Is there anyone there?

Hello! It's been over two years since I've been part of the blogging world. I had to step away from my stitching, blogging and internet friends as due to some major changes in our life I know longer had a lot of free time to continue my own interests. My stitching mojo vanished and my needle and thread were set aside for a very long time.I wasn't able to keep up with blogs, groups, emails so I lost contact with a lot of people. I'm opening up my blog again hoping that I will be able to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.
At the beginning of last year I couldn't keep up with everything going on around me and I knew even if it was just for a short time each week I had to make some time just for me. I started by reading more books then I tried to learn more about crochet.Not an easy task as I only knew the basics from school which was more than 40 years ago!!! I have to say I'm better sticking to my needle than a hook. I will show you some of my attempts at a later date..

In early spring I needed a gift for my inlaws who are bee-keepers. I wasn't keen but I decided to see if I could pick up my interest in stitching again. My first attempt ended up in the bin and I had to push myself to finish this one. The joy of stitching just wasn't there but I was pleased with the finished result.

The following month our neighbours off 22 years were moving house. They were a lovely quiet couple who didn't have many interests apart from their family. I was struggling to find a goodbye gift then I remembered I had this sweet little chart in my stash. They were delighted with it and my appetite to stitch was starting to pick up.

My next finish was one for me. Even though I started stitching more than 15 years ago I mostly made stuff to give away. In June 2015 I finally framed and hung a piece on my living room wall.

I really was back in the groove and by the end of the Summer I finished this chart with one of my favourite things "sheep". I'm hoping to take it to the framers this week and yes I am going to hang it in my home.

Just before Christmas I decided I was going to make up some proper finishes. I stitched a few new pieces and found some ones that were done a long time ago. My daughter Heather stitched and made up the "Have your sELF" & Candy Cane Reindeer. She made a fantastic job so I persuaded her to help put together a number of the others too. I had planned to try and sell them to raise some much needed funds but sadly my friend who I care for had some new health complications so I had to put my project aside. I've packaged them all away so hopefully I will be ready for a Christmas Craft Fair this year. 

I can now happily say my stitching mojo is back! I have a number of projects lined up for 2016. My first starts are Home of a Needleworker too and a Reindeer ornament from the 2015 Just Crossstitch Ornament magazine. I will share some photos in my next post. My plan is to try and  stitch one Christmas ornament a month so anyone who would like to do a SAL with me would  be more than welcome.

   

Finally let me introduce you to the light off our life. This is our adorable Australian Labradoodle called Cupar. He is our own live teddy bear who loves squeaky toys, doodle hugs, kisses, chasing a ball and making friends with anyone he meets. If you would like to follow some of his daily adventures he has his own Instagram Account at cupar_doodle 

Well I guess I have rambled on enough for now. I must apologise for the quality of some of the photographs but a lot of them I had deleted the originals and had to get them from Instagram. I don't think they have transferred well. 

I'm looking forward to reading blogs viewing all the stitching, crocheting, crafting that I have missed out on. There are also a number of people from the blogging world and my old exchange group that I would love to catch up with I have thought about them often and wondered how they were doing.

Be back soon!