Hello...is it me you're looking for

... probably not, but I'm here anyway!

Hello dear friends,

It's been 2 months since I blogged and I'm sorry I didn't post link ups for theme-tas-stitch, life has been so hectic due to work, family, college and all the other things that take up time in the run up to Christmas. I hardly stitched during November as I decided to do the School Christmas Fair and did my usual thing of making 100 felties in a month. (+40-odd pairs of earrings). I did make time for Flosstube - I guess that is still a new and shiny thing so still holds my attention, and is easier than blogging believe it or not!

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

Wipocalypse May check in

Hi Friends,

Wipocalypse time again (hosted by Measi) where we work on those pesky wips living down the side of the sofa! And yes, late again for the link up! Only 5 days this time!

For this month's Wipocalypse I worked on all my wips including my quilt would you believe! These are pics of the ones that were the original wips from the start of the year.

Theme-Tas-Stitch May Link Up

Hello lovely stitching friends

It's been one of those weeks! DD has had a viral infection so had 4 days off school and spent almost a whole week crashed on the sofa watching endless Cbeebies. Shes's nearly back to her normal self. So throw in working (very slowly) from home and masses to do for college, it's been exhausting.

So on to Theme-Tas-Stitch. This month's theme was:

Gifted Gorgeousness May

Wow, how is it time for GG already?  I hope you've all had a good stitchy weekend. gifted gorgeousness is hosted by Jo of serendipitous stitching where we show what we've stitched that has been gifted to us or will be a gift.

So I've a few bits to show...

Just Nan Spring frills humbug. A gift from Carolyn. 

Gifted Gorgeousness April.

Me again!

It's time for Gifted Gorgeousness hosted by Jo at Serendipitous stitching. Where each month we show our stitching made up from gifted items (chart, fabric, kit etc) or that will be a gift. 

So my main focus this month has been Blackwork Birdsong by DMC. This was a gift from Steph. Steph has just come back to blogging. Yay! 

 Here is where I got to at my last update - the collage shows days 1-8 work.

I've been stitching a length of thread or so a day. So this is 12 days work on it. I'm almost done with the black so just the gold after that. I think 7 days will see a finish. I hadn't meant to focus on it but with the kids getting older I don't often start stitching until getting on for 9pm.
I started writing this yesterday and I've just gone to photograph last nights work and found a hole in the middle of the fabric. I think someone aged around 6 may have been playing with it...

I'm hoping as there is a little blackwork motif in the spot I can sew a piece of fabric underneath and patch it. So here is  up to last night. 

I finished this little alphabet which will be an ornie for the travelling box when it comes. It's stitched in DMC Coloris 4507. The left picture shows where I'd gotten to during March madness and the right shows the finish! I'm not entirely sure how I'll FFO it yet but there is plenty of time. 

My final finish is the cactus embroidery kit which my daughter has decided is for her! It was loads of fun to stitch and was from Tiger. 

It's Theme-Tas-Stitch next week and I'm working on a little kit for that. April was always going to be the toughest month for me as I have nothing with water in it and the only piece with snow was done and dusted in February. Its only a small shoehorn but I'll leave that until the 21st.

Don't forget to do the Easter blog hop on Jo's blog too if you haven't already.

Kerry

WIPocalypse February check-in

Hi everyone,

It's been a busy few days for blogging and apologies for things you may have already seen this week. Firstly a couple of people commented on the tiny hoops from Tiger in my last post. These are they so you know what you're looking for. 

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

A little bit of Easter

Hello friends,

Just a couple of little makes and postal goodness to share with you 

The travelling box ladies did a spring feltie  swap. I made Rachel a little trio of birds...

 Steph O sent me this gorgeous lamb and a little bunny brooch. 

The office downstairs from my work has closed and the lovely PA who worked there was made redundant. She is a passionate crafter and we've had many a conversation about buttons over coffee. 

I filled 4 little plastic boxes from Paperchase with buttons, ribbon, fabric and in the bottom one put a couple of hand made bits. These are the boxes, they're super sweet.

I used the frame from a recent CS Crazy to hang this little blackwork design from here stitched on hand dyed aida from the fabulous Steph S from her folksy shop. I brought 2 pieces of evenweave too and used a bit for the other design for Caroline from here. 

I had a lovely Easter parcel from Laura too. 

Last of all is my spring piece for the four seasons SAL on Needlecraft Haven. The design is from Kincavel Krosses.

Steph and I have also had a little Easter swap too so I'll be back later in the week to show you that.

Happy Easter to you all. 

Kerry

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! 

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!!!

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