Peace, Love, Joy

I've now finished making up all three of the Peace, Love, Joy ornaments by Renato Parolin. I stitched them all back in April but had only finished Joy (more pictures of Joy can be seen here). It's lovely to see them now all finished together.

I've changed the listed fabric and thread and have stitched them on 40ct R & R Light Espresso Linen, 1 over 2 with DMC 347. I've added the date to the back and finished them off with silk ribbon for the bow and hanger.

Look What My Mum Made Me!

It's been a while since I've had a finish to show, although I do have quite a few small pieces still waiting to be made up, so I really must crack on with them sometime soon! I even have a little Christmas stitching from last year that still needs putting together! I've only done a little stitching recently as Colin has been home on his time off and I never get a lot done then as we make the most of enjoying our time together doing other things. My sister Debra has also been over from South Africa and staying close by, so of course I've wanted to enjoy time with her when I could too! Anyway, as I have no stitchy pics I thought I would show you this gorgeous beaded scissors fob that my Mum made for me. She has actually made four of these, one for both of my sisters Debra and Sarah, and of course one for herself! The beads are all swarovski crystal and silver and the lobster claw and fairy charm are silver too. Thank you for making this for me Mum, I absolutely love it!


Thank you so much to those who commented on my previous post, for help choosing a new sewing machine. Still undecided but I did find it really interesting and enjoyed reading what you all had to say, so thank you again! Once I have my new sewing machine I will post a picture so that you can see which one I eventually decided on!

I'm looking forward to an exciting day out tomorrow with my Mum and sister Sarah. We are off to the Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts Show at Westpoint, Exeter. It's only about an hours drive for us and we go every year. We've been looking forward to it for a long time - I can't wait to go and will hopefully get to spend lots of pennies there too! :o)

I Need Help!

I really need some help with choosing my new sewing machine! I thought I had made my decision a few months ago but I'm undecided yet again! I have a big birthday coming up in December (my 50th, but shhhh, don't tell anyone) and have told DH Colin that he is going to be buying me a shiny new sewing machine to replace my 30 year old Singer that gave up on me well over a year ago! I'm not that experienced with a sewing machine, up to now only really using it for straight stitch and zigzag for taking up hems (DH and I are both shorties) and making a few little pillows and wall hangings. I would really like to have one that I can learn to do lots of exciting new things on.

My problem is that I can't decide between a Bernina or a Janome and searching the web have read great reviews on both. I would really appreciate any help and advice as I have now totally confused myself and need to make a final decision before Colin arrives back home at the end of October, as I will probably have to buy it before he is next due to go away again.

Thanks ever so much in advance for any help. :o)

Bird & Flower Floss Ring Tag

It's not my first floss ring tag but it is my first with an eyelet following Staci's wonderful tutorial! I was going to use my Crop-A-Dile but instead used my Prym Vario Pliers for piercing both the hole and setting the eyelet and I have to say I think they did both jobs brilliantly. The pliers come with the attachments for piercing holes which can be removed to attach the appropriate fittings for setting eyelets, etc. The fittings are included in the Prym eyelet packs.



The design is Bird & Flower, a complimentary design from Chessie & Me currently in the May 2009 Stitchville USA newsletter. The May newsletter is still up on the Stitchville USA website but may not be for much longer. I've changed the fabric to 40ct Flax Newcastle Linen stitching 1 over 2 using the listed Gentle Art Sampler Threads. I added the tiny date with 1 over 1 backstitch.

Thanks again for popping by. :o)

Happy Dancing!

I've actually finished another of the many pieces I have stitched that are waiting to be made up. This is 'I Love Stitching' pinkeep by Maryse Dupont, from The Gift of Stitching, issue 30, July 2008. I stitched this last year so it's been hanging around for a while. The wording on the chart was different to the picture of the finished pinkeep but I have stitched mine like the picture as I liked it that way.



I've used 32ct Country French Chantilly linen with the listed Gentle Art Sampler Threads and have added a little pleated pocket to the back for stitchy bits and bobs. This is the first time I have added a pocket to a pinkeep and was really pleased with how it turned out, especially with the pleats. I have wanted to do one for ages and saw a pocket finished this way with the pleats, for a sewing case in an older issue I have of SANQ. After finishing the pinkeep I decided it needed a little matching scissors fob too!

Yippee! A Finish At Last!

It's taken me so long to get round to finishing this little gift that I'd almost forgotten whether it was a little extra something for my Mum for her birthday in May, or for Mother's Day back in March...lol!

This is the first time I have stitched anything from Mary Beale and must confess that I had never heard of her until I had seen Su's beautiful Mary Beale finishes that she has posted on her blog. This design is from Pocketbook No. 3, October 1989. I've used 40ct cream Newcastle linen with the listed DMC threads and finished it as a mattress pincushion.



Thank you for popping by! :o)

A Mon Ami Pierre Needlebook

There's not been a lot of stitching or finishing going on here since Colin arrived home. I've not spent a lot of time on the computer either, wanting to make the most of having him home, before he is off again for another 6 weeks towards the end of the month. I have managed at last though to finish putting together this needlebook. I had started making it up a month or so ago so it feels like it's been hanging around forever!

The design is another A Mon Ami Pierre freebie which can be downloaded from here. I've stitched it 1 over 2 on 40ct Light Espresso R & R Linen with DMC 779 and made a matching tasseled scissor fob. The fabric for finishing is from Blackbird Designs Harvest Home.

Another Christmas Ornament!

I've had this one on my 'to do list' for ages! It's one of five designs called A Touch of Holly by Teresa Wentzler from the December 1996 issue of Just Cross Stitch. The chart also includes a bell, heart, star and fan and gives instructions so that they can all be finished together as a bellpull. I think I shall probably one day just stitch a couple more of the ornaments though.

I've stitched it as the chart recommends using DMC threads on 28ct Dove Grey Monaco from Charles Craft. The border and background pattern are stitched over 2 and the tree was done 1 over 1. For the back I used the same background pattern as the front and also added the date.




It's good to see a few of my finishes actually getting completed at last! I still have a few more to do though!

Hope everyone has been enjoying their Bank Holiday weekend. I'm having a nice quiet day here. Youngest DS Matthew who is studying at Brighton University came home for a visit on Friday but left to go back again yesterday. It was lovely to have him home even though it was only for a short time. I'm getting very excited - only 11 days left before DH Colin is back home again for another 6 weeks!!