January ...... I do hope this year I will be able to catch up with you more....

I am hoping to  do a blog post more  often  , the best laid plans often don't  happen. We had a traumatic start to the New Year and I  would like to thank my dear  friend Julie for listening to me on the phone. You are a star Julie and although far away  I feel somehow as if you are near .
So I am not saying anymore on the subject and will share the  good things that have happened since the night before Christmas. Which seems as  if that is ages ago  now. The man in red arrived and look at what he brought me.,

I have been muttering at my old one for a while and it was running like a bag of nails. So this was a lovely surprise and I am learning how to use it as it has a computer (oh dear) in it ,which I am not used to. It does all sorts of fancy stitches and I am really looking forward to getting to grips with it.My first project will be one of these two bags,,talk about jumping in feet first. So maybe by the next time I will have a little of it to show you .

 

 As if I have not got enough craft work to do lol Just had to do this one. I have been treated to fabric for both and I am beginning to get itchy fingers. Martin is at work tomorrow and Wednesday ,the family are giving me a break for a few weeks from cooking, This week I  have been suffering from vertigo and it isn't pleasant ,today is the first day I have felt up to much. Kate is not well and so she is off sick so I am hoping the family are helping her. 

Anyway this is the bag I am doing first.

Another one of the animals,

Pictures are not good sorry ,will try harder.
I have only got one finish to show you since last time ,lots of wips ,but this one I finished just before Christmas and forgot to put it on my last post,

I have never done a hoop finish before and I am quite pleased with it. I have almost finished the last one Merry Be , Sally finished hers ,but I mislaid my pattern so she kindly sent me hers so I could finish it ,Thanks Sally. Then sods law I found the one I had mislaid . I seem to have a bit of a thing about losing things lately , my mind for one!!

I have unfortunately got some dentures and over Christmas I lost those. I think they went out with the rubbish. I sheepishly visited the dentist last week and quoting Pam Aryes I  said, I wish I had looked after my teeth!! He thought it highly amusing ,he said I wasn't the first as he had heard lots of stories about people losing their teeth. So I now have 4 visits to him over the next 4 weeks as I have to have the top two front ones crowned too , not only is my spine crumbling my teeth are too. I will be a pile of bits on the floor one day.  lol..

Would you like to see my wips. I do not have anything as magnificent as Sallys Robin ,her blog is Stitchyangels treasures. 

So here we go. 

I have started on Mondays with Sally ornaments from the current and past issues of Cross stitcher ornaments, we have to try and guess which issue it came from , Sally is doing the 2015 issue and I think it is called Give love by Legacy Designs on PAGE 32. is that right Sally , Chris is also joining us and has stitched Joyful Santa by Homespun Elegance. Mine is from 2014 issue. I am doing it over 1 on 28count fabric and can you guess what it is. 

I put a coin next to it to show you how tiny it is.Although I have quite a bit more to do. Next is Tuesday stitching which I am devoting to either my cubes or Merry.

Christmas cubes by The Primitive Hare.

12th Ornament from CCN  a sal with Sally.A finish soon maybe., Wednesdays I am back in the parlour with my maids and I am still trying to finish in the Moonlight. 

Sorry pic quality is not good , I think the afternoon is not good for taking photos as it is dark by just gone 3.Thursday is either cubes or Merry which I have shown you already,

Friday is a new start for Sally and I we are stitching sheepie designs and we have chosen Miss Violet from Needle and Thread this is an ongoing sheep  designs for the year. My son and daughter in law gave me the threads for Christmas and the fabric so I am all set to go.

Here is a pic of the chart.

 Then on Saturday I am over at Needlecraft Haven with Julie and Mr .Stick on ufo night. Not strictly a ufo as I have done one,meanwhile I have been collecting the Prairie Santa for each year not getting them stitched. I asked Miss Julie if they could be classed as a ufo and she said Yes. So Saturdays are the Santa night, here is the latest progress over one of 2013.

Here is a picture of himself ,when he is finished.

For some unknown reason I have 2 of 2001and 2014 if anyone out there would like them leave me a comment at the end. These are the pics of them.

Last but not least on Sunday is the Blackwork Journey ,I had a bit of a hic cup with this ,I was one stitch out on one of the outer blocks ready to fill in and had to frog some. I was not impressed as it took ages to find  where it was however back to where I was and a little done of the next block which looks difficult and needs concentration.

This is done on a quiet Sunday afternoon. So my weeks stitching in a nutshell .I know this is a bit late but here are some of the gifts my stitching friends have given me last Christmas ,see it does sound ages ago doesn't it. 

I was very lucky ,of course sheep came into it and love Sallys bag ,it looks like one of the colouring books that are very popular at the  moment. June sent me this lovely ornie ,

Loved the little wooden tag. I will not list all things by everyone but you are thanked every single one of you. We did succumb to these in the sales ,we needed a new bed but decided on singles (so if he snores I can move it to the other side of the room )lol.You also have to mind the gap!!!!

Saturday last was my sons birthday he was 48 argh where did that time go. Here he is at the pub we went to for dinner.

To us he is one in a million just like his dad.I have started at slimming world with Kate my daughter as she has lost 4 stone and I just had to have some body to help me. So I made this for pudding tonight . It is yummy  and the whole bowl is just 1 syn. 

Usually I just do a Raspberry one and it is lovely ,but I got a mixture of rasberries ,strawberries and blueberries this time. All you need is a Raspberry sugarfree jelly, mixed with half a pint of boiling water. Leave to cool but not set then whisk in 2 mullerlight rasberry  and cranberry yoghurts, add the fruit and put in the fridge to set. Easy or what . 

I have not left Ollie out I made him some dog biscuits and he loves them,

I used the kirstie  recipe of 350g of Plain flour sieved, 1 egg, 2 table spoons of dried parsley a low salt stock chicken stock cube,120ml of hot water. Dissolve the stock cube in the hot water. Add the flour ,egg and parsley until it forms a ball. You may need a bit more water. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 or 1/8 thick. Cut out into shapes,Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper .Cook in centre of the oven until they are golden . If you did what I did  the first time and rolled them out too thick they look like mini scones. I did some for our  doggy friends and put them in a jar with a sticker saying Woofy Christmas from  Ollie and a red bow. They went down well . 

Right I think I have rambled on long enough. Happy 2016 to all and the craftiness continues . Take care and please do not pray for rain  we have had quite enough !!!

Much love

Barb x