Dear Jane

I’m really getting back into cross-stitch lately and enjoying it, although I am missing my quilting at the same time – if ONLY there were more hours in the day!!!!

What could be better though than a combination of the two! I’ve just bought myself this new chart

(saw it on someone else’s blog as usual!) and couldn’t resist (as usual!!). It’s a cross-stitch pattern based on the ‘Dear Jane’ quilt, but a scaled down version of it. I really love it and can’t wait to get started on it ..... along with many other cross-stitch patterns, some quilting – oh, yes, and I’ve also been having a little go at crocheting lately .... just to add to the pile!!! I just can’t help myself!!!

Valentines and friends!!

Now, as a single person (for the 3rd time now!!), I wasn’t expecting to receive anything in the way of a Valentines treat. However, I was wrong, because when you’re lucky enough to have such wonderful friends as Wendy (The Quiet Room), then you’re not forgotten. When I found a card from the Post Office man the other day saying they had a package for me, I tootled off to collect it assuming it was a couple of DVD’s I had ordered from Amazon. What a surprise to find a big fat envelope from Wendy instead. And here are the contents of that lovely big fat envelope:-



Firstly, lots of lovely Valentines delights – a beautifully stitched ‘February’ pillow, heart-shaped bath treats, choccies (yummie), a very cute little teddy, a reel of ‘East of India’ ribbon (I love ‘East of India’ products), a metal heart ..... and did I mention the choccies ......

here is a close-up of the box of chocolates, but I’m not going to compromise myself by showing you a photograph of the inside of the box – after all, the ‘Sell By’ date is September 2010, so I thought “better to be safe than sorry”, and munched my way through them in about (let me think) 30 seconds – naughty, but oh so nice!!!


and as if that wasn’t enough, Wendy also sent me some belated Christmas gifts. A beautifully stitched ‘Silent Night’ pillow and a lovely ‘Jim Shore’ Father Christmas figurine. Wendy, in her naivety (poor girl) thought I might want to keep the Christmas treats wrapped until next Christmas – ha ha ha – AS IF!!!!



So, all in all, even though I don’t have any romance in my life at the moment, I do feel very cherished and lucky to have such a lovely, lovely friend.

Although I have said it privately to Wendy, I’ll say it here again – THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Random Thoughts!

Although it’s been a while since I posted, it doesn’t mean that I haven’t been crafting! I suppose I could have blogged about life generally instead, but I haven’t really felt like it I suppose – I have been ‘lurking’ though and have been keeping up with all of my favourite blogs!

Anyway, just to prove (if I need to!) that I have been busy, here’s what I’m working on the moment.

It’s a cross-stitch called ‘Random Thoughts’ and it’s by ‘The Drawn Thread’ Company. I’d been on the look-out for a sampler for a while, and as soon as I saw this one on Andrea's blog, I knew that it was the one for me. Of course, there’s always a lot more work involved than you originally think isn’t there?!!! I started it just after Christmas and I’m nearly a third of the way through it.

It’s so hard on the old eye sight that I rarely feel like working on it after work under electric light, so it’s sort of become a weekend thing. By the way, had I mentioned that I’ll be 50 this year? Oh heck ..... it comes to us all!! Anyway, don’t worry, I'll remind you all nearer the time!! It would have been harder still had I stitched it on the suggested 32 count linen, rather than the 28 count that I chose instead!! I am enjoying watching it come together though and hope that I manage to finish it ..... let’s say, by the summer – there’s my challenge!!!!!!

Keep me to it!!

Don’t you just love my new scissors too? I bought them from Yuko in Japan. I see lovely antique looking scissors on lots of other blogs, but hadn’t seen anywhere I could buy them from until I came across Yuko’s blog – thanks Yuko!

Later!!

Christmas Belle

I did start ‘Christmas Belle’ rag doll before Christmas, but got a bit delayed in finishing her ..... but here she is finally – better late than never!! I also made her a warm muffler to help keep her hands nice and toastie in all this snow we’re getting here at the moment – anyone want to swap their sunshine for a bit of snow? Well, a lot of snow actually!!!!

Mary Little

......... now has a new home - mine!!!

My ‘Mary Little’ prize arrived today and I am so pleased with it. As I said to Patti in an email to her, she must have the most amazing eyesight to have stitched something so small – it is tiny, which makes it all the more beautiful. I have tried to take a photograph that shows how small it is. But you really need to do a close-up of the photograph to really appreciate how minute the stitches are!!



..... and this is the back

I am so lucky to have won this fantastic prize – thank you Patti – you’re a gem!!!

Christmas Presents!!

Just thought I’d do a quick post to show everyone the sewing themed pressies I had for Christmas!! And particularly to say thank you to Deb for the lovely wool felt mat she sent me – this is (I think) Deb’s first venture into working with wool felt and, you know, I think she’s got the hang of it very well – thanks so much Deb, it’s lovely.

I also had two books I wanted. ‘Creative Tucks and Textures for Quilts and Embroidery’, which is a book that a friend of mine has. The book was originally published in 2004, but it has some lovely ideas in it. And secondly, a book that I’ve been itching to have for months – ‘William Morris in Applique’. I’m very keen to have a go at something from this book. Appliqué is a technique that I want to learn a lot more about: add to that the fact that I have admired the work of William Morris since I studied him through my craft/design ‘A’ level when I was at school, and it's the perfect combination as far as I’m concerned!!

I hope you all had a good Christmas and received lots of nice stuff too!!

So I was wrong!!!!

I'm really glad to say!!!

I've just received an email from Patti to say that I DID win her beautiful 'Mary Little' pinkeep - ain't I the lucky one?!! I think my luck is changing, so I'll carry on doing the lottery 'cause you never know!!

I've also received this lovely embroidered Christmas tree deco from Deb - thanks Deb, it's really lovely and it's going straight on to the tree!

And finally, now that Wendy has received it, I can show a little cross-stitch tree deco I made for her (Gingerbreadman of course!!)!

Bye for now!

I can't resist!!

..........another giveaway, even though I have as much luck with giveaways as I do with the National Lottery!!

No matter - "gotta be in it to win it" as they say!!

Pop over to Patti's blog to be in with a chance of winning this lovely little pinkeep! Pick me though please Patti - pretty please!!!

Cross-Stitch Needle Case

I’ve just finished my latest cross-stitch project ..... and it’s my first attempt at a needle case. It’s based on this ‘Bent Creek’ sampler

I liked the style of the alphabet and the vines, but I wanted to do it in nicer colours that would match the fabric I wanted to use, which is ‘Blackbird Design’ fabrics. This is at the construction stage

And this is the finished needle case - front and back!


I wanted it more oblong in shape rather than the square ‘Bent Creek’ design, so I extended the pattern and then added my initials.

Quite a nice finish, even if I say so myself!!

Nina's Giveaway!

I've just joined another giveaway - I've been meaning to do it for ages, but hadn't got around to it!! "Gotta be in it to win it" as they say!! Anyway, if you pop over to Nina's ‘Between Crosses’ blog here, you too can be in with a chance of winning, not only this beautiful stitched Christmas ornament, but other lovely goodies too. Nina does some really terrific work and it's worth having a good old gander back through some of her posts if you're not already a visiter to her blog.

Ginny & Ginger

Here’s my latest offering, which I can show as it has now been received by Wendy. 'Pumpkin Wendy' as we’ll affectionately call her!!!!! (See previous post). And of course, it's rag dolls!!

The idea for these cute Gingerbreads came ages ago after seeing something similar elsewhere on the internet, and I knew that one day I would have to make them!

This is Ginny!

And this Ginger!

Wendy adores Gingerbread men, and she has been feeling a bit low lately, so I thought a pair of Gingers would cheer her up and they appear to have done the trick!!

The candy canes were another ‘must do’ and they seem to go quite well with gingerbread men ...... although the ‘mica’ glitter sprinkled on them seems to be everywhere I look now; the floor, my worktable, me – I’ll probably still be seeing it at Easter!!!

Long tiring day at work anyhow, so be seeing ya later!!

Bye for now!

Pumpkins Galore!!!

How often do we read on each others blogs about the generosity of fellow stitchers/quilters eh?? Well Wendy is no exception!!

When I set out my Autumn/Halloween display the other week (see earlier post), my lovely friend Wendy said that I should have some fabric pumpkins to go on my display. I had been planning on trying to make some myself, but time had not allowed of course! However, as Wendy is a bit of a whizz at making them, she offered to send me some of her pumpkins. Now, I thought that meant one, or maybe two. HELLO, look what the postie bought this morning just as I was dragging myself out of bed ...........



seven, YES 7 gorgeous pumpkins all made by Wendy’s fair hand!!



Aren’t they just something? I love everything about them; the cinnamon sticks, the moss with the leaves and the variety of colours in the fabrics. There is one baby pumpkin, five little ones and one BIG one – they are fabulous. And in honour of their arrival, I am going to leave my Autumn/Halloween display out now until Christmas before putting them away. I’ve told Wendy that I think she should go into business as a pumpkin maker – don’t you agree!!?

THANK YOU WENDY – you are a lovely friend.

Giveaway!

I just found another cross-stitch giveaway over at Patti's blog here - don't enter though, cause I want to win!!! LOL

Oh, go on then!!!!

Malvern Autumn Quilt Festival

I planned to blog yesterday, but I was having technical problems (sounds as though I know what I’m doing!!! LOL). Either AOL or Blogger was playing up – dunno which, but it seems to be behaving again now!!.

I was like an excited child on Saturday morning as I headed off with my friend Pam to the Malvern Autumn Quilt Festival; filled with anticipation of what goodies and inspiration awaited us! And it didn’t fail us. Wendy had pre-warned me to be ready to be shoved around, which I was a bit, but I did as Wendy advised ... and shoved back!! So, we had a lovely day and came home rather tired, but I was pleased with my purchases. I’m not going to bore you with heaps of photos – just a few of my favourites of the exhibition quilts. Note the first one – it’s a copy of the ‘Dear Jane’ quilt in reds’ blues & whites – isn’t it exquisite?!!

And finally one of my stash!! Fabric (5 metres in total), buttons, a hanger and Kim Diehl’s latest book, which I’ve been hankering after for a while!!