Monday 28 July 2014

Stitch from Stash July

I'm still not back up to speed with my stitching, or my reading and definitely my blogging. I really can't say why, time just seems to be disappearing through my fingers.

It's been a good month for my Stitch from Stash challenge though, little stitching means little spending hee hee

Here's my report:

Charts
  • Home gift  (free online chart)
  • Disney kit 
  • The Drawn Thread - September (previously purchased)
  • CCN North Pole Post Office (previously purchased) 
Fabric
  • 14ct white
  • 28ct country blush
Thread
  • DMC colours as required for charts
Finishing
  • photo frame (found in attic)
  • Christmas fabric
  • cording
Additions to Stash



And here are my photos:

This was for our son who moved into his first
flat - it was a free online chart.
North Pole Post Office
my progress so far on my next piece
on my tablecloth
The Drawn Thread - September
Hopefully I'll have this finished in time
 
I also finished the Monthly Christmas Challenge on Needlecraft Haven but I can't share a photo yet, and I am stitching a gift which again I can't share until it's given.

We're at home this month, with just a few trips to the caravan at the weekends so I am hoping I will have a far more productive month stitching wise.

Thanks for calling by my blog - I'll try to be around blogland a little more this month too.


Friday 11 July 2014

Returning to rotation

Finally I am back on track with my rotation - various reasons including holidays and parties but I am stitching to my rotation plan:

I finished a little gift for our son in his new flat, I wanted to stitch something but nothing girlie - I found this online and it's perfect He gave quite a chuckle when he opened it.


New home gift for our son
Monday I finished Gillie's Round Robin - part of the Welcome RR with Needlecraft Haven. I've posted it off and have received Dusty's which is the final RR for me to stitch on.

Gillie's RR - Jardin Prive design

Tuesday I did a very small bit on my September Drawn Thread as I had hurt my ankle and felt a little out of sorts. It's all ok now but I just didn't feel like doing much.

Wednesday was stitching night in the Parlour on Needlecraft Haven and I started a new house on my CCN Santa's Village table cloth - North Pole Post Office. It's stitched over one so doesn't look much but this little bit took all evening.

North Pole Post Office
Yesterday and this morning I have worked on a gift for some very good friends - I'll share it once it's done.

I just managed to finish the June Monthly Christmas Challenge in time for the reveal - the design for June was Coroncina Noel" by Luli

I used the background fabric for the backing

Today I have been sorting out the wine for the next round of tasting in the Scout 100 Challenge - it's Europe this time but not France as that has a tasting of it's own in September.

Last Friday was our 25th Anniversary party, we've had some lovely cards, thank you everyone. I bought some lovely ribbon yesterday that has silver hearts on and says 'All my love' which I've used to bundle them up - we still have the family ones out. We had a super evening meeting friends and family, some of whom we had not seen for over 15 years.


My dress - we borrowed a friends
dressmakers dummy to put it on
Back detail - I designed the dress
and had it made professionally
Close up of the neck, my veil and my necklace which
Nick bought me (with matching earrings)


Our friend Niki made a replica of
our wedding cake
My original bouquet of silk flowers

Replicating a wedding
day pose 25 years later.
Our Just Giving page is over £500 - thank you so much to all our friends. We can't believe we have doubled our target, it's a lovely amount to give to Pancreatic Cancer UK. You can read our story here https://www.justgiving.com/NickClareHearnden25th/

Thank you for popping by to read my latest news - fingers crossed my rotation will be on track next week too.

Thursday 3 July 2014

Superb exchanges

The end of June brought Opening Day for two exchanges on Needlecraft Haven. The Meet Up exchange was from the spring get together in Nuneaton earlier this year.

At the Meet Up everyone who wanted to join the exchange completed a little card with details of their favourite summer places, colours and treats. The cards were put in blank envelopes. Whoever's card you picked was your partner and the exchange gift was a coaster with the theme based on the details in the card.

I had Lindsay as my partner, her favourite summer places were the beach and visiting English gardens so I chose a Just Nan design that I thought looked like the layout of a formal garden. Lindsay's favourite colour is purple so I slightly changed the original colour scheme to match. I used a picture of a beach for the backing.

Coaster for Lindsay
Coaster back
When the card is put in the envelopes everyone is given a number which they write on the top corner, this is so when the envelopes are picked it's easy to see if you've picked your own without opening. Julie noticed that I knew she had selected my card and as Angi had selected Gill's (who is her close friend) they did a secret swap so Angi stitched for me hee hee. She sent a beautiful rose design along with a little tea bag but Ruby decided to steal that before it got anywhere near the kitchen !
Beautiful rose coaster from Angi
The other Needlecraft Haven exchange was the second part of the Four Season's Exchange - summer. This time I organised exchanges in actual pairs which we haven't done for a while. Chris was my partner and I know she loves gardening so I chose this basket of flowers for a coaster - although a small design it was quite complex to stitch, lots of single stitches but I loved stitching it and seeing the flowers come together.

Summer exchange for Chris
 Unfortunately one of the ladies on NH is unwell at the moment so I stitched the exchange piece for her partner - it was a quick stitch but I'm please with how it turned out.

Additional Summer Exchange piece
 
I received a beautiful pillow from Chris - I think it will be living at the caravan although it looks great at home too. Chris knows I love France so she changed the wording Summer Time to L'heure d'ete - what a lovely lady :)
 
Beautiful pillow from Chris
 We received another beautiful gift this week - Julie sent a gorgeous cross stitch picture for our 25th Anniversary. I'll be taking it to our party tomorrow night to put on the table with a few other things (I'm also taking my wedding dress but I'll be blogging that next time)
 
Hubby & I went to London and Paris to celebrate - you can read about our travels on my other blog Aimetu's - if you do pop by please leave a comment as it will add to our keepsakes.
Anniversary gift from Julie
My garden is looking ok but many of my flowers wilted whilst we were away - although DS & DD were home I think they thought the other would do the watering. Things are slowly returning and there are some lovely blooms although I do need more flowering plats as our garden always looks so green.
 
Fushia - it was tiny last year so hopefully will
fill the pot next
Climbing clematis - I love this colour
Hubby has a lily out in his pond
Thanks for calling by Aimetu's Stitching, your comments are always appreciated :)