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

Some recent finishes........and a new start

I have managed to get a few photos of some recent finishes. Unfortunately they all look very wrinkly. First up is Summer Garden by Country Cottage Needleworks. I started this about eighteen months ago and finally got back to it late last year. It was a pleasure to stitch and I really loved the colours.

Summer Garden

Country Cottage Needleworks

Stitched on 32ct Waterlily Linen with DMC threads

Next up is Counting House by Little House Needleworks. This is to be framed as a gift for my cousins little boy, Ben, who will turn two this year. The fabric I used had been folded in the cupboard for a long time and it has a faint stripe running through it under the moon. I thought it would come out with a good pressing, but I think it may actually be more of a mark than a wrinkle. This piece has overdyed threads in it so I really don't want to wash the whole piece. If anyone out there has any suggestions as to what I could do, I would be most grateful to hear your ideas.

Counting House

Little House Needleworks

Stitched on Pale Blue 25ct?(not sure, as it is quite old), with DMC, Crescent Colours and Weeks Dye Works threads

Finally, here is Winter's Eve, by Country Cottage Needleworks. The plan is to make this up into an ornament for this years Christmas tree.

Winter's Eve

Country Cottage Needleworks

from JCS 2006 Christmas Ornament Issue

Stitched on Driftwood Belfast 32ct linen with DMC, Weeks Dye Works and Crescent Colours threads

I have signed up for a Pin Pillow Exchange recently. It is the first time I have ever participated in an exchange, and I am really excited about taking part. So, tonight I will be making a start on my stitching for this.

Till next time.... happy stitching

Taken the Plunge

Well, finally I have taken the plunge, so to speak, and started a blog. Over the last few years I have taken a lot of stitching inspiration from many of the beautiful blogs out there. There are so many talented stitchers out there who are kind enough to share their stitching and creativity with everyone. At the moment I keep a written journal of my work, but thought that a blog might be a fun way to keep a better photographic record of everything as well.

Anyway - a little about me - I am 33 years old, married with 2 lovely daughters. We have a sheep and beef farm in Southland, New Zealand, where we run about 2900 ewes, and 70 cattle. This keeps us pretty busy, and I also work part time in an administration position in our nearest small town.

I have enjoyed stitching since I was around eight years old, when an aunt gave me a cross stitch kit of a little Amish girl as a gift, and I have been hooked ever since. Another aunt is a wonderful patchworker, and so I have also developed a bit of a passion for quilting as well! One of my favourite designers is Leanne Beasley of Leanne's House. I just love her combination of quilting with stitchery. I have completed about half of her Leanne's House Block of the Month Quilt, and am collecting fabrics for Butterfly Garden, which I absolutely can't wait to get started on.

Through the internet I have discovered so many wonderful Cross Stitch designers, among my favourites are Little House Needleworks, Country Cottage Needleworks, and Lizzie Kate. Shepherds Bush patterns were some of my early favourites, and I have managed to gather a lot of these over the last fifteen years or so(though I think I have more than I could actually stitch in about three lifetimes!) In my spare time I love to be with my family, reading, gardening, am also a keen sports fan, but don't play as much as I used to.

I've got a long way to go to becoming a good photographer, but hopefully i will pick up a few tips along the way from others. Here is a photo of a little Country Cottage Needleworks ornament I started this week - Winters Eve, from 2006 JCS Christmas Ornament Issue. I hope to have the stitching finished soon, and maybe have it "finished" for the tree by next Christmas??

Will be back again soon.