THE FINISHING LINE . . .

I've been confined to virtually one room most of this past week as the decorators are here again working on the hall, stairs and landing and there are dust sheets, ladders, artex and pots of paint everywhere.
Artex, now that's a horrible word and any of you that have ever experienced it will know about the pungent smell that comes with it and remains until it has completely dried and been painted!  The decorator's tell me that the nearest comparison to the smell is cat pee but not ever having had a cat I wouldn't know but feet and cheese seem more appropriate to me!  Thankfully the weather has been lovely and hot so all windows and doors have been permanently open and fresh air reigns.

So confined to one room what should I do?  I know open that draw that contains all those finished stitches that I occasionally hear saying 'Finish Me, Please!'.

First up ~ Happy Bunny Bunny Day which I stitched a few weeks back but had no suitable fabric for finishing.  An unplanned stop at a Patchwork Fabric Shop found me debating over two fabrics which I thought might match, not sure I bought both and still not sure when making a pillow finish yesterday I used both!  The polka dot fabric is the backing and I found some matching buttons to put on the front :

Next, Heart in Hand 'Summer Bird' which DH bought a new frame for.  HIH added a bee button on their design but I couldn't find one so I stitched a trailing leaf from his mouth (as shown on their other seasonal birds) and added a small flower embellishment at the bottom of it :

Frame hunting at the local Charity/Thrift Shops found a finish for the next one.  This Wildlife Sampler was stitched so long ago I don't even remember doing it but as the hare reminds me of Buttons I have always wanted to frame it and this washed-wood effect frame matches perfectly and now hangs proud in the Dining Room :

 

Last post I had just started a Lizzie*Kate, this was a really quick and easy stitch and again has a pillow finish with backing fabric shown on the heart pegs and matching ribbon:

Lizzie*Kate 'Stitching forever' stitched on 28count white evenweave with my choice of DMC colours

Are you still there?  I've been confined to that room for a long time so digging deep to the bottom of the forgotten draw found this one and again it's another pillow finish :

HIH kit 'Rise and Shine' stitched on 28count Platinum Linen with threads provided (I think!!!)

So, lots of finishing and the sewing machine has been busy BUT I still squeezed in new stitching as well.  I've looked at 'Man's Best Friend' so many times since my last post but I just can't find the enthusiasm for it at the moment.  Hidden at the bottom of the stash box were some little Mouseloft Stitchlet kits which DH bought for me some time ago, they are too small for individually framing so I have decided to make them into a patchwork cushion and have completed 4 of them just using fabric scraps in linen, I shall make up the remaining patchwork squares in some rustic burgundy colours :

and finally a start on 'Washing Day', a Forever Friends design which will eventually hang in the Utility Room and match my own white wicker laundry basket (with so much time devoted to stitching recently my laundry pile is as big as this one!) :

Celebrations tomorrow as someone small, furry and adorable reaches the grand age of 10.  Buttons continues to do well after his tumor and tomorrow will celebrate his birthday with his favs ~ carrots, watercress and green beans (not much of a feast for the rest of us but he'll love it!!!)

HAPPY STITCHING . . .