Island Retreat

Here is my latest finish, Island Retreat (top). It is the companion piece to Greek Island I worked a while ago. Both designs are by Heritage but have now been discontinued. I bought the first in a sale at my local craft shop and managed to track the other down on ebay.

We are in the middle of a heatwave here so don't have to retreat to any other island. "The boys" have been enjoying the sun and playing with their toys. Well, Sid and Higgins have been playing with their toys while the Aredales tend to sit and watch.

Felt Dogs and Finishes

When I saw the pattern for Stanley in an old Cath Kidston catalogue I just had to make one for my collection of doggy memorabilia. I was so pleased with him that I made another for the raffle at our dog club. I changed him a little to make him more like an Airdale Terrier as I think Stanley is a Lakeland which looks the same but smaller. The pattern was available free to download on CK's website the last time I looked if anyone is interested in making their own.

I have also finished my Jan Constantine Love Britannia design this week and will probably make it up into a cushion. We saw a range of her cushions in a department store yesterday and this design was 75 GB pounds! so I have saved quite a lot of money by doing-it-myself.

Here are two more finishes. The first is Stitcher's Showcase 2010 Stitch Along, Bouquet for Cheryl which I stitched in Caron Wildflowers 'Night Sky' variegated thread on blue linen and Stitcher's Showcase Spring Exchange, 'Spring Daffodils' which is now with its new owner in the U.S.

Lavender Sachets

I have already shown quite a few of my lavender sachets here as I have them all over my house - hanging from door handles and shelves and tucked into cupboards. Here are a few more:-

The Scotties and Westies design is by Textile Heritage, a Scottish company who have some fabulous traditional cross stitch kits for sale, as well as more modern designs in the last few years.

The second heart I made using a scrap of vintage fabric and lace and the third by sewing the sides of a vintage doily, filling with wadding and lavender flowers and adding a ribbon hanger and ribbon roses.

I usually buy locally grown (Norfolk) lavender to fill my sachets but this year I planted my own in two stone planters I have outside my back door. Since I took this photograph in April they have grown quite a lot so hopefully I will soon have my own supply of lavender flowers to use.

More Doggy Projects

Heres another crop of dog-themed makes, I never realised I had so many! I made the scrapbook page for an on-line challenge. I had to stick to a sketch which wasn't my normal style but I was pleased with the different result and got another page for my dogs album.

I have already shown my Pirate Dog scrapbook page and here is the costume from it that I made for Wilberforce. He wore it for the fancy dress competition at a doggy fun day we attended. You can't see it in the photograph but he is also wearing the pirate bandana below which I knitted from a book called Knits for Dogs and Cats.

Below is a doggy bookmark I made for myself using my Airedale and other dog rubber stamps and stickers. The fibres have tiny dog charms added to them. Next a selection of items made for our Airdale Terrier Club to raise funds for The East Anglia Air Ambulance and Wood Green Animals Shelters. I designed the Airedale in Christmas hat cross stitch chart to make the cards.

Finally, I made this dog with bone card yesterday with a template from Papercraft Inspirations magazine. They have lots of templates and papers to download free of charge on their website and are worth checking out.

Dog-themed Projects

As I am so crazy about dogs much of my craft work incorporates them and here is just a small selection of my projects. The cross stitch terrier chart was in a back issue of The World of Cross Stitching magazine and reminded me of Archie, which meant I had to stitch it.

Also a selection of dog-themed cards including two incorporating photographs of Sidney (looking through garden fence) and Wilberforce, which includes a cross stitch bone.

Budgerigars

I have neglected my blog recently as I have been in hospital for an operation but am now starting to feel better and have picked up my needle again after a two week break. I was definitely getting withdrawal symptoms! I even managed to finish my Jan Constantine design last night but haven't photographed it yet.

I am still trying to photograph and record all my previous work and here are two budgerigars designs. I went through a phase of budgerigar stitching a while back when we used to have a small aviary in the dining room of our old house. I still love the designs and budgerigars, they are such cute, colourful birds, with lots of personality.

The budgerigars in a row design is from a booklet by Cross My Heart and the two budgies are from a special issue (Pets) of New Stitches magazine.