Turtle Trot 2015

I love this picture that Claudette used for announcing Turtle Trot 2015.  In case you have been on Mars for the last few years, you choose 10 projects to stitch on and post about them on 10th of each month.

Mine are going to be: my 2 Chatelaines - Paris Roses and Gardens of London with all the following too.

I will put a current progress photo on once we take the Christmas decorations down and I can have my stitching out again!!

Lovely stitchy post/mail

 I got some lovely stitchy post today.  A few weeks ago I 'discovered' an unknown to me Nora Corbett design from the Cross Stitch and Needlework 2010 Keepsake Calendar - Snow Queen.  A facebook friend very kindly sorted me out with a copy of it and it arrived today!!!!

Just in case you're like me and have obviously been on Mars for the last 3 or 4 years, here is a photo of Snow Queen.  Now I am trying not to start it, but I keep thinking that if I got my backside into gear I could finish it by Christmas...

I have done a little stitching on something I haven't stitched on for a while.  I miscounted the fabric count on this when I started and it has about an inch on the right hand side and slightly more on the left.  I still don't know what I will do when I finish it.  Still how long I have been stitching it, I don't think I need to worry about finishing it just yet.  I plan on working on it at least once a week to get it finished.  It really shouldn't take too long :)

A birthday, some stash and some stitching

Rachael's science teacher was absolutely fabulous when she had a bad hypo in the lesson. Rachael wanted to get her a little present and asked if I would make a card for her.  I asked her if there was anything her teacher liked. Rachael said giraffes and so I stitched the little Mouseloft giraffe kit that I stitched previously.  Rachael's teacher was really pleased with it by accounts.      

Giraffe card for Rachael's science teacher
Mouseloft kit

A little progress on She Sells Seashells but not much! Apart from this there isn't much else to show for stitching progress this week.  I have been busy working on a scissor fob for an exchange so can't show that yet.  It looks great though!

She sells seashells              

This is my gorgeous birthday cake that Colin and the children made me. They make me one every year.  Under the icing is a rather delicious chocolate sponge.  They were very kind and only put 10 candles on - it would have taken too long to blow them all out otherwise.

And finally here is the lovely stash I received for my birthday.  There are 2 Tiny Treasured Diamond Halloween kits, a fuchsia chart by The Silver Lining - fuchsias are my favourite flowers.

There were also 3 little charts too - a LHN, a LK and a JBW designs one, all of which were on my wishlist.

My birthday was on Thursday and Colin's is the day after. We went to Frankie and Benny's to celebrate Colin's.  Colin asked me what I wanted for my birthday meal and I chose spaghetti bolognese.  This is something that I normally make with the children and both of them do a really good job of it.  It was an absolutely gorgeous dinner and the cake that followed was scrumptious!  I am very lucky to have 2 kids that take an interest in cooking and at least I know they won't starve to death once they leave home!!

Stitching and pickling

Thankfully my back is much, much better.  It's not quite right yet but I can move reasonably freely.  Standing or walking for very long is still difficult but I'm getting there!

This week I did something I've never done before - pickling!  We harvested some of the beetroot from the allotment.  Colin boiled and peeled them, so I pickled them.  The first ones we had were delicious!

Our first 2 jars of pickled beetroot!

Stitching wise this week - I have completed Libra for the RR but forgot to take a photo before I posted it.  I also did a little bit of stash shopping too - you know the way your finger 'accidentally' presses checkout whilst looking!!  I ordered 2 JBW designs: Plum Pudding and Christmas Bells and some new gold needles.  Once they arrived I couldn't help but have a look to see if I had some fabric for Plum Pudding...and then of course I had to check the threads too.  Well...whilst I'm getting everything together I might as well put a few stitches in as well.  So here is my 'few stitches'.  Oops - well at least it's not going to be another WIP/UFO lol.

JBW Designs - Plum Pudding
Fabric - unknown was just lurking in my stash
Threads - GAST / WDW as charted

I did a little bit on She sells seashells...but not much!

And that's it for stitching this week.  I'm going to pick up Garden Shed in a minute to work on.  My eyes are feeling a little sore so aida will not strain them so much!

This week's progress

This week has been a bit on and off for stitching.  I hurt my back earlier in the week - by getting washing out of the machine.  How ridiculous is that?  Honestly, who injures themselves sorting out laundry!  I have tried resting it and gentle exercise and so far neither have made much difference.

Colin took the photos for me this week and you can have a guess as to which one he described as "that's probably the most boring photo I have ever taken in my life".

I have worked on my RR piece this week which is now going to be the remainder of the Zodiac cats RR.  As it is just a blob of white on white, I spared Colin having to take the second most boring photo of his life too!"

I have worked on  started CCN "She sells seashells" but haven't made an awful lot of progress on it so far.  I am stitching it on Kiwi Illusions 'bourbon' which is gorgeous and has a lovely feel to it (I think it is Jazlyn).  It does look slanted on the photo but it's not really.

Possibly the most boring photo Colin ever took!
CCN - She Sells Seashells
Fabric - Kiwi Illusions Bourbon
Threads - CC called for

There has been some progress made on the Wedding Sampler this week but not a lot!  This design is really growing on me the more I stitch it.  It's still not something I would want for myself but I am enjoying it a lot more than I was.  Interestingly it made me realise the other day that I never stitched anything for our wedding day or for either of the children being born!

Helen and Kev's wedding sampler
Janlynn - Married this Day

Whilst blog hopping recently, I have seen loads of lovely "Tree of Stitches".  I am in love.  Thankfully Abi Gurden who runs/moderates/designs The Stitch Specialists yahoo group let me in!  I have made a start on my Tree of Stitches and so far I'm loving it.  I chose to go for a dramatic, contrasting look and am using a piece of  Sparklies fabric in 'fire' with The Thread Gatherer silk.  I am using another silk but the name escapes me at the moment.

Tree of Stitches - Abi Gurden - The Stitch Specialists on Yahoo
Fabric - Sparklies Fire 28ct lugana
Trunk - GAST Blackcurrant
Leaves - The Thread Gatherer Blue Violet and HDF unknown