Thanks Santa!!!!!

It's all over for another year. Was it all worth it? YES of course it was. I spent Christmas Eve Lunch with my older son and his family, where some winter health blues had struck a few days earlier but all were much better. Followed by a visit to my niece, then back to watch my grandchildren in the Nativity Play at their Church. Unfortunately I missed the play, due to a time change that I received too late, but I did get to the rest of the service. I took with me a grand daughter from my other son and she was fascinated as at her church, in a different village, they don't have the service where they turn out all the lights and you walk round the church, passed the Crib, with lit candles. It's very twinkly and a lovely feeling of peace and calm.
After being delivered back to the her family my DH and I went back home to finish sorting out gifts ready for Christmas Day, which we spent with my younger son and his family. we returned to home base on Boxing day where, having forgotten to take out our chosen food from the freezer, we ended up having the good old English favourite 'Fish and Chips'.

Santa was very kind, I have some great stash enhancement and have spent some time since tracking down fabric that I can't find in the UK.


I could not resist this Hob Nobs Button they are fun to do and pretty quick too!!!

I have about another 6 charts but as they are on download and as I have yet to do that they will be popping up in the future. I also had some material and some Northern Lights Silks as gifts. Lucky me.
Here's my Christmas Surprise for you. A little late I know but as just before Christmas I was not too good and had little concentration powers. I went to visit my sister for a lovely weekend and while there I took 'The Three Kings' to the 'Nimble Thimble' to get it framed. While I was out the next day my picture was delivered to my sisters all done. Many Thanks Chris. Here it is .......
I have made a little more progress on my Jim Shore Santa which I started on my sister visit. Not that much though!

Since Christmas I have put some more stitches into 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'. The 9 Ladies Dancing is now coming along quite well.

I haven't done much stitching at all between Christmas and New Year as I had a family lunch on New Year's Eve and on New Year's Day family until the following day. I really enjoyed the houseful of family, it made me feel good inside although vaguely shattered after the mince pie making and all the cooking. I'll only take until the end of January to recover!!!

I'm trying to decide what to do next. I have to catch up on Castles in the Air. which has been put on one side for such a long time I am now back to about three months or so behind... I daren't look in case it's more!! BUT then there's all the new charts and kits to choose from Oh decisions, decisions. I think I'll try and get the Twelve Days finished and then I'll do a much smaller piece to give myself a boost.

Oh Yes I must show you the Place settings that I bought for my daughter-in-laws. Again made by 'Maisie Moonshine'. I think they are great and they went down a treat. Must admit I did give them early for Christmas so that they could be used.



The 'Robin' and the 'Toy Soldier' are the ones that I had made for my DH and myself so they travel with us. Great aren't they???

Well I'm off now to order some threads so that I don't forget and then get annoyed with myself, even though I probably will not be stitching with them for a while. I've also got to try and find some SQUARE frames so that I can get some of my finished pieces sorted.

Until next time thanks for calling in and if you have the time to leave a comment.. much appreciated.. May the New Year have revitalised your stitching hand and given a new shine to your needle....

ON A ROLL.....again

OOps she says. started to post and then I clicked the wrong button and it was gone. I then discovered that I had posted a title all on it's own. Now that's sad.

There I was really pleased with myself thinking I'd do a draft posting so that I can finish it off when I get back from my grand children minding. My days doing that have changed this week as it's half term. I think this is just to confuse me!!! I shall pretend that it never happened and continue in my own wondering way.

Hello there everyone in cross stitch land. Hope you have all been having a productive time. Finally got a completed finish to show you all framed and done properly. It's the Waxing Moon 'Christmas Snow'. It's the one I finished at my sister's house a couple of weeks ago and forgot to photo.


I've also finished stitching the Christmas ornaments, the frames have arrived so I'll have to get them finished. That's often where I go wrong I stitch them and then put them away and forget about them ( Or should I say 'put off' finishing them in case I make a mess of doing it).


Must admit I enjoyed doing these ornaments as they are not something I would normally do.

Still no progress on the 12 Days but again the Three Kings are moving on slowly at the moment but this is partly because I have been grand children minding more than usual and I love doing that. The Three Kings now has the top border about 1/3 completed and I'm beading it as I move along it I've found it easier to follow the pattern. The side borders still need some time spending on them but I'll get there.

A few weeks ago I bought some buttons from Hob-Nobb Designs. Well after lots of sole searching about where I was up to with everything I decided I'd do one of them.My choice was the 'Snowflake Snowman'. I have stitched it on a pale lavender linen, the outer border is Gentle Arts-Sugarplum, the inner border is Gentle Arts - Cornflower, the centre band is Gentle Arts- Potpourri, the snowflakes are DMC- White. This is the first time I have used any over-dyed thread and must admit I love the finish but found I had to work hard to remember to do each stitch individually and also was surprised how much the thread seemed to twist. Hope you like the result.


I may just have to find another one out now and do that one. But wait a minute ...NOTE TO SELF: COMPLETE THREE KINGS AND GET A MOVE ON WITH THE 12 DAYS....
I have been doing a little better on my Window Wreath. Although I did take it with me when I went to visit my niece one evening. Actually I was delivering something for her other half after dropping off two of my grand-daughters at the final night of the Centenary of Girl Guiding. The Centenary finale was well thought out as the guides attending re-took their promises at 20.10 on the 20th of the 10th in 2010. So it's just the 20.10.20.10.2010 time and date to remember. Clever don't you think? Anyhow back to my visit. My niece industrious stitched away at her piece and I plodded along with mine, her other half then casually asked ' How much have you actually done? You seem to be taking a good deal back.' I had been found out. The small amount I'd done had been stitched in the wrong colour followed by the wrong place. I probably put in about ten stitches in the right place and colour in about 1 1/2 hours. Is this a record???

Today I have been shopping, well I was looking for some square photo frames. I've worn my feet out and haven't managed to find one. Evidently square is not in fashion at the moment. I'm devastated as I wanted them to frame some of my cross stitch. I'll have to look on line (hadn't thought of that when I went shopping). Still I bought some rather fetching fluorescent socks, also some earrings ...........

.....now guess what I'm doing this weekend.!!!!!!

SURPRISE....SURPRISE...

Here's my FINISHED CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS I'm really rather pleased with them. I'm trying to decide whether to tie some red ribbon bows round the top of the frame. That's one I'll have to think about.


That's it for now. Many thanks for popping in. If you've time please leave a comment much appreciated they are. Until next time Happy Haunting Halloween to you all. Have super spooky time.

Not much stitching but what a week !

It's been one of those weeks. One lot of my grandchildren, along with their friend who lives opposite them,
came up with the idea of having a Cake Stall to raise money for SPORT RELIEF on Sunday 21st.March. Therein followed the request to help them out. Now this is now what you think. Yes I did a little baking for them but mainly it was being oversee-er in the kitchen ( this is otherwise known as general dogsbody and peace-keeper), also the 'quality control' operative (making sure there's no egg shell in the mix, no licked fingers etc etc.). My Hubby and I went out and purchased the ingredients for a huge list of buns, biscuits, muffins and fudge. Their Mum filled in the gaps with paper plates, and table covers , bags plus missed ingredients. The making of items started on the Wednesday when my hubby made Fudge (as a trial) we have in the past made fudge but it's always been a bit 'hit and miss', sometimes absolutely beautiful and other times where we ate with a spoon (it always got eaten). Anyway he found a different recipe to our normal one one the 'web' and gave it a go. It turned out fantastic, so he tried another not quite as good ( a bit softer) but OK. He left it at that until I got back from my normal grand children sitting stint on the Thursday evening. Their other grandma made some ginger cake and fruit cake to sell in slices.

THURSDAY!!! The day when all went wrong!
I'd been doing the final ingredient shop and was looking for red balloons. The supermarket only had mixed bags so I remembered that a store just nearby sold 'party goods' so off I went thinking yippee. I found just what I needed Red balloons. Off I go to the pay desk when Bang! Wallop! Thump! I'm flat on face on the hardest wooden floor I've ever come across. After lying there feeling winded and shocked an 'off-duty' nurse came to my rescue. I must admit she was really kind and cheered me up a great deal. The Manager eventually arrived with associate with wheelchair( I could now hardly move my legs). At this point I was wheeled to near the door to try and collect my self and answer all the relevant questions How? What? Why? Now when you think about it HOW do I know WHAT I fell, tripped, slipped, on. over and WHY? oh Why? did it have to be me?? One thing I do know for certain( I did wonder at the time) Who needs Red Balloons when they can have PURPLE KNEES?
Any how to cut a rather long story shorter. The store gave me the balloons. I drove to collect my grandchildren from school and sat later with a bag of croquet potatoes on my swollen knees. By the time My daughter-in -law got home from work I couldn't bend my leg so no 'gear changing'. I was driven home,( about 30 miles) escorted by the grandchildren, who had done a sterling job in looking after me, and my Husband had to travel by bus the next day to retrieve the car. On the Friday I could hardly move what with very stiff legs, twisted side, bashed elbow. sore ribs. I felt a bit sorry for myself. At this point I consoled myself with a little stitching.


The progress on my Christmas SAL is coming along slowly but I'm hoping to get a little more done before the official posting day. Naughty me I haven't yet touched my Three Kings.

While visiting my sister, last weekend, I decided to indulge my self in small 'Hob-Nobbs' design. This is partly because everything I seem to stitching at the moment is quite big and I need a finish to have a 'feel good' about.




OH No. By seeing the photo I realise I have stitched all the blue squares as full blocks (16 cross-stitches) when they should have been over 2 (4 large cross-stitches) Wow is me. Now I've to decide what to do.
Frog or leave.

I did take my UFO with me on my visit and stitched that in the evening and after chatting about the UFO with someone who has seen it finished it has given a better perspective on it. Apparently it has a bit of a three-'D' effect with the non-stitched areas and is quite something to see completed. I have now cheered up about it.

Just to let you know that Spring had finally sprung here in West Lancashire, UK. I am so delighted to see just a few daffodils and the crocus to give a little colour after some of the miserable days we've had recently. The cat-kins are there on our corkscrew hazel, the honeysuckle has started to burst into green and the primroses and pink aubretia are doing their bit as well.







Now back to the SPORT RELIEF cake stall. Unfortunately the friend's grandad died so quite understandably her mum pulled out of helping and at first so did the little girl. But then she arrived in the kitchen with one of my grand-daughters so see if she could watch. Any how she soon joined in and decided she would try and use some of the baking towards a Brownie Badge. My grandson was using his biscuit making towards a 'Community Badge' at the Cub Scouts so as well as raising money for others they had a purpose for themselves. The next thing I know is that a cousin of theirs rings up (he's 4) to see if my grandson can go and play. So now comes the complicated bit. One grandson goes and returning is his girl cousin to sleep over. I now am back to having two 10 year olds and one 8 year old all wanting to bake. ( I can feel headaches coming on). But onwards and upwards having delved into my extra large pocket of patience. Dutifully taking photos for their Brown Owl for the badges.


Grandson's biscuits


On the great day My husband and myself were up at the crack of dawn, he cutting fudge and myself making flap jacks and jam tarts. When the girls fell out of their beds they set about finishing cake decorating and the elder grand-daughter(13) started to make her wild berry muffins and coconut muffins and other bits and bobs, as the day before she had been playing field hockey. A little later the friend arrived so back to four all trying to do something or other and myself now wishing I could find my inner calm. At About half past ten my hubby took the younger of our grand-daughters putting signs up on lamps posts. While the friend was busily doing price lists on the computer and the cousin was still attempting ' things'. At long last the time had come to hopefully sell their goods. The sun was shining. All were in high hopes. It was a super experience for them and they made the grand total of £142.84p and all that on the driveway of their house. Well done to them all.

Now I can do some cross-stitching. Yippee