Tuesday, August 26, 2008

2 Lovely Awards

I have received 2 lovely Awards - Brillante Weblog and also I Love Your Blog Award from MJ at Sampler Stitcher.

Thank you so much for the awards. I really appreciate being given these awards. It is really nice to know that other people appreciate the work that you do.

I have to nominate some people whose blogs that I enjoy reading and who also inspire me. The trouble for me is that I do not know who to pick. Everybody whose blogs that are on the right hand side of my blog do that, so I nominate all of you lovely ladies.

I am currently having a hair pulling time putting this post together. I wanted to put the award below up with the other one but this stupid computer won't do it. My computer expert (13 year old) is too busy chatting away to his mate to come and help me. This is what I call an AHHHH moment.

Now back to normality, thank you again I really appreciate it. Last year when I started blogging I never thought that I would met such lovely ladies from all over the world and also that they liked my work.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Strawberries Are Very Addictive

Over the weekend I made something that I have always liked and have always wanted to have a go at making. I made myself some strawberry pincushions and I found them quite addictive. I made 8. 4 of them have emery powder and the other four have just wadding. 2 are covered with golden beads and the rest are just covered with 3 running stitches. I think they are lovely.

I found the pattern a long time ago on the Martha Stewart website. I hope the link works.

Some of them have different shaped tops as I felt like being a bit different. They are so easy to make. All of mine are made by hand. In other words I didn't use the sewing machine.

As you can see Kitty is now called Elizabeth Welfare, 1806, Sussex. Elizabeth was my GGG Grandmother and she continues my collection of samplers dedicated to my Grandmothers. When I finish her I will group the other 2 samplers that I have done so you can see them.

I really haven't done that much as I haven't been feeling very well over the last week. I have one of those backs that if I sneeze the wrong way I end up in agony. The past week was one of those occasions. I haven't done much stitching or been on the computer for long as I couldn't sit for long periods were I was comfortable.

My Hestera Harmer pattern arrived on Friday, so she is all kitted up and ready to go. I have worked out that I have around 7 large samplers that I have kitted up that I want to do. I don't know where I am going to put them. Maybe I will have to buy a bigger house LOL. Don't tell my DH.

Over the last few weeks I have met another lovely lady in blogland. Her name is Joan and her blog is called My Place...My Little Place?

If you have a few moments to spare, please stop by and welcome her to blog land.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Kitty Update

This an update on Kitty. I decided to travel down to the bottom and do that before I do the other side. Kitty still looks lovely and I am enjoying working on her. The right hand side is a mirror image of the left hand side. I have decided to call her Elizabeth, so she will soon be known as Elizabeth Welfare, Sussex, 1806.

I have 2 pages of my book to go, so hopefully I will finish her in 2-3 weeks. Below is a close up of the bottom section.

My DH is suffering from a serious sprained wrist (just joking). I have ordered Hestera Harmer from America and I hope it will come sometime this week. I'm still pretty sure that I am related to her which I find quite interesting. It was one of those charts that I just had to have.

On the medical front, I spent a few hours up at the local hospital with my youngest son. He was doing swimming for sport, (now don't laugh). He was swimming along happily with his eyes closed and crashed into the wall of the pool and broke his nose, damaged his cheek bones and ended up with mild concussion. Thankfully it could have been worse and now besides having a sore nose and a slight headache, he is ok. The Doctors at the hospital wanted to know if he was training for the Olympics. One of his brothers wasn't at all sympathetic and told him that he was always calling "Big Nose" from "The Life of Brian" for years.

It's been very cold in the mountains over the last few days. We woke up this morning with a light dusting of snow everywhere. It started to snow yesterday afternoon. My DH was playing golf in it. But the sun has come out so hopefully it will start to warm up soon.

Well that's all for now. Thank you for dropping by and for leaving your lovely comments. It is really lovely to think that someone appreciates your work.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Hestera Harmer 1843 Sampler

Last Night I downloaded The Attic's Newsletter and their "Sampler of the Month" and there is a photo of this most beautiful sampler above. It is called Hestera Harmer 1843 by Queenstown Sampler Designs and when I read the name I thought to myself, "That's interesting", as I have a GGG Grandmother whose maiden name was Ann Harmer. Then when I read that she came from Sussex, I thought now "that is really interesting" and I think that somewhere along the line I am related to Hestera.

I know that Hestera's parents were John and Jane Harmer and that my Ann's parents were William and Mary Harmer. I have previously discovered that all the Harmer's on the Sussex line all go back to the mid 15th century to a John Harmer. I think that Hestera and my Ann are related. I haven't found out if they are cousins or Aunt or Neice yet, but I am following this story with interest.

I can see that I will have to do a bit of arm twisting to see if I can send to America to purchase this truly beautiful chart to add to my collection. All I can say is that I have fallen in love with this beautiful sampler.