Just a Quickie

First off...Amanda is arranging another exchange on tinytreasuresexchangetoo.  The poll is closing tonight and is looking like being a scissor fob.  Come and join in the fun!

Next...have you seen the new margaret sherry kits on the new website.  There are some really cute free charts.  One is ready for Christmas with a cute kitty holding a stocking and the other is a snail with a Union Jack design on its shell.  It's lovely!

Secret stitching sweetheart

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post.  We have been so fortunate and our prayers must have worked as our childminder has found out that her health problems are not currently as serious as were first thought and once she has recuperated, she will be minding again.  I can't tell you how relieved we are.  So we have to struggle on until 10th February but then fingers crossed she will be given the all clear to resume working.  She will have to have a major operation in the near future but we are all so thankful that she is on the mend now - not just because of the childcare issues but for her and her family too.

Jo at Serendipitous Stitching is having a fun Valentine's Day activity over on her blog. The secret stitching sweetheart.  Don't worry you don't need to make anything in a short space of time.  All you need to do is email Jo a photo of something you have stitched for Valentine's Day in the past.  When she knows who's joining in she will randomly allocate your photo to someone else.  Everyone posts the piccie on 14th February and then the fun begins as you visit all the blogs to see who got yours.  Once you find out you reveal yourself as  their secret stitching sweetheart.  Sounds good?  Go and join up then - the more the merrier!!

I haven't had a lot of stitching time this week.  But here is my progress for the week.  I have been stitching on the RR piece mainly.  I would like to finish that in the next couple of weeks.  I have really enjoyed the RR as it has been very relaxed.  Although it was only a small one with 4 of us, we haven't had a mailing date and have just let everyone know when we were ready to send on.  Surprisingly this has worked brilliantly.

Mystery RR piece - not sure who the designer is.
The colour of the fabrice is rubbish.  IRL it is lovely!

I have worked on Roots to Grow a bit too.  I would love to get this finished and framed.  It is a lovely design to stitch and I wish I knew what the fabric was as it is beautiful to stitch on.  

This is growing slowly.  I love the colours.
Waxing Moon - Roots to grow

I was really naughty in the week and ordered a chart and the threads for it.  There was a design on someone's blog and I can't for the life of me remember who it was but anyway I fell in love.  The design itself has been around years and has never caught my eye before.  As I didn't want to tell Colin about ordering it, I will have to leave it a few weeks before he sees me working on it.  Can you guess from the little I have done, what design it is?  If you can, I would be seriously impressed.  Stay tuned for more progress. 

So then what is this mystery piece???
It's actually stitched on DMC ivory fabric.

Finally, Bronny has redesigned her blog background and looks fab.  I complimented her on her talents and she reckons it's not that hard.  Well I am going to try and do one for myself - see what you've started Bronny?  Can anyone give me any tips on getting some really good photos of my stitching so they look a bit 'arty' close up type photos?  

Theme-a-licious update 15th January

I have posted pictures of my progress so far under the Theme-a-licious tab at the top.  So far I have worked on Garden Shed and Roots to grow.  Below are some photos of progress so far.

        

  
The bottom design is the final part of the RR that I am participating in on facebook.  The colours are nowhere near how they have photographed.  The fabric is a lovely spring green in real life.  I don't know who the designer is for this one.

Our childminder has stopped minding due to health problems and as far as we can decide is unlikely to start up again, which is a shame.  Luke especially liked going to her as she took the kids to the park every night that wasn't wet.  Luke really needs this to burn off energy after a day at school.  He is a livewire and is rarely still.  Thankfully at the moment work are being good about me finishing early.  It is really hard to know exactly what to do.  At nearly 13 many childcare providers won't take Rachael but with her diabetes we can't just let her come home on her own.  The after school club is mega expensive and we really can't afford it.  To send Luke there every night for a week is about £220 a month if not more and only takes up to 11 years of age.  That leaves us still needing care for Rachael.  Part of me thinks it may just be easier in the long run to see if I can cut my hours and if not just start looking for another job.  It's hard to know what to do for the best.

Both the children were back at school this week.  Rachael was particularly glad to be back.  She had her school report on Wednesday which was excellent as always.  It will be such a shock if we get a bad one from her one day!  She is doing really well in all subjects.

I've been playing (oh and some WIPocalypse stitching)

I've been playing with backgrounds and stuff for my blog today and haven't really found anything I'm happy with. I would really like something that reflects me and my love of stitching.  Maybe I need to learn a bit more or invest in Photoshop.  So don't be surprised if you find weird colours, fonts or anything else a bit odd when you visit.  If you have any hints, tips or eurgghh why have you done that's to share, please feel free.

That said...on to the stitching news.

I realised I haven't posted a picture of Sam Snowbody.  This was for the second leg of the RR group on facebook and was a bit of a challenge being on a small count aida with a huge amount of fractionals in it.  I wouldn't be defeated by it though and it is now winging it's way back to USA.  I was really pleased with it when I finished it, it does look nice.

Sam Snowbody
unknown designer
Facebook RR group

I have also been stitching on Cut Thru Garden Shed for my WIPocalypse/Theme-a-licious piece this week.  I finished the bottom middle part and have been working on both of the right hand side pages.  This is where I was on Saturday night.

CutThru garden Shed
Bothy Threads

I didn't get as much done today as I hoped as I took Rachael shopping whilst Colin and Luke watched the United game on TV.  We had a lovely time and after we had hit the shops we went to Costa Coffee for a hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows for a treat...mmmmmm...gorgeous!

Sewandso.co.uk have had a sale on recently and I picked up a few bits that everybody else in the family picked out for me to do.  Colin liked 2 landscapes by Needlepoise which were £2.49 each so I let him have them!  Rachael of course liked the Westie which has a beautifully clear chart to stitch from.  Luke likes the Christmas one and I liked the halloween one.

new stash to play with!!

Tiny Treasured Diamond

I've just realised that in my last post I didn't add a photo of the Christmas present Rachael sent me.  It's really cute.  Obviously she has very good taste in stitching stash!!

Tiny Treasured Diamond
Mill Hill

Tiny Treasured Diamond
Mill Hill

 I have just finished the bottom middle page of the Cut Thru Garden Shed.  As the last 2 pages are both half pages, I am going to work on both of them at once.  I have a bit of the backstitching done but will save the rest until I have finished the stitching now.

Having joined WIPocalypse, I am now going through all the blogs and have discovered some lovely new ones that I've never found before.  So not only will I get all my WIPs finished this year (yeah right!) but will also have new blogs to read too.  

Happy stitching!

Theme-a-licious / WIPocalypse

Ok...so...it's 2012...yay!  Happy New Year to you all and happy stitching.  I'm not doing a round up of 2011 as I am glad to see the back of it like many other people.                                                                                
Anyway having signed up for Theme-a-licious and WIPocalypse for 2012 I thought I would start by showing where I am at the start of the month. 

I have got the final leg of the RR I'm in to work on this month but will alternate this with working on Cut Thru Garden Shed and Roots to Grow, Wings to Fly.  There will probably be more progress on Garden Shed as I would love to get that one finished.

Below is where I am before starting on them.

Roots to Grow/Wings to Fly
Waxing Moon
As of 2nd January 2012

Cut Thru Garden Shed
Bothy Threads
Progress as of 2nd January 2012

Close up of Garden Shed - bottom middle section
Only got the rest of this section and 2 small sections to the right plus the backstitching 

Rachael gave me this Mill Hill Tiny Treasured Diamond as a Christmas present.  I had to stitch it up and get it on the tree this year!  Didn't want her to think I didn't like it.

Miche'le never received the first ornie I stitched her which is a shame so I chose another design and replaced it.  The second one arrived on Christmas Eve which was lucky.  The design was from Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue but I can't remember what year.  I would check but they are hidden away behind the Christmas Tree at the moment.

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue