Bourse progress...

This is just a quick update from the post below to show the progress on my Bourse. I wonder how much I can get done today?? ;-)

Happy stitching!

I have fell in love...Folk Art Thread Keep

with this...I saw it just now on Hillside Samplings website. It is a kit in which you get the limited edition Thread Keep. I absolutely love hearts so this combined with the design which I love is a perfect combination. It has a lovely verse with it that is:

When my Mother sits and sews
in and out her needle goes.
Mother sews such lovely things
and when she sews she hums and sings.

Isn't that just so nice!!

On my own stitching front I have made a good start and have done about a third of an Au fils des Reves design which is Rose Bourse. It is stitching up pretty quick and is looking pretty. It is a bit late to photograph my progress tonight but I will show a picture soon.

Have a good day, happy stitching!!

Coastal Scenes

One year ago today the ' Tall Ships ' were at the Marina near where I live so I thought I would show the photos of some of them seen as I have no new stitching to show as I have been away overnight this weekend and since I've come home I have been tidying cupboards and having a good clean. That evening last year was pretty chilly with the North Sea wind...so different to tonight as it is hot. There was lots of entertainment on and a fair with stalls selling things...the atmosphere was lovely with the music playing:-) This picture below is a closer view of the same ships before the sun started setting, I think there were 30 ships in total that night ready to set sail on the next leg of their race the following day.



Still last year this a little further down the coast on a different day walking at the edge of the sea in the direction of the Marina...I seem to have lost most of my family in this picture :-)



This last picture is of a much loved Yorkshire seaside town again not that far from where I live it is called ' Whitby ' and is one of my favourite places to be infact my husband and myself saw the Millenium in here...which has just reminded me I had made him wear his kilt on that New Years Eve (as he is Scottish and it was the Millenium)...it took him about 2 days to thaw out after that shall we say...lol!!



I love the fishing boats on the picture and the seagull on the boats little mast...he was actually hoping for some of our fish and chips I think. Sorry the pics are a bit hazy but it is often like that on hot days here :-)

Teacher Gift

 I managed to get the teacher gifts done in time...I am only showing one as the other I made almost the same as the gift for my friend on a previous posting. Watercolor Heart used for that is a brilliant quick stitch and I always love doing it.
This other cushion/pillow is for my daughters most favourite teacher that she actually had the whole of last year.   This beautiful person who is really an angel on earth is diagnosed terminally ill with Pancreatic Cancer and has retired from teaching due to ill health.   The bravery and determination of this amazing lady is just incredible ,  even though so ill she is now swimming the equivalent of the English Channel for charity,  not for Pancreatic Cancer Charity but for a Childrens charity!!  This is done by swimming whatever distance is manageable in swimming pools,    this is then recorded officially.  On a recent school trip to the beach this particular teacher paid for them all 5 to 7 year olds (the whole of the Primary school) to have a huge Bouncy Castle and a Punch and Judy show out of her own money. So this is a thank-you gift to her.   I stitched the child building a sandcastle as that is what they all did and had a competition doing so...winner to be announced today! Trouble was the sand was dry so they all had little mounds instead of sandcastles ,  I had to chuckle away to myself  ;-)  but everyone had a lovely lovely day and the sun shone brightly for it,  it really was such a nice day as if magic was in the air,  somehow !

The little girl on the design is from a French chart I had...I used different threads from the suggested ones as I wanted to use my overdyes for this. I was really pleased with the colours as it was a bit more muted than the original design. The sandcastle comes from a book that I have with lots of nautical/beach type things in. I chose the checky fabric as it matches the gifts I did this same teacher last year and I know her favourite colour is blue. I added the abalone shell buttons to each corner as I thought they looked pretty and were the same colour blue as the hat on the girl and a good contrast to the lace.

This picture below is Veronica's (my Mums) stitching on Rachaels latest block for the Neighbourhood RR (<-- click link to see more of this RR) that she is doing with a group of ladies who blog. My Mum does not have a computer so I am showing it off here for her as I think it is brill!! 

 

Hot, hot, hot

Wow, I just have to record this so I know it was for real...I have just been in my garden where the thermometer is (in the shade) and its saying 33.C/just over 90.F and it is getting on for early evening here nearly 6pm and I live pretty near the coast.. guess what I LOVE it!!

Enjoying the sun...

This is my scruffy puppy Hamish who is 11 months old enjoying our spell of sunshine...doesn't he make a lovely flower :-) He is going to the grooming parlour next week to get his hair done ready for our holidays but he rolls in the soil and digs like mad so is never pure white and immaculate for long lol...

Merry Cox Needlecase

I have eventually finished my 1st Merry Cox project. This is from a 1997 Just Cross Stitch magazine and is called 'Seek Joy Needlebook' I didn't have any plain fabric suitable for the inside but thought the floral one I have used co-ordinated really well with the colours of the DMC threads, plain  silk would have been much better but I don't have the right colour!  

I decided to do more accessories to go with this as it was enjoyable to stitch so pictured here is a wooden box I had with the design in the top. This picture also shows the lining fabric I used and the pages with the needle numbers in each corner.


I had wanted to do a little scissor fob to match the set but have had to abandon project as I really need to do 2 teacher gifts by Wednesday night but I will add that later. This shows the last page with the word Sharps onit. I did all the finishing for this by hand as it was not suitable for machine sewing.   I do love hand finishing  :-)

This picture above shows the back of the needlebook. In doing this I did some new stitches which were the Hedebo buttonhole stitch for the fastener, Nun's Stitch which was used for the edges of the pages and the Closed Herringbone Stitch that was used to edge the needlebook.

The last picture shows the button fastening...I am quite proud it came out the right size for my button. I really enjoyed doing the finishing for this as it was different to anything I have done before. I did attach my miniature needlework with 4 tiny stitches as I didn't have any glue and I have put iron on interfacing on the back as I had no stitch witchery and have never seen it here. The little needlecase (and it is tiny...just over 2"x3")sits nicely in the wooden box with a little pair of scissors.
Now to go and sort out threads and fabric for the teacher gifts I must do...wish me luck to have a turbo needle over the next couple of days!! I do cut things fine for myself...lol...

This is interesting...

Your Dosha is Vata

Creative and restless, you take in all of life's pleasures (maybe a little too much!). You're quick witted and very talkative, but you also tend to have a spotty memory. You tend to get very into ideas, people, and lifestyles... but only for a short time. It's difficult to hold your attention, and you sometimes feel with what life has to offer. With friends: You are very uncomfortable in new situations or with new people In love: You fall in and out of love very easily To achieve more balance: Live in a warm climate and spend some quiet time in nature

What's Your Dosha?

I have a book about Ayurvedic Beauty which has alot in about Doshas and it is so interesting...I know I am a Vata so this quiz must be pretty good!! Thought this other one was fun...

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Kind Sailor. Where You Lived: Ontario. How You Died: Killed in Battle.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

That must be where I get my love of the sea and all things nautical from lol....

Happy Birthday Janey...

This is the gift I have made for my best friends birthday which is today. I chose colours that would match in with her bedroom and finished it into the heart shapes as I know she loves hearts like I do.


The above photo shows the true colour and this one below shows it with the heart hanger that it will hang from, my friend cross stitches as well (very nicely too) but life is too busy for her at the moment to fit any stitching in ;-) So happy birthday dear friend...enjoy your day!!