Inspiration, motivation.............

 .......whatever it is that's lacking, I definitely need some. I very often sit down and think about my little blog and what I could write about but then while I sit here poised to type something, my mind goes blank. What have I been doing for the past three months, where have I been, what have I made?

Well, this post is just a reminder for me that I have been doing something.

 I have been doing some stitching.

Celtic Noel is coming along and it will be finished for Christmas, there's not a lot left to do. The top part that you can't see is all finished so it's just this bottom piece that needs finishing.

DD Rachel and I have both joined in with the Sewandso Stichalong, for me just so that I can have a quick finish each week and for Rachel because it's her first SAL. I do wish that I'd done it on evenweave though as it's a while since I've used aida apart from card making.

Earlier in the year I started stitching CCN Ladybugs and bumblebees but twice I changed the thread because the writing wasn't showing up on the fabric so I changed the fabric and I'm still not sure about it, it seems to blend in too much.

DH saw me looking at some HAED charts that I liked, I've never bought one as I don't think I'd have the patience to do one but later in the week this turned up in the post. I don't know if it will ever get done, it's a bit of a project. It's called the little dreamer's tree at least he ordered the one with just 90 colours and not the 200 plus one.

Another pair of socks have been knitted  though not yet pressed and a few more rows put into DHs jumper which I'm hoping to finish for Christmas.

We had a lovely day out in Trentham Gardens and I managed the walk right round the lake. It's so beautiful there and we just had to stop and say hello to these lovely creatures.

And we managed to get to the monkey forest just in time for feeding. It was a bit scarey walking through the monkeys but apart from the odd scuffle they behaved.

I've stitched cards and paper crafted cards, read loads of books and decorated two rooms so I've not been idle there's always so much to do.

This is my eldest daughter Sharon during her 10k run in Salford. Her group raised over £1000 for  Alzheimers. I am so proud of her as she had never done any running before


She also does some model stitching too and here's her son Alex showing off his new clothes.

During the good weather the garden has taken up most of my time but there's not a lot to show out there at the moment as everything is dying down for Autumn. I love Autumn, I love the colours, I love swishing my feet in the fallen leaves, love that the grass is green and love the fact that I will soon be able to put the lawnmower to bed until Spring. The daffodils, tulips and hyacynths have been potted up ready for their time to shine next year so the garden is getting ready to have its annual rest.

Well that was my summer, we did lots more but no more photos to show so I'll leave it till next time.

Love and hugs, Sue xx

A finish and a new start

 Hello one and all, I hope that you're all having a happy stitching New Year. I've been looking at so many blogs catching up on what everyone has planned for this year and it's really made me feel that I want to stitch again.

 It's been lovely having the grandchildren living here for the past six months, even though it's gotten a bit stressful at times but it hasn't left much time for stitching and my other crafty hobbies, So, now that I've got the house looking something like a home again I want to spend some time on me and my hobbies; the house needs decorating all the way through and it will soon be time to plan the garden so busy times ahead.

We have daffodil bulbs showing by a good three inches and for saying that I was late planting them they are really looking good but the garden is so wet and muddy that even if it was fine outside I wouldn't be able to do much. I can't wait for Spring, I love Winter for sitting cosy by the fire but I tend to hibernate and get to the point where I don't want to go out so a touch of sunshine is so welcome.

My first finish for 2012 is one that's been hanging around for the past few months waiting to be finished but never having the time to do it so I needed to get it out of the way before I could start anything else.

 CCN Summer Garden

I decided that my next start would be La-D-Da Bushel and a Peck, I bought this last year and couldn't wait to get started on it but other things took priority.

 I realised that I was missing a couple of the threads needed so while I've been waiting, this week I started stitching Small Token by Blackbird Designs and I'm loving doing it.

 I forgot to add a photo of a present that I had for Christmas from my daughter Sharon. She's started doing crochet at the end of last year and entered  a Christmas ornament exchange and I loved what she'd done so she tucked one away in my present. Unfortunately the girl who she crocheted the original one for never sent her anything in return so she was a bit disappointed that no one would see her handywork so I thought I'd put it on here.

The base underneath the skirt was a bell so there have been plenty of angels getting their wings this Christmas.

One last photo and this is of my birthday cards from the thread exchanges that I'm in at Needlecraft Haven and a little group called Threads of Friendship that I've been in for a few years.

Well I think that's all for now, hopefully I'll be a better blogger this year, I need to keep track of what I've been doing!