Christmas!

Firstly I would like to thank Angela and Elaine of Lainey's Stitching Hoose fame for my GORGEOUS Christmas gifts.  Unfortunately my camera is broken so I can't show any pictures.

Angela and I decided to exchange Christmas gifts this year and I was thrilled to receive a flatfold from Angela of CCN Happy Holidays ornament from the JCS 2012 Magazine. Thank you Angela I absolutely love it and look forward to displaying it for many years to come.

I stitched Angela a Debbie Draper Design called Stitching Friends.  I am pleased to say Angela was delighted with it.  I want to thank Sally for lending me the chart.

I was very surprised to receive a gift from Lainey who stitched me a gorgeous Lizzie Kate design from this year's Tiny Tidings.  Thank you so much Lainey I am so thrilled with it and I look forward to putting on my Christmas tree for years to come.

I am sorry if I haven't left many comments on your blogs.  I have spent the last few weeks poorly with a bad cold and then over Christmas itself I managed to pick up the stomach bug that is going around as did my youngest son so Christmas has been a bit of a sorry affair but we are all on the mend now.  I actually feel quite human again yay!!!!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all who read and comment on my blog and would like to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

Until next time, happy stitching

Love Lesleyanne

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading and leaving comments on my blog.

I hope you all have a Wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Country Cottage Needleworks
Merry Christmas stitched on 16 ct Ecru Aida
using recommended DMC threads.

Lizzie Kate Tiny Tidings
Merry Christmas stitched on 14 ct Blue Marble Aida
using recommended DMC threads.

I must apologise as you can probably see that the glue is still wet as I was so eager to show these off.

Until next time, happy stitching, happy Christmas and a Happy New Year

Love Lesleyanne xx

Lots to Show!

First up is my last TUSAL for 2012.  I think there is a lot of threads in it and a good selection of colours.  I think Daffycat is thinking of doing this again next year and I for one will be joining.

Next up is my progress on Haed's Mini Be Good.  Unfortunately due to Christmas preparations, I haven't touched a needle all week so although I had hoped to get some more done I didn't.

 In the last week it was Sally's birthday and I love finding a design to stitch for Sally.  This year I stitched a sheep from Candy Cane Wishes.  It is stitched on 28ct mushroom jobelan using DMC threads.  I finished it as a flat ornament.

Lastly my Stitching Sister, Angela, and I decided to do an private ornament exchange and we decided this week to open them.  I am absolutely thrilled with the design Angela stitched for me.  It is one of my favourite Lizzie Kate designs that I have seen Angela finish before and adored it and am so lucky to have one of my own now.  Thank you Angela.

 This is the design I stitched for Angela.  It is a Plum Pudding freebie that I stitched after I saw a conversion on a blog whose details I can no longer find.  I thought this was a gorgeous conversion and perfect for Angela as it is a Snowman, one of her favourite things and mine, and blue, one of Angela's favourite colours and mine.  I am so pleased Angela liked it.  Again it is stitched on 28ct mushroom jobelan using DMC threads and backed with the fabric you can see in the background which I think is gorgeous.

I told you I had lots to share lol.  I am going to try and stitch tonight on my Ornament SAL with Angela that we are going to continue with next year.

Until next time, happy stitching

Love Lesleyanne xxx

Round Robin Return / Friday Finishing Frenzy

My Round Robin has returned home.  It looks gorgeous and I want to thank Angela, Elisa, Lisa and Michelle SO very much for stitching on my robin and for letting me stitch on theirs.  I really enjoyed my first Round Robin.  Thank you girls for making it such an enjoyable round robin.  I still have to finish the last block and then will get it framed.

Lizzie Kate 6 Fat Snowmen

I have also had another finishing frenzy.  The first one is Little House Needleworks Cardinal Winter that I stitched earlier in the year.  I stitched it on 28ct mushroom evenweave using the recommended DMC threads except for 712 which I swapped for White.  It is badly finished as a flat hanging ornament.

Little House Needleworks Cardinal Winter

I also finished Lizzie Kate's Snowman 10 again which I finished earlier in the year.  It is stitched on 14ct blue marble aida using the recommended DMC threads.  Again I finished this as a flat ornament and I think it looks great and turned out much better than Cardinal Winter.

Lizzie Kate Snowman 10 

I also finished another stitched piece but can't show that as it is a gift for someone who reads my blog.

I have been making good progress on my Heaven and Earth Design Mini Be Good but will show a picture of that next week as I am hoping to continue with it after writing my Christmas cards and wrapping some presents.  I have managed about six hundred stitches which doesn't seem a lot but I am pleased with it as the page is rather daunting as it contain a lot of confetti stitches.

Until next time, happy stitching

Love Lesleyanne

Spoooooooooky!

This is the first block on my Halloween SAL with Angela which we started on 31st October 2012.  I only managed to get a small amount done as I was away on holiday and poorly.  I finished this block today.  I am stitching Lizzie Kate's Boo Club and Angela is stitching Halloween Rules.  The plan is to do one block a month from now until it is finished.  I am stitching it on 16ct Pewter Aida using DMC threads.

I have had a few days off from work this week and have been Christmas shopping with my mum and sister.  We had a lovely time and managed to get most of our Christmas presents.  I just have the boys' main presents to get now.  I usually have my decorations up by now but I am getting a new Christmas tree so will hopefully get it done by the end of this week.

I have changed my blog template to red, a little bit of Christmas for my readers.

I am off now to do some Christmas stitching, not quite sure what yet though.

Until next time, happy stitching

Love Lesleyanne xxx

Finishing Frenzy

After I finished my secret stitching I decided to have a finishing frenzy yesterday, well for me anyway.  I finished four items I have stitched recently.  Unfortunately two of which I can't show you but I will show you what I can.

 First up is a very old freebie I found printed off in my drawer of freebies.  It is my finish for my Ornament SAL with Angela.  It is a Lizzie Kate design stitched on a mystery evenweave using DMC threads.  I backed it with the fabric June sent me which I thought was perfect.  I did try to finish this so you could see the fabric at the front as well but couldn't quite work it out.

Next up is a Blue Ribbon design which I stitched a little while ago from a JCS Magazine.  I did manage to get a little bit of a of a border on the side but I am not sure I have done it right but is only for me so it doesn't really matter.  I think I may have cracked the ladder stitch for closing at least I understand the theory now I just need more practise.

I do have some more finishes to do but I think four in a day is enough, well for me anyway.  I think I have a couple left, one of which is a gift.

I am stitching on a SAL with Angela this week but will tell you more about that later.

Until next time, happy stitching

Love Lesleyanne xx

Elisa's RR / TUSAL / IHSW

It was International Hermit and Stitch weekend this weekend and although I didn't get to stitch as much as I would have liked I did get my block on Elisa's RR finished.  This is my block from the top of the lady's hat upwards.

This is the whole design which is now going back to Elisa to finish the top bit of the design.  I hope you like Elisa.

 Lastly, and late again, because I forget to post mid week when it is time for the Tusal, my Tusal.

I am off to stitch a Christmas present now and hopefully I will get to stitch my monthly ornament SAL with Angela too, if I can get enough stitchy time in this week.

Until next time, happy stitching

Love Lesleyanne xxx

Ariadne SAL

After finishing L*K Halloween ABCs it was time to get HAED Ariadne out for the SAL weekend.  I do try to stitch on her for a week rather than just the weekend so probably got her out on Wednesday.  Quite pleased with my progress but of course would have liked time to do more and finish the page.

Ariadne by Rachel Anderson charted by Heaven and Earth Designs

Stitched on 18ct Magic Guide Aida 

I'll let you into a little secret - Ariadne has the odd grey hair!  The last 1000 stitches I had left are all confetti stitches hence the reason I didn't get the page finished.

This week I will be working on Elisa's RR which will be my last one but it has been fun.

Until next time, happy stitching

Love Lesleyanne

ABCs Finished!

I have finally finished Lizzie Kate's Halloween ABCs.  I was determined I wasn't going to post another progress picture it was going to be a finished picture.  It is stitched on 32ct Dirty Belfast Linen using recommended Crescent Colours and DMC threads.  I loved the colours of this one but don't like the linen, I really struggled with it sometimes.  I have managed to find a cheap black frame to put it in, although it is a bit of a tight squeeze but for 99p I am not going to worry too much lol.

Thank you for your comments on my last post, they are very much appreciated.  We had a lovely break away a bit chilly but otherwise okay except for the fact that I had a bad cold so didn't do as much as I would have liked but nonetheless it was nice to be away from home.

Until next time, happy stitching

Love Lesleyanne

Is it November yet?

I will be truly glad to see the back of October.  It has been one of those months.  After my husband having his appendix out rather suddenly I thought that that was as bad as October could get.  How wrong was I?  I was just getting ready to take my sons to school on Tuesday morning when I heard what I thought was a tap running in the bathroom.  I sent my youngest son upstairs to turn said tap off.  He came flying downing the stairs to tell me water was squirting out of the back of the sink, it had sprung a leak.  What we actually had was a burst water pipe.  I ran upstairs tried to get it to stop, hair dripping, glasses misting whilst my eldest son phoned my dad who came to the rescue to turn off the water.  The kitchen ceiling dripped for over an hour and the plumber came out and has now replaced my bathroom room and kitchen ceiling.  So all is well again but I will be glad to see the back of October.

I have managed to get a bit of stitching in amongst all the excitement but I have done a LOT of frogging too.  I decided to stitch on one of my long term wips, Lizzie Kate's Halloween ABCs.  I haven't quite got it finished but I am hoping to get it done by the end of next week although we are going away to the seaside for a few days so not sure how much stitching I will get in but it is definitely coming with me.  According to the weather forecast for the East of England coast I am going to need my umbrella and thermal underwear but I am really looking forward to blowing the cobwebs away.

I also hope to start my SAL with Angela next week too but will tell you more about that next week.

Until next time, happy stitching and to all my friends in the path of Hurricane Sandy be safe.

Love Lesleyanne