Poll added

I just want to be nosy, so I have added a poll to the top of the right side bar. I am curious about where people start stitching from when starting a new project. If you want to comment to explain your reasons for where you start from where you do please leave a comment on this post. If I am using a frame and my stand, I like to start from the bottom left. The reason for this is because I stitch with my left hand under the frame and my right hand on top. That way I don't put my hand on the stitching so much whilst stitching. However, If I am stitching in hand, I prefer to start from the top left and work down and then across so that my left hand is stitching and my right hand holds the fabric so again there is not too much contact with my stitches.

Autumn exchange arrived

Lisa posted that her autumn exchange has arrived so I can post a pic of it now - thank you for letting me steal the pic Lisa. I finished as a pin keep. It was the first time I had made one and as it was so easy I think I will be making more of them now. Unfortunately I just couldn't make a bow that looked half way decent so it ended up without one. If anyone knows of a "complete idiot's guide to making a bow" please let me know where it is!!

I have finished the exchange piece for the halloween exchange and that will be on it's way to its new owner tomorrow. Once it's received I will post a pic.

Luke was substitute for his team yesterday. They were playing one of the better teams in the league and he came on just before half time. Unfortunately about 5 minutes after half time he gifted the opposition a goal for them to go 2-1 up. He was determined to make up for his error and then played a cracking 15 minutes of really good football and one of his team mates scored to make the final score 2-2. It was actually a really fair result as both teams played really well and neither deserved to lose.

I have signed up for another Open University course which will start in November. This time I am going for Understanding the Autistic Spectrum which although covering just about every issue surrounding the various conditions also covers education so should be helpful with job hunting too.

Baptism

Rachael and Luke were both baptised on Sunday. It was a lovely ceremony and the priest at our new church is great. He is always cracking jokes. His sermons are really interesting too which is good for the children! They will both be making their First Communion next year and I got to go to the first sacremental programme meeting last night. Somehow I managed to volunteer to do a reading in church...it's not just God that moves in mysterious ways, my mouth does too sometimes! Luckily I have until 19th December to practice and get word perfect!! Both the children are looking forward to making their First Communion but Luke is particularly excited because all his friends did theirs last year and he felt a bit left out. Rachael is at the back (obviously!!) and on the left. The girl on the right is her best friend who was also Baptised at the same time.

This week and next we have the joy of trawling around the local high schools to try and find one that is good enough to send the kids to for the next 5 years. Unfortunately they are a bit thin on the ground round here. The worst one has only recently come out of special measures (for international readers - that means it was so bad they got someone else to run it and improve it!) and it is merging with the half decent one at some point in the next couple of years. The one at the end of our road is fab and we are really hoping that Rachael will get in there and that Luke can then join her in 2 years time. We have to apply by 16th October but don't find out until March where she will go.

I have been stitching for exchanges recently so there is no stitching progress to show.

continued...

Arrrgghhhhh.....what is going on with blogger???

With the last post I kept trying and trying to load another photo of my other finishes and it really is not having it!

So here is the photo of them! The middle one is off centre but not as badly as it looks in this picture! The other 2 still need making up before they can be added to my ornie total for the year. I am really behind with my original idea of one a month!

I have also been stitching for the autumn/halloween exchange but as they haven't reached their new homes yet I can't share them for the moment. One though became my first ever pinkeep which was much easier than I thought it would be.

Some finishes

I really don't know what has happened with my blog. My photo was uploaded the wrong way no matter what way I orientated it before uploading and now i can't rearrange my photos so that I can put my stitching first. So if you want to know what I have been stitching first you will need to scroll past the first bits!

Rachael always walks in the Denton Carnival each year with her dance group. This year they were dressed as zombies and performed to Thriller and the Monster Mash among others. We had great fun making the costume. Here's a tip if you ever need cheap dye for costumes - washable paint doesn't wash out properly! No matter what black poster paint I have bought the kids it has ever washed out when they have got it on clothes. So to save buying dye I put half a pot of black paint in an OLD washing up bowl with a bit of water to cover the clothes and left it to soak overnight. I then put it through the washing machine a couple of times to make sure that it if rained Rachael wouldn't end up with paint streaks running down her!! The clothes ended up a great zombie grey/black colour. We used a whole tube of black mascara on her hair with talc over the top of that and white facepaints with dark grey eyeshadow all around her eyes.


I joined the halloween/autumn exchange on Exchange Heaven and received my autumn exchange from Chris. It is fabulous and beautifully finished. I love it and it matches the walls in our lounge perfectly.

I have been doing a bit of Christmas stitching and finishing lately. Below is a very old design I had stitched but never done anything with. As I don't like Winnie the Pooh any more, I'm not sure what will happen to it now!

Happy Dancing!!

I finished My Child last night! I don't know how long this has been a WIP/UFO but it was uploaded in my Webshots in September 2004 as a WIP so a fair while...lol.

Now this is finished I have decided to find another WIP/UFO that has been going for a while. So now I am working on It Never Rains which is a Country Companions design. That one has been going since at least October 2003 so it really is time it was finished. I have also signed up for a Halloween/Autumn exchange so will stitch something for those too. I think I have found some nice designs so I need to just narrow it down a bit.

I have absolutely no idea why this photo is on it's side. I have uploaded it several times with different rotations but it still it comes up on its side!!


The full verse will read:
I hope that my child looking back on today
Remembers a mother who had time to play
Children grow up whilst your not looking
There'll be years ahead for cleaning and cooking
So quiet down cobwebs; dust go to sleep
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

The photo above is the start of sunflower fairy - yes I know I was supposed to finish My Child first but it was calling my name too loudly!! The one below is of the floss toss to choose the fabric. It's quite peachy looking and made me think of a background of blurry flowers for her.

And finally, this is Luke playing for his football team in a tournament. He only signed on for them recently. His enthusiasm is greater than his talent but he started 4 of the games today and came on as substitute for another one.

Lost kitten

We found a little lost kitten last Sunday, or rather it found us. The poor mite wandered into our back garden during the afternoon. It poured down all afternoon with it just sat under our car to keep dry. We all hummed and haaed as to what to do with it - obviously we were hoping that it would toddle off home again. Unfortunately it sat there and sat there. Eventually we decided to pop it in the shed. We can't have it in the house because we already have three cats and we didn't want to upset the balance. We found an old box and some jumpers and towels to make a bed up for it and got some food and water. He was quite happy to spend most of his time in the shed although he had open access to the outside. We didn't close the door completely. He settled down immediately and was quite happy there. The kids are absolutely besotted with him. Rachael gave him a really good brush through and cuddled him to bits. I have never seen a cat or kitten so friendly and so obviously craving human company. You only have to look at him and he starts to purr.

On Monday we put up posters and made some flyers. We took them all round the houses (in the pouring rain!) We rang all the rescue shelters, police station, vets etc and no-one has reported him as missing. One of the rescue shelters wanted £20 to take him in! Finally today, a lovely lady from the RSPCA came to the house and she has taken him. She thinks there will be no trouble in rehoming him as he is so friendly. The fact that he is so good with the children will stand him in good stead and he has such a loveable face too! I am so glad that he will be going to a good home in the next couple of weeks. Rachael was a little disappointed that he was gone when she got home from her sleepover but both the kids are glad he will get rehomed.

On a stitching front, I am working on a very old WIP/UFO. It is called My Child and has a lovely verse that for some bizarre reason makes me cry every time I read it in full. I wanted to put a piccie up of it but Colin has got the camera at the moment. I have completed the border and am about half way through the verse. Hopefully I will have it finished in the next week, but I need to get my assignment done too so may not! It's so gorgeous though, I have been wondering how it ever became a WIP in the first place!

First Prize

We got a letter from the Garden Competition organisers today. Colin has won first prize in the Best Patio/Yard competition. We get to go to a presentation ceremony on 10th September to collect the prize. I am not sure what it is but when he won second prize 2 years ago, he got £50. The children were really excited and want to know if they can be in any photos that are taken. It's nice to get some good news for a change!!

Sunflower Fairy

My Valdani threads arrived today. They are gorgeous colours and I can't wait to start Sunflower Fairy. I did a floss toss this morning to decide on a fabric and I think I will problably go with Day Dream from The Blended Needle which is an orangy pinky colour. I can't find where I put the camera at the moment to put a piccie up but as soon as I do, I will!!