'HAPPY DANCES' BUT WHO ATE THE SOOT ???

 This was such a fun, easy stitch and I can't believe how quickly I was able to celebrate with a spooky happy dance!  I love the black cat peering out with its green eyes and the pumpkin coloured hat is my favourite!

Lizzie*Kate - 'Hats Off To Halloween' stitched on 28ct Sand Minster Linen

 with my choice of Gentle Art Sampler Threads

I didn't have all the exact colours listed on the chart so used some similar and some of my own choice and not having enough 'Purple Iris' for the writing I chose 'Soot' instead, plenty of that one . . . . at least until I got to the 2 letter e's in the word 'Halloween' and this was all I had left . . . who's nibbled the Soot?

If I curl up in my wooden tunnel she probably won't notice me . . .

If I disguise myself with hay she may not notice . . . .

And I camouflage well with the kitchen floor so that's always a good option  . . .

but I was there stitching with Mum at the time and it did look tempting so I only ate one length of it, how was I to know?

Tilly, you pickle!  I just had enough to complete the lettering, if it had been 'celery' or 'spring grass' I could have understood!!!

So with my threads and fabric under threat now I need a new stitching pal and with huge thanks to Cath (The Stitchin' Chicken) that's what I now have . . . .

Cath was celebrating her blog birthday with a giveaway and this cute Stitch Pal was her prize.  I lost my best stitching pal a little while ago, my lovely Buttons, so whilst I get Teabag, sorry Tilly into shape (DS was telling a friend about her on the phone and he misheard him and thought we had called her Teabag!) this is my new partner.  Cath also sent me some crafting scissors, always a necessity to me and she had stitched this cute little bunny which has a pink fabric on the reverse with a bunny holding a big bunch of carrots!  It has a lovely pink ribbon attached and I shall use it to keep my cross stitch needle safe ~ I have hundred of needles but I always use the same one and if it goes missing or I drop it it's everyone on the hunt to find it!!!

Thank you so much Cath, this was the first giveaway I'd ever entered and I was so thrilled to win it.

Another quick and easy Happy Dance this week was Pine Mountain's 'Tie One On' Kit ~ October.

I can't find the pillow form to go with it anywhere here in England so I think I will have to make one of my own but I love the big black ribbons on the sides, they will look great when they're tied in bows ready for the witching season.

I haven't stitched since Thursday as I've been in complete agony with an abscess on my tooth.  After being up all of Wednesday night, my Dentist was really good and saw me the next day and prescribed antibiotics for 5 days . . . . it's the first time today, since then, that I actually feel more comfortable with it and back to myself, don't think I've every felt pain like it and not being able to eat or drink (what's the weekend without a glass or two of wine?) hasn't helped!  DH and the gang have said they will cook the dinner tonight so I can catch up on some sewing (aahhh, how sweet even if I probably won't be able to eat it!) 

HAPPY STITCHING . . .

THE LONG AWAITED NEWS . . .

After what seems like an eternity of waiting this happy little eskimo more commonly known as DD collected her exam results on Tuesday and clever, clever DD passed all of them with merits as well!

Soooooo, sooooo pleased for her and with her final interview with the College next week her place and all of her chosen courses look to be guaranteed ~ well done DD you deserve your success xxx

The gang only have 1 week left of their Summer Hols and although we have not been away the days seem busy and my job as taxi driver continues.  I don't see to be able to settle to any one project at the moment so 'Washing Day' has had no progress to it at all and my little Mousecroft garden friends are still waiting for their finish BUT I did squeeze in this small stitch in the week ~

This was a kit called 'Sew Stitches of Love' by Trudie Ann Designs bought back in April at the London Stitch Fair.  I stitched it on the 16-count Rustico Aida that it came with but changed the colours to my choice and added a bunny to the bottom.  The two rusty tin hearts also came with the kit and I used the chequered fabric for the backing of the pillow.

Tilly seems to like it and an attempted nibble on the top corner seems to prove this!

The weather here in 'the not-so-sunny-England' has been horrible and not what the Summer Hols should be!  It's grey and gloomy most days and our longed-for rain not so long ago has now overstayed its welcome, the evenings have been so chilly we have even contemplated switching the central heating on - this is August we're still in isn't it? 

So when these gloomy days appear that's when items of comfort come calling!  Is anyone else like me and has something or someone (usually food) that cheers you up and gives a good warm feeling - my weaknesses are Rice Pudding with Strawberry Jam, hot custard that's runny enough to drink out of a mug and an extra cup or two of cappuccino!  I cannot bear to be bare-footed and slippers are my biggest comfort and the more pairs the better.  DH and DD went shopping the other day and came back with these little furries for my feet - how cute, I've yet to introduce them to Tilly but something tells me she may make best friends with them pretty quickly!

I see a lot of blogging friends have started, and many already finished, some Halloween stitches. I always think cross-stitch is the best at this time of year, there are some great witchy stitches and fun pumpkins to be created and sitting at the bottom of my Stash Box are quite a few which have been overlooked again and again until it's too late and back they go to the bottom of the pile.

So this is the first one I shall tackle ~ Lizzie*Kate's 'Hats Off To Halloween' and I shall use some Gentle Art colours that again always get left at the bottom of the box:

Although my stitching progress has been slow my unveiling of our gorgeous chair hasn't!  I am rubbing this all down by hand using good old sandpaper and I'm really enjoying it, as you can see from the 2 photos the original wood is lovely and light and has nice patterns in the wood grain.

years of stain and varnish

and

now:

And finally, those gloomy days shouting out to me that Winter is getting closer and closer had me hunting out my crochet hook.  Now this really is a thing of the past for me but I have seen some lovely creations on blogging friends posts recently so I thought I'd give it a go again.  I'm not crocheting individual granny squares which I know do give a better finish and a chance to play with colours, I am keeping it simple and round and round I keep going just changing the colour when I feel like it.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend, tomorrow is a Bank Holiday here in England so an extra day off and for us it will be a celebratory tea for Grandad's birthday and DD's exam results.

HAPPY STITCHING . . .

FURRY FUN AND AT LAST SOME MORE STITCHING!

Thank you again blogging friends for your continual support and from an overwhelming 100% majority it would seem that Buttons and Stitches remains my blog title, I don't think I would ever have had the heart to change it anyway but it's still so nice to receive messages of encouragement.

Well, after an initial scare with Tilly with lots of noisy breathing and sneezes, life has certainly become very busy but also full of furry fun!  She appears to have a small respiratory problem which may be caused by a dust allergy from her bedding so with special bedding now in place and lots of fresh air we seem to have improved it a little but need to keep a careful watch.

DH swears she thinks she's a puppy and by some of her mannerisms I agree - she is full of affection and we are adorned by bunny kisses all the time, she knows her veggie treats are in the fridge and will sit with her front paws up begging, knowing that it's really hard for me to resist and say 'no more' and she follows me around wherever I go.  When she's sleepy she will either flop down on her back, fully stretched out (a little scary when you first see her do it and a sudden rush to make sure she's still breathing!) or she will lay in my arms like a newborn baby again on her back.  At 7pm she goes into overdrive and so far has found her way into the washing machine, nibbled on DD's 'Hollister' hoodie and hid behind the fridge/freezer ~ I've tried finding the 'on/off' switch on her but it seems to be well hidden!  I often wonder what my dear old Buttons would think of this little rascal, he'd approve I'm sure.

'A little rascal ~ Me?'

Blotto! but just wait until 7pm

'Funny shaped carrots Mum?'

Mr. Fox has found his way back into our garden again and devoured our blackbird's nest in the Pampas grass followed by a scattering of feathers the following morning belonging to a woodpigeon.  We have barricaded every opening we think he comes through but as they are known to climb as well I think we are fighting a losing battle and when Tilly is out in the garden she is kept under careful watch and just in case a new fox-proof bunny run is on its way as I type ~ so fingers crossed!

The school holidays are now half-way through and they really have been a lazy time so far.  DD keeps busy and is out and about most days (1 week to go until exam results) and DS's go out for bike rides and footie but that's as busy as it's been so far.  DH took them all to see Toy Story 3 last week and they all loved it even though it had a few weepy moments in it ( 'No! I just had something in my eye, Mum').

If I remember rightly my Blog is meant to be about cross-stitching too so my apologies for bunny ramblings.  I have now completed 8 Mouseloft designs which I think along with  patterned fabric squares will be enough to make my patchwork cushion :

Mouseloft have loads and loads of these small design kits and I decided to stitch ones which represented our garden ~ the 2 birds are frequent visitors, both to the birdbath and the cables around us, the hedgehog visits early Spring and late Autumn and kindly digs holes in the front garden looking for grubs, the owl we hear but have yet to see, the butterflies are plentiful and love the Buddleah bush, toads and frogs dwell in the stream at the bottom of the garden, the dog visits with Nanny & Grandad and finally the bunny - need I say more?

If I need to stitch any more to make the cushion a little bigger then I will have to choose carefully - I don't think they do a fox or a squirrel (both unwanted visitors) and as from yesterday evening a bee is not top of my list either as one kindly left its sting in my left knee cap (ouch!)

A little progress on Forever Friends Washing Day ~ look harder there really is!

And a find at the LNS with an end of season sale, I really don't need another kit to add to the collection but I've always liked this one and it will look good as my title picture (one day!)

'Stitch in Time' by Margaret Sherry

DH and I had an afternoon to spare at the weekend so we decided to take a trip to the Flea Market and have a rummage in those dust covered boxes full of bits and pieces that once were probably so meaningful in someone's life.  We love wood of any kind, the smell, the look, the feel, just so tactile and DH found this gorgeous piece tucked in a corner, it has layer and layer of stain and varnish and will be a great project to sit out on the patio and strip down on Sunday afternoons, I love the little heart in the back and won't my patchwork cushion look lovely sitting in it when it's restored to its natural glory?

My find was a little smaller ~ a wacky tea-light holder, now clean, dust-free and new beading on the shade and best of all buried at the bottom of a wicker basket full of unloved toys - a lop-ear bunny very grubby and smelly but after a soak in the washing machine and a whiz around the tumble dryer now a gorgeous cuddly ~ who do you think drew me to this?

Well, that's it for now, DD has just returned from a sleepover so a bit more washing to add to the pile and tomorrow night I'm being dragged off to a football match (yes, the season has begun again, uuugh!), not sure how it will look if I sit there cross stitching but I can just imagine the boys embarrassed faces!

I have been reading lots of your blogs but not had much time to commit to leaving comments but to those of you that I know have also recently suffered losses, both pets and close relatives, a big hug to you all and the hope that you are able to remember all the happy memories you shared together.

HAPPY STITCHING . . .

LIFE GOES ON . . .

I have to start by thanking those of you that were so kind and left me messages of sympathy and support on my loss of Buttons, they all meant so much to me and the fact that people not only read my posts but then take the time to leave a message when we all lead such busy lives is very touching.  I have had lots of ups and downs since that day but have found much comfort in the Rainbow Bridge verse and my knowledge that I had a wonderful 10 years from my bunny, my best buddy.

So life goes on!  On the 15th my twin boys turned 13 and now I have 3 teenagers in the house (it can feel like 4 sometimes when DH's around!!)  We bought them new gaming consoles which they very much wanted and in the evening took them out for a family meal.  The following day they went away for the weekend with their church group to a big Christian Youth Camping Weekend in the grounds of a private school not far from us.  The weather was perfect and they enjoyed swimming, sporting tournaments, discos, camp fire food and a couple of very late nights!

School has now finished and now begins the 6 weeks Summer holidays.  We don't have anything particular planned so I guess it will be a chilled and relaxed time for all, we eagerly await the 24th August when DD's exam results will come through, I know she gave her best so I will be pleased with whatever results she achieves.

And now the news I have been itching to share with you:

introducing . . . .

TILLY

This wasn't a decision I had planned to make but for my own personal reasons and something one of my children had said that touched my heart I decided our family wasn't complete without a bunny.  So whilst the boys were blissfully unaware and away at their camping weekend DH and DD took me to numerous garden centres which all had pet shops so I could look at the bunnies but none of them pulled at the heartstrings.

Our local pet rescue centre was being refurbished so the rabbit department was shut down and no-one had any bunnies for rehoming.

So all Saturday night I searched the internet and finally came across a breeder, some 45minutes drive away who had a litter of 9 for sale with pictures posted of each one.  They were all beautiful with very unusual coats apart from one which just stood out for me.  I emailed her that evening to see if we could drive over and take a look on the Sunday morning and later that night she emailed back to say 8 of them had now been sold and only 1 was left . . . . yep, the one that was pulling at those heartstrings!

Sunday morning over we went with me repeatedly saying to DH and DD 'I don't want to be pressurised, it may be too soon and not feel right' and they agreed.  I explained this to the breeder as well and she said I was under no obligation ..... then she got 'Baby Number 8' out of her hutch for us to see .........  a little mini-lop ear doe, 9 weeks old and agouti coloured (same pattern and colouring as a wild rabbit/and Buttons).  Yep, you guessed it, I melted and home she came with us, 1 week ago.

Tilly at 3 weeks old

I've named her Tilly, no particular reason why, it just suited her.  Within 3 days of her being here we each received bunny kisses, lots of lap hopping and the wonderful binkies that all bunny owners love to see!  She eats virtually anything (including your hair) and loves to sit on my lap at breakfast time eating celery.

The children were so young when we first got Buttons and have no memories of all the above gestures so this is lovely for them to experience and best of all it has encouraged them to talk about Buttons and my memories of him doing the same things.

Bunny kisses for Twin II

Tilly made her first visit to the Vets the very next day for her first jab and to be checked over for any problems.  The vet we saw was the one that treated Buttons tumor so I think she knew how special this new bunny was to us, she cuddled her so much I didn't think I was going to get her back again but her reassuring eyes told me that I had done the right thing and that she was perfectly healthy but just needed to put some weight on!  I'm sure when she returns for her second jab next week the weighing scales will definitely confirm this!!!

And finally, what about my Blog?  Do I continue?  If I do, then do I rename it?

I've lost a couple of followers recently, perhaps my ramblings about sad occasions have put people off but going by the number of kind people offering words of support recently I guess followers are willing to share those moments too.  I don't want to change the name, Buttons & Stitches was all about my bunny and cross-stitching and if I keep the name then his memory lives on too, I expect Buttons name will make a continual appearance on posts along with Tilly.  I have done no cross-stitching since that day not because I've lost my mojo or anything, it just hasn't felt right but I will!  I will stitch something commemorative of Buttons, I have kept his food bowl, he had the same one for 10 years, I shall put a church candle in it and stitch an evenweave band around it with words that are special to me and on special days I can then light it and think of Rainbow Bridge.

Thank you to everyone for sticking by me, normal stitchy posting will resume again shortly!!!

HAPPY STITCHING x x x