Amaryllis - week3 - and ................

The Amaryllis has grown again but not much happening otherwise.

Just to say my friend Ginny absolutely loved her gift

(see last post)

(click on picture to read the poem)

I didn't do this post yesterday because I was somewhat busy completing this sampler.  My first commission of the year.  It was needed by a certain date and I only started it on 6th January.  I haven't done any cross-stitching for quite sometime, and quite enjoyed doing this one, but I do have to say there was a couple of occasions I did actually nearly through it across the room!  I hope the person who commissioned it likes it too!

Finding....... Don't Remember and Forgotten!

One thing about clearing stuff out - throwing it away, giving things away to charity shops or free-cycle, putting to one side for boot-fairs or vintage fairs, you find things that you just don't remember doing or have completely forgotten about!

I don't remember stitching this, well....... perhaps vaguely I do.  I do know it is my own work because the alphabet and numbers are ones I use on all samplers designed by me.  I must have thought I will give other stitches ago as there are a variety of designs and cut-work in this sampler.  Think I might just wash it and get it framed as a treat for me.

A close-up of the work, (click on pictures) to get a closer look.  The coin is a five pence piece so you can see the size of the stitches.  I think I am quite proud of this piece of work as I am of the following piece.

Stitched by me when I was about eight years old.  I bought the fabric myself with my pocket money from Harrods of Knightsbridge on a day trip to London with my mum.  We lived  a train ride away so it was regular trips to museums and shops at least twice month.

I think I was going to just fill it in with owls and flowers!  The patterns for the owls and flowers were from knitting patterns because that is all I had to follow otherwise it would have just been basic patterns.  I think perhaps it should have been basic patterns but I seem to have ambitious adventurous tendencies.  The more complicated I am at my happiest!

I'm very shy really!

I don't know why but I do find it very awkward about showing off the things I have made, although I do show things on my blog I am very shy person really, blogging has helped me to get over some of the shyness though.

The craft shop I work in changed hands today.  But for the last seven and half years Janet has always wanted to do a black and white window.  This is her last window!

The two main pictures the Crinoline Lady and the Romany Caravan were designed and stitched by me!

A new era for me tomorrow..........

FINISHED!

I haven't blogged much recently, I haven't left many comments sorry for that. I had flu and I have made things for a craft fair. The 'swear box' is full too!! My other little bit of spare time was taken up designing and stitching a wedding sampler for our son and daughter-in-law.

I completed it and washed and pressed it by 9pm last night, mounted it and took it to the framers this afternoon, it will be ready for next Saturday.
I washed it in a pillow case. Pin it to one side of the pillow case and then turn the pillow case inside out so the Sampler is inside. Follow these instructions


Yes they are Space Invaders you can see, they were on the all the wedding stationery and table settings and Michael and the two best men Simon and Ewan had cuff links.

RIGHT...........now I can think about Christmas! Off to make the Christmas cake now - if you haven't made on yet either my recipe can be found here!

Do you remember..........

.........when I showed part of this cross-stitching

and this part of the cross stitching

Well I can now reveal as the recipient has received a special parcel

Go on scroll down....................

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*Kits are available to purchase here

I am not a sports fanatic.

My pretty Hyacinths smell wonderful - can you smell them?
I thought I would settle down and watch a film.................

...........while I put the last few stitches in this gift which will be sent this week, I will let you see it when I know the recipient has received. The next items on the list are now to finish and parcel up the PIF's (Pass it Forwards) then normal services will be resumed, oh....perhaps not I have to finish Denise's quilt, but I will show you that as I stitch it.

The main terrestial channels seem to have SPORT today. As you probably can tell from my tone I am not a sports fan, nor do I watch Eastenders or Coronation Street or any of the like. Find me a good film I'm am very happy, thank goodness for the Digital channels. I have marked the film I plan on watching, yes.....I know it is a cartoon, and yes I have seen it before but I thought I would watch it again. I have seen Doctor Zhivago at least three times, so I don't really want to see it again. Perhaps I should be doing something else, I have prepared this evenings dinner Chicken Casserole, and planted a few bulbs and ironed last weeks washing, I really lead an exciting life, perhaps when the weather gets a bit warmer I will be outside more. I'm off for a cuppa, and the last of the jam tarts!

Starting another.......

.......I must NOT start too many new projects until I finished the first

otherwise lots and lots of UFP's (Unfinished Finished Projects)!

I will though be keeping my hand pieced quilt going!

Not only has this resolution of Fi's has got me started

on my paper piece quilt project, and with the help of all you

lovely folk will help me finish it. It has been something I have

been wanting to do for years but never got round to it!

I finished Caitlin's car blanket last night! It did seem to take
forever, I actually started 22nd December, but I didn't work on
it everyday until I saw Fi's post!

The new projects that are being started over the next few days

are for my PIFs and a special gift which is what this is,

so I will just show bits of the projects until I know the

recipients have received them.

Birthday gift

I have completed the birthday gift for my boss Janet

(as seen in last post)

It's her birthday on Saturday.

I know she will be pleased with it

because in the end I told her about it

as it is going into her home

I thought she should choose the cord

that goes round the edge.

The cord is two-tone blue.

This and That........again!

I haven't really looked at the computer for a few days, I don't know why I haven't really done much since my last post. That post made me feel like the oldest blogger on the blogs! All of my four and fifty and a half years! I don't feel it though I do actually feel much younger! But, with that blog I would like to say that you all may have heard one of the Manfreds songs in recent years! "Handbags and Gladrags" The Stereophonics sang it as did Rod Stewart and it was used for the signature tune to Ricky Gervais' "The Office".

First of all I would like to thank Michela for my PIF gift.

I finished this cross stitch for a birthday present

for my boss Janet, she always said she liked it so I thought

I would surprise her - now I have to make it into a cushion!
It was taken from this book

Got my lamp from out of summer "hibernation" to help

me work on these dark nights.

It looks rather like "Pixar" don't you think

bought this material for my PIF gifts
I would also like to thank Gillian for being my third person

Started an Enid Blyton collection for Caitlin, I even

found my Noddy book "Noddy Goes to the Fair"

Found this book of Angels in a charity shop

Another charity shop find!

Something else for Caitlin -

for when we do messy things

at nanny's house!

All my own work!

I now have a

"Little Shop on the Corner"

just here, please come in and have a look round

http://kcscourtyard.blogspot.com/

there will be new stock added all the time

Vintage Crinoline Lady

Bacon sandwiches in my mind should always be made with

uncut white bread!

My husband thinks we should eat always wholemeal bread preferably

with wholegrain in - I don't think so............!

We have this argument all the time - well I don't he does!

I happen to like both sorts of bread and I think I'm correct about bacon sandwiches!

Today Robert and Anneka came to lunch I made Apple Crumble for pudding.

Ingredients:- 5 Large Cooking Apples peeled and sliced and tossed in 3 tablespoons of Sugar.

Crumble topping - 8ozs Flour, 4ozs Soft Butter, 4ozs Sugar.

Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs then add the sugar, mix into the flour mix and pour onto the apples. Cook for about 50minutes 180 degrees until golden brown and the apples are cooked.

I have read many blogs, I find many people out there in Blogland love "vintage" and the "crinoline lady". Well in 2002 I redesigned the crinoline lady as a piece of blackwork she measures 24" x 24" (62cm x 62cm). I sell her as a Kit or a Chart only, if anybody is interested in her please leave me your email address and I will get back to you.

Advent 2

SNOWMAN
Cross stitched on 14ct blue Aida

Frustrating!

I have been trying to make-up some kits and charts to sell at the craft shop. The computer has decided to be extraordinarily slow, and now its very late and things are beginning to go wrong!
But we will get there - I need them for tomorrow!

Skeins of threads for the kits

Home Sweet Home

This is a commission for a doll's house room box.

I also create these for card toppers. They do not

take long to make and a good way for using up ends of threads from projects.

If using them for card toppers attach with double-sided sticky tape.

Commission!

I hope the customer will be pleased with this!

She wanted a "simple old fashioned style sampler".

Exeter Show

I helped Janice on County Needlecraft at the Crafts4Crafters show at Westpoint, Exeter today. There was a couple of needlecraft stalls, knitting and patchwork stalls but it was mostly papercraft. The company was very enjoyable and show interesting. I enjoyed looking at the quilts and watching the lacemakers. I amazed myself I did not spend much money which was very unusual for me. I usually come home laden with new crafts and/or books!

............Beginning of the New.............

I never make resolutions they never come to fruition. So we will just see what happens this year, also, I have a record of what I have done too! My head is spinning with ideas and my brain is working faster than my fingers!

I bought this kit late 1999, I started it 26th December 2007