Turtle Dove

 This week the UK has had record breaking temperatures - the highest ever seen in Britain - at 35.7 degrees it was pretty uncomfortable (although I know it's been even hotter in Europe) but living on the coast it is always slightly less hot and we often get a nice breeze coming off the sea.  Fortunately it's broken, with some spectacular thunder storms but it is much more comfortable now!

I've not wanted to do much in the garden, very little housework get done and the dog gets taken for her walk early in the morning and early evening so I've had plenty of time for some sewing!

And as you can see my Turtle Dove is complete - well almost it does need a bead at its base for its feet but I need an awl for that and I don't have one (I'm hoping there is one in my dads shed).  And here he is along with a Partridge and a pear.  You can find the patterns at mmmcrafts

I'm eager to start number three in the set!  I am linking up with Kathy for some slow Sunday stitching so hop over there and see what other people are sewing today.

Two ta-dahs!

Its been a busy week consisting of visits to the Dr, dentist, hair dressers, dog groomer (well you get the idea!)  In between times I have managed to get some sewing done.  I concentrated last Sunday on attaching the stars from my EPP travel project onto the main section.  It is a bit of a tedious job and although I love making the 60 degree diamonds and making them into stars I don't particularly like the sewing them together bit - I guess I did but maybe I've lost interest in this project now!  Its probably because I have so many projects and ideas going on in my head I want to move onto the next one.  I have however not lost interest in the 12 days of Christmas felt ornaments and today I soaked away the sulky to reveal the lovely felt underneath!

Hopefully for slow Sunday stitching I can start assembling this one.  Pop over to Kathy's blog to see what everyone else has been working on this week!

This week I discovered a charity shop that I had never visited before, and it's a charity shop dedicated to craft bits and bobs - fabric scraps, embroidery frames, kits, thread, knitting wool, dress making patterns, paper craft items - the list goes on! What a great idea and worthy of another visit when I have more time!  But what it did make me do was to come home and inspect my UFO box to see if there were things in there that could be donated to the shop, and it made me want to get on and finish a couple of things that have been UFOs for far too long!

 The little zentangle fish was just crying out to be made into a bag and the fabric goes perfectly with his background fabric and the colours used to embroider him.  All I needed to do was buy the orange ribbon to finish the bag off!

 This was also made at one of my craft groups, several years ago.  It's heated tyvec, dyed scrim, some wool tops and the odd stitch here and there.  I just needed to put it on the front of a note book which was a bit harder than I realised.  I tried to glue is between the spirals which doesn't look that great, but I am sure I will find a use for it!

Slow Sunday Stitching

It's been a lovely relaxing week.  On Tuesday I was whisked off to Salisbury by my lovely husband to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary.  We spent three days in the van about a mile outside the city and the weather was glorious so I spent lots of time sitting outside the van and enjoying the view while finishing my crochet bunting (I want to add some buttons so more of that next week) and completing July's section of the mystery stitch a long! We also went for some lovely walks as well as visiting the Cathedral and had a great pub meal in a pretty village (all thatched cottages and pretty gardens) within walking distance of the campsite! My perfect Anniversary treat!

 And here it is completing the last corner (sorry its so creased!)

I saw this book advertised and I really (really) wanted to own it. So my DH bought it for me as an anniversary present.  All I need now is more hours in the day so I can spend more time stitching, but in the mean time I'm loving just looking at the pictures!!

The British Formula One racing is on this afternoon so I am going to settle down and watch TV while starting my next felt ornament in the twelve days of Christmas series.  I am linking up with Kathy for some slow Sunday stitching, so there will also be some blog hopping mixed in with TV and sewing (just as well I can multitask!!)

Slow Sunday stitching and crochet

It has been a lovely week having Faye home with us, although it has been busy, so not a great deal of sewing has taken place!  We've walked along the beach and done various walks in the forest (and eaten lots of cake).  Faye is an avid crocheter (is that a word?) and decided to make some bunting for a friends son who will be one in a couple of months time.  The pattern comes from Attic24 and you can see the excellent pictorial instructions HERE (even I can follow them).  It has been ages since I last did any but decided to also crochet along (Faye had to show me again how to hold the wool and crochet hook!)  It took me all week to do seven triangles but yesterday after we dropped Faye at the station I decided to try a different tactic...ie do all the centres first and then the next round etc and it worked much better for me and I nearly have enough to make a long enough bunting banner.

I am using left over wool from a blanket I crochet quite a while ago (again from attic24) and I though I would put in a photo of the blanket with Lola fast asleep on it, that I took while we were away in Scotland last month.

I am linking up with Kathy's blog for SLOW SUNDAY STITCHING despite not having stitched much this week, unless you count sewing in the ends of my bunting! But I plan to start work on the next part in 'A Peacocks Garden' challenge which you can find HERE - which hopefully means I will have more to show next week.  In the mean time have a lovely Sunday and happy stitching!