Holiday in Italy

Here are some photos of my holiday in Italy. We went on a 9 day coach tour visiting Rome, Pompeii and Sorrento and we also managed a brief visit to lake Garda on our way back. Rome was beautiful but now that I have visited it I have no urge to go again I found it very expensive and as for the Drivers it is very dangerous crossing the road in Italy.

This is St Peters in the Vatican. we were also lucky to go into the Sistine Chapel which was beautiful but a bit crowed with all the visitors.

This was the view from Sorrento across the bay to Naples and Mount Vesuvius in the background.

A view across the roof tops from Castel Sant'angelo.

Castel sant'angelo we claimed to the top the view across Rome was amazing.

This was at lake Garda.

The view from the Monastery of Montecassino.

This is me in blue I look bored! far from it this was the day we visited Pompeii and we are listening to the guide.

Pompeii.

Trevi Fountain

Coliseum

Below is a Roman legionnaire if you have seen a previous picture I posted of a Viking Texting this is in the same Vein a Roman Smoking!

HOE LHN Exchange from a Stitching Angel

I am back from my holiday in Italy I have as yet to look at our photos so that I can share some with you we had a great time even if Hubby did get blisters the day we went to Rome!! I would definitely go to Italy again.

While we were away this is what I stitched in my spare moments when we were travelling around, I have also bought the pin cushion bed so all I need do now is make it up.

This is the 2nd ornament in the LHN Monthly ornament series I need to put the beads on yet. I have nearly completed the 3rd one.

I took part in the HOE LHN Exchange but unfortunately my partner did not complete the Exchange so Carol was kind enough to find a Stitching Angle to complete my Exchange her name was Melissa Cahill from the USA, she has made me a Tin finish which is beautiful the inside is covered in magnetic strip, I also received some goodies from both Carol and Melissa. I found this Exchange in the post when I came home from Holiday so it was a lovely surprise.

Jayne

HOE Early Christmas Ornament from Amsterdam

I received this lovely Ornament from Lisette in the post this week, the candy cane are stitched in sparkly threads which does not show on the photo.

Here is a photo of Penny using my Hubby as a cushion watching TV while we were at the Caravan. We are off to Italy tomorrow for 9 days so should have some great photos to share when we are back.

Jayne

HOE Early Christmas Exchange

I have heard from Cindy that she has received my HOE Early Christmas Exchange, it is from Just Cross Stitch 2007 Christmas issue I stitched it on natural 32ct linen with recommended threads. I really enjoyed stitching this and may do a few more to give to friends at Christmas.

This is one of my Hubbies photo's he visited this Village on the North Coast of England when I was at my bead workshop a few weeks ago it is a tiny Village called Staiths you have to walk down a steep hill to get to it like so many of the Towns/Villages on the North Coast.

Here is my Nephew Thomas with his Parents outside the church on the day of his Christening, he was very good as the Christening was at the beginning of the service and we were in church for over an hour.

I had mentioned in an earlier post that I was doing a class in wire and bead work here is a finished piece, we usually make alot of samples in class so that we learn the technique, so I have managed to make a necklace from some of the techniques learnt. Wrapped loops, use of head pins, double jump rings and curly links, as you can see my beads are in my favorite colour purple.

Jayne

Geoff the Giraffe

It has been a sad time these pass few weeks, my Father died on the 24/4/10 he had prostate cancer which had spread, he spent his last 2 weeks of life in a hospice with his family around him he received superb care and died peacefully. He had wanted to go to his grandsons christening which was yesterday but it was not to be.

I have found my cross-stitch a great help as I took it to the hospice and sat by his bedside and stitched for many hours.

I had already mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to knit a soft toy to go with the Birth Sampler I made for my Nephew Christening here he is Geoff the Giraffe he was taken from Knitted Wild Animals by Sarah Keen, I may have to knit a couple more of them as he was very popular once people saw him.

Here is the Birth sampler framed it was not easy choosing a mount to go with the stitching, I am very pleased by the end result.

I went to a workshop at Robinhoods Bay last week which was a welcome distraction, It had been arranged by Jenny we had requested a workshop on finishing Techniques so she had invited Julie from Spellbound Beads who worked us hard all day. She showed us how to make loops with wire and wrapped loops, how to open jumprings, Calotte crimps and beading threads, Alternative endings for multi-stranded designs, use of stranded beading wire and crimps how you hide the thread in beads and the use of lace ends.

When we arrived all the equipment needed had been provided for our use and she had brought loads of beads for us to uses, we had all been given a bag of findings we would need to use. We all came away with many finished items earrings, necklaces and bracelets, usually I came away with a bit of beadwork about 2-3 inches long and certainly not finished.

Jayne

Birth Sampler Finished

I have finished my Sampler for my Nephews Christening, it has taken me just over 3 months to do, I decided to do the storks on the center panel in white as they where more in keeping with the real thing as this is for a boy.

I have nearly finished Knitting the soft toy to go with the sampler so will post a picture soon.

I will now have to find a new project to stitch, I have many things waiting in the wings also a few UFO's.

Jayne

Pin Pillow Exchange

I took part in Becky's Pin Pillow Exchange, here is what I stitched for Raffaella it is the Pin Pillow from Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers Pattern 39, it is stitched in recommended threads on 32ct evenweave.

Jayne

Sampler

As you can see I have nearly finished my Sampler. I am on the last panel in the center, there are 2 stork's on this panel, they are meant to be pink not sure as this is for a boy, I tried one out in the pale blue/grey which is already used on the sampler but I can not decide which to use what do you think?

I have also decided to knit an animal on the sampler watch this space to see which one I do.

Pin Pillow Exchange

As you can see I have nearly finished my Sampler I hope to have it completed by this weekend so watch this space!

I took part in Becky's Pin pillow Exchange on her blog and I received a beautiful Pin Pillow from Anne she has used a Quaker pattern and stitched it in my favorite colour purple, you cannot see from the picture but it is also edged in purple beads. I have just sent my Exchange off to the USA so will show a picture once it has been received.

Jayne

HOE LHN

I took part in HOE Little House Needlework Exchange I had Linda as my partner who lives in Singapore.

I decided to make her a needle case I used the top of the chart from LHN Winter berries.

I also decided to make Linda a Thread Tag using small motifs from the pattern.