I am still blogging

Yes, thanks to all those lovely readers who left comments on my last post I am still going to blog. It was really great to know that you all enjoy reading my blog despite my infrequent posting. Thank you all so much for taking the time to leave those comments, and a warm hello to all new readers and commenters.

I do have some stitching to show you. This week I took time off from my exchange and gift stitching to stitch an ornament for us. I saw this over on Clare's blog and remembered that I had downloaded it last year, so decided to stitch it up. It's a free chart from Plum Pudding Needleart, and I stitched it on 36ct Sand coloured Edinburgh linen using the recommended DMC threads. He took me just three days to stitch and I shall be finishing him off as an ornament.


My HoE Christmas ornament exchange piece is all finished and ready to be posted off a bit nearer the posting date as I think it's a little bit early yet to be posting for Christmas. ( We had our first Christmas card this morning, and it's only Nov. 19th!!!)

I have a spare copy of Prairie Schooler's Christmas Day chart to give away. If you would like it please leave a comment on this post only. If there is more than one person interested I will draw a name on December 1st. Please be sure to leave an e-mail address so that I can contact you.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog.

Nicola

Blogging........ what's that then?

Well blogging is obviously not something that I've been doing much of lately. I've taken quite a break and have been trying to decide whether or not to delete my blog. However, every time I mention this to my husband he persuades me not to, so here I am hoping that I may still have one or two readers left.

I have been doing quite a bit of stitching in the last three weeks since returning from my holiday. I didn't do any in the week before I went away or whilst I was away. Here's a photo of my progress on Prairie Schooler's December. As usual I'm really enjoying working on this one, despite being without my stitching lamp for a week as the bulb had blown. I had to use another lamp which lights my work from the side instead of overhead and I was getting a lot of shadows cast by my hand. I was also stitching with white thread on antique white fabric. I don't think I'm going to get this done for this coming Christmas, especially as I have to devote more time to gift stitching.

Despite my saying that I wasn't going to do any more exchanges for a while I just couldn't resist signing up for round 4 of the Year Long Prairie Schooler exchange. My partner was Laurence and as we are having postal strikes here in the U.K. I decided to get organised and stitch and send the exchange off before they started. I stitched two small ornaments, the fox from PS's new book "Fall Fields" and the Santa from "Christmas Day". Both are stitched on antique white 32ct Jobelan fabric using the recommended DMC threads. I'm pleased to say that they arrived safely with Laurence and that she liked them.

Many thanks for visiting my blog and for all the lovely comments that you leave.

Nicola

Gone to...........

.......... Swaledale.

Back in a week....................maybe!

Nicola

A Gift And An Exchange

My good friend Colly had a birthday a couple of weeks ago, but yesterday was the first time that I could get over to see her to give her her birthday presents. Amongst other things I gave her this Prairie Schooler pin keep that I stitched from the Prairie Birds book no. 24. It's shown here with my favourite sunflower backing fabric.

Prairie Schooler - Prairie Birds book no.24

32ct Antique White Jobelan Fabric

DMC threads as given

I recently took part in the Year Long Prairie Schooler Exchange round 3. As I couldn't decided between an Autumn or Santa design, and as they are only small I stitched and sent Rosalie (no blog) both. The pumpkin comes from book no. 132 Autumn Leaves, and the Santa from book no. 88 Old World Santas ll. I stitched both on 32ct antique white Jobelan using DMC threads. I did, however, change the colour of the Santas coat from 420 to 3820 as I prefered the lighter gold.

I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of Edgars stitching yet again. This time in round 3 of the YLPS exchange. He sent me this delightful pyn keepe (I'm using Edgar's spelling here) which he tells me is the Fox and Grapes design. He decided to change the colour of the house, and I must say that in my opinion it's for the better, being one of my favourite colours. Thank you so much Edgar, it's a wonderful exchange.



Today I am about to start stitching a very special gift, the secret stitching I mentioned in my last post. I can't share it here with you, but if anyone is at all interested please e-mail me ( address in my profile).

Many thanks for visiting my blog and for all the lovely comments that you leave.

Nicola

December

No, don't worry, time hasn't fast forwarded through Autumn to Winter, although December weather suits me much more than the hot and muggy weather we've been having here in the U.K. recently. No, December is my new Prairie Schooler project that I started last Wednesday. I'm really enjoying stitching this one and found it hard to stop today in order to take the photo for this post. I'm going to be extending my PS stitching week, I think, into maybe a fortnight as I'd really like to get this stitched and framed by Christmas. I'm stitching this on 32ct antique white Jobelan using the recommended DMC threads.

Now I have a couple of exchange pieces to show you. This first one is the beautiful box that Edgar stitched and finished for me in the HoE Summer House exchange earlier this month. Isn't it just gorgeous? The design is part of LHN's Nature's Beauty.

This is the inside of the box.

The next photo shows the pin keep that I stitched for Lori in the recent Lizzie*Kate exchange. It's L*K's Summer Basket and I stitched it on Sand 36ct Edinburgh linen, using the recommended GAST and WDW's threads. It's shown here with the sunflower backing fabric.

I shan't be doing any more exchanges for the foreseeable future as I really need to concentrate on my own stitching, and I am also going to be starting on some extremely secret stitching soon which, unfortunately I won't be able to show you for a long time.

Many thanks for visiting my blog and for all the lovely comments that you leave.

Nicola

Harvest Time Village

I'm pleased to say that the loss of my itch to stitch didn't last very long, and I completed my Harvest Time Village after a long days stitching on it yesterday. Looking back at my WIP photos it would appear that I started this at the end of February or the beginning of March, I really must make a note of starting dates. I've really only stitched on it for one week every month so it has taken me approximately five weeks actual stitching, not bad for a slow stitcher. I know that the border at the top looks a little wonky, I'm pretty sure it's just the camera angle, and if not then I'm sure my framer will sort it out when he frames it. As usual you can click on the picture for a better view.

Prairie Schooler Book 93 Harvest Time

36ct Antique White Edinburgh Linen

DMC Threads as given

Now I'm in a quandary as to which PS design to stitch next, "April" or "December". Any comments on that would be appreciated.

Many thanks for visiting my blog and for all the lovely comments.

Nicola

HoE Summer House Exchange

I learnt yesterday that Jayne has received the pinkeep that I made for her in the HoE Summer House exchange. I stitched Lorna Doone's cottage at Selworthy as I wanted to stitch a typically English cottage. The design comes from the June 1995 issue of Cross Stitcher magazine and is stitched on 36ct antique white Edinburgh linen using DMC threads. The photo also shows the pretty rosebud backing fabric.

Although this week is my Prairie Schooler week I'm not really making much progress on Harvest Time Village. Just don't seem to have much inclination to stitch at the moment.

As always many thanks for reading my blog and for the lovely comments that you leave.

Nicola