will reveal at a later date), and a few DMC replacements

Secondly Michelle was having a stash sale and I purchased all her LHN charts and a CCN chart. Michelle very kindly also included a bonus chart of Milady’s Quaker Pinkeeps…which is fantastic…thank you so much Michelle xI forgot to show you these photos last week, they are of the gorgeous flowers I received from work as an official leaving gift….      and also this beautiful Sleeved Orchid from my friends Rita & Val, it is so elegant and delicate.     Here is my new little everyday workbox, it is from Cath Kidston and I got it from the sale a couple of weeks ago…it matches the pin cushion and needlebook I received for my birthday last year.                                 I have been busy building furniture, here are the 2 unit sets I have put together…I am quite proud of myself as they have come out well.  and last but not least a few pictures of the babes….Martha looks a bit shocked in this one….           but this one she looks a sweetie….she was 8 months old last week….unbelievable where the time goes…  

Will be back later in the week with some stitchy updates….

Have a good week

Hugs & Stitches

Elisa x