Pin Pillow for Rowyn

I heard from Rowyn that she received her Pin Pillow for the exchange organised recently by Becky.  I saw that Rowyn had stitched a few LHN designs, so thought this one might suit her.  It is Small House Sampler from the Something Old, Something New pattern.  I changed the original ABC under the house to Rowyn's initials. I think the design was originally a freebie, but has been re-released in this collection of patterns.  Most of the other Pin Pillows I have seen in this exchange have some cute little details, buttons, ribbons or trims.  Unfortunately, mine is very much a plain finish, with a bit of practice, one day I will be brave enough to add a bit more bling.This is the first exchange I have participated in, and I have really enjoyed the experience. Rowyn has a wonderful blog, which I can now follow officially, instead of stalking her while I tried to keep my stitching secret from her. lol. So pop on over and check it out.   

 

 

Small House Sampler by Little House Needleworks - Stitched for Rowyn for Pin Pillow Exchange

Stiched on Driftwood 32ct Belfast Linen with DMC

 I've been working on my Lizzie Kate Christmas series, and it's coming along pretty quickly.  Very dull day here today, so haven't got any pics to share yet.

Thanks for stopping by, will be back again soon...............

A lovely weekend stitching ........

I spent a fair part of Saturday stitching up this sweet little egg - beats me why I have only discovered Easter stitching this year, I think I might be hooked now. LOL. I bought this little design from here on Friday night, and stitched and finished it up on Saturday.  It looks a little squashed in these photos, but in reality looks a little taller.  Mine is about 3 inches high, by 2 inches wide, I think the original might have been made with a bit more space around the stitching.

Oeufs primitifs by Danybrod

Stitched on Waterlily 32ct linen, with DMC threads

On Friday night I also started the Lizzie Kate Christmas Spirit series.  I haven't got any pics of it yet, I've started in the middle and then kind of leapfrogged my way to the top, to get things all lined up.  It looks very messy at the moment, but is stitching up a lot quicker than I thought it would.  Hopefully you have found time over the weekend to do something that makes you happy too!!      Nicky

PS: A big THANKS to everyone who has stopped by for a visit!  I love reading your comments and visiting your blogs too.

Secret Flowerbed Finish

I've spent a lovely afternoon playing in my sewing room working in my sewing room, and have completed this wee lovely.  I stitched it a while back, and it has been sitting in a big pile of things to be 'finished'. It was very daunting to just give it a go, but I'm pretty happy with the finished result.  I decided to make it a little assymetrical, rather than centred.  One more off my list to finish, maybe I'll keep at it while I'm in the mood.

Secret Flowerbed - The Trilogy

Stitched on Natural Belfast 32ct

with  Gentle Art, Weeks Dye Work threads

I completed the finishing on my Pin Pillow exchange yesterday and mailed it today.  So it is now winging its way to a new home, and will be there in a few days I hope.  Thanks to everyone who has stopped by, and/or left a comment, it is so nice to hear from you all. 

Till next time..........Busy stitching

Good Eggs

Hi there, back with a little finish, Good Eggs, by The Trilogy.  This was a fun little stitch, my first ever Easter stitch, I know, I know, where have I been all my life??  I might be a late starter, but I usually get there in the end.  I suspect this won't be my last Easter stitch though.  Isn't this little yellow chap a wee cutie?

Good Eggs, by The Trilogy

Stitched on Natural Belfast32ct

and WDW/Gentle Art overdyed threads as supplied in kit

The plan is to make this up into a little pillow.  Last year I stitched The Trilogy's Secret Flower Bed, which might just get made up into something soon as well.  Watch this space...............

Have had a busy morning in the sheepyards today, drenching all of our ewes through a conveyor system.  We can drench about 3000 ewes in 3 hours, which if we did on our own up the drenching race would probably take us a couple of days.  It is also a very back-breaking job, as most of our ewes weigh around 75-80kg, and they don't enjoy being manhandled by us. Thank goodness for technology.

I'm intending continuing on Numbers for now, unless something new and exciting jumps into my path in the meantime, so will post some progress later in the week. 

Bye for now, Nicky

With humble thanks

I am very humbled to receive this kind award from Cyndi . Thanks so much Cyndi, you are too kind, and I am very honoured to accept it from you.

The rules as copied from Cyndi are:

1) Accept the award. See above
2) Thank the person who gave you the award. See above
3) Add a link to the person who gave you the award. See link above
4) Put the award on your blog. See below
5) Write 10 things about yourself others might not know about you.  See below
6) Pass the award on to 10 others. See below

Ten things you might not know about me, in no particular order:

1. I am the middle child of three children.

2. I grew up on a dairy farm, with beautiful Jersey cows.

3. I really dislike all seafood, including shellfish.  Basically if it lives in water, I won't eat it.

4. I am trained as a veterinary nurse.

5. One of our favourite summer activities is to get away to the lake or river in our jet boat.

6. I can't stop myself from buying quilting fabric and cross stitch patterns(OK maybe you knew that already) LOL
7. I work part time as an office administrator in a retirement home.
8. My husband and I have been married for 13 years.
9. Our farm is in a beautiful valley, surrounded by native forest. 
10. At high school, I played lots of sport, netball, basketball, squash, rugby, tennis, almost anything.  I still enjoy sport, but don't play so much now, as we live a long way from anywhere.

As I have been looking around some of my favourite blogs, many have already received this award, so I am going to renege on the last rule of the award.  Hope that is OK!  I love looking at blogs - you are all so inspiring and welcoming.

I have a small confession to make.  I have been working hard on my Numbers sampler in the last few days, and have completed number 9, BUT I started a little Easter project last night, Good Eggs by The Trilogy.  My resolve to get some WIP's completed is being very tested it seems.  I have never stitched any Easter projects before, but there has been such beauty displayed everywhere recently, that I couldn't stop myself,  Such a lack of willpower, I know.  It is gorgeous though.  Will try and get some pics of progress when the weather improves.

Till next time...........Happy Stitching

Stash .....and an award

My luck is in at the moment it would seem.  I have been stalking my mailman(not literally, lol) for the last few weeks waiting for an order I made in January to arrive.  Since I ordered, there have been the most beautiful new designs released, that I really need want to own.  For now though, my newest stash that finally arrived today must sustain me for a while.  I ordered the  Lizzie Kate Holiday Spirit Double FlipIt series, LK Christmas Sampling chart, LHN's He's a Flake, and Winter Greens.  There is also WDW and GA threads for these designs and others, and some cute little charm packs for some Lizzie Kate Santa charts I already have. 

In other lucky news, my name was drawn by Cyndi to receive a Pay it Forward, so sometime soon I will offer a PIF here.  Cyndi has a lovely blog, and some very exciting news happening over there at the moment.  Cyndi has also been kind enough to give me an award.  I will have to spend some time today thinking about 10 things you might not know about me, and post the award details then too.

For now though, I hope you are having a fabulous day.  Thanks for stopping by. Nicky

Two small finishes.........

Hi all.  Back again after a busy week, our girls finally had their school zone athletics day on Monday.  We've been waiting for the weather to come right since Tuesday of last week, but as the saying goes 'good things come to those who wait'.  They both had a great day, giving it their all, and having lots of fun on the way.  Both decided that their favourite event was the high jump, and they came away with a first and a third, which was a great effort. We've spent the rest of the week shearing and dipping ewes, and vaccinating and drenching our ewe lambs that we are keeping for next year's flock.

Last weekend the need to start something new got the better of me, and I started(and finished, I must add) these two little Christmas ornament designs.  They were so quick and easy, and a pleasant change from some of the bigger projects I have on the go at the moment.

                          

Joy, Love, Peace(Left)      &     Tiny Motif Tree (Right)

From Christmas Keepsakes II design by JBW Designs
Stitched on 32ct Ivory Linen with WDW and GAST

This weekend I have been working on this WIP which I started a few years ago.  It is for one of my nephews, and was intended to be for his first birthday.  I am almost too ashamed to admit that he will be four this year, and now has a baby sister also.  However, I do intend to have it finished for his birthday in September this year.   

This is what I acheived yesterday, finished the number eight, and began number nine.  Not sure what possesed me at the time, but this is my first ever 'over one' project, and I don't know if I will attempt it again any time soon.  It does give a lovely finish, but I find I have to stitch a lot slower than normal.  I still need to stitch one more soldier, and there is a little bird on top of the number four.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time, take care and have a wonderful stitchy weekend.

I'm the luckiest girl ...........

........because today my mailman delivered to me the loveliest Four Seasons pin pillow from Annie. It is the cutest thing, Annie thank you so much, your stitching and finishing is beautiful. I love it, love it, love it! Did I mention that I really love it? This gorgeous piece is for the Pin Pillow exchange organised by Becky . Thanks to Becky for co-ordinating this exchange.

Aren't these wee guys so cute ...........................

And this little bumblebee is so sweet......... even the back is beautiful.

I can't thank you enough Annie, you have made my first ever exchange such a lot of fun. My stitching for this exchange is finished, I just need to make it up now. Well then, two posts in one day, another first for me.

Till next time ................. happy stitching!

Leanne's House BOM Progress

Good morning friends. Thanks for the lovely comments that have been left for me. I am loving visiting blogs all over the place, and have seen some of the most beautiful stitching. I find everyone's work so inspiring, only problem is that I see so many projects I would love to start. I MUST NOT START ANYTHING ELSE!!! Or at least I will try not to! LoL. Not much stitchy progress this week, have had a sore shoulder, so giving it a wee rest. Here are some more pics of some of my WIP blocks of Leanne's House. This is Block 4 and Block 5. I haven't started Block 3 yet, as it has lots of applique, which I want to practice more before I am let loose on the real thing! Both blocks still need lots more stitchery completed, there are lots of stars and flowers around the verse in Block 5, and a little heart to be appliquied in each of the four corners. This has been a fun project, and one I intend to continue working on this year.

Block 4

Block 5

It has been a windy, wet week here so far, our girls school have been trying to hold their athletic sports day since Tuesday, and it has now been postponed till Monday in the hope of more settled weather. I guess officially autumn is here, now that March is upon us, but I am really not excited about the prospect of winter. After the terrible winter many of you have been experiencing in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope ours won't be so harsh. Here on our farm we usually get one or two small dumps of snow each year, but it is normally gone within a couple of days. This is a good thing, because our sheep and cattle are not wintered indoors, as many are around the world. Our winter is normally a mix of lots of rain, and southerly storms, hopefully mixed in with an occasional spell of fine, frosty weather as well. We live a couple of hours away from Central Otago, where they enjoy(or maybe that should be endure) beautiful hoar frosts where the fog freezes and looks stunning on the trees. It is such a magical sight. My in-laws live at Lake Wanaka, which is a beautiful alpine area, with ski fields nearby. It is beautiful in the summer there also, with lovely hot summer days. Perfect for getting out on the lake on the boat. Anyway, enough talk of weather, we don't actually get much say in what we receive, do we?
Till next time, Happy stitching.

Stitchery Update

Greetings all. Last night while watching the T20 cricket (What a result - the Black Caps finally beat Australia after a very long drought! It was such an exciting game.) I finished the stitchery of the pincushion part of The New Couch Companion by Leanne's House. When these photos were taken in the afternoon I still had a few flower centres to finish.

I thought this was such a wee cutie when I first saw the pattern, so now I need to complete the cover stitchery and choose some fabrics to put it all together.

We are enjoying a nice gentle rain today, just what the paddocks need to freshen up. I am going to be spending this evening helping to crutch lambs in preparation for trucking to the works early tomorrow morning. My husband does the hard work with the handpiece, the dogs and I just need to keep them pushed up the race to him. Lucky me - so unfortunately no stitching tonight.
So until next time - enjoy your stitching!

***EDITED TO ADD: For the uninitiated, 'crutching' is removing with a shearing hand piece(kind of like clippers) the dags and excess wool etc from around the rear end of the lambs. This keeps them cleaner and more hygienic prior to and during slaughter at the meat works. Hope that helps, Cindy. Maybe I should try and get some before and after photos! Nicky