Mice in the Sewing Room - Brenda Gervais (With Thy Needle And Thread)

Design: Mice in the Sewing Room

Designer: Brenda Gervais (With Thy Needle And Thread)

Fabric: 40ct Zweigart Cafe Au Lait

Threads: Listed, and substituted CC Eggshell for

GAST Picket Fence

Twisted Cord: DMC 3033

Backing Fabric: Tilda

October House Fiber Arts - Tomato Row

Design: Tomato Row

Designer: October House Fiber Arts

Fabric: 37ct Russian Tea Cake Legacy Linen

Threads: Listed Weeks Dye Works and

Classic Colour Works

Stitching Makes Me Happy

Design: Stitching Makes Me Happy

Designer: Needle Bling Designs

Fabric: 36ct R & R Espresso

Threads: All the called for

Backed with fabric in the background from the 

Needle and Thread fabric line by Primitive Gatherings

Also made my very first tomato pincushion 

Friendly Blooms

Design: Friendly Blooms

Designer: October House Fiber Arts

Fabric: 40ct Newcastle Winter Moon

Threads: Listed Weeks Dye Works and Classic Colours Works

Bitty Bowl Pincushion

I wasn't expecting to be back so soon, but wanted to show this cute little pincushion that I finally got around to finishing recently.  If you've been a regular follower to my blog in the past you may remember me mentioning how much I love pincushions and that they are one of my favourite finishes.  So about a year ago when I came across the tutorial for this cute little pincushion in a bowl I just had to make one to add to my collection of pincushions.  I was so excited when I spotted it because I recognised the little bowl straight away as I had already bought several from Crate and Barrel here in Dubai.  Until recently I didn't have all the supplies I needed to finish and attach the metal label, but here it is at last - my first attempt!  It's so sweet, I love it, and will definitely be making more!

Sew & Sew

I've been going through my finishing box again, and this time I've pulled out one which I stitched in 2011.  It's a complimentary design called Sew & Sew from Mary Garry's Sewing Cabin.  I love anything Mary Garry, and can't tell you how excited I was when I received this several years ago with an order I placed from Needlecraft Corner.

I've seen it's finished as a needlebook before, and have always thought it would be the perfect finish for it.  For mine I rotated the top half of the design by 180 degrees, so that when the needlebook was closed the alphabet would be the right way round.  And, as I often like to add another little accessory I've also made a scissor fob and pincushion to go with it. 

I've stitched it one over two on 40ct Creme Brulee Linen from R & R Reproductions, using the listed Gentle Art Sampler Threads.  The fabric for lining the needlebook, the pincushion and backing for the scissor fob is Madeira from Blackbird Designs.  I've used silk ribbon for the needlebook and a piece of Weeks Dye Works wool felt for the needles.  The pincushion is finished with a little chenille trim.

I'm so thrilled that at long last it's finished!

My Love Is True

A little Valentine stitching!

I finished this sweet little freebie as a tiny pillow, stitched one over one on 32ct Platinum Belfast linen.  My personalization was back stitched one over one too, so really tiny!  I used Antique Rose, Baby Spinach, Crystal Lake and Garden Gate Gentle Art Sampler Threads, and Schneckley Weeks Dye Works.  I love the tiny print fabric for backing, it's a piece of Little Gatherings by Primitive Gatherings, I thought it matched really well with the Schneckley thread used for the wording, and as it's Valentines I've also added a little wool felt heart for keeping my needle safe.  The freebie can be found HERE, and finished pictures can be seen HERE.  

Thank you for popping by - hope to be back again soon with another little finish.  :o)

African Flower Pincushion

My little project yesterday.  

Sandra Paul of Cherry Hearts Designs has recently written a brilliant tutorial for this cute crochet pincushion.  I know I've said it before, but I just love pincushions and couldn't resist crocheting this one to add to my very small crochet pincushion collection!  I would have liked to have used a nicer yarn but my yarn stash is very small and I couldn't wait to start it!  I have some lovely Rooster Almerino dk I could have used (which I bought for another little project I must get round to starting one day), but didn't have the cream shade I would have like for the bottom and sides of the pincushion.  I'm happy with how it turned out though. :o) 

I Love Pincushions!

I bet you've guessed that already, with my last few posts having all been pincushions of one sort or another...lol!  This is a cute little quickie I made at the weekend.  The free tutorial can be found here, on the Very Berry Handmade blog.

I also have some big news to share!  Colin has had a promotion within the company he works for.  His new position is as Group Diving Manager, at Head Office, Sharjah, in the Middle East. The new position means that I can also accompany him, so we will get to see each other every day and won't be separated for long periods of 6 weeks at a time any more!  It's more then likely that by the end of the year I will have gone out to be with him, living in Dubai for several years.  In the meantime he's due home next week for hopefully about 10 days (not long since he's been away for 2 months).  I can't wait to see him, but as you can imagine we have lots to plan, organise etc, etc!  

I'm hoping to be back blogging again soon with a little freebie I stitched a few months ago, and should have finished by now!  

Thank you for visiting. :o)

Parfait Needle Pillow

A stitchy finish, the first for a while!  This is Parfait Needle Pillow from Catherine Strickler of Indigo Rose.  The chart took a bit of finding after seeing it finished on another blog (that long ago that I can't remember where now).  I eventually came across an article on The Caron Collection website with details that it was once a workshop piece at Annemiek's shop De Handwerk Boetiek in the Netherlands.  So I must say a big thank you to Annemiek for finding the chart for me, she was so helpful and spent a lot of time searching her shop and home for it, and had almost given up hope before it eventually turned up several months later!

It's only a little pillow, measuring approx 2¼" by 2¼".  I've placed a pair of Kelmscott Little Gem scissors beside it so that you can get an idea of the size.  I've stitched it on 28ct White Jobelan with the listed Caron Collection Waterlilies Parfait and Soie Cristale 7001.  The chart uses several speciality stitches, Jack in the Pulpit, Rhodes Diamond, Triple Rice Stitch and Eyelet Stitch.

Catherine Strickler is one of my favourite designers. I've only stitched a few of her designs but have several others in my stash I'm looking forward to stitching.  Mary's Pin Pillow is next on my list, I bought it back in 2006 and have had it kitted up ready for a few years.

Thank you for popping by again, and for all the lovely comments left on my previous post for my Pincushion Organiser.  :o)

Pincushion Organiser/Scrap Bag

This is a little project I did over the bank holiday weekend. It's been on my to do list for a couple of years and I absolutely love it, especially as the colours go so well with my lounge too! The red isn't quite true in the photos - it's a nicer red in real life.

The pattern is free from the Sew Mama Sew website HERE. The instructions are brilliant - nice and easy to follow and with plenty of pictures. The fabric I've used is Wiscasset by Polly Minick & Lauri Simpson for Moda.

Thanks for popping by - I hope to be back soon!  :o)

A Couple of Pincushions

I've been having a little fun with my Bernina, and it's about time too!

For my 50th birthday the year before last, Colin bought me my new sewing machine, a Bernina Aurora 440!  I absolutely love it, but I'm ashamed to have to admit that I've not played with it very much!  At the moment I don't have anywhere where I can keep it out permanently, so that whenever I have a few spare moments I can have a play and learn new things.  A lot of the time it's just not worth setting it up and pulling out all the other paraphernalia just to have to pack it all up and put away again!   

I'm not very experienced with machine sewing, only ever using one for taking up hems, and for finishing the little pillows and drawstring bags/pouches which I have pictures of here on my blog.  This is the first time I've followed patterns for sewing with a machine and I'm so happy I didn't have any disasters, because it's now given me the incentive to try some of the patterns I've been collecting.  I know they're only a little something, but I'm so pleased with how these two little pincushions have turned out.

The first is 'Petite Gateau' a pattern by Fig Tree Threads.  I used four different prints from At Water's Edge by Blackbird Designs.  The second is called 'Square Deal Pincushion", a free pattern by Heather Bailey which you can download from her blog here.

Thank you for visiting and have a lovely Easter weekend.  Colin is still away working but should hopefully be home next weekend for a few weeks...YIPPEE!! :o)

A Couple of Finishes!

It's been a while again, but at last I have a couple of finishes I can blog about!  I'm trying hard to get myself motivated and back stitching regularly again, and hopefully posting a couple of quick finishes will help, along with purchasing a couple of new additions to my stash...lol! I just couldn't resist the new A Stitcher's Journey and the Basket of Memories, Reward of Merit Pincushion from Blackbird Designs! 

First to show is Peek a Boo, a freebie from Wal D'Champs. Unfortunately the Wal D'Champs website has changed since I downloaded the chart a few years or so ago and I can't find the link to it any more!  I've finished it as a little lined pocket, a finish I've seen a couple of times and have wanted to do.  I've stitched it 1 over 2 on 40ct Newcastle Pearl Grey with DMC 3865.

Below is Miss Mary Mac's Pins and Needles Pincushion by M Designs.  I've used the listed Picture This Plus 40ct Legacy Linen and Crescent Colours Threads, and the fabric you can see in the picture is what I've used for backing the pincushion.

I hope to be back again soon with more to show, until then thank you for popping by.  :o)

I'm Still Here!

Hi Everyone,

It's been such a long time since my last blog entry!  Colin has been home for six weeks and I've not done a stitch!  He left this morning for work again and will be away now for six weeks - hopefully the time will pass quickly because I'm missing him already! :o(

We had a lovely time while he was home.  Matthew our youngest came home for a visit for a few days and we also had a brilliant time in London visiting our eldest Jason and his girlfriend Nic.  We did a lot of sightseeing - went on the London Eye, saw the Houses of Parliament, did a tour round St. Paul's Cathedral, visited the Natural History Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum and much more!  We still have plenty more to do for when we go back again.  Matthew is studying at Brighton University, so after our trip to London we spent a couple of days in Brighton with Matthew.  It was so lovely spending some time with my boys because I haven't seen much of them this year.  They do ring me regularly though, especially when Colin is away.

Although I haven't been stitching I do have a little something to show which I finished a couple of months or so ago.  I love this little pincushion and have wanted to stitch it for ages!  It's by Theron Traditions from the chart Stray Pins & Mom's Scissors.  I've stitched it 1 over 2 on 38ct Natural Gander Linen so is a little smaller then charted.  Threads are the listed Gentle Art Sampler Threads and the twisted cord trim was made using DMC 221 and 3721.  The fabric for backing is one of Blackbird Designs Madeira prints.

I'm looking forward to getting some stitching and finishing done so hopefully it won't be too long before my next post, until then thank you so much for taking the time to visit. :o)

A Friend Is A Gift...

...and this little gift was stitched for a dear friend who has safely received it today so I can now share a picture. I really should have finished it and sent it on it's way well before now. I had completed the stitching in January, finished it into a little pillow and made the cord trim in March, which I finally got around to attaching in April...JUST...lol! The design is The Prairie Schooler's complimentary design, A Friend Is a Gift. Stitched on 32ct Bay Rum Jobelan using the listed DMC.

Today is reveal day...

...for the Jayne's Attic monthly challenge. Yippee, I managed to get the finishing done in time this month, I just had the tassels to make and attach yesterday! The design is Alphabet Tree, a retired complimentary design by Blue Ribbon Designs. Fabric is 40ct Light Espresso R & R linen with GAST Gingersnap, stitched 1 over 2. Tassels were made with DMC 3858. Just a quick finish, a pillow/pincushion finished the same way I finished the Indigo Rose pincushion I made last year. The front and back were whipstitched together. Not wanting to miss the reveal date again this month I didn't have time to wait until I could find a patterned fabric for the back so I quickly did a little stitching instead.