Blacksheep's having a giveaway.

I totally forgot to mention that Edgar is having a 4th Blogaversary giveaway.

If you don't already read his blog, pop over and have a look, always an enjoyable and informative read.

If you do read it - go back and put your name down, someone will be very lucky.

Here is his web site.
http://blacksheepsite.blogspot.com/

Good luck
Irene xxx

Betsy Morgan 'Tiny Treasures'

Oh my, how wonderful this would be if it was my finished project.

I would smile, graciously acknowledge the plaudits of my adoring audience, and retire, maybe to teach a selected few my acquired knowledge and skills.

But sadly it isn't.

I have taken this picture from the Inspirations magazine which carried the chart and instructions for this lovely Betsy Morgan Tiny Treasures Etui. (Issue 65)

However I did pick it up again a couple of weeks ago and actually finished the stitching, which is shown above, and chose to finish the easy bit first. The little tuffet.

It is little too. (Tiny Treasures is a bit of a clue, maybe) and I have shown it here next to a thimble to give an idea of size. It just needs a little bead attaching to make the central dimple and then on to the rest. The 'rest' is all lined with silk and stitched together with ladder stitch - guess why I chose to finish the tuffet first?

Can you believe how long it takes to find the right size, right colour, right style bead??

Yeh - you know - you do it too.

Two postings this week. Phew - I'm exhausted!

Irene xxx

Something to share - at last

I thought I would share this picture with you - it all looks a bit of a muddle .....but let me explain.

In my hallway I have a little ornament hanger tree-thingy on which I hang my little tree ornament thingies. Sounds logical eh? Well, it being Easter and all, I decided to use the tree instead to hang some little eggs and tiny wooden chickens and birds and other seasonal bits and bibs.

So without ceremony I gathered up all the afore-mentioned stitched things and dumped them on this little chest where there was already some other bigger pieces of work and I was astonished at how many there were. They are not artistically arranged to their best advantage - just sort of spaced out - but not bad eh?

And I have been adding to the pile during my long absence from this blog. My son was away working in Spain for a week and so my dog Meghan and I just did our own thing - for a whole week. I will hopefully make a couple of brief postings this week to show the latest additions.

This is the first - a patriotic heart.

 I know, it should really be a Union Jack heart, especially with the growing frenzy here of Royal Weddings, but I liked the Quaker look of this freebie by Aury. I am sorry, but I checked the site to give you a link, but the chart is no longer available.

It does have a soft creamy white thread contrast but it hasn't shown very well in the pic. The backing material is laid alongside. I finished it with a continuous border of red and white Delica beads.

So hopefully - another posting soon to show you a couple of my other finished projects, but now - I must away to finish my exchange piece for the BBD exchange.

Maybe I'll stitch whilst watching yet another Wedding related TV programme. We've had ' Royal Weddings' in general ' Royal Wedding Dresses', Royal Wedding Cakes', the Kate and Wills story, the 'Kate' story, the 'Wills' story, the 'Middletons' story, we've even had the stories of people who are related to Kate through common ancestors in 1700 and whom she would never recognise if she passed them in the street.

Good Grief - they will be knocking on my door next. I once visited Westminster Abbey so maybe I can contribute too!!

Thank you so much for checking back and for all your lovely comments. I really, really appreciate them.

Irene xxx