Sunny Sunday

All at once I saw a host, a crowd of golden daffodils:
Hello all of you out there in the land of blogging, it is a beautiful day here in the South of England ,birds are singing , and you get the feeling spring has sprung.
Today we visited the garden centre to get a couple of new roses (Anniversary present from the MIL). Whilst there I couldn't resist grabbing the camera, the smell of these was divine and I brought a couple home ,just for the smell.

This is the time of year for new beginings and that is what I will be showing you -my new beginnings this week.

This is my new start last Monday with Sally and Colleen, thankyou all by the way for your comments on The Journey , I have it wrapped up awaiting what to do with it. Perhaps I will just bring it out when we have a guest for their room. Anyway this is Lucky the Shepherds bush kit I received for my birthday from Colleen, I just could not face a really large one, he/she is just so sweet and well sheepie. Thankyou Sally and Colleen for allowing me to continue my Journey with Lucky and you.

The next one was my TSG and Jane new start on a Wednesday night over on Needlecraft Haven ,this time I am in the kitchen with Jane. It is a quote taken from one of Janes letters to Cassandra and I am loving the colours.

I have had this kitted up for some time and it called to me from the evergrowing pile that it really needed to be next!Of course when Tanya informed us she was having a TSG sale this week ,I REALLY should not admit to this but just couldn't resist getting these on pdf. I can blame the friendship one on one of the Ladies on NH SAL as she is stitching it-also it has a white furry creature on it lol.

The next one , oh I know you are all shouting 3 new starts this week! but I HAD to stitch this one as it spoke to me as soon as I saw it in my new Stitchers Journey book from Blackbird Designs. Lots of lovely designs in it but thought one start from there would be enough!!

It is being stitched over one on Sassys Fabric and I am adapting the 'special stitches'. I did start it as the chart but decided it would be too big so hope it will still do the design justice.
So there are my 3 new starts - cannot count either as there is another sitting beside me and I cannot say what it is or show you as it is a giftie .
This week Martin and I celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary, just to say the romance is still there .

On that day it was also Red Nose Day for Comic Relief and to do something funny for money Caitlin our grandaughter decided she would sit in the sea. BRRRRR it was a foul day on Friday and quite cold but the sea was just a tad cold. Just to prove she did it-

Did that make you feel chilly-I think she did too. She raised £70 so she did well.

Martin also had a finish this week he made me a kite for my window.

My thanks go to all of you who continue to leave me comments , I must learn how to send you an answer via your comment post. Life is a steep learning curve for me these days lol.
Well I am not writing reams this time, I do love reading what you think of my little offerings though and I have one more to go to get to the century in my followers.
So I shall leave you with another springy pic and wish you a happy and sunny stitchy week.

Hugs n stuff
Barb x

200 years

In 1811 Jane Austen wrote Sense and Sensibility -which was then designed by Tanya of the Sampler Girl into this piece- that has been finished by me and now has to be framed.
Tracey gifted me the chart and thankyou so much as I loved stitching it. The years are 1811 and stitched date 2011 exactly 200 years. I have a Sampler Girl thing and love her designs ,so on Needlecraft Haven I have a Wednesday SAL night devoted to Jane Austen and or The Sampler Girl designs. If you want to join us you would be more than welcome.
I have had my 2 new charts come and for now I am calling it a day until I catch up on some of the ones I have. It will be buying threads now I expect ! Well that is the plan anyway.lol


I just had to give in to these as they have sheepies on.

Well I have not a lot of news to tell you ,but we did go to our friends 60th party on Saturday held at an upmarket hotel in Poole.On our way there I espied some little baa lambsies in the fields but we were on a dual carriageway and we couldn't stop for a picture so that is why you have not got a sheep pic to drool over lol. I did take some piccies of the outside of the Hotel, you may even get a glimpse of me ,which in itself is a rare event.
Here is the outside of the hotel.


The Hotel overlooks Poole Harbour and Sandbanks, an affulent place on the South Coast with homes here fetching millions of pounds.
Apparently twice a day the ferry to France goes by the Hotel and Celia said it almost looks as if the ship is coming into your room it seems so close.
Well this is just a little catch up as I said not much news.
I am stitching (hopefully) grandchildren allowing ,on the SAL with Colleen and Sally. I think we have decided to have a week at home this week on account of me having to take 4 grandchildren with me. So is it to be The Earth Gatherers or Lucky hmmm still have not decided.
This is where I have got to on Autumn ,N almost finished.

Last -shall I post this - well I did tell you I was pooh bear shaped !!!


Left to right Martin love of my life,Celia our friend who is 60 today and you would not think she is defying the specialists by being alive ,her daughter is the "girl" at 33 who has just had a heart attack, Norman her hubby and last but not least the me on the right. I am so sorry to inflict that on you! I was in pain there and having a problem standing upright and no it was not the alchohol.
On that note I shall leave you and after the shock of actually showing you a photo of me I will probably be away a while lol.
Take care you all and I will if I may join with you in saying a prayer for all those in Japan, it is unimaginable what they must be having to deal with and I really feel for them. An overwhelming disaster on such a tremendous scale in more ways than one.
Nature can be so cruel.
Bye for now
hugs n stuff
Barb.

Have you got your dancing shoes with you

Well hello on a fine spring day and doesn't it make you feel sunshiney inside and out. I had a wander down the garden this morning the Hazel has catkins on about 3" long ,I have 2 contorted ones and was tempted to cut a twig or two but Martin is not a lover of the pollen they are full of.So instead I took a pic of the camillia.

Anyway the title was have you got your dancing shoes ,you may dance along with me because here are the finishes I have to show you, as you know I have been stitching with Sally and Colleen my Journey with Shepherds Bush,and this week I am happy dancing. In fact the girls and I danced so hard on Monday,I have had to have the feet up all day yesterday. Mind you the soothing lavender had me nodding off. As you can see I have finished it into a lavender pillow(can you smell it).

I am not sure what will be next as I had a birthday present from Colleen and this is what she sent .
So do I stitch "Lucky" or do I do a biggie hmmmm decisions.
I also had a gift for Janes birthday that I had stitched, it is a Blue Ribbon design and I also filled this with lavender ,got a thing about lavender. Do you like lavender may I ask.I also sent her a Fobbles gift voucher so I am looking forward to seeing what she is going to choose.


Talking of birthdays - Jane did send me a gift voucher from Mary Kathryns Handicrafts and I chose these, and on Janes birthday! they arrived here ,thankyou so much Jane I got these for my birdie wall.



As most of you have seen Julies blog, and the baby box I sent for Amy and baby, well I popped into Weymouth this morning to meet my friend Jean and when I got back I saw propped up on the doorstep a long green box. Inside were these:-

12 pink carnations ,gyp and fern. Such a sweet thought and totally unexpected. Thankyou Amy they are beautiful and you really shouldnt have done that. You need your pennies for the pink!!!!
I also had another suprise this week (goodness me) this came from Hazel (quietly stitching) ,bet you cannot guesswhat it is .it begins with an S , and here it is.


I had a bit of a deciding moment! should I put my crocheted sheep on my scissors or keys ,as you can see the scissors won. I did wonder if Hazel had been busy with her hook, but she mentioned in her note that she saw it and had to get it for me. I do not know what I have done to deserve such generous and sweet friends from the stitching blogging world ,but I am so touched when an unexpected comes in the post.

These next few goodies were ordered by me, and ohhh I also have another couple coming (bad girl ,bad girl) The Stitchers Journey book from Blackbird designs ordered from Down Sunshine Lane -Amy is brilliant. Just have to stitch this one that is in the book,as I live by the sea.


From Thread Bear I ordered these and want these done Now too !!



I am hoping that these designers will let me catch up before they show me anymore temptation! I seem forever to be playing catch up.
Of course I could always ask Kate dd if she wants any more to do. As you know I like to try and run one theme into another and talking of Kate here is her progress on Celtic Autumn (changed colours) ,she has not done loads and was a bit concerned I was taking a pic to show you. Silly girl -you are such nice people!

So one more finish to show you ,Jean my old school friend bought me the cream lanterny thing and I said I knew exactly what I wanted to stitch to go in or out of it.This is what I did.

A closer view,

I stitched this over one on 28count slightly spring Sparklies fabby. It measures about 2inches square. Lark by JBW designs and the "Lark" words I put on the back.
On Saturday we are off to a friends 60th birthday party, hope I may have some pics to show you as it is being held at lunchtime in a rather up market hotel . You may remember that I told you a while ago that she had major heart surgery ,she is being put on the transplant list at the end of the year. She did not think she would live to be this old,sad but she is so positive. Anyway she had a call from her son in law her daughter has had a heart attack and will have to have a bypass and is also suffering form unstable angina she is 32 with an 18month old toddler. Life is so unfair at times. So if you are reading this and suffering I do wish you well and hope that you know folks do care and from one here in particular "if you need a hug,you got it".
Well now off to re read this in case I have written a load of rubbish ,well why change the habit of a lifetime . I should finish S&S tonight on the Jane /Sampler Girl SAL on Needlecraft Haven. So another finish coming up and maybe next time i write I will have the other 2 charts I have ordered -now where did I put that needle.
Take care sweeties
Hugs n stuff
Barb x

All the S's Stitching & Stash

Shepherds and Sheep,Sense and Sensibility .

Hello there all,

Now I have recovered from the jet lag, Florida even virtually is a bit far in a day lol.
Well another week gone, Martin is counting the weeks now ,days and hours too. I must admit it will be lovely to have him home ,wonder how he feels about wielding a paint brush and becoming the gardener to the lady of the house!!
I will have to make this quick as said man of the house will be home wanting his dinner, although it is a quickie tonight, oops better rephrase that. Made ham ,cheese and leek pie and so only has to be put in the oven and I have cheated with new herby potatoes and salad so nothing really much to be done now.
So onwards onto the stitchy progress as I promised Colleen and Sally an update on the journey.
Can you see the terminus in sight, I will have to do another one when this is finished I think.

I think the colours are so pretty on this.
I have another work in progress to show you -Sense and Sensibility -Jane Austen by The Sampler Girl and the more this grows the more I like it ,hopefully another HD soon.

I have also finished my birthday gift ,but that cannot be shown yet. Also did a little knitting and that has been posted and should be received very soon.
In the post this week I had a long awaited order from Sew and So, for the first time ever, and I have been dealing with them for years my order went astray, then they were out of stock of a couple of items so they held it until it was in again. I had just phoned them to say I still had not got it and she said it had been shipped out that day.This is my bits from them.

This little bird has been admired for the longest time , and when a birthday present was bought by my old school friend (yes she is as old as me and our school years were a very long time ago) I knew I had to get the Lark to be stitched for it. I will show you in due course.
Also in that order was

and will go with Summer I already have and Spring which I have just ordered and they both go with this

Julie you will be pleased to see N has been started and I also found this lonely little bat, I am glad there was only one as I do NOT like bats. This is my UFO and as I now have 3 more in the set to be doing I had better get a move on.

Also this week I have had an order from Thread Bear arrive and so more to stitch, I wonder if I have enough lifetime to do it all. I did give away one piece this week, my daughter Kate used to stitch before her life became so hectic, last Sunday she asked if I had anything in my retirement drawer (she jests of course) that she could do. So she took away the Autumn Celtic Angel to do with all the bits and bobs and a frame too.. Wonder how its going --she thought it may help her relax...it will until she gets a frog visit!!! I digress-
Here is the order from TB

Being an ex florist (can one be an "ex" florist) I just had to have this one.
Then there was this

Which I am going to stitch for Feb ornie on Needlecraft Haven -I know its soon March but it will just be a little late!!!!
Last but not least was this piece of fabric which I just loved as it is a black birdie design.

Even the black birdies came for a look.
So my little sweetie pies that is this weeks news.I have put in a couple of orders so more to show you at a later date. Now off this computer and to get dinner underway . Tonight I shall pick up a needle ,but what shall I stitch ,any ideas?


Happy stitching to you all take care and many hugs
n stuff
Barb x

On our way! bet you wish you had joined us now!!

Here is where Sally and I are off to tomorrow for our SAL at Colleens this week. All in the imagination of course ,but our Mondays have become the highlight of the week. This is Colleens home in sunny Florida. Sallys Emmanuel is really coming on so nicely and if you would like a look see then she is Stitchangelstreasures. Colleen is stitching SB checkered sheep and her blog is Threads in my Garden ,I really must get my head round this linky thing!
I will show you progress on The Journey later in the week.
I did think I would get some stitching done today but have had mil and dd and family over, so as they have just gone I am going to collapse and pick up the knitting needles.
Thankyou for your sweet comments for my birthday. Speaking of my birthday I did say I would share with you some sheep pics. Well one or two.
We were driving home and this was the view from the road, the sea is Lyme Bay,and the Chesil beach between Abbotsbury and Bridport.

However this is not really why Martin had to screech to a stop and leap out pursuing these guys.

Of course I was in the car singing Baa Baa black sheep!
Martin is really a star as it was cold and fine raining at the time. He probably knew I would sulk all the way home if I did not get a sheep fix picture lol.
So this weeks plans are hopefully get a birthday pressie done, post my baby parcel to Julie and her daughter. SB Tomorrow and ufo Autumn on Tuesday ,Wed S/S The Sampler Girl .Then hopefully I shall get the christmas ornie started I have not even done the challenge yet either argh!!
Off now to put the feet up ,thanks for commenting and replying to any questions I have asked on your blogs.
Hugs n stuff
Barb x

Come share with me

the kindness shown to me on my birthday . Thankyou so much for your good wishes , pressies and cards. It all meant so much .
Anyway without further ado I shall do this in alphabetical order I think as I really had some lovely bits and bobs.
Angi (no Blog)but member of NH) sent me a lovely pair of sheepie socks ,which I havent got a picture of as they are in the wash ,so that is a really good start isn't it. She did send me a handmade card though which I did take a pic of.

BarbaraBL (no Blog)but member of NH sent me some lovely french ribbon.

Christine - alchemy stitchcraft blog sent me this, Martin sitting reading the paper did not even look up when I opened this, he heard me say oh wow!, and the comment was I bet something has sheep on !! Oh dear is this becoming an obsession lol.

Colleen my SAL with SB on Mondays has said she is treating me to something from DSL and is coming direct from them- oooohhh another surprise.
As I am doing alphabetically
Jane a stitchy friend from Manchester sent me a Mary Kathryn gift voucher by e mail will share with you when I receive what I have chosen .
Next from my friend Julie-Julies Stitchknitter blog known as Oldbagpuss, were these delights ,don't you just love the card.


The little bag is so perfectly stitched ,the glove will help the arthritic hands, the wool is being fought over for a pair of socks (his or hers).The chocolate lambs probably won't last long!
next was

This was all from Karan-who really had gone to town. Karan was the very first person to speak to me on a forum and I like to think like all the other ladies on there and who have now joined NH that we have become friends.
Anyway she sent me a bareroots pattern thinking I would like it. I love it- and as Graeme ds had given me some pennies ,Martin said he would take me to the craft centre at Broadwindsor so I bought all the fabric for the bag and all sorts of other goodies.

So now all I have to do is make it !!!!!!!!!!!! Please everybody don't hold your breath,don't want anyones death on my conscience lol.
Hope you are still with this , I told you I have been spoilt.

Some of you may have seen this on Sallys blog,so you will know what is coming when I say my stitchy friend Sally sent this to me.

The back has a pocket for scissors and little hearts for threads .
Again beautifully stitched and finished, and it will be treasured with other things Sally has sent me - I have a special Sallys basket lol.
Next is from Tina (no BLog) although she should ,we keep nagging her. I loved this little fob so much I sent a pic of it to Tanya at The Sampler Girl and she put it on Facebook so how about that Tina.
Anyway here is what she sent me and then a pic of said fob on my Sense and Sensibility wip .


So haven't I just been so lucky.
I also had 29 birthday cards and 3 e cards. Just so blessed and overcome here.
I think I should show you what Martin got me ,I did fall in love with a mirror ,and I have to admit that he was pretty taken with it too. I should have got him to take a pic for you . It was in a gallery in Abbotsbury called Dansel , very nice wooden items made by very talented craftsmen,anyway this mirror was approx 3foot by 4 and it had the colouring of thelounge in the border which was red and browns and cream marquetry of like a medieval scene of a supper along the top and apple picking on the sides with a lady catching the apples at the bottom. ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS but the price of just under £2,000 was touch more than we could afford ! So I came away with this which is also fabulous but a tad less expensive.A photograph album for the ancestors !

I really had a wonderful day , then at teatime Kate dd arrived with her tribe singing Happy birthday with a cake ,Alfie being most upset as they had forgotten the candles,left them at home ,so Ihad to pretend . I just have to share with you the inside of the card they had all written on.

They gave me a bouquet of pink roses and Kate gave me vouchers to spend.
I did have lots of bits from friends and family in fact it was bit like the generation games conveyor belt ,just needed the set of saucepans lol.
Oh and I must share with you Ellas gift to me ,but it will not get eaten!

Oh my ! It goes on- the postman has just arrived -oh he is grumpy this one. I had ordered a couple of books for Martin for VDay and they arrived with some other things. I do suppose he had the other gifts this week but it is his job. Anyway he just knocked the door and when I opened it I was greeted with blimey you keep me busy here , I am like a donkey!! I was a little taken aback do you think he was joking.Anyway I may as well show you the things that have just arrived
first up from my Irish friend Anne- we have not been in contact so much recently but I think of her often and I know her dh has had some nasty health problems so I will just take a minute to say ,you really are a sweetie for remembering Anne and thankyou. This is what I received ,it smells of Lavender too,hmmmm lovely!

Then from Clare who is the owner of Needlecraft Haven this has arrived , I love the card Clare and the chart and thread is so pretty.

BIL in Australia card came today too.
Last but not least and not birthday is this that I ordered a month or so ago but was it not worth the wait.


Well my friends leave a comment for me if you would ,I do like to see a little note from you all. I need to know -if I have 96 followers (96) why do I only get at most 15 comments lol. However if you do then you are a star and thankyou
Now I feel like I am at the Oscars -I am going to say to each and everyone of you that made the 15th of February such a special day for me THANKYOU SO MUCH!!
I have a couple of pics to share with you ,I saw some sheep when we went to Broadwindsor and Martin was braveheart and went and took some pics for me (in the rain) so will show you next time as they are a little different.
No stitchy news this time will catch up soon, I think next Monday we are off to Colleens for the Sal so will perhaps post a piccie of her (posh)residence. Take care all and thanks for visiting me whilst I sit in this comfy chair.
Hugs n stuff
Barb.x