Oh dear...who forgot their WIPocalypse update?

Yes that would be me!

I have only stitched on Cotswold Village this month as a WIP and as a photo of that was posted for my Theme-a-licious update, I won't bore you with another.  I am going to focus on my wedding sampler for Colin's sister and hubby this month.

Theme-a-licious roundup for Amazon April

Crikey, I'm getting later and later with these.  I haven't been near my blog or stitched hardly at all in the last week.  I am currently writing the last assignment for my OU module and then mid June is exam time (eek).  Therefore life at the minute is dedicated to study, revise, study, revise, sleep!

Below are pics of what I have done this month.

So first up is Cotswold Village scene.  This is huge but I really enjoyed stitching on it.  Maybe it shouldn't go back in the UFO box.

This is 'Two Little love birds' which is a Love Thy Threads design that I am guinea pigging.  It is a gorgeous design and the colours are so pretty together. 

Above is my progress so far on Around The World in 80 Stitches (ATW80S) for short. It is really pretty but I haven't come across most of the stitches before so it is challenging me a little...ok a lot. It will be done though!

And this is the pathetic progress on 6 Fat Snowmen.  

I got some fantastic post today.  Jo (Serendipitous Stitching) saw this card and thought of me, can't think why...lol.  It is absolutely amazing and I have had a smile on my face all day and keep going to look at it.  Luke went and compared it to the 'real' one and found loads of differences.  He particularly liked the frog in the demi john bottle at the bottom.  Concensus seems to be that I should frame the card and hang below the cross stitch when it's framed.

The other great bit of news is that I have rediscovered an old friend.  Once upon a time, I became friends with a lovely lady in America although actually I can't remember how we met...hmmm....  Anyway as she loved the British cross stitch mags as much as I did, she had a subscription sent to my house and every now and again I would put them in a box and post them off to her.  She made my two kids the most beautiful quilts for their beds which they still use today - despite the fact their feet stick out the bottom of them.  When I wash them it has to be on a day where I can get them washed and dried and back on the bed the same day....or else!  They love those quilts more than anything they own!

Bizarrely I have been following this person for quite a while and it never ever clicked that this was my old friend.  After discovering who she was I re-read all of her blog and basically thought what an idiot I was as it should have been so blatantly obvious.  Short of putting up neon signs telling me who she was....honestly...I really am dumb!

We never fell out as friends it was just a case of relationship troubles on my part and we gradually lost touch over a period of time.  I would guess the last time we corresponded would have been possibly around 2004/2005 ish maybe.  I am so excited to have found her again.  

Oh I suppose you want to know who it is, do you?  It's...

Shirlee

Crikey......busy week!

There has been a lot happening in our world lately. Nothing major or earth shattering but just busy, busy, busy.

The SAT for CSC finished last Sunday so here is the progress I have made for the week on my Cotswold design. Obviously the top one is the starting point and the bottom one shows how much I got done. I think I stitched around 3000 stitches for the week this time.

As you may have noticed it was Ash Wednesday this week. The children attend a Catholic school and I work there too so we received the ashes from the priest in a special assembly. Rachael has decided that for Lent she will give up chewing her nails - so far so good. Luke is challenging himself and going for giving up bars of chocolate, fizzy drinks, helping around the house more and behaving better in class. He is brilliant with the chocolate and fizzy drinks so far and refused to have chocolate when it was offered round! Unfortunately, I don't have his willpower. I decided that I would clear my purse out at the end of each day and put all my change in a for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). Hopefully by Easter there should be a fair bit in it!

One of the jobs that has kept me busy and stopped me stitching this week is an application form. I have decided to apply to Manchester Metropolitan University for the Foundation Degree in Supporting Teaching and Learning. I have already applied to Tameside College for their version of this which is done through Staffordshire College and I'm waiting to hear if I get an interview. The application forms are long winded though. The one for MMU is 9 pages!! It's more thorough than most of the job applications I have filled in!

Rachael got her level 11 in her swimming this week too. Now she only has one more level to complete and she will be done with swimming lessons. Hurray!! She is thoroughly enjoying the swimming club she joined recently though and is making huge progress. Luke is loving it too and is in a small group of about 4 or 5 for teaching. He is really doing himself proud too as most of the others spend more time messing than swimming (you wonder why the parents pay!!) and he is working hard and not allowing himself to be drawn into their silliness. Maybe there is hope for him yet!!

CSC Stitchathon

This week has been the CSC SAT (what a lot of initials there!!). I have worked on the Cotswold design from Cross Stitch collection this time. In fact I think this is going to be my SAT project this year as I want to get a good chunk of it done by December. I know I should start from the middle but I don't have a frame big enough for this one so I am stitching it in hand. If I start from the left, I don't have to hold the fabirc anywhere I have already stitched. (Yes, I'm a leftie!) The whole design is 30" x 8" when finished. When I started this week I had stitched 0.5% of the design, now I have stitched 6%.

This is my before SAT...............
..........and this is after. I have given up on the SAT now despite today being the last day. I MUST do some of my coursework. I am absolutely thrilled with the progress this week although I was missing a few threads which is why there are a lot of gaps in the stitching. I have been very fortunate to have some of the kids activities cancelled which naturally equals more stitching time!! I don't suppose I can be that lucky every month!

I just wanted to say thanks for all the offers of help for finding the TW chart. I am hoping that something is sorted for it now but if not, I may be taking you up on your kind offers.

WIP and new start pics for 2009 - part 1

These are more for my own reference than any other reason. I thought I would post pics of where I am with my WIP's as of the start of 2009. It might be interesting to see what progress actually gets made on some of them by the end of 2009!!

Snowy Days Sampler from Cross Stitcher magazine.

Bothy Threads Cut Thru Garden Shed. I REALLY want to finish this one this year.

Maggie the Messmaker. I want to make real progress on this one this year.

Last 3 Snappers need doing. Started January then March and June to do.

Cotswold Design from Cross Stitch Collection magazine. Again I would really like to make a lot of progress on this one this year.


Part 9 of How does your Garden Grow is started and I really want this finished by my birthday in March.