Monday 28 July 2014

Stitch from Stash update

First of all I have to admit to a carry-over from last month.  I treated myself to The Frosted Pumpkin's Halloween Town SAL and forgot to declare it.  All month I have meant to email Mel but didn't quite get round to actually doing it!  Sorry Mel :(

Anyway, the Halloween Town SAL was £6.73 with the currency conversion.  I have gone absolutely mad this month and bough a DMC 420 for 69p, making this month's total £7.42 if I can add up correctly!

I have had a new start, all from stash.  I am working on Bothy Threads Cut Thru Haberdasher's.  It's the chart version from a few years ago when they still did charts so I am stitching it on 28ct white jobelan with DMC.

Friday 25 July 2014

Christmas in July from Donna

Cath organised a Christmas in July exchange. My partner was Donna and today I received my package from her. She decorated the envelope with Christmas stickers, I wonder what the postman thought? Donna totally spoilt me. Look at all these lovely goodies.

There are some Christmassy threads. The green is the same as I am using for Oh Christmas Tree so if I run out I will have another skein to hand. There is a gorgeous piece of quilting fabric with snowflakes on and a pice of jobelan in Wood Violet. It is such a pretty colour. Donna sent me 4 charts too. One is a candle mat. I've never heard of this before but what a great idea. There's some really pretty ribbon with turtles on, brilliant for a Turtle trot project. The little ornie Donna made is so cute and I love the way she used ric rac for the hanger. The best thing she sent me though (apart from the gorgeous ornie) was some cute little buttons to 'build your own snowman' the are just brilliant!!!!

Thank you for everything Donna, I hope you like your package as much as I like mine.

Thursday 24 July 2014

I have a degree!!!

The results of my final module with the Open University are in and I scored 84%!!!!  This is a pass 2 but only one mark off a pass 1 which would be a distinction at any other uni.  I now have a 2:1 BA(hons) Childhood and Youth Studies.  I am so thrilled!  Now to find a nice graduation cross stitch design to stitch myself.  

Monday 21 July 2014

Tatty Teddy bookmark

Rachael has just finished her bookmark.  She is very pleased with it.  As you probably know, Tatty Teddy back stitch is a nightmare.  Rachael couldn't get the back stitch round the hearts to look nice so we bought some buttons and used those instead. What do you think?

Sunday 20 July 2014

Halloween Town - The Frosted Pumpkin SAL

Here it is. Clue 1 of the SAL is conplete! Clue 2 came out a couple of days ago so I will crack on with that.

Wednesday 16 July 2014

Cross stitch tag

Rachel from What looks like Crazy on an ordinary day posted about the cross stitch tag which she had stolen from YouTube.  She posted a set of questions for people to answer.  I thought this might be fun as my more recent followers may not know some of these, indeed some long time followers probably won't know some of them!  Here you go...

Q1 - How did you start?  Who introduced you to cross stitching?
EVERYONE must already know the answer to this!  I started back in 1995 with a little card kit picked up from a cake decorating shop that I walked past every day on my way to and from work.  I had been going out with Colin for nearly a year and it was our first Valentine's Day together.  I wanted to get him something different and saw the cards in the window as I passed.  I even personalised it by stitching our initials in the middle and looking at it, think I did a good job for a first timer who only read through the instructions once and had no-one to help her! Actually, looking at it close up, it even looks like all my stitches go the same way!


However, prior to this, I can vaguely remember making a needlebook at my first primary school which I left at the age of 8.  This was on dark blue binca and we did lots of different stitches, although one was cross stitch so this must count!  I bet my mum will still have it somewhere...lol.

Q2 - Favourite theme or designer
Well that is a hard one!  There are so many things that I like stitching.  I suppose Joan Elliott and Nora Corbett are obvious favourites going off how many of their designs I have.  A recent favourite has to be Gaynor of StitchersAnon.  Her charts are so clear and easy to stitch and Gaynor herself is helpful, easy to talk to and donates some part of her proceeds to cancer charities to help find a cure sooner.  I also like JBW designs for a quick stitch...oh and loads of others too.  
I don't think I have a theme I particularly like.  I do seem to have a few fantasy figures going on at the moment so maybe that is my 'thing'.  See my WIP/UFO pages to see if you can find any other themes...lol.

Q3 - What brand of floss do you use?
My regular floss is DMC over all others but I do have a fair few WDW, GAST and some silks for specific projects.  I would love to be able to afford to stitch with nothing but silk after discovering how beautiful they are to stitch with recently.  I am fortunate enough to have a full set of DMC courtesy of magazine trading a few years ago and a full set of Six Stranded Sweets.

Q4 - What is your fabric of choice?
Hey, an easy one!  I love 28ct jobelan above all others but do sometimes enjoy the ease of stitching on 14ct aida so that I don't have to concentrate so hard.

Q5 - Do you use a needle threader or are you a floss licker?
Another easy one!  Floss licker all the way.

Q6 - What brand of stitching frame (or hoop or otherwise holder) do you use?
Hmm...generally I like to stitch in hand but recently I have gone back to using a Q Snap again.  I bought myself a new one and it holds the fabric so much tauter than my old one did.  I would like to get my scroll frame and stand out and use again as I can stitch so much quicker on that.

Q7 - How many projects have you finished?
D'you know, I have never added it up before! Wow...after a quick add up...172.

Q8 - How many completed works are hanging in your house?
Not many!  There is Papillon Creations 'How does your Garden Grow' and John Clayton's 'Sunday Cricket' in the lounge. On the stairs is Luke's mini design and Bothy Threads 'Garden Shed' is at the top of the stairs. There are 3 in the kitchen and that is it.  I have a big box of designs waiting for me to do something with them though.

Q9 - Do you stitch for gifts or for yourself?
Usually, the pieces I am stitching for gifts actually get finished.  That said, as already mentioned I have a box of things to finish.  So I suppose really it is a bit of both.

Q10 - Favourite finished cross stitch piece
Without a doubt that has to be either Bothy Threads Cut Thru Garden Shed or Nora Corbett's Trick or Treat Fairy.  Both pieces were so enjoyable to stitch and I love them both.



Q11 - Worst experience whilst stitching?
I was in the process of stitching the borders for a 12 person RR.  Luke decided to play with some scissors and my fabric one morning before I got up, not sure what Colin was doing at this point!  Luke cut several big slashes in the fabric.  I was not impressed but he was only 3 or 4 years old.  The RR was clearly jinxed as it was sent out once the borders were restitched and the RR fell apart after only 4 rounds.  I was one of the lucky ones who got theirs back.  It was sent out again as a 4 person RR and only 2 people stitched on it before it came back to me.  The third time it went out, it got stolen.  Clearly this was never meant to be!

Q12 - What do you love and hate about cross stitch?
I love the therapeutic feel of stitching and how it can calm me after a grotty day.  I love how many online friends I have made that I wouldn't have done without cross stitch and the sense of community there is with bloggers and other groups. 
I hate the fact that I sometimes can't count to 2 or 3 and end up frogging!  I also hate having to go and find the threads for projects or deciding whether a design will look good on a different fabric. I also hate the endless rows about copyright - it isn't that complicated but some people still don't get it!

Q13 - Have you introduced anyone else to cross stitching?
Yes!  Just my daughter though.

Q14 - The first project, did you finish it?
Yes!  See question 1 for more details.

Q15 - How do you store your floss?
My DMC is all on stitchbows in boxes.  Six Stranded Sweets are all bobbinated in a box. WDW/GAST/CC are all in one of those mini drawer tower thingies.  The silks are bobbinated (I love that word!) in a box with the projects they are for.  Everything else that I have are in plastic wallets in a ring binder.

If you decide to answer them too, let me know.  I love getting to find out more about my favourite bloggers.
Valentine's card - Feb 1995Valentine's card - Feb 1995

Sunday 13 July 2014

WIPocalypse - July

I am really not going to bore you with the same photos as yesterday.  Some of my Turtle Trot pieces were also WIPocalypse pieces.  I have finished Santa's House this month and made a bit of progress on my Cut Thru Stable.  As both of them were in my Turtle Trot, that is why there is no photos!

This month's theme was 'It's half way to Christmas. Do you start your holiday stitching this early?  If so, what do you hope to accomplish this year?'

Yes!  I have been stitching Christmas for the last few weeks for a Christmas in July exchange.  It is finally finished and just needs to be made up.  I don't tend to worry about what I stitch seasonally and just stitch what I feel like.  That's probably why Santa's House finally got finished.  This means I don't have any particular plans on what I want to get done.

Saturday 12 July 2014

Turtle Trotting in July

A little bit of progress was made on my Turtle Trot pieces.
I finished the first part of Santa's Village and did a little on my Stable.  I have already posted photos but here they are again.



Sunday 6 July 2014

A Serendipitous Summer Postcard Blog Hop

I am the third person in the Summer Postcard Blog Hop that Jo organised.  As you may know, she organises Blog Hops on a regular basis, with her Advent Calendar being my favourite of them all (sign me up Jo!)

For this one, we needed to send Jo a photo of some stitching and a photo of our garden and why we like it, what it means to us etc.

I received my postcard from Michelle who blogs at Michelle's Stitchcraft Place.  She sent me this...


On her postcard, she wrote...
I have attached some photos of my garden and a cross stitch design I am going to treat myself to as it reminds me of when I stitch in South Africa with Ma,  Analene who is our friend and myself.   Analene's garden looks very similar to this design and the place we sit and stitch looks the same!

Here is a link to the previous postcards that have been sent so far.
From Marcy to Gracie
From Krista to JoCondine

Thank you Jo for organising this! xx

Saturday 5 July 2014

Theme-a-licious update - late as usual!

Ok, Ok Ok...let's just ignore the fact that I was looking at the wrong year for the theme for June.  Post edited to reflect that we are now in 2014 and NOT 2012!

Firstly, I am trying to get Home of a Needleworker finished.  This is where I am so far.  Sorry it's a rubbish photo but I have joined a SAL on facebook to finish an old WIP and start and finish a new one too. Oh...this one fits as it has a little black bird in it (2013).  However, as we are stitching bright colours this one really doesn't fit with this month!


I have also joined The Frosted Pumpkin's Halloween SAL, I should have declared this in last month's SfS but forgot about it.  I will have to email Mel and see whether to add it retrospectively or in this month's figures.  This has some birds in it (2013). But of course for this year's bright colours theme, it is the pumpkins that grab the attention.  They are a gorgeous shade of orange that just doesn't look as good in this photo.


And a bit of progress was seen on the Cut Thru Stable too.  This one is DEFINITELY bright.  I love the colours in it.


July is 'Jubilee July' and we are either celebrating or in the biblical sense of jubilee 'setting free' projects that we no longer love, for whatever reason.  I have set free some of my projects that were started for the children when they were younger.  Cath took Tinkerbelle and Belle for Love Quilts as well as the Disney Princess RR that fell through as she thinks she can salvage something from that for charity too.  The 3 Thomas the Tank Engine designs were released to Steph whose son will enjoy them.  I also sent her the finished one too. 

I'm not sure what I will stitch to celebrate this month.  I am currently stitching a Christmas design and we celebrate Christmas so maybe that will count?

Wednesday 2 July 2014

Look what I got today!!!

Well actually, although it arrived today, it is going into the bag for Christmas.  How kind am I to Colin? I have done nearly all his Christmas shopping from him for me.  Isn't that nice of me?


The package is a bit tatty but the rest is absolutely fine.  So pleased to get this one as I have loved watching Debbie's progress.  I think that will be a Crazy January Challenge for 2015!