Stitching through 2020

Hi everyone.. pull up a chair , grab brew and some goodies ... we have plenty left to nibble on ... 

well I hope you all had a lovely Christmas despite the restrictions that have been put on us all. I know we did as we have our wee grandson living with us as you know so it was really special for us this year despite the dratted virus.

I have been extremely lucky with lots of stitchy goodies been sent to the mouse house and a few bought by my DH ( guided by me ;) ) and I am looking forward to them being put to good use ...

I also sent out some gifts and the list this year seemed to have got longer as I made more gifts as a wee thankyou for my stitchy friends keeping me sane through out it all ....you know who you are 😁

I am going to try and make a collage of all the goodies otherwise you will be here till next year looking at all the goodies hehehehehe

Over the year I have kept a record of what stitched on, finished, gifted etc and up to press have managed around 60 things this year and one of those was a wee picnic quilt ... I am currently in the process of finishing off a lap quilt for myself too and brrr do I need it on my lap today as for the first time in ages we got snow ☃☃☃☃ .. it was that bad I worked from home ... my poor wee mouse mobile would not have got me there or back for that matter....especially if it freezes over night 

for Sally, DJ and my boss 

goodies for me 

more goodies for me 

for Lindsey exchange gift 

from Barb to me :)

from Sally S to me :)

waiting for santa paws

Ok I've managed to collage my Christmas goodies amongst visits to York and Whitby in the photos and if you are careful you may spot my tiny elf ... who is now 7 and 3/4 mths old ... crawling, waving bye bye and saying hiya ... no toothy -pegs yet but he is managing to eat "normal " food quite happily  and loves pureed Sunday dinners ...oh and trifles too... I wonder where he gets that liking from hahahahah . We even managed to redecorate the spare bedroom as well amongst all the chaos and run up to Christmas and a wee pic is up of that too ... it is now much warmer and cheerier looking :)

there are some gifts I have sent that are missing from this lot hmmmmm will have to look for them for next time .... but I did find some to me that didn't make the original photos ...so bit of a bonus ...lolol

I hope that next year for everyone is better than it has been this ... so If I don't squeak to you before I wish everyone a happy, healthy stitchy/ crafty New Year 2021...

Take care one and all and happppy stitching :) love mouse xxxxxx

Jo's Christmas Blog Hop post

 Helllloo everyone ... it is that time of year again the annual Jo's Christmas Blog Hop post and when having a wee squeak with her the other day it is her 10th year of doing it too :)

sooo the theme this year is to post something christmassy or winter themed stitching that you have done and to pick a book that you like to read at this time of year ... either to yourself, a small person etc etc etc 

Well that bit was easy for me .... "T'was the night before Christmas"..... when all through the house not a creature was stirring not even the mouse ..... this year I have already read this to my wee grandson and will no doubt read it again before the big day .. he doesn't understand it as of yet but he likes to listen to me read to him and look at the bright coloured pictures 

The stitching is a wee bit harder as I have done sooooo many ..lol so I shall just bob the kettle on while I peruse my photos and pick something for your delight

Both pieces I did for exchanges last year and I did the Merry Christmas one for me as well to hang on my own ornament tree when I eventually get one :)

soooo I shall leave you for now ... please bob along and see what everyone else has chosen by clicking on the link above to Jo's blog and choosing the blog address's under the doors :)

take care one and all and I will squeak to you all again soon :) love mouse xxxxx

A summer of stitching and other tales

 Helloooooo everyone ...bet you thought I had fallen off the planet ..lol ... nope I have been busy with work,  stitching , quilting and of course grannie duties ....

I haven't stopped working just had to change the venues a tad ... working from home for the most part and now popping into the office on set days when there are only so many peeps in there .. which is becoming the new norm.

the wee one is growing fast and is 16 weeks old and becoming a real chatterbox and learning to turn over...he is a real diva too when he is hungry ..lol he had some professional photos taken when he was 13 weeks old and they are adorable :)

I have finished one of my big WIP's ... Needle and Thread by Samplers not forgotten, this was stitched on Sparklies Before the Storm 28 count evenweave with the recommend threads ... I stitched it with one thread over two so it gives a delicate appearance ...it has been admired by many and going to be stitched the same way by a couple of my friends :) I still need to iron and attach the buttons properly then get it framed as I don't have a frame big enough for it.

I have finished the combined Stitchers Prayer and Home of a Needleworker both by Littlehouse Needleworks, its a biggie and will have to get it framed so saving up my pennies for this one ...

During this time as well it was my "real " dad and his wifes 40th wedding anniversary so I made them a picnic quilt with matching bag to put it in ... they were over the moon as the first memory I have of meeting Elaine was she had put together a picnic for us to have at Llangollen Eisteddfod music festival many moon's ago when I was competing in the choir section ....I chose bright turquoise and cream fat quarters from Hobbycraft to make it up from :)

I have worked some more on the Where Blossoms  Bloom by Brenda Gervais as well .. this was my Monday night stitch but I am going to move it to Sunday now finished with the Beneath the sunlit sky one... I am starting Blackbird b BBD and stitching along with Sally and Barb to keep me company on a Tuesday night ... and stitching on other projects in between in an effort to get my WIP's pile more down ....made a big dint in it already ..lol

also included in the photos are the two blankets I made one for baby bear and the other for our bedroom, a sewing accessory combination for my friend Linda, Frosty fully finished and given away to my friend Amanda who has admired it right from the start ... I am going to make it for me too, a fully finished stitch that was done 2012 .....eeekkkk,,, a piece from the" Stitchers Journey book by Blackbird Designs and some project bags I have made too

ok you had better grab a fresh brew and some nibbles as just found all the photos and there are a few hahahaha ...

We also had our front garden made over by DD2 and SIL to be and are awaiting the railings to finish it off. Harrogate is off this year too due to the virus so I have been getting some threads in to do a SAL with Tina of the Anniversaries of the Heart by Blackbird Designs ... we are hopefully starting it the 1st Saturday in November which should hopefully give us enough time to get all the threads as they are a tad difficult to get hold of atm ... ho hum

if you have made it this far ... yeahhh ... thank you, I am hoping to update this more, as you forget what you have been up too when you get to a certain age..21 + vat hehehehe. So I shall leave you for now , so take care one and all and keep on stitching/ crafting etc etc .... love mouse xxxxx

Stitching the days away and other bits and bobs

Hi everyone … hope you are all coping well with the lockdown all over the world still continuing with slight adjustments here and there …..now … grab your brew and a cookie or two, as I have one or two things to show ..lol 

I am still working from home at the moment and only go into the office when required and when there is not a lot of others in there .. the bonus of this is I get more stitching time in a day as I manage to get some done before I start work and I am home a minute or two after hahahhahaha

Apart from my stitching and crochet finishes, I have become … A GRANNNIEEEEEEEEE... can you tell I am excited heheheheh….  my DD and SIL to be, safely delivered a wee boy on the 5th of May at 15.48pm weighing a healthy 9lb 7oz after a long labour bless her … both are doing fine and I am currently doing Grannie duties by helping out where I can... I haven't lost the art of doing nappies, bottles and absolutely loving the baby snuggles ...and when I am off in a couple of weeks I have offered to do a night shift or two :) and I even got his blanket finished on time too …. and he has used it as well ….
there has been some lovely weather since he has arrived so we all took the little man to meet our horses and they were ever so good with him too.

ok onto the stitching bits ...

I have finished The Inn at Fox River Mill by Littlehouse Needleworks ,  a SAL I was doing with Tina on a Sunday and a Monday night sooo I have added two new stitches into the rotation " Beneath a Sunlight Sky by Blackbird Designs on the Sunday and doing When flowers Blossom by Brenda Gervais on the Monday night … I am working on a combined Home of a Needleworker and A Stitchers Prayer both by LHN using the recommended threads apart from I have changed the house to a bright blue and using a dark blue for the main words.. I am stitching it on 28 count Country Mocha fabric sooo it is quite a big piece .
I have also finished I am a Stitcher by Cherrywood designs .. I stitched this one on Sparklies Oatmeal with most of the recommend threads just changed the background colour to a paler pink rather than the clover that it was orginally done in.. I am sooo glad that it has got done ...
Now if you can cast your minds back * cough one or two ish years and the rest I started Celtic Autumn … well you will be pleased to know that I have now started to add more stitches to her as it is time to get her finished at last ….
As well as the stitching I have also managed to finish the blanket I started two years ago for our bedroom at long last … and it is soooo cozy too ...

Hope you are keeping up ...lol 
we have had a lovely visitor these last few days and tonight I managed to get some lovely photos of the Deer that has come into our back field …. he is adorable and we are unsure as to where exactly he has come from as there has never been any round here at all before now ….
ok the kettle is going back on again while I find the photos for you :)

Baby bear was two days old here

Design by Littlehouse Needleworks

Meeting one of our horses  for the first time 

our visitor to our field 

Combined charts,designs by Littlehouse Needleworks ,

 I have done more on this but no photo as yet 

I am a Stitcher by Cherrywood Designs fully finished 

before stitching again on this 

After 

third lot of masks made 

stitching by Chris given as a gift to me

made into a little project bag

more bunting

Beneath the Sunlit Sky by Blackbird Designs 

Where Blossoms Bloom by Brenda Gervais 

#Bewell stitching by Rosewood Manor fully 

finished into a Hussif 

Soooo there you have it, I hermitted this last weekend and got the masks made, the hussif fully finished , the bunting made to match my other set and also made the wee project bag with stitching on it from my friend Chris H as the front pocket ...when I showed her she also had some of the fabric that I had used and we both got it in a grab bag of fabric miles apart from each other .. how cool is that ..lol … I will have to show you the blankets next time as can't seem to find where I have bobbed the photos ..lol 
Until next time, take care one and all and happy stitching etc 
love mouse xxxxxx

February done and gone and the rest

helloooo everyone ...gosh the year is flying by … January seemed to stretch for ages and ages and then poof we are almost at the end of February. I have been busy with some stitching and finishes too … I have also done an accountancy / bookkeeping course which I have passed Phew ...lol and done some more courses for work and again passed … brain still works hahahahah
Crickey time has flown on from then and it is now Covid 19 Season … its a bit like being immersed in a film and not knowing what is going to happen next in the plot …. I am currently working from home and learning new skills to boot ...
Before things went pear shaped DH and I with a couple of friends went to Ashworth Barracks which was really interesting and we had a great guide Steve who talked us through everything … DH was in the Army when he was younger so they talked shop a lot … they even had some stitched postcards in there ..I have bobbed a few photos up for you

couldn't believe how close my wee robin friend was to me

fastest fully finished piece ever ..lol

new start Stitchers prayer and home of a needleworker done together 

both LHN patterns 

Song of the Season's fully finished stitching wise :)

New Sal doing with Tina … Mill at Fox River Inn by LHN

Wip in progress .. I am a Stitcher by Cherrywood Designs 

Fully finished and awaiting framing " Needle and Thread"

See I have been busy ..lol I am also trying to get the blanket I am crocheting for my new to be grandson ... 5 weeks left and counting finished ... I am about half way there sooo fingers and paws crossed  will make it in time.
One good thing working from home is I don't have to drive there and back so I am using that spare time to get a wee bit more done... well there does have to be some high lights of the whole situation hasn't there ..
soooo before I leave it far to long again I will get this up and posted and hope that you are all keeping well ,.... getting loads of stitching / crafting etc done ... take care one and all :) love mouse xxxxxx