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| Waxing Moon |
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| RR piece |
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| Helen and Kev's wedding sampler |
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| Bothy Threads |
I will do a proper blog post when I have more time, I'm trying to write an assignment at the moment. Bye bye stitching time :-(
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Arrgghh......late WIPocalypse update - Feb 7th check in
Since the last update, I have worked on several different designs. Below are pictures of where I am now.
All of them are things that I would really like to finish.
I will do a proper blog post when I have more time, I'm trying to write an assignment at the moment. Bye bye stitching time :-(
I will do a proper blog post when I have more time, I'm trying to write an assignment at the moment. Bye bye stitching time :-(
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
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.
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.
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.
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.
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| Mouseloft kit |
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| This is a clematis flower bud |
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| One iris in bloom |
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| another iris in bloom |
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...
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
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!
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!
Sunday, 22 January 2012
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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?
Sunday, 15 January 2012
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.
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.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
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.
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.
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.
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.
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| Sam Snowbody unknown designer Facebook RR group |
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| CutThru garden Shed Bothy Threads |
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.
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| new stash to play with!! |
Saturday, 7 January 2012
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!!
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.
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| Tiny Treasured Diamond Mill Hill |
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| Tiny Treasured Diamond Mill Hill |
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!
Monday, 2 January 2012
Theme-a-licious / WIPocalypse
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.
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| Roots to Grow/Wings to Fly Waxing Moon As of 2nd January 2012 |
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| Cut Thru Garden Shed Bothy Threads Progress as of 2nd January 2012 |
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| 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.
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| Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue |
Thursday, 29 December 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, 25 December 2011
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you all have a great Christmas with everything you need. Thank you for reading my blog over the last year. If you're not celebrating today, just enjoy the break and spending time with family or friends.
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