Not much for this Mum!

The girls I have to say were NOT impressed with Dorset Winter Wonderland.  

The chicks refused to come out and in the end I had to put a small tub of food just inside the house

"Daddy" Jack was so not sure

 The brave ones....

....and the not so brave...

Dorset Winter Wonderland

Just a quickie.  I know that for some snow is not a big deal, but here in Dorset, it is.  Because of our geographical location, snow rarely settles here.  We usually get sleet and slush.  So I felt  the need to share our Winter Wonderland.

I took these at about 7.30am before any foot prints ruin the dreamland.

Husband has the day off today and we were going to an Antiques Market, but I feeling a fire and stitching day coming on.

Much love to all

Michele x

A Wonderful Stitching Year

The postman has been very good to me lately.  Lots of goodies arrived, and nothing with a window in the envelope. That I count as a result.

I received the Little Cottages patterns from Beach Cottage Stitchers.  Thank you Cyndi for getting these out to me so quickly.  Honestly, I got a mail from her on the 26th, and the 2nd Jan they have arrived in the UK.  That is quicker than the post here locally.

Edgar's Country Cottage Needlework Sampler

I could really do with some advice, if anyone can help out.  I love the look that Edgar had on his Little Cottages Sampler.  I think he used Lakeside Linen Vintage Buttermilk, but the photography has given the linen a lovely mottled green effect, which I would love to replicate if possible.  So the question is, which of Lakeside Linens will give me close to this look?  Vintage Lentil?  Vintage Pear?  If anyone has either of these in their stash and would have a look and let me know, I would really appreciate it. Or an alternative suggestion would be equally welcome.

I am also going to stitch this as a 4 x 3 Landscape, just to make it different to the many Portrait samplers that I have.






My "Emma Miles" arrived from Wye Needlecraft.   This is one for my stash.  She looks so beautiful, and is a very popular choice in Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year, but I have others which are in the queue first.

Scarlet Letter Emma Miles

Also over the Christmas Period arrived from Scarlet Letter The Russian Red Rooster and Susan Singleton.  So that pretty much outlines my 2013.  Along with Ann Medd, which will be my big project of 2013, to commemorate my Scarlet Letter Year.  I do so hate numbers that finish in a zero!

Russian Red Rooster

Susan Singleton

Much love to all.

The First Post...

First of all, a Happy New Year to everyone.  I hope that 2013 turns out to be happy, healthy and full of stitches for us all.  Judging by the amount of patterns I seem to have ordered over the holiday period, I think the last one is a given!

I wanted to finished 2012 on a high note, in that I felt the need to have finished the second band on SDW.  The final stitch of that band went in at 6.30pm (yes I am that sad really!) on December 31st 2012.  It was a great sense of achievement.  I am really enjoying how this sampler is appearing with each stitch, and totally love the support that I am getting from my "stitching sisters".  SDW is a big stitch, even for people like me that tend to go for big works, and the girls are keeping me going and on track.

SDW Week 9

I am also using my new Millenium Frame for SDW.   It is taking a bit of getting used to, as I am not a frame girl, but I think in the long run we are going to be great friends.

Joanna Warren

Tidying up a little bit the other day..look what I found!   Joanna Warren, well not her, but her sampler, which I obviously bought years ago, from Scarlet Letter.  It was bought as a kit, which at some stage I have plundered for other projects, but no matter, I will replace the DMC threads with AVS.  When SDW is over, Nicola has suggested her as our next SAL.  I think you will need to do her as a SAL...mega support needed as there are a lot of stitches.  Such beautiful colours.

Victoria Sampler is also coming along.  I am loving doing the variety of stitches in this sampler, but have to confess to be wanting it to be over.  I have so many lovely things waiting their start, but am being disciplined in not starting them until VS is done.  I just know what I am like and, the UFO's would just pile up.

I have just a smidge of Letter O to finish and then I will catalogue my progress.

Much love to all.

M xxxx