Time for a catch up.......

Hi folks, it's been a crazy week or two around here, lots happening on the farm, and busy times for me at work as well.  We have just had a holiday weekend here, the Saturday and Sunday of which we spent getting our lambs tailed.  As we expected it was a pretty disastrous lambing for us, however the lambs and ewes we have are all pretty healthy, so we will do our best with what we have.  On Labour Day Monday we made a daytrip to Roxburgh and jetboated up the Clutha River to Alexandra and then onto the Clyde Dam.  It was a lovely day out, only problem was I left my camera behind, so I haven't got any photos of beautiful Central Otago with the wild thyme in flower, smells heavenly and the countryside looks amazing.  Photos next time!!

In stitching news, some long awaited stash arrived..........some lovely new LHN charts and gorgeous overdyed threads, sitting on some Weeks Dye Works 32ct Linen in 'Straw'

and LHN's Virtue Sampler which I couldn't resist making a start on. Oops - Fallen off the wagon again!

Some cute pins - 'Pink Lemonade' from Just Another Button Co

And because I need another project start like I need a hole in the head, here is the beginnings of my Stitching Around The Block, from Helen Stubbings - Hugs and Kisses.  I am thrilled to be in a little Kiwi stitching group with these lovely ladies Raewyn, Janis, and Leanne.   Raewyn and I 'met' thru our blogs a few months back, our blog address names are very similar, and we are both(obviously) farm girls!  I have my fabrics pretty much finalised for this little quilt, and this centre block needs to be finished by the end of the week and sent on its way North for the beginning of November. 

And just so you know I haven't forgotten my committment to stitch one of these 'Butterfly Garden'  miniblocks each week, here is an update.  These three are finished mini blocks from Block 2.........

..............and these four are prepped ready for applique and stitchery. 

I must confess I am a little behind my one a week target though, likewise I am very behind in the Gardener's Journal SAL.  Thankfully most the others aren't, so you can check out some lovely blocks and quilts over here.  Secret stitching for my SSCS is still happening, and  I am gathering things for my 6 Items Christmas Swap too. All in all, it's going to be a busy countdown to the end of the year - thanks for calling by here today to visit, I appreciate that you have persevered this far. LOL 

Till next time, take care ............. Nicky

A productive Friday night ........

Kia Ora friends, as planned there was some stitching finished here last night for Friday Night Sew-In. Yay!  My Danybrod pincushion is made up...................... I'm pretty happy with the final result. 

Floral Pin Cushion by Danybrod

Stitched on 32ct linen with DMC threads

The fabric I used for the back of the pincushion

I also finished up this little Christmas ornament, stitched back in February this year.

Winter's Eve - Country Cottage Needleworks

from JCS 2006 Christmas Ornament Issue

Stitched on Driftwood Belfast 32ct Linen with DMC, WDW and CC threads

The finishing up of these didn't take long, so I spent the rest of the evening working on my SSCS stitching, but I can't show any pics of that top secret project at the minute!!

Thanks to Heidi for once again hosting Friday Night Sew-In, I love it, and look forward to it each month,  why not head over to Heidi's blog and join in next time. 

Hope you're having a lovely weekend however you're spending it.......thanks for stopping by........Nicky

Back for Friday Night Sew-In

After a few weeks break from blogging, I am starting to catch up on blog reading, and am in a better frame of mind for stitching.  It occurred to me today that Friday Night Sew-in must be coming up soon and - yippee- it's tonight, so never one to be put off by a lack of preparation, I've signed up.  I've been bitten by the cross-stitching bug, after a bit of a break from it, and over the last couple of weeks,  I have stitched up this little pincushion design by Danybrod, one of my favourite French cross stitch designers.  I loved stitching it, it seemed to grow pretty quick, so much sport to watch at the Commonwealth Games at night lately helped the stitching time, so this is one of the things I want to get 'finished' tonight. 

I have started on my SSCS stitching, but won't reveal too much here, only that it is red!!  I'm enjoying working on this project and also on my 6 Items Xmas swap, which I have been giving some thought too over the last few weeks.  It's been fun trying to learn a bit about my swap partners, their style, likes and dislikes, though it's a bit daunting to be stitching/selecting something for people you have never actually met. 

Amongst that there has also been some GJ stitching, and in my usual chopping and changing fashion, I have now stitched most of the Vege Patch and a couple of other blocks too - just no blocks complete to be sewn together yet, but progress has been made. 

Also planned for this weekend is some gardening, and catching up on paperwork for both the farm and my off-farm job, should keep me out of trouble for a day or two!  We will be tailing our lambs early next week, so that will take care of a couple of days too.

I'll be back over the weekend to share tonight's results!

If you've made it this far - Congratulations! Thanks for stopping here today, wishing you a wonderful weekend ........... Nicky