The epic autumn swap continues...

In my last post I shared a couple more bits I'd made for the autumn swap Steph and I did. Much to my surprise the postie knocked on my door with a parcel from Steph. (She has very distinctive handwriting so you know instantly!) 

So the parcel contained a lovely crocheted blanket, (I'm thinking Lottie might like this one), a little stitched cushion, ribbon, chocolate cake soap, beaded squirrel kit and a beautiful autumn book. 

Here is the cushion. It says 'a fallen leaf is summer's wave goodbye'. 

Steph is brilliant at felt books and this is the fab autumn one. 

The autumn swap has been amazing so let's see what the winter swap holds. 

Xxx

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!!!

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree

How lovely are your branches...

Just a quick post to show my Christmas tree and all my hand made decorations. This is a collection that has grown over 4 years and has decorations from some of my lovely crafty friends and some carved ones I've brought from our city's annual Victorian Fayre. 

Here is my tree and fireplace. A very good friend came round to film a parody of the John Lewis ad with our Minister dressed as a penguin (perfectly normal!!). Her description was that it looked like someone had vomited Christmas all over my lounge!!!

And here is all of them...

There are 71 on the tree and about 15 round the room. This is the ones that were new this Christmas just gone. I had decorations from Laura, Joan, Lori and Amanda. I was very lucky to win Laura's crafty advent calendar so had lots of lovely ones from her including the penguin, folded fabric star and the cute stitched reindeer. The frilly looking crocheted ones are candy cane holders made by Joan along with santa. Lori sent me a Christmas pud and a star square and my friend Amanda made the tree garland, snowflake and wreath. 

I wonder whether we'll hit the 100 mark this year??? I might give out a little prize if anyone can guess the correct number when I take them down next January 

Thanks for reading, I'll share all my 2015 goals in my next post. 

Kerry

2014 round up

Hello friends (if you are still there!!)

I'm sorry for my absence, a few secret makes I couldn't share and then starting a new job (an Internship in Youth Ministry for a year) meant I have fallen behind. So I shall wish you Happy New Year and I thought I'd do a quick round up of 2014. I'm setting myself a goal of blogging monthly so that I can realistically keep up as I am doing the Internship until September. 

January
I finished off the Big Bang Theory chart.

February 

Another TV related stitch, this time Game of Thrones

March

It was a month of finishing off WIP's so I shall just add a link to the post. Although the post is dated April, most were completed in March as part of themealicious.

April

The Spring swap with Steph. As you've all seen the posts about this, I'll just put a pic of my favourite make and link back to the original post.
 

May 

This is where all the new stuff comes in as my last post was mid May. Everything below is new to the blog and starts with Lori's birthday...a blackwork cat card and biscornu. 

June

Laura's birthday was at the beginning of July so In June I made her a dragon cushion and biscornu. 

July

July was a very busy month. I went to see the Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, which was a dream come true. Steph and I did our summer swap so I made Wimbledon bunting and a strawberries and cream biscornu.

A tea for two bundle

In the garden was next, which included a stitched bookmark and cushion, beaded insects. I also did a seaside themed book page with the other side being a picnic. I made a small granny blanket too.

Steph made me a fabulous bundle...

August

The travelling box arrived brim full of amazing makes. I made bunting, scissor case, chicken scratch bookmark, necklace, fabric owl, covered notebook and pen holder, biscornu, 2 brooches and an embellished purse. 

I selected the following to keep...

August was also my friend Caroline's birthday so I made a biscornu and Steph made me a brooch to give her as Caroline admires my collection. 

September 

I started making for the autumn swap and Steph's birthday and didn't get very far at all as I started the  Internship and went from working 10 hrs a week to 30. My youngest started school too  Laura and her husband celebrated their anniversary so I did manage this chicken scratch heart. 

October 

This saw much of he same where I was too tired to do anything, bits got done, but nothing finished 😔

November 

My birthday and my kind a generous friends sent me lovely presents. 

This was from Lauren 

Laura sent me these goodies. I love the colours of the bag. 

Steph sent me some beautiful threads and a brooch to match a skirt I have. 

My friend Amanda made me wrist warmers. 

December 

I actually made stuff and completed them!!

Triangle trees, chicken scratch snowflakes and folder fabric trees for Steph and Laura. They were made in different colours and also included bits is picked up at the hobby crafts show in November. 

I made this for my pen pal Janet's little girl from a DMC freebie chart.

I also made a chicken  scratch heart for Caroline but forgot to take a pic. 

I had some lovely presents from my crafty friends. Steph sent me a fabulous bundle carrying on with the autumn theme. 

Laura sent me 

 And Lori sent me these as my birthday present was lost in the post (so sad)

I also sent Steph an autumn bundle with this mini cushion

I was very lucky to win Laura's crafty advent calendar and had all these fab treats that included stash, makes and chocolate goodness. 

I'd forgotten about the swap we did within the travelling box group. Joan made me a fabulous Santa and candy cane holders

And I made a Joy decoration and sent choc and a few buttons from the NEC.

So that was 2014. I hope you've managed to stay awake through all of this. 

Best wishes 

Kerry