Brown/Blue Spotty

29 December 2013

Years End

Well almost.
I hope this post finds you all well and that you have enjoyed a peaceful Christmas.  We have had quiet, family time so far ~ New Year celebrations are ahead of us and we will be spending time with my Sis2 and her DH who from here on in shall be known as McBiL ~ being my brother in law who resides in Scotland.
GB1 has been home from university ~ his final lecture was December 13th, however he was committed to work until 19th when we collected him to bring him home.  With the studying/revision he has needed to do and also working back in his old Costa store we've seen very little of him.  It's still been lovely having him home ~ not sure that GB2 agrees!
I've signed myself up for stitching only from stash during 2014 ~ check out my page link across to the right ~ I've made a start listing the charts/kits that I have in my stash and as you will see there is plenty to keep me going!  I'm sure I can do this, do you fancy giving it a try?
I'm watching The Holiday again while sorting out fabric for my New Year's Day start ~ Home of a Needleworker by LHN.  I already had the thread pulled and stored in the pattern wallet so it seems like an easy option.  I may even make 2 starts as I am planning to stitch a Christmas piece a month ~ with this in mind I have The 12 Days of Christmas Parts I & II  from The Little Stitcher so my 2014 ornaments will be themed.
Being reasonably certain that I won't be posting again this year I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading my meagre posting efforts this year ~ I'm hoping that I will be better at updating my blog in 2014.
Here's wishing you a Happy, Healthy & Stitchful New Year.
Kate

16 November 2013

It's Here Again

Yes it's IHSW this weekend ~ another early start for me today as the LM has gone off to the Classic Car Show at the NEC in Birmingham so perfect time to catch up with blog reading, I'm working my way through the 284 unread posts that are hanging about in my reader.
Anyway, one of them is from Joysze's blog with a reminder of the event.  I have a packed weekend but hope to manage some stitching in between the other stuff we have on.
GB1 is home for a brief visit and we'll be taking him back to university after a trip to the Living North Christmas Fair at York Racecourse tomorrow.  He has kindly provided us with a list to make up the required student food parcel to take back and today I will probably be doing the laundry he brought home in amongst the other things on my list.
GB2 is working on getting access to my car as after months of nagging from us he has finally taken steps to clean and tidy his room ~ all it takes is the right incentive!
Have a good Saturday

Kate

14 November 2013

Who Knew?

That I would be such a bad blogger?

We've been busy with one or two things since way before the wedding - which is now some 108 days ago!  I haven't just counted this ~ I installed a countdown app on my phone and it has continued to count.

It was a summer of exams ~ A Level for GB1 & AS Level for GB2
Both boys have now passed their driving tests - GB1 in the summer and GB2 this week
The LM had an unpleasant experience after collecting his car from a service at the dealership ~ a few weeks before the wedding
Making favours, boutonnieres and assorted other bits n bobs
GB1 had lung surgery ~ 13 days before the wedding
The wedding ~ we had an awesome day
The wedding party ~ back at home
Honeymoon ~ European tour in the TVR
Work
Installing GB1 at university
Weekends away in Blackpool (there was a valid reason for going there) Scotland & Cumbria (sort of)
and more work.

I hope you can forgive me?

We're slowly getting back to some kind of normality and now C*****mas is on the horizon.  Stitching (other than wedding stuff) has appeared in my life again and I joined the French SAL La Pensee Positive.


This is Part II finished and I am now almost finished Part III, just a few sheep and a rabbit to complete. 
Stitched on Sparklies Barely Bronzed 36ct Edinburgh with the recommended threads.
This has been so lovely to stitch ~ I decided to stitch the French version but it is available in English, Italian, Spanish & German and possibly more too ~ it can be found here.

Part IV is due to be released next month.


I'll leave you with a photograph of the sunset over the Tyne ~ I was going to Newcastle to run a couple of errands and collect the LM from the station and couldn't resist driving onto Riverside Drive to capture this.  Not the best photograph ever as it was taken on my phone, but I like it.
See you soon.
 
Kate



 

19 September 2013

IHSW Weekend

I've signed up - have you?  Head on over to Joysze's blog - http://joysze.blogspot.co.uk/ - to join in the fun.
Saturday we are packing up the car and taking our oldest DS to University and getting him 
installed into his accomodation ready for freshers week.  He's going to Leeds which is not too far - 
he went on Monday with some of his things and collected his keys etc so he has  a plan for how
everything will be installed/arranged.  
My stitching time will therefore be restricted to Sunday - haven't decided what to work on yet - I
know what it should be, however a new start is calling me.......


Kate

2 August 2013

A Little Taster




from our wedding day - The LM & Mrs LM
Monday seems ages ago already, we're now looking forward to our party tomorrow.

Hopefully I'll have some time to show more pictures before we set off on honeymoon.

Kate


30 June 2013

Switching to Bloglovin

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5005353/?claim=tb9xp68erkx">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Today see the end of Google Reader - so I have finally made the move to Bloglovin.  I've not been around here much as we have been busy with:

Exam season for both of the GBs
Work
University visiting
LM was away at the Le Mans 24 hour race
Wedding plans!!!!!!!

I will be back as soon as time allows and hopefully show you some stitching progess.

Kate

14 May 2013

A Quilting Project

My Sis2 and her DH have spent many years, might even be 10, looking for sofas and chairs for their upstairs lounge and until this year have not managed to find anything that they both were happy with.  The discovery of furniture, carpet and wallpaper lead to much work ~ now their room is  complete and looks absolutely gorgeous.  They chose plain leather sofas and some co-ordinating pieces from this range.  I decided to make a couple of throws for them and this is what I have so far


This is the first one


 And the second.  I used a variety of fabrics which were bought from Borderland Fabrics & Just Quilting.  There are borders to be added and I need to get wadding, backing and binding fabric to complete them.  I am thoroughly enjoying this project and spent some time at the weekend working on a plan to personalise them ~ I hope it works.

Hope you're impressed that I've managed to come back quite soon!

Kate

12 May 2013

It's been a while..........

A long while really and I must apologise ~ there have been a few things that have eaten into my time and left none spare for blogging, in fact I started this post a couple of weeks ago and then other things got in the way of me adding the pictures and posting!  I have been trying to keep on top of reading what you have all been doing, but even that has taken a bit of a back seat at times.

Stitching has been slow to non-existent, I did manage to finish my New Years Day start.

 
LHN ~ Summer Splendor
Recommended threads with one substitution
Fabric unknown
Started 01 January 2013
Finished 09 March 2013 
 

I plan to finish this into a bag ~ when that might happen is anyone's guess though.  My latest LHN project is Be True which was a birthday gift from Barb last year ~ I'm stitching one over one on 28ct so it's going to be just the perfect size for a scissor fob.
I've also started stitching the Drawn Thread "Love" scissor keep ~ I'm stitching this 9 times as they are to be the place cards for the Ladies who will be at out wedding.

 
 
The Drawn Thread - Love Scissors Tag
Recommended Needlepoint & Northern Lights Silk
Sparklies 35ct Edinburgh Linen ~ Barely Bronzed
Started 09 February 2013
 
As of today I have 4½ stitched so I'm halfway there!  You must excuse the crumpled appearance, thought I'd leave the ironing until they are all finished.
 
And a closer picture ~ I love the muted colours and the variety of stitches.  Our wedding is quite small and we wanted to include some handmade/personalised items ~ I know that each of the Ladies will appreciate these gifts.  We have something a little more manly for the Guys!  Well I have work tomorrow ~ another thing that gets in the way! ~ so I guess I had better go get some sleep.  I'll be trying very hard to be here with better regularity than I have displayed so far this year. 
 
Till next time.
 
Kate  

 
 

30 January 2013

Christmas Ornaments & Secret Santa 2012

Firendly Stitchers Group Ornament Exchange

I received this beauty from Judy together with some threads and needles ~ thanks Judy.
I'd love to show you the ornament that I sent to Judy, however I forgot to take any pictures!  It was the LHN design from the 2012 ornament edition of JCS, you know, the one with the blue house ~ sorry I can't remember the design name & the magazine has clearly hibernated as I can't find it to look it up.
Needlecraft Haven Group Ornament Exchange

Another gorgeous ornament received ~ this one from Mary who also send a skein of thread and a cute present charm ~ thank you Mary.

This one is Christmas Eve by Pickle Barrel Designs from the JCS Ornament Edition 2012 ~ stitched for Christine on 32ct Barely Bronzed evenweave from Sparklies with the recommended threads.  The fabric in the background is on the reverse of the ornament.


Tuesday Stitching Group
Secret Santa


Ma Boite a Tresors from C'Mon Monde
Stitched on 40ct Antique White linen with recommended DMC threads.  Mounted onto a box that I painted and lined.


Interior of the box with mini spools and bobbins.

Kate






27 January 2013

Quiet Sunday

Quiet is what we have planned ~ we were up and at the gym for 8am, sounds grim and I guess it was, however I definitely feel good for having done it ~ might be a different story tomorrow!  It's well over a month since I was last there as I've been waiting for a sinus infection to clear up. Unfortunately that doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon and I've got a wedding to be trim & toned for!
Sis2 is on her way down as tomorrow we're off to Nottingham to see a bridal fabric supplier ~ so she's popping in here at lunchtime then off to stay with Dad.  We're leaving at stupid o'clock in the morning and I will be returning her to Dad's tomorrow evening, where she'll stay and spend Tuesday with him before returning to Scotland.
I have a few stitchy things I want to accomplish today, might even go stash surfing to kit a few Christmas projects for the Christmas Ornaments All Year Round SAL.  I joined this SAL last year but didn't make it past May, so I want to be well prepared this year.
The LM is planning a DVD fest, he'll probably watch most of it through the insides of his eyelids!
Have a wonderful Sunday.

Kate

25 January 2013

Autumn & Winter Exchanges 2012

Last year Clare at Needlecraft Haven ran a Four Seasons Exchange ~ due to a number of things I didn't post any pictures from either Autumn or Winter.

There was a bit of a trial with my Autumn piece ~ it went into the black hole of the postal system, whether that was on this side of the pond or stateside Dusty didn't receive her gift.  So a new one had to be finished and shipped out, fortunately this one did eventually turn up.

This is Autumn Sampler by Lizzie Kate stitched with the recommended threads on 40ct linen.  I made this into a small bourse ~ just the right size to carry threads for a project.  Pictures of the outside and the completed bourse follow.


Here's the gorgeous needle roll that I received from Julie ~ my very first one.  I love it, the colours, the design, the trim & buttons ~ just all of it.  Thanks again Julie.  The text on the picture should read - FROM Julie
Julie was my partner to stitch for in the Winter exchange and I stitched part of the design of Snow White by LHN.  The fabric is 32ct Rue Green linen and I used Finca Perle #16.
I finished it as a needle book/thread organiser.
Christine stitched this little beauty for me ~ I must apologise for the quality of some of the pictures today ~ this one certainly does not capture the colour of the gorgeous fabric.  Thanks so much Christine.
I hope I can do this type of seasonal exchange again as I really enjoyed participating in this one ~ thanks to Clare for organising it all.

Hope to update you with Christmas exchanges next time.

Kate






22 January 2013

IHSW Catch Up

Did you all hermit at the weekend ~ I did & in more ways than one.  The first type was staying out of the weather.  We had snow the whole weekend, groceries were delivered Friday so there was no need for us to venture out.  The LM had a pressing need to give some TLC to the LM car ~ the wayward cover had been removed during some windy weather ~ do you remember that cover?  So the LM car was cleared of the snow that had settled on her, cleaned, dried and snuggled under the cover once more.  It may appear that I am poking fun at the LM (as if I would...) about going out in the snow to clean a car ~ well I shouldn't really as while he was out there he cleaned my car too.

On to the second type of hermitting ~ the stitching kind ~ after looking forward to the first IHSW session of the year I'm afraid it fell a little flat for me.  I did stitch, and enjoyed what I managed it just wasn't all that much. 
I finished the stitching on my January ornament for the Christmas Ornaments All Year Round SAL.  This is a freebie from Nikys Creations.  I plan to finish this as a luggage tag ornament.
I stitched a little on Summer Splendor by LHN ~ I started this while we were staying with Sis2 and her family at New Year.  There wasn't much stitched on it that day either as champagne was in the mix.
 
I also managed to start the finishing ~ always sounds wrong ~ on my piece for the valentine/friendship exchange on the Friendly Stitchers Group.  Can't show a picture of that until it has been received by my partner.
 
For the second week running our Tuesday Stitching Group was cancelled ~ I was going to stitch however I've spent the time sorting through pictures on the camera memory card, got a wee bit lost in looking at them as you do.  Watch out for some updates on exchanges from last year.
 
Stay safe & warm.
 
Kate
 
 

15 January 2013

January Hermitting



It's the first IHSW this coming weekend - will you be participating? I am hoping to.
My plans are to:

Make up a piece that is stitched for a Valentine exchange on Friendly Stitchers

Complete my January Christmas ornament - a freebie from Nicky's Creations

Start a Valentine piece for the LM

Continue with LHN Summer Splendor - this was my New Year's Day start


Hope to see you there


Kate