GIVEAWAY WINNER...

Thank everyone for your lovely comments. I was a bit late on doing the draw for the giveaway, but we now have a winner....


DONNA, can you please e-mail me your address and I will get a package to you next week.

Fiona

Exchanges, Gift and Giveaway...

I have been trying to keep up to date with all the blogs and my own, but sometimes life just gets in the way.  Firstly, I was part of Stitched with Love Exchanges Winter Exchange.  Here is a photograph of the package I sent to my partner Heather.

Can you guess what Heather's favourite colour is?

I received a lovely package from Jessica in Indiana.  It was jammed packed full of goodies and a beautiful flat fold of a lovely winter scene.

Not only was there lots of goodies from Jessica, but some lovely Indiana stitchers that I had met in Myrtle Beach in October sent gifts to me.  So I was doubly gifted one package two gifts.  I was really touched by their kindness and generosity, thank you Greta, Nancy and Dianna.

I have been stitching, but again can't show it all as some of my finishes have been for exchanges.  But I can give a quick up date on my Scarlet Letter sampler, Janet Burnet, I have completed the first page I am enjoying stitching her but she is away for a while to allow me to work on some exchange stitching.

To finish this post I am going to have a GIVEAWAY.  Like Nicola this is my Scarlet Letter Year and to celebrate my birthday I thought I would host a giveaway here.  Included will be an item stitched by me, threads, linen, needles, trims and some other goodies.  To enter all you have to do is leave a post here, if you  post it on your blog and pass it along to your friends I will give you 5 extra chances of winning.  GOOD LUCK everyone.  I will do the drawing on the 18th April.

Fiona

A busy week...

Welcome to everyone old and new.  I love reading all your lovely comments and hope that you enjoy reading what I have been up to.

I have been at home now for the last 3 weekends, this is a rare as I am usually driving my youngest DS around for basketball.  It has been great catching up with my stitching and finishing.  Last week in particular I managed to get some finishing done and got started on my SL sampler. 

Firstly, a huge thank you to June.  She sent me a lovely Parisienne themed RAK I love it and having it sitting in readiness with my scissors next to my stitching chair. 

 

I also managed to finish an ornament for an exchange, but can't show it yet, as it is a secret exchange.  My other finish was a pin pillow that I had finished the stitching on way back in November.  It is a design that Tanya from Scarlet House designed specially for the Cross Stitch Pals Retreat in Myrtle Beach in October.  It is stitched on 25 ct over 1 and it is a great reminder of a fantastic time spent with friends.  It is sitting on the fabric I backed it with and has the trim I used sitting in front.  After I stitched it together and went to turn it to the right side I realised I stitched the wrong side to my stitching.  Rather than unpick it, as it was just for me,  I left it, so my spots are not as vibrant as they should be, but I think it still looks ok, who looks at the back anyway!!

 

Stitched on 25ct over 1 using DMC threads

 



SL Janet Burnet using AVAS silks on 40ct Sandstone Linen

I had a new start this week too.  I decided to start my Scarlet Letter sampler, Janet Burnet, this month.  Initially, I was going to use the DMC threads, as I am trying to stitch from my stash this year, but my heart wanted to stitch her using the AVAS silks.  Needless to say my heart won.  I managed to buy some of the silks and only have 6 colours to buy.  So there are some gaps in the stitching, but I wanted to get her started and I am loving stitching her, apart from I now know I don't like Queen Stitch.

 









Lastly, and thank you if you are still with me.  I have a small update on my HAED WIP.  I haven't a lot of progress on it but there is some more sky and clouds added.


Heaven and Earth Designs, Footprints on 25ct over 1 using DMC



Have a great week. 

 

 

A Finish, A Start and A Lady in Waiting…

Happy New Year to all my followers old and new, I hope that 2013 is a good year for everyone and all your wishes come true. First a finish. I bought Sue Hillis's Christmas Biscornu, Limited Edition Kit, when I visited Myrtle Beach in October. It was a pleasure to stitch and I think it turned out lovely. I have still to attach the lace to the wooden bobbin to display it the same as the photograph on the chart, but not sure if I ever will.

  
While in Myrtle Beach I had the chance to see some finished HAED. Seeing these designs and Sally's wonderful WIPs. I took the plunge and decided to try one. I searched the online catalogue and eventually settled on a Quick Stitch called Footprints. I spent a day gathering together all the threads, a day gridding the fabric and then got started. I have probably completed about 1/3 of the first page. I am really enjoying it and looking forward to working on it over the coming year.

Waiting in the wings is Scarlett Letter's Janet Burnet sampler. SL's samplers are all stunning and I took a leaf out of Nicola's book and decided to join in her celebration year, as it is a significant year for me too. I would love to stitch this using the silks, but unfortunately, at this time of year, ££ are in short supply. So I will be stitching it using the DMC threads and probably on 40ct fabric as I already have some. I plan on starting it at the start of February. I am planning alternating month about with my large projects. I am in no hurry to get them done, this year is all about the stitching experience.


I am also taking part in the Stitched with Love Exchange, SAL Christmas Ornaments and Angela's RAK blog. I will add links to these, once I figure out how. Thanks for reading.

Fiona

HAPPY NEW YEAR....

To all my followers, old and new.  I hope all your dreams and wishes come true in 2013.

I was going to post about my stitching, with photographs, but blogger isn't working for me tonight.

Fiona

Long Time No Post...

Hello to all my followers, sorry for the huge gap between posts, life just got in the way, thanks for hanging in there with me.

I have been stitching, mainly for exchanges at the Stitched with Love Exchange Group and then more exchanges at the Cross Stitch Pals Retreat in Myrtle Beach in October.  I had a great time there and met some fantastic new friends and reconnected with some old friends.

Last night I started on one of the designs I bought while at the Retreat.  Sue Hillis was there and I bought her Limited Edition Christmas Biscornu Kit.  It is such a pretty design with lots of lovely Christmas reds and greens.  Here is last nights achievement.

Sue Hillis - Limited Edition Christmas Biscornu

I also stitched the outline for the back of the Biscornu.  After being at the Retreat I was inspired by Katie and Shelleen to try a Heaven and Earth Design.  Well I am just waiting on the fabric to arrive and that will be my next big project to get started.  I am really looking forward to getting started on it, but am realistic, in that, it may take me a loooong time to complete it.  But after seeing completed ones I know it will be worth it.

 

Now that I am back I plan on doing a GIVEAWAY in lieu of my blogiversary and also as a thank you to you all for sticking around.

Fiona

Some finishes...

Hi everyone,

It has been a busy week this week, I have been on holiday from work and trying to catch up with lots of housework, studying, stitching and finishing.

I started stitching some Alphabet ornaments for Nancy at Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe.  She is a very talented lady who not only designs, dyes her own trims and threads, she also creates handcarved frames for her motto samplers.  You can find Nancy's beautiful goodies on ebay and also check out her blog as she has always got fantastic giveaways.  Here is the first letter I stitched, which was 'F' of course.  I made a needlebook, pin pillow and fob.  Everything was stitched using Nancy's flosses, which are with the stitched pieces in the first photograph and finished using her trims, except for the lace on the pin pillow.

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Letter 'F' Ornament Collection

Letter 'F' fob/ornament

Needlebook

Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe Forget Me Not pin pillow

All three designs were a pleasure to stitch and finish.  I am working on the letter 'E' at the moment and am just now trying to figure out how to finish them.

Yesterday I was sitting at my sewing machine and this is what I managed to produce.  I used an oddment of Harris Tweed in a Black Watch design and some Moda sampler fabric from the Maderia collection from a few years back for the lining.  It has 3 internal pockets and I think it turned out pretty well, even if I do say so myself.  I was thinking of trying to sell it on Esty, what do you all think?  I asked DH and the boys how much I should charge, well that was successful.  I should have known better than to ask a bunch of men about how much a bag costs.

Harris Tweed shoulder bag

Close up of the Harris Tweed, Black Watch design

The lining, Moda Maderia Sampler Fabric in Green

If you have made it this far in my post, I hope you have enjoyed the photographs of my finishes.  I love reading your comments and would really love reading your feedback on my shoulder bag.

Fiona