Shabby Linen Quilt finished!!!

My shabby linen quilt looked good before I threw it in the washing machine and dryer but it looked amazing when I took it out! The frayed edge gives the quilt so much texture. I am so in love with it. My son has spent the afternoon under it on the sofa so it is obviously snuggly also.

I am not convinced I should plant many roses at my new home which is disappointing as I love them. I had over 30x roses at my previous home which thrived. The foliage keeps getting eaten, I think by possums. This particular rose "Double Delight" was given to me as a housewarming gift. Luckily it is still flowering beautifully despite the half-eaten leaves.

My DD Mary, 12, has a green thumb. She planted this bed out with daffodils without my help in Autumn and now look how pretty this bed is.

Feather and bird...

My bedroom wall feather cross stitch is coming along nicely. This pattern is from a charming book a Rainbow of Stitches. It is stitched on a gorgeous 32 ct linen with white silk. When finished (hopefully tonight) I will frame it in an embroidery hoop and put it in a cluster with several prints.

A sparrow is born. I have been busily working on the "Marjolein Bastin design" Lanarte cross stitch in the evenings while watching shows like Country House Rescue and Masterchef.

My Very Own Christmas stocking...

I have really enjoyed cross stitching a Shepherd's Bush Christmas stocking for my three children so I decided to stitch one for moi. I'm is not too old for a Christmas stocking am I? Here tis. It's the "Elisabeth" design. I think I should stitch one for hubby now too.

Sophie's Roses

I am proud to say I have finally had a cross stitch finish. I have only been doing this cross stitch for 10 years. Fast aren't I? I bought the stitchery as a kit. It came with the 32 ct linen and silk threads.

You may wonder why it doesn't look quite like the picture. Well I lost the pattern while on holidays years ago and couldnt' retrieve it just as I had begun stitching the outer border. I decided that I did not need the outer border but also I didn't like the inner border of black checkerboard. So I have left both borders out. I like it the way it is and too late now as it is booked in to get framed. I can't wait to hang it in Miss M's bedroom.

Giveaway winner...

I used my random number generator "cat" (Bob!) to find the winner of the fabric bundle. He took a little to warm up but eventually chose a numbered Uno card. High tech in this house.

Drum roll please.....

The winner is Lizy from Texas!!! Congratulations. Check out Lizy's blog. She has photos of the cutest cross stitched rainforest frogs.

Thanks to those that entered, Jan

Cross Stitches update and Giveaway Reminder...

I have added a bit more to the upper border of the Marjolein Bastin design Lanarte cross stitch. I've moved from Spring in the top left corner to Summer in the right hand corner of the design. I love the theme of seasons in patterns. Don't you?

As one can never have too many projects on the go, I am also stitching a peacock feather (pictured above) for the wall of my new bedroom like the design pictured. It is from the Rainbow Stitches book I blogged about recently. I will frame and hang it with an embroidery hoop. The white silk thread on the 32ct linen is beautiful to work with.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway by making a comment on my previous post!!! Competition closes on Monday July 18th. There are great odds for winning.

Shades of Blue Fabric Bundle Giveaway!!!

Hang the bunting. Tie up the party balloons. Blow the party whistles! I've reached my 50th blog post!!!

Blue is my favourite colour so it is apt to celebrate with a bundle of blues. They are a fat 1/8th bundle from an atmospheric church shop called The Quilted Crow which specialises in scrummy reproduction fabrics.

TO ENTER: WRITE A COMMENT ON THIS POST. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOG PLEASE ADD YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO YOUR COMMENT SO I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU IF YOU WIN. I WILL HAPPILY MAIL ANYWHERE AROUND THE GLOBE FROM LITTLE OL' TASMANIA.

GIVEAWAY CLOSES SUNDAY JULY 17TH BY THE END OF THE DAY EASTERN STANDARD TIME. THE WINNER WILL BE DRAWN RANDOMLY ON MONDAY JULY 18TH.

Good luck!!! Jan

Progress on my English Cross Stitch...

This is our 5th day straight of howling,freezing weather. We even got trapped at our house the other morning due to icy roads. In Hobart it is rare to be disrupted by snow and ice. Two posts ago I said how much I loved Wintry weather - well maybe not for five days in a row! At least I have done a bit of sewing this afternoon on my shaggy linen quilt. Will post the progress of that soon.

My internet connection has been so bad (I think cos of the weather) that when I posted last I couldn't post any photos of the progress I have made on the Marjolein Bastin cross stitch by Lanarte from The Fox Collection . I have done about an 1/8th of the piece. It is a L.A.R.G.E stitchery let me tell you, but lovely to watch the pictures grow. Here tis...

A Very English Cross Stitch...

I a.d.o.r.e. everything English. Maybe I inherited my adoration from my English ancestors who were came to Australia involuntarily at his/her majesty's request. I bought this seasonal cross stitch pattern from The Fox Collection to commemorate my travel through England. It is part of the Marjolein Bastin Collection made by Lanarte. My favourite section is the row of tiny bird's eggs.

Brrrr...Winter Stitching

Lots of people complain about Hobart's Winter. I don't. Secretly, bad weather is my favourite weather. Today is a perfect example - snow flurries, rain and howling wind. I'm loving it! I haven't got time to stitch during today (toddler and housework need I say more) but come 8pm I will batten down the hatches and settle in front of the TV with some needlework. I will be perfectly cosy and happy.

Success!!! I have completed all of the stitching on Toddler Tom's Shepherd's Bush "reed" Christmas stocking. Now there are charms to attach and to get it sewn into a stocking. I adore the row of houses along the bottom of the stocking. I'm sure he will love it for years to come especially the presents that will hide inside it.

Designer's Forum Tapestry rug

What a strange and unsettling morning I have had. News that a relative has passed away in France suddenly while travelling with her husband and news that my friend's daughter is in hospital unconscious. I send my thoughts to the immediate families of those loved ones. Life can be so fragile...

Have you dredged up a UFO as old as this tapestry floor rug? 12 years ago I started it! I only had ever done a few inches of work on it before leaving it to sit in the cupboard FOREVER. Over the last few months I have started stitching it again. It is not a small rug - about 100cm x 60cm. It's a Designers Forum Holland Park needlepoint kit using a design by a William Morris colleague William Frend de Morgan (1839 - 1917). The yarn is high quality Appletons crewel wool. Well its been fun to revive my interest in tapestry.