Merry Mini Santas

I've just finished all eight cross stitch Santas from The Prairie Schooler's Merry Mini Surprise pattern.  Aren't they cute!

I really enjoyed stitching every one of these little Santa figures.  Each is different and stitched up quickly.

My favourite is the Santa with the walking stick with holly around it (above) - he is so cute!  Funnily enough I asked Hubby which one he liked best and he picked the same one!

Hope to get these made into little ornaments soon. 

Think I might have a new Christmas tree next year with cross stitch ornaments on it.  Last year I stitched some other Prairie Schooler Santas and Snowmen.  You can see them here.

Hope your Christmas preparations are going well.

Love, Liz

Tiny knitted Christmas stockings

I have had a great time knitting these cute little Christmas Stockings.

I got the pattern from Jean Greenhow's Christmas Special book - full of lovely little Christmas knits!  Check out the link to see some of the other patterns in the book.

I call this guy my drunk Santa - he won't sit up properly - no matter where I put him!!!!!

Each of these stockings only took about an hour and a half to stitch and are just about four inches high.  I tried to make each one different from all the others.  I'm hopefully going to make them into a little garland for across my mantlepiece.

I've had this pattern book for years, but I think that it is still available to purchase.

Love, Liz

Vintage book for winter

Does anyone remember King Rollo?

By David McKee, King Rollo was a popular children's TV programme in the 1980s.  My boys loved the books.  I still have several of the books - they are lovely, simple and colourful.

Other characters in the books were Cook, who has knit him a scarf in this book, the Magician and Hamlet the cat.

Just looking at these little board books has brought back many memories of happy days.

Love, Liz

Cross Stitch Girl

I stitched this little cross stitch girl for a very special stitching friend.

The pattern is from a 90s edition of Cross Country Stitching magazine.

I just put sewed some pretty fabric around the edges and made it into a little pillow complete with buttons and pins.

She loves cross stitch and I didn't want to spoil the surprise by blogging about this before I gifted it to her.  I think she liked it!

Love, Liz

Pom poms and crochet

I've just got to attach these pom poms to my red, white and blue granny square crochet blanket and it is finished!

I started stitching it to mark the Queen's Jubilee, but didn't quite finish it in time.  I have another "jubilee" crochet blanket which I made earlier this year.  You can see it here. 

Love the tin by Emma Bridgewater - chose the yarn colours to go with it.

Don't you just love pom poms!

Love, Liz

Gorgeous Geraniums

I took some cuttings from a very old geranium house plant a couple of months ago.  I was very surprised when they all decided to flower, even although they had only been in these little plant pots for a couple of weeks.

I absolutely love the vibrant red - they certainly brighten up these rainy autumn days.

I had some success with my Christmas cactus babies too.

These are cuttings which I took from my hoya bella.  They are ready to go into a pot.  The plant is more commonly called the wax flower plant as the flowers look artificial when they bloom.  You can see photographs of my parent plant here.

It is great to think that I'll have all these lovely new plants to brighten up my home over the dark, winter months. 

Love, Liz

Hallowe'en Cross Stitch

It will soon be Hallowe'en so I've put together a little vignette of some of my spooky cross stitch pieces.

Pride of place is taken by Haunted House Sampler by Twin Peak Primitives.  I didn't stitch the whole sampler, just the haunted house and weird plants.  Put it in a black frame and I love it.

The other two little pillows are ones that I stitched this year.  Midnight Dreamer by The Woolly Ewe and Ye Old Crow Sampler by Heart in Hand.

The little haunted house is from Waxing Moon Designs Haunted House Trio.

The Hallowe'en pieces are in my hallway and I've got some fairy lights around it to give it a bit of atmosphere.

Love, Liz

Gingham Hearts

I seem to have a love of all things gingham at the moment!

I came across these two little gingham hearts that I stitched ages ago, and they fit perfectly in with the little red cross stitch vignette that I have on my side table.

Just simple heart shapes cut out of gingham fabric and appliqued onto white fabric.  I can't believe that I actually made these!  Must have been ages ago!  (Just checked this blog - it was in February 2014)!

Glad I kept them - and found them.

Love, Liz

Finally framed!

I finished this lovely Red Bird Sampler by  Brenda Gervais - With Thy Needle & Thread last weekend.  The beautiful shade of red is DMC 817.

I love it so much that I didn't want to just put it away in the "under the bed box" to be forgotten about until I die and my boys have to clear out my stuff!

So, dear reader, I found an old frame that fits.  It is probably from the 80s and was bright gold.  I just sanded it down a little bit and I think it is perfect for this sampler.

I found a few other old frames about the house, so look out for a bit more framing over the next few weeks!

Love, Liz

New autumn house fully finish

I decided to fully finish Crow Creek Saltbox a free cross stitch pattern from Melisa at Pinker n Punkin Stitching in a new way.  (I had previously put it in a shadow box, but I'm using that for something else now.)

I got the white backing board from a charity shop - I think it had been some sort of wedding sign.  I sanded it and then painted it roughly with white paint.  I then cut a piece of card slightly smaller than the board.  To that I added a layer of batting then covered with some brown gingham fabric.  My stitching is attached to this.

I'm very pleased with how it has turned out.  

Fits in well with my other autumn houses!

Love, Liz

Tea cosy time

Now that October has arrived it is time to put the tea cosy on the pot to keep the tea warm.

I looked out some cosies is warm autumn colours.  These are my favourite colours - warm orange, yellows, russet and browns.  A cup of tea and a slice of gingerbread - just what you need on a wet, chilly Scottish autumn morning!

They really do keep the tea pot warm and cosy as well as bringing a splash of colour to the kitchen.  I enjoy knitting them.

Which is your favourite? 

Serving my gingerbread on this vintage china plate - Meadowland by Royal Standard.  Isn't it pretty?

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Love, Liz

Remember Tank Tops?

I remember tank tops well!  I got my Mum to knit me one of these - probably in the 70s.  Doesn't this knitting pattern bring back memories!

My tank top was in a variegated pink yarn and I loved it.  Worn with Oxford bags - they were what we called big wide legged trousers back in the 70s.  Underneath the tank top I wore a white blouse with enormous pointed collar.  Wish I still had a photo!  I thought I looked fab!

I also came across this knitting pattern from the 50s.  I suppose a slipover was that era's variation on a theme.

These headless ladies look so classy, don't they?

Ah, memories!  Did you wear a tank top in the 70s?

Love, Liz