A Cross Stitch Small and Slow Sunday Stitching

Hi there stitching buddies!

I'm linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, 'cos finally I have a few hand stitching projects to work on.

Yay! I finished the first of my three “new to me” cross stitch projects. 

If you already follow me, you might remember?.... this is the one I told you that "took me over" ..... it was meant to be my travel stitching, 

but it's finished already!

Now I need to think how to FFO (fully finish off).

Pattern PM25 "Christmas Tree" by Anchor

But I have to say, with all the needle changes for the different colours it felt it took forever to stitch 

(probably three days) despite being such a tiny picture! Stitched on 14 count

 (14 stitches per inch).

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Today I’m stitching a little more on this pattern from CrossStitcher - it’s the free gift from the magazine.

 I've found I really needed grid lines, 

but are you supposed to keep putting them in and pulling them out? Possibly not, but I don't want to get the grid threads caught in my cross stitching.

The pink binding is temporary while I stitch, so the rough edges of the fabric don’t catch and ruin my thread. The pink tab on the top helps me to pick up and stitch quicker ..... you know what it’s like 

when you can't easily tell which way up is!

From CrossStitcher Magazine issue 351

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Just a couple of pictures while writing. My mum was saying how she missed the "Five on Friday" posts I used to do where I showed places DH and I had been walking, so just a couple of photos from a walk today:

This "little" guy was so happy sitting here that when we returned 30 minutes later he was still sitting in the same place! He obviously had plenty of grass to chew well within reach!

I know!! This is a bit funny, a veggie taking photos of cattle! But still, he does look cute!

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Oh, and this was a delicious veggie meal we had last week at our favourite cafe. Not the clearest photo, I took it with the camera rather than phone and there wasn't really enough light.

Nut Roast with steamed Kale, roast parsnip and carrot,
with a special gravy, and finished with a salad of pea shoots

It was such a tasty meal we've ordered one to cook at home for our Christmas dinner. Just hope the train strikes are all finished so we can go and collect the order!

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Even more hand stitching:

 When I was browsing on Pinterest last week I saw some teeny "Cocktail Napkins"!

Well, as I'm always thinking "Eco" and "Save the World" I thought this would be a good idea! 

I hate going into restaurants and being given paper napkins (often with each course) that get very little use and then go straight into landfill, so this is my very latest hand stitched "Squirrel" .....

using a small piece of Osnaburgh (6" x6") I'm now considering how to decorate! 

This isn't the lace I'm going to use, I was just testing to see if it was suitable. I think the napkin needs brightening up, but not too much as I do plan to use, and wash it plenty, and it might not last too long if it gets stained! So, its not meant to be a heirloom piece!

And, of course, I want this finished NOW! Tee hee!

Must go now, lots of you to visit, and I want to carry on with some of this stitching!

I do hope you'll come back to visit on 20th ..... when I'll be joining in with Jo's On line Advent Calendar. Why not pop over to see what is happening so far HERE.

Hope you are having fun, stitching, too!

Hugs,

Barbara xxx

Linking to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching

(may add to this list later)

Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade - 2017 (and a catchup)

Hello Dear Reader

I know!!!!! Where have I been, you ask! (or perhaps you don't!)

Well, it's Summer here, and DH and I have been out and about exploring.

I've taken lots of photos that I wanted to share with you .... but, our painfully slow laptop has prevented me from uploading any before today! Oh, I've even got a new phone, because I thought it would be easier to add the photos to the blog, but that hasn't worked ..... I've forgotten passwords so the photos on the new phone ..... still are!!!!

Luckily my latest header photo was taken on my "old fashioned" camera the day we had an enjoyable trip to a local lavender field.


It's been a busy summer, with very changeable weather ..... so some of my photos are a little dark!


We went on a guided walk around a stately home (now a school),

Carshalton House

and on another day we toured the fascinating water tower in the grounds of the same house;

The grassy area from the tree
to the hedge used to be a lake

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then a visit to a wonderful Indian Summer Festival (despite the drizzling rain) held in the grounds of the  Horniman Museum, with a story told in music and dance (I took many photos and might show more another day). Their Indian Summer season finishes with a Mela celebration this Sunday! 

and, as we were leaving, we popped into the orangery (an ornate Victorian conservatory or greenhouse) where a trio of Indian musicians were giving a recital on their amazing instruments;

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We also visited a short exhibition, held at the Quakers Friends Meeting House, near Euston station (London, UK), of 20 Quaker tapestry panels. The panels live in Kendal normally, and there are actually 77 panels in all. For further information visit here

Again, I took lots of photos ..... however I can't show any of them because of copywrite ..... I bought a calendar, fabric and tea towels and their Quaker Stitch Guide book which I thought would be handy for more Crewel Work - well you don't get the opportunity every day!

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interspersed with a guided country walk with a wild flower specialist

who was able to name the many different wild flowers we saw (but I didn't make notes of names unfortunately)

and named these little caterpillars too!

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then there were walks on our own, where we found these painted rocks, strategically placed at main entrances onto our local common

A wonderful idea!

but every single one is gone now!

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there has been stitching too ..... until it got too hot here.

Burning the "Midnight Oil"

And, after a "little" corrective work, i.e ripping back two rows of squares because they were wrongly orientated, I stitched the rows together.

Testing fabric for top and bottom borders

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Oops, you may have seen this next piece of cross stitch before ..... but a friend was asking how I decide which colours to work on first and how I keep track of my stitching.
Of course, it's down to personal choice, but to begin I take a photocopy of the pattern, enlarging it at the same time, then I use  marker pens, in five fluorescent colours, to help me keep my place, colouring in the pattern as I stitch (but do be wary ..... it would be all too easy to colour the fabric by mistake).

Although this doesn't necesarily prevent errors, it does make them a lot less likely. 

In this project I stitched the border first. Then stitched  from the bottom upwards within the border.

On larger projects I usually work from the centre outwards.

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Do forgive me if I haven't commented on your blog lately ..... I've been so tired after our adventures, I haven't even been checking in on my own blog!

And then, for the last two weeks I've had a problem with my eye, and looking at the bright computer screen has just been making both eyes water, and then they both just wanted to shut, and once that happens I want to fall asleep, no matter what the time.

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Anyhow, as I squinted at Blog Reader a few days ago I saw that it is time for PPPP - that's "Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade" btw!


The brainchild of Ida Jo of "My Sister Made Me Do It", you can read all about how it works here, and take a peek at last year's party here! You can see my last year's entry here.


How about it everyone?!? There are lots of amazing sponsors and prizes, so what are we waiting for .... get stitching or gather your pincushions, and join in!!!!!


I am soooo looking forward to seeing what you've all made!!

Barbara x

The Flashing Scissors

A Catchup!

Hello friends, old and new!

So pleased you could drop by.

Thank you again, all those who commented on my previous "post" - I'm pretty sure I've replied to everyone, but please forgive me if I haven't, I do aim to visit you all regularly.

I can't believe where the time has gone since my last post! I've been wanting to say hello and share some photos for a while now, so I hope Amy won't mind me joining in a little late with my Five (on Saturday)

1. WIP - Cocoa Sampler:

Previously

And now:

Now!

I have almost finished stitching the mug and milk bottle, but am leaving the white stitches until last to stop them getting grubby. 

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2. The Splendid Sampler blocks

I've been stitching some slow embroidery on "Measure Twice, Cut once..." by Jane Davidson:

Stitching slowly, so far....

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3. Quilt Now - Free Gift

And, this isn't an advert, but I felt I had to say, I don't normally buy magazines, but the other day I bought a copy of Quilt Now!

I'm always tempted by the offer of a free gift - and this had a 2.5 x 5 inch quilter's ruler, how could I resist it! After all, it can replace the 2.5 square inch measure I seem to have misplaced!!!!!

So useful when piecing
 squares, it's much quicker to use to check
seam measurements!

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4. Izzy's walk in the woods.

A couple of weeks ago, on a bright, but chilly day, DH and I took a walk to the bluebell woods, accompanied by Izzy, for a photo shoot!

The bag Izzy is dangling from was one of the first things I ever quilted (and appliquéd too!) from a pattern in a book by Chuck Nohara.

A few bluebells!

5.Tulips

And whilst we are looking at Izzy, on my rucksack, I would like to mention Chris, of  UK City Crafter, who linked to a tutorial for making Tulips a few weeks ago. Seeing how Chris made her own Tulips, of course, I couldn't resist having a go myself, and here are mine on my bag alongside Izzy! 

This was a nice little handmade project which whiled away some time on a few train journeys. I also made a tiny tulip for Izzy (from Chris's blog) too, but she really needs a bag to carry the tulip!

By the way, Chris took part in a Stitch Craft Create blog hop this week, making and creating with Tilda Candy Bloom fabric, she made a very pretty quilt with the samples she received from Stitch Craft Create.

Thanks to Chris I visited the blog hop and was very lucky to win some 10" square samples of Tilda Candy Bloom fabric, and found a few more interesting blogs to visit.

I was intending to use my prize to make some mini bunting for our street party, and found a great tutorial on mini bunting over at Josie's blog, Sew for Soul - but now I can't decide whether to make the bunting or a quilt like Chris's ..... I guess the quilt would be more useful, maybe......

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But back to our walk, and there were quite a few gates en route ...... I think they are quite picturesque. I've seen blogs where people link up their pictures of gates, and if I remembered which blog maybe I could have linked there too!

We also passed our local pond, and it was great to see the pond must be healthy as there were quite a few tadpoles and small fish. I couldn't get any pictures of the fish as they were really quite small - about an inch long, and bright orange .... perhaps they were cast off goldfish!

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I am off to visit at Amy's next, hope to see you there too!

I trust you are all keeping well!  Have a great weekend!

I will be back soon with a little quilted project.

Barbara xx

Five on Friday

Hello!

I am linking to Amy of Love Made My Home and her Five on Friday. I haven't joined in lately as we've been rather busy here with decorating and a sickly cat.

Edited Version!!!!!!

Oops, you might have noticed something funny here! I accidentally pressed the publish button a short while ago, instead of save!  But here goes, this should be the correct version now!

1. Spring is here!
2. Bluebells in the ancient woodland
3. Jelly ears
4. Present received
5. Happy Happy! (The Splendid Sampler)

1. Spring is here!

We have lots of frogspawn in the pond this year, more than we have ever had before! I do hope a few of he little chaps survive because next doors very naughty cat is really making it his life's work to annihilate all our poor little frogs.

2. Bluebells in the ancient woodland

The bluebells in our front garden are already flowering, but then they are growing in a sunny position, with the added bonus of the afternoon sunshine being reflected back onto them from the whiteness of the wall. 

So, having mentioned the bluebells that we had seen growing on the nearby Common the other week, we thought it would be a good idea to go up there again and see how they were progressing.

As it happens only a few are in flower yet as it is cool and shady here amongst these tall, old trees.

Previously I mentioned that shrubs and non native trees that have somehow self seeded were being cleared by the Commons' Rangers' and volunteers, and this time we noticed that further clearances had taken place, making it much more light and airy with dappled sunshine.

Old and decaying native trees, such as the one seen here,
 are being left to support the wildlife. 

We spotted this but are unsure whether it is evidence
of beetles or woodpeckers 

3. Jelly ears

Would you believe it! If you saw my post about our walk a few months ago when we went searching for fungi - I laughed when I walked round our garden the other day and found these Jelly Ears growing on the stumps of an old budlia tree!

4. Present received!

I feel really guilty that I haven't been able to blog about these lovely presents I received from the very generous Kim  of Wisdom with Needle and Thread.  She recently celebrated her blog anniversary with a month of giveaways.

I was lucky enough to win these lovely kits from week 5:

I was really surprised and excited as this wrist cuff was an extra surprise

It is Kim's 60th birthday in July and she is having another amazing celebration! She is making and giving 60 RAK's (Ramdom Acts of Kindness) to 60 of her blogging friends. You can read about it here.

5. Happy Happy (Splendid Sampler)

I have fallen behind with my blocks, but I can now report that I have finished said block!  The flowers and vase are attached by buttonhole stitch, and the stems are in backstitch.

I hope to be back again soon with a "finish"

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Hugs,

Barbara xx