Sunday 29 November 2009

Progress and a happy dance inspite of feeling proper poorly!!

Getting things stitched in rotation isn’t so hard once you start. I decided that I would give each piece two evenings and lo and behold I have completed loads, much more than I thought I would.
Importantly as well, not doing any exchanges this month has allowed me to work on my WIPs and I am delighted with the results.
First I must show my sock bag!Isn't it dinky, the pattern for the bag came with the sock pattern, cute or what?

These have been posted off as it is my friend's birthday December 3rd. She wears socks around the house so hopefully these will keep her toes toasty warm.


My Blue Ribbon design is beginning to look really nice. I was worried that the colours were too garish but now that I have stitch more they look fine.

And this is my Summer Celtic Lady, great excitement I have stitched some of the gold and some beads. I was like a kid with a new toy with the gold braid as the effect is instant and it shines much more than the photo shows.

And a happy dance......
I have finished my LHN Prairie Sampler in the given four weeks; I found this quite hard to stitch to order, so I am going to suggest for our LHN Travelling Stitcher Sal which is to start January 2nd that we take six weeks and then any one who finishes sooner can stitch the little needle case if they wish.


So I consider I have had a very productive week inspite of having a nasty cold, something I haven't had for years. I had forgotten how horrible it is to have a runny, red raw nose, chesty cough, cough, sore throat and ear ache! I was proper poorly on thursday and it was a real effort to do anything, even stitching, I felt that ill!!



PS Just noticed its my birthday in 20 days time and I haven't lost 4 stone since last year only 1, criky I can't eat for the next 20 days!! LOL

Wednesday 25 November 2009

Wednesdays child is full of woe?....

That could be me today as my weigh in at my slimming group showed a three pound gain all that wonderful food at the weekend... but I am not woeful.. I have accepted that its happened and am back right away on track and in the zone!

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

With all the flooding that has happened in Cumbria I vowed that I will never again complain when it rained when I was expecting sunshine; that day planned to be with my grand children, a day out in the country with my husband, a big wash day and recently a morning in Brighton with my son and his partner and hubby. The rain was so heavy we left without the planned walk on the beach with the dogs. My son was so apologetic for what he said was all that driving there to no avail, but we had enjoyed the drive through to us new country side and listening to ‘The Archers’ omnibus on the radio, we were a happy little pair!
In fact we were grateful for the time spent in the car just driving along together.
Then today my Women’s on line Devotions said this:-

Researchers have found that grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, more satisfaction with life, and more vitality and optimism.
All good qualities I want more of in my life. They also found grateful people show lower levels of depression and stress - two things I'd like not to experience in my life.
What's more, they found that people who write weekly in a journal about things they are thankful for, are healthier. They exercise more regularly, report fewer physical symptoms, and feel better in general than people who journal about neutral or negative life events.
Doesn’t that sound great for us optimistic bloggers, and I'll take all the help I can get in the exercise department, because I don’t like exercise at all and avoid it at all costs

Finally, the research showed that people who daily count their blessings report higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, and energy.
Wow, the benefits of being grateful are remarkable and many! I guess that shouldn't surprise me after considering today's key verse. The Bible urges us to give thanks … all the time … in every situation … because this practice is the will of God.
As Christians, we can always find reason to give thanks – thanks for the salvation of Christ, the nearness of God, and the counsel of His Spirit for starters. The psalmist declared, "I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High" (Psalm 7:17, NIV).

No wonder those researchers found that people regularly counting their blessings grow happier, healthier, and more optimistic. After all, that research wasn't discovering anything new, but rather confirming the will and wisdom of God. God already knows how great it is for us to be grateful. Now "science" does too.


When I lived alone, before I met Mike I had lots of times when lit a candle at the end of my day and said a thank you for my day, for the sunshine; for the washing drying; for my garden; for the friends who had contacted me either by phone or emails I had received wishing me well. Just for my day spent happily by myself. So many things give me pleasure, books being my greatest. I think perhaps this is because I was brought up by my Victorian grand mother and without a TV. I spent a lot of time by myself, so I lost myself in books. I still say thank you for the simplest of things not just my family and home but the small marigold still flowering in the garden in all this wintering weather, the pansies and violas in my pots and the autumn coloured chrysanthemum on the window sill.
And my ‘me’ afternoon now to be spent stitching


It's up. It's down. It's good. It's bad. People come. People go. It's Life. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Monday 23 November 2009

A Wonderful Weekend away

Oxted High St...


Our weekend away was so lovely, to be back here this morning everything seems dreary!
Tracy, my eldest son Simon's fiance had asked me to go to her wedding dress fitting, so great excitement... we set off early saturday morning for Surrey. We arrived in plenty of time and it is the most beautiful dress. Deep smoky pink with an over net of dark brown. The off the shoulder, tight fitting bodice was encrusted with various shades of pink and brown diamantes, and appliquéd flowers in the same shades. It had a full skirt and a long train with the flowers and diamantes all down the back like a shower on it, and it looked amazing. It is going to be a wonderful wedding!

We had coffee in Oxted high street sitting outside in brilliant sun and had a cupcake each that Tracy is having instead of a cake, yummy isn’t the word! They are a bit like these but you can have all different colours and flavours, two for each guest!! I am really looking forward to the whole day!
www.cupcakedelights.co.uk
cup cakes, cakes, personalised cup cakes, party cakes, finest ingredients, chocolate cup cakes, cup cakes for anytime, weekends, celebrations and tea-time ...
www.cupcakedelights.co.uk/

Don't they look absolutely delicious?

And then as Simon and Tracy were cooking for us all in the evening, they went off to their house and Mike and I went off by ourselves and found Thread Bear the needlework shop, wow what a treasure trove for stitchers and I loved it I could have stayed in there all afternoon but immerged after an hour! Wow what a place, really quite big, if I could I ‘d buy it and live there it would be my idea of heaven! I only bought a chart and some heart charms as I have not long had a really big order..

Back at Simon's and Tracy’s my youngest son, Michael and Helen his partner arrived and we all had champagne, which was very very nice and then we ate. Simon had made had very yummy lasagne and all the salad bits and olives, my weakness and then mince pies and cream, what diet???

Sunday morning was so sunny and warm that Tracy suggested we all drove to Brighton to give the dogs a run on the beach and have breakfast there. So off we all went. Dark clouds loomed over the motor way as we drove along and by the time we arrived there the heavens had opened and the wind was so strong we could see the lamp posts bending, brrrrrr, so we drove back to Oxted and had a wonderful pub meal and sat and chatted.. then Mike and I headed off to see his son George, and partner Zena and his grand son Carter and left their Christmas presents. I am so organised this year my halo is shining!!
Whew! Home at 9 after driving 417 miles all over the weekend.
We slept like logs!!!
Nell has been extremely good all over the weekend as she spent an awful lot of it in her cage in the car.

Friday 20 November 2009

Christmas is coming

I have been a busy bee and can show these christmas cards and pressies because the people they are for don't blog!! I loved knitting the socks as I have made quite a few in my time so I can knit and watch TV! The same with the crochet little purse bags.

Here are just some of my cards; the socks are for my best friend and the little purse bags, one for my grand daughter Saskia and one for Lily who is the younger daughter of my son's partner.
I have made 24 cards some in these designs and some smaller.. great fun to make, now all I have to do is write them all! And lots more that will have to be bought

The socks are knitted in patterned wool and I think I will knit a pair for me in a different colour, forgive the feet, but this the best I could do to show the socks, my feet are clean. I know my friend won't mind me trying them on, well I had to see if they would fit her, we have the same size feet!

I lined the bags in different coloured fabric, the blue one was in my goody bag from Hazel (thank you Hazel) when we had a cross stitch get together back in October


Having completed these I can now get back to my stitching as yesterday my beads and gold braid arrived for my Celtic Summer! Wahooo!! Can't wait to have a go with the gold braid... will post some pics when I have completed some showing the gold.
Happy stitching everyone ... I love christmas so its been exciting making these gifts

Tuesday 10 November 2009

WIPs and our beautiful Nell

Thank you to all of you that commented on my pressie for my DH, he has put it up although I still need to straighten it up in the frame, so thats a job for today.
It may not look as though I have stitched a lot this week but everything is moving along nicely and with all this I am working at my pieces for my PIFs, there are only so many hours I can fit in for stitching!! Shame?

LHN Prairie Sampler SAL, this is being run by Mercedes and I hope I can stitch the next section this week although I am still waiting for one colour as Thread Bear didn't have it and had to order it. Its lovely to stitch 28c Jobelan colour Mushroom and the recommended silk threads. Lovely colours and smooth to stitch.

My Blue Ribbon WIP, I still love this and this has now become my piece for the Step by Step 2009 SAL run by Gaynor.


My Summer Celtic Lady... and I have started this and isn't is beautiful, I can't wait to stitch this each week

And here is our lovely Nell sitting on my best Laura Ashley chair, looking as though it is hers! She is now 8 months old and weighs 15 pounds which is the same weight as I have lost so its great to lift her up as she feels really heavy and think... thats what I have lost!


Travelling Stitcher SAL now has 17 members so roll on January when we can all start..

Happy stitching all..Cold wet day here so a stitching day!! YES!!

Sunday 1 November 2009

LHN Coffee for a birthday pressie

Its my DH's birthday today, so I have stitched this for him as he does love his coffee and we sit at least twice a day in the conservatory having a coffee break.
I stitched it each evening when we were sitting together in front of the TV and he never once noticed what it was!!

It wasn't his only pressie as we had practically emptied the men's clothing section in M&S when we went the other day!! Well he did need it as he has lost 3 1/2 stones in weight.
Its slightly on the squish in the frame but I did it very hurriedly when he was out, but I did it so I could so I could adjust it if necessary and it is !!
Very satisfying to see something I have stitched in a frame, most are just in boxes all over the place. I bought the frame when we were in Brixham, it was reduced in a trinket shop with a print of teddies in it. I am a great one for buying pictures where I can use the frame for my own work!!