Red is the colour.

Well  hello my readers and how are you all.  I have as  you see by the header finished the cubes . What do you think.
Here  are the self same cubes  for you to see.

The next three.

The last three 

Martin  cut out the blocks for me and painted them white. I stuck red ribbon around  them to hide the fabric and added a little parcel bow to the tops ,wanted them to look like parcels. They have been admired by family when they have visited.The design was by The Primitive Hare on her fabric.I have ordered the LOVE ones to do for Valentines.

The christmas ornaments that I was stitching with Sally have been given to Kate and she has them hanging on her tree. I think I may have started something there as she  said  there is room  for more. Talking of ornaments I have 2 that have arrived from friends which are now hanging on my tree.  The first one that came is from my friend June who lives along the coast from me in Devon. I do not usually open gifts that come for Christmas but as it said ornament on it I thought I had better succumb. So pleased I did .Here what was in it.

I just loved the reindeer and the tiny sheep under the washing line. The little wooden reindeer was so cute and she also sent me this little sheepie to stitch ,which I will be doing very soon I think. Thankyou so much June , yours is on its way ,posted this morning so I cannot show you that. 

My good friend Sally that I stitch along with on Mondays and Fridays and on one week a month we stitch on something for  a week ,has sent me the exchange ornament that we do annually  . Of course being a Sally stitch it is perfect and it also is hanging on the tree. This is a design I stitched for a neighbour as I loved the words ,always promised myself I would do one for me ,but it has never happened.

Sally my stitching friend also sent along my exchange ornament and again it is so gorgeous. I stitched this a few years ago for a friend and have been promising myself that I will stitch it for myself one day. Now I do not need to ,thanks so much Sally, this is the pic of it.

Loved the little card too. The little present is under the tree. Along with Claires and Miss Julies  which I haven't opened  but Thankyou to those ladies too. Will be showing you what I have been sent at a later date. My tree is looking rather splendid , I have  to admit. 

About  a month or so ago we visited a  wood art gallery and I  was treated , to this bowl  which reminded me of  flames -the phoenix rising from  the  ashes.

 It is made from Sycamore. We went into another part and saw this. Made from wood and it so reminded us of Ollie and one of his friends  on the beach.  Just so clever . We came away mighty poorer but happy.

 

I do  not have a lot  to tell you, apart from  I have spent more time  at drs and hospitals than I have done in my life  this last month or  so.  However with medication  I think I will tick along. I do hope so anyway.I have also been stitching on Away we ride by Blackbird designs , this was put in the box of abandonment at the beginning of the year and  so I thought I would get it out again , this is where I am at and it has now been put away for  a while ,I shall be stitching with Miss Julie on this on Ufo Nights next year. 

 

Tonight I am startinWinter by Cross eyed Cricket . I was waiting for some hand dyed fabric to arrive, but it still has not arrived today  so I shall  use what I have , bit upset about it as I was promised it by the weekend. Oh well it will be used I am sure. Updated just had mail saying it has been dispatched so I will hold on until I see it . Sorry Sally but being your birthday I do not think you will be stitching , but if you are I will have an extra night  with it next week,I have one more ornament to finish too , which will go to Kate as soon as it is done.  I am sorry this is just a short post ,I think my talking head has gone walkabout. If I do not get back  before Christmas have a wonderful magical peaceful time .  Thankyou for sticking with me and please leave a comment for me. I know it sounds odd but this old dear sometimes feels invisible in this blogland lol.

Bye for now take great care ,love and hugs

Barb.x

My goodness me , November has arrived and I am not ready at all for the next month to arrive.

Leaves  are falling and  the colours this  year are magical.I collected  a few leaves to put on the mantle shelf but they have shrivelled somewhat. The header you notice is all the needlerolls, I had a  request from a friend to show them so here they are , I was telling her about the latest one for Halloween from Shepherds Bush so she asked to see it and here it is.

Really pleased with how it turned out.

Sally and I stitched on this together and she  was pleased with hers  too. You may remember that I have been stitching along with Sally for some years now we have  decided to stitch Winter by Cross Eyed Cricket. I ordered one a week or so ago as I have Autumn that you can see on the shelf. I was looking through my charts to find one and came across , you have guessed it ,I came across Winter ,knowing  Sally likes more or  less the same as I do  ,I asked her if she would like it so now we are to do stitching Winter somewhen. so look out for wip on that. I have also been stitching over at Needlecraft Haven  on Parlour night . We have changed it to whatever you would like to stitch come along (virtually )and join us we have cake that does not put on inches and you may get some stitching done and you get to post a pic of your evening of stitching. Miss JULIE, has us beavering away on UFO projects and I have been sitting with her stitching these .Why don't  you come and join us , we have a lot  of  fun with different things going on at  the forum  , just get in touch with Clare at  Needlecraft Haven and she will,  I am sure, let you join  us.

 I have been busy today painting the cubes to put them on. Will show you a pic when they are totally finished. Another finish is my November  ornament for  my daughters christmas tree ,again not put together but the stitching is finished .  I thought the robin fabric went well for  the back.

Another finish if you remember this ,

I have now made this to go in it.

I have to say it took  me a while to sort out the top and  I am still not completely happy with  it.  The inside looks  like this.

So that  is what  I have been up  to.

We did take Sam  and  Alfie when  they were on half term to visit a new  museu 

Our daughter had a day off so she chauffered us . Which made a change for Martin , this has only been open a few days and they have really done well with how it is  set  up.

I made this  one  bigger so you can  read  if you want  to what it is all about.
There is a large  room  dedicated  to the fossils that Steve has collected .Some pics for you.

Tried to get a pic of the video that goes around the top  of the walls.Absolutely brilliant.

this fish had 56 teeth and did not chew just swallowed. Teeth were used  for  grabbing prey.How about meeting something on  a dark night with a hip bpne  this size.

Alfie was thrilled to actually meet the archeologist who found all these and even better was given a vertabrae of a marine dinasour.

I quite liked these amonites.

So thanks Steve we had a great day out..
Sorry if that was out of my usual stitchy theme. So I shall show you what I have succumbed to since last we spoke not a lot but I just loved this.

 

Sorry pic is blurry ,blame the photographer hmmm yes me.I did take a pic of another Shepherds Bush kit I got, but it is even more blurry than this one. It is called Be Frightful and I hope to get it done by next Halloween. Then I saw this and just had to get it.

 This one is by Jardin Prive. Look forward to stitching this too. So as I said not a lot , I did buy only one book last week I am adding it to the collection of the many I have not read. 

So my friends I am going to , get the needle and thread out and see what I can do this evening. Thanks for still coming to see me and commenting I do love seeing your comments. Take care and I will be back before you know it

Hugs Barb.

Halloween comes early to our house.

Hello all, I just had to post to share the exchange Tina and I did for Halloween,we were actually on time with the first of October. I like to have a  Halloween month. So I am going to show you the lovely exchange Tina did for me.

All these lovely things arrived in the  post ,whoo hoo. 

Isn't that fun  and  so unusual , Tina  said  the witch  was stitched on a Silkweaver  fabric. It is now  hanging in the kitchen . Wonder what the 9 year old  grandson will  say to that. 

This was only the tip  of the witches hat ,here is the rest on my little table.

I think the grandchildren  will be over to  carve pumpkins don't you. The notebook is  a lovely touchy feely one with etched designs on .The Room  on the broom witch is sitting  next  to the cauldron and this book I could  not resist for my Halloween Kitchen.

I sent a copy to Tina in her exchange parcel , wonder what she thought of that lol.

Balloons that will be snaffled  by grandchildren or maybe trick or treaters. Then there was this.

Inside this dear little box was eeeew a black spider. Not real  of course. Last but not  least a little  something for me  to stitch before next spring.

This looks so sweet. Thankyou so much Tina ,heres to next year. 

Now as Tina has not got a blog I will post what I stitched for her,  she was very pleased with it ,as was I , in fact I almost kept it as it was stitched before the one I did for  June . So here is Tinas Halloween needlebook. 

The inside as you open it.

I fell in love with the witchy fabric . The scissor fob was from a Prairie Schooler design.Moving  on.

As this was a needlecase , I altered the wording to read Why yes I can drive a stitch, and when you open it this is the inside.

2 pages of  needles size 26 and 28,I find they are the ones I use most often. Then a  page of pins.

The next compartment holds a notebook  and a little Lizzie Kate chart, on the pocket I put our names.

This folds back over the needlecase and is embroidered  with this.

I loved the little purple witch from Just Nan. So there you have it. I did not  take a pic of the chocolate spider or the one in his web and you have seen the Kitchen Witch book , so didn't we do well. If you would like a needlebook  , leave me a comment and what your theme  would be and I will sometime  do a giveaway if anyone is interested. 

Staying on  the Halloween Theme last time (not so very long ago) I showed you this. 

 It is now a pumpkin. It may be the only one as it was so thick to knit ,we  will see.

Also now  finished is  this row of sheepies.

So there you have it for this time, I will be back with goodies I have been told are on their way. Keep well and thankyou for the comments last time, they may have been few but they mean a lot  to this old person lol.Don't forget to  comment on the needlebook  theme.

See you next time 

Hugs 

Barb 

Here again ,with the monthly update.

Hello everyone, Thankyou for coming along to visit me. Your comments are always so welcome. I  am a proud nan today as yesterday my grandaughter Caitlin took her driving test again and this time passed. So thrilled for her as it was someone elses fault she failed the first time. Well done my darling girl. I will stay on the theme of family to start as we have an updated photo of Caitlins brother Jack and his fiance Katie.

I am biased I know but aren't they such a nice looking couple.  Another visit to the vet for Ollie yesterday,, more antibiotics and tummy settler. He does seem better today so fingers are crossed. Vets bills are soooo expensive,  but what can you do if you own a pet you have to do the best for them, the love they give you unreservedly if they are treated well. 

Anyway that is up to date family news,

Now for the stitching I have done since I saw you last. I have just  finished a ornament from  the JCS christmas mag 2016 ,I just had to stitch this ,but I am  afraid it is  not put together yet.

It is just so me. I am going to show  you a couple of finishes that I show you in some  trepidation  as I have never made  a bag before. I am pleased with them and I  have just to say a big Thankyou for my inhouse measurer and cutter of straight lines, Martin . Before I do though ,a  couple of weeks or  so ago I asked my dear friend Julie if she would take a commission to make me a red and white tape measure as that was the only thing I had not got. I received  this and it is perfect , do you not think.

Thankyou so much Julie it is just perfect,and  sits in  the little pocket perfectly. If you would like to see my red work book  that now sits in my red work bag. Both these designs were taught me by Annette Bolton , you can google her and  see some of her work .  She is a lovely lady and if by any chance  she reads this ,well there you go Annette I have  actually got  it done. Anyway this is the book  I did with her in 2007.

I forgot to take a pic of the front or the needle book that is in the fold under the girl. Still this is not the finished bag. Here it is.  Drum roll.

It has a different design on each of its 4 sides. 

I love red ,  I have just bought some red curtains for the lounge and  it  is so cosy when they are drawn.

I had to have a sheep didnt I. 

The inside is like this.

Again  with the goodies inside.

I love my little red bag.  You can just call me The bag lady this time. As yesterday I finished another one ,again first attempt and again help with problems talking things through with better half./ I also had a bit of  talk  it through from Susie dil as I was having a bit of  a melt down puting it together. 

Really pleased with how this eventually turned out. It is from Quilting Cats and Dogs by Lynette Anderson.I am hoping to do the one that is pictured on the front of the book. If I can pluck up 

courage.There is  also a purse to go with it so maybe I will be attempting that too.

Here is a pic of the  inside.

You will be thinking no cross stitch this time. I do have another finish to show you but I am going to re do it , as I am  not happy with it. The design is fine  but the finishing is  not  good. So I will at some point do it over one so it is smaller. 

My friend from Orlando sent me the chart of this and I  had to stitch it as soon as it arrived. It is just a little too big for my liking. Thanks Barbara for enabling me to stitch this not once but twice lol.  

I have been in the parlour over at Needlecraft Haven and on a Wednesday I have been stitching along with the ladies. At the moment I am  stitching on The Primitive Hares Christmas Cubes ,started M last week ,but here are S and T for you to see.

Now T.

I am really excited about these and seeing them all finished. 

I have also been stitching on a Friday with my friend Sally doing a sheep design. This will be shown a few times as I still have lots to do on it. 

Don't you just love the sheep in the tub, his friend is a bit grubby that is waiting.  I have still 2 sheep to put in on the other side of the tree, but cannot wait to get to the next line underneath . Just love it.

Then on  Strictly nights last  week was 2 nights ufo. So I got Miss  Violet out and  here are pics of the start again  and where I am now. 

 I will show you a pic next time of where I am with this. It is very pale.but so sweet.

I think that is all  the stitching to show you, September has been a book buying month ,when are  they not. I borrowed Room  10 one from  my daughter and the first book she had written was on offer so had to have that ..

Then this was released this week and of course had to have it. I love his dog Nigel ,well he is a retriever enough said.

My bookcases are like my stash overflowing but I still keep buying just no hope. 

I also had to have a wool fix after seeing  this months Landscape magazine that I subscribe to.Just had to knit these pumpkins.

Will let you know next time how they turn out , I ordered the wool from Love Knitting and this is how it arrived.

All done up in a little net bag. 

On the order front I have asked Chris at The Nimble Thimble to order some new Shepherds Bush items so Sally and I have decided to go back to SB stitching next year. It won't be long in coming I am sure ,

The nights are drawing in and mornings have that lovely autumnal chill , spiders webs covered in dew, sparkling like tiny diamonds. Until a certain dog goes through them in the fields. However the header pic is one he could not reach in the garden, So now my friends I will be back maybe a little earlier next time as I have an exchange piece to show you ,Tina has said it should be posted the first week in October so whoo hoo I am looking forward to that. Meanwhile take great care of yourselves ,hope I have not bored you to tears.

Much love 

Barb x