~ Anybody seen my Blogging Mojo?? ~

Yes, it has been a while since I dropped in to say hi  hasn't it.  Time flies.  To be truthful though - I really lost my blogging mojo somewhere along the way.  I hope I can find it again as it is always so lovely to keep in touch with fellow stitchers via our blogs.   Sometimes though, other things become a priority.  I have been stitching all  the while but haven't had a finish as such to show this year.

I've been doing two different SAL's this year with my friends Sandra, Diane and Mary and admit to being way behind with both!!

With Mary, who earlier this year started her own lovely blog Meakly Mine  I am stitching the Blessings Sampler by Wild-Heart designs.  It is a gorgeous sampler with a beautiful sentiment about being a Grandmother. Mary has finished hers which you can see on her blog whilst mine sits in my stitching bag waiting to be picked up to be finished.  I am on the last band though and here is a picture of it so far.

I haven't actually forgotten that flower at the top but decided on changing the colour and still have to adjust that row.  Actually, there has been quite a lot of adjustments with this one as I have changed most of the colours and messed around a lot with it. I am looking forward to finishing it and having it framed though as I really like it.

Sandra, Diane and I have been stitching Abigail Colby's Workbasket this year which for me is a big one.  I am clearly a slow stitcher as some of the motifs on the basket top I am about to show you took me 10 hours to finish!!

Yes, that is 10 hours just for one motif!! I have also finished the scissor fob and Cartouche for inside the basket which if you are interested in seeing are in my album. There are quite a few accessories that go inside the basket so at my rate of stitching I can see this project continuing for a long time yet. I had chosen a beautiful William Morris fabric to line my basket but since stitching this much I have decided the lining might look better in a less fussy design. However, I still have a way to go before I need to decide. I am enjoying this project which is stitched on 40ct Sand linen with lovely Belle Soie silk thread.

I recently had a lovely day out with Diane, the other friend who is stitching Abigail Colby (lovingly re-named Abby) with Sandra and me, whilst she was holidaying in my neck of the woods. We did the stitching shops, had a show and tell of our two 'Abbys' and enjoyed a lovely lunch. Diane is much further ahead with hers as well and it was interesting to see her version which is very different to mine as she is using different threads and a larger count linen. It is looking beautiful.

I couldn't finish this post without showing you a photo of my beautiful boy shadow - Ben.  He turned 5 year old earlier this month and I just took this photo of him enjoying the Autumn sunshine coming in through the door whilst 'meditating' on his old bean bag bed.  He actually gathers the bean bag up between his front paws and sucks on it kind of like a baby with a comforter blankie.  I always say he is meditating when he does it as he will lie there for quite sometime almost in a little trance like state.  I think it looks very cute and often wonder if it stems back to his puppyhood when he suckled from his mother.  I wish I knew :))

Well, that's about it from me for now.  Hope you are all well out there in blogland and happy stitching!!

"An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language."
  ~Martin Buber