A little bit of everything

Hi everyone,
Once again there's been way too big a gap between posts but instead of boring you with my excuses I'll just get on with the pictures as I have a lot to show you.
Hmmm, where to start.............
I was motivated to have a little cross stitch finishing fest one weekend and managed to get three small ornaments finished.
The first is Needles and Pins Heart Pinkeep from Country Stitches
I followed Brenda's instructions for spraying cream linen with coffee before baking in the oven and then I stitched it with the recommended DMC threads. I have to say I absolutely love how this turned out.




I just managed to squeeze the backing out of a 5" square from a charm pack as I thought it went so well with the design.



The next one is Blackbird Designs Winter Garden Pincushion which is my May ornament for the Ornament a Month Challenge.





I used the recommended threads and trimmed it with chenille yarn. Instead of using fabric to back the piece I took one of the motifs and stitched it again three times.



The final ornament is Shepherds' Bush Merry Merry Be which was a kit friend Sheila bought me for my birthday.



This was the first time I've attempted the ruched ribbon trim and while it's not perfect I quite like the way it looks.
I backed it with fabric from the Moda Peace on Earth range. This ornament will count as my June ornament for the challenge so I'm happy to say I've managed to keep up and hang in for the first six months.



On the quilting and bag making front I am still working on hand quilting a quilt I've made for my baby grandson. Pictures to follow soon (hopefully) and I also made another bag from a pattern by Bareroots using fabric from the Blackbird Designs for Moda Garden Party line.




Here's a close up of the stitchery design. You should be able to click on it for a close up if you wish



I haven't done any crochet in a while but have plans for this yarn




which will become a Cath Kidston inspired granny square throw. I'm looking forward to making this.



A few weeks ago I entered a giveaway on Australian designer Anni Downs blog.
You had to guess how many buttons in a jar to win a copy of her latest book and imagine how thrilled I was to be one of the two winners!
I could hardly wait for the package to arrived and when it did, well, all I can say was I had high hopes and I was not disappointed!



The book has 112 pages and is crammed full of designs that I absolutely love.
There are patterns for three quilts, a table runner, a pillow, bags etc.
and for those of you, like me, that live in a place where just about every single thing has to be purchased sight unseen online I thought I'd show you lots of inside pictures so you can see for yourself how nice the book is.



How lovely is this little needlework bag?






and the accessories to go inside it





Another bag - LOVE this one



Finally, I want to show you some sweet little pin books that my friend Angela has been making.





Each pin book is printed onto quality cardstock which is then gently distressed for an aged look. They measure about 3" X 1 1/2"

How about this one with the popular 1940's Keep Calm and Carry on motto



each pin book has matching wool felt interior with three pearl head pins



I've kept the best til last of course and here is the latest mermaid in my collection.
This one is trimmed with narrow grosgrain ribbon and vintage buttons




I think these little pin books would make great gifts for stitchy friends or maybe you would like one of your own. If so just email me. I can then put you in touch with Angela who is happy to make them to order for you at a reasonable price.

That's it for now so, as ever, a big, big thank you for visiting my blog and for your kind comments
Margaret

Three little pillows and a few other bits

Hi Everyone,
Just a few bits and pieces to show you this time starting with Miss Mary Mac's Pins & Needles Pincushion by M Designs stitched on 40 ct linen with my own choice of threads. It is backed using the fabric you see in the picture.



Another little pillow finish. This one was a freebie design by The Sampler Girl a long time ago. These days I think it is included along with several other designs in Tanya's Valentine Booklet.



Still with Sampler Girl designs this is Dash Away All
It's my Christmas ornament a month challenge finish for April.
Stitched on 36 ct evenweave using DMC threads.



I was lucky enough to win a giveaway over on Carol's blog
This gorgeous little ornament stitched from a feebie design by The Drawn Thread is so very pretty and finished to perfection. Thank you Carol. I love my gift!



I managed to keep up with my assignment for the Hedgerow Birds Project Bag SAL on Miss Zelania's blog



I finally finished the afghan I started to crochet last November.



The tutorial I used is the ripple blanket on this blog and the yarn used is Stylecraft Special double knitting.



the weather is hotting up here now so the blanket won't be used now until next winter but I'm looking forward to snuggling under it in front of the TV.



Lastly a little bit of dishcloth knitting. Knitting was the first craft I ever learned when I was about 7 yrs old. I don't knit much these days but I had some dishcloth cotton and when the fancy to knit something came over me this was instant gratification as it took no time at all to do.
Once I'd finished it looked as though I could squeeze a second one out of the same ball of yarn and I did - just!



The pattern is free on Ravelry

The yarn is Peaches & Creme Painted Desert but the colours look quite Christmassy to me


<

I'm off to UK on Friday. I think they've been having more sun than we've had here in Spain but it can't last and I bet I am going to need my umbrella!
Thanks for visiting my blog today and, as always, a big thank you for your encouraging comments.

Margaret

Time for an update

Hi everyone,
The days since my last post have flown. I've had some computer woes and some lost mojo days but there are a few things to show you so first up is a cute little sewing bag.



The pattern is from Australian designer Bronwyn Hayes book The Flowerbed Quilt
The front and back have the same stitchery design.
Here's a side view



and a view of the bag when open showing the inner drawstring pouch, needlecase and scissor holder. Fabrics are Rouenneries by French General for Moda.




By the way, Bronwyn has the sweetest little Easter bag pattern with a stitchery bunny on her blog as a free download. I wish I had time to make it but even though it looks quite small I just can't fit anything else in at present. Perhaps next year.....

Another bag! This one is from a pattern by Australian designer Natalie Ross




I used a selection of Tilda fabrics to make this bag



and of course there had to be a matching needle case






I managed to stay with the 2011 Christmas ornament a month challenge. This is the one I've done for March. It's a Little House Needleworks design from the 2009 JCS Christmas ornament magazine.



finished as a simple hanging pillow and backed with Peace on Earth fabric by Moda




Sorry for the rather unimaginative photo but all of my Christmas "props" are packed away!


I finished this small Blackbird Designs piece a long time ago and have only now finished it into a pillow. The date I had stitched on it was 2009 but I decided to unpick that and replaced it with the three buttons



I found the perfect backing fabric in my stash. It has tiny birds on it but you probably won't be able to see them without clicking the picture for a close up.




I've been very much into crochet recently and have been looking around a lot of crochet blogs. I was lucky enough to win this lovely pincushion on Rachael's blog





Rachael said I could choose my own colours so I went for Cath Kidston type colours.
I just love it. Thank you Rachael :)



I don't usually show my cross stitch WIPS until they become finished objects but I've been taking part in a SAL on this blog stitching the Blackbird Designs Hedgerow Birds project bag.





This is how it looks after two assignments. Just one more assignment and the front will be finished.
I'm afraid it's a bit creased but I stitch in hand and I don't want to press it until I'm ready to do the finishing.

Finally, I was going to show a nice sunny beach pic but the weather has been quite gloomy the past few days so I'll show the cake I made this afternoon instead :)
This is coconut and cherry banana bread from Nigella Lawson's latest book Kitchen.



now I don't want to blow my own trumpet here but I actually think mine looks better than Nigella's which looks a bit sad in the middle LOL.


Sad or not this cake is delicious but then Nigella's recipes usually are. This book is my favourite of hers to date.

Well, I think that's it for now. As always a big thank you for visiting my blog and for taking the time to comment. I do love to hear from you.

Margaret

February has been a good month!

Hi everyone,
I've been very lucky this month because I've received two lovely gifts in addition to winning a pattern on a designer blog.
I've managed to stay on top of my one Christmas ornament a month challenge, made a couple of bags and finished a cross stitch piece as well.
So, on with the pictures!
One of the gifts I received was a wonderful surprise package from Valie in France.




A few months ago I had admired her purchases from Rouge petit coeur so
I was thrilled to receive this elegant pinkeep with a little ceramic bird mounted on cream linen on the front





and backed with a very pretty fabric on the reverse



Valie has made other pinkeeps in this style so if you'd like to see more of her lovely work please visit her blog.

My other gift also came from France. Francoise (no blog) sent me the tiniest little pillow which is stitched over one, edged with beads and backed with palest blue silk fabric.
Francoise also sent two Sajou thread winders depicting the Eiffel Tower which you can see in the photo. That should give you an idea of how tiny this pillow is!
You should be able to click on any of the pictures for a better view if you like.



The win I mentioned earlier was the latest little quilt pattern from Gail Pan
Gail is one of my favourite Australian designers so I'm really looking forward to making this up. I love the name she chose for the quilt. Simple Times sounds so nostalgic.



Now on to the things I've been making........
The first is my ornament for this shared blog where we are challenged to make one Christmas ornament a month.
The design I chose for this month is a free design on Tanya's blog called Christmas Eve Flight.
I stitched this over one on 28ct linen and I love how it turned out



I also stitched another of Tanya's designs as a Wednesday night SAL with Angela, Barb and a few others. This is the At Home with Jane Austen Sampler.
I really enjoyed stitching this and want to do a few other of the designs in this series.



What would a blog post from me be without a bag or two? I needed a quick gift so I made another Charm Party Tote. This is a pattern I've made several times before and can almost do it without even looking at the pattern. The fabrics are Plume by Tula Pink for Moda. They are bright! You may need sunglasses :)




Finally a little bag from a pattern by Australian designer Lynette Anderson





This was such a fun stitchery to do although there are a LOT of laisy daisy stitches and French Knots dotted all over the back not to mention some very tiny stitching on the circular design



and because I always love making things with sewing accessories I made a needlecase




using a pattern I have used a few times before from the book by Kathleen Tracey
Remembering Adelia

It's made with reproduction fabrics in the book but the pattern lends itself equally well to more modern fabrics. The fabrics used in this needlecase are all Lynette's designs



and because the fabric with the same design as the back of the sewing bag was just screaming out for one of those round pincushions I couldn't resist seeing how it might look.
I really like how it looks finished off with one of Lynette's wooden buttons in the centre






Well, that's it for this time. As always a big thank you for your visits and for your encouraging comments. I love to hear from you.

Margaret