I am so very angry with DMC - I have been stitching Mirabila's Sabrina MD106  for a few months, and decided that the project looked a little grubby, - this does happen in my house have 6 cats and they occasionally like to sit on my work! I took it off the frame, and washed it, but it still looked grey in places were it SHOULD have been white! I gently washed it again, but still the same, so I then looked at the skeins of DMC white floss - and there was my culprit although all the same batch number the colours were different, ranging from off white to white to grey  over 12 different skeins I was livid I have now removed all the white stitches from the project which has taken me an age and as soon as the new skeins (ordered in especially) arrive I will start to replace the unpicked stitches, the only advantage is that all the missing blocks of colour on the left of the picture are white so I won't have to do any counting!

Well I have finally decided to try my hand at a HAE design, nothing small for me I have started Mask of Colors, She is only 10 inches by 21 inches! The chart suggested using 25 count but I am stitching it on 18 count ivory aida - I have a frame in mind and stitched on this count then it will fit perfectly.

I have been stitching this since 15th March a couple of hours each evening whilst listening to my audio books ( I love historical mysteries)  what do you listen too whilst stitching?
It doesn't look like I have done much does it but 18 count is hard on the eyes as you get older!!!

I have a really old table frame that belonged to my great grandmothers that I  use, (probably made in the late 1800's) I adore old sewing items and have collected many, but they don't live in a display case they are all used every single day, I believe that things were made to be used and even if they do get worn it shows that they have been appreciated and loved.

I cannot really believe that it is so long since I was last here 4 years! and the weather well it is STILL RAINING!!!

I will try to make this a weekly blog I owe it to myself to sit down and recall what has happened, I have done a lot of stitching since my last blog and would love to show you all what I have achieved away from the pc - quite a lot really considering I only stitch large pieces and my eyesight is definitely not what it used to be, no one ever told me that getting old was such a drag!!  I might have more time to do things, but they take more time to achieve!

We also have 2 new additions to the family a White (deaf) boxer called Tukker and a Chocolate Sprocker (Springer x Cocker) called Rupert, they are just adorable but do take up a lot of time with walks in the woods which are lovely whatever the weather. On the plus side they  get me up a 6.00am for their breakfast so I have a time to sit and have breakfast looking out onto my lovely garden (another passion in my life).

OK I am going to ease myself gently into the rhythm of blogging again so will come back tomorrow and post pictures of my sewing, not sure how many I have completed - I do know that I have 3 WIP's 
1. L&L Celtic Spring
2. L&L Sabrina
3. Serenity's Garden
which are weighing heavily on me I hate to have things unfinished so they are on my list to get on with this year too, although I really really want to stitch HAED Mask of Colors by Linda Ravenscroft, she is all kitted up and for the first time in my life I have gridded my fabric, the chart looks too complicated to just 'go for it' as I would normally.

I will show you how I am getting on with it, I haven't seen this stitched yet, everyone seems to love HAED charts but I wonder how many are stitched rather than 'collected'???  Please let me know if you have completed any and post a link so share your work.

All finished

I have been unable to get to my pc for a couple of weeks but that has meant that I was able to stitch more . *Yipee*

'How does your Garden Grow?'

I have finished my SAL 'How does your garden grow' beads and all - it looks beautiful, now I have to find a frame for it.

I keep promising myself that I will stitch things to fit all the frames I have stashed in the attic rather than having to go out and buy new frames, but this never ever seems to work out.

I also finished an Easter Exchange that I undertook in one of the Yahoo Groups I belong to I was so pleased with the result, I made it into a cushion, I hope my Exchange partner in Oz likes it.

I have just bought an old oak cutlery box from a junk shop and I am hoping to reline it and fit it out as a sewing box. The York antique boot fairs will start up soon (in about 4 weeks I think) and I will be able to go and get vintage sewing tools from there.

Last year I bought an old deeds box and refitted that lining it in purple silk and buying silver items, all from 1900 - 10 era, it looks beautiful and I use it every day.

A very wet Wednesday!

Well the snow has gone but I am not sure that the weather is any better, dull and miserable, dreek as my friends in the north would say, and that about sums it up really so still lots of time for stitching..

I know I was going to blog every Monday and today is Wednesday but I just could not drag myself away from my project.... and here it is nearly complete.

Cirque de cirque

I have really enjoyed stitching this and I can not believe that it appeared so quickly - just one month!

It was wonderful to stitch and the design just flowed off the needle, if anyone was thinking of stitching anything from Ink Circles I can really recommend this one.

I opted to stitch Just Nan Angels Celeste in the cente I love all the Just Nan designs.

As I have some more space left, I am going to stitch a banner with the date along the bottom, who knows one day it might become an antique!!

Still snowy here - but that means more time to stitch!

Well it has been a week since my last post and we still have a fair amount of snow around, although not as bad as some part of Britain. We have not really been snowed it, but I have taken the opportunity to say in doors cuddled up with the kitties and listen to my audio books and stitch.

Here is the progress I have made, not bad even if I do say so myself.

Circque des circques

I am still unsure of what to put in the centre, will have to find an angel to fit. I am sure that something will come to mind, but if anyone wants to make a suggestion I would be more than happy to consider it!


How does your Garden Grow?

Well considering the bad weather my garden is growing very nicely thank you *lol* I just love the colours and it will compliment my hallway a treat.




Lilly of the Woods
The leaf beads arrived from Hong Kong at the weekend and I just can't wait to get started on the beading so that Lilly can be finally completed, it has taken a long time to find the correct beads at the right price the ones recommended on the chart were so very expensive and in any case I never seem to follow things to the letter - that way I can always claim that the finished piece is unique, may my stitch the designer's chart but mine will always be slightly different. No picture of Lilly today as she is the same as she was two weeks ago, but just watch this space for the developments I have given myself a deadline of 28th Feb to get her finished!

News from a snowy yorkshire

Here is the weekly update on my stitching .

Well the weather has taken a turn for the worst and we have nearly 4 inches of snow and it hasn't stopped yet, so I have no alternative than to sit on the sofa with my cats and my stitching - live is sooo hard!

my garden is growing ..

Circque des cirque is coming along much faster then I thought it would, I have to decide what to stitch in the centre