2 finishes and WIPocalypse update

Wow...not one but two finishes!!!

I was lucky enough to have the chance to stitch on Lynda's Travelling Pattern - Busy Needle.  I got it stitched up over the weekend and loved it.  Sassy Brass is the loveliest colour in the entire history of thread. I love it!  I have ordered a box from BoxyLady and I will attempt my first ever box finish...eek!

 After that was done, I wanted to work on a WIP/UFO.  I had a flick through my box.  Roots and Wings caught my eye.  A few hours later that too was complete, including the little buttons.  It's lovely, really bright and colourful.

Today we went to Bakewell and did a Treasure Hunt from here. We had a great time although it was actually a bit too hot.  There isn't really any treasure, you just walk round spotting certain things and crossing it off the map until you're left with just one place left which would be where the treasure is hidden.  Here are a couple of pictures of the kids with the clues they had solved.

Some of the clues were in around Bakewell Parish Church which was beautiful.  The church was open to look round.  Parts of it date back around 1000 years.  Inside there was a board that charted the history of the church and detailled when different bits were added to the church.  Even the children were interested!

Lunch was at a wonderful pub called The Peacock.  The portions were HUGE!  None of us could finish them.  Luke and I had a panini, Rachael had a chicken burger (with 3 pieces of chicken, 3!!!) and Colin had a piece of fish - from a great white shark judging by the size of it!  The places were massive but the fish still hung over the sides of it.

And finally...no visit to Bakewell is complete without a visit to Wye Needlecraft.  I was REALLY good and only bought 3 things.  One was High Hopes (Just Nan), Honeysuckle Courtyard (Patricia Ann) and Summer Garden (Country Cottage Needlework).  The Patricia Ann one is going to be for Colin's parents for their Golden wedding anniversary in a couple of years.

My blog heading

Jo (Serendipitous Stitching) asked me about one of the designs in my blog header.  So rather than just tell her what she wants to know, I thought I would tell everyone!

So vertically down the middle is Papillon's How does your garden grow?
Across the top is a butterfly freebie from yiota which I changed all the colours of.  Under that is a close up of the apples in Cut Thru Garden Shed.
Next to these two is part of Roots and Wings by Waxing Moon.  The top right and bottom left are 2 designs from a series that I sent out for a RR, probably in around 2003/2004 ish.  They were in Cross Stitcher magazine I think and there were pansies, sweet peas and 2 others.
Going to the bottom right is a part of Waxing Moon's 'If I stitch fast', a butterfly from a recent issue of Cross Stitch Crazy and the Welcome is from a Hobb Nobb design but I can't remember which off the top of my head.

(Bet you wish you had never asked now Jo?)

Wipocalypse update (April)

There hasn't been a lot of progress on my WIP's / UFO's this month.  These are the 3 that I worked on during the month which was as part of the Theme-a-licious March Madness.  

I have been working on Garden Shed yesterday and today and am hoping it will be finished either today or tomorrow.  I am feeling really fired up to finish it and only have about quarter of a page of actual stitching to do with about 2 1/2 pages of backstitch.

I have put a poll up.  What design should I stitch for the rest of the month once Garden Shed is finished?  You can vote for more than one option.  If you're not sure what the designs look like have a look at the WIP page.

Theme-a-licious February round-up

Ooops...a day late with my Theme-a-licious update.  SORRY!  There hasn't been a lot of stitching this month and when I have stitched I've been in a funny mood.  I have found it really hard settle to any particular project.  Madonna of the Garden (Mirabilia) was going to get some love, it got about 6 stitches which is why there is no photo.

Below is my progress on Roots and Wings which is nearly done now.  I am not going to jinx this project by saying I will get it finished.

Roots and Wings
progress as of 29th February

The flower

The words!

Next up is my shhhhh...secret project that Colin mustn't  know about.  Don't tell him!  This one was first shown a couple of weeks ago.  As a bit of fun I wondered if anyone knew what it was from the wiggly line that was showing.  Unsurprisingly, no-one did.  How about now?  Any guesses?  I will put any correct answers in the proverbial hat and draw a winner on 15th March when I do my next Theme-a-licious update.

Who am I?

Any ideas?

Onr thing I really wanted to finish was Garden Shed.  The one thing I really couldn't settle to working on this month?  Garden Shed!  Even though I picked it up a few times in the month, all I managed was a thread or two in the last couple of sections to be stitched and about 2/3rd's of a page of back stitch.  So annoyed with myself but I just didn't feel like working on it at all. Hopefully March will be better!

I love the theme of March.  Try to stitch on a different design every day of the month.  Well I definitely have enough WIP's for that...so I'm up for the challenge!

Today is World Book Day and at work we had to dress up as a book character...oh joy.  Now don't get me wrong, I love books...couldn't eat a whole one but that's another story.  I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (get the picture?) dressing up.  Anyway, I settled on a book by Jacqueline Wilson called 'The Illustrated Mum'.  Rachael and Luke had a whale of a time this morning drawing all over my arms with felt tips.  For those of you not familiar with Jacqueline Wilson (a) where have you been for the last twenty years and (b) the illustrated mum has loads of tattoos - hence the felt tips.  This is what I looked like after a day at school.

The story is about a mum called Marigold with 2 daughters called Star and Daisy.  So that's 3 of the tattoos covered.  The others are ones she designs but I can't remember why.  Rachael drew the dolphin and a Star that was on my hand.  Luke drew the snake and the daisy.  I managed the heart, marigold and eye myself!  Thankfully it is now over for another year but I am really hoping the pen scrubs off tonight!

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.

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 

Progress this week

I have been concentrating on the wedding sampler for most of the week although saying that I haven't managed to get a lot of stitching done.  This is my progress so far.  There are constant colour changes in this - 3 or 4 stitches and I'm snipping the threads again.  It does seem to be stitching up quite quickly though once I get in the flow of it.

I mentioned previously that I was going to participate in a RR again for the first time in ages.  As there was only going to be 3 of us in the group, I chose a trio of sunset designs from World of Cross Stitch  magazine which are gorgeous!  We have now had another lady join us to make a 4 so it is back to the drawing board - what a hardship to have to go stash fondling!  This is how far I had got with stitching my part of the designs.  The colours are so vibrant and are a real joy to stitch.  I must make sure this doesn't become a UFO.

Last night I fancied a complete change from the wedding sampler and decided to root through the WIP/UFO box. Roots to grow, wings to fly caught my eye so I managed to put a couple of lengths of thread in that before needing an early night.  I can't for the life of me remember what the fabric is but it is absolutely gorgeous to hold as you're stitching.  Might be a Silkweaver possibly but no idea which one.