Stitching Away!

I have recently taken up embroidery and cross stitching.  I have found it a nice easy way to fill that creative outlet without taking up too much energy.  After having a period of illness at the end of last year, plus creating for the holidays I found stitching to be a really good way of relaxing in the evening.  So I have been busy with my new found hobby and cannot wait to show you what I have made!

Firstly, I wanted to show you the piece I created for the Wild Olive Stitch Swap.  The amazingly talented and inspiring Mollie set up an around the World swap!  You had to produce a 4inch hooped embroidery piece and send it off to your partner.  Here's what I came up with:

My swap partner wanted something colourful and fun, so it just had to be a rainbow!  I have used the fill stitches tutorial by mollie that you can find here.  It was nice to practice doing the different fill techniques.

I finished the piece with felt and a cute label!

Hopefully my swap partner likes it!  I also sent a sweet little robot zipped purse that I had made too!  These are both on there way to the USA!
I can't wait to show you what arrives in the post for me!


Thank you so much Mollie for all the time and effort that you put in to organising the swap.  It gave me a much needed boost of confidence :)

Celebrate Colour!

It's the 1st of September, which is always New Year for me.  I am a Secondary School teacher, so along with getting my kids prepped and ready to start the new term I do too.  New shoes? check New uniform? check (nice navy wool dress from TK Maxx - Bargin!).  New pens and pencils?  mmm not yet but Wild Olive's pencil wraps may be just what i'm looking for to smarten up my old ones!

Anyway, I am also excited because it will soon be Autumn, which is my favourite season.  The colours, the smells, the anticipation of the holidays.  It is usually the most hectic time so I am so glad that Rachel from Stitched in Colour is running a Celebrate Colour series.  It will ensure that I focus on making stuff ready for presents etc and not just sit in front of the TV watching films, drinking spiced hot chocolate when the kids are in bed - although that does sound tempting!

I can't actually believe how soon those Autumn colours are coming around here.  Our summer has been the coldest for 20 years or so the papers say. The leaves are changing from green to reds and browns already.  My blog header picture is from our back garden so you can see the colours.

My favourite Autumn colour has to be purple or plum as some call it - that reminds me I must show you my hubby's spiced plum jam, it's like Autumn in a jar mmmmmm!
When we went camping last weekend I found my inspiration for the season.  The heather on the top of the Long Mynd looked amazing!

I know I have some Rico Creative Cotton in purple lying around somewhere. now all I need to do is think about what to make!