April Goals Review and May Goals

I think I did pretty well with my goals this month :o)

Crazy Exchange piece - DONE - and mailed - just waiting to hear it's been received by the recipient, so I can post photos!

Land That I Love (Canadian Version) - Lizzie*Kate - DONE - you've seen the photos :o)

Neat Country Stuff - Homespun Elegance - this is still a WIP, but it's over half way finished. I will put this aside whilst I do my gift stitching for May, but I'm looking forward to picking it back up again.

One Finish to Frame - DONE - I framed a small geometric piece, but haven't yet taken a photo - must remember to do so!

One Finish to Make Up Into Something - FOUR DONE - two needlerolls for the Monthly Finishing blog, one piece for the Crazy Exchange, and one small wallhanging (photo of that needed too!)

One UFO - DONE - this was a piece I used for the Crazy Exchange - get two birds with one stone! :O)

May is quite a busy month, as it's my niece's birthday on the 10th, and my dad's on the 24th!

So, here is the list... the finishing challenge can be dropped if need be, and I'm not intending making anything elaborate for M, as she's only 2 :o)

10 May - Birthday card for M
10 May - Birthday gift for M
21 May - Softie exchange piece
22 May - Celtic B - Mike Vickery (UFO)
24 May - Birthday card for Dad
24 May - Make Celtic B up as a cushion for dad
30 May - Biscornu for Finishing Challenge
31 May - Freebie exchange piece

So, let's get busy with the needles :o)

SAL and an update

Yesterday was my usual Sunday SAL with Sally. I got quite a lot done as –despite the numerous colour changes – it’s a pretty easy stitch, not too much fiddly detail. I have one small row to do – another darning pattern “path” and then I will be at the half way point – not bad for three sessions work! If I keep this rate up, I should be finished at the end of May, but I have a lot of gift stitching to do next month, so it probably won’t work out like that.





This is the project I’ve been calling the “Sludge Monster” – it’s actually not a very fair name for it, because although the colours are muted, and mainly browns, it’s quite warm in tone. I had hoped to have this finished for the end of the month, but that won’t happen now due to my evening commitments over the next couple of days, and I will be laying this aside whilst I work on my gift stitching.





This is the first block in my rather ambitious quilting project – a sampler quilt! I’ve not stitched this in the usual American pieced way, rather the old fashioned English way, using papers, as I’m stitching it all by hand (and without a rotary cutter and stuff). This block is called Rail Fence, apparently.





And this is a work in progress – the second block, called Maple Leaf. Given the fact that my partner is Canadian, I had to work this one in! Again, it’s pieced using papers. The green cotton I’ve used to tack (baste) the papers in with was some from my late gran’s stash, which I inherited. Actually, I’m using a lot of thread from her workbasket – it’s nice to have that connection to her.

As you can see, the colours are quite warm and bright - I will be introducing a moss green at some point, too, and another accent colour. I've chosen fabrics with abstract patterns or mottles rather than (say) flowers or leaves - I want the fabric shapes to be the pattern, not the print on the fabric.

Saturday is Stash Day ...

Well, perhaps this should read "Saturday after pay day is stash day..."

I went to the Patchwork Garden, intending only to buy some fabric to make a gift for M, my niece, but somehow I came out with half a dozen fat quarters to start a sampler quilt, using the book by Lynne Edwards, which I have on my shelf ...

It's going to be a long job, as I will be entirely hand piecing it (sewing machines make me stressed) but I did finish a simple block yesterday, only another 24 to go :o) Or possibly 19, it depends on how big I'm going to do it ... The colours are my favourite jewels and autumn tones, so it will be ... bright, I think is the word for it. There was a class at the store about to start, and the ladies were all very interested in what I was planning, and I got lots of compliments about my colour choices and "eye", which was nice ...

I'd love to do another block today, but I'm stitching on Morning Song with Sally as it's SAL Sunday, so it might have to wait. I want to stitch at least two bands...

Sow Kind Seeds - Bent Creek and an update.

Design: Sow Kind Seeds
Designer: Bent Creek
Threads: DMC Perle Cotton 5
Fabric: 10 count Tula

This project came together from a random assortment of bits, really!


The chart was a trade, and originally belonged to a kit. My swapper enclosed the left over threads, which weren't enough to stitch the whole piece again - I used what I could, subbed what I could from my stash, and only ordered one skein - to complete the border. So some of the colours are what the designer wanted - and some aren't :o)


The fabric was an unknown fabric I bought ages ago from a shop in London which is no longer there - a real shame, as it had been on the site for donkey's years, but I guess rents near Oxford Street are too high to support such a specialist retailer. Given the fact that I left living within shopping distance of London nearly ten years ago tells you how long this fabby has been waiting for it's chance to shine - and there was nearly a yard of it! I can't tell you how often I was tempted to eBay it ... but I didn't really know what it was. I've since worked out that if it isn't Tula, it's as near as jazz, and I've kitted several projects with it.


This was a nice quick stitch. All I need to do now is press it and attach a heart shape button to the hand. I'll either frame it or make it into a pillow.


Currently, I'm catching up with Neat Country Stuff. It's the last goal on my list for April, and it would be wonderful to get everything finished, for once :o) I've done nearly six squares out of the nine, so even if I don't finish it, it will be a very close run thing. I'm making life harder for myself by changing one of the squares - the sheep in the bottom right square looks nothing like a sheep to me (or to The Hermit) so I will be charting my own - I'm going to use the sheep from the same designer's Sheep Button Sampler as a starting point, but it needs completely re-sizing, and re-colouring, plus I want to keep the bird from the original chart - so it's get the graph paper out time. I'm a lot more confident that I used to be in changing motifs. I never had trouble changing colours, but I was always scared I'd wreck the balance of a design if I did things to it - now I no longer worry. Partly because I have a reasonable grasp of design concepts so I know I won't make a total hash of it, but partly because I know that as long as I'm happy, it doesn't really matter...


I've already decided on May's goals - I think the subtitle for the month should be "Selfless Stitching" - with the birthdays of two people very dear to me, plus two exchanges, I'm not going to have a lot of time for other things! My sister has said not to put pressure on myself making things for M (The Tot) but I want to - she really loves getting gifties, and I think when she's older, because she's been born into a crafty family, she will really appreciate getting something handmade and personal. And of course, I want to make things for my Dad, too - it's so hard buying gifts for a man, anyway, and my dad especially - if I don't make the effort, he gets the same old thing birthday after birthday. Not that he minds - he's a creature of habit, and receiving a nice bottle of Single Malt Scotch and some nice smellies is fine by him, but it doesn't seem enough for someone so special.

June - Shepherd's Bush

Design: June

Designer: Shepherd's Bush

Threads: DMC, Gentle Arts Sampler Threads, Dinky Dyes

Fabric: 28 count linen, antique white

I think this was another chart from my friend - and arch-enabler - Marci - which I have finally stitched. See, it may take a while, but I get there in the end :o) Marci used to be a demon stitcher, but over the last few years has been bitten by the bead bug - she has some nice earrings in her etsy shop, but that's only the tip of the iceberg as to her lovely creations! Marci, not only did I find the bead shop in Nottingham, I've found one that I didn't know existed in Chesterfield ... it's a conspiracy I tell ya!

It was a pretty quick stitch, and relatively trouble free. Because I didn't have the overdyes called for in the pattern, I substituted ones I had to hand, and the purples are slightly darker, but I like the effect.

I don't know whether to frame this to go on the "wall of bees" (which I really should photograph) or to make it into - yes, you guessed - a pinkeep!

Pinkeep Exchange

I've finally got some pictures to show! I hope you think it was worth the wait :o)

This is the lovely pinkeep which came all the way from Brazil - thanks Janaina! It's a Little House Needleworks design, and Janaina has personalised it with our initials and the date. It's beautifully stitched, and very neatly finished.

Here you can see everything else which came - the threads, the tea, the linen, the backing fabric, the shower gel, the sequins, the postcard - and the outer packaging too, so covered in stamps it looked very festive!

Thanks again Janaina, for such a wonderful gift!

SAL Sunday

This is progress after week 2. It seemed to want to "grow" really quickly yesterday. The Cashel linen that I'm using is a joy to stitch on, the needle goes through so smoothly, and I love the texture.

I'm mostly stitching this as charted, although I have amended the over-one areas. Instead of cross stitch in one strand of floss, I'm doing tent stitch in two - which is probably why I had time to work on the next couple of bands, although I don't think I'm way ahead of Sally, my partner in this.

Ma and Dad came over yesterday morning, and Ma really likes this chart - she's an accomplished stitcher herself, but we have quite different tastes, she's much more traditional than I am, and I think she's a bit bemused at my bees and sheep obsessions - she's more of a floral type, which is so not me... I think she thought I was stitching this for my niece, because of the farm animals on it, but it's mine, all mine!

Saturday Update

I didn't stitch at all yesterday - although I intended to!

I was going to Nottingham for a Bookcrossing meet, and as usual, dithered on the computer a bit too long. As I had a train to catch, I grabbed my scissors, a small hoop and a Periwinkle Promises kit to wile away the train journey (it's about 50 minutes). Got to the station, just in time to get the train, settled in my seat, opened the kit ... oops! Periwinkle Promises kits don't include a needle, and my needle box was in my other handbag... Fortunately, I had a book on me :o)

There doesn't seem to be a general craft shop in the middle of Nottingham, but I did find The Bead Shop, where I got a few charms, some seed beads, and a wire knitting kit to make myself a bracelet. It sounds fun - and easy :o)

Land That I Love - Lizzie*Kate

Design: Land That I Love
Designer: Lizzie*Kate
Threads: Gentle Arts Sampler Threads, DMC, DMC Color Variations, Wisper
Fabric: 14 count rustico aida

Ooops, it was only when editing the pic I noticed the stray thread ... but that's usual for surfaces in this place :o)

This is the Canadian version of the chart - Lizzie*Kate provides the alternative on her website. I stitched this is a real mixture of fibres - there's GAST for the house, DMC Color Variations for the grass, lettering and blue border, plain DMC for other bits, and of course Wisper for the fluffy sheepies!

The Hermit is Canadian by birth, British by descent, and he's very happy to be here, but I thought I'd stitch a nod to his home land. It's a beautiful country, but for all sorts of reasons when we got together (after "meeting" online) we decided to base ourselves in the UK.

I want to make a further amended version of this, for Scotland, but it would involve some colour changes too - I can see it in my head, with a thistle border, and a white house - better get the graph paper out, I suppose!

Spring Needleroll - Heart In Hand

Design: Spring Needleroll (from the Spring Fobs leaflet)
Designer: Heart in Hand
Threads: DMC
Fabric: 32 count linen, cream

Another finish for the Monthly Finishing Challenge! I'm so competitive, one needleroll just won't do, I have to make up two! :o)

Again, this was hand sewn, with a hemstitch end, ribbon carriers and French seamed. This is not how the designer directed - apparently, you are just seam the roll, thread the ribbon and there you go - despite the cover model obviously being hemmed in some manner to get rid of excess fabric. Pretty poor instructions, if you ask me...