Biscornu exchange!

Now despite my blog title I don't get to make that many biscornus of late, so when Mini from Miniz Diary made her first one earlier this year and asked my advice I offered to  do an exchange with her when we could both fit it in. So earlier this month the opportunity arose and after exchanging a questionnaire we made each other a biscornu and included some goodies too.

Mini told me one of her favourite animals/birds was the peacock so as I couldn't find a small a small feather design that would fit I used the colours from a pretty freebie design from Sew & So that was designed by Lesley Teare (also one of Mini's favourite designers) and made my own simplified version that included almost a full spool of Kreinik!

I did a simple design for the back that incorporated our names and the date.

I loved making up the parcel and deciding what to put in so I made Mini some beaded items -  a bracelet and earrings in her favourite colours and a hook book mark (made at my jewellery party) and a penguin scissor fob as Mini loves penguins too. I included some DMC variegated threads, a local magnet (to add to Mini's collection) and some chocolate all wrapped up in pretty paper, along with some cover kits that Mini chose.

Mini sent me this wonderful parcel with so many lovely things...The biscornu was a design I was familiar with, I stitched it years ago for a gift so I'm really pleased to have my own one now.

And the back...

Mini also included a detailed letter describing what she had selected all these lovely things for me including a Greek magnet and soap, an increadible bird painting from India on a leaf, a LHN chart, Fig cookies, a tin with charms in and a gorgeous cameo needle minder.

It was so much fun to do an exchange again as it's been over a year since I last did one and I'm looking forward to doing more in the future.

My next post will be for the summer linky party that Jo is hosting so look out for that.

Happy stitching friends.

WIPocalypse - July edition

This post might almost be on time!! Wipcalypse is hosted by Measi and gets us working on the projects languishing down the side of the sofa or under the bed.

I have a finish, this is big, big, huge news!! it is the Anchor Traditional Sampler, oh yes the Anchor Sampler that has been a wip since the end of 2013 and was a present from my In Laws in 2012.

This was the first picture I put on my blog of it.

the last picture I posted was a couple of weeks ago for Theme-Tas-Stitch's Just One July...

and a further 806 stitches and 22 french knots later here it is (and in need of washing and ironing!)

Measi also posts a question each month for us and this month it was:

What are your oldest and your newest WIPs?

Well, The anchor sampler was my oldest until earlier this week so now it is...

Blackwork band sampler from Kincavel Krosses - started spring 2015.

My most recent is MLady's Greenhouse Sal by Gaynor French of Stitcher Anon and hosted by Lakeside Needlecraft. This was started last month. 

They are both going to be focus pieces for August. That will leave 12 days of Christmas as my only pre 2017 active wip (started October 2015)

I missed last month's check in but the question was Show us your stitching space!  Where do you sit, and what is going on around you while you stitch (TV, audiobooks, etc)? I wanted to show you my little stitching corner anyway. I usually watch Netflix or something I can happily ignore like a rom com I've seen 100 times before. I sometimes have sport on - I love Tennis and F1 so stitch whilst watching those too along with Olympics and sporting events like that. I watch a bit of floss tube too. I have been known to watch Floss tube on my phone and have sport on TV at the same time whilst stitching!

I have gained a little room when we moved last year so I now have the small table too. I keep a small basket of odds and ends in, it usually has floss waiting to go back into my floss boxes, small finishes, hoops, the odd hair band, earphones and my phone tripod. My chart stand stays up on there and you can see I've been working on Tea and Cakes this weekend, there is a little tub for orts and my thread cards for T & C.

I still have my little unit that has things like my button tin, fray check metallic threads and other stitchy stuff. The two storage draws on top hold beads, needles and other small random bits. I have my two pin cushions - the cactus holds mainly pins and the jar has needles and is full of beads for jewellery making. You can see my wip basket full of the fab project bags I picked up at home bargains and my full DMC collection underneath. My favourite Gromit mug hold a half drunk cup of cold coffee (as always).

So that's all about my stitchy corner too. One more blog post to write and I'm all caught up!!


Hope you all had a great weekend. Happy Stiching

Smalls SAL - July

I've been a bit hit and miss with my check ins for the Smalls Sal - It's not that I'm not stitching smalls - Just not blogging regularly enough. The Smalls Sal is hosted by Heather at Stitching Lotus and challenges us to stitch and complete a small of our choice each month.

Theme-Tas-Stitch Just one July link up

Hello friends

I can't believe it's link up time already so here is this month's Theme-Tas-Stitch link up post.

This months theme was...

Just one July -

Pick a focus piece for the month and see how much progress you can make - show us before and after pictures if you can.

Well its been Just One gift after another for this month. I was really hoping I would be able to finish my Anchor Sampler because let's face it - it's been hanging around for too long now and I have less than 1000 stitches to go. that will be coming out today
Here is where i left it last time...

And after one evening of stitching

The right flowerpot is done and the second butterfly. That just leaves 726 stitches for the bottom border and 22 French knots in the trellis and snail feelers. I'm aiming for a finish this weekend! 

I did get 5 cards made too for teachers at DD's school. I started them in Maynia...

And here are the finished cards...

I had a biscornu exchange too with Mini, but I'll save that for another post.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you've all been up to. Here's the linky.
The theme for next month is...

Animalia August -

Give some love to those projects with our furry or feathered friends.

Tiff has had the idea of doing Dragons so there are a few of us going in that direction. I'm also hoping to do a bit on my Mill Hill Squirrelly kit too.

Good luck to all the mums embarking on the summer holidays!

Happy stitching

Kerry

Gifted gorgeousness - late again!

Hey everyone

Phew it's been a busy few weeks so I'm finally catching up.  I hope you're all having a good stitchy weekend. Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted by Jo of Serendipidous Stitching and where we show what we've stitched that has been gifted to us or will be a gift.

I finished the 28ct over 1 tea and cakes for Laura's birthday and popped it in a little white frame. 

I also made Laura a beaded bookmark at the jewellery party I hosted. The Lady who did DD's birthday party also does Adult ones so I got the girls together and we had Pimms and puddings too. Here are my makes. Laura's bookmark was the purple one. 

I also worked on the 14ct version of tea and cakes which is on gifted aida and with some gifted floss. The both are a free design from Lakeside Needlecraft designed by Durene Jones. 

August GG will be full of gifts as I did an exchange with Mini, stitched teacher cards and worked on my Anchor Sampler. 

Right off to stitch as DD has set me a challenge of 3 finishes by the end of the month. Eek! 

Happy Stitching.