Kokeshi Doll & Vintage Find

I have just finished the Kokeshi Doll kit that came with the current issue of Cross Stitcher Magazine. It was very quick and easy to work and I thought I might use it for a birthday card or possibly made up into a gift, I haven't decided yet. I recently found this copy of Needlewoman and Needlecraft magazine from 1959 in a thrift shop for just 50p. It is in good condition and still has the original embroidery transfer inside. Some of the projects would still look good today such as the bird in a cage peg bag below.

Bee Happy and Organised

One of my resolutions this year is to work some of the kits I have had for ages including some of the small cover kits that come with stitching magazines. I have managed to do a couple so far including this one which was free with a back issue of Cross Stitcher magazine.

I like to keep a box of handmade greeting cards for last minute occasions and this will be added to the box. I made my card storage box from an old toiletries container my husband put in the bin. It was a good sturdy box with a magnetic closing lid so I rescued it and gave it a make-over.

After

Before
Another resolution is to get my stitching supplies organised. My threads are usually kept in an assortments of bags and boxes spread all over the house so I bought 4 storage boxes with adjustable compartments for 2.99 GBP from QD and organised all my threads onto bobbins and sorted them in the boxes by number and brand. It is brilliant to have everything so organised now, the boxes hold about 50% more than large thread boxes and I won't keep buying doubles, which I seem to have done rather a lot. The picture shows my Airedale Terrier, Archie, admiring my handiwork.

Union Jack Cushions

As far as I am concerned, I can never have enough cushions and here are two I recently made. The pattern for the knitted one came from Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine, Fall/Winter o9. The cross stitch chart for the second was designed by Jan Constantine and published in a back issue of Cross Stitcher Magazine.
With four dogs constantly reclining on them though, I am not sure how long they will last. Still it gives me an excuse to make more!

My Dogs

As my dogs are such a big part of my life I thought I would introduce them, in order of seniority. Archie (bottom right) is a 7 year old Airedaire Terrier. Sidney (top left) is one of our rescue dogs, a Labrador/Great Dane X and 5 years old. Next is Wilberforce (top right) a 3 year old Airedale Terrier and finally the baby of the family, our other rescue dog Higgins (bottom left), a 2 1/2 year old border collie.
My scrapbook page was published in the Christmas issue of Scrapbook Inspirations.

New Beginnings

After reading other blogs for years and inspired by Blogging for Bliss by Tara Frey, which I received for Christmas, I have decided to take the plunge and start my own.

I have been cross stitching for many years and have accumulated a huge amount of kits, charts and materials so this year I have decided to reduce my stash of cross stitch kits and am currently working on a lion and unicorn design I purchased some years ago.

I also love stitching Christmas ornaments and here are three I made last month.

Cute as a button design - Cross Stitcher no 220

Christmas Shimmer - Cross Stitcher No. 220

Hardanger: Cross Stitch & Needlework - Nov 07

The weather is very cold here with snow still on the ground so I am looking forward to spending some time in front of the fire, with my dogs, stitching this evening.

I am not so good with computers so hope I have done this o.k. Time to take the plunge and press publish. Wow, this is scary!