Vintage Sampler and Hyacinth Update

Firstly, I'll start with the hyacinth. All the blooms have gone from the first plant, and the others seem to have slowed down a bit. It's still early yet for any other blooms, I just think the first one was eager to see the light of day.

And what do you think of this sampler? Found at an antique fair and I'm trying to work out how to pay for it. I think I'll be hitting ebay with a bit of my excess glassware over the next couple of weeks. I really feel the need to have this piece of art in my house. All stitched by a girl of 9 - makes you wonder how good their eyes were in later life. If I am able to purchase it, I will endeavour to chart it - long term plan, and find out what I can about the stitcher.

Celebrate with a competition - not mine!

I found another competition by gum!!!
To help celebrate the birth of her new grand-daughter - my newest friend Jan, is having a wonderful giveaway on her blog. Look at all these goodies!

Keep a lookout here too - I'm hoping have another giveaway this week - just didn't quite get myself organised last week.!

Inspiration - Hyacinth and TUSAL update

It's about time I posted again - fancy that! nearly a week without me blathering on about .....well there's not much to blather on about stitching-wise.

I don't seem to have made much of an impression on 'Inspiration' - although I did stitch on it exclusively over the past weekend. I'd forgotten how time consuming stitching 3 stitches in one colour, then perhaps 24 in another colour, then skip to yet another colour for 8 stitches........ I'm also doing the backstitching of the vines as I go, which helps with placement of the flower buds. At least I can see what I've achieved with the back stitching.....

I have also picked up again the 2nd copy of 'Too much Stash' - finishing that before I start another. No pic's of that 'till it's finished.

My hyacinth for all it's early promise, has flopped. Too much too soon! Perhaps the other bulbs will put in a show.

Nearly forgot my TUSAL contribution for this month. I found a little bell and put that around the neck of the container, but there are threads in there from Poppies, Inspiration, Too much Stash, Liz's Cushion and the birdhouse sampler - that I can think of. Behind it is the ex-rosebowl/fishbowl - as you can see, it's nearly full and time to empty out and put away all the extra bits that have accumulated the past few weeks. I do tend to use the threads that are in the bowl as first preference when stitching itty-bitty hap-hazard ornies that leap under the needle.

Lazy stitching in practise! Oh you can also see my GPS bag I made for myself - rather proud of myself for that one, 90 minutes from idea to eventuality! Protects my GPS from knocks and bumps in my handbag and glovebox. I have to be nice to this one, it's my 4th in six months!!!

Happy Stitching!

Did I ask about more Competitions???

I had to ask - didn't I ??? I found this competition - on Plum Street Samplers - follow the rules for a chance to win 5 samplers! and

I've heard a rumour about a Christmas in July competition - and am following up on that one - ah...found it. Renae is offering a box of surprise goodies - follow the rules for a chance at this one too! Good luck!

What's this - another blogger Giveaway?? True Dinks!

Thanks to Kate - I've been pointed towards another Giveaway!

Jo at Dip Diddly Designs is hosting her first giveaway - and it's ever so neat! Follow the links on her blog to enter...

Can I find any more this week?

I found another givaway to share!

Marie over at Wahroonga is having a birthday giveaway - and what a lovely excuse - Share the joy and visit her blog and join in the competition! For Non-Aussies - you've got until midnight Aug 3 to enter - I'm sure you can get a wriggle on and enter early! C'mon and join the party!

Monday Hyacinth Update - and Poppy WIP

My poppies are coming along well. I stitched only on these this weekend - I neglected 'Inspiration' shockingly.
Of course, it didn't help that I got sidetracked by a movie on Sunday afternoon. I didn't intend to watch 'Forrest Gump', but of course did...and could not stitch and watch at the same time!
The top area can be easy to misplace stitches as they are mostly confetti stitches of clumps of 2-4 stitches. I'm just picking a colour and stitching it unitl the thread runsout, trying to focus only on that colour within the grid. I don't usually keep WIP photos, but it is nice to see just how much progress is made.




The first bloom on the hyacinth is dying away without ever raising a neck out of the collar of leaves. Perhaps the cold weather is too much for it, despite being on an internal windowsill. The newer hyacinth spikes are growing well. It seems that I'm not likely to have more than 5 blooms out of this pot (so far!)

Have you found the birdhouse freebie? Let me know if you are having trouble.

UPDATED - Birdhouse Sampler and Inspiration WIP

As promised - and to keep me inspired later in the year, when I read back and look at all my finishes for the year - here is another quickie - found on a french blog that I cannot access while at work. (If you are interested - leave a comment and over the weekend I'll trace my steps backwards to find it for you) FOUND IT - HERE - do a bit of scrolling around - there are quite a few freebies here - if in need use Babelfish translation service for the whole url - might make it a bit easier. It had no name, but it was a quick stitch and I used whatever Needle Necessities (Threadworks) floss that struck my fancy. I'll probably fashion this one into another cushion (now that I'm such a smarty pants and know what I'm doing with ruffles!)

Hubby asked me last night, "Why do I stitch all these little alphabetty thingies - and what am I going to do with them?" My answer - because they leap out and appeal to me - I need to keep my fingers occupied in the evenings and they'll probably all end up as gifts this year. Do YOU have an answer to the same type of question??? Why do you stitch what you do - and what will you do with them???

As for Inspiration - have not touched it since last weekend, and this is all that I've done so far. There is a quantity of backstitching and I'll do this as I go - mainly because it helps with placement of the x's. A section of this chart is stitched over 1 - not sure yet if my eyes are looking forward (pardon the pun!) for this section....

And in regard to that other Inspiration - I don't know if he is due in today, but I found out that he is returning to University studies as from Monday, so today may be my last heart-fluttering moment. (I'll take my camera with me and ask if he'll pose for a photo for all my internet friends ! NO PROMISES!)

Competitions - 2 really nice ones!!!!

I've been trying to avoid entering competitions, but these two keep rearing their heads, and tell me to spread the news.... firstly this one: Patti is celebrating her 2,000th visitor by holding a whopper of a surprise giveaway - reading through her blog she has done some quality exchanges. The winner will be blessed.


The other competition can be found at this blog - oh so drooly - but be sure to follow the rules - that's always important!


I will be organising another chart giveaway here again really soon too. Photos to follow soon of my wip and small finishes - perhaps even of the moonrise (if the photos worked out! - it's been spectacular the past couple of days!)

I ain't ded!!!

One of our regular contractors has recently put in a new delivery guy - and he's a cutie!

It's enough that as he arrives, I now contact reception and 2-3 of the office girls trip over themselves to bring something to the mail room while he's there...so funny.

Today, he put his first lot of boxes in a pile in the wrong spot - and I asked him ever so nicely to move them so that I'd have access to the pigeonholes.... so he bent down and moved the pile as I was signing for the consignment.

I made the mistake of looking sideways while signing........ahhhhhhhh..sweet....

I forgot my name......


could not for the life of me, remember what my name was or how my signature went....

I might be old,

I might be grey,

I might be fat,

BUT I AIN'T DEAD !!!!!


just the thought makes me smile even now

Monday's Updates - Hyacinths and Friendship

I hope that you are all just as fascinated by the growth of my hyacinth..I just find bulbs miraculousand am amazed how much life is fitting into this tiny 5" pot. So far, I have the original Hyacinth, which is now putting forth it's first blooms, I'm waiting for the stem to push up a bit more, the flowers are wilting before their first full showing. There are also plant 2-3, which I believe to be stray daffodil/jonquil bulbs, accidentally transplanted about 8 months ago. Not long ago, I mentioned plant number 4 - another Hyacinth - which is progressing quite nicely. This weekend, I discovered plant number 5 - another Hyacinth peeking out from below. It is going to be a crowded pot, I don't think it's wise to transplant them at this stage of their growth - I'll just have to remember at the end of their cycle, to treat them to a new home for all the pleasure I've been given this growth cycle.

As for my most recent finish - I am very, very pleased how this came out. I've never tried to sew a ruffled edge to any of my pillows before, I've sort-of known how, but never put into practice. On saturday, I found this fabric in the bargain bin at the local patchwork shop; all of 30cm wide - and it was exactly the right width for the cushion - it was a lovely pairing. Without referring to any books or instructions, I cut the strips of 10cm each, joined them together, then made 2 rows of running stitch. The time consuming bit of this was sitting pulling the gathering threads, trying not to snap the thread. I had made a running stitch on the aida, to show me where an even border was, and I stitched the gathered thread to this, then placed the backing fabric on, remembering to leave a gap to turn it through........once turned, I used plain poly-stuffing, sitched up the gap and marvelled at the way i'd finished the job. One of the best feelings ever!

(oh yes...It's a Lizzie Kate 'Friendship' pattern.)

I've passed this comfort cushion through now to a workmate, who will be seeing another ill colleague later this week. I think she'll appreciate it.

Onto the next project....a freebie from a blog that I discovered on Saturday morning - of course I don't have the details with me right now, nor do I have enough batteries in my camera to share the WIP pic, but I may even have it finished by the end of the week. I'm more in an Aida mood than evenweave at the moment. What about you? Do you leap between projects and material styles or stick to one project until all is complete???

Pease Porridge Hot - Pease Porridge Cold.......

Gotta pass this on before it gets cold!!!!
Marie kindly voted me for this award..... I get to pass it along.

Now the rules are:
Put the picture on your blog AND link to whom you got it from.
Name at least 7 blogs - leave a comment on their blogs!!!

Can this be so hard? After all with the amount of blogs I try to follow (over 100 now), surely there are at least 7 that I can nominate with ease?

hmmmm ... here goes...

Coni - love your tales of Stewie and his view of your life
Edgar - I get to watch pigeons grow and see another's garage sale finds!
Sue - Not only blog enabling, but food too!
Lori - Pirates & stitching !!! - nuff said!!
Patti - Lots of lovely stitching
Kathryn - lots of clear photos - I fell like I'm almost taking part in the WIP's
Anna - for setting goals and achieving most of them!
Carol - such a wonderful way with words!
Stephanie - not stitching - FOOD!!!!

Time for me to stop now - I've gotta go and post a message to all of you and grant you your award. Thank you for your unique look at life and stitching (and food).
I feel connected to all my favourite blogs - sometimes your days are so much better to read than my own!

Hyacinth Surprise!

I've looked this morning, and there is another hyacinth bulb coming up....so this poor little pot - a mere 5" diameter is home to 2 hyacinth bulbs and 2 (probably) jonquil bulbs.... It's going to get crowded - not only that, but they are all seasonally confused - spring is not due for another 8 weeks! I'll take weekly photos to share their progress...
I really should also take some photos of my stitching - will have to finish off the 2nd version of Too much Stash, and I'm nearly finished a Lizzie Kate. I might grab out the sewing machine this weekend and make a couple of 'finishes' too.