Happy New Year!

Firstly, Happy New Year to you all. I hope 2012 is good to you.

I have been going to do this post for a few days but have only just got round to taking the pictures.

As promised here is the giveaway I received from Lesli. I am absolutely thrilled with it and hope to stitch it sometime soon. Thank you again Lesli for pulling my name.



Before Christmas I was stitching like a mad women finally got my great nephew's sampler finished. I am so pleased. I was hoping to find a frame and frame it myself but unfortunately I haven't been able to so when I go back to work I will take it to the framers near there and get it done.



I am going to work on some of my larger projects in 2012. I have six wips to finish:-

1. Winter Band Sampler
2. Snowman '10
3. Lanarte Poppy
4. CCN A Bee C Sampler
5. Vervaco Pink Lady with Red Rose
6. L*K Halloween ABCs

I would like to start the following designs at some stage during the year.

1. Lizzie Kate 6 Fat Snowmen
2. Historical Sampler Cupcakes
3. CCN Ice Cream Sundae
4. CCN Pie Menu
5. Vervaco Lilac Flapper
6. Lavender and Lace Spirit of Christmas

I would also like to stitch an ornament a month which will probably be a weekend project but I am not sure so will see how I feel as I am not very keen on finishing them lol.

All of the above, except Lavender & Lace Spirit of Christmas, I have in my stash and as I have jumped on Sally's band wagon I am hoping to stitch only from stash this year and only buy fabric and threads needed for each of the projects I start. My son was looking over my shoulder when I was on facebook and said how lovely the Spirit of Christmas was and I really should stitch something as good as this. So I will buy this for myself later in the year when I have finished my wips.

I have had a new start but will tell you more about that next week, I think this post is long enough as it is.

Again Happy New Year to you all and thank you to those who visit and leave comments I can't tell you how much I appreciate them.

Until next time, happy stitching

Lesleyanne xxx

TUSAL NOVEMBER / FRAMING HAPPY DANCE

This is my TUSAL for the month of November. Mostly orts from my christmas gift stitching and Lizzie Kate Baby Sampler. I have signed up for the 2012 TUSAL and if you want to do so just click the link and it will take you to the sign up page.



Here is the Lizzie Kate Bably Sampler all framed and ready to go to my cousin who had baby Sophia on Friday 25th November. I am really pleased with how this looks and hope the new parents will be too. Sorry for the mark on the picture it appears to be on my camera!



I have stitched one christmas gift ornament and started another one and will show what I can next week when they are completed.

I got on quite well with my Christmas shopping, I only a few gifts to get but am waiting for them to be released so hopefully it wont be too long. Then its the wrapping and christmas card writing.

Until next time, happy stitching

Lesleyanne xxx

Stitching Progress/Exchange!

I have stitched some more this week on my SAL with Sally and Angela. LHN's Winter Band Sampler. I am still loving this one. Really pleased to hear that Diane from LHN is going to do another year of ornaments, not that I have stitched any of this years yet lol.



When I wasn't stitching on my LHN I started a Lizzie Kate Baby Sampler for my cousin whose baby is due middle of November. I just need to stitch the name and date of birth when I know and I will then frame it.



I can, I hope, reveal what I received in the Stitched with Love exchange, from Lainey. Thank you Lainey. I love it all.



This is what I sent to Loretta, who I am pleased to say loved what I sent her.



Thank you for Lainey and Colleen for organising this exchange.

Until next time, happy stitching

Lesleyanne xx

Two Finishes!

My first finish is for my great niece, Chloe Ann, who was born on Tuesday 30 August at 9.35 am weighing 6lb 8oz. It is the baby sampler from Cross Stitcher magazine made into a cushion by a work friend. I think it is beautiful, hopefully Mum and Dad will too. It will go over to Ireland with my Mum, Dad and my sister (Chloe's nan) who are going to visit next Friday and meet Chloe in the flesh so to speak.



My next finish is one part of the Noel Duo by Tra la la. I loved every minute of this and even though there are a couple of mistakes, I am really pleased with it. There should be green lines between each line of the alphabet but I didn't leave enough space so adapted slightly. I haven't quite decided how I am going to finish it yet but when I do I will show you. Favourite is a pinkeep but if you look at my effort below I am a bit nervous.



Next up is my progress for the L*K Lovers SAL Monday and Friday night. Again, I am loving this piece. Not sure it will be ready for this halloween though lol. Sorry for not ironing it first.



Next up is something I stitched a while ago and have now attempted to finish it into a pinkeep. There are no pins yet and I have still to work out how to do a bow for the top so if anybody knows where there is a tutorial I would be really grateful. I definitely need more practice as there is too much material either side even though I measured it.



If you have made it this far you have done really well. I just want to show off my new stitching shelf. My mum found this in the recycling centre and thought it was perfect for showing off my stitching. I have to say I am really pleased with it and for £3 I think it was a bargain to boot. It is showing off the stitching I have received as gifts from my stitching sister, Angela, and Sally. I need to get some stands for Life's a Beach and Pins and Needles but you get the idea.



Until next time, thank you for looking and commenting

Lesleyanne xxx

New Start / IHSW

I want to thank those of you who left words of encourgement on Sweet Dreams Baby. Unfortunately I think I left it too late. I spoke to my Mum that day telling her how much I was hating stitching it although I didn't know why. She said as it was a gift and if I really hated it that much to stop stitching it. She suggested I stitch the baby sampler I stitched for my other nephew's babies and so I started this sampler on Friday night after trying a couple more times to get into Sweet Dreams Baby. I stitched on it the whole weekend making the most of International Hermit and Stitch weekend organised by Joysze at http://joysze.blogspot.com. I have really enjoyed my stitching this week after several weeks of being quite unmotivated by it. I have never spent so much time going through my patterns as I did these last couple of weeks.

This is my new start from the Cross Stitcher magazine, July 2008, designed by Helen Philipps.

Hopefully when finished it will look something like this. A work colleague will make it into a cushion so that it can be easily transported to my nephew in Ireland when his baby is born, due end of August. I will be stitching a blue version for my new great nephew, Robert, who was born in June and it will be given to him for Christmas as I have done for the other babies born to my nephews.



Last night was Lizzie*Kate Monday. I stitched some more on Santa Wants to Know. I love stitching this and can't wait until it is finished as I am going to have a go at making a cube finish, my first. Elaine at http://themainhoose.blogspot.com recently finished a cube finish so I emailed her and asked her where she got her cubes from and she kindly sent me the link. Cross stitchers really are the best.

Thank you to those who leave comments, I really do appreciate them.

Until next time, happy stitching

Lesleyanne