Crafty Things At Last!!!

It feels so good to sharing some crafty things at last and I have started by doing finishes on some cross stitch pieces I did right at the start of my renewed love of it last year.

This was my first attempt at finishing in this style. It's wobbly in places but I love it.
Just need some little spiders to hang from the twigs when Poundland get their spooky stuff in.
The frame is twelve and a half inches square and a bargain from Poundland. It's sold as an album frame for framing album covers.

Two small Christmas pieces.
Joy was a pattern from Just Cross Stitch magazine and is embellished with a metal charm from my stash and some tiny pom pom trim. Ribbons and foliage are from stash.
Jingle Bells was a free pattern from the internet and is mounted on a little clipboard from The Range with more ribbon and foliage from stash.

I really have to thank Priscilla for the finishing inspiration.
Take a look at her blog......she is brilliant.

Well finally we had a storm last night and it seems to have cleared the air for a while at least. It is much cooler today and no blazing sun beating down. I am very happy.

Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-

Wednesday And Cross Stitch Progress!!!

DD and I needed to get out of the house for a while yesterday so we had a trip into the big town. We didn't dare to go too far as after watching the local news there are so many roads flooded round about that we were worried about getting stuck somewhere as it was still raining when we set off. The road to town was fine and we had a nice few hours.

Today is going to be a lovely day. I wasn't expecting Ruby but she is coming later this afternoon for her tea and an added bonus of a sleepover seeing as how it's half term.
It will be a night in with pizza for tea and then snuggling up with a film and popcorn so she will be a happy little girl.

Twenty For 2020-Progress

Not as much progress as I would have liked but there is a little.
I want to try and finish this by the end of the month if I can.
I'm currently back stitching around the lettering....not called for on the chart but I do like the chunkier look of it being outlined. Just two letters to go and then I can crack on with the rest of it.

It's quite cold here this morning so the heating has gone on to warm the house up ready for Ruby. I have jobs to do upstairs but first I am going to have coffee and catch up with some blogs.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Wednesday And Twenty For 2020 Progress!!!

Who would have thought that a ten year old's tea party could be so much fun. We had such a lovely time and Ruby was thoroughly spoiled.....which is just as it should be on your birthday.
Now it's Wednesday and Ruby will be here for tea later. A roast pork meal today as we didn't have our usual roast on Sunday and I am really looking forward to it.

Just a pottering day today. I don't usually involve myself with big jobs on a Wednesday  with Ruby coming as I do like to finish a job once it's started so a tickle round with a duster and run round with the hoover is all that will get done today.

Twenty for 2020-Progress

Peppermint Lane by Country Cottage Needleworks

I've not managed to get as much done as I would have liked but there is at least some progress.
Really pleased with the colour changes I have used for this.
I'm hoping for a weekend at home to get lots more done.

Well it might be sunny outside but it's flippin' cold so the kettle is going on for coffee which I shall drink while I read the papers.

Have a wonderful day.
Sheila-x-

And It's Wednesday Already!!!

I feel like I have lived life on fast forward for the last couple of days and here we are at Wednesday again.
A certain little lady is due for her tea as usual and there is a requested cottage pie in the making.....it's smelling good.

My start number two is well underway for my Twenty For 2020 and this is what I am working on........

Peppermint Lane by Country Cottage Needleworks

As you can see I have changed the colours. I'm not totally averse to pink but I didn't feel it would go too well with what I already have. I've gone for more traditional colours and again it is being worked on 14 count Yorkshire Oatmeal Aida.
When finished it will be about six inches by six inches.
I can't wait to get to the lettering as it's one of my most favourite things to stitch.

Looking forward to the weekend this week as I will be off to The Doodle House to take care of Marlowe on Sunday while Mr and Mrs Doodle take Ruby out on a birthday shopping trip....her second in two weeks....lol.
We will have to gauge Marlowe's mood and if she feels like it we are going to take her to a play barn and then out for lunch.
Before then I have a few jobs I'd like to get done including replacing a curtain pole and hanging some new curtains and repasting some wallpaper that has come away from the wall behind a radiator in the bedroom. That has been driving me mad for a good while so I shall be glad to get it done.

Hope you are all having a lovely day today.
Sheila-x-

First Finish!!!

.....and it's done.....

My first finish of Twenty For 2020.
It just needs trimming up and steam ironing and then I can choose my next project.

I think I may be on the verge of getting my cooking mojo back at last.
Last night I made a very frugal pork and root veg tray bake with some yellow sticker thin cut loin chops I had lurking in the freezer. Nothing groundbreaking there but I served it up with steamed broccoli and a pork and cider gravy and it was absolutely delicious.
While I was in the kitchen I thought I would get ahead with tea for today and poached some chicken ready to make a chicken and leek pie with a crispy crumb topping instead of pastry. I hope Ruby likes it as she is a huge fan of my normal chicken pie. It will be served with Parmentier potatoes (ooooh get me.....lol), carrots.......and the obligatory gravy.

Nothing much going on here today apart from a bit of tidying and some hoovering when Andy has done tramping in and out so I will make myself a coffee and have a look through my charts for my next project.

Hope you are having a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Cobwebs Blown Away!!!

We made it to Carsington Water yesterday and I am so glad we did. It was really lovely up there. The sky was blue, there was frost on the ground, the sun did actually shine and there was some warmth in it. Not enough to take my coat off but very nearly.
We had a good walk and a cup of tea and I bagged a couple of lovely bargains from the RSPB shop in their sale....a gorgeous notebook and a matching pen to use as a journal type thing for my cross stitch.
By the time we got back to the car the coat had to come off and then we took a leisurely ride back to our local for a carvery lunch which was absolutely delicious.
It felt so good to get rid of some of those cobwebs and we are going to try and make it a weekly thing....not always with lunch out but at least for a good walk.

Today I will be in the kitchen cooking ready for my Ruby. She had asked for tomato soup for today but she is coming to us tomorrow too which will a quick turnaround.....pick her up from school, give her tea and then deliver her to Brownies in the little town. I will save the soup for that and tonight she will have lamb meatballs in gravy.

A progress report on my first project of Twenty for 2020.....

I've not done too bad for saying I had those two days out last week and I didn't do any yesterday. I would have liked to have been finished with the houses and onto all of the snowflakes and confetti stitching but never mind....it's getting there.
I hope these progress reports won't bore you. They are really just for me to keep a check on how far I get each week.

Right....I am off to brown meatballs.
Thanks so much for visiting and the comments left on Monday's post.
Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

My Start On Twenty For 2020!!!

I keep rabbiting on about my cross stitch so I though it might be a good idea to share with you what I am up to.
I have been very inspired by Priscilla Blain  and her daughter Chelsea who also put out a video on Facebook at Flosstube-Stitching with The Housewives every Saturday and would really love to have some Christmas pieces I can bring out every year to decorate with.
My challenge to myself is to complete twenty pieces large and small this year in time for Christmas 2020
My first piece is this one which I am currently stitching....

This was purchased from Etsy as a PDF download and I love it.

This is my version and I have made changes such as using 14 count Yorkshire Aida rather than struggling to use an evenweave fabric which kills my eyes. I also wanted the background to be grey to be in keeping with my decor and this fabric is just gorgeous. If I can find some more I would like to use it for all of my projects.

Other changes made are using green for the tree branches instead of doing them all brown and adding a pale yellow into the windows as light.

I am also using different threads to those called for as I was lucky enough to buy a good stash of Anchor threads last year when Hobbycraft were selling them off at 50p each. I chose lots of reds and greens specifically for doing Christmas projects.

I won't be finishing this piece like the cover photo either. I'm not sure yet how it will be done but it will be different....not because I don't like it but I just don't want it to be the same.

I am absolutely loving doing cross stitch again although my tastes have changed greatly since I used to do it over twenty years ago. Then I used to like doing the huge Mirabilia charts with beads and metallic threads. Not sure my eyes would like those now though.

Now I am all about the Christmas charts and there are thousands out there to choose from so I won't be short of things to stitch anytime soon.

Cupboard sorting has been done over the last couple of days but I still have two to go.

Household jobs have been done this morning so I am going to have a bit of stitching time now until I have to go and chop veg for the chicken tray bake I am making for tea.

Hope you are having a wonderful day.

Sheila-x-

A Sad And Quiet Day!!!

It's two years today since we lost my sister Maggie so I will be spending a quiet day remembering her and also thinking of my nephew and nieces as they not only remember their Mum but also are dealing with the death of their Dad on Monday.
Maggies eldest daughter also lost her beloved dog a few days ago so May is a pretty horrendous month for them.

While I am being quiet....and also resting my poorly back....I will be stitching on this.........

I am hoping to finish it today so that I can start on the one with the boots.....they are just too cute for words.
I aim to do all four pictures and turn them into a wall hanging for the girls rather than making coasters.

Andy is treating us to fish and chips tonight to save me hobbling about in the kitchen....bless him. Bending down to the oven last night was just sheer agony so I am pleased to be spared it tonight.

Right....I shall hobble off and make myself a coffee and then get on with some stitching.

Hope you are all having a good day.
Sheila-x-