Just a little....

Stash Empire Building, that is....

I started Stitch from Stash for the first time this year but I have fallen off the wagon so many times that it is not funny! lol!

It all started innocently enough with a few threads bought whilst travelling around Victoria for work...

From a quilt shop in Warrnambool.....

... and then a craft shop in Kyabram...

Then I came home to a parcel from The Silver Needle - my latest project in the "A Little Help from our Friends Stitching Circle".  All of the projects in the Stitching Circle are custom-designed, just for the Circle - lovely!

Love the hearts on the tissue paper.

... and this is what was inside: a sweet design called "Alphabet Stitches" by Blackberry Lane Designs - all kitted up for us. A lens cleaner with the same design printed on it, a very sweet wire basket for displaying Smalls and a few jelly beans (but I ate them before I even took the pic - lol!).

Then Wendy, from my LNS, Lazy Daisy - which has now gone online only - posted this gorgeous fabbie on FB.  I couldn't resist and bought a metre of each one.

... I know exactly what I am going to stitch on it - this gorgeous Emma Congdon (Stitchrovia) design from the May edition of Cross Stitch Crazy.  I saw this design stitched by someone in the Stitchmaynia Group on FB just the other day and then the fabbie turned up on FB the next day and then, luckily for me, my local Newsagent actually had a copy of the right mag! Serendipity or what?

... as for the gorgeous floral fabric, well, again serendipitously, I had also ordered this sweet Jardin Prive Cat Lovers Quaker design - it will go perfectly on this, with just a few tweaks of floss colour, I think.

Also sneaking into my order from Lazy Daisy are these two gorgeous designs from Mirabilia: Royal Games I and II.  These are just stunning and so unusual - I love them! 

... and the last two items in my latest Stash Empire building are these two sets of designs from Plum Street Samplers: Noah's Christmas Ark I and II. Cute idea, aren't they?  A bit of a twist on the 12 Days of Christmas, I think.

So, lots to keep me busy on New Start Sundays although at the moment I am obsessed with stitching on The Ice Skaters, so I haven't been Friday Frolicking or New Start Sundaying and last week I was on the road again so there was no 'Merica Monday either.

There will be an update post on The Ice Skaters in a day or two, so please do come back to see my progress - it is coming along beautifully.

hugs, 

P.S. Please don't forget to check on my Winners post to see if you are a Girl's Nest Giveaway #6 winner. Just click on the image below.  I have only heard from a few of the winners and as I have been so busy with work trips, I am behind on emailing people, so you may be one of the winners - worth checking out, anyway.

A quick update on my Dad.....

.... and on my roses and some Stash Empire Building...

But first, I must thank everyone who has sent me messages of support for Dad. (You can read about what happened in this post here.) He is doing well and the big news is, after over a week of nursing home visits, endless phone calls to case workers, social workers, nursing home business managers and the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) by my two sisters, myself and TraderVic, we have found him a lovely nursing home.

It is called The Alexander (just like my eldest son) and is a small, family-run nursing home.  Some of the nursing homes we looked at were very large and we just think that Dad would get lost and overlooked.  Honestly, his leg could be on fire and he would just ask the nurse for a glass of water and try to put it out himself, without one word of complaint.  So, we need somewhere smaller for him, so that he is noticed, so to speak.  

He will be moving to his new home on Monday, so I think that may be an emotional day for all of us.

Now, in my absence, my roses have been running riot.  They are just stunning this year, so far.  Here are my latest pics.

Oh, and as usual, I had fun with my Impresso App on my phone and here is the same pic as above as an Impressionist painting.

Cool App, isn't it?

Now, to the Stash Empire Building.  I had a smidgeon of free time yesterday, so what did I do with it.  Visited one of my favourite shops in the world, of course.  My LNS, Lazy Daisy.  The lovely Wendy and Sue, always make me feel welcome, are up for a chat and naturally, are happy to feed my Stash Empire Building addiction - lol!

So, here is what I came home with....

Some cute Lizzie Kate Christmas Designs...

Love the sheep and the Leaping Deer on this booklet.

Can't make up my mind whether to stitch Santa in his nightgown or "Is it too late to be good?" first, these are two seriously cute designs!

I also, picked up my Whooligan fabric which had been ordered for me.  But do you notice something strange?  In the photo of the design, the fabric is blue but what came is definitely gray but it does have sparkles, so I am happy with that!

I also chose these four Drawn Thread designs, (I am sucker for seasonal designs, especially in a series).  Although, I may brighten some of the floss colours up a bit, I will do a floss toss first though, and then decide.

 ... and lastly, I chose this trio of smalls from Plum Street Samplers....

I am quite drawn to crows at the moment - I seem to see them wherever I go - not sure if that is significant or not.  This is the rhyme regarding the number of Crows that you see.  At different times lately, I have seen one or two or three at a time but never more than that.

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss.

Okay, that is all for now, my next post (probably later today) will definitely be the gorgeous garden of the B&B we stayed at on Kangaroo Island.

If you want to follow the earlier posts about our trip to Kangaroo Island, please click on the links below:

So much to tell you

Still travelling to Kangaroo Island

Oh, one more thing.  Today is Remembrance Day.

This year 11 November marks the 98th anniversary of the Armistice which ended the First World War (1914–18). Each year on this day Australians observe one minute’s silence at 11 am, in memory of those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts.

Lest we forget

Now, that is definitely it for this post, 

Talk again soon, 

hugs, 

#gottaloveyourstash!

Hi all,

Oh, how do I love having a good stash pile.  I am doing some finishing on my Christmas in July swap pieces. Yes, I know, taking it to the line but I will get there! I had hoped to get more done on Wednesday when I was recuperating after my dental surgery but I just didn't feel up to it, not surprisingly!  However, I am picking up the pace on my finishing now.

So, I was looking for some Christmas fabbie in my stash boxes.

.... and oh, ever so quickly, I put my hand into the second one I looked in and found these two great pieces of Christmas fabric.

The top one is a lovely flannel piece and the other is cotton.  Both are perfect for my plans.

Then, on the stitching front last night, I finished all of the cross stitching on my fruit wreath and started on the back stitching.  Doesn't it make the bow pop?  I am very pleased with how this is turning out.

Well, have a fabulous day everyone, another busy day for me - writing contracts for authors for a new project, meetings, checking one of my eBooks for errors, and a morning tea (someone going on maternity leave), lunch with my Dad and sister (she is kindly bringing Dad into see my awesome office and then I am taking them out to lunch at the new restaurant in my building) and then two afternoon teas - maternity leave one again (someone else) and a Smith family fundraiser!

Hmm, doesn't sound like I am doing much work but I can assure you I work very hard!

                      hugs,                         

P.S. Thank you so much to everyone for your good wishes re my recovery after my dental surgery - my mouth still feels rather bruised but it has stopped throbbing so much.  I just have to be very careful about what I eat and how I eat it.