Still stitching!

I know I haven't posted for ages but I have still been stitching a bit.

Once the children go back to school in September I have far less time to stitch what with being back at work, running the children to and from activities etc.  This year I am having a lunch break at work which I have always managed to avoid so far.  The downside is that I now work til 4 instead of 3.30 but I can generally have 30 minutes uninterrupted stitching at lunchtime, if I am lucky!

I have signed up for a new module with the Open University which started a couple of weeks ago.  So far I am enjoying it but there is an exam at the end of it so that could change...lol.  It is 'Working with children, young people and families'.  After that there will only be another 2 modules and I will have a degree!  Sadly that is still 2 and a half years away because of start dates for them.  I could do 2 modules at the same time but I don't think I could cope with the work and still have a life!

Amanda is trying to get Tiny Treasures Too up and running again and organised a Christmas ornament exchange for us.  This is the exchange piece I stitched for Miche'le (Hoki Quilts) but she hasn't received it yet.  I'm getting a bit worried as I posted it on 27th September but I suppose it does have a way to go!

Joyeux Noel ornament from here
stitched with recommended threads
exchange piece for Tiny Treasure Too

This is the ornament I received from Melissa which is gorgeous.  The photo really doesn't do it justice.  She said that it was the first time she had made cording and has done a smashing job of it.  I really wouldn't have known.  Thank you Melissa.

Ornament received from Melissa
Tiny Treasures Too Exchange

I originally stitched something completely different for Miche'le.  I saw these charts in a cross stitch magazine and made a back to back ornament for her.  However, when I stitched the two sides together I wasn't happy with my making up so decided not to send it to her.  I didn't want to bin it so made it up into a little Christmas scissor keep for myself instead.  It's not the best thing I have ever made but it will do!

Below is one of the Fat Flakes Snowman - Pam's RR piece.  I have these to stitch in my stash (one day, when I get round to them...hehe) and had forgotten how cute they were.  I really enjoyed stitching him and will be looking forward to seeing the finished RR in a few months time. 

Fat Flakes - Jeanette Crews Designs
Pam's RR
Recommended threads (DMC)

Poll is up

As mentioned in my post last night, the poll is now up for what to do with Plum Pudding.  Hopefully no one will choose the last option but you never know!  Please leave a comment here if you have another idea or a link to how you finished yours if you have stitched this design.  I would love some ideas.  You can choose several different finishes in the poll if you want to.

Thanks for voting!

Good News, great stash and other news!

I'm going to start with our day out yesterday.  We went to a National Trust place called Sudbury Hall and Museum of Childhood which was fab.  We parked up and had our picnic on a grass bank near the car park to save having to carry it round the Hall.  The kids wanted to do the museum first but unfortunately you couldn't use flash photography so there are no photos of it.  The exhibits were brilliant.  There was a room where you could pretend to be a chimney sweep with 2 fireplaces that you crawled up one, along and down the other one.  Rachael has reached that awful preteen age where something like that is 'so not cool' and wouldn't do it.  Luke didn't want to go on his own so didn't try it either.

Then we went to the Victorian Schoolroom for a 'proper' Victorian lesson.  Rachael waited outside as that wasn't cool either!  We had to sit down and clean our slates.  The teacher (Miss Savage) then came and inspected our hands/nails - I got told off for wearing jewellery.  We had to write the date in neat script, then had to do a 'reading' exercise followed 'spelling'.  Colin was picked out as a good speller of today's words and had to go to the front to say them for the rest of the class.  Miss Savage then asked him to do yesterday's spellings which of course he didn't know.  He was then given the dunce's cap and told to stand in the corner.  It was so hilarious....I so wish I had the camera to hand.  Priceless!!!

In another gallery there were 3 bedrooms on the ceiling all done up to look like authentic periods.  I think it was Victorian, 1970's and around 2000.  The room guide asked Rachael if she could come back on Tuesday to help change the sheets.  Bizarrely Rachael later asked me if she was joking.

The back of Sudbury Hall

A VERY, VERY rare photo of me

There was this amazingly huge chair in the grounds.
Just so you can get some idea of the size, I'm 5' 7" (tall not round!)

I ordered some fabric earlier in the week from Pelenna Patchworks ready for finishing a couple of items.  Unsurprisingly, the Christmas pudding one is for the Plum Pudding design that I finished stitching last week. I can't decide how to finish it though.  If you read this far, I have put a poll up for ideas on how to finish it so please help me decide.  The one on the right is for my Tree of Stitches (which you can see an update on further down the page.)

Pelenna Patchwork fabric

A really lovely surprise this week was from Colin.  I told him the log in for my wishlist at Sew and So just to allow him plenty of time to organise himself for Christmas.  He had taken a look and ordered me some things for a treat.  Bless his cotton socks!!

Colin's treat to me!  The fabic is a large piece of white jobelan which
is my favourite fabric and a colour I had run short of.

Each week, WOCS has a Friday freebie on their facebook page - or did until facebook decided that it was no longer allowed. All you had to do was to 'like' the freebie post - so I did - and out of 1430 people, I won!! I got a laplight.  I am so chuffed! (chuffed means pleased if you're not local!)

My prize win.  A laplight!

With everything that has been going on all week with getting ready for me and the children going back to school, stitching has had to take something of a back seat.  There has been a few stitches put in my Tree of Stitches which I really want to get finished now I have the backing fabric for it.  I love this design but I'm having such trouble with the cushion stitch, I don't know why but it is just really hard going.  One of the silks I am using is really springy which is part of the problem I think, but it really shouldn't be the most difficult stitch.....grrrrrrrr.

Tree of Stitches - Abi Gurden
This was a SAL on The Stitch Specialists Yahoo Group

Close up of the stitches.  I have unpicked the cushion stitches at the top as I wasn't
happy with the coverage with one strand.  They are being restitched with 2.

It might be possible to see a little progress on my Cut Thru Garden Shed.  I really love this one and will be sad when I finish it.  Oh well I have several more Cut Thru's in my stash!  Congratulations if you made it all the way to the bottom of the post.

Bothy Threads - Cut Thru Garden Shed

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!

Hurricane Irene

Just want everyone in the path of Irene to know that I'm thinking of you and hoping that you all stay safe.  Luckily we don't get things like this in England so I can only imagine what it is like for you but I hope you all come through it safe and sound.  Remember possessions can be replaced but YOU can't so do what you need to.

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

Small change to Rachael's westie

All week I have been looking at Rachael's westie with a sort of a hmmmmmm........not quite happy sort of a look.  I decided that I didn't like the puffiness of the cube or the way the fabric round the sides didn't look tight enough and the bow didn't look quite big enough either.  So I took it all apart and made another cube.  For the cube I used a piece of the insulating foam that came in Rachael's CGMS sensor box which is really dense although quite easy to cut.

2nd attempt at making a bow.  It's a bit bigger this time which Rachael said she wanted

Colin has said that he will take photos of me making a bow to show how I did it - so what this space for a "tutorial" if you're interested.  I have to warn you though I am left handed which will probably make a difference!

I will post some pictures of my week's progress later - the camera battery died after this photo so it's on charge at the moment.

A new finish

This must be a record - 3 posts in one day!

This afternoon Rachael was having a root through my WIP/UFO box which I'd left out and discovered the Westie I had made a start on for her.  She was so thrilled with the progress so far that she gave me a big hug, big kiss and told me I was the best mum EVER! Well who could resist carrying on with something after that.  I knew that it wouldn't really take long to complete the stitching, it was only a diddy chart after all.  The funniest bit was the countdown from 36 stitches 27 to go, 24, 17 etc.

Cross Stitch Crazy magazine
Westie

Once it was finished she had a root through my fabric and ribbon boxes having decided she wanted it finished the same way as 'love you to the moon'.  The cube was one I had bought at some time and I didn't find it as easy to work with as the one I made.  It seemed much softer.

Rachael chose all the colours for this.
Incidentally the cushion behind is one Rachael made at
school last year.  Her first ever attempt!

I have never made a ribbon like this and although it isn't perfect, I am really pleased with how it turned out.  Rachael is ever so chuffed with it so I am glad I caved in to her and finished it.  Of course now I need to do something small for Luke so if you know where there are any free charts of Man Utd players or at least in red, let me know!

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.

Scissor Update

'Spoke' to Jo and abcstitch.com have got them.  Woohoo!  Thanks for the advice!  I'm a happy bunny.