Time for an update

Oh dear time gets away from me and before I realise it another week or weeks have gone by and I feel like the White rabbit in Alice , hurrying along I'm late ,I'm late!!
However I will getthis one more post in before the end of the month.
Well my friends how are you one and all, I am feeling tickety boo,(to go along with the clock and WR theme!
I have had Graeme and Ella visiting this week as they are camping nearby. We used to go camping a lot when they were young (oh no not now) and he has not lost his love of it. Kate was supposed to be going with her tribe too ,but they have all gone down with a tummy bug this week. So she has sign on her door to stay clear! Graeme and Ella have been walking a lot finding geocaches. Martin went with them to see H.Potter in the week, I think Ella was a littl unsure in places but the "boys" enjoyed it. I stayed home with Ollie. It has been so nice though having them close enough to come for lunch or dinner or just a pop in as they were passing. They went back to the camp site with Rock cakes and Ginger Fairings too, and brought the "empty"tin back before leaving to go home this morning. I don't expect we shall see them for a few weeks now , G & S have got a couple of busy weeks before going to Turkley for 2 weeks on hols. Oh well mustn't grumble I have had son and grand-daughter fix.
Ollies feet are still not a lot better and vet has upped his dosage of pills again, and added some more antibiotics. Now saying it this doesnt clear up he will have to go and see a skin specialist -which is quite a drive away! Oh my , hope it clears with the medication. Poor dog his feet are so sore.

Anyway enough of me dribbling on you need to see some pics don't you. Well by now you may have seen the lovely RAKS that Sally has been sending to all and sundry,what a sweetie she is. I had this from her and it fits nicely in the box she made, the fabric for the back matches too.


I have been so fortunate in getting these Sallys stitcheries , I think to receive a little something through the post ,totally unexpected it just the best, and this week I got another little package. Kate sent me these sheepie things she had been collecting from various places and she "made" the little Dolly Sheep ,which I have renamed Myrtle, thanks so much Kate for brightening my day. What is it with all my sheep having to have names , well it does help when you have to round up the flock. I am hoping Ollie will train to be a "sheepdog" .

Thankyou so much ladies ,whilst I am thanking (almost put thinking there) can I thank those that leave so many nice comments , I read them all and do like to see them. I often wonder when I read the ones on others blogs how on earth do you get so many to leave a few words.
Anyway digressing here, I have finished a few bits and bobs ,some I cannot show you, one is for Laineys summer exchange which will not get posted until Aug 12th so it will be a while, one is for a birthday lots of you know who that is for I expect.
Another is the monthly challenge piece over at NH ,Christine if you are reading this I ACTUALLY managed to stitch this one .
I can show you this one as although I haven't yet posted it over on NH ,I will be doing soon. It is the Christmas ornie challenge and I have only done 2 this year ,oh woe is me! it's that time thing again!! Will have to catch up . This is a Barbara Ana design from Creative Poppy.

Another finish to show you is French Heart which I have been stitching on a Monday evening with Sally and Colleen, these SB designs are so soft and delicate.
I finished it into another cushion backed it with pale pink spotted fabric. I do not have a lot of wall space left and this lend itself to a bed cushion maybe.


Of course having finished this one I had to start another only a twee one this time, this is Sophies pincushion. I do have an admission to make I am not sure I am using the right threads as I got them mixed up (thought I had lost them) with some others so taking pot luck!!

One more stitchy item but a way to go yet,, this is up to date progress on Mansfield Park by The Sampler Girl ,


I am pleased with how this is coming along albeit slowly. Julie is doing In the Meadow and it is just soooo pretty,if you pop along to Julies stitchyknitter journal, you can see it for yourself,I think it is last weeks blog post.
So many of those I want to do, and when I think I have caught up a little ,Tanya goes and brings out more, so what is a girl to do , Stitch girl Stitch!
Other half ordered some frit the other day and wow look at these colours. Frit is crushed glass to be used in fusing. He also made the little sailing scene ,frit is used for the sand.


This little hanging measures 3"x1.5"
I had a little play when Ella was here doing a fabric style pic , not brilliant but you get the idea.

Now I need you to close your eyes and inhale ,then open the eyes.


Could you get the full effect!! I do as they grow right by my back door and when the patio door is open oooohhh it is so fragrant.

Well my dears I think that time has come again to think of preparing the dinner, and decide what I want (need) to stitch on this evening a couple of ufos need an outing I think or Mr Stick will be after me.
So take care all -hope I have not bored you all to tears I know I do tend to ramble on.
See you next time , and hopefully I shall watch that clock a bit better and then I won't be late again.
Hugs n stuff
Barb

Are you sitting comfortably- it may be a long one.

Well hello and welcome ,to a blustery day on the South Coast. I have some goodies to show you and the exchange I was taking part in and also bits and bobs too.
Where do I start - well who will come with me and run beside the sea!?


It will not be sand between your toes on this the "Chesil Beach", which stretches for 17miles from Portland (in the distance) to West Bay ,they do say you can tell where you are by the size of the pebbles ,going from Large at Portland to small at the other end. Why I am saying this,well this week I went to photograph the house where I grew up (almost the house where I was born) I spent my growing up years in this cottage and various relatives lived in the same street. This is on the Isle of Portland ,although it has a road joining it to Weymouth now, at one time it was only joined to the mainland by the Chesil Bank,that was before my time.
So here is the street I grew up in, looking from top to bottom.

It doesn't look very steep ,but believe me it is when you have to walk up it to get to Fortuneswell ,which used to be a quaint little shopping street but now has an air of neglect about it. There used to be a haberdashery shop at the top of our street, and the Misses Jarman served everyone with courtesy, and what a treasure trove this little shop was ,with wooden drawers holding the most delectable things for a needlewoman or even a little girl who wanted a printed cross stitch traycloth so she could do one like her mum.
Ah memories. In one street we had 2 haberdashers ,an ironmongers the infamous sweetie shop , fishmongers ,2 butchers greengrocers and lots of old fashioned shops.Jammy Read owned the toy shop ,I have not the faintest idea why he was called that. They all displayed goods for sale and for gazing at if you had not got any pocket money left from the week before.Not that I would have bought a fish (oh no) but hot roasted peanuts were a favourite.
Anyway we shall be here all day at this rate.
As you can see the sea is not far away but living on a slope we were pretty safe ,the people is Chiswell not being quite so, as before the sea wall was built the sea came over fairly regularly in the winter . I used to lie in my bed and be lulled to sleep by the sound of the pebbles being drawn back by the sea .Loved stormy nights but was always a little concerned the sea may come higher than the street below us. This is a picture of the cottage where I grew up taken this week. I do have one of me outside the front door when I am about 12 I think if I can find it I may let you see.

My bedroom window is just above the porch and I always had a fancy for climbing out in the night and having an adventure - too much Enid Blyton I think.

The building in the front of the picture I believe when the house was built was used for smoking fish, my dad used to keep his lobster pots etc in there it always smelt of tar and rope. I could quite easily live here again, in fact I said to Martin I would love to see inside and maybe do a house swap -you can imagine the answer to that one.

Anyway I shall share some more pics that we took that day later.
I expect you have had enough by now. So on to some stitchy pics. I took part in Laineys Teatime/Picnic exchange and I have been itching to show you the goodies I had from Teresa at Heartfelt stitches in the U.S.

Look at all these sweet little packages all with little quotes about tea and teatime on them. Have you espied him yet ? Look again if not and you will see the teeniest crocheted sheep on the envelope. Do you want to look inside - hee hee shall I keep you in suspenders!Oh all right then here we go prepare to be jealous !!

2 Little gold teaspoons,with tea pot on one and teacup and saucer on the other.
A little tea book full of snippets about tea.

An absolutely me notebook ,just loved the colours and the pic on the front. I have put all the tea comments in it.

A sweet little sheep for me to stitch.

A coaster for my tea cup.

Something for when hunger or just a chocolate fix strikes.

Certainly spoilt but the best is saved until last here was my stitched item, if you read this Teresa you must be thrilled to have made this ladies day.

The inside.

Even the little fob that Teresa has mailed me to say it was her first attempt at that ,has a little teapot on the end . I was absolutely dancing(WELL ALMOST) round the room. A very generous lady doing her first exchange and everything so perfect.She personalised it with my name on the back and a little cross stitched sheep. Thankyou so much Teresa.To Lainey who organises these exchanges a big thankyou to you too , just signed up for the next one ,if you fancy it too go along to Stitched with Love Exchanges.
How much more shall I tell you this time perhaps I will show you what I stitched for Vicki L in the U.S. I won't bore you with items sent just the stitched item hmmm.
This Lizzie Kate design I made into a wet wipes holder ,perfect I thought for wiping sticky fingers after a picnic cake.The back picture I left the wipes sticking out to show what it was,but they do fit in there nicely.


Oh ok I will give you peak at sent goodies.

Vicki loves cats so I sent her a Kelmscott needleminder with a cat on. A packet of 'posh'paper serviettes, a piece of Sassys fabby in dusk as she likes purple, some dinky dye threads in various colours, a hanger for her wall.
I am never sure if I send enough or if I do it right but I haven't had a complaint from Lainey yet, she vets what you are sending before it is sent ,or at least I think that is what she does lol.

Well my dears I think that is enough for today ,I have been managing to stitch a little but not a lot to show you. I would like to say Bless you all for your comments last time and for the healing thoughts, I am feeling better hope it continues to stay away for a while. Ollie still is limping very badly ,with everyone asking what is wrong when we take him out. I think he needs some canvas boots,but don't think he would keep them on.
I will try and catch up again soon , hope you have not been too bored by the memories - I can show you more if you like -in fact 2pics to share before I go ,again of Portland now going to be famous for its Sailing in the Olympics next year.

This is the arch under Rufus Castle leading to Church Ope Cove where smugglers used to bring in their ill gotten gains.Built in Henry 8ths reign to protect the bay.
Lastly a pic of the new part of Portland.

So bye for now , take good care of you and yours and I shall be back again very soon with updates.
Hugs n stuff
Barb.