In Cross Stitcher

Guess what?

I sent this picture into Cross Stitcher, I've no idea why, just did it on whim, and they published it in the July issue. The lovely Wendy from The Crafters Apprentice sent me an email to tell me she'd seen my key ring in Cross Stitcher, I was so surprised odd thing is, I had the magazine, but hadn't got round to looking at it, so picked it up and flicked through the pages looking for it and there is was, it's quite funny seeing your name in print but I have to say I quite like it.

Bye for now

1 Xams item a month - May

Pins and Whiskers

25th of the month can mean only one thing, time to show we I've made for this Mays 1 Xmas item a month. hosted by the lovely, Narelle. 

This is when I'd made a start, ready to see it finished? Of course you are.

Here we go, its a little Christmas Ornament, the chart was in Cross Stitcher a while ago now I think 

I added the date on the back, I think its nice to know when they are added to the collection. 

Going to pop and see what the others have been up to this month

Bye for now

Judith's Birthday

Today is my pen-pals birthday, well I say pen-pal that's how we started out a good few years ago now, but we hare much more than that, we have contact nearly every day, but we still put pen to paper. Judith has always been there for me but this last year she has really pulled out all the stops and I am and will be forever grateful and blessed to have her as my friend, these are the little things I made for her to go with the bought presents.

Applique  card I made her, the watering can and he heart is idea is from the quilt I want to start making later this year, but this is my own version I had to draw it to get it to fit  the card, drawing isn't my strong point, I'm amazed when I manage basic shapes.

This is something I stitching a little while ago, 

I turned it into a notebook cover,

The inside

Plus I popped in a little tissue case, I have a feeling I will be making a few of these.

Happy Birthday Judith, I love you my dear friend. x

Bye fore now

Friday night with friends update

Last night was FNWF, and this is what I was up to, not much to show, I only managed a couple of hours, but it's a start, every little helps as they say.

Friday night with friends

I'm off to check out what the others have been up to. 

Bye for now

Stitching on wood.

Another free kit, this one is only a couple of months old from Cross Stitcher and it's wooden. I didn't even know it was possible to stitch on wood, so I had to make this just to see.

I made a couple of changes, in the instructions it said to loop it through the key ring and tie it on, I didn't like the sound of that at all so I put two buttons on the join instead.

Plus there was nothing for the back, well that's like going out without your petticoat so I backed it will felt and backstitched to the key ring, which gives it a border on the front, popped an S on it and it was all done.

Bye for now

Book cover

Remember this? I finished it a while ago, bet you'd thought I'd forgotten all about it. A lovely free gift on front of a stitching mag,  I had kept in in a box for years, although I always like it, don't know what stopped me from stitching it, 

I said I would turn it into a book cover, under the fabric is the most tatty book you could ever come across, it's a Delia's and I have had it for over 20 years. Did you know that you can tell a good cook book by how tatty it is, because it means you have used it. 

I actually made it twice because I wasn't happy with the way it turned out the first time,  along the way I found a great way to do reverse applique. 

I have a question.
I have looked up different ways to do it, but I'm wondering what is your favourite way of transferring an embroidery picture? Something I will be doing in May for the first time.

Bye for now

Christmas in April

I xmas item a month 

Although it's April, this is the first time I've joined in, mainly because I only found out about it last month. Thanks Narelle over at Pins and Whiskers for coming up with this idea, I think it's great  let me tell you why.

This is a project a few year ago to give you some idea it's from Cross Stitcher magazine 2010.

I finished them this morning by sewing the little buttons on.

The hearts aren't perfect but they got better with each heart, but you can see I really need that goal to get the job done. 

The backs have a little story, a few months ago, I wasn't very well, had come home from hospital and I was shivering, I stood too close to the fire and scorched the back of my favourite dressing gown, it was so soft I loved it and the colour, then while thinking about how I was going to back my hearts the idea came to me to use it. I can't tell you how hard it was to take the scissors to it, at least now I still have part of something I loved.

Also linking to April book challenge over at Heart of Charnwood.

Now I need to decide what Christmas Item I am going to make for May.
Bye for now
Shirley x

Colours of a butterfly

My little colours of a butterfly wall hanging is very nearly finished, all I have do is put something on the back , when I get something to hang it with.

It's the first time I have really designed something myself, it changed a few times as I went along, I tried to fit in a few different things, cross stitch, applique,patchwork and for want of a better word rustic hand quilting, some might call it not very even hand quilting but I'm going with rustic, I feel like being kind to myself.

I am looking forward to when it's up in my sewing room.

I off to play with a picture of it and make it the header of the blog, that is if I can get it to look right.

Bye for now
Shirley x

Happy Birthday Jean

Today is my friend Jeans Birthday, she is such a lovely lady. Jean reads my blog so I couldn't post these until today. These are the things I made her along with her main present.

I did share the mug but not what it turned into, Jean's card.

I made her a patterned daisy, with a pink flower Jean likes pink

Plus a tissue case. 

The back.

Jean sent me a text she has the flower on and the tissue holder in her bag so I would say that means they were a hit, I'm so pleased. 

Happy Birthday Jean, have a great day 

By for now

Shirley x

Wip update

Craft Snippet N°15

It's now ready to add the border, but there has been a change of plan, you know how it is you have it pictured in your mind, and when you get to that point, you take a step back and think you know what, isn't not going to work, so instead I am going to add green fabric to the bottom, wadding backing and edge it with purple bias binding, I think.....

Bye for now

Shirley x

WIP ~ Colours of a butterfly

Craft Snippet Nº14

This is a wall hanging I have been working on for the sewing room, it's a still very much a work in progress, took me  a while to figure out what the butterfly was going to be, toyed with cross stitch then though no, going to make it fabric, next decision was which fabric but in the end it had to be polka dot. 

Up until yesterday, when I had a practice run, I hadn't blanket stitched for about 40 years and it was the first time I had round a shape. 

There's still a bit to do, plus want to add a fabric border, I wasn't going to share, until I had it finished, but I couldn't resist. 

Bye for now

Shirley x

Letter L

Craft Snippet N°13

I stitched this letter L today, I really like this colour Aida, I think oatmeal or it could be wheat, I've had it a while, it's one of set of four, I started the project at least 2 years ago, as it's a Christmas project,  I am going to finish it as part of 1 Xmas item a month, over at Pins and Whiskers hosted by Narelle, I'll be back on the 25th with the project finished. (famous last words)

Bye for now
Shirley x

Ink Pot

Craft Snippet N°12

The ink pot is stitched, plus back stitch

When you add it to yesterdays quill

You get this, just need to get fabric to make notebook cover, oh and the notebook.

Those stripes have taken shape, into a mug.

Bye for now
Shirley x

Quill stitching / Friday night with friends.

Yesterday I started on this little cross stitch

Last night I joined the lovely Cheryll and friends for Friday night with friends, I did the back stitch on the quill it doesn't look much but it's quite time consuming or at least it is when I am doing it.... Just got the ink pot to do, it's going to be a notebook cover. 

Thanks Cheryll for hosting a great night. 

I'm off to see what the others were doing, why not pop over and take a look. 

Bye for now

Shirley x

Pin cushion

Craft Snippet N°11

Last week I stitched a little butterfly, I was just messing about with colour, and when I started it I wasn't really going to do anything with then, but as I stitched it I found Kaye who came up with idea of turning small cross stitch into pin cushions, thought oh yes what a great idea, so it turned from this to.....

It looks really cheery on my table in the sewing room. 

This is another first for me, it's my first attempt at patchwork. 

This is just a little gift-tag I made from the same idea of the padded cards. 

Bye for now

Shirley x

Egg cosies

Craft Snippet N°10

Today I have been finishing our egg cosies, I had one mis-hap where I was sewing the wrong ends together sigh... luckily I notice I before, I had sewn all the way round so only had half to unpick. 

They are very different to the ones I had made before, these were Easter presents and are now with their new owners who are very happy with them, which in turn makes me happy

. 

I stitched the Egg in different colours so we each had our own as they are the same in fabric and ribbon so they looked part of a set. 

Guess what, tomorrow I am going to Cotton Patch for the first time, so if I don't come back you know where to find me.

Bye for now

Shirley x