Sunny Saturday!

Hi Everyone,

Well, have you missed me? .... I have missed you !!!

I am so sorry I have not been posting lately, but my dissertation for my Masters is taking up a lot more of my free-time than I thought possible :-( I am hoping to have a bit more space over the Easter holidays to do other things, especially blogging, gardening and a bit more stitching. I guess I feel I ought to be studying at the moment because I only have 6 months left before I have to hand in my 12,000 word 'dissy'. I have really been missing the cross-stitching and what makes it worse, I went round to San's house and saw all the wonderful stitching and crafting she has been doing in recent months and it puts my meagre efforts to shame, that's for sure.

We are looking forward to having a nice day up at the Olympia Stitch 07 exhibition - only a week to go before we head up to London for that. I have promised myself some DMC threads and some buttons this year ... and who knows, maybe some beads as well.

It is very sunny today and, although the weather-man said it is going to get colder and more windy tomorrow, all I can do is look out of the window and see the blue skies and gentle breeze and it reminds me of summer. The only trouble is, however, that it reminds me that in only about 9 weeks' time, it will be a whole year since my DH Mike died. I cannot believe how the year has flown by, despite the fact that I felt it would drag without him here with me. In 2 weeks' time, the family and I have organised a ceremony for him at the Crematorium. We have made a memorial plaque for him, with his dates on and the words "Deeply Missed, but never Forgotten" on. The plaque has been mounted around the edge of a rose bed in the Crem - I may visit it later on next week, to see what it is like before the ceremony on 30th March.

Well, I guess that is all for now. I hope that this finds you well, happy, enjoying life and full of the joys of Spring, if you are in UK or Europe, but full of joy where-ever you are 'visiting' from.

Much love,
Alison xx

Happy St Valentine's Day

Well, its February 14th and, yes, I know its a great time for the Card and Gift shops and its all rather commercial, but hey, if we can't be loving to each other on a special day like today, well its a sad World isn't it?

So I would like to say to everyone on St Valentine's Day that I wish you love, happiness, laughter and joy, not just today, but every day in 2007. And let's remember those who don't have much of those wonderful gifts, because maybe they haven't got anyone special around them to be loved, or because they are in a war-torn country, or don't have a home or a job .... they need our love too.

HAVE A HAPPY ST VALENTINE'S DAY, FRIENDS!!!!!

Hi There Crafting Friends!

Well, after my first posting of 2007, I had to take a few weeks' break because I had to hand in my Dissertation Proposal which meant I was working every weekend on it since mid-January. Now it has been handed in and marked, I am feeling a lot more like getting down to the serious business of Blogging again - I really miss doing my crafts and telling you all about it!! Unfortunately my Seed Sampler has been languishing in my crafts bag unloved :-( and untouched for weeks, but I did some work on it on Sunday, so I only have about 2 hours to complete before its a Happy Dance. So I thought I would put up a photo when that is done, rather than keep adding a photo after only 1 or 2 hours' work!!

In the meantime, I have been buying the Cross Stitcher and World of Cross Stitch to keep in touch with XS and am planning a trip to Olympia with San and her mother in late March which is very exciting. I won £50 prize in the Premium Bonds which is a UK draw we have - the number was one of Mike's which makes it even better - he is looking after me :-) So I have a few funds to splash out on some Stash at Olympia yippeeee!!

It was really cold in UK last week and we had a fair fall of snow on Thursday, so much so that I tried to drive down the hill for a swim at the pool, found that the Leisure Centre was shut then couldn't get back up the hill again as it was so slippery and icy! So I had to park the car in the car park at the bottom of the hill and walk for 2 miles home, which was fun because I could watch all the children playing with snowballs and sliding down the hill on their plastic trays and wooden sleighs - I thought Santa was going to turn up with the presents LOL ;-D

Well, looking forward to being able to show off my Project during my next entry.

Happy New Year 2007 - Ali B is Back!!

Hi Everyone,

I would firstly like to thank everyone who has e-mailed me and blogged me with comments to say that they miss me and have been concerned. I really really really appreciate everyone's love, thoughts, kindness and friendship. I am so sorry you had to worry about me, I never forgot my blog or you and just knew you would be there for me for as long as it took for me to get back to you. Let me explain my absence because I need to tell you about it .....

As you can imagine, after losing my DH in May, Christmas and the Holiday Season was bound to be difficult and sad for me and also not forgetting the family and our friends. It was far harder than I could ever have imagined it would be, if I am honest with you. I started to feel very down about the impending holiday season around November (hence the rather large gap in the Blog) and lost all motivation to stitch or blog, as I felt I would not be able to be honest on-line about how difficult it was becoming for me, and it was not easy for me to admit that at the time. Also, when everyone around me was feeling happy, it sort of made me more blue because I wanted to be happy too, but my heart has been aching without my DH. I know you will understand that .....

Dearest San I would like to thank you through the lines of this blog for the amazing friendship we have - you were there for me when I needed you most, and we had a wonderful time together just before you left for Lille for the Christmas holidays. I have been thinking of you all the time and have been hoping you were enjoying time with DBF and the family. I loved your gifties, you spoiled me and I hope you liked the small treasures I made.

I am now feeling very positive in the New Year with all the wonderful challenges ahead, Margaret I will be e-mailing you today and we need to organise our first 'virtual' SAL for the Margaret Sherry Project - thank you for keeping in touch so wonderfully over the holidays with your supportive e-mails - it meant so much to me.

Isabelle, you are just a treasure, a warm hearted girl and loving friend and thank you for caring so much for me - I care back!

Nela, no se como puedo agradecerte los mensajes tan lindos y tiernos en mi grabador de telefono para la Navidad y el ano nuevo, te envio un abrazo muy muy fuerte - I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful sweet messages you left me on my answerphone for Christmas and the New Year - please accept a (((big hug))) that I am sending you now.

Thank you, RosieKiwi, for sending me the lovely Christmas Ornies magazine, its wonderful and I will definitely be fully motivated in the coming year to make loads of great danglies for the Christmas Tree for 2007! Don't forget my offer of any little gifties through 2007 and beyond, I will be delighted to oblige :-)

To everyone, you are just the BEST, the finest gang of friends I could wish for, and I am so happy to be back on-line again. My DH, Michael, knew I ran this blog and loved the fact that I am so keen on my Crafting. He will be smiling up on his cloud at the way you have stood by me over the past 6 difficult months and is wishing you all well. I will be posting a few photos for you in the coming days, so bear with me as I get back into the swing. I will be dropping on by to your blogs little by little and will leave you some messages of love of my own, so Watch Your Blog :-))))

With warm and fondest wishes
All the very best for 2007 - let's make it the best XS/Crafting year ever!!!

Your friend always,
Alison ("Ali-B") xxxxx

Halloween - Not a good time in UK

Hi everyone,

I have just paid my regular visit to Von's blog (http://onthedryside.blogspot.com/) and was delighted with her wonderful photos and stories of how they celebrate Halloween in USA. If only we had the same ethos in UK! In recent times it has unfortunately been hijaked and using as an excuse to terrorise people in their own homes. Sadly, despite the fact it is meant to be a time for children, it is being misinterpreted and parents find it increasingly difficult to teach their children to "never accept sweets from strangers" and "don't ask for money from people" for 364 days of the year, and yet on 31st October, all those sound rules are effectively being ignored. So children get confused and youths, possibly having poor (or no) guidance from parents or being left to roam the streets, are using it to create mischief. I do hate to brand young people as "Yobs" because they are frequently the product of neglect and all they need is some boundaries and guidelines and, of course, LOVE!!!!

Enough of my rant - but go and take a look at the way Von has displayed those photos, they are great!!!

Here are a couple of long-awaited WIP photos:




















About a year ago (or possibly longer), I stitched 3 of Michael Powell's Mini Cottages series (and I still have a Lighthouse of his to do in my stash pile). I framed them with some inexpensive wooden frames which I bought in HobbyCraft and now they are proudly hanging as a little group in the hallway so that when I come home, I see them and I do think they are cute. Michael Powell's style is so unique to him, I could recognise one of his pieces a mile off! I desperately want to start stitching his "Secret Garden" kit that I bought last Christmas as I love the way the wrought-iron gate is part opened, with the promise of entering the garden and seeing hidden beauty .... hopefully will get some time in the coming months - but next, I am still aiming for my "Road to a Friend's House" and, of course, the project that Margaret and I have planned for 2007, being the 12 Days of Christmas.

Update for the Weekend! Very Busy :-)

Hi Everyone - I hope you have been enjoying your weekend.

In UK, the clocks moved back 1 hour so that it is now dark by around 5.30 pm :-( Thankfully, it was clear and sunny today, so it did not seem as if Autumn had yet taken hold. I spent 2 hours in the garden trying out my new lawnmower for the first time (it has rained almost every day since I bought it and this weekend has been the first spell of dry weather for a while! The grass looks really green and even now!

I have also been decorating the front room this weekend, now that the fireplace is in place.

Here is a "before" photo showing the rather dated wallpaper complete with border at the top - very 1980's!

And below is what it now looks like with the door and rails painted (the paint is a cream called "Snowdrop") and the walls clear of paper.

My plan is to paper the walls in a plain textured finish that has the same effect as "raw" silk with the slubs on and then paint with emulsion. Above the rail will be a colour called Pure Water, which is a very subtle blue/green and below will be Burnt Almond which is a medium coloured mushroom brown.

Last weekend I received a lovely parcel of Gifties from Nela! As you can see, there are some beautiful objects, some that Nela made and other little extras like the sweetie bar. Thank you so much Nela for your generosity to have sent the parcel all the way from your beloved Zulia.

Unfortunately, Blogger has now done its normal "go-slow" and won't let me upload the photos of my seed sampler, so I will try again tomorrow!

Hope you have a good week coming up. Enjoy!

All About Books - Let's play Tag

1) One book that changed your life: (I do not have access to the book at present, as I am at work ... but I may have to come back and correct this ...) "Songbird" - forgot the author's name - DH lent me his copy of the book when we were "just friends" and I loved it .... and then came to love him.
2) One book that you’d read more than once: "The White Hotel" by D H Thomas - its a very harrowing book focussing on the Holocaust but with a storyline woven with references to Freud - really powerful and amazing. They have tried to make a film from it for the last 15 years, but have never been able to agree on a cast list due to the power of the characters .... its that kind of book.
3) One book you’d want on a deserted island: After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell
4) One book that made you laugh: "Neither Here nor There - Travels in Europe" Bill Bryson - I started laughing around page 3 and didnt really stop until the last page :-) He is wonderful and my DH loved all his books too
5) One book that made you cry: After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell
6) One book you wish you’d written: Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
7) One book you wish had never been written: The DaVinci Code - I thought it was too hyped-up.
8) One book you’re currently reading:"History of the Spanish Civil War" by Antony Beavor - its a really interesting read!!
9) One book you’ve been meaning to read: "War and Peace" Tolstoy - its sooo big
10) Tags: AngelSan, Christine, Nela, Stitch (sorry only 4, but they are the only ones I can think of who have not been tagged!!)

Sampler and Fireplace Progress

Well, today has been a really busy and productive day. I managed about an hour on my sampler - although it does not look like I have done much, the backstitching on the geranium seems to have brought it to life ... I think it looks a bit more like a proper geranium, now :-D

Apart from stitching I spent a lot of today dashing back and forth from the local timber merchants getting some extra pieces of wood for the builders to complete the skirting board round the side of the fireplace. It was easier for me to nip out than them, mainly because I know the area well and also it meant that they could keep working LOL!

So .... here it is, TADAAAAA! I am super-happy with it - it is amazing what it has done to the room - it is a real focual point now. They finished at 3pm and I spent about 3 hours cleaning up all the brick dust etc. Although they worked very cleanly and put down dust sheets, it is amazing how the little bits of brick get underneath :-( The mantelpiece is a piece of old weathered oak which my friend managed to get from a timber yard in the local area. When it was finished, I coated it with one layer of dark Oak matt varnish and as you can see it is really brought out the grain beautifully.

DH's squash racquet on the hearth is symbolic ... I just wanted to make sure he knows I am thinking of him and I hope he likes the fireplace as it had been our plan all along to build it.

DIY and Stitching - What a Combination!

Here is a "Before" photo of the fireplace in my front room. It was used for years (by the previous owners of the house) for burning logs and coal, hence it is well-worn and rather tatty looking! I have always thought it was rather ugly and have wanted to rebuild it for a couple of years. So I have taken off 3 days from work so that my friend and his mate, who are builders, can rip it out and rebuild a new one.

I don't really want a "working" fire as I have central heating, so want something attractive that will be a focal point for the room. I plan to put a log-basket in with some decorative logs and maybe a set with brass tongs and shovel on the hearth. I suppose I could even cross stitch one of those lovely firescreens that I see in magazines and never bother with because I have not had a proper fireplace before :-)

Below is a WIP photo of the fireplace after the first day. The wooden arch template gets taken out after the mortar has dried (overnight). I will be able to post what I hope will be the final photo at the end of the day today. There will be a large piece of oak on top (cut into shape) as the mantelpiece.

The next photo is a WIP of my Seed Sampler (hope you aren't getting bored of me putting photos on - my progress is rather slower than I would want, I'm afraid!) I have finally done a bit of the backstitching and also completed the Bee's Seeds lettering above the picture. If I can work away at it for the next 2 days while I am off work, then hopefully it will be finished by the weekend (fingers crossed!). Apologies for the rather poor quality of the photo - it wasn't until I uploaded it that I realised how bad it was :-( Will hopefully have a much better one for you later in the week.

Bye for now!

Memories of a Beautiful Wedding

Centre Arrangement on each table

Wedding Cake Decorations

My friends' wedding was amazing - everything went like a dream .... people commented on the favours and as you can see from the photos, the table arrangements and cake turned out really well! I was really worried leading up to the day, as its such a responsibility doing crafts for someone's wedding - you just hope everything is what they want - in my experience, it always turns out fine, but its those little tiny doubts in the back of your mind "can I really pull this one off and make it all just as I see it in my mind's eye?".

Nothing much to report on the progress of Seed Sampler ... do I have an excuse for a couple of days, to catch my breathe?! I have 3 days off work to do some jobs round the house and get myself back into the real world again so will fit in some stitching during that "me-time" :-)

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

Hugs xx

Latest WIP - Seed Sampler

Before I talk about my stitching, here is a photo of some beautiful flowers I received from work. I have been working on a Placement in the Personal Computing space in my company and I completed the project on Thursday, so my boss bought me the flowers to say thanks and to wish me luck in my new Placement which will be at a different site in a completely different IT group. I will really miss the team I have been working with because they are so friendly and have been incredibly supportive during my recent difficult times. I will of course keep in touch with them!

Now, onto Crafting matters :-D. Here is an update for you on my Seed Sampler - I have now completed the top left hand quadrant - as you can imagine it took ages due to all the colour changes and a bit of frogging due to badly aligned stitches :-( All that remains is the words of the little poem and backstitching. I am so looking forward to completing it now! I want to see it in a frame and also I am itching to start my Gail Bussi picture - I finally received the White Evenweave - it took so long to arrive because I originally ordered DMC but apparently because it is now supplied from France there are big order backlogs, so they sent me some Zweigart instead and it is just as good and slightly cheaper.

I am going to visit Hobby Craft at lunchtime today because I have to buy some silk flowers for the wedding cake - the wedding is this coming Saturday and I still have a couple of jobs to complete apart from this - I have a further 5 favours to do and also the place cards for the Wedding Breakfast so everyone knows where they will be sitting.

Enjoy your Monday ... if that is possible - hey just think, its a day closer to the weekend LOL!!

Traditional Craft Fayre

Yesterday I went to my local Craft Fayre which takes place twice per year in the field opposite my house. It is a 3 day event, set up in huge marquis, which takes about 2 hours to go round (if you want to see all the stalls).

Here are my purchases: A set of four Flower Fairies pictures. These pictures are unique in that they are all reclaimed colour plates from old books - I was firstly attracted to the Clover Fairy as this is my childhood favourite. Then I thought how nice it would be to have a set of 4 to hang at home. A complete impulse purchase but I am really pleased I bought them - the frames really do the pictures justice!

































The other thing I bought was a sign to put next to the front door with my house number on and, of course, the squirrel relates to the name of the house :-)

Guest Stitcher Giftie

I recently took part as a Guest Stitcher, reviewing some charts in Cross Stitcher (I just hope no-one saw my photo in the mag, as its the most awful picture of me I have EVER seen - even though I sent through an "acceptable" photo to them to use!) - it was taken when San and I were at Stitch '06 and if I remember it had been raining, so I looked completely bedraggled AND no makeup - OMG a girlie's worst nightmare.

Anyway, enough of my vanity, beauty is but skin-deep :-) So, as a thank you, they send a £15 voucher to spend on the Superstitcher website. I have been completely undecided what to buy ... should I get some DMC threads (no, I have lots of them) or should I choose a kit (well, I have lots of them, but hey since when has that stopped us Stitchers? Big decisions, huh?

In the end, I have decided to go for a really cute Margaret Sherry design - its called The Hen Night and it does make me chuckle when I see it - aren't her characters just gorgeous? Not too sure when I will be able to stitch it, but its going in my Stash Collection as a future make! In fact, I have the chart for the Hens doing their knitting from a previous XS magazine, so it could make up the set :-)

Bye for now, Stitchy-Girls!

Ali xx

Wedding Favours

I have been busy making some wedding samplers for a member of DH's family which will take place on 14th October. The significance of the Mars bars is that the Groom's surname is the same the chocolate (except with a double 'r' ) and his nickname is even "Mars-bar" so the favours just had to be thus, didn't they? I have had to make 50 in total for all the people attending the sit-down meal after the ceremony which is taking place in Arundel on the South Coast. I have also made 2 special ones for the Mothers (of the Bride and of the Groom) which have a larger red rose instead of the small gold roses you can see - and also the ribbon is larger and is a sheer voile with gold threads it - they look really good (even if I say so myself).

The next task is to make a small circle of silk flowers (reds and pinks) which will sit on top of the wedding cake. I also have to write out the little place cards using an ink pen and my best handwriting, so I think I will try to do that next week.

It is going to be a very happy, but also a really sad day for us all, as DH will not be there in person, but will, of course, be there in spirit.

Love and Peace

Alison xx

25 Stitchy Questions

As many of you will know, poor San is having awful problems with her Blog and lost a lot of recent records - hope it all gets sorted out soon San, we rely on your brilliant Mag Reviews etc! I did take a look at some of her earlier entries about a week ago, before the nightmare started, and found this great series of questions - so thanks for the inspiration and if anyone wants to have a go, feel free to "steal with pride" as we say at work - hey why reinvent the wheel?

1. How old were you when you started cross stitching?
I started Cross Stitching when I was about 20, but have been sewing and making things since as far back as I can, so probably when I was 5 or 6 years old. My teddies and dolls were the best dressed in the neighbourhood :-)
2. Who taught you to cross stitch?
I taught myself, using magazines as a guide. I found it really easy to pick up the technique, but I must say, my work has become a whole lot neater over the years - its all down to practice and experience
3. What inspired you to begin cross stitching?
I sent away for a "Seaside" kit from a magazine and that got me hooked!
4. What has been your most difficult cross stitch piece?
A Brambly Hedge Wedding Sampler with a bride and groom mouse - lots of colour changes, backstitch, French knots etc!
5. Do you have friends that stitch?
I have several crafty friends and lots of global crafting friends via the Internet!
6. What is your favourite stitched piece?
My Welsh Sampler - really lovely colours and traditional style.
7. What is your favorite fabric?
I love Evenweave, and 16 count aida is ok too.
8. What is your favorite fiber?
DMC threads.
9. What is your favorite needle?
I just use the freeby ones you get with kits and they are fine!
10. Do you prefer black & white or colored charts?
Definitely coloured is much easier to track what you have stitched and what is still to do. I cant remember using any black and white charts.
11. How many Works In Progress do you have at this time?
Only 1 that I am working on at the moment - Lesley Grant's Seed Sampler
12. How many UFOs do you have at this time?
None
13. How many cross stitch charts/kits/mags do you own?
I have about 11 kits (2 traditional samplers, 1 DMC Garden Sampler with embellishments, Poppies in a Field scene, an Art Deco piece from Stitch '05, 3 Flower Fairies, a Country Companion set with 6 charts and threads, a Jane Greenoff Music Sampler called "If Music be the Food of Love" and 2 wildlife kits. I don't keep magazines for very long as they take up space, so I cut out the charts I like and keep them in folders, then try to give away some to people who advertise for Wanted's
14. How much fabric do you have in stock at this time?
Quite a few pieces of Aida and some Linen and Evenweave for specific projects that I have not stitched yet - if only I had more time!!
15. Where is your favorite place to stitch?
I have a chair in the living room which is positioned so that the daylight is on my left side - this sounds very exact, but it is because I only stitch in natural light and prefer the left so that it does not cast a shadow on my work.
16. What is your favorite time of day to stitch?
I like to stitch all morning on Sunday's - the rest of the time, it is a question of stitching when I get the chance, so sometimes at lunchtime sometimes about 30 minutes before work
17. How many pieces have you stitched in your lifetime?
I have lost count, but I guess 50 or so cards and maybe 30-ish projects - that isn't a great deal, but as I work full-time and have been studying for a BSc and now an MSc for the last 7 years, that is quite good going!
18. Do you give your stitched pieces away?
Yes, most of the things I make have been for special occasions, such as Weddings, Births and just birthday gifts.
19. How many different fibers do you have in stock at this time?
I prefer to use DMC threads but I use a few metallics and the new Light Effects as well.
20. How many pairs of scissors do you own?
I have about 20 pairs - that sounds a lot but I have dressmaking, soft furnishing, needlework, cross stitch and many different special effects scissors for making nice edgings for cards.
21. Do you use stitching enhancers (lights, scroll frames…etc)?
I have never got on with frames or hoops and I think that natural daylight is the only way to go!
22. How many pieces that have been stitched but not yet framed or finished off in some other way do you have at this time?
None - the one thing I am quick at is framing! I see no point in completing a project and then not displaying it - also if it is for a gift, of course it has to be completed in time for the special event!
23. Do you have a craft/stitching room?
Yes, I have lovely cupboards and shelves that my DH put in for me
24. Why do you stitch?
I love to create and also like to watch the picture gradually take form over time. Also it is wonderful to give a friend or member of the family something I have made myself - so much nicer than shop-bought goods. Where's the fun in that?
25. What is your most memorable time related to cross stitching?
I really enjoyed Stitch '06 with San and her Mom when we met Margaret Sherry, Maria Diaz and Michael Powell, but Ally Pally '05 was good because we did some classes - Japanese embroidery and a great Jane Greenoff Sampler stitch along.

Late Summer Gardening

I thought I would take the opportunity to 'snap away' in the back garden as the UK is enjoying some lovely sunny weather at the moment (albeit interspersed with some dramatic thunder storms). This time of year, one never knows how long sunshine will last. It seems as if my pots have suddenly regained some strength and are now bursting forth with a whole new crop of colourful flowers after a bit of a lull in Aug/early Sept. I also think that the rain fall we had this week helped a lot. I repainted the garden furniture with Cuprinol (wood conditioner) which has darkened the wood beautifully, so thought I would show off my hard work :-)

On Friday, we had rain in almost monsoon-like proportions. I was sitting in the library at University in the afternoon watching the torrents of rain falling down for well over an hour, with leaden skies and claps of thunder .... wondering how I could possibly get back to my car (which was a good 10 minutes walk across the campus) without being a complete drowned-rat with all my books, papers and writing materials spoiled. I was only wearing a pair of thin trousers, summer top and cardigan, as it had been mild and fairly bright in the morning. Thankfully by 4pm, the rain stopped sufficiently for me to be able to take a quick walk back to the car and I guess the blessing was that I did get a couple of extra hours' work done as I was "a captive" in the library :-D ...... Maybe Mike decided that I needed to get that extra work done and then at 4pm turned off the tap and let me get back safely without getting wet!

To Margaret, Ash and Carolyn, I have sent off your magazines - World of Cross Stitch/Cross Stitch Card Shop/Crazy - in the post this weekend so I hope you will soon be able to "feast your eyes" on the designs.

Happy weekend everyone
Hugs
Alison xxxx

Review of Cross Stitch Gold Issue 43

I received the latest issue of Cross Stitch Gold yesterday and it appears that it is becoming very popular with people out there, so I feel I should review it for you quickly this month, notable because it has a mainly Christmas/Seasonal theme

Lesley Teare is prolific in this issue and has produced a couple of stunning projects. The first is called Plush Plumage, referring to a Peacock and is full of wonderful detail on the bird's feathers, as well as a mirrored theme on the border. I should also point out that it does not use any backstitching, so is ideal for those who prefer just stitching whole crosses without further need to outline afterwards.

Lesley has also designed a really cute Christmas Shaker-style picture, which is my favourite of this issue. It is versatile because you could actually stitch any of the smaller panels for special Christmas cards in a fraction of the time .... or else stitch the whole project for a present (even to treat yourself :-D
On the Santa theme, there is an advent calendar by everyone's fave, Maria Diaz, called Mother Christmas. The only thing that I find a bit confusing is that against each day, there is a small ring attached to the fabric, into which you put a sweet - but I am not sure what sort of sweets would fit in the ring ... hmmm a bit strange - but the design is still cute (although Mrs Claus' mouth could do with a bit of 'remodelling' as it does not look very natural unfortunately ....).

Karen Britton's style is instantly recognisable with her "Overlooking Evensong" picture. Those who love cats will be particularly keen on this. The colours are bright, and quite solid in style - the cat has got a very funny little smile, rather cute!

Other projects in the magazine are Winter Retreat, a Lilliput Lane style cottag with fir tree and some snow on the thatched roof, Stained Glass designs to make into Christmas cards, Seasonal Floral display with white lillies and a Westie dog with robin and poinsetta.

Well, its sunny outside today, so as normal at this time of year, its quite a struggle to start thinking of Christmas projects when we are clinging onto the last few weeks of late-summer, early autumn!

Latest Progress on Seed Sampler

Hope you are all enjoying an active or restful weekend (whichever is your preference!). I have spent this morning sewing my Seed Sampler and here is the WIP photo I promised. There have been lots of colour changes (and a bit of frogging unfortunately!!) but I have managed to get the lady sitting on her bench* reading a book looking right - I think I skipped a line in the pattern, which is where the frogging came in :-(( Eventually on the right hand side, there is a huge geranium (which is the picture on the packet of seeds) and a header at the top with some bumble-bees buzzing around - can't wait to start that bit! At the moment, all the colour changes are slowing me down but that's the Cross Stitcher's lot, I'm afraid :-)

**NB: I know it probably looks as if the lady is floating in mid-air at the moment, but once I have completed all the backstitching, she will definitely be sitting on a bench LOL!!

I have been called upon to make 50 wedding favours for a friend's wedding coming up in about 3 weeks so that will be keeping me occupied each evening next week because I want to get them finished in time to hand the box to her when I see her in about a week's time. I am doing little choccies in some netting circles, gathered at the neck and fastened with gold ribbon and a tiny gold rose to finish off. I will take a photo when I finish them so you can 'inspect the work' LOL!

I am looking forward to starting my stitching project with Margaret at the start of the new year. We are doing the 12 Days of Christmas (MS designs from her booklet given away in Cross Stitcher). I am very honoured that Margaret has invited me to pair up with her on such a project and it is going to be something really special to look forward to after a year that has been incredibly difficult for me. I hesitate to say that I want to forget the year as the events, tragic though they have been to me, are a part of my life and one cannot separate oneself from life-changing experiences as they shape you into the person you are and will be in the future. Its just getting through and surviving that is the key thing now. However, it will be great to focus on our 12 Days project, as a way of being positive for the future.

I am starting to make a birthday card for my friend's DH whose birthday is just before Christmas - he is a very keen cyclist so I am stitching one of those "The World's Greatest ..." series from The Cross Stitch Card Shop magazine for him - of course its The World's Greatest Cyclist and I am going to personalise it with his club colours and even his bike and cyclists helmet will be the right colours. Will keep you posted on the progress, of course!

Happy Sunday everyone!
xx

World of Cross Stitch November 2006

I have a spare copy of the latest edition of World of Cross Stitch which is full of Christmas designs, and includes a free Flower Fairies Calendar, a card containing extra charts and a pack of Christmas craft cards + envelopes. Click here to read what AngelSan says in her review of the magazine yesterday.

I was wondering if I could interest a fellow XStitcher in this issue, in exchange for a different Cross Stitch magazine or maybe something else "craft-related" - whatever you would like to swap.

I would mail out the magazine plus the additional freeby gifts in a padded envelope.

If you are interested, please let me know and we can exchange e-mail addresses!

STOP PRESS - No longer searching for Margaret Sherry Book

STOP PRESS
Nela says she has now received her copy of the MS freeby she wanted - in fact, I misread her e-mail and in fact she was looking for the Astrocats Calendar which finally arrived in the Post.

All's Well that Ends Well!

Does anyone have a spare copy of the Freeby from July/Aug Cross Stitcher mag - the Ultimate MS book. I have been asked by Nela (who many of you will know visit XS blogs, especially mine and AngelSan) as she lives in South America and due to problems with both logistics of getting issues of the magazine out to her (they keep getting lost in the post!) and also the language barrier, she has asked me to intervene and help her.

If anyone has a spare copy or can suggest anything other than eBay that I don't really like using, it would be great.

I would really like to help a fellow Crafter if I possibly can :-)