The kindness of friends

Look what arrived in my bread bin (aka mail box) on Friday (above and below).  These were magazines that my new blogging friend Maria (at Dotty's Daughter blogspot) had promised me, bless her.  Many many years ago, when my bigs were smalls, I asked for a year's subscription to the American magazine Just Cross Stitch as a Christmas present.  I still have all the magazines and especially loved the Christmas issue with all the beautiful tree hangings to make.  Well, that is what the magazine above is, and to keep it company Maria included the lovely Homespun Alphabets and Borders (just up my street) and a little Christmas Bear to stitch.  Thank you SO MUCH Maria, it was like Christmas arriving all over again and I was ridiculously excited!  I felt like I did in the quilt shop the other day when we walked in and got overwhelmed by all that was on offer!

I haven't done any x-stitch for over a year, but recently I have felt like sewing rather than crochet or knitting.  I narrowed the choice down and decided to make a start on this lovely little Mistletoe design.

Sorry, the close-up below is an odd colour because the flash doesn't work in close up, but you get the idea.

A better shot of that page and the designs on it, with the flash.  I am a very happy bunny : )

Friday was a very busy day and I seemed to spend most of it repainting and revamping a doll's house we have had a while but had to take out of the Unit because damp was lifting the wallpaper I had put on.  Then finally (we've had the leather for it since April!) we got around to refurbishing a beautiful Tonbridge ware writing slope we have had and enjoyed a while.  We got the skiver (leather) for it from Fleabay and on Friday we took the old velvet off, rubbed it down, and applied a new joining strip of fabric, before glueing on the new skiver.

There.  Smart as a carrot as my OH would say . . .  Let's hope it finds a new home soon.