Disasters,a Dilema and Developments

What a title . Not a disaster really , but a little bit of a mishap,you may remember I have been stitching along with the UFO ladies on Needlecraft Haven. We stitch on Saturday whilst Strictly come dancing is on , Julie is in charge of us and has her trusty Mr Stick to beat us with when we fall behind. Only joking he is a pussycat really. Anyway back to the disaster ,took Quaker Diamonds out of the bag and the chart but where were the threads? In the bin that sits by my chair and was emptied into the outside bin and then my the dustmen,or so I believe! As it is stitched with Valdini threads I really couldn't substitute with something else. So now a dilema, do I abandon the piece so near the finish, or do I bite the bullet and order more threads.Martin said it would have been a shame not to finish it so he paid for more threads for me. So the Development of the title is this.

So although they were out of stock of 2 of them I can still stitch along on Saturday. The strictly crew will be in Blackpool this week , the town where I was born ......years ago. Can I just before I forget,thankyou for the comments last post, mother in law is doing fine, and has agreed to now have hot meals delivered to her 5 days a week.So at least we know she is bothering to eat. I also see I have a few more followers so hello and welcome , hope you enjoy your visit.

Last week stitching wise I finished Patience .

This week I started Wisdom, not done a lot as I broke off after a while as I have to get an exchange piece done ,still quite a lot to do on that as this is my third attempt at stitching it. Grrrr!! I think at last I have cracked it ,but now I am running out of time. Anyway start on Wisdom.

Sally and I are really loving these sheep, I have signed up for the new LHN series Calendar Girls. On the Jardin Prive sal I am a little behind both Sally and Julie but I did pick up something that will be used to hang it from.

Sorry it is a bit wrinkled ,but here is the hanger for it.

Now onto Wednesdays which I host in the parlour. This is last weeks progress on The Mystery by LHN

I shall be stitching on this again tonight.

Not a lot more to share with you this week, I am hoping that Andrea will get her Drawn Thread chart from the US this week ,as it is 9days since it was shipped. So pleased you liked the ornament for Tina with the coffin. She still has it on display I hear. We had the Kate and her family and Jacks Girlfriend Katie over for dinner yesterday ,it seems like it is going to be a regular Tuesday thing. I certainly wouldn't want to do it everyday. Kate works on Tuesday and after school they all come here and she gets here a couple of hours later accompanied by Jack after Uni and Katie after work. It saves her having to cook as Iain is away on Tuesdays and usually over night . He does travel some miles. Graeme &Sue came last Friday as they had a day off and Ella was at school . I made homemade soup with rolls and they had a slice of fruit cake I had made . It was lovely to see them . I feel very blessed having my family call to see us.

I have been out in the garden and taken a few pics , so shall share them with you. 

I love this plant when it is in flower, I like it too when it is not. I have a hydrangea in full bloom ,wonder how long it will last when the frost hits us.

Last week I mowed the grass ,bit wet really but it is done and so I took a pic of the fennel which is over now but it adds a bit of height.

Fireworks in the garden me thinks. I can see this stitched hmmmm. Well folks must leave you and see if I can get dinner sorted before Martin gets home and we go out with Ollie. 

Results from bloods due on Friday. Also have to go and have x ray as Dr thinks I may have Osteoporosis as I have been suffering with my back the last few weeks, I have shrunk not only through loss of weight ,hopefully 3stone by Christmas, he thinks I may have crush damage. Deep joy if it is not one thing it is another. So perhaps I should add diagnosis on the end of the title !!

So my dears whatever is happening in your world I hope it is all good and if not I hope it will pass. 

Take care much love 

Barb.

No November!

No November well I have not got any further with November wordplay , I have been busy with a couple of exchanges and so time has slipped away. I am going to do December this month and fit in November as and when. So my blogging friends I chose a commentator from this past years blogging and the chosen one was Andrea of The Craft room. I have ordered her the new Drawn Thread Chart Christmas Sampler and she is delighted. I had mail from DSL this morning to say they will be posting it tomorrow Monday  about a week or so Andrea and it will be with you. The next one maybe a stitched one for when I reach 200 followers ,so keep commenting and you never know next time it may be YOU!.

So as I said I have been busy stitching exchanges one I cannot show ,but I received this and 6 little bars of chocolate for the grandchildren, this was the Spooky Exchange from Clare at Needlecraft Haven, I have to say she made me smile.The grandchildren said thankyou to the kind lady and it made them smile too!!

Does she make you smile too. 

The next pic is the one I sent to Tina and she loved it ,I am so pleased as I was loving it too and found it hard to part with , I think I may have to stitch it again for myself.

The coffin closes and opens . 

This was a design by Just Nan the charm was by her too .called Ghosts and Ghouls. I am loving the Christmas exchange design I have chosen too. One day I can show you that. I have not a great deal to tell you this time. Not much done on Quaker Diamonds I will show pic next time. Patience needs its border and then I will start the next in the series.

I did Mummy sheep as a woolly one and the baby one as normal. I love these sheep. Talking of sheep ,look what my Julie friend sent me ,a sheep bag, I love the one in the wellies or do I like the Summer one best hmmm no cannot choose lol.

Jardin Prive part 3 is out and I have just started it as I had to frog some of part 2 ,so again a pic next time , this next part has sheep!!!!! on it. I was watching a programme the other evening that was saying despite them having a reputation of being silly , they are in fact quite intelligent . 

I also have done a little on Song of the Seasons that I stitch on a Wednesday night in the parlour. Sally is taking part too so that is 3 nights a week we stitch together. When the sheep have finished we have decided I shall start the Calendar Girls by LHN and she is doing the Frosty ones by CCN . 

My post this time is short , sorry, we have not done too much this last week or two, Martins Mum who is 87 took a tumble and things have had to be done for her. She is wearing purple accessories i.e. two black eyes .She decided to go and clear some leaves in the very windy weather last weekend and tripped. It is such a worry when a parent gets old. 

Anyway I shall end on that note and hope to get back with you soon. We have 4 of the grandchildren , a girlfriend of Jack and Kate for dinner on Tuesday so will be busy on Tuesday. Take care all and from a blustery day here in Weymouth Keep stitching.

Hugs Barb.

I was hoping .....

For a walk in a wood ,crunching through fallen leaves ,not to be we have soggy wet leaves and rain today so here I am hoping to bring you an update on my stitching ,stash , and family.

Where to start I wonder ,ok I hear you  I have wips to show you and one finish .So we will start there I have been stitching in the parlour over at Needlecraft Haven and this week saw the finish of Garden Pleasures made into a cushion.

I am pleased with how this turned out and it is a nice partner for the one I did early in the summer.

They can reside on my bed until I can put them on the garden bench . I do have another finish but cannot show you that yet as it is my spooky exchange piece. Really really pleased with it,more than that I cannot say.Oh sorry I am telling fibs here I do have another finish but still have the rest to do to finish it properly . This is turning into a copy of Sallys blog in places as we stitch along together. Here is Simplicity from LHN Little sheep virtues. 

I did another woolly sheep and it turned out quite well again. Next is Patience and then Wisdom and Friendship which I received yesterday.

Love these 2 little sheep but in order this is the bang up to date one although Sally has told me there is another out and that one is kindness.Here is Wisdom.

So as we are on the subject of stash I ordered from The Silver Needle in the US this as I love the words and I can think of a few of you that I could stitch this for lol.

I couldn't believe how much postal rates have gone up from the U.S but they have so many great designers and so I succumbed . I try and keep the order under 18dollars so customs aren't involved. I think that is all the needlework stash I have this time , but I do have some books.

I have the first one of Pamela Hartshorne on Kindle ,and I have read all the Susannah Kearsley books to date. Shall I let you into a little secret shh don't breath a word. 

This is my pile of books to read not counting the 3 above. What is it that is so comforting about a pile of books. I am not mentioning how many I have on the kindle to read. Well at least that is probably enough for next year!!! The ones on the left are loaned from my hairdresser so not all mine!!! I think after stitching it is my one weakness as the postmistress in Larkrise was heard to utter on one occasion. 

Daughter Kate has started a new job this week, she is a cancer specialist nurse and has been working at our local hospice, she has just taken a job for another 2 days a week in the community doing the same thing,she is hoping if it suits her to do that for 4 days a week. I am so proud of her as she is so compassionate and thinks it an honour to be with someone who has to battle and at the end lose against cancer. Sorry if this upsets anyone out there . As well as having 4 children and one of them a very hormonal teenage girl ,I think she deserves a medal. 

These are 2 of her boys. Sam has just started secondary school and has much to everyones amazement settled in really well.Very smart in his new uniform.

Of course his little brother Alfie had to get in on the act too .

These were taken last week when they came over after school for dinner as Kate was working her first day. It will be nice to get to see a bit more of them as it looks as if child care may be a problem at times so they will come here. 

Talking of coming here , Weymouth now has a super new Sainsbury store, which we have been wanting for years. So we did our first shop there at the weekend. Got to support the family business lol, as Graeme is deputy manager of Hedge End store near Southampton and Sue works in the Ferndown branch. We also paid a visit to another new store that has opened in Dorchester which is our County town, this was the Range , my goodness what a lot they sell. I did have to buy a couple of fleecy throws in case we cannot afford the heating nills!!! Nice and cosy . also a couple of new cushions. 

 

Could not believe how cheap these were . I think I shall have to arrange another visit .

I think cushions are fab. Well my lovelies I still have not got round to sorting out what I shall do for the blogaversary which is this month. The time has flown and I think I will as mentioned pick out a name that has commented over the last year. For a while I seemed to lose my followers but I see they are back , if I get to 200 you never know what might happen!!Perhaps if you mention me on your blogs (if you think I am worth a mention)we will get the 200. I think maybe a voucher for somewhere of your choice. Hmmm !!

Anyway shall I do wips now not that there is many really.

This was last weeks state of play with the ufo of Quaker Diamonds.Will show you this weeks strictly progress next time. Then I have Jardin Prive and positive thinking that Sally and I are stitching on a Friday. 

I did so want to finish the words in this part but I was just too tired ,so I have to play catch up with Sally as she has done the words.  So I have started November wordplay but need to change some things on it as it is a little too americanised (is that  a word)for me. So here it is not a lot done at all but Guy Fawkes ,treason and plot has to be in there methinks.

So on that note I shall put on my sou wester and wellies and go out into the weather and walk the dog along the fields and cliff tops. If I am not back in a couple of weeks please arrange a search party!!

Take care and hope you can make sense of this rambling. 

Much love 

Barb,

The falling leaves fall past my window.........

Are you ready for Autumn.? The roses have hips and the lawn is littered with leaves,"deep sigh" I love this time of year. Time to find a nice woolly throw and snuggle up in the evenings with the curtains drawn and some stitching or knitting to hand. I have more than enough to do , we have been out gallivanting this past couple of weeks. First we went to a needlecraft show which was a first for the organiser too. It was not too big as some are and we enjoyed looking at all the goodies for sale. So would you like to see some of the purchases, I think I should warn you this may be rather long!!!!

Some needlefelt kits ,Martin fancies having a go at the one on the right.

A mixed bag of inspiration. Not sure what I shall use it for.

Fabric that I can make use of.

Ribbons I couldn't resist.I also had an embroidery kit but forgot to take a pic.

This beauty was bought for me by my dear husband, it is felt balls , dyed agate beads and slate gathered from a cornish beach and shaped into small pieced then drilled. I usually wear delicate necklaces so this was so different.I love it.The show was not far from our sons home ,so we popped in and here is a picture of Ella our number 2 grandaughter , with Misty looking rather cross. Ellas mum was out shopping when we got there and Ella was still in pjs.

On Friday of the next week we decided we would go to the Creative crafts and stitching show at Exeter. It is about 60 miles from us ,so we had to get Kate dd to come and walk Ollie at lunchtime. Oh lots to share now. We had the best day of the week weatherwise and I was in my element seeing lots of ,guess , sheep!!
We saw the costumes from Les Miserables.

There were also exhibits from a knitter which were incredible. If you want to see more the link is www.all2knit.co.uk   to whet your appetite.

 A seaside scene.

All the falling leaves were knitted the panels were 8ft high.

These photos do not do it justice. I did take more ,but will just show you the other half with his knitted woman.

He got himself a kit to do marbling, and some chain maille books with tools and rings to do it. So he will be busy too, he has just enrolled for a distance archaeology course at Exeter University. Which has impressed Jack who has just started uni.

Oh Sam made us giggle the other day, he sent us a text saying, Hi nanny and Grandad, Mum has told me you have been tracing the family tree, she said my ansisters came over with Willliam the conger. Oh dear ,it made us smile. 

Alfie the little one had his pic in the paper the other evening . Great action shot.

He is the one with the ball.Anyway I have gone off on a bit of a tangent, I saw this knitted into a scarf at the show and yes I have started it. Maybe I will have done enough to show you next time.

I did buy lots of bits ,some long stitch kits, a blackwork lady,and a redwork stitching bag kit,that you can see on Polstitches site. So you see I am really looking forward to my autumn. I have a finish to show you ,yes you have guessed it October wordplay is done.

I really think this is my favourite (lol), here it is with the October mantle.

I have also been working on my Quaker Diamonds that is my "strictly"piece for this dancing season. 

Please excuse the hoop and wrinkle marks. The fabric is a warm sand colour so don't know what happened there. On Mondays I have been stitching with Sally and Simplicity now is ready for the border. Patience has arrived at last . On Fridays again with my friend Sally we are stitching on Jardin Prives Sal. Here is where I am up to ,1st part done.

This one is just so pretty and for free amazing. Wednesday in the parlour I have been stitching LHN Garden Pleasures. 

Just the writing and to finish the border. I have got November wordplay ready to go, but I have a few days before I need that one . I am also stitching a spooky design for an exchange. I need more time or more hands.

Well folks hope boredom has not set in. I think it may be a walk next time as Marti.n is all stitch showed out!

He did buy me a new lamp which is super and at only £35 was a bargain.

May I thank all of those who have left comments this past year. It is my blogoversay very soon and if you have been kind enough to keep the comments coming you may get rewarded as I shall pick a name next time. So take care my blogging friends and I shall leave you with a very fierce dragon and I shall speak to you again soon.

Hugs and love 

Barb.