End of March catch up

 I have been planning to post all week but there was always another stitch to make! And there was the week gone, just like the month really, cant believe how quickly it has gone.

So my purple Stitch Journal page is almost complete.

Each little box has been outlined using a different method or thread combination of couching. Lots of what if's  here and some have worked better than others. I will post some close ups when it is finished. I have been using small bits of precious threads - some silk or linen - in the last box rather than throw away and am planning an Easter egg to work on the top of them. Then looking forward to next months colour - and circles!

Another pair of Winwick Mum basic socks were finished this week.

The yarn for these was called Robin.

I have made a start on quilting the first borders of Wings and Pretty Things using a simple feather design.

I have not made as much progress on this as I had hoped, mainly because a distraction arrived in the post.

Raewyn sent me this delightful little pattern and, bliss oh bliss, some gorgeous blue Cottage Garden thread to work it in. Thank you Raewyn. And so of course I got started and couldn't put it down - until I had to wait for the measuring tape tape to arrive that is.

So delighted with this little set - I even ordered a new pair of scissors! and made the scissor pouch a little larger to accommodate them. Am now waiting for some press studs to arrive as I have been unable to track down my tin full. No doubt they will turn up in a day or so when I am looking for something else. Otherwise it is all complete. Now I am going to crack on with the quilting.

We are well into 'April' showers here with torrential downfalls one minute and blazing sunshine the next!

But did manage to pick a dry day last week for a trip out to a National Trust property. Lytes Cary Manor

which was a first for me. What a delightful house with lots of beautiful wood paneling. I didnt take any pictures inside but nicked this one of a beautiful stumpwork mirror frame from the NT web site.

The bottom third of the stumpwork was worked in the 1660's the rest in the early 20th century. Lots of beautiful details including Kings Charles and Queen Henrietta in the original section and Lytes Cary Manor in the top section.

The gardens were looking good and the gardeners were busy moving a huge heap of compost from the front of the house to the gardens. Here are a few of my favourite pics.

That is all from me for now. Wishing you all a very Happy Easter - and of course chocolate!

FNSI March

 Another Friday came around and it was a busy one for us as we were out all day. So it was nice to sit and relax in the evening with a little bit of slow stitching on my Stitch Journal.

I worked on the rectangle bottom right with knotted feather stitch and French knots. I do love purple so it is nice to have all these different shades and threads to play with. While on the purple theme I finished my RSC blocks for the month earlier this week and they have gone into the folder with the others.

And also on the subject of thread, a dear friend in Australia very kindly sent me these beautiful Cottage Garden threads and I was over the moon!  Thank you.

I am determined to use every bit of these and not sit on them for too long waiting for that 'special' project!

I have been quilting this week and completed the centre panel of Wings.

My next job is to mark up that first border and I am thinking feathers to tie in with the wings. And I do think I am going to be 'winging' it as I usually use a stencil for my borders but can't find one in UK to buy.

Finally, about 10 days ago now, We had visitors here and the weather was good! So I was able to get a decent picture of Red Manor House now that it finally has it's binding.

And in it's new home.

Many thanks to Wendy, who was a busy bee yesterday, for organising our FNSI's.

Hope you have a great weekend.

FNWFs March

 March 1st and the first day of spring - well it was cool and wet so pretty much like winter has been really.

Thank you Cheryll for inviting us again - hoping you are having fun with your visitors. Pop over to Cheryll's blog here to see who else took part.

I had hoped to get RSC threads and fabrics organised for the month but Angela didn't announce the new colour until it was too late for me - so today I am going to be rummaging through my purples.

My Friday was spent quilting Wings and Pretty Things. I started last weekend and the centre panel is all starting to look good.

I have one more corner to go round before the panel is finished.

I finished up my February Stitch Journal panel on Thursday and have enjoyed using my reds. Somehow threads are like fabric and however much you use you still seem to have the same amount left!

                                                                                    x

Sad to say goodbye to Hairy Biker Dave this week. We have followed the Hairy Bikers on their travels since the first series in Portugal and enjoy their relaxed and cheeky presentation. Great recipes too.

x

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy your purples and challenges.

FNSI February

 Many thanks Wendy for our Friday Night Sew In - see who else took part here

My first sewing for the day, as always at the moment, was my Stitch Journal. The red page is slowly filling, well actually the month seems to be whizzing past and the page is filling quite quickly!

Yesterdays pebble was the stacked herringbone cross, lower middle. Such a versatile stitch herringbone. And while I am on a red theme here and as I will be linking with Angela for her RSC update here are my log cabins for the month with Jennifer's lovely embroidery (slightly altered to suit me) in the middle of one of them.

These were finished earlier in the week.

But back to Friday. I finally had a trip to a LQS, tucked away on a farm up in the Quantock hills and managed to spend a small fortune but came away with lots of goodies! One of which was binding fabric for my Red Manor House quilt. I machined the binding onto the quilt earlier in the week and have been spending some time each evening hemming it down. So that was my next Friday job. It's a long way around that quilt! I got quite a bit done yesterday but still more to do. Here is work in progress - I think about a quarter left.

Another purchase was the backing fabric for Wings and Pretty Things which has also been waiting quite a while for this next stage. I layered this up at my patchwork group on Tuesday afternoon.

As soon as I have finished hemming RMH I will start hand quilting this. Am so looking forward to quilting again!

Also while I had a large table to work on I layered up last years RSC top.

Those creases are from folding since I layered up - it was ironed before!! This one is for machine quilting and probably Linus so no hurry at the moment.

I think that is all my news for now so I will leave you with the first daffodils in our garden - later than most peoples, I think because they are in a part of the garden that gets no sun. Have a lovely week.

Friday Night with Friends, again!

 Lovely to get another chance to link up with stitchers around the globe for a creative Friday night. Many thanks Cheryll and you can see who else joined in here

I have been travelling this week and was a little behind with my stitch journal but got it all up to date Friday evening. Here is how my reds are looking.

While I was away I was able to crack on with my knitting on coach and train. The swallow sock has progressed nicely and yesterday evening I completed the decrease after the heel turn.

This is knitting up beautifully, however, it is now going to join the easy lace sock I finished last weekend in the UFO bag as I now have a commission for two pairs of socks which need to take priority. The first pair are in another WYS bird yarn called robin. Stay tuned.

I stayed a couple of nights at Frinton on Sea which is across on the east coast in Essex. It is unusual for a seaside town in that there are no shops or amusements along the sea front. Just apartments and houses looking out over a wide green to the sea. There are lots of colourful beach huts along the promenade. I had a couple of lovely walks along the prom and thought I had taken more photographs but it appears not!

It had been very windy the day before and you can see all the pebbles along the prom that had been thrown up by the sea.

You may need to click on this next photograph to enlarge it. In the mist is a huge wind turbine farm.

Thats all from me this week - hopefully I shall be back next week for FNSI. Have a great week.

FNWFs that wasn't!

 Well some of us were stitching along together yesterday! Never mind Cheryll - we are happy to go again next week and if anyone wants to join in then you can sign up now here 

First up for my Friday after a very pleasant day spent with family was my Stitch Journal. Having finished with January

I have moved onto the RSC colour of red for February.

Some of those reds are a bit more coral than red but they are beautiful threads and need using! Here are days one and two.

Next up some knitting. I finished this first lacy sock and I do love how the colours have worked.

As I have some travelling to do next week my next job was to make a start on a Winwick Mum basic sock that will be easy to pick up while I am away. More West Yorkshire Spinners yarn, this one is called Swallow.

And that was my evening - looking forward to next Friday now.

And while I am here another green finish for January - a new Swedish peg bag as my old one had finally, after many years, given up and need to find the bin.

I made this one a little smaller and it is perfect for my needs.

So that is me all caught up. Have a great week everyone.