Potted Poinsettia - Finished and A Giveaway

It's taken a few weeks to get there but I've finally finished my stitching on LHN's 'Potted Poinsettia', also known as the Perambulating Poinsettia. This has become a travelling, gifted chart and so it has acquired an alternative name.

I was gifted this chart from Christine (The Alchymyst's Study) and I now would like to gift it on. If you'd like to be the next person to stitch it, please let me know via the comments box below. If more than one person is interested, I'll draw a name by the end of Sunday 14 August 2016. I will also include a small 'stitchy related' gift which will fit in a standard size envelope. Give the cost of overseas postage these days, I think we all find ourselves being practical, hence the self-imposed size restriction.

I haven't decided on how I will finish it yet, but here it is.

Little House Needleworks - Potted Poinsettia
Fabric: 28ct Cashel Flax linen
Threads: Atalie - Les 4 Saisons, Carmen and Desert

Here comes the bride ... (Juliet mouse)

Romeo the Groom Mouse doesn't need to wait any longer for his Juliet. She has arrived!

Just Nan - Juliet the Bride Mouse
Fabric: 32ct Silvery Moon Belfast linen
Threads: Recommended DMC, Kreinik #4 Braid #3231 and accessory pack

Here are Romeo and Juliet together. I hope these will be a fond reminder of their wedding day for our cousin's son and his bride.

Just Nan - Romeo the Groom Mouse and Juliet the Bride Mouse
Fabric: 32ct Silvery Moon Belfast linen
Threads: Recommended DMC, Kreinik #4 Braid #3231 and accessory pack

It wasn't any easier inserting Juliet's tail than it was Romeo's. I'm sure there is a knack to it but I don't know what it is. As I struggled with the tail I kept my fingers crossed (literally speaking) that I wouldn't tear the fabric. If you know an easy way of doing this, please let me know as I have the Christmas mice on my 'to do' list.

Romeo is waiting on Juliet

During this spell of hot, sunny weather, I have been stitching ... slowly.
Just Nan's Romeo the Groom Mouse has now been stitched and finished but as you see in the photo below, poor Juliet is still waiting to be made up.

Just Nan - Romeo the Groom Mouse and an unfinished Juliet the Bride Mouse
Fabric: 32ct Silvery Moon Belfast linen
Threads: Recommended DMC, Kreinik #4 Braid #3231 and accessory pack

With the exception of inserting his tail, this was easier to make up than I expected. It makes me wonder why I kept putting it off during this past week. Below you can see a close-up of Romeo on his own, waiting for his Juliet.

Just Nan - Romeo the Groom Mouse

Fabric: 32ct Silvery Moon Belfast linen

Threads: Recommended DMC, Kreinik #4 Braid #3231 and accessory pack

I've made some progress on LHN's "The Potted Poinsettia" but it is not yet finished. It's larger than I would like but that is my fault for stitching it on 28ct and not 32ct as planned. By the time I realised my mistake, I had stitched too much to feel like starting again.

Little House Needleworks - Potted Poinsettia
Fabric: 28ct Cashel Flax linen
Threads: Atalie - Les 4 Saisons, Carmen and Desert

Christmas in July

Just wanted to share that Carole who blogs 'From My Carolina Home' is holding a 12 days of Christmas tour from the 14-25 July to get started ahead of time with ideas for handmade gifts, table toppers, recipes, mini quilts and lots of other crafty things. In addition she will be joining in a blog hop and having giveaways too. See here for more information.

A short update

I'm pleased to say that I achieved my goal from last week, that is, to get my hexagon quilt to the 'sandwich' stage.

Here it is! The dark red fabric with the deep cream pattern is the backing fabric and will also be the binding.

I want to start quilting the rosettes ... now. Maybe I'll take it on holiday with me next week. We are self-catering, so there is a chance that I might be able to do something in the evenings? That's probably wishful thinking.

Design: Josette found in Magic Patch hors serie, no. 91,

'15 quilts miniatures'

Fabric: Moda charm pack 'Icicle Kisses'

I've started stitching "The Perambulating Poinsettia" that I won in Christine's of The Alchymyst's Study give-away. I plan to finish it by the end of the month so that it can continue its travels via a give-away here. I took lots of photos but I found it very hard to capture the true colours of my fabric and thread. This is the best I could manage.

Little House Needleworks - Potted Poinsettia
Fabric: 28ct Cashel Flax linen
Threads: Atalie - Les 4 Saisons, Carmen and Desert

Happy May Day

In our local town, there is a flower show held every May day. Since I am not always here when it is held, I made sure to be there today. The sun was shining and though there was a cold breeze blowing, there was a good turnout of people. For a change, in addition to an update on my hexagon quilt, I thought I would share some of the photos I took at the flower market. I hasten to add that I am not the gardener in our household. I enjoy looking at flowers but everything else to do with them I leave to my husband.

First up is one of the stalls selling lily of the valley (muguet). These are traditionally sold on the 1st of May here as symbols of springtime and good luck.

Lily of the valley

A selection of the plants available to buy as well as some metal garden ornaments.

A selection of hens, birds, wind chimes and other garden ornaments

Finally, the latest progress on my miniature hexagon quilt. I'm almost halfway through stitching the rows together (the bottom left section). I hope to finish this part of the project and add the batting and backing by next weekend. After that I will be putting it aside for a while as I have two wedding samplers (both in the same design) and a house warming gift to stitch before the end of the July. I have stitched both the designs for these before so I know it is achievable within my timeframe.

Design: Josette found in Magic Patch hors serie, no. 91,

'15 quilts miniatures'

Fabric: Moda charm pack 'Icicle Kisses'

My latest toy and miniature quilt update

I love visiting family but it is nice to get home and back to your own bed. It also means that I can pick up on my stitching and quilting. Even though I take a small project with me when I'm away from home, I find that I rarely have time to take it out and do any work on it. I know that this will happen but I take something anyway as I like to know that I have something with me, in case I have some free time.

For ages, I wanted some way of being able to look at my charts when stitching rather than having to keep lifting them up and down from the cushion beside me. I read that some stitchers found a music stand helpful so when I saw one for sale in a charity shop, I bought it to try it out.
I'm so glad I did. It is easy to read my chart without having to put my stitching down. I wish I had got one sooner. I like that it doesn't take up much space and I am able to adjust the angle of the lectern that holds the chart.

My music stand for holding charts and diagrams

This photo of my miniature hexagon quilt is a little out of date as I have now started to stitch the rows together. I'm looking forward to getting to the quilting stage. There are errors in that each hexagon is not exactly the same size but I have learnt lessons from this project that will be helpful in future projects. It is very soothing stitching this by hand.

Design: Josette found in Magic Patch hors serie, no. 91,

'15 quilts miniatures'

Fabric: Moda charm pack 'Icicle Kisses'

Happy Easter

Wishing you a joyful Easter.
Here are some Easter gifts I have received in recent years on stitching exchanges.

Easter exchanges past

We don't get Simnel cake in this part of France so I bought this cake called 'Exotica' for tea on Easter Sunday. I don't think it will last too long.

Some more stitching and patchwork

Rather oddly, life has been both quiet and busy at the same time over the past couple of weeks. Nevertheless I made some time for stitching.

I've finished the stitching on February's Joyful World SAL.

February, Joyful World SAL - The Snowflower Diaries
Fabric: 40ct Newcastle vintage mocha
Threads: suggested DMC threads

March's Joyful World design is close to being finished. All being well that means that April's design could be stitched before the month of March is over.

March, Joyful World SAL - The Snowflower Diaries
Fabric: 40ct Newcastle vintage mocha
Threads: suggested DMC threads

During the past week, I went back to working on my mini hexagon quilt and discovered what I had suspected. Not all my hexagons are perfect so I'm doing some minor adjustments to make edges fit as I stitch. At least with hand stitching, I feel I have more control over how the hexagons stitch together.

Design: Josette found in Magic Patch hors serie, no. 91,
'15 quilts miniatures'
Fabric: Moda charm pack 'Icicle Kisses'

A Mado Patchwork blog post (in French) on the finished quilt can be found here.

A Stitcher's Day Exchange

The 25th March has been designated Stitcher's Day on the Friendly Stitchers forum. Since this is the group's only exchange this year I signed up for it and have sent and received my exchange ornaments.

From my stitching partner DJ (her blog is tickledpinkinstitches), I received this beautiful flat fold ornament. The stitching is beautiful and so detailed. DJ stitched this on 54ct linen! My highest count so far is 40ct and I think that will be it.
My husband teased me that he was surprised that I didn't have an apron like this in real life.

Stitcher's Apron - Sue Hillis Designs
Fabric: 54ct linen, cream coloured
Received from DJ

For my stitching partner, Christine, I made a needle case (which she has received). On the inside of the needle case, there is a pocket to hold a packet of needles and/or a small pair of scissors as well as a felt section for pinning your needles. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the interior of the case but here is what the exterior looked like.

Let's stitch - Patty C, Hanging By A Thread

stitched on 28ct Cashel Lanbswool

DMC threads; 317, 613, 680, 931, 3011, 3750

Needle case closed - front

Needle case closed - back

This free design from Patty C was enjoyable to stitch and a copy of the pattern can be found here; just scroll down the page.

Back to Alpine Seasons Garden

It's nearly a year since I last stitched on Alpine Seasons Garden. There is something satisfying about working on it, even though the section I'm working on is quite slow. This is how I left it last April

Alpine Seasons Garden - Chatelaine 

as at 25 April 2015

Fabric: 32ct Belfast Summer Khaki linen 

Threads: Recommended silk threads

and this is what I've stitched during the past week (bottom right hand corner)

Alpine Seasons Garden - Chatelaine 

as at 5 March 2016

Fabric: 32ct Belfast Summer Khaki linen 

Threads: Recommended silk threads

I've also completed the stitching on Blackbird Design's 'Basket of Memories ' and

Basket of Memories - Blackbird Designs

Fabric: 32ct grey/silver overdyed linen

Threads: Fils à Soso - Pierre de lune (160)

stitched Blackbird Design's 'Souvenir de France'. Both of these will be finished as pincushions. Well, that's the current plan.

Souvenir de France - Blackbird Designs
Fabric: 32ct Belfast pale lilac linen
Thread: Fils à Soso: Mille Saphirs (171)

Work in progress

I bought this overdyed grey/silver fabric along with some overdyed threads at the Pexiora needlework show at the weekend. I loved the colour so much that I had to start using it immediately.

Basket of Memories - Blackbird Designs
Fabric: 32ct grey/silver overdyed linen
Threads: Fils à Soso - Pierre de lune (160)

I haven't finished February's Joyful World design yet. I keep miscounting but it will be completed.

February, Joyful World SAL - The Snowflower Diaries
Fabric: 40ct Newcastle vintage mocha
Threads: suggested DMC threads