New Starts

It is going to be a week of new starts!  We've just had our dining room decorated and I decided to have a white room with one feature wall in a lovely greeny-bluey colour.  The wall is directly opposite the window, so gets a lot of light.  My welsh dresser that used to be in the kitchen has had a new coat of paint and is now in the dining room.

I am so looking forward to "dressing" the dresser.  I'm going to have to look through all my gorgeous vintage china which I'd packed away while all the changes were taking place.  It will be a tough job deciding what to put on show, but I can't wait to see all my pretties again!

Another new start will be a cross stitch.  I saw this thread (DMC 4522) and the colours just reminded me of a Scottish hillside in autumn - purple, green, brown - gorgeous!  Got an idea in mind for this.  I'll show you when I get started.

Something to start reading.  A kind friend gave me this fabulous magazine all about Outlander.  It is full of fabulous photographs of the filming locations, actors, costumes etc and lots of articles about Scotland and Outlander.  Can't wait to get reading this.  It is a DC Thomson publication in connection with The Scots Magazine,

Three new starts - the perfect way to spend a weekend. 

Love, Liz

My Scottish cross stitch

I am so impressed by all the fabulous patriotic American cross stitch charts there are out there.  So I decided that I wanted something Scottish for myself.  None of the Scottish cross stitch patterns I've seen really appealed to me - so there was only one thing for it - I decided to design my own!

Started small with this little pillow with just Scotland and a thistle on it.  I backed it up with some tartan fabric.

Put it together with my vintage Scotland map and this little vintage piper lady doll - isn't she cute?

I've loads of ideas for more Scottish and hometown cross stitch patterns.  If I was fully finishing this one again I would add some tartan to the front - think it is a bit squashed looking. Never mind - we live and learn.

Dolly looks a wee bit startled in this picture - perhaps she's afraid of heights!

Love, Liz

The Big Key

I finished this Christmas cross stitch and made it into a little pillow.  Sewing machine gave up on me as I was making it!  I remember buying it in the 70s, so it has been a good and faithful servant.

I liked the key in the pattern, so I photographed it beside our "big key" - we actually still use it to lock our door from the inside.  It would be a bit heavy to carry around in my handbag!

Picture from pattern.

When I finished the cross stitch I looked at the picture on the pattern to see if I had missed anything out and spotted what I thought was my mistake.  If you look at my version, you'll see that Santa's sack starts at the reindeer's back, but in the picture on the front of the pattern it starts higher up.  I had almost begun to unpick the stitches, but fortunately decided to look at the chart - which shows it exactly as I had stitched it.

The pattern is Through the Woods by Barbara Ana Designs.  I loved stitching it and I think the colours are gorgeous.

Love, Liz

Big Little Fat Books

I absolutely adore the illustrations in these little books.  They belonged to my children when they were young.  Then my grandchildren enjoy them.

They are 'My Big Little Fat Books'  by Brimax and published in 1985.  The illustrator was Ann Ricketts.

They were great to read with the children because they were so simple and the illustrations so cute.

Now they live with some of the toys in the Lego Room - my grandsons' favourite place when they visit.

Disclaimer:  I hope no books have taken offence to any of the words used in this post.  Big, Fat and Little are all used in the books' titles and were not meant in a derogatory way!  Phew!

Love, Liz

Temptation

Temptation ... who was that song by ... remember it from the 80s?  Just checked it out - Heaven 17 from 1983.  Can you believe it was that long ago!  (You are going to have that song playing in your head all day now!  Ha ha!)

I'm about to start a new cross stitch "Through the Woods" from Barbara Ana Designs.  I love the old fashioned look to it.

When I opened up the package to get the chart - look what was inside!  A lovely page of other Barbara Ana designs!!!!!

Argh - TEMPTATION!

Still haven't started stitching because I'm too busy looking at all these wonderful designs.  So many that I would love to stitch.  Look at that gorgeous little lady with the apron.

New mantra -

I will not buy any new patterns 'till I've stitched the ones I've got!

I will not buy any new patterns 'till I've stitched the ones I've got!

I will not buy any new patterns 'till I've stitched the ones I've got!

Oh well, we'll see how long that lasts!

Love, Liz