Cross stitch!

I turned the little caravan into a card, along with a seahorse. Then a bit more

All three kits are by Mouseloft. Linking with Heather for Small SALs check in

Yarn Along no more!

First a little mermaid.

Apparently she slept in it too! ( picture by her Mama)

So since we have been away I have been using my Kindle and have read The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. Thank you everyone who recommended this book to me. I LOVE it. Absolutely brilliant. Quilts, equal opportunities for women, abolition of slavery, love , friendship, and based on two real sisters in the nineteenth century.  The best book this year! So far.

I have reached the stage of adding the front band to this matinée jacket, should be done by next week.

Ginny has decided no longer to host her Yarn Along! I shall certainly miss the Wednesday ritual, but life goes on, and I would like to thank Ginny for doing this for so long, it has been such fun and to wish her all the best. She has suggested that instead we link to Frontier Dreams and stay calm and keep crafting, so I have here at Frontier Dreams

One a week photo challenge- Spiral

Spiral Up

Spiral Down

Did you know that spiral staircases in castles always spiral in the same direction, all to do with making it hard for a marauding knight to draw his sword with his right hand!

Pictures taken in Carcassonne!

Please feel free to join in whenever you like, and leave a comment on Sandra’s blog or below.

Next week’s prompt is Historical.

Happy Snapping!

The Sewing Nook.

Not my sewing nook but Tabitha’s! Tabitha has a lovely blog, full of the wonderful things she makes and sells here at The Sewing Nook

Now pop over and have a look at her pretty aprons. I asked her if she had any bee fabric and took commissions. Mr B’s partner Ms G likes her bees. Tabitha said Yes. Some discussion followed, and this week right on cue I took delivery of this beautifully warapped parcel .

I had to look inside but wanted to preserve wrapping. Take a look at this.

One staggering lovely bee apron which is also lined

Close up

Can’t wait to give it to Ms G for her birthday next month. So lovely to be able to support a British seamstress and blogger. Thanks Tabitha.

 

Yarn Along!

Slow and steady! Main body of the mermaid’s tail is complete, just two flappers/fins to go, hoping I have enough yarn.

Another book by Bill Bryson. This one a birthday present, 2015 from my eldest son, finally at the top of the pile in the bedroom. Funny as ever on the subject of us odd Brits, and our wonderful countryside. Just saying!

Joining with Ginny for Yarn Along

One a week Photo Challenge- Floor

Between a rock and a hard place!

Stalactites in Crete

The Old City, Carcassonne!

Next week’s photo prompt is Spiral

Please feel free to leave a link to your Floor over at Wild Daffodil or in the comments below, we would love to have you along.

Happy Snapping!

17 for 2017- February

It’s been an odd winter here this year, endless grey dismal days. I really feel as if I did hibernate away till it was over. The pain in my thumb/hand is lessening, and I have reduced the amount of knitting I tackle each week.  On the couple of sunny days we had this month I couldn’t wait to get in the garden, normally I am a reluctant gardener until I get outside.

The sunshine and warmth at the weekend in France has woken me up. All of a sudden I feel more alive, Spring has arrived.

So what about my 17 for 2017 goals?

17 swims- finally dragged my sorry a*** to the pool on Wednesday. Technically that is a March swim, but who cares? I am back in the pool.-Total 1

16 hour-long walks- we had another walk round Dalby and a new to us footpath. We walked to a bird hide and had a happy time looking over a lake and watching the wildfowl– a couple of moorhens. Well it is early in the year still. Total- 2

15 Pre owned books read-6 , but the pile by my bed is growing still as people keep lending me books, but at least I haven’t bought any, unless you count the three I bought on the Kindle. You don’t count those do you?

14lbs lost- I did at least get on the scales yesterday, so now I have begun.

13 cards made- 0

12 village photo posts-0

11 days out-2 now with the day in Carcassonne

10- try 10 new things- I ate wild boar for the first time. Cooked with chestnuts in a red wine sauce and it was GOOD

It was the meal at the anniversary party. The one bean vegetable made me giggle!

9 knitting and crochet projects – 6 with the crochet blanket

8 other crafts-0

7 Sewing projects-1. The one being the wall tidy I made but there is  progress on two WIPS. The first is my patchwork quilt, which now looks like this.

And the Winter embroidery which I will show next time.

6 Non Fiction books read- the total is now 2, as I finished the book about John Steinbeck and Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson.

5 bits of family history research. I have a planned visit to the county records office next week, so progress may be made in March.

4 Jolly Good sort outs. 2. We have been through our clothes and two big bags went off to the charity shop. And I sorted the guest / craft bedroom, from this

to this

Result! Stand by for the next one!

3 interesting finds-0

2 picnics-0

1 boat ride-0

0 craft purchases- 0. Although I did buy another ball of yarn to complete the crochet blanket, that doesn’t count because it isn’t a new project.

Not too shabby for someone who was hibernating!

How are your goals for 2017 going? Please leave a link below to your update posts if you like.

 

 

 

Yarn Along!

The mermaids’ tail progresses slowly. I do about 8 rows at a time and my thumb/hand pain is easing. I took the Kindle away with me at the weekend and am currently finishing off Ann Cleeves Novel, Hidden Depths. Another in the Vera Stanhope series and a jolly good read.

Joining with Ginny for Yarn Along