Happy Friday everyone, weekend fast approaching, glorious Spring sunshine and warm temperatures, daffodils and crocus in full bloom ~ just perfect!
My sore paws have now recovered from my stitchy day out with DD last Friday and the stash levels are now fully replenished! I had casually suggested to DD that I thought as we were visiting the Show on a Friday this year to avoid the masses that normally descend there on a Saturday we might find it a little quieter and easy-going ~ how WRONG can one get it ~ it was full to capacity and hard-going and even though we were there for 4 hours when we got home I discovered from the show guide that we had missed quite a chunk of stalls ~ Oh dear! DH did suggest going back on the Sunday ~ I passed on that one!!!
I'll post some pics of the new stash on my next post, this one already has picture overload!
It's amazing what you have hidden away and have completely forgotten about?
I didn't want to pillow-finish my last 2 stitches and as they were awkward sizes I had been hunting around the charity/thrift shops in the hope of finding something suitable to frame them with, no luck but when DH resumed his search in the attic last weekend for my magnifying glass for my daylight lamp, he struck gold!
Lurking in the far corner of the attic (accompanied by the odd spider or two ~ not my scene!) there's a pile of framed pictures including old cross stitch ones, most are up there because they have a horrible orangey-pine frame to them and that just doesn't go anymore with the oak finish in the house BUT . . . .
this one which is an oak finish had a Bent Creek stitch in it ~ The Weathered Garden
which turned out perfect for . . . .
Springtime Social
To balance up the picture I added a fabric trim to the bottom and added those 4 lovely coral shell buttons I bought recently
Next up in the yucky orangey-pine frame was A Country Kitchen Sampler, a Leisure Arts leaflet, which I stitched an eternity ago and had considered selling but I had personalised it with 'Jane's Kitchen' so didn't feel anyone would want it . . . .
By rubbing down the frame which lightened the wood considerably and having a new cream mount cut it has come up a treat for . . . .
Cup cakes by The Historical Sampler Company and now hanging proudly in the Dining Room!
My charity shop hunting was not a complete waste of time though and I did find this little beauty . . . .
It's actually a Key box and when opened up it has 6 hooks inside. What appealed to me was the colours, a washed cream with burgundy red highlights around the edge and the roses on the top plus it had an aperture to the front to add a photo cross-stitch!
Now, what to stitch to go inside that aperture . . . .
Of course, a bunny or in this case a white rabbit! I've stitched this from La-D-Da's chart called Briar Rabbit, it should have the alphabet around it and also a border but I think this is just right as it is!
I've used Gentle Art Sampler threads and have matched the colours to the quilt cover in our bedroom.
The hooks are great for holding small bangles and bracelets and I can stack small earring boxes on the bottom shelf.
On that same shopping spree I also found this little photo cube which holds a photo on the top, 4 around the sides and revolves on a circular block on the bottom . . . .
And I knew exactly what was going in this ~ my little set of Lanarte farm animals and these were stitched even longer ago and have never seen light of day . . . .
The only problem ~ I have six animals but only five spaces!!!
Who can resist a fluffy white Spring-time sheep?
Or the sweet smell of a little piggy?
The gentle mooing of a black and white cow?
The cute quacks from a little 'Jemima'?
And the provider of our daily eggs?
Sorry. Mr. Horse you missed out this time, I have never been a horsey person but he'll still make a nice pin cushion so won't go to waste!
And finally . . . .
Can never resist a bag of buttons and these are soft cream ones and a mixed bag of pretty purples, mauves and silver ~ 25p, well who couldn't???
Thank you for all your lovely comments on Tilly's springtime fun last post, we thoroughly enjoy reading them and are so grateful to you all for sharing a bit of your day with us.
HAPPY STITCHING
xxx
