Pinkeep's a keeper

I made my first pinkeep! Woohoo!
Freestyle happy dancing again so DH has moved all breakables.
I promise to get some better pics tomorrow when we have sunlight but I just couldn't wait to share this with you all. I found the perfect ribbon that matches the bright red and the burgundy tones in the DMC 115 used for the stitching and white pearlescent pins.

Here she is by candlelight. Doesn't she look lovely. I am very proud of her and she will be taking up residence somewhere where everyone will see her.

Off now to get some sleep.

I hope you have a great week,

Sadie x

Mothers' Day and Schoolgirl Lessons

It was Mothers' Day here in the UK last Sunday. I had a lovely day which started with DD and DS making my breakfast for me. They also made me lots of homemade cards and a lot of homemade necklaces which I wore with maternal pride, all day, even when we went out.
This year I made gifts for my mum and my MIL. Below is a crap picture of the lovely pillow I made for my mum. The fabric is a hand dyed from Sapphire Stitching called 'Clear Winter Seas' and the pattern is a freebie from Glory Bee.
For my MIL I used the same pattern but stitched only 4 tulips and stitched 'MUM' in between them. I framed it in a simple white frame. Guess who forgot to take a picture before it was given away! I will try to get a pic for next time, she only lives round the corner, how hard can it be?!
Moving on!
This is 'Schoolgirl Lessons' by Little House Needleworks.

Stitched with DMC 115 on 32ct cream linen.

I am making this into my first pinkeep. Here it is all ready for stitching together, then I just need to find something to go round the edge, ribbon or braid maybe, and then some lovely pins to finish.

This week I have also stitched a little snowman AND made him into something but it is for an exchange so no pics untill I hear that he has arrived in him new home. :-)

Finally this week I had a little play at dying some fabric, just little bits.

Small pieces on top (l-r): coffee, caramel, caramel overdyed (briefly) with flesh, flesh. All of these are 28ct evenweave. The larger piece at the bottom is 18ct aida and is pink overdyed with flesh. I am really happy with the results and would definatly try this again, now I just have to decide what to stitch on them.

Well that's all from me for now, I am still enjoying working away on my smalls but I'm thinking that I might try out a bigger design on the big piece of aida above, we'll see.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your week,

Sadie x

I see famous people!

Look who I met on Monday morning in my local town.
Here is a pic of me with The Hairy Bikers!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can find out more about them here.
I went into town for some floss bobbins and bread and ended up being filmed for their new Tee Vee show!
Simon and Dave were both lovely and I got to chat with them for about 10 minutes and then did about 10 mins of filming! Simon (on the right) held my hand cos I was so nervous.
I'm nearly 30 and , I like to think, quite level headed, but seriously I was only one step away from screaming teeenage groupie. I don't think I will survive the cut and make it onto small screen as I seemed to have trouble forming sentences and talking in general!
What a great start to the week.
Sadie x

Awards time

Okay, you guys are making me blush!

I can't believe I have been given two awards.

The first came a few days ago from Carolyn, and is the Special Friends award.



Thank you so much for thinking of me Carolyn.

I think it is amazing how the bonds of friendship grow and strengthen, through groups and blogs, with people I have never met but who share my passion and love of cross stitch, and also share their daily lives, smiles, tears, triumphs and disappointments.

I have no idea how I managed before you all came into my life!

Here is a description of this award:

'These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbon's of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers.'

When you pass the award along please include these guidelines.

Choose eight friends to share this with.

I would like to share this award with,

• Carla - No one can stuff a tote quite like Carla! :-)


• Gabi


• Lou


• Rene


• Meari


• Vonna


• Ranae


• Jackie

And I would also like to pass it back to Carolyn too. Thank you again x

Before I get to the next award I would like to share a little of my week. A very close friend made some comments to me this week that were very hurtful. I like to think of myself as a mostly cheerful, happy, glass half full kinda gal, this week that has been hard to do. Thankfully I have a wonderful DH who has been extra nice and given lots of cuddles and kind words. I also have some wonderful stitching friends too, one of whom is Suzie. Suzie gave me my next award.

She sent me an email asking me to go look at her blog, so I did and this is what I found

'My next recipient has gotten a number of awards already, and for good reason. Not only is her stitching fun and inspiring, but her blog just makes you feel good, whenever you click on it! In fact, Sadie's Blog was my inspiration to start my own blog. I turned back to cross stitch as a diversion during a particularly stressful time in my life, and I happened to click on her blog to see her latest creation. It was while I was reading, and looking at her photos, that I realized that her music choices, along with her choice of blog design, her narration and her images were making me feel good!! She has also inspired me to have some fun working on smalls, and eventually, I'll get there!! Sadie may live an ocean away, but when I visit her blog, I feel like she lives just over the back fence, welcoming you anytime, with a smile on her face!'

For the first time this week I had happy tears and not sad ones. Thank you, thank you Suzie. Your kind words mean so much and I am honoured that you would think of me. Meet you at the fence in 5! LOL

Now to pass this award on. I know that many people already have this award so please do not feel that you have to pass it on. I do not have quite the way with words that Suzie has but here goes!

I would like to pass it on to

• Rene - I really love reading your blog and seeing all you stitching. I am always itching to stitch after visiting you little space on the web. Or should that be your little space on the lily pad!?
• Meari - Monday would not be the same without your 'Marvelous' updates. Your tutorials are brilliant and you introduced me to cute lube guy! LOL
• Deborah - You were the first person to welcome me when I joined ILCS and I always look forward to hearing what you are up to and your strength of charachter is awe inspiring. You go girlfriend!
• Suzie - For inspiration, for always having a kind word and for always bringing a smile to my day. Also for introducing me to eizuS and the rest of the crew (have you seen how much stash I have bought recently!). Actually not sure if I am thankful for that! LOL I'll pop the kettle on, come over anytime. x

Well that's that! I do have stitching and stash and exchange updates but they can wait til later in the week.

I hope you have a great week.

Sadie x

'You've won'

said the subject line on the email.

I didn't get excited as I get lots of emails everyday that say this. Along with lots from people who work for the Bank of Africa! Nudge nudge, wink wink!

I moved the cursor over to Delete, raised my finger over the left mouse button and . . . . . . . . . . . . froze!

The email was from ebay.

(sharp intake of breath, eyes widening, pupils dilating, heartbeat quickening)

I had bid on some Prairie Schooler charts, but had just put in the minimum bid of £15 ($20). Thinking at the time that they surely would go for quite a bit more. But also thinking most auctions end on a sunday evening, this one ended on a monday night at nearly midnight and had hardly any views and no other bids, maybe, just maybe.

Well,

WOO HOO! YIPEE! and HIP HIP HOORAY! I WON!

(okay no more coffee for me today!)

Now all I have to decide is which one to stitch first!

Decisions, decisions.

Have a great week,

Sadie x

Happy Dance - Freestyle!

'Home of a Needleworker'

by

Little House Needleworks

32ct linen

Crescent colours floss

Woohoo!!!!!! I have a finish people!
The pics below give a better indication of ther colours.
This will go away to be framed and then it's getting pride of place, somewhere yet to be decided, in my home.
DH says my happy dance is freestyle as it conforms to no know form of dance! Don't worry, I'll spike his tea with chilli powder later to get him back for that comment!

My next projects are

• 'Family Forever' by Waxing Moon Designs
• 'Schoolgirl Lessons' by Little House Needleworks (thank you Lee)
• Snowman exchange piece

Here's some more pics.

Hope you have a great week,

Happy stitching!

Sadie x

Back to school, back to stitching.....not quite!

You know how it is sometimes, you have all these big plans and then before you can say 'overdyed floss' everything changes and your plans fly out the window at an incredible rate of knots leaving you feeling bewildered and confused.
Okay maybe a little over-dramatic but it's been a long week.
Cameron was home from school Tuesday and Wednesday with a fever, but he is back to normal now. On Tuesday he fell asleep in my arms which he hasn't done since he was about 2 (he's 5 1/2 now). I did have a little tear in my eyes as I looked down at him. My babies aren't babies anymore.
Sigh.

Stitchy wise I haven't done any more of the Oak Haven SAL but this is where I got to on LHN 'Home of a Needleworker'.

It is coming along nicely and I am still loving working on it.
I ran out of 2 colours of floss so had to order more from sewandso. I ordered them on Wednesday afternoon and they arrived in the post on Friday along with this chart from Waxing Moon!

Which I have absolutley no recollection of adding to my order, as I have told DH several times, whilst refusing to look him in the eye! 'Nuff said.

More goodies arrived in the post on Saturday, my HoE biscornu exchange arrived and it was from Caroline P. Isn't is lovely, such beautiful stitching and finishing. The floss colours are wonderful and the little heart shaped charm in the centre says made with love. It now sits very happily with my other biscornu on the mantle piece in my bedroom.

Below is a pic of the whole exchange.

OMG! Spooky Row by Bent Creek from my wishlist AND all the floss to stitch it (DH was standing by to revive me with mouth to mouth but much to his disapointment I just about managed to keep it together). A fab pair of sheep socks, stitch bows and a notebook made by Caroline herself. A truly lovely exchange I think you will agree. Thank you so much Caroline.

I hope to finish up the LHN pattern this week and maybe get in some more stitching on the Oak Haven SAL, we'll see.

Hope you all have a great week,

Sadie x

P.S. I'm an Aunt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got a call from my mum, my brother and his fiancee just had a little boy, Charlie, weighing in at 8lb 11 1/2oz, quite a big boy! Samantha ended up having to have a c-section, both mum and baby are doing fine. And dad too.

WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO.

Dh and I are being sad and calling each other Aunt Sadie and Uncle Stuart. This is our first time being aunt/uncle, I'm so excited!! Will post pics as soon as I get any. I won't get to go visit til next weekend so hopefully bro will email some soon.