Friends

Monday 28 February 2011

Half Term Week :o)

I had a lovely week off last week...

We went down to Stafford last Sunday to see Steven, and took him for lunch at the pub.  We saw him for all of about 2.5 hours, but he was happy with that - He likes his independence!

Monday and Tuesday were spent just relaxing (and stitching!), and then Tom and I went down to Swansea on Wednesday to see Rachel.  We stayed at Tom's Uncle's house at Margam until Saturday, and spent the days driving backwards and forwards to Rachel.  It was a good few days, in which we met Rachel's boyfriend, and also a lot of family members.

Today is my last day off, and I'm going to have my last good stitching session until the Easter holidays... I'll still be stitching, but not on the same scale as I normally do during the school holidays... Anyway, I stitched on L&L's 'Song of Christmas' last week, and this is my progress:

I have started to stitch the Christmas tree at the back of Santa, and also the middle of his coat.

This week is the turn of HAED's 'QS Plum Gothic' that I started stitching again last night.  I'm always wondering how they can call these designs 'Quick Stitch', as there is nothing quick about them to me! 

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

Saturday 19 February 2011

What a Week!

Well, the school inspectors have been in school this week, causing lots of stress and pressure...But it's now over with for another 3 years or so, and it's the Half Term holiday week!  We are going to spend the day with Steven in Stafford tomorrow, and then we are going to Swansea for a few days on Wednesday to see Rachel.  Until then, I'm going to have a well-earned rest, and do lots of stitching!

I have managed to stitch on the Country Companions UFO on several occasions this week:





There is a lot of backstitching in this, so I'm doing it as I stitch on it.  It feels strange stitching on Aida again - I don't tend to use it now, apart from when I'm doing a Round Robin, so when I do use it, I tend to stitch faster... The next UFO I'm stitching on is 'Song of Christmas' - a Lavender and Lace design...

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

Sunday 13 February 2011

Life and Stitching Progress

I've stitched a bit of my Serenity Prayer UFO over the last few days:

It only needs the bottom left corner stitching, and the remaining black border, and then it's finished.  This week is the turn of another 'new' UFO - Country Companions 'Me First', although I don't think I'll get as much done, as we have got OfSTED in work this week...I'm so glad it's Half Term after this week :o)

Sammy has gone to stay with her sister, Rachel, in Swansea for a few days.  I thought it would be a lovely break for her and us, but she has been on the phone this weekend, wanting to come home.  I think she is homesick and lonely - and very much out of her comfort zone - but unfortunately, her train tickets are only valid for Tuesday.  I've talked to her and her sister, and they are going to go easy on each other for the next couple of days...Rachel has been spending a lot of time with her friends and boyfriend, and expecting Sammy to go with the flow...I think Sammy has had a steep learning curve over the last week or so, since she decided to leave Sixth Form...All part of growing up, I suppose!

Happy Stitching!

Monday 7 February 2011

A Small Happy Dance, and more UFOs!

I managed to finish Just Nan's 'Boo Tin' yesterday, after just one day of stitching:


So, as I have finished two of my original UFOs already, I had a look through my stash and found some more UFOs from a long time ago...

Ross Original's 'Tiger'

Country Companions 'Me First'

ASN 'Welcome Baby Sampler'

Jeanette Crews 'Serenity Prayer'

All these designs are from at least 10 years ago - I can't remember who I was stitching the Baby Sampler for...They were all in the back of my stitching cupboard in a box that hasn't been touched for a while...  Anyway, I put their names in my little box with the other UFO names, and Sammy drew out the Serenity Prayer to spend the rest of this week on.  I'll update at the weekend.

Happy Stitching!

Saturday 5 February 2011

Wilbur Progress

I've enjoyed stitching on my tapestry this week!  Wilbur himself is finished, so I just have to do the rest of the background and the edging:

Back to cross stitching next week...

I've also had 'A New Day' framed.  I picked it up from the framers this morning:


We've been having a bit of chaos with my youngest daughter this week.  She has decided that she hates the Sixth Form that she attends at the moment, and wants to leave and start somewhere else in September.  She went for a meeting with the Sixth Form Leader with her dad yesterday, and is now more adamant that she is leaving.  She has applied to two colleges in the area, and has an interview at one of them in 2 weeks' time.  I have told her to think seriously about it over this weekend, and if she still wants to leave, then fine.  My eldest, Rachel, changed colleges at the end of her first year, and had to restart A-levels, so we've done all this before.  However, Sammy wants to leave now, and doesn't see the point in seeing the year out....Anyone who thinks bringing children up gets easier as they get older, beware!  More stress!!!