British Craft Awards 2017 and stitching news

Hi everyone, I have always been a Prairie Schooler fan, I just love the cute designs, this one was a quick stitch that I took with me on the flight to England last week, the little pouch for the threads and scissors came in really handy. I am not sure how I am going to finish this yet but I am pleased with how it looks.

Another Santa's Village update and a Prairie Schooler work in progress

Hi everyone, here is another update of my latest village finish, I am just waiting for the delivery of the next pattern but I have finally caught up, at last!

I have also been stitching a Prairie Schooler pattern, I started this a while ago, it is Rain, Rain, Go Away, one of my favourite designs, it is so appropriate for me as I hate going out in the rain!  

Happy New Year, christmas pressies and an exchange.

Hi everyone, Happy New Year to you all! This year I am looking forward to doing more stitching than I did last year, I have got lots of stitching planned and many projects I can't wait to start. In fact, talking of projects I thought I would show you some of the pressies my husband bought me for Christmas.



I also received this craft cutting machine, in addition to cutting paper and card it also cuts small pieces of fabric! I am looking forward to using it when I make projects out of felt.  



Stitching News

I am still waiting for my Christmas ornament from the Hooked on Exchangng group, I am sure it will arrive sometime soon. I made this ornament for Sadie from Stitching up a Storm blog, this ornament is from a Prairie Schooler pattern.
  

This week I started stitching this pattern again for myself, I have made a concerted effort to stitch everything twice so at least I have a copy of everything I send in exchanges or giveaways. 

Happy stitching everyone and thankyou for your visits and comments over the year!

  

        

Prairie Schooler and a fringing tutorial

 Edited: I forgot to show the link to the instructions for the fringing on the pillow, please now see below.

Hi everyone, just a little note to let you know I am still here! 

It was Jills birthday over at the Purple Peacock blog so I decided to send her this birthday gift. I made a little Christmas ornament from a Prairie Schooler pattern (booklet number 133) and I sent her this Little House Needleworks Pattern - The Travelling Stitcher. The pattern included the threads, it is one of my favourite designers and Jill's too. 

The tutorial for the fringing of the pillow can be found on my blog here just scroll down and you will see a Father Christmas Prairie Schooler ornament where I show the instructions.   

I just managed to find enough fabric and threads  to make Jill this small gift. There are more close up photo's below.    

Until next time - Happy Stitching!

Christmas ornaments

Hi everyone, I hope you are enjoying the summer sunshine, however these pictures will make you feel quite chilly as I have a few winter Christmas ornaments to show.

The picture above is the ornament I have stitched for the Christmas Challenge blog, I was a few days late for the June ornament but I finally managed to get it finished, it is a Prairie Schooler pattern stitched on 28 count and made into a little felt pillow. I really love this Christmas Challenge because it makes me adhere to my Christmas stitching, I can't believe there are only 6 more ornaments to make for Christmas, where does the time go? The pictures below show the lovely Christmas in July exchange I received from Ellen L for the Hooked on Exchanging Too blog, as you can see from the pictures Ellen was very generous with the extras!

Thankyou Ellen I love it all.

Stitching news

I have sent my tea exchange to Jennifer this week so I will have some photo's to show probably by the end of next week. I have started to stitch my July ornament for the Christmas Challenge blog as I do not want to be late this next time, and I am concentrating on the Prairie Schooler round 3 exchange for August and my first anniversary blog giveaway on the 31 July 2009.

Happy stitching everyone, thankyou for your visits and the lovely comments you leave, I really appreciate them all.

My exchange has arrived from Mylene!

Look what arrived in the post today from Mylene!

Thankyou so much Mylene for a lovely exchange, everything is beautifully stitched and finished, I am thrilled with both pieces. Mylene stitched the pillow and scissor fob in my favourite colours and also used one of my favourite designers - Prairie Schooler.

The stitching on these two pieces are perfect in every way, in fact Mylene could teach me a thing or two about finishing!I love these exchanges because I think we all learn how to improve our skills just by looking at how they are finished.

Reverse side

Stitching news

I have just started experimenting with polymer clay, I have made some roses and a couple of other little creations, I do think this will become another addiction of mine! I will post some pictures later in the week.

Happy stitching and thankyou for visiting.

Mini Biscornu and Prairie Schooler ornament finish

I have just finished my first mini biscornu together with a Prairie Schooler Christmas Ornament for the Christmas Challenge blog. The pattern leaflet for the Prairie Schooler is Christmas Day leaflet number 134.

Finishing instructions can be found on my tutorials blog here

The biscornu is a freebie pattern that can be found on The Floss Box.

Edited: I seem to have lost the photos on this post, I will see if I can find them and repost eventually!

Stitched on 25 count dublin lugana linen fabric using DMC colour 321 satin thread

Mill Hill beads

Happy stitching everyone, thankyou for visiting!

Prairie Schooler Ornament

I finished this Prairie Schooler Ornament, it is from the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Magazine 2008, I sooooo loved making this one!I used DMC threads stitched on linen, topped off with Swarovski Crystals. Click here

I just love Pink!

You can get the letter L here

Materials used

25 count dublin lugana linen

Dinky Dyes silk thread

stitched 1 over 1

Mother of pearl thread ring

Swarovski crystals

Materials used for blog giveaway and more stitching news.

As promised I have listed the materials I used to make the blog giveaway Christmas ornament:

• Fabric - Zweigart 32 Count Brittney - Lurex, silver flecked white
• Flowers-Dinky Dyes Silk thread, Lilac number 111 but any DMC color would look the same.
• Centre of flower-Kreinik metallics Fine (#8) Braid colour number 9300
• Merry stitched in DMC number 210 and backstitched in dark purple DMC
• Purple trim on outside edge - Madeira Glissen Gloss Estaz colour number 19
• Mill Hill Antique Glass Beads colour number 03053
• Metal ornament for the back

I hope you enjoy stitching this as much as a I did!

My first Biscornu and stitching news

I am currently stitching my first Biscornu, it is a Christmas design, and I have finished stitching the Priarie Schooler Christmas Ornament, I will post pictures shortly.

The Christmas Noel design at the top of the page was completed a number of years ago, it is

Celtic Christmas by Lavender and Lace, I though it would be a good idea to show it to celebrate the season!

Thankyou for looking, Merry Christmas everyone!

Miniature stitched piece

Hi everyone, I thought I would show a picture of something not connected to Christmas in this post. I have stitched 1 over 1 on 25 Cream Dublin Lugana linen using DMC thread number 115, it is a Mon ami Pierre free pattern, unfortunately it is no longer available. 

I am unsure what to make with it yet, maybe a tin topper or a mini pin keep?

I am currently working on some more Ornaments, I have just started on my first Prairie Schooler Christmas Ornament and I was looking at one of my Paula Vaughan work in progress, the Porch Swing, it looks really nice, I shall post a picture later.

I have shown here the stitching lamp I use when stitching on linen because quite a few people have commented that they find the holes too small, I could not stitch on linen if I did not use this magnifying lamp, what a difference it makes. You can clip it on your stitching hoop, however I do not always use a hoop so I clip mine to a folder placed on my knee.

Happy Stitching!

Stash

I just had to buy some lovely Christmas coloured threads and beads to decorate some of my ornaments, I am looking forward to using these. I have also finished a couple of Christmas ornaments that I will be posting over the next week or so.

Happy Stitching!

Christmas Ornament work in progress and new purchases

I decided to treat my self to some Prairie Schooler Autumn Patterns and some lovely silk thread by Dinky Dyes, I just love using silk thread! The work in progress is a My Big Toe Designs Christmas Ornament from the Just Cross Stitch Ornaments Magazine 2008, stitched 1 over 1 on 25 count Dublin Lugana using DMC threads 315, 520 and 803. I am also stitching a Christmas Ornament for the Hooked on Exchange Group Too but I cannot post a picture until it has been received by my partner.

I have only just started using linen and I would really appreciate some tips. I would love to know what everyone's favourite linen fabric is, what stitch count you like best and if there is any particular color that you could not do without? I have heard that Legacy Linen is really nice to work with but I don't think I can get it in the United Kingdom. Does anyone particularly use this make?

Any comments greatly appreciated!