Evenweave linen

I Have been buying evenweave linen for about £15 to £20 a piece, but i happened to see a posting on Ebay for a whole bundle of linen mostly the size i like to use, so i treated myself and it arrived yesterday.  

I am thrilled with my £50 purchase. Such a selection of colours and different makes for me to try.

I will not need to buy any more linen for a long time.

Crafting update

I am suddenly becoming a Serial Starter. Usually I am monogamous with my stitching, but hey ho !

My main project

Could not wait to start St Francis Prayer.

Just received this today and just could not resist making a little start.

Bakery Bears Mystery Advent sock knitting. I have managed to keep upto date and cannot wait for tomorrows part.

A nice visit from Dorn and Bill plus the best lemon drizzle cake this afternoon, thank you.

A difficult few days

I have had a few difficult days, starting with a District nurse trying to get blood out of me unsuccessfully, which meant i had to go to the surgery [which is not easy for me]. The next day i had to go back to the surgery for another treatment which now means i have to take antibiotics.

I seem to be taking SO many pills. Some have which have been changed and i need to get used to them.

The BakeryBears Mystery sock knitting gave us part 5 today.

I am hoping the heels are next.

The mystery is based on the book, Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

Mystery Knitting, X Stitch Progress and Lego

The Bakery Bears have an Advent calendar and each day produce another part. A theme throughout is a mystery knitting pattern.

I decided to work on the knitting pattern and it turns out to be a real learning curve for me.

Part One was a twisted rib, part two was a fancy pattern

Today we were given Part Three and it represents tracks in the snow.

I dont know why but I undid more than I sewed working on this, but I am loving the Victorian Sampler

And cannot wait to get to the animals and trees at the bottom.

Chris has a new Lego kit to keep him busy

He has always loved 007 James Bond and this car even comes with guns and an ejector seat!

Ten Pills and a haul of x stitch patterns

Yesterday i took my tenth pill, and so far no side effects, which I am very great full for.

A couple of days ago i bought on Ebay a few new patterns that I intend to get kitted up.

My first Blackbird design

Love this

If anyone knows the conversion to DMC threads please let me know.

Love the Prayer to St. Francis

My fifth purchase

Floss cards

Yesterday with the help of Chris I turned the many Get Well, Thinking of you, and Birthday cards that I had received in November into Floss cards.

I purchased a floss card shape for my Sizzix machine but am waiting for a hole punch for the base of the cards.

Thank you all so much for the cards.

I cut the cards, using the pretty parts, and then Chris ran them through the machine.

The Kingfisher is my favourite, but i love them all.

Advent Day 2, a new x stitch start

Yesterday I prepared to start a x stitch that I had managed to buy on Ebay as a complete kit.

The fabric included was Aida and i prefer to work on 28 count evenweave linen, so I substituted it.

I purchased a pretty set of floss holders from Etsy.

Sorted all the colours out and labelled them on the back with their colour and symbol.

The pattern I chose.

Made a start along the borders, with my Penguin needle holder to keep me company.

Advent Day ONE

Christmas now begins. We usually put up the decorations on December 1st but as I cannot help we will go minimal this year.

I opened my Cadbury’s Advent Calendar 

The first chocolate, thank you Dorn for the calendar 

I completed my latest x stitch, The Lacemaker’s Cottage.

 

The Pattern by Stone Street Stitch Works [free] and the evenweave linen I used

Snow, cake & X Stitch

What a day we woke to snow, and the garden looked pretty for a while but it did not last long.

Chris decided to make his first cake using a cake mix. 

It was lovely carrot cake.

Plus I have worked on a new small x stitch.

This was a freebie I found called the Lacemaker’s Cottage.

I only have the final flower to work. 

Please ignore the personisations [mistakes]

Specsavers

I had a visit from Specsavers this morning, I never knew they did home visits and i was very impressed with their check up.

New glasses will be with me in three weeks.

Chris managed to find a frame for my latest Sampler.

Eliza M Stone 1881. The pattern comes with lots of information about Eliza and Tinsley Park School.

I love reading the stories behind the Samplers.

Day ONE of lung cancer treatment

Today I start my treatment, thank you all for your prayers, cards and kind words.

Another delay and a bouquet off flowers

Yesterday I went for an ECG at the hospital, this is always difficult for me as getting from the car to the wheelchair is not easy. 

I was about 40 minutes on  the table and i didn’t realise she only did a echo cardio gram. This has delayed the start of my treatment as i have to go back for an ECG that they should have done in the first place. I was due to start my new treatment tomorrow. Really fed up with the delay!

However out of the blue an old friend sent me flowers by post, that just arrived.

There is nothing i like better.

Nicely packaged

A beautiful arrangement from Diana and Trevor, thank you so much for cheering me up.

New Start and bouquet

On my birthday I received a beautiful surprise bouquet of flowers.

Thank you so much cousin Helen.

A fairly quiet weekend and I started a new red sampler 

Found a Lacemaker’s Cottage pattern and thought it would be something different.

Monday I have an ECG booked at the hospital and i think that is the last procedure before I can start my treatment.

77 today

Last night the family came to visit and we had KFC to celebrate my birthday.

It was a lovely evening and lots of reminiscing plus cake !

During the day I had visited another Consultant for some general advice.

The best news is I completed my

Eliza M Stone Red work.

I am so pleased with being able to sew this. The pattern was offered free with a donation to Breast Cancer.

I will have to see if Chris can find a frame for it.

It always amazes me how young the children were that made these samplers, and the stories behind them.

I have kitted up another x stitch project I hope to start today.

A new me

My friend Ann arranged for me to have a home hair cut with her hairdresser, and I cannot tell you how delighted I am with it.

Feels so good and i love the cut.

A gift from my sister

A parcel arrived yesterday from my sister, Debbie.

 

Diana’s Delight Clematis. I will ask my daughter in law to plant it next to tree in my front garden.

My early morning visit to the Hospital for a CT scan meant we were home by 9.30, but these early morning visits take it out of me.

In the afternoon Ann and Peter called around and brought us our first mincepies of the season. Yummy .

I sorted out and ordered most of the Christmas presents and tried to get everything in square boxes to make it easier for Chris to wrap. I also ordered Roy. Castle lung cancer Christmas cards. Every little will help their cancer campaign.

Work on Eliza

I managed to get the border done on my Cancer sampler yesterday.

I was pleased to get this far and now like a jigsaw I just need to fill the rest of the words and letters in.

With the last Tesco delivery we had a little treat a cream tea.

Yummy.

Late yesterday afternoon I was called in to the Hospital for another CT scan as they had a cancellation at 8.30 !! 

So i better get a move on. This will give me a base line for the new pill treatment.

I also had a visit from Palliative Care.

HOPE and the Oncologist

Yesterday I saw Dr Mahood the Oncologist specialist and he gave me HOPE of a bit brighter future. After some basic tests I will be given a pill I can take at home to improve my life. The treatment is called Osimertinib and Dr Mahood specialises in it. Unlike Chemo there are few side effects, and strangely because I have never smoked the lung cancer I have is more suitable for this drug. 

I came away with a big smile on my face. I thank you for all the prayers that I feel have made this possible.

Richard arrived in the evening with a wonderful Banana cake made by Eleanor, she is a superb cook.

Thank you so much Eleanor.

I also spent some time working on my Eliza M Stone x stitch

It’s growing nicely, I would like to get to the bottom.

Chris. Bought another Lego kit

Weighed 7.5 kg !



That should keep him busy for a while.

A small red sampler

A couple of weeks ago I completed a small red sampler that I found for free on the internet.

Yesterday I asked my ever patient husband if there might be frame for it lying around, and the next thing he had framed it for me. I could not be more delighted.

My first Redwork Sampler.

Busy busy busy

It has been one long round of phone calls around here plus a visit to the Oncologist which took me from home for four and half hours!

Dr Mak and Jo, from the lung team, were very thorough in explaining everything and I now have another appointment to see a different Oncologist on Monday.

When we arrived home I had another flowers by post arrive from friends in Cornwall which was a lovely surprise.

In the box.

The next day, so pretty thank you Joan and Ian.

Yesterday I was determined to complete a project bag that just needed its binding machining on.

With very shaky hands I managed it.

Front with see through front, not the best sewing!                                   Back a quilted panel.

I am loving my new stairlift and it gives me yet a little more independence.