Gifted Gorgeousness - The Pincushion you've all been waiting to see .....

Hello Dear Reader,

I'm pleased to be able to join Jo's "Gifted Gorgeousness" today, to show you the gift I sent to my swap partner in Bea's Pincushion Swap.



Some time ago I had seen this lovely doggie pincushion, but I never thought I would actually make one because I wouldn't want to stick pins into him!


When I found that the lady I was sending to was a dog lover, I felt "this was meant to be"!! (Links at end of post)

Truth told, I think I sent a teeny bit of my heart with this little guy, 'cos by the time I finished making him he was hard to send away in the post!!!  So I guess that makes him "made with love".....

And then, so he won't have to have pins stuck in him I had to make another pincushion to go with him! But then I felt he had to have a rug to sleep on (just as every stitcher needs a needle case .... or two). 

Luckily, around this time, my blogging friend - Turid - wrote a tutorial for a needle case which I felt could double as a rug for my little pincushion!

Thank you Turid, for your timely tutorial! (link at foot of post) 

and I just know I will be making more of these!

Oops, nearly forgot! I took this next shot to show some of the stitches on my new sewing machine, but maybe I should have taken more of a close up! Tee hee!

And one last piccy of him with his rug and bone .......

I do hope Debra, will like him! I certainly enjoyed making him!

Now, I'm off to visit everyone over at Jo's place! 

And while writing I'd like to thank Jo for running this lovely party each month! "Thank you Jo!"

Hugs,

Barbara xxxx

Gifted Gorgeousness Link Party at Jo's place (Serendipitous Stitching)

Dog and bone made from a tutorial by Pecks Pieces - HERE.

Needlecase made from Turid's tutorial - HERE

Bea's Pin Cushion Swap (January to March 2019).

WIPs (Work In Progress) and a Catchup

Hello Dear Reader,

Do you remember me saying that I've been making pincushions for Bea's Pincushion Swap - well not strictly a swap as such, more a round robin I suppose! 

I sent three pincushions to three stitchers and received three from a different three stitchers. 

I was late ... ish with the first, later with the second, and Well Late with the third!! 

The third hasn’t been received yet so I can’t show what I made  .... can’t wait to show you, as I enjoyed making it so much!

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This week I 've been working on these WIPs, trying to turn them into FFO's:

I stitched this little chap quite some time ago and hadn’t decided what to do with him .....

see more .....

WIPocolypse (3) - April 2019

Hello Dear Reader,

This is a fun SAL (Stitch-A-Long) to help us finish some of those neglected projects that may be lurking in some forgotten corner! You can read all about the SAL over at Measi's.

But before you disappear off to visit Measi, and maybe even join in?! let me show you what I've been up to since my last update: HERE

By the way, Measi, if you are looking in, I haven't been able to link up on your blog previously, but I will try again today, and hope I am successful this time.

See who is joining in this month : HERE (on Measi’s blog)

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These are two projects I started last year and finally finished last month, which I can now cross off my WIPocolyspse list.

Camper Van:

Pattern: CrossStitcher Issue No: 332

On a previous post I said I would make some buttons for this bag from Fimo, unfortunately that never happened, but I will make them one day! ..... I had to finish the bag without the buttons so that I could show it at my handicraft group's recent exhibition (sorry no photos).

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Name Badge

I was really pleased to finish my name badge ..... not bad, but maybe the name itself should have been slightly larger! It was a test piece really, and I was trying out reverse applique which I had never attempted before, after seeing Queenie's Mola reverse applique.

The binding was tricky! The first 3 sides were fine, then I had to think of a way to finsh the top ..... which was difficult because I had added a pocket on the back and the binding at the sides were in the way for binding the top. Still with a bit of tweaking it was done! Yay!

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Each month Measi asks us to answer a question and this time the question was:

“ Talk to us about your longest-running WIP or UFO.” 

This has to be my Cocoa Sampler, started: 5.4.2004, at a time when I really wanted to start blogging!

Hard to take a really good photo as it is quite large!

I found some nice photos here on my blog which show the sampler very clearly.

This is a project I never intended to finish quickly. I always thought I'd add a few stitches ..... as and when I felt like it. I have to admit it's taken longer than I imagined!

The next photo shows where I picked up again this week. Every time I look at this sampler I'm encouraged to add a few more stitches, but the frame it is in makes it so awkward to hold and makes my hands hurt after a while! So I start off each time with lots of enthusiasm but then my hands start hurting and back it goes into one of the "Dreaded Cupboards" (my husband says I'm taking over the whole house ..... well, yes, of course!)

The stitches on the left of the heading were stitched previously ..... and I'm working on the right side, err, right where the needle is sticking out!

Oops, sorry the photo is a bit dark

I 've also written about my Cocoa Sampler over at Kitten Stitching and the Friday Frolics: HERE.

I think its high time I finished this one so I'm determined now to try to finish this year. We'll see!


I don't suppose any of you have this pattern by any chance? I only have a photocopy ..... my sister had the original and I think it went out in one of her "clear outs" ..... trouble is the back stitch is in more than one colour but there is no way of telling from the photocopy where each colour should go!

I'm sure I can work something out but it would be interesting if I could use the right colours.

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Thank you for visiting today ..... it's always nice to hear from you! I'm off to visit a few blogs via Measi to see what everyone else is finishing off! Oh, and my old friends at The Endeavourers have just posted their interpretations of their latest project "Rain", so if you have a few minutes why not come and visit with me.

But, before you go I've got a little story on the subject of buttons! I have finally gotten round to making a jacket of DH's wearable again! Some years ago (and that must be at least five years)  I stole brass buttons from a jacket of his because I needed them on my own jacket to play bowls for the county and comply with their strict dress code! From time to time over the years DH said how nice it would be if his jacket had buttons and he could wear it again. This month, after further pleadings and finally threats to withdraw all labour in the kitchen, and shopping duties (not to mention cat poo duties ..... which he is very good at!) I finally succumbed to putting the buttons back on. Unfortunately the weather has now changed and he can't wear it until next year!

Hey ho, never mind eh, another job done!

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Look forward to seeing you again in a month ..... for another WIPocolypse, let's see if I can tick some more projects off the list then.

Polka Dot Lady has had a couple of visits, perhaps I can think of a few ideas how to finish her! Tee hee!

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But I do have another post almost ready to go, about a few new things I'm working on. So that should be here before the next WIPocolypse!

Have a great weekend!


See you soon!




Hugs,
Barbara xxx

Friday's Stitching Ground

This post was inspired by Astrid "(of Dragon Stitches & Stuff)".

Here's is my favorite stitching place ......

and this was what I was working on - for the Valentine's Blog Hop, ha! when I thought I'd write this post (I know, it's been a while! I've been making pincushions and trying to finish work for my handicraft group's exhibition) .

If you visit regularly you might know I didn't finish the above in time and instead showed this as my piece for my Secret Stitching Sweetheart (you can see the Blog Hop HERE )

and on my blog you will have seen:

belonging to Carla of Alaska Wolf Pack 

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But back to the present time, and here's "The Boss" keeping an eye on me ..... well, I think  he's giving me the evil eye actually

as he thinks I shouldn't be stitching and he should be sitting on my lap, NOW!!

Anyway, now you know where I'll be stitching this evening with my little "helper" and I'll be working on one of these projects:

Are you stitching tonight? And if "yes" what are you making?

I hope to be back soon with some finishes!

Until next time,

Hugs,

Barbara xxx

Gifted Georgeousness - March

Remember me?

I've been meaning to write a post to say hello, but the time kept evading me!

I'm losing track, am I reporting on February, or March?


If Gifted Gorgeousness is new to you pop over to Jo’s blog - Serendipidous Stitching - to read more about it: HERE


In February I was making a pincushion for Bea of Beaquilter as part of her pincushion swap.

Because of my dead sewing machine (and the fact that I was scared of the new one) I was late sending Bea her pincushion, [oh, it might also have been because I stitched the pincushion entirely by hand]. Unfortunately, the post took ages too! But I see from pictures on her blog that my parcel finally arrived! Yay!!! (Hope you like the pincushion Bea! and I'm sorry to have been so late!)

 I couldn't resist making a thread catcher to go with the pincushion:

This is how I'm going to use mine
 when I have time to make another one, for me!

Despite such a busy month this was all I had to share for Gifted Gorgeousness.

STOP PRESS: I have just received this lovely pincushion from Margun (no blog) from Norway .... Thank You Margun.

I love the pins Margun!

Such gorgeous fabric too!

I will be over to visit everyone, but I just wanted to touch base here so you don't think I've totally given up blogging! Tee hee!




Love you, been missing you!
Keep in touch!
Hugs,
Barbara xxx