Bargains galore!

Last month, my local 'Wool and Needlecraft Shop' sadly closed it's doors. I guess it's true that every cloud has a silver lining, I picked up some great bargains - the yarns were all 50p per ball, and will be great for the various charity groups that I knit/crochet for. The aida fabric was £1 per piece - the blue-grey being 12X18 inches, the navy & red both being fat quarters...and I had an additional piece of red that is now the setting for my Red Velvet WIP. The little kit was 50p, and I picked up the little spangles at 25p per packet...not sure what they will be used for yet, but they looked pretty ;)

Sweet Success!

I had a busy day yesterday - after realising I hadn't sent my part on an exchange on Swap-bot, I go to work on 6 crochet squares - 3 each for 2 partners. When those were done, having also realised the deadline was near for the Gingerbread House, I got to work on a few little pieces....the wrapped sweet was knitted some months ago, but yesterday I knitted the little flower, and the cupcake from the patterns provided - and after a little searching online, found patterns for a liquorice roll, and an iced chocolate bun...which is my favourite piece so far, love how that turned out. Having emailed the project co-ordinator, I found these are due by the end of May, so I have about 5 weeks to get a few more sweet treats made up - they really are a lot of fun!

Today it is back to my Red Velvet - coming along slowly but surely, the 'I' is taking shape. And in preparation for a sockalong, I ordered a sock kit from Angel Yarns - I chose a Petticoat Cotton...the kit contains the yarn, pattern, needles, and 2 hand-made stitch markers....really looking forward to it - I have put it off for so long as I have never used double pointed needles before, let alone 4 or 5 of them!! But it will be a fun challenge, look forward to sharing progress on my very first sock soon!!

Giant Knitted Gingerbread House - needs your help!

Being assembled for events in aid of North Devon Hospice and Great Ormond Street Hospital, this project desparately needs your help - in particular, knitted gingerbread men are needed....if you think you could spare some time, please visit for more details and a free pattern:
Knitted Gingerbread House

You SHALL go to the ball...

I worked for a few hours on Cinderella last night for UFO Tuesday - looking at the backstitching there is on this piece, I decided it wouldn't hurt to put a few stitches in now...stitchalong progress on Red Velvet permitting, I will continue to stitch her this week, as I would like to get her mailed asap. I don't usually really enjoy stitching Disney designs (though I love to watch the cartoons!! LOL), but I do think this one is a beauty!

Friends To Seniors blog

I added to my sidebar, a mini version of the new blog of the charitable stitching website that is closest to my heart - Friends To Seniors. The manager of the project, Sylvia, will be writing updates to the blog, which you will be able to read right here at Jo's Journal (to read the whole entry, clicking on it's title will take you to the main blog ). You can also grab this 'widget' for your own site or blog - the more exposure the group gets, the more elderly people that can be reached out to, and the more helping hands the group can find. You can also grab the widget code for my blog if you like ;)

'J'

A little behind target, I finished the 'J' motif on my Red Velvet last night - really enjoying this stitchalong!

I put a few stitches in on 'I' this afternoon, but now it is time to make way for Cinderella....tonight is UFO Night at Stitch Clubs - I really want to get as much of her finished tonight as possible, hopefully she will be ready to send to Cuddle Cushions this week.

I am finally going to give sock knitting a go soon - all being well this week..just need to get a set of needles, then I'm off. Wish me luck!

No Act of Kindness..

I completed this sampler today - designed by Robin Busch, and offered for download at 1-2-3 Stitch, 'Kindness' is a wonderfully versatile design - a group of stitchers have worked on this in various colours, each as beautiful and unique as the other.
I really enjoyed this design...as I was determined to finish this today, I will be playing catchup tomorrow on Red Velvet. I have an empty house 'til Monday, so my only distarction will be the laptop. And the cats. And the housework - nah, that can wait LOL

Have a great weekend!

A sunny Wednesday.....

...and I'm inside stitching. What another beautiful day it is here in Devon. Not a bit of breeze, I could probably take my stitching outside quite safely - but then I couldn't spread everything out and have my laptop easily at hand!! LOL

A couple of updates - I made some more progress on Cinderella last night for UFO Tuesday:

I have found a home for her when she is finished - she will go to a group called Cuddle Cushions - who are making cushions for children in an Australian hospital.

And I have an updated pic of Kindness - not as far along as I'd like to be, but still hopeful that it will be finished this week. I pulled out the purple centres of the motifs to replace with a bright yellow..which will also be used for the wording:

When this is done, I have another stitchalong lined up (surprise, surprise!! LOL) - myself and some of the girls at 1-2-3 Stitch will be working on various Passion des croix - starting May 1st.

Samplers in Progress

For one who 'doesn't like samplers', I seem to be sttiching them more and more these days - they have certainly grown on me in recent months, and two of them as you have seen are my most current WIPS...and I have just suggested a sampler stitchalong at 1-2-3 for the Passion des croix freebies.

My progress as it stands on Kindness:

I hope to finish the border this weekend, and the whole sampler by next weekend. This lovely freebie designed by Robin Busch, is now available for download at 1-2-3 Stitch

And Red Velvet - I have now completed both the L and K sections, will move onto J tomorrow:


And if I fancy a break from samplers in the week, I will be working on this freebie from Cyberstitchers - it will be sent to the Cross Stitching For Charity group, to be made into a quilt for Friends To Seniors.

Half a century

My Mum reached her half century this week - she insisted on not having a party, so instead went out for the day with my sister Sophie and I. We went for dinner in Lynton at the Cliff Top Restaurant

I'd never visited Lynton & Lynmouth before, it was a lovely day out, but poor Mum had worn the wrong shoes for walking and her feet were very sore by the time we'd finished walking.

I left it late ordering a cake for her birthday, and my decorating skills aren't up to much - I was able to order this pretty little cake 'last minute' from Botham's of Whitby :

One of the yummiest fruit cakes I ever tasted, would definitely reccomend them!

'L'

The first motif of my Red Velvet is completed - I have moved onto K today. Hope to get this week's section done quickly as I just signed myself up for a square for a Friends To Seniors quilt via Cross Stitching For Charity - and would also like some time to work on Oriental Beauty..I would love to get her completed in the next few months.

If I was born in 2893....

If You Were Born in 2893...

My Name Would Be: Reunn Uaro And I Would Be: A Prophet

If You Were Born in 2893

Well, now I know!

Good Friday

Seems like AGES since I last blogged, and it's only been a little over a week. My sister is visiting from Uni so I haven't had much chance to get online recently. My sister and Mum are visiting family in Somerset today, so with an empty house, I should get plenty of time for catching up today. Thought I would begin by updating with some of my recent stitching....

First up is an updated pic of 'Kindness' - the pic is very dark, will make sure to get one in better light next time!!



Sylvia of SOLAK and FTS mentioned that we were getting low on logos to be used in the cards that are sent out with each quilt - we jumped in and got busy, should be good for a few months now. Below are the two that I stitched:



I also made some progress on 'Oriental Beauty' - I am loving this piece more and more while I work on her, the colours are so perfect for spring, especially now the sun is shining!



And last but not least - I made a start on the 'Red Velvet Inscription Sampler' - I have stitched most of the first motif since this picture was taken, and will update before moving on to the next one.



If you want to join our stitchalong at Stitch Clubs, we are aiming to stitch one motif each week.

Well, I am going to make the most of my 'freedom', and hopefully get in plenty of stitching...then I thought I would surprise my sister with some of her favourite snack...little raisin-fairy cakes, and of course I will have to sample one when they are finished baking, just to check they are okay....

If I don't get back on before hand....have a lovely Easter weekend everyone!