Look what the postie brought me

I had a lovely surprise this morning when the post lady came, instead of all the usual bills and junk mail I received my PIF from Elisa.

It is really pretty and as I love cats it was very appropriate for me and what Elisa didn't know was that I was going to stitch that for myself as I'd just down loaded the pattern. Now I don't have to and it's been made into a beautiful pillow with the most gorgeous backing fabric. Thank you so much Elisa, I shall treasure it.

love and hugs,

Sue xx

Beatrix, an exchange and a new start

Beatrix is coming along nicely though I forgot to post a pic last week when I had done another two motifs, I did another one this week so although I'd like to get it finished soon, I can at least see some progress..

My Valentine exchange arrived with Carol this week and I hope she enjoyed receiving it as much as I did stitching it for her.

The pattern is from a Shepherds Bush leaflet, Valentine Folio. Stitched on 28 count antique white jubilee with DMC threads.

My new start is a Country Cottage Needleworks Summer Garden I can't wait to get stuck into it but every time I've sat down to stitch this week someone has either phoned or popped round so not many stitches have been put in. It has been nice catching up with friends and family, nothing like a good gossip or a moan to make you feel better.

As Chris was the only one to enter my PIF, I shall stitch something for her and do a couple of RAKs during the year, the problem is, who do I stitch for, there are so many nice people out in blogland.

Not  a lot been happening in this part of the world though my middle daughter, the only one left at home, has informed me that she will probably be moving in with her boyfriend in July so I might get to have my craft room yet, wouldn't that be nice. I'm not sure how I feel about being an "empty nester" yet but she will be 30 this year so I guess it's about time that she put some love into a home that they can share.

It is freezing tonight so I'm going to make myself a nice hot drink and snuggle down in bed with my book,

Love and hugs,

Sue xx

My Valentine Exchange, Beatrix and a PIF

This is my Valentine exchange piece that Elisa stitched for me on the Exchange Heaven blog. It is really lovely and my poor camera can not truly do it justice. Thank you Elisa, it was really nice to receive it.

And here is my progress with Beatrix, just one motif done but as I have all year to finish it, I'm quite pleased with how it's coming along.

And finally as I said in my last post, I was fortunate enough to be one of Elisa's winners in her PIF so I would like to offer it on my blog if anyone is interested. If there are no takers then I will do a RAK during the next twelve months to people who I think deserve one.

Edited to add that the draw for my PIF will be 23rd January, my daughters birthday.

Everything is getting back to normal; Tony is back at work, the house is getting some order back to it after Christmas and New Year so I'm looking forward to getting plenty of stitching time in before the garden takes up my time, which won't be any time soon judging by the weather we keep getting........

Love and hugs,

A New Year, a birthday and stitchy updates

I know that I'm a few days late but I'd like to wish everyone one out in blogland a very healthy and happy New Year and may all your hopes and dreams come true.

New Years day is also my birthday so a double celebration in our house although after a hectic Christmas with all the children and grandchildren, it was nice to have a quiet birthday this year spent sewing and knitting while hubby decided to put in a new loft ladder and add to the insulation in the roof. I received some lovely sheepskin slippers, another Lilliput Lane house and some M&S vouchers from my daughters so I feel truly blessed.

Last year as you've probably noticed, my stitching bug kept going on holiday but hopefully, he'll stay with me this year as I have quite a few projects that I'd like to do.

I've joined in with Chris's Quaker SAL and have decided to try and finish off my Beatrix Potter which I started stitching in 2009. This is as far as I got with it.

I've also joined in the Valentine Exchange on Exchange Heaven blog which is coming along nicely.

And, as for those socks that I have been knitting, well, I finally managed to finish one of them after struggling with four needles.

Whilst Tony was emptying the attic, he found my knitting machine that had been up there for a while as I ran out of space to use it; I've persuaded him to bring it downstairs for me so that I can have a play around with it. Goodness knows what state it is in, probably covered in rust knowing my luck, but I'm dying to have another go on it even if I just do a scarf.

I was lucky enough to be chosen for one of Elisa's PIFs before Christmas so on my next blog post I will offer the same to anyone out there who wants to join in. I've also got another project that I want to start, a Country Cottage Needleworks chart that I bought last year but as the batteries in my camera need charging at the moment, I'll put a pic up next time.

It is so cold this evening and we had snow again today so I'm having a lazy night sitting by the fire with the TV and my stitching and trying hard not to finish off that box of chocolates that keeps calling........

love and hugs,

remembering.......

Writing out my Christmas cards made me a little sad knowing that some of my friends and loved ones are no longer about this year and I know that many friends in blog land have lost loved ones so I thought I would share this verse that a friend sent me when my Mum passed on. I hope it might give someone a bit of comfort.

My First Christmas In Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below

with tiny lights, like Heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular! Please wipe away that tear, for I

am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear,

but the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas

choir up here. I have no words to tell you the joy their voices

bring, for it is beyond description to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me. I see the pain inside your

heart, even though I am so far away, we really aren't apart.

So, be happy for me, loved ones. You know I hold you dear.

Be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I send you each a special gift from my heavenly home

above. I send you each a memory of my undying love. After

all, "LOVE" is the gift more precious than gold. It was

always most important in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do, for

I can't count the blessings or the love He has for you.

So, have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear.

Remember, I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this

year.

Author Unknown

Love and Christmas Blessings,

Another wintery day

I can't believe how the weather has changed since last time I blogged and although I've not been able to get out very far, there's something about the snow and the frost clinging to the branches that makes me glad that winter is here and Christmas is just around the corner.

I've done a lot of my Christmas shopping online this year, I used to love walking in town with such pretty decorations to look at, but lately it's become too much of a hassle to fight my way through the crowds of shoppers all trying to get a bargain, I'd much rather sit in front of the fire with a cup of tea on hand.

I've been busy decorating my living room and thankfully I've managed to finish it and start to put the decorations up. I'm still waiting for Tony to get me the other boxes out of the shed so that I can put a few more decorations on the wall and then it will really begin to start to feel like Christmas.

The Christmas cake is packed away but being fed regularly with brandy and I have to say that it smells yummy. No stitching to show as I have been knitting, a cardigan for me and my first pair of socks which I'll post a picture of later when I find whether they look like socks or something unrecognisable!

I'm looking after Callum, my grandson, today and at the moment he is fast asleep in his swinging chair so I'm having a minute before he wakes for his next feed, he looks so peaceful lying there, you wouldn't believe that ten minutes ago he was screaming the house down......

love and hugs,

A time to relax

Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, you could almost think that it was the beginning of Spring instead of the start of Autumn. The garden is beginning to look a little tired now that everything has bloomed but there is still plenty of colour out there. It will soon be time to dig everything out to make way for Spring bulbs and then another gardening year will be over.
We've spent a lot of time out there this year, pulling stuff down and building things up but I think it's been worth the effort. The willow tree that has been causing concern for the past couple of years was finally taken down this summer; it had got too big for the garden and was overhanging next doors garden too and although it looked really nice in full leaf, it never stayed that way for long.

This was when Tony started to take it down,and here it is before we started on the backbreaking job of digging the roots out. We'd had the idea of putting the grandchildrens swings there but then we decided to build something for us, or at least Tony did.

This is what he came up with, all his own work and design and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

He finished it just in time for our anniversary in August and I've already spent many an hour out there reading or stitching. The pots were full of busy lizzies the week before I took this photo but some greedy slugs came and devoured the lot.

I do have a little stitching finish to show....

I really enjoyed stitching this LHN, Rose Sampler, just what I needed to get me back into the swing of things, now to decide what to stitch next......

Take care,

Catching up

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? It's been hectic the past couple of months; the garden has taken up a lot of my time, forever watering and weeding and this year it's been for little return but I have enjoyed being out in the sunshine.

The flower garden has provided a good show as have the fruit bushes and once I get the time I shall be making jam as I'm down to my last jar.

I am still cross stitching but have no pictures to show any progress as I can't find the cable to my camera, I've looked high and low for it so I suppose that it will turn up when I'm not looking for it.

On a happy note, I became a grandma again on Friday. Callum Owen Brodie popped into the world at 2:08pm weighing in at 8 pounds 1 ounce. I've managed to snag a photo from my daughter Rachel's Facebook page so that I can share him. At the moment he is being good although I don't think that Lily is too sure of him yet, I think she thought that he was only going to visit, not be here all the time but I think she's enjoying being a big sister.


Hope all is well in your world,

take care,

Where has the time gone?

It's been a while since I visited my blog, computer problems and lack of motivation have both got in the way, so I thought that it was about time that I did a little update.

There's not a lot of stitching been going on although I have started a couple of things but not made a lot of progress. I've been decorating and cleaning and doing the one thing that keeps me sane........gardening. I don't know what it is but when I get out there all my problems disappear, no pressure, no problems, just a peaceful way to spend the day and then after a soak in the bath, curl up in front of the TV and nod off!

I've let so many things get to me since last year but I think that with the aid of the "happy pills" and a lot of talking to myself, I'm finally sorting myself out, albeit slowly. I've finally realised that I can't be superwoman, I can't be the best at everything I do, not that I ever thought that I was, but I can do what I want to and be happy in achieving whatever makes me happy and contented in my life.

I've taken a few pictures of the garden to remind me of a few of my achievements........ along with a little help from Mother Nature......

The first picture is of my paeony, it was a small piece taken from my Dad's garden at least thirty years ago and still going strong.

Next is a gorgeous pink rose that the old gentleman next door was throwing out, it smells devine.

A view of the pond, sadly only two fish out of the four are left but it's lovely to hear the sound of water trickling down the rocks.

I have lots of different aquilegia but this is one of my favourites.


And finally this beautiful lupin that self set amongst the vegetables, it was too pretty to dig out so there it can stay.

That's about it for now, next time I hope to be able to show some stitching progress.

Thank you to those who've emailed to ask where I'd got to and if I was ok, I'll try and update this old blog a bit more regularly if I can,

love and hugs,

A finish at last

I think that I am at last coming out of hibernation, it's amazing what a few days of sunshine can do to lift the spirit, and finally I have put the last few stitches into LHN Travelling Stitcher which I started as a SAL in January. Two months late here it is mistakes and all.

I knew that I'd made a mistake but the mood I was in at the time meant that I just couldn't be bothered to frog the house and the tree and as there's probably only me who's going to look at it all the time, I decided to leave well enough alone. I've not put the date or my initials on yet because I don't know whether I want them on seeing as it's going to be framed and not made into a stitching bag. All I've got to do now is decide what to stitch next, there's still plenty to do on my Beatrix Potter which got sidetracked last year, and there's still a couple of UFOs lurking in the bottom of my sewing drawer so I won't be stuck for something to stitch but I really fancy something different.

I've also been doing a bit of knitting, but sometimes I relax so much when I'm doing it that I fall asleep so I don't get very far.

This is a little cardigan for Lily, it's supposed to a little extra gift for Easter so here's hoping that I can finish it on time. It's quite an easy knit but I'm not sure about the band round the neck yet.

It's been so lovely to have had a bit of Spring weather, even if it has rained a bit today, it's still been bright and the days are getting longer so it will soon be time to get out in the garden and give nature a helping hand. There's just one problem with this sunshine, it shows up all the dust.....

Sue xx