A postcard from Henley on Thames

We have just returned from a three day break in Henley on Thames. Our B&B was in the most gorgeous Victorian Villa, very clean and very comfortable and right by the town and the river.
Alushta Guest House

But our reason for going there was to go to The Chiltern Winery and Brewery. A Christmas present from DH’s son and daughter-in-law. The tour  was very interesting and although we tasted 12 wines, none appealed to me. It was as though they were too thin and green tasting. However, DH did buy a bottle to give to his DS and a beer for himself, said to be the Duke of Edinburgh’s favourite!

 And What a very nice town Henley was.  Lots of very posh frock shops and kitchen shops kept us looking around on the Wednesday afternoon. Then we settled on a bench in the town square and ate our picnic bought from Waitrose, spicy chicken wraps and their scrumptious Lemon Curd yogurts. A feast fit for a King. In the evenings we tried different pubs and restaurants and this morning the  scales say how very delicious the food was !!  LOL

The weather of course was amazingly hot for this time of year with temperatures as high as 28°C.. a bit too hot at night! Nell was left in kennels and all we can say is that she survived. The kennel girls said she was very shy and didn’t venture out of her bed, only to be exercised. She was overjoyed to see us and wouldn’t calm down for us to put on her lead. We did have worries about her, but kennels are safe for her and these are very good ones with grass runs and several girls all with full qualifications to look after dogs.

And we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and have come home relaxed and happy.

Finished shrug/cardi

This is my little shrug/cardi I knitted in August, I am only just getting round to posting a pic of it.

I have worn it when I visited my friend in Cambridge last tuesday. It is quite warm as it is wool so nice on these autumn days. I have three skirts that it complements so lots of opportunity to wear it.

And this I bought from Homebase.  It was such a reasonable price... cheaper than making it myself

Nice isn't it?
I am busy crocheting my ripple blanket and am going to keep at it till it is finished!

Happy days..

Hugs and happy stitchy wishes to everyone.

RAKs arrived....

When Sue offered a PIF earlier in the year, I said I'd love to be a recipient but I would offer a RAK (Random Act of Kindness ) instead of a PIF..

Lesleyanne and Rachael won.

I decided to make these pin keeps. Similar colours but a different designs.. Both are freebies with a slight design alteration by me (erum!!)

I had seen these rose patterned little scissors at my Sampler Guild get together last April ..so made the packet at the back to hold the scissors.. they're so cute  I wish I had bought one for me.
But as there is another get together end of October so I might buy one then.

These are the scissors out of the pocket, I just snagged this pic off Rachael's blog!

I loved making these, there is something so satisfactory being able ot stitch something and completely finish it!

Hugs and happy stitching

Stitching update

This is my Chatelaine Convent's Herbal Garden which I am struggling with.. I am sad to tell you that I am really not enjoying stitching this at all! I still have the very centre pic to finish but as its one over one I can only do this in bright sunlight!

 But I don't like the first few rounds of  colours as I think they are a bit muddy looking.. and because I didn't like the very bright blue fabric I bought I soaked it in hot water and I think the fabric shrunk, so I need my magnifying glass in the evenings... as well as that where do you put the beads as there are no numbers on any of my charts? Have I not down loaded it all?
I hope not as I bought it years ago.. so I am leaving it for a while.
I have emailed Martina via the Chatelaine yahoo group about the beads.

It cost quite a bit to buy all the silks so I don't want to abandon it but at the moment I could chuck it!

This is my light relief...... an easier stitching design.. although this week

I am going to do one block of my BOM.. This will be nice to do and although I find it hard I have realised that I can only do my best and if it isn't perfect it will still be my own efforts!

Why do I put myself through these challenges???

As for my Autumn promises I am on target, just!

Geraniums are potted up, and garden has had some work. I am losing weight albeit slowly and my sewing machine is out ready to use!

Happy Stitiching or crafting all

Happy Days!

My Autumn Promises

Autumn Promises.

1.     Not to buy any more charts.. I am already into the ‘SABLE’ class. (Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy!)

2.    Make up 2 blocks of my ‘ BOM’ block of the month buy, which cost a bomb!!

3.    Lose at least 12 pounds before December.. should be possible..... erummmm!!

4.    No new stitching starts till I finish one WIPs.. well unless I feel down and then I could just pick one of my charts all ready kitted up??

5.     Work in the garden and get veg plot ready for next year, well perhaps if DH helps.

6.    Do NOT buy any more books, I already have 16 here to read, plus 2 library books and the 2 Reading Group books! This also includes getting free books from the free book shop in Basildon!!

7.    Stitch 4 christmas ornies, these don’t count as new starts!

8.    Make birthday present for my friend Yvonne (B/D December 3^rd)

9.    Make Christmas cake, I usually make 4!

10. Work on ripple crochet blanket, could I finish this by Christmas??

11.  Plant daffodil and tulip bulbs, possibly before the end of September when the ground is not too hard.

12. Lift and pot up pelargoniums ready for the winter.

The photo is the crab apple in my garden; it is always pretty, beautiful blossom in the spring and these crab apples in the Autumn.

Out of my basket came.........

These WIPs.......

Last week, because I have ordered  BBD,  'Anniversaries if the Heart' which is all of charts, the floss for the first three and a yard of linen I felt to  had to justify my expenditure by stitching  some of my WIPs and my UFO!!

So here they are... the first one is a BBD, 'Willow House.'  I couldn't  get the recommended colour of linen, tobacco, so bought a one called brandy and that was a  bright rust colour and I hated it.. so I used this instead.. because I wasn't fussy on the colour it got pushed to the bottom of my basket. But here it is,, ta-da... finished!

Then I stitched another motif on my Rose Manor, 'Spring Quaker,' so that is moving along.(it's the bottom one on the left as you look at it.

'Summer' Celtic Lady had been  pushed this into my UFO basket because I had made a mistake and couldn't find it. But I sat one evening and frogged all of the pale blue section of her skirt and re-did it all, plus a bit more over two evenings. The gold was made easier by using thread heaven, why had I never heard of it for metallic threads before?? It made it so much easier and I happily stitched until I had finished all the blue section and all that's left now of her skirt,  are the greens and some more gold.

And this Bothy Thread called 'Buzzy Days,' is my real UFO because having finished all the stitching, I had the back stitching to do... ugh!But in two hours I have managed to do the leaves and dandelions to the left of the little mouse. I re-did the outline of the mouse, as I had outlined it in black and it was supposed to be a thread colour called stone.

So I am feeling very virtuous as it was really hard to leave my 'Poppies' and also my Chatelaine 'Convent's  Herbal Garden.' to do these other WIPs.

I intend to rotate all my WIPs for two evenings and try to finish one every other month.

I hope I can, as I am dangerously close to be stitching well into my hundreds!!!LOL

I hope you too can catch up on your WIPs...

Happy Stitching