For Dawn

Hi Dawn, you have left me a couple of messages, but I cannot reply as I do not have your email address.  Comments are moderated so if you leave me another message with your email address I won't publish it for all to see, but can reply to you.

Chris

A couple of little stitches

I still have loads to share, and promise to get 'a round to it'.  The weather has not been so good here over the weekend - it's really dull so not good light for photography, but here's some I took earlier.

Country Garden

by Blackbird Designs

stitched on 36ct Antique Gold Edinburgh linen by Silkweaver

This is the second time I've stitched this, the first time was for an exchange and I made it into a pinkeep.  I think I'll probably finish this the same way.  I am now selling the pattern if anyone is interested - just get leave me a comment.

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First Snow

by Praiseworthy Stitches

stitched on unknown fabric (28ct I think)

This was a nice quick stitch, again I'm now selling the pattern if anyone is interested.

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A bit of knitting has been done here too.  This is lovely yarn, such lovely colours and really sparkly, but that doesn't show up.  It is a shawl/scarf.  It knits up as a triangle you just keep increasing, and then cast off loosely, it then becomes more like a narrow scarf. (it's really stretchy).  It came with these wonderful glass heart beads to put on the ends.  However, it's not for me.  My sister fell in love with it at Easter, when we visited the Cotswolds.  So I said I'd knit it for her if she bought one.  If you ever visit Bourton-on-the-Water you must call in the craft shop - Bourton Basket, where we purchased this.

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Thank you all for taking the time to comment on my UFO, I've not stitched on it again yet, I need to get a frame out to put it on.  I will continue with 2 strands for a little bit and then decide on what to do.

I really need to de-stash, and I meant to say in my last post - as I am clearing out 100's of magazines - just let me know if there are any you are looking for and if I have them you are welcome to them as long as you send me an SAE.

Thanks for visiting.

Chris. xx

UFO's

I'm sure most of us stitchers have UFO's?  Well I have begun a sort out of my loft which contains a variety of stuff, including lots of my craft stash.  the first thing I am getting rid of is my stitching magazines, and other magazines too.  I first began collecting magazines when the first issue of Needlecraft was issued in 1990, and then went on to collect the other cross stitching magazine publications which followed hot on the heels of Needlecraft.

Anyway back to the original subject UFO's,  I have been thinking about digging out this sampler for quite some time now, and yesterday I was in the loft just looking at my stash of fabric, and this  UFO appeared in a box (I bet if I had gone looking for it I wouldn't have been able to find it).  So  I pulled it out and started wondering why it became a UFO?  I have always had a love of samplers and still love the look of this one and the colours. 

 

It's stitched on 36 count cream Edinburgh linen, and I have stitched it two over two, now the pattern called for it to be stitched one over two, but I didn't read the instructions.  It's from 1992/1993 and I'd always stitched with two strands so I suppose I'd never even thought of anything being stitched just with one strand.  So my guess is that is the reason it became a UFO.  Now I really want to finish this, but my question is, do I pull it all out and start again, or do I just continue with using two strands?  Will my stitching look different now to what it did then, I'm sure my stitching is probably different after 20 years.  What do you all think?

 

And for anyone wondering, this sampler pattern appeared in an earlier issue of Cross Stitch Collection, I know this because I made a working copy of the pattern.  I have no idea which issue, so I am going to have to look through the magazines to find out which one, and then I can show you what it will look like finished.

This linen by the way is beautiful, does anyone know if you can still by Edingburgh linen?

 

Why is this post in blue at the top - well I have no idea?  I've tried everything but it will not change, and it also appears to be underlined, but the underlining does not show in 'preview' so whether it will show once I 'publish', who knows.  (i think I've managed to fix it post publication)

Thank you to those of you who are still out there reading my blog, and those who took time to leave me a comment I appreciate it.

I have lots to share, but I'm just taking it slowly, I need to rediscover how to edit my photo's and maybe a change of software might be in order.  My expert is home until tomorrow, so think it's time to wake him up, it's nearly 16 hours since he went to bed, but he had been up for over 36 hours.

See you all soon.

Chris.x

Good news

Hi to anyone who is still out there in blogland.

The good news is that I seem to have got my stitching mojo back, so hoping to share some finishes with you, I just need to put the effort in to take the photo's.

I've also been catching up on blogs, now as I have hundreds in blogreader, it's taken a while, and I'll confess to just looking at the pictures for most of them, and when the occasional picture took my fancy then I read some posts too.

So having said that I don't think too many will read this, as if you're like me you like a good picture!  And this is where it doesn't work for me, I'm not good at getting a good picture!  I need more practice, I might go back to my old camera as that was much better than the last one I bought.

Hope to be back soon.

Happy stitching.

Chris.x

Christmas ornament exchange

Sally and I exchange a stitched ornament each year, and this is the one I stitched for Sally, I did consider several others, but has Sally has lots of stitching friends I didn't want to go for the obvious - thinking that someone else would also stitch the same design.  I enjoyed the stitching, and I am well out of practice on the making up front, but was pleased with the overall finish, and added some pretend crystal drops to the bottom.  And phew.....Sally said she liked it.  I was unable to get any really good pictures as it was so dark for many days due to the weather, and this is best I could do.

Sally stitched me a fantastic ornament, but I don't seem to have taken a photo of it, so I have stolen this one from Sally's blog - hopefully she won't mind too much!  I absolutely love it, and the blue fabric is gorgeous.  I don't know how Sally finds such wonderful fabric as she has no fabric shops where she lives.

A Birthday Gift

 Clover Sheep Needlekeep

by Island Cottage Needlearts

I made this for Sally's birthday in December.  When I spotted it for sale in a stitching shop on the web I just knew I had to buy it and make it for her.  Sally loves sheep so it was the perfect gift.  I quickly ordered but discovered that the shop didn't actually have it in stock so had to order it in for me.  I was a little worried as her birthday was coming up, but I needn't have worried as it arrived quickly, and there wasn't too much stitching to do, but then I had to make the sheep, it came with the wool felt for the sheep, but I kept thinking what if I cut it wrong!  Anyway thankfully Sally liked it.

I have stitched a few ornaments so far this year - pictures eventually, and last night was able to make a start on Poinsettia Place, which is No. 2 in the Santa's Village series.

And once again thank you all for visiting and welcoming me back to blogging.

Chris.x

The December SAL

Gingerbread Cottage

by Country Cottage Needleworks

stitched on 28ct Vintage Beige Cashel linen

Each December Sally and I do a SAL, and this year we chose Gingerbread Cottage, now I had not stitched for a while and trying to get back in to stitching and not let Sally down I concentrated on trying to get it finished and actually managed to finish it before Christmas.  Sally stitches on lots of things in her rotation but take a look at her blog - she is stitching up a storm.

As I have not been blogging for an age, here is a picture of  our December 2011 SAL, which I did not finish until January or February.  Now I did decide on a finish for this one but it has not happened yet, but did finally get some supplies for the finishing last month.

Snow Man

by Tralala

stitched on 28ct Raw linen

I just love this snow man, and have great plans for the finishing.

I now have both of these patterns for sale, just leave me a comment.

Sally and I have already decided on the 2013 December SAL - I can't wait for that one.

I have already finished 3 things this year - which is a bit of a shock, so will try and keep blogging and updating you on my progress.  Once again thank you everyone for visiting, and I am grateful to everyone who takes the time to leave me a comment.  I hope to add you all to my sidebar - when I've worked out how to change the layout of my blog.  I have already chosen a new template, and I followed the instructions but it didn't work, but I will keep trying as and when I have time.

Stitching

Santa's House

by Country Cottage Needleworks

stitched over 1 on 28ct

I guess you want to see stitching as this is a stitching blog.  This is my first finish from this year as I try to restore my stitching mojo.  I'm looking forward to the next chart arriving.  I love anything Christmas so this was a must for me, but having decided to stitch over one I have been wondering what I've let myself in for!

I have also had another finish this year and we're only on the 6th January, but I do have a few years to catch up on.  With not blogging my camera has had little use, and I've had to search for the cable to connect it to the pc, there was a large choice of cables but not one that fitted my camera and then I had a thought - looked in the camera box in the cupboard and there it was - must have had common sense when I decided to keep it there!

Hope you're all having a good weekend.

Chris.x

PS.... I am now selling the pattern if you're interested just leave me a comment, and I'll send you an email.

Blogging

Hello to everyone out there and a very big Thank you to everyone who commented - your comments are really appreciated.  Just wondering if anyone out there has any links that they'd be willing to share for blogging/layout instructions and any good template links?  Please................

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to one and all.

This is a test message - as blogger has changed beyond all recognition since I was last here.

Chris