Gifted Gorgeousness - February

Hello friends

Gifted Gorgeousness time again hosted by the fabulous Jo at Serendipitous Stitching where we show what we've been stitching that has been gifted to us or that we will be gifting to others - be it using a kit, fabric, threads, chart or embelishments.

So I had a very successful start of the month. I met up with my lovely craft friend Caroline who used to work in the office downstairs from mine and made her a little gift as I hadn't seen her in quite a while. I stitched the Heritage Crafts Butterfly and Buddleia needle book kit that was gifted to me by Laura when she had a clear out and I knew I'd stitch it for Caroline and was one of my 17. The finishing was a bit fiddly, it might have been due to the fact I stayed up really late to get as much stitching done then got up really early to finish it off and make it up.

Gifted gorgeousness - January edition

Morning folks.

I've not a huge amount to show for makes this year so far as I've been crafting for a swap, but I did a fair bit of making before Christmas as I did crafty advent calendars for Steph and Laura. Laura make me one a couple of years ago and it was so much fun I decided to return the favour and also make Steph one as she is always so generous. 

This is everything for Laura before I wrapped them all. I put in similar stuff for Steph too. The advent calendars were made up of craft supplies, chocolate and treats, Christmassy stuff like socks and also several hand made bits. The wrapped pile looked great! Each was labelled with the date to open. 

These were Laura's hand made bits above. I made earrings, a penguin brooch, fabric hanging decoration (Laura's was the owl one, Steph had a house). I stitched 2 of daffycat's reindeer for them (click here to check out all of them). . There were a couple of repeats from the Christmas travelling box - Laura had a biscobell and Steph a button tree and I also made a ball for Steph which was inspired by a conversation about satsuma's - as you do!  

It was my birthday a few weeks ago too and along with a Cath Kidston handbag and Paperchase vouchers from hubby, I had a lovely box of presents from Steph including these two beautiful stitches. 

I did make a little heart for my friend Ria for her birthday in October. 

I spent most of December making felties but I did make this little decoration for our friends daughter. It was a cover kit card design from Crazy I think. I did change the hair colour to match Alice's

I think I need to stop blogging now and actually make some stuff so I have something to show in February! 

Happy crafting friends x 

Work in progress

Hello friends

Just a quick blog to share my two current stitchy projects. I managed to get a really good go on queen of hearts whilst watching the formula one last week so here is my latest pic of it and the one from gifted gorgeousness for comparison 

Not the best picture, I took it just as I put it away for the evening. I've started the swirly leaf bit on the right too. I've been stitching it on the bus so adding about 15-20 mins a day to it. I've about a dozen stitches still to do on the left too. 

I did start a new project last night for a birthday present. I'm stitching it over 1 on 28 ct hand dyed from Steph. I won't tell you any more about it but you should see a finish at the beginning of November. 

I'm spending the day at mums with the children and I've brought it with me to do a bit on. It helps if you bring the threads though! 

I'm all finished making for the travelling Christmas box, it'll be on its way next week so I can share all my makes next weekend. We've finished the granny square swap too, so I'll write a post about that too. 

Have a great weekend 

More birthday makes

Thanks for all the lovely comments about the toadstool in my last post. I'm really touched by all your kind words

So on to Laura's birthday makes. As usual a parcel of crafty goodies went her way including a custom made crochet hook from for the love of yarn and a pair of Cath Kidston button earrings.  

 

Here's a close up of the hook

I'd totally recommend FTLOY. It was a great service. 

I stitched Laura a dragon dreams picture that did suit her perfectly! 

I've got a fair bit of crochet to show you in my next blog, but before I go a couple of pics of my Weekend at Wimbledon and Windsor. 

Our view from court 1

Watching the ladies final on the hill 

And finally a couple of purchases from the Cath Kidston in Windsor. Even I can find craft goodies during a weekend of tennis!! 

Thanks for reading. Next post is a bit of a crochet fest! 

Birthday presents

Hi everyone, 

Bit of a gap between posts again. My internship has been crazy busy with me preparing crafts for our annual church holiday club. We had 170 5-11 year olds doing a different pirate themed craft each day. We made hats, eyepatches, wooden spoon pirates, treasure maps on fabric and other pirates crafts.

 

There have been a few birthdays recently that I've crafted for. I stitched this toadstool from an old issue of cross stitcher for Lori. 

I was so pleased with how it turned out.  I backed it with red spotty fabric (I think!) 

It was also my friend Amanda's birthday and I made the biscornu that I had showed you in a previous post. I was really pleased with the finished item. It was stitched on a piece of linen that Steph dyed for me. 

Here is one of the bottom too. 

My last make was a crocheted brooch  for my pen pal Lauren. 

I hope you're all doing well and for the UK mums that are reading, I hope you're having a great summer holiday so far. 

Thanks for reading

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL

Morning! 

Well this one completely crept up me! I didn't do last month's Gifted Gorgeousness run by Jo as I was making for the travelling box. Click here to see the gifts I made from freebie charts and with gifted fabric!! You could say threads were gifted too as hubby brought me most of my DMC threads too. ) Boom! I'll share my favourite make again though. The pattern is here

This month, once again I'm making for friends. I can show you a little bit of two I'm stitching for gifts and 2 I have kitted up ready for gifts too. 

Below is a Gazette 94 pattern. 

This one is actually one I found that is a Hama bead design but works well as a cross stitch design. I've had a few visits from the frog on this one including one where he stopped a very long time. 🐸

Next are the 2 I have kitted up and they'll be started over the next week. Both are freebies again. One I managed to print the wrong design as there was a spelling error so I shall do that at work tomorrow. I've shown it here with the design with a mistake as it won't change much at all. I've changed the colour too as I didn't like the really muted colours. My friend Caroline who the piece is for, is a vibrant person so it needed more colour. The pattern is here, just keep scrolling!

And this one is with the backing fabric too, I've chosen a red that's a little more pink to match the fabric. 

I hope all the UK mums have a lovely Mothering Sunday. We're off to church soon and then to my mums for lunch. I've already watched the F1 so a great start to the day for me. 

Happy crafting

Travelling craft box

Hello friends,

It's been a lovely day here, glorious sunshine has made it feel very spring like. As I was sat watching the children play in the garden I realised that I hadn't shared my makes and what I kept from when the travelling box visited last month. 

I made 8 items and took out 7 this time. I had a little assistance in choosing as usual! 

So my makes were...

I stitched a lot of things this time... My favourite was the friend cushion from a freebie I found on Pinterest. 

I changed the thread colours to match the beautiful fabric my friend gave me from the Downton Abbey fabric range and added the cotton lace trim and wooden wooden buttons. 

I stitched this little cameo and beaded the edge. It reminds me of a ring I have that was my Nan's. 

I stitched a chicken scratch butterfly. 

I also had a bit of an experiment with some felt and beads and made this necklace and matching earrings

I also made a crocheted flower brooch, a felt and stitched button brooch and embellished a bag with buttons and machine embroidery.

I'll share my travelling box picks in my next post. 

Happy crafting 

Kerry

Ps this was written a few days ago when the weather was actually nice. Today has been cold and grey. Brrrrr! 

First finishes of 2015 and Gifted Gorgeousness SAL

Hi everyone,

I'm a bit late to the party but I've joined Jo's SAL for the year called Gifted Gorgeousness. The basic idea is that you stitch on something that is a gift for someone or was a gift to you. Almost all of my stitching this year falls into that so I shall be checking in on the 15th of each month.

So this months check in shows my first 3 finishes of the year. 

I made this little brooch for a friend who has been a bit poorly recently and sent it with this Juicy Lucy card. It's a covered button that was a Cross Stitcher cover kit or free gift!!! 

The next thing is part of the autumn swap I did with Steph, yes I know we are in the full throws of winter but here is the scarf with the little pumpkin I stitched for her too. 

The scarf is a join as you go in Patons Fab yarn. I'm a bit obsessed with variegated yarns and threads so I've tried a fair few in the Fab range. 

Here's a close up of the pumpkin. It's a design from Gazette 94 (keep scrolling, its a long way down) It was stitched over two on a bit of evenweave in 2 shades of DMC. It was really easy to sew up too. I added 2 leaves and a little stalk made from a stack of buttons. I'm thinking of trying out that shape to make an ornament or two for the tree this year. 

So next on the list is to start making for the winter swap and the travelling box is due in the next few weeks too!!! 

Happy crafting and I hope you're having a great weekend.

2015 Goals

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for such a lovely welcome back. Im really glad to be back blogging. Life is so busy its great to have an escape. So on to 2015's goals... After a fairly miserable attempt at 2014 where despite the goals seeming realistic at the time - they clearly weren't!

As I will be doing the Internship until September I'm setting just a few goals.

• Progress on Anchor Sampler

• 3 Blackwork pieces- Star, Lady from WOXS and Bird Song

• 12 Cover Kits - any 12 from the 100 or so I have!!! 

• Crochet an Ami 

•  Progress on Hexagon quilt

• Autumn Swap - almost done!!

• Winter Swap - not started, due end of February 

• Fabric box from NEC

• 2 Lizzie Kate charts - both snipitts, cross stitcher in residence and the other is work, trust, pray. 

•  2 baby blankets - 1 ASAP and one for July 

•  UFO's from the basket - x 4 - Japanese Garden, Keep Calm, Donald Duck and Gardeners.

I could carry on for ages but then the list becomes an epic on par with Ben Hur. I think that is achievable if I stop there. I've not put on the travelling box and things like birthdays as I didn't want it to become a timetable too much. So here are the progress pics and some of the projects.

This is where I am at with the sampler and my quilt

These are two of the blackwork kits, both were from Steph, one for my birthday, one for Christmas. 

This is the pin flair box kit and the 2 fabrics I chose for it. Not the best photo as the fabric is much more vibrant. 

Lastly the 4 UFO's. As you can see they're not big at all! 

Wish me luck!

Hopefully I'll be back very soon with my first 3 finishes!!!

Wedding makes and holibobs

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for all the lovely comments on the spring swap.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a beautiful wedding of some dear friends. I made a penguin card as the bride is rather fond of them.

I also stitched a lucky horseshoe from a DMC blackwork occasions chartbook.

I thought I'd share the beautiful table flowers and the awesome cake. The groom loves his retro cars and has an Allegro like the one on the cake!

On to our holiday. We had a week at Butlins, Minehead at an event called Spring Harvest. We had glorious weather and the beach at Minehead is lovely.

The kids had a fab week, there was so much to do for the kids and it was great to spend time not worrying about the mundane and just be together.

So just a quick post here, I've got some Easter goodies to show you and I've been working on my quilt too.

Thanks for reading. x

2014 goals

Hello!

My blog posts really are like buses. You wait for ages then 3 come at once! 

I thought I'd share my goals for this year with you all. Last year seemed to be some what of a craft wilderness so I'm hoping for some more finishes this year. None of the projects on my 2013 list got done but at least I've started the sampler now. I did get my blackwork sampler done. It wasn't on the list but as I started it last January I have a feeling I should have put it on there. 

When I do march madness as part of theme-a-licious I might start doing the 2 giraffe ones then I can get them into my rotation as soon as slots open up. I'm great at a plan...not so great at the execution of it!

So here is my rather long list...

Bobbinate the giant bag of threads (approximately 125 still to do)

12 Christmas ornaments with the needlecraft haven monthly SAL

Finish all the WIP's or UFO'S in the basket - more on that in my first wipocalypse post next week. 

Start and finish anchor sampler. Here is a progress pic after my first week of rotation well 3 evenings anyway! 

Make lots of progress on my hexie quilt. 

Crochet my first ami and granny blanket

Do 24 cover kits!!! As you can see there is rather a large choice. That is only 2 a month so could easily be accomplished in smalls week of the rotation. 

So that could potentially be 50 projects! I only stitched 29 I think it was last year so this would almost double it!

All I can say is good thing I ordered 4 packets of needles today!!!

Since I started writing this (on the bus on the way home from work). Hubby has seen the Chinese dragon in the latest cross stitcher mag and wants me to stitch it too! 

I think I need more days in a year and hours in a day!!!!