February monthly challenge

This is the pattern voted for in the February monthly challenge. It's Valentine Heart by Dragonfly Stitches, it was a freebie but is no longer available. I decided I liked this thread which is Dragon floss and called Kisses with Stitches by Polstitches. With this thread I had to stitch on black for best effect, and I could only find a piece of 22ct hardanger, so I used that and stitched over 2. As you can see I decide on a cushion finish. The cushion is aprox. 14" x 9". Apologies for the blurred photo. I'll try to do better next time.

Valentines Day Exchange

My SBEBB Valentines Day exchange finally arrived with Suzanne, it took nearly 3 weeks to get there. Now it's the first time I've sent anything to Canada, so I'll have to remember that it takes longer to get there, and post out earlier. I was a day late in posting this, thanks to getting a puncture, and then the weather. Without my car I decided to walk to the post office, and got all ready to go, when I opened the door I changed my mind, it was very, very windy, and snow was forecast, with wind chill it was -7C so I changed my mind. I had parcelled it up without taking a photo so was a bit miffed-blamed the weather. Anyway, the next day, I decided to unwrap it before posting, and snap it. After all that, it's not a very good pic is it?
Anyway, as you can see, I made a needleroll. The pattern is a freebie by Liz Navickas, you can get the pattern here. I've stitched this a few times. This one is in DMC, and has antique gold beads on it. I also sent Suzanne some vintage linen, threads, ribbon and a box of chocolates. You have to have chocolates on Valentines Day don't you?




This week I've stitched on the Sampler Garden casket, and finished the top, I'll show a picture in the week. I've not stitched much on a night this week, I've been too tired after work. Today is JN Sunday, and I've already stitched a little. When I got up this morning there was a beautiful sunrise, and gorgeous blue sky, it could have been summer. Now it's grey and cloudy. Oh well.

JN Sunday is back

Just Nan Sunday is back. I just couldn't resist. I pulled the threads, well actually dd pulled them for me, and this is last nights progress. I would have completed the top row, but the colour needed was not in the thread list, so I didn't have it to hand. I can't wait til next Sunday. By the way, for those of you that don't know, it's Baranbee's Quest, which has been in my stash a long time.



Part 2 of Sampler Garden casket came out on Friday, and this is what I stitched on Saturday night, more to be done tonight, hopefully. Don't you think those bunnies are cute.




Then here's a peek of something I started on Valentine's Day, I'll show it all when it's completed, and made up. I just loved working on this.



And another peek of something else I stitched last week. I'll show this one, when it's made up too. I know exactly how I'm making this up.




Thanks for all your comments on my last posts. It seems that most want to see ST made up as a pillow. Well, I'll have to see. It's difficult to find nice finishing fabrics around here, so it may be awhile, as I don't think that I have anything that will be suitable. I'll have to take it on my travels, and see what I can find. I've not made up my challenge piece yet either, oops! nearly spilled the beans on that, just remembered, I'm not allowed to say!

A couple of finishes.

It's a while since I blogged, but I have been stitching honest. I've done some secret stitching, which obviously I can't show, and then I've stitched on the Monthly Challenge, but have yet to make that up, and that's another thing I can't show until reveal day. But I can show these ....

First we have Radiant Diamond Sampler by The Sweetheart Tree, I started this on Friday night, and finished it on Saturday night. I was just tidying my stash when I came across this pattern, it was probably an ebay win, and decided to stitch it there and then. It had the fabric with the chart, so I only had to pull the threads. I'm undecided how to finish it, so would love to hear your thoughts.


Next we have Tracy's Round Robin. I just hope that Tracy likes how I chose the colours.


As Tracy's main colour is the green, and then highlights in purple, I admit that I found it really hard to decide which parts to do in the purple in the second page. I was going to do all the flowers in purple, but then thought it would be just too much with those big flowers, and then there would be more purple than green. Anyway I suppose everyone would have stitched it differently, and it's easier to say with hindsight. But the idea is to make it individual, so fingers crossed that Tracy likes it.

Busy Sundays

Here's a picture of Lady Scarlet, finished at last. This was a Sunday SAL, a while back, but the group I was on kind of fell apart, and then I got busy stitching with ornaments and secret stitching. I think I worked on it for a couple of Sundays, and took photo's but never posted to my blog, so I might have to find them. At the time, I did decide I'd stitch Just Nan's every Sunday, as I have a lot in my stash, but I'm not sure now as I didn't stick to it. All it needed was one more Sunday, and it was done.



This is the book I bought the week before last, and I showed it to DD15 last Sunday morning. Shortly after, dh came home with a small tool bag, complete with garden hand tools, similar to this:

This gave DD an idea, a bag like that was just what she thought I needed to keep by my side,with my stitching bits and bobs in. And this is what she made me:



Two pockets at the front, one pocket at the back, and here's the inside, all lined and the seams bound. Don't you just love it? I must add, she made this that Sunday afternoon. Now I want a bigger one to match!