Stitch your own seasonal tree with this lovely 'Tree Leaves' fabric!

... and I would love to see any you make!

I can’t believe how fast the last month has gone! I think with the nice weather I have been outside more and not been in my work room ... but that’s what Summer is all about right! 

I finished an embroidery kit that I bought from Wonder Wool this year for my lovely friend ...

And this then inspired me to pick up one I started last year!

 I originally had it on a smaller hoop (you can see the mark on the fabric) but I have transferred it to a larger 12 inch hoop so I can get a lot more done without having to keep moving it and it is so much easier! I now have these larger hoops available in my shop if you too have a larger project and you can shop them here -> https://www.mariainthewood.co.uk/product-page/bamboo-embroidery-hoop

Hello, come in! Kettles on ... I am just giving the house a bit of a blitz before the weekend. Can you believe it's at last the end of January, I’m sure there have been about 63 days in January so far!!

Have you managed to start any of your 2025 projects? In recent years I’ve not been big on making New Years resolutions ... with kids still home for the the holidays, the 1st seems like a really bad time to start ... I much prefer a slow relaxed start to the year and instead have a few weeks after the boys go back to school to get myself acquainted with the new year and decide what we are going to achieve together then! This year I really want to focus on finishing off projects that I started and never finished! That includes crafts, decorating and the garden!!

Some of my half done crafts include a 2024 embroidery journal, a painting by numbers of birds, patchwork quilt for our bed, a knitted scarf, and hooking picture of sheep and a few cross stitch samplers.

I embroidered this little cross stitch cottage when I was a teenager and for a while it was framed, then got it packed away and taken out of its frame for easy storage ... but today I re-framed it ... in a little frame I bought from the antiques fair ... it isn't an antique, but I fell in love with it and think it looks so sweet!


I remember years ago when I stiched this, I thought it was like Rose Cottage in Mary Stewarts book and wondered if I would ever live in a place like it!

I seem to constantly have a load of half finished craft projects on the go . . . I thought I would share some in a hope that it would kick me in the butt to get on with some!

first up is this latchet rug making kit . . . my mother in law bought this to do for Billy's bedroom over the winter, but her eye sight isn't up to it . . . so I have the fun of it :)


half the work is working out the colours!


I have actually done more than this as have had a bit of a blitz . . . but think it will be another year before its done.


This is a birth sampler for Billy . . . I usually like to design my own, but I saw this a thought it was so perfect with the woodland theme for his room that I couldn't resist! I haven't picked this up for a while, but hope to get it done before he actually moves into his own room (whenever that will be!)



. . . and there has to be a bit of knitting . . . I think this has to be my favourite colour . . . I bought the wool to make myself a hat . . . I find it hard to find the perfect hat as I like them nice and loose . . . I made it a bit too loose . . . well the story is that I knitted it on a journey and had worked out how many stitches I needed but Steve thought it would be funny to keep saying different numbers while I was counting my stitches . . . I'm easily distracted at the best of times, so of course I gave up and ended up with too many stitches. (I was making it up as I went along anyway, so it was all a bit hit and miss) not sure I will show you though, as it did end up a bit big . . . but anyway, I had some wool left over so thought I would make a scarf to match . . . it will probably be for next winter now!


oh go on . . . here it is . . . the huge hat! I did gather the bottom in with some wool (as shown below) but then it wasn't as comfy, so will have to get some sheering elastic and have another go . . .


hope you enjoyed a giggle! ;)
wish me luck in getting some finished x

so do you remember that little frame I got for 50p last month?

well in looking through my pictures to see if there was something I could frame for the babies room, I came across a cross stitch back in February 1994 (I know the date as I wrote it on the back ... I'm not that good at remembering!)


well it fit p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y !!

so I quickly slapped some paint on the frame ...

drew around the glass onto the cross stitch ... it was a tight squeeze and I did have a moment of 'this is the cut of no return!'

but when I popped it in the frame it was so cute I was really happy and its now up in my bedroom :)

I wanted to give my dad a little something and came across something like this on pinterest and decided to make some myself. My dads suit was blue so I embroidered in blue a lovely message on a hanky!


Dad, of all the walks we have been on, this is my favourite. love Maria

I also made one for Steves dad ...
thank you for being my second Dad. love Maria



I gave them to them just before we left home in the morning :)

I decided last week to make myself a timetable so that I could fit in all I want to do and make sure what needed to get done, gets done. I also decided that Sunday was going to be what it's meant to be ... a day of rest and doing what I want ... crafts for fun with no guilt that I should be working on something else.

So that's what this Sunday has been ... and as it has rained all day I spent the afternoon working on my June's Craft Challenge item ... its nearly done ... sorry can't show you yet!

After tea I felt I needed a change so had a little play and made some cards ...
... and a few for Christmas too ... (well the weather's cold enough!)
so what have you been up to this afternoon?

I have had a lovely weekend with my sis-in-law, brother, gorgeous niece and crazy-pup who all came to stay for a few days :) It has been really lovely and I was very sorry to see them go yesterday.

I feel so inspired with lots of lovely ideas and projects for Maria's Little Owl ... I can't wait to get started ... I must make a note of them all while I remember them all! (sorry, can't share any yet)
I really must make myself a time table ... my time seems to get frittered away, and weeks are flying by ... I don't seem to be able to get on top of anything and there are so many things I want to do.
Do you like what I made yesterday? The little flower I made for Bex just before they left to go home, and the little owl is just for me :)
I also wanted to remind you that I have a GIVEAWAY on at the moment ...
I hope you will enter :)
Have a good week x

I have a very exciting life ... last night I went to bed VERY early because I was so tired and tonight I am winding threads! hehe

A few years ago I was given a box of embroidery threads ... some were used, some were in a tangle but some were brand new. Now I already have lots of lovely embroidery threads, but I never say no to more ... but they have sat in that box and not been touched ... well today was the day I decided to do something about them ... and they went ...


I have hardly touched the surface with them though, I think its a job I will be chipping away at for weeks, but at least they are now being integrated with my other threads!

I hope you are all having a much more exciting Saturday evening than I am!