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?

Belated Theme-a-licious update for April

The only designs I have stitched on in April that feature water are: Just Nan's High Hopes and Chatelaine's The Gardens of London.  High Hopes was just too late to count for my Just Nan SAL for April so at least it edges in here!

Theme-a-licious update on February's stitching

Just in case you have been on a completely different planet for the last couple of year, Theme-a-licious is organised by Geeky Heather who gives us themes for our stitching each month.

Hmmmm...last month after taking tips from Jo, Queen of shoehorning themes into whatever she happens to be stitching, I had quite a few things to show.  This month...not so much!

Obviously there is Cinders, who was marching ever closer to a finish...eventually. I will update on the drama that is Cinder-gate in the next few days...

My gorgeous unicorn must count too despite the fact there is currently no evidence of a unicorn! I love this one, it's so easy to stitch with just one thread!

There's my little Just Nan Santa too...not that I am saying Santa is a fantasy figure of course...

And that appears to be it!!  See you next month with hopefully a bit more variety.

Theme-a-licious -

In January I stitched on the following designs that I could shoehorn gardens or flowers into.

In the order of the photos:

1. Cinderella - Joan Elliott
2. Rosa - India Grace Designs
3. Halloween House - Ursula Michaels
4. Touching the Autumn Sky - Mirabilia
5. Honeysuckle Courtyard - Patricia Ann Designs

I suppose I could have tentatively suggested that Oh Christmas Tree and A Very Merry Christmas have trees in which could be in a garden...but I won't!

Crazy January Challenge - Day 5

Yesterday I worked on High Hopes which not only fulfills my Crazy January Challenge but also my Theme-a-licious and Just Nan SALs too.

I have only done a but of the white border which was frogged a couple of times as I'm not used to using perle threads for cross stitch and it looked a bit messy.

SAL's for 2014

2013 saw me joining up for several SAL's which did inspire me for the first few months until I got bogged down with my university module.  So hoping that at least the same will happen again, I am going to sign up for the following SAL's.

WIPocalypse 2014

Just Nan SAL 2014

 

This is run by Zeb and you can sign up here
I have borrowed the rules from Zeb - saves me making spelling mistakes or getting it wrong :)

Each month you stitch a Just Nan design. It can be big, it can be small, but it must be Just Nan. It’s ok if you’ve got a piece that you’re stretching out over several months too. At the end of the month post on your blog photos of your progress (or completed stitching) and a write up. Once you’ve done that come along to this site, find the latest SAL blog post by me (post date!), and comment that you’ve updated. Then, check out what other members have done, and enjoy in the Just Nan goodness.

Themes below are shamelessly stolen from here, which is where you can go to register your interest as well :) Heather is very kindly allowing us to send ideas for the mystery themes although Jo wants one where we all send our stitching to her...hmmm...no sure of that one!!

Jardin January

The holidays were a little stressful...let's relax in a nice garden. Work on any piece with flowers or gardens.

February

It's a Mystery...for now!

March Madness

Work on something different every day...it's madness...of the funnest possible kind.

April

It's a Mystery...for now!

Menagerie May

Is it a zoo in your stack of WIPs? How many projects can you find that include animals or birds?

June 

It's a Mystery...for now!

Jubilee July

It's time to celebrate! What are you celebrating this year? Stitch on your holiday-related projects, OR find some WIPs you know you'll never finish and set them free.

August

It's a Mystery...for now!

Supersize September

Dip your needle into the vast swath of fabric dedicated to your BIGGEST projects!

October

It's a Mystery...for now!

No-Xs November

What can you make without making an X?? Blackwork, hardanger, embroidery, needlelace, and the list goes on! Don't panic...you can even backstitch for the month!

December

It's a Mystery...for now!

Stitch From Stash

A year of stitching from stash with a £15 budget per month.  Hop over to Mel's blog Epic Stitching for more details and to sign up by 2nd January.

Turtle Trot 2014

I am going to shamelessly steal the rules from Bap Attack which is where you need to go to sign up.  

1. You must have a blog, because you'll be posting links to it. If you don't have a blog, you can still work on those old projects, lol. You just won't be eligible for the contest.

2. Pick 10 unfinished projects (why not 14 for 2014? I can't cope with where this will end up - 43 projects in 2043? Yikes)

3. Take a picture of them and make a blog post by the 10th of January.

4. Each month, by the 10th, post whatever progress pics you have.

Round up of 2012, 2013 goals

Well WIPocalypse didn't happen, we didn't all die...what a relief!

Thanks to the wonderful WIPocalypse I actually finished 8 designs that may otherwise still be languishing in my WIP/UFO box.  The one I really wanted done, got done - Cut Thru Garden Shed so that was good news.

I didn't start too many new projects that didn't get finished - also good news.

So for 2013 I am taking part in the following:

• Turtle Trot SAL
• 6 Fat Men/Snow Belles SAL (haven't got the Snow Belles yet)
• TUSAL (and my glass is all ready to go)
• WIPocalypse
• Theme-a-licious

So between them all I should stay on track - fingers crossed.

I also got the Santa's village series on autoship from The Patchwork Rabbit for Christmas so I want to keep up with that.  I have ordered a lovely piece of Chocolate Milk 28ct jobelan from Steph's Fabbys to stitch it on and am just waiting for that to arrive.  If you have never tried either company, I really would recommend them both.

The designs I am planning on focussing on for WIPocalypse and adding in to my Theme-a-licious months are the following.  3 of them a technically obligation stitches in so much as they will have a new home to go to when they are finished.  

1. Cinderella - Joan Elliott
2. Henry VIII and his 6 wives - DMC
3. Friends are like Angels - Lizzie Kate
4. Horse Racing - John Clayton
5. Garden Tools - Anchor
6. Around the World - Papillon Creations
7. Confetti of Hardanger - Abi Gurden
8. Maggie the Messmaker - Dimensions Gold Collection
9. Honeysuckle Court - Patricia Ann Designs
10. 6 Fat Men - Lizzie Kate
11. Football Cushion - Sheena Rogers
12. Tatty Teddy Bookmark - Anchor
13. She sells seashells - Country Cottage Needleworks

I would also like to be able to send birthday cards, maybe a small gift to people I have met through blogging.  Or maybe be able to RAK someone who is having a tough time of it during the year.  If you would be open to possibly receiving something from me (so far no one has said 'OMG, what did you send me that for?) then could you email me with your name, address, date of birth, any real likes/dislikes, and anything else you think is relevant.  I promise I am not some mad psycho who will stalk you and I will not sell your details to any third party organisations - or whatever it is companies always put when you sign up with them...lol.  My email is in my profile but just in case of any problems, it is sharonjstevens at msn dot com - with the usual changes of at and dot.

Two Little Lovebirds, Theme-a-licious, WIPocalypse updates

I have been very remiss at posting updates for my Theme-a-licious and WIPocalypse stitching.  I haven't really been stitching much at all lately.  I have worked on my Confetti of Hardanger and have unpicked more than I have stitched.  One bit of it had to be restitched 4 times before I finally got it right.  Another bit I stitched and thought it was fine and then eventually realised it was wrong.  So for now as I am so despondent with the piece, it has been stuffed in a bag and gone in the WIP/UFO box until I am ready to fight with it again!!!

So after all that there isn't an update really!!

I did finish Two Little Lovebirds by Love thy Thread.  It is a really cute design and should have stitched up really quickly if anyone else but me was stitching it.

It looks much better in real life.  I'm not sure what all the pulls and wrinkles are in the picture but they are not really there.  I love the trim, it sets the cushion off brilliantly and the blue is almost the same colour as the wedding theme.

Theme-a-licious and WIPocalypse August 31st

I have posted all my Theme-a-licious progress on the Theme-a-licious page above.  As to WIPocalypse I have worked on and finished The Great Escape, It Never Rains, an anniversary card, blackwork owl and something else that I can't remember.  I won't post pictures as they have all been posted before.  If you would like a look just scroll down.

I would like to finish at least one more WIP before the end of the year.  Really I could do with WIPocalypse running next year too as I have actually had around 7 long term WIP's completed so far this year.  Maybe they were wrong and the world will actually end in 2013?

Thank you to those who have visited Rachael's blog she was really pleased to have the extra visitors.

July Theme-a-licious and 1st August WIPocalypse

First of all a big welcome to all my new followers and a big thank you to everyone who comments.  I do try to reply to comments via email but not everyone has an address provided.  So if I done't respond, hopefully it isn't just me being ignorant, it's because I can't.

Well.......I've had a bit of a finishing frenzy over the last week.  I thought I would get some of my WIP's ermm that would probably be UFO's if I'm truthful.

First up is a Country Companions design from DMC which I think is called It Never Rains...  This may well be my oldest UFO.  I started this in our old house and as we've been here for 10 years, that makes it pretty old!  Anyway IT IS DONE!

It Never Rains...   DMC
finished 23rd July 2012

Next is a Mouseloft penguin.  Now seriously, who could EVER leave a Mouseloft kit as a UFO?  It's no bigger than 2" square.  Honestly!  Anyway it is done and will probably be made into a tree ornie.

Mouseloft Penguin
finished 23rd July 2012

Another long standing UFO but not as bad as the Country Companions one.  This is a little blackwork owl from X-calibre designs.  This was the first one I bought to learn how to do blackwork.  I believe that if you do it properly the back looks like the back...a bit like hardanger I suppose.  I obviously didn't do it properly as the back looks nothing like the front.  Thankfully the front looks ok though!!

Blackwork Owl - X-calibre
finished 25th July 2012

And finally, well for finishes at least, is this little anniversary card.  The writing was red but I thought I would change it so I can use it for Colin's mum and dad's wedding anniversary, which is obviously their golden one...hehe.  Again it was one of those pieces that should NEVER have been a UFO as it just wasn't big enough.

Anniversary card
unknown designer

I then used the random generator to choose my next WIP to work on.  It landed on this one.  I spent a little bit of time working on it but it is 18ct aida which is definitely NOT my favourite fabric to work on.  I am going to leave it out and put 1 strand a day in it to keep it ticking over.

Garden Tools
Fleur de Lis

I have been working on She Sells Seashells as well and hope that will be my next finish.  Watching the Olympics at the same time is not a good idea.  I am doing nearly as much frogging as stitching.


Other news....

********I PASSED********

I got my Open University module exam result on Tuesday.  I got a Grade 2 pass.  As the OU had already admitted that one of the questions was 'unusually difficult' and were 'standardising' the results, I knew it wasn't my imagination that it was a hard exam.  Now I am trying to decide whether or not to continue my degree or not.  I worked really hard with studying and revising for my last module and felt that the exam didn't allow me to show my knowledge.  There were many students who put in a complaint about the exam so it's good that the OU listened and investigated but it left me really demoralised.

That's it for now...Happy Stitching!!

Theme-a-licious update for June

Well this month I have stitched predominately on Helen and Kev's wedding sampler. It is finished but I am not going to post a picture until after they have received it. It's only fair that they get to see it before everyone else does!! I cannot possibly think of a story to tie this one into the theme so it will just have to be a 'fail'.

I also stitched on Luke's cushion - it has grass in it and some animals eat grass - that's my theory and I'm sticking to it!!

I finished part one of ATWi80S and have to say it looks absolutely awesome! Not a word I use often but it does!!

I managed to make a start on Cinderella which my aunt asked my mum to ask me if I would stitch it for my cousin! Nothing like going around the houses to get something done is there?

I have also made some progress on Two Little Love Birds (Love Thy Threads) which is coming on a treat. It is a lovely easy stitch and it is so nice to have a decent size chart to stitch from without first having to blow it up to work out what the symbols are.

On a non stitching front, the exam didn't go as well as I thought it had - well at least I don't think it has.  I have to wait until 3rd August to get my result.  I have lodged a complaint with the OU regarding the paper along with many other candidates.  32% of the mark came down to knowing 4 pages of the course materials.   I was revising a full lever arch file, 3 books, 2 DVD's and the UNCRC. Fingers crossed I have done better than I think...but I doubt it!

Theme-a-licious mid month update

Ha! Late again!  Nothing new there, is there?

I have been really good and worked exclusively on Helen and Kev's wedding sampler...apart from yesterday when I really wanted to work on Around the World in 80 stitches.  So I did!  The first heart is finished apart from the beads.  I have done the backstitch outline of the second heart but that is all.  I'm really annoyed because I have misplaced one of my Q Sanps.  I have my small one but can't find the other one anywhere...grrrr.

This is my pathetic attempt at some arty type shots.  Maybe I should read Colin's camera manual properly!

Apart from stitching there is very little news other than Rachael finally got her music exam result from 28th March.  She passed her Grade 1 with distinction.  WELL DONE RACHAEL :)

Theme-a-licious update 15th February (or thereabouts)

If you go to the Theme-a-licious page you can see my rather late mid month update.  With working on my assignment I haven't had a lot of stitching time so there isn't much to show.  I am going to focus on Garden Shed for the rest of the month which will hopefully see it finished.
I have finished my RR design which you can see on my Theme-a-licious update.  There is a funny story about this one.  J whose RR it is, sent the charts but no picture of the finished design.  I looked at the chart, couldn't work it out so passed it to my hubby.  He thought it was a bra filled with flowers.  I could see where he was kind of coming from on that but thought it would be a rather odd idea.  Anyway as it was a summer design I went along with his thinking although preferring to think of it as a bikini top.  As I stitched I was having serious doubts.  DH spent ages on the computer finding out what it was one evening - as you can see from the picture, it's a bonnet!  Now in our defence there aren't many bonnet wearers in Manchester!!  Honestly, how daft did I feel when he told me?!  It is a very cute design and I love the bluebird.

Nicola over at stitchingbyacornishseashore is having a double giveaway.  After a long walk, her dogs were exhausted which made her think about the funny positions people and pets sleep in.  Go and have a look as the charts she is offering are beautiful!

This is what Smudge decided to do tonight.  He WAS having the sofa despite Colin and Luke having it.  Smudge is very definitely Colin's cat.  For him, he is a real lap cat - for the rest of us, unless we are feeding him all we get is a look of complete disdain.  It's not often though that Colin ends up with Luke snuggled one side and Smudge snuggling the other.

New design for blog

As regular visitors will most likely notice, I've had a facelift.  Well I haven't but my blog has!  I would really welcome your thoughts on the new look - whether good or bad.  Is it too bright, colourful?  What about the writing - is it easy to read.  Do the colours work together ok?  Or anything else you would like to mention.  I have been trying to make my own background for about a month but haven't liked anything I came up with so settled for this.

I haven't done my Theme-a-licious post yet but will whip the camera out tonight and get it sorted.

Theme-a-licious - January round up

Well the first month of Theme-a-licious has gone by.  I have posted my progress on my Theme-a-licious page so have a look!  The plan is to stitch on Mirabilia designs from my WIP pile for Fangirl February but really need to work on some others too.  I need to finish off the RR piece and I want to work on the wedding design for Helen and Kev who will have been married for 2 years in June - yikes!!

Apart from Theme-a-licious stitching, I have also stitched a little thank you card for my boss who was really understanding of my recent childcare issues and allowed me to finish early without docking my pay.  She is giraffe mad so hopefully likes this one.

Mouseloft kit

This is a clematis flower bud

We have actually got a clematis that never really died back last year and so never got cut back.  I was just having a bit of a wander round the back yesterday and we have a bud on one of the plants.  It shows how amazingly mild our winter has been so far as it shouldn't flower until June at the earliest.

One iris in bloom

another iris in bloom

We have actually got about 6 or 7 irises in bloom at the moment.  I am pretty sure they shouldn't be flowering until March.  It's bizarre.  I'm sure sooner or later we will pay for it being so mild.  Hopefully we will be able to get up the allotment and do a few bits over the next few weeks.

I'm sure there was something else I had to blog about but can't for the life of me remember what it is.  Oh well...

Christmas roundup

I had a lovely Christmas with just Colin, Rachael and Luke.  My mum decided that she didn't want to come up this year and decided to spend Christmas at home on her own.  Our traditions include the kids opening their stockings from Father Christmas on our bed at 6.30am - although if they want to leave it later they can, I really don't mind!  After that it's showers, dress and down to open their 'big' Father Christmas presents.  Once this is done Colin makes breakfast for us all.  Chocolate pains for me and Luke, crumpets for Rachael and croissants for himself.  Once these are eaten it's time for teethbrushing and only then can all the gifts under the tree be opened.  Each year we take it in turn to choose presents from under the tree for each person to open then once each round is opened, the next person chooses another present for each person.

Rachael being the ripe old age of 12 now decided that she wanted to buy us each a present with her own money (usually she is given the money to do this).  Luke got a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, Colin got a model car and I got a Tiny Treasured Diamond from Mill Hill.  I think that is probably the best present I have ever received as she went through my sewandso.com wishlist without my knowledge and chose it before getting Colin to order it for her.  Luke gave me the pair of Union Jack flag scissors that I ordered a while back but had forgotten about!  Colin bought me 3 pieces of Sparklies fabric, a LK santa chart and some stamps for my collection.  There were also other assorted bits and pieces.  I was very lucky.

On Christmas Eve we went to midnight mass - at 6pm.  The church was packed with standing room only.  The children always enjoy this as they know, and usually like, the hymns for it.  They found it terribly confusing though this time with the new order of the mass books and the old mass book with the readings etc in.  The readings and psalms were completely different to the book.  Looking around the church it wasn't just them that were confused though!

Onto stitching news...I have been working on the 2nd round of the RR still.  It should have been mailed weeks ago but with my cross stitch lamp bulb going, it has been hard to stitch.  There are loads of fractional stitches and it is on aida so I REALLY need my lamp for it.  I have now received the new bulb so hopefully will get it wrapped up in the next couple of days.  The next leg arrived today and is quite cute although looks like a hard chart to follow.  I think I will need to enlarge the chart a bit when I get to it.

I have signed up for Theme-a-licious over on Its all geek to me and have a page at the top with my plans for the year which I will be combining with my WIPocalypse stitching and hopefully make a lot of progress on WIPs throughout the year.

Today our washing machine gave up the ghost.  I went to get the washing out of the machine and found it all sopping wet having not spun.  I cursed and tried the spin cycle again - nothing!  The drum isn't spinning at all....grrrrr.  Phoned Colin to let him know - "Are you sure it's not working?"  Suffice to say it's a good job he was at work.  After looking at the cost to get someone out, we decided that it had proved to be good value and we would send it to washing machine heaven and get a new one.  Having spent the day researching, examining and removing powder drawers in the shop that I couldn't then get back in (well if I can't get it back in after I've cleaned it, it's no good) we have settled on an Indesit which seems a really good buy.  We will go back and order it tomorrow.

I've noticed a few new followers in the last few days.  Welcome and thank you for visiting!

Well that's it for now.  Happy New Year if I don't make it back here in the next couple of days.