Kitty Kats

I´m still making my way through the `Grow Your Blog´ list, with loads more visits to make and I also want to return to others for a better  read and not just a quick visit as being made at the moment. 

While making visits, I notice that there are a lot of pet lovers out there and am intrigued to see how many pets creep into the bloggers´ posts and effortlessly try their hand at modelling, sporting innumerable positions, eying the camera with professionalism and posing on all types of needlework as though to give their unbiased approbation.

Some time ago I made myself a cat themed ipad cover, a bit worn and dull now as I am cautious about washing and ironing it due to the different threads and fabrics used.

I enjoy using metallic threads and mixing different fabrics. I´m always on the look out for unusual remnants.

So I sorted through some beads

and sequins to make the cat´s faces.

The inside is lined with a black velvety type of fabric so the ipad doesn´t get scratched.

 There is still time to enter my giveaway before the draw on the 15th FEBRUARY, so if you haven´t entered yet, visit my `Grow Your Blog´ post and leave a comment there.

See you next week.







Tusal 2014 January

Here is my Tusal jar sitting pretty with its January orts. To find out more about this group click on the Totally Useless SAL image on my sidebar.

The suggestion of saving these threads is really a good idea as it makes one more conscious of where we leave them.  Not that I go dropping threads all and everywhere, but then why do I find them all and everywhere?

They uninvitedly insist on adorning the house indiscriminately and cling rebelliously to some surfaces and on one of my carpets in particular, they even stubbornly resist the vacuum cleaner - and best not to remember the times I spy DH with the odd runaway innocently embellishing the back of his jacket or trousers!

A lot of the threads in my jar this month are from the above Lizzie Kate design called A Good Marriage which I am making for my daughter in law.

See you next week.  Don´t forget to enter my giveaway and win something pretty.  Find the details on my Grow Your Blog post.

Sheryl

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Smalls SAL January and GYB Giveaway

I have joined the 2014 Smalls SAL hosted by Heather  at stitching lotus... If you would like to stitch something each month, do join the group, click on my sidebar button which will take you to where all the information is.

and this is what I have stitched for January.

 I thought I would stitch something using blue instead of the typical Christmas colours of red and green and I found this design called Winter Star by Guello Stitch.

 It is actually star shaped but I have made it square instead.  At the moment I´m not very pleased with it but that´s probably just because we want to forget Christmas right now and when I look at it again next December, I will probably like it.

Well, I´m off to see what other members of this group have stitched and also to continue visiting everyone who is taking part in the Grow Your Blog hop.

 

I have been busy visiting and reading other blogs - so many lovely things to see and a lot of talented people out there.  I´d like to thank those who have popped in to visit me and have left nice comments and to say a BIG welcome to my new followers.  As part of this blog hop, I´m offering a little giveaway, so if you haven´t entered yet, go to my PREVIOUS post and leave a comment there (you don´t have to have a blog or be a follower)  The winner will be announced on the 15 FEBRUARY.

Bye for now.

Sheryl



Grow Your Blog and Giveaway

WELCOME

Thank you for finding and visiting my blog.  Today the `Grow Your Blog´ Party begins which is hosted by Vicki at Vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.com and is a means of finding new blogs to visit and read and meet new bloggers and followers.  Firstly I must mention something about myself.  My name is Sheryl, I am British and I live in the North of Spain.  I have two children and three grandchildren.  I started this needlework blog two months ago as a means of keeping a record of my work and to find others who share this same hobby.  While here I hope you will have a quick look around and if you like what you see, maybe become a follower.  My other interests are genealogy, gardening and reading.

I love embroidery

 

 These are small scissor pouches.  They also have a little embroidery on the reverse side.



The insides are lined with silk or satin.

I also enjoy knitting and crochet



 

 

 



Love patchwork and applique

 

I wish I had more hands and that there were more hours in the day to do all the needlework I would like to do. I think most of us crafters feel the same.  Here is the giveaway.

 

GIVEAWAY

As a thank you for your visit which I hope won´t be the last, I am hosting a giveaway.  It is EITHER: one of the embroidered mermaid scissor holders seen above (the orange or the blue without scissors) OR one of the embroidered compact mirrors as seen above (pink or purple)

All you have to do to enter the giveaway, is to leave a comment here on this post.  You don´t have to have a blog or become a follower, all may enter.  Be sure to mention in your comment which item and which colour you would like if you are the winner and to include a way of contacting you.  One winner will be announced on the 15th  FEBRUARY.  Good luck to everyone.

 

GIVEAWAY  NOW  CLOSED

Thank you so much for visiting.  I hope you have fun with the blog hop and will return here again soon.  Click on the above link which will take you to Vicki´s blog and the other participants.

 

Getting Going

After my New Year´s slump of two weeks, I´m getting going, although dubious as to exactly where.  An aggressive flu epidemic has saturated our local hospitals with over 1000 new cases every week and relegated all but the young and intrepid to the secure walls of home where one may safely watch the world go by from a closed window which one dare not open incase the mighty virus enters.

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 I have been making a bit of progress this week on `The Good Marriage´  by Lizzie Kate which I began last week and  then I opened the Dreaded UFO Drawer wondering if just taking a peek at the Never Ending quilt would motivate a continuation.... it did not.    

This quilt was started about four years ago inspired by Leanne Beasley´s Journey of a Quilter and includes various blocks of hers.

Apart from patchwork blocks, there are applique blocks and quite a few embroidery designs by Bronwyn Hayes.

 

And crazy quilt stitches





All the actual blocks are finished but a lot of small stitching details need completing.  I even bought the surrounding border fabric years ago, so I really have no excuse not to get going in this direction.

Grow your Blog Party

Just a reminder that next week on Saturday 25th January the Blog Hop begins.  It is sponsored by Vicki at Vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.com. and sounds like a good way to discover new blogs, meet new bloggers and increase your followers.  A lot of participants will also hold a giveaway (me included)  so do visit Vicki if you would like more information.   See you next week.

Sheryl

Stuck in 2013

I think I´ve got stuck and can´t get into 2014.  Everyone seems to have new plans, projects and have new designs and patterns on their blogs and I can´t get moving.  I still haven´t found an embroidery SAL with speciality stitches so I am going to start work on A Good Marriage by Lizzie Kate which I have in my stash and will make as a gift for my daughter in law.

Thinking of marriages, I made this  hussif  for my daughter when she got married.  The front shows a photo of the young lady in question, her initial M and a piece of lace which I embroidered with ribbon roses, french knots and beads.

On the inside I made a lace covered  little pocket to hold packets of needles or ribbons and suchlike and a very narrow one to hold a marking pen or crochet hooks.

I added two pieces of felt for pins and needles,  made a pocket for scissors and a beaded pin cushion.

There is another pocket with lace and ribbon roses on the reverse side and more decorative stitching.

I followed Julia´s tutorial for the little crochet Victorian thimble holder which can be found at Julia´s Place.

I hope that over the years this hussif has come in useful.  I will have to ask my daughter or perhaps she will read this and think `good heavens, where did that go? 

Until next time,

 Sheryl