A Christmas finish and a stitchy start

I don't know what happened to March, I blinked and we are almost at the end, how did that happen.

It's been funny old month, i can't seem to get going with anything, and if i start anything i seem to create more mess than there was before.
We are going for a weekend break to Liverpool on Friday and then on Sunday we are continuing up to Berwick for the rest of the week and as typically happens in the week leading up to a holiday, i decide to add an epic cleaning list to an already filled week.  Why on earth i feel that i must have a deep clean of everything in sight is beyond me, but i do it to myself every time.

I need 3 weeks holiday, one week before, to prepare, one week away and a week to recover and get back to normal, lol.

I am looking forward to a week away though, and Liverpool in particular, i have lots of Beatles related things for us to do there :-)

Not a lot of crafting to show for this month, although I did stitch and finish this little Pineberry Lane Santa.  I've had it in my 'to do' pile for ages and when Christine put it up for the Needlecraft Haven monthly ornament it reminded me.  Although i didn't meet the NH stitching deadline, (i'm not good at stitching to a time limit), i have finished one of my intended charts.

(Apologies for the terrible photos, they were taken on my phone at night too, not a good combination)

  

I think he is a rather cute Santa.  I noticed that a lot of people chose to leave the year off this one, although i did consider it i stitched it as charted in the end.

The fabric i used had already been tea-dyed at sometime so i didn't bother ageing it anymore. 

Like many of you i probably spend far too much time looking at the work of other people and new things that i would like to do and not enough time getting on with it.  This year i have tried to put that right and have done more stitching in the last few months than i think i did for the whole of last year,

they might only be small finishes but i think I've got my act together enough to be trusted with a larger project now.

I stitched Molly, one of the Carriage House girls years ago, must be 4 at least, (i'm too lazy to look back and see!), but it was a while ago.

Yet more terrible grainy photos...sorry

I always intended to stitch the others but kept putting it off, until now.
This is Elizabeth after 18 days.

I like stitching blocks of colour, (must be the OCD gene in me), so i'm not fed up, although i will be giving her a holiday next week and taking something else away with me.

 I don't know how much i'll be on line next week, i shall probably only have internet access on my phone and will have to catch up on blogs and commenting when i get back.  Wishing you all a 'hoppy' Easter and I will catch up when i get back from my jollys and bore you all with (better) photos of my time away and hopefully some new stitching too :-)

-X-

Mother's day

Yesterday was Mother's Day here in the UK. 

I always thought that Mothering Sunday and Mother's day were one and the same, apparently not.

Mothering Sunday has it's roots in Christianity and was a celebration of the mother church, people returned to their so called mother church, the church in their area, for a service.

Years later it became a day when servants were given time off to visit families, children would pick wild flowers to give their mothers.

Mother's day as we celebrate it now began in Grafton, West Virginia, in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother.  

Later, Anna didn't like the commercialisation of Mother's Day
and particularly didn't like the use of printed greetings cards.

I wonder what she would think of all the shops filled with cards and Mother's Day related items if she could see them now!

Still, after saying all that, my girls, (and Oliver) did spoil me yesterday with their lovely gifts of flowers, pandora charm, chocolates, a cute little monkey and cup (from Oliver) and some hand made presents too.

I have to show you a closer photo of what my middle daughter Joanne made me, she did a great job.

A sweetie tree of my favourites :-)
I almost don't want to dismantle it!

A letter 'M' to add to my collection

Home made carrot cake, she knows how mum likes cake!

I hope you were equally spoilt if you celebrated other's Day yesterday.
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I'll be back very soon with some Christmas stitching and a new start.

-X-

White rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits (and a March mantle)

Did you remember this morning?

There are variations on this superstition, saying it once, twice, or three times and even one that says it must be 'White Rabbit'...but you must also say 'Brown Rabbit' at night and walk downstairs backwards, (?)

Whatever you do, (or don't) say on the 1st of the month i hope March will be a lucky one for you.

And, if mine is as productive as February, I will indeed be a happy bunny :-)

I changed my mantle last night before i went to bed because i've got a lot on today.  I enjoyed looking around to see what i could use.

Easter is in March this year so there are lots of Easter decorations in the shops, but i didn't particularly want to be stuck with Easter for the next 3 weeks, (it will come soon enough), so a Spring theme seemed a better option.

I will probably change / add a couple of things for the Easter week when the time comes.
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As for stitching, i've stitched and made up the two little Spring freebies you can see on the mantle.

Tulips & Bunny

Free pattern from The Snowflower Diaries 

Which you can find here

My own choice of threads and fabric

A closer look

And below is:

Happy Spring

Free pattern from The Snowflower Diaries

Which you can find here

I stitched this with the recommended threads

 Just a simple hoop finish again, I wrapped some fabric around the hoop this time

I have to say that these two were an absolute pleasure to stitch.
Although not what i would usually choose to do, i did enjoy every stitch and working with the lovely bright colours.

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Did you notice my little friend?

I just couldn't resist her when I saw her, and I knew then that the theme for March just had to be bunnies :-)

Look at that sweet little knitted cardigan!

Mark of course, thinks i'm slightly mad,
(that's nothing new, I'm used to people thinking i'm strange ;-)
Luckily i can get away with adding my touches around the house, he just says 'very nice' and occasionally rolls his eyes :-)

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Millie is doing just fine, thank you all for you comments last time.

She is eating much better and had actually put on some weight when i took her back for her final check-up last Tuesday, which is great! 

Fingers crossed for healthy, happy cats, (and bank account!).

Until next time

-X-