Stitching Times

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T22:27:00.003Z

Happy New Year to all my Blog readers!

I'm writing this as I sit watching the TV with a glass of wine on New Year's Eve 2011... I thought I'd better write another post before the end of the year...and post pictures of my stitching over the last few weeks.

Here are progress pictures:

"Me First" by DMC Country Companions

"Toy Shop" by Mill Hill

I do have other progress pictures, but they are on the main computer (on the laptop at the moment), so will have to post tomorrow...

Today I finally got my sewing machine out, and did some finishing on some recent and old stitched pieces:

Alphabet Heart - old finish that was a freebie on the internet...

"Hiking Cat" by Margaret Sherry

Home Sweet Home - old finish made into a cushion

"Small Token" by Blackbird Designs

"Bubbles" by Heritage

"Wilbur" tapestry by Julie Hasler - recent finish

I also have a pile of old finishes that are for framing, so will be at the framers for a good part of the next few months!

Happy Stitching!

Very little stitching done...

2011-11-20T21:17:00.001Z

I've spent the last 2 weeks working on ByGone Stitches' "One Nation". I stayed with it for 2 weeks because I've been extremely busy with work and Guiding activities, so had minimal stitching time. I have made some progress, though:

This week will be spent on L&L's "In the Arms of an Angel". I hope to get plenty stitching time this week, as DH is away until Tuesday evening, so tomorrow evening can be spent in my stitching chair! Here is the Angel before I started stitching on her again tonight:

Happy Stitching!

Ruby Progress and Teaching Cross Stitch

2011-11-06T17:37:00.000Z

I've managed to get quite a lot of Gorjuss Ruby stitched this week:

I'm quite happy with the amount I've managed to do, but it's time to change to another piece. My husband drew out a piece of paper a short time ago, and this week's stitching will be on:

"One Nation" by ByGone Stitches

This is a large project, so I don't think the progress will be as noticeable...

On Friday, I helped to start a Cross Stitch session at school, as part of Golden Time. I took some of my smaller pieces to show the children, and then they started designing and stitching a bookmark on binca, with a border and their initials or name on it. They all enjoyed it, once they had started stitching:

I'm looking forward to next week's session!

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

UFO Stitching Challenge/Rotation organised

2011-10-30T20:57:00.000Z

I've finally got a rotation set up again...I'm linking it to the 2012 UFO Stitching Challenge, where I am attempting to finish some UFOs, make good progress on others, and also start some new designs. The pieces I'm going to work on, and information about how I'm going to run the rotation, are on my UFO Stitching Challenge page (click on the tab above).

The first piece selected to be worked on this week is Bothy Threads' Gorjuss Ruby:

and here is my progress up to now:

I am planning on updating my blog every Sunday with the progress I've made on that week's chosen piece...

Have a good week everyone, and Happy Stitching!

Nimble Thimble visit

2011-10-29T17:42:00.000+01:00

Today was spent driving down to a cross stitch shop called Nimble Thimble, that is just over the Welsh border near Oswestry. I had heard about this little gem from a friend at the Nuneaton Meet-Up, and decided to go down at the end of the Half Term break.

The shop owner, Chris, was very welcoming and helpful, showing me around the shop to start. She also provided tea and coffee when we first arrived. The shop reminded me of the store I visited in New Jersey, USA, but wasn't as big... There were lots of stitched models around to look at and entice you, though!

I bought the following items:

Twisted Threads: "If the Shoe Fits" and Bent Creek: "Spring Row"

28ct Opalescent linen and 28ct pawprint linen

Lizzie*Kate: "Cat Lessons for People" with frame

Twisted Threads: "Standards for Men", Lizzie*Kate: "Breakfast in Bed" and Raise the Roof: "Official Crazy Cat Lady"

Silver Creek Sampler: "Northwind" and Raise the Roof: "Which Side?"

Waxing Moon: "My Best Friend" and "Chocolate makes your Clothes Shrink"

We also went to visit my son, Steven, in Stoke on the way home. He seems quite settled in his Year-long Work Placement from University now...

Yesterday, we booked our holiday for next year. We have decided to go back to New York City, and take our youngest daughter, Sammy, with us. She is 18 in a couple of weeks, so we had said that we will take her away with us next year. We can't wait to go back to the States, even if it isn't until next August, and we're only going for 4 nights next time...

Happy Stitching!

Stitching Update

2011-10-24T09:40:00.000+01:00

I promised to show pictures of my stitching from Nuneaton in my last post, and I've finally got around to doing it!

The main piece I stitched on was L&L's "In the Arms of an Angel", which I don't normally spend much time on:

I now only have the wings, some beading and metallics, and some of the 1-over-1 on the baby's head to do...

I also stitched on Ink Circles' "Celtic Ice" - a design I picked up in the US:

This is stitched on 28ct Windowpane linen, using Carrie's Creation threads.

This weekend has been a very rare weekend off for me - no Guiding activities, or work to do (due to the Half Term break this week), so I've been getting on with some stitching... But did I continue with either of the above designs..? No...I started something new!

This design has been screaming at me to start it, and so I started it on Friday evening, and finished it on Sunday afternoon!

It is a Forever in my Heart design - "Cross Stitch Maniac", and it is stitched on 18ct Davosa linen, 1-over-2, using Thread Gatherer Sheep's Silk threads. The house at the bottom is straight - I hung the piece up to take the photo...

I also started a Bothy Threads 'Gorjuss' design - "Ruby" - which is stitched on Aida...

This is stitching up quite quickly, but I doubt I'll spend all week on her!

I think I need to set up my rotation again... My stitching is quite erratic at the moment...I'm glad I've got the bug back again, but this is silly!

Happy Stitching!

Nuneaton Meet Up

2011-10-16T09:50:00.000+01:00

I am currently in the middle of a very relaxing weekend (very unusual at the moment!). I spent yesterday in Nuneaton with some fellow stitchers. We met up to spend the day stitching and chatting, and then we went for a meal at a Carvery... I find the meet-up very helpful, since I do not have any stitching friends who live locally, as I can ask questions, see other people's stitching for real, and find out about good things to use and where to buy them!

After the meet, I spent the night in a hotel, where I stitched for a couple more hours, and had a lovely time on my own... This morning, on my way home, I'm going to call in on my son, Steven, in Stoke and take him shopping for a computer chair... I've not seen him for a while, as he is currently on placement from Uni.

I also forgot to upload the pics from my exchange stitching in my last post. I stitched 3 Christmas ornaments for a 'Christmas in July' exchange. They are all Mill Hill designs:

I'll post stitching updates later - mobile broadband isn't great for uploading pics!

Happy Stitching!

Some finishes...and Life...

2011-10-11T17:36:00.000+01:00

Well, yet again it has been a while since I posted on here...I have been very busy with my new Guiding role - District Commissioner, as well as looking into becoming a Trainer for Girl Guiding, and also my day job of teacher!

I have had two finishes recently:

'Rachel' nameplate, stitched with designs from Designer Stitches' Winnie the Pooh Alphabet book for a friend's newborn baby.

Ink Circles: 'Here Comes Treble'

I'm currently stitching another Ink Circles design, and will post a pic when it's finished...

Happy Stitching!

A Very Late Post...

2011-09-01T13:44:00.000+01:00

Well, it's been a while since I posted on here...Life has a funny way of taking over!

We have been to New York - what a fantastic week we had! We saw all the main sights, and walked a lot around the city. We also had the experience of the earthquake and Hurricane Irene, so we got the whole deal! We are already looking forward to going to the USA again...

Whilst in the USA, I met up with a fellow cross-stitcher that I met on Facebook. We went to a Cross Stitch Shop in Clifton, New Jersey, where I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! The shop is called 'Where Victoria's Angels Stitch', and it has almost every design you could wish for...Needless to say, I spent a small fortune in there, having nothing like that here in the UK! Here are pictures of what I bought:

Dragon Dreams Charts

Ink Circles charts, Q-Snaps and Needle Minder

Just Nan charts and charms

Waxing Moon and My Big Toe charts

Caron Waterlilies, Crescent Colours, Weeks Dye Works, DMC and Kreinik threads

I have also been stitching my Lizzie*Kate 'Living with Charm' design:

Other pieces I've stitched are for exchanges and a Baby Nameplate - I'll post pictures of those once I know people have received them all...

Happy Stitching!

A Happy Dance and some framing

2011-05-30T17:29:00.000+01:00

I've not had much stitching time recently, due to working 2 teaching jobs, but I finished 'Astrocats' today:

Capricorn Cat was the last one stitched on the piece...

I have also had two pieces framed recently:

'Chorus Line' by Valerie Pfieffer

'Faith' by My Big Toe Designs

It's half term at the moment, so I have a week off work. However, Rachel is here with her boyfriend Nick for the week, and Steven is home until he gets a placement...I'm also off camping with the Guides on Friday for 2 nights, so I don't think I'll feel like I've had a break once I go back to work next week!

Happy Stitching!

Another Happy Dance!

2011-05-04T18:23:00.000+01:00

I finished 'Chorus Line' by Valerie Pfeiffer yesterday:

I'm really happy with the way my ex-UFOs are getting finished! I've also nearly finished my Astrocats - just been waiting for more thread through the post...and it arrived today...

As is always the case, I have been shopping for more cross stitch stash (as if I haven't got enough!):

Bothy Threads: Gorjuss 'Ruby'

HAED: Selena Fenech 'L'

HAED: Jasmine Beckett-Griffith 'Storykeep Butterflies Galore'

HAED: Jasmine Beckett-Griffith 'TT Purple Dragon'

Forever in my Heart: 'Cross Stitch Maniac'

I shall no doubt be making a start on at least one of these over the coming weeks!

I started my new part-time job last week, and I'm still trying to find my way around. It's weird working in another school, with new colleagues...but I'm sure it will become quite natural soon!

I'm also soooo excited! We've finally finished paying for our holiday in New York in the summer, and I've booked a cruise around the island, and sightseeing at the Top of the Rock! I can't wait to go...even if it is still 3 months until then...We are also hoping to book tickets to see a show whilst there - probably 'Chicago'.

Happy Stitching!

An Unexpected Happy Dance!

2011-04-25T21:32:00.000+01:00

I started stitching this yesterday, and managed to finish it tonight!

It is 'I Love You to the Moon' by Waxing Moon, and it is stitched on 28ct Crystal Mystic Cashel by Picture This Plus with Crescent Colours. You won't believe how many pictures I took to try and get a good one, but the colours wouldn't show properly, and the sparkle in the fabric keeps sparkling! This is the best I could get... I bought this as a kit from 123Stitch in the US, and couldn't wait to start it...

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T17:06:00.000+01:00

Happy Easter to all my blogging friends! Hope you are all having a lovely long weekend... The weather here has been glorious for the past few days - and hopefully it will last for a while longer!

I've been stitching on 'In the Arms of an Angel' since I finished 'Serenity Prayer' on Monday. It has been nice to be able to focus on her for a good few days while I've been on holiday from work. Here is my progress picture:

The robe on the baby is finished, as is most of the 1-over-1 stitching on the arm, hand, baby's head, and the face and neck of the angel. It is tough going with the 1-over-1, but the effect is lovely. I'm going to put her away until the next time she is drawn out now, before I get bored of stitching her!

I'm back at work on Tuesday, after 2 weeks at home, and I'm also starting my 1-term part time contract at the school in Burnley. I will be working 2 part-time contracts for the term, which will help with our savings towards our holiday in New York in the summer...Rachel went back to Swansea on Good Friday, and Steven wants to go back to Stafford next Friday... Sammy says it will take a while to get used to the quiet house again!

My first Zumba class was last week, and I loved it! It was really energetic, but I didn't realise I was exercising as much, as I was too busy trying to learn the steps....I'm going again on Tuesday - especially when I lost 5lbs of weight last week! I took a bottle of water with me to the class, and I drank it all...

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching :o)

A Giveaway and a Happy Dance!

2011-04-18T10:54:00.000+01:00

Firstly, I'd like to tell you about a fantastic giveaway over at Hooked on Stitches. Angela is giving away a choice of Lizzie*Kate or LHN design in a finish of your choice from 3 different finishes. One of the choices is a flatfold:

Next, I'm pleased to tell you that I've finished 'Serenity Prayer' by Jeanette Crews Designs:

I only started stitching on it again yesterday lunchtime, and I put the last stitches in this morning! I think I'm going to make it into a wall hanging...

I'm going to spend the rest of this week on 'In the Arms of an Angel' again, while I'm still on holiday from work, and have plenty time to work on her.

Rachel has decided that she wants to go back to Swansea at the end of this week. She is missing her boyfriend, and is bored here - she doesn't have many friends around here any more, so doesn't have anything to do. I'm OK with this, as she needs to find her own path in life, but I do feel a little upset that she's going back so soon...

Happy Stitching!

Weekly Progress

2011-04-17T12:56:00.000+01:00

I've been stitching on two different pieces this week:

'I Love You More' by Erynne Chard is a project I started last week, and just stitch on it when I only have a short amount of time to stitch. It only uses 6 colours throughout...

'In the Arms of an Angel' by Lavender and Lace has been my focus piece this week, and I'm happy with the progress I've made on her. I had to frog quite a lot of the 1-over-1 stitches in her arm at the beginning of the week, as I realised that they were out by a couple of stitches. It wasn't easy to frog them! I've also been trying to fill in some of the detail on the dress, including the roses.

Next week is the turn of 'Serenity Prayer' again, and I should finish that, as there is only one corner left to do. I've also finally sent 'Faith' to the framers, so will hopefully get that back in a couple of weeks...

The children are all home for the Easter holidays, now, and the house seems packed again! It's only a week until I go back to work, but the two students are here until the weekend of the Royal Wedding...

Happy Stitching!

Stitching Blog Giveaway

2011-04-13T10:58:00.001+01:00

Just to let you know that TangerineDream73 is having a fantastic Blogoversary Giveaway on her Blog. Click the link to find out more...

Ullswater in the Lake District

Slow Progress

2011-04-11T10:10:00.000+01:00

The last week was very busy! It was the last week of term, and my two children who are away at Uni should have been coming home...Rachel was supposed to come home on Thursday evening, but text me on Wednesday night, asking if I had any objections to her staying in Wales for another week with her boyfriend. She is now coming home this Friday. Steven was supposed to come home on Saturday, but he rang me on Friday afternoon to say he couldn't come home until Tuesday, as he has a task to do at Uni on Tuesday morning...I'm glad they are getting their independence, especially Rachel, but I do wish they would give us a little bit more notice!

Work was busy, getting ready for the end of term, and also getting my room ready for the Summer Term. I also paid a visit to the school in Burnley, where I will be working in the afternoons next term. The next term will be hectic, but I think I'll enjoy it! No doubt my stitching will suffer, but it's only for 12 weeks...

Last week was spent on 'One Nation'. I didn't get much stitching time, due to various things going on - I've joined Slimming World, so that is one evening a week. I also had Guides and the Guides Swimming Gala on different nights, so I only had one or two evenings to stitch! Here is my progress:

The piece is 73cm in length! I think it will take a while to finish this...

This week's piece is 'In the Arms of an Angel' by Lavender and Lace, but I have been stitching on a sampler piece called 'I Love You More' - a design by Erynne Chard. If you click the link, it will take you to the Freebie page where you can find the design. Here is a picture of my progress so far:

As it is the Easter Holidays now, I should have more stitching time...We shall see if that is true! I've already had a busy few days...

As part of my health kick, which started with joining the slimming club, I've signed up for Zumba classes...It's a dance/fitness class, and it's supposed to be very good, but hard work...I'll let you know how I get on...The first class isn't until next week, so I'll update on that in a couple of weeks.

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

Wilbur Progress

2011-04-03T09:17:00.001+01:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mums!

Not much stitching time this week, but I've finished the background on Wilbur:

I only have the border to finish before the whole tapestry is done...but it will have to wait until the next time he's drawn out of the box! The next piece I'm working on is 'One Nation' by ByGone Stitches.

Rachel comes home for the Easter break on Thursday, and then Steven will be home a week on Tuesday...It's his 20th birthday the day after that, so we'll be going out to celebrate at some point. School breaks for the Easter holidays on Friday this week for 2 weeks - we return the day after Easter Monday - so lots of stitching time!

I bought some more jewellery findings and beads this weekend, so I can have a go at making some different types of jewellery. I've also been to a craft evening for Guiding leaders, and was introduced to something called 'Fantasy Film', which is a liquid resin you can use to make different things with. You use wire to shape an item, such as butterfly wings or flower petals, and you dip it into the resin. Leave to 'set' for a couple of minutes, and then put pieces together to make the item. I'm going to have to get some of that!

Happy Stitching!

Jewellery making

2011-03-30T17:26:00.000+01:00

Here, as promised, are the photo's of the jewellery I've made:

The first things I made at my first Jewellery Making Class - a bracelet and necklace set.

A double bracelet and a memory wire bracelet.

A handbag charm and teardrop earrings.

A scissor keep that I made using a charm from my cross stitch stash, and beads etc from a starter kit from the jewellery shop.

A little bit of Faith

2011-03-28T18:32:00.000+01:00

A Happy Dance this week!

'Faith' is finished - quite a quick stitch, as it only took a couple of weeks to do. I think I'll get it framed, as it is stitched with overdyed silk, so could run if I wash it.

I've also stitched another chick on 'Chorus Line', so I only have one more to do now:

It's the turn of my 'Wilbur' tapestry again this week - that's the design that was drawn out this weekend by my husband.

We watched a couple of films at the weekend. 'Buried', with Ryan Reynolds as the only actual person in the film, and 'Robin Hood' with Russell Crowe. Buried was quite good - a "thinking man's film" as my husband says... Robin Hood annoyed me slightly, as it is nothing like the actual story of Robin Hood! I actually started to fall asleep through it...

I've started to make jewellery, as I have started going to classes at the local shop. It is actually quite easy, even though it's quite fiddley to do... I'll try to remember to post some pictures of the things I make next time!

Happy Stitching!

Patience is a virtue...

2011-03-24T17:12:00.000Z

A late post this week...

I was stitching on 'Noelle' by Mystic Stitch last week, but I just didn't have the patience for all the confetti stitches...

Not much progress there, then! Due to my inability to concentrate on this, I ended up stitching on two other designs that are not on my UFO list as they are quite new. 'Faith' by My Big Toe designs is a lovely stitch, using Northern Lights silk:

I would have finished this, but I ran out of thread, so I'm waiting for a new one from the ONS.

The other design I have started stitching is ByGone Stitches' 'One Nation'. I love this design, even though I'm not American, and it's a BAP! I'm stitching it on a metre length of 28ct fabric, using Crescent Colours threads...

I'm back on 'Chorus Line' this week, so I'll hopefully finish it... I'll update at the weekend.

Happy Stitching!

Meetings, Training and Stitching

2011-03-13T11:46:00.000Z

I've not had much time to stitch this week, due to all the meetings and events going on, but I have finished 'Sagittarius Cat' by Margaret Sherry:

I only have one more Astrocat to do (Capricorn) and then the whole Astrocats piece will be finished... However, I'm going to be stitching on 'Noelle' by Mystic Stitch next week.

Over the last week, I've been to meetings to sort things out for next school year at work, and been on training sessions for work too. I've also been to various meetings about Guides, and Sammy wants to do her Queen's Guide award, so we had a meeting about that, too... It was a chaotic week, but it flew by!

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

Busy Bees...

2011-03-05T16:29:00.000Z

I'm quite impressed with my progress on one of my HAED UFOs this week:

'QS Plum Gothic' is slowly coming to life...but it will be a while until it is actually finished..

My youngest daughter, Sammy, has also been busy finishing some of her UFOs this week. She has finished two designs:

Dragon Dreams: 'Messy But Mine'

Garfield design - 'Eat No Calories, Burn No Calories'

She is now stitching a 'Stitch a Star' design of Robert Pattinson (Twilight) from Cross Stitcher magazine...My next UFO to work on is 'Astrocats' by Margaret Sherry. Hopefully I'll finish it this week, as I only have two star signs left to do...

A busy week awaits for me next week - lots of meetings and travelling between here and Burnley, sorting out what I'm doing next Term, and next school year...as well as organising a Guide Camp in June...

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

Half Term Week :o)

2011-02-28T07:51:00.000Z

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!

What a Week!

2011-02-19T16:31:00.000Z

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!

Life and Stitching Progress

2011-02-13T16:52:00.000Z

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!

A Small Happy Dance, and more UFOs!

2011-02-07T17:03:00.000Z

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!

Wilbur Progress

2011-02-05T14:34:00.000Z

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!!!

Not much progress this week...

2011-01-30T09:52:00.001Z

I've had a busy week this week, so I didn't get much time to stitch on HAED's 'QS Scarlet Witch'. This is how it looks now:

As you can see, my stitching has been a bit erratic - every time I picked it up, I stitched in a different area! This is definitely NOT a Quick Stitch!

Next week's UFO to be stitched is actually a tapestry called Wilbur (see picture in earlier post). I have been stitching this for a very long time, so hope to get a lot done this week...We shall see - sometimes life gets in the way :o)

Thank you for all your comments - I love reading them, and they help me to stay focussed on my stitching...I do try to at least read other blogs every week, and I do occasionally leave comments...

Happy Stitching!

This Week's UFO Progress

2011-01-22T19:10:00.001Z

I've been stitching on 'Heirloom Christmas Sampler' this week, and here is how it looks now:

I really struggle to stay on this one, and had to hold myself back from starting something new later in the week! The bands are so detailed, with some tricky stitches, so it takes a while to finish each one. Cutting the fabric for the drawn thread work is difficult, too - I struggle with threading the horizontal threads back at the sides, and I'm worried in case I make a mistake and ruin the whole thing! I know once it's finished it will look great, but it's tough going...I'm glad it's time to put it down and move on to the next UFO - HAED's 'QS Scarlet Witch' - a design I'm stitching 1 over 1 on 25ct evenweave.

We're going to the cinema tomorrow afternoon to watch the latest instalment of Harry Potter. I have only read a couple of the books (up to Goblet of Fire, which I only read a half of), but I love the films...We are taking Sammy with us, and it's the last showing of the film at our local cinema.

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching :o)

UFO Happy Dance!

2011-01-16T10:47:00.001Z

I've been working on this design this week, and finished it yesterday:

It is My Big Toe Designs' "A New Day," stitched on 28ct evenweave with Weeks Dye Works threads. I'm going to take it to the framers next weekend.

One down, thirteen more to go...I'm working on Heirloom Christmas Sampler (Victoria Sampler design) this week - I don't expect that to be finished in a week! I have written the names of all my UFOs in the list on pieces of paper, and I draw one out on a Saturday. That is the design I work on for the following week (Sunday to Saturday). It's working well at the moment.

Rachel went back to Uni yesterday, so we now have a lovely, quiet house. We are going down to Swansea for a couple of days to see her in February, but she won't be back home until April. Steven will also be back in April for the Easter break. Sammy has been looking at Universities, as we will need to go look around some of them in the summer. She needs to apply for a Uni place at the end of the year - it's frightening to think that my youngest will be leaving home in summer 2012...

Happy Stitching!

UFO Progress

2011-01-09T11:09:00.000Z

I've been stitching on two of my UFOs over the last few weeks:

Heritage: Chorus Line as of 8th January. I had to stop stitching this one for the time being, as I ran out of two of the colours.

Mill Hill: Toy Shop as of 8th January. I had only stitched the white beaded window frame part before I added this to my UFO Challenge list... It is on perforated paper, with lots of beads, so going slowly.

I'm wondering whether to stitch on one per week, so I don't get fed up of one design, and it will also ensure that I stitch on all my UFOs in the list...

My son went back to Uni on Friday, and Rachel has gone to London for the weekend for a birthday treat. It has been a lovely, quiet weekend, as Tom has been at work, too! Rachel goes back to Uni next Saturday, and we will be back to our usual routines until April - Can't wait! It is lovely to see the kids when they come home for the holidays, but after a week or so, I'm looking forward to the peace again...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T13:10:00.000Z

Happy New Year to all my friendly Bloggers! We celebrated quietly here - just immediate family sat at home, watching the TV with a few drinks... We spend the evening reminiscing over the last year, and thinking about what will have been achieved this time next year... I definitely don't do resolutions, as they are usually made in haste, and are too easily broken. Yes, I would like to lose weight and get fit again, so I can go on my rambles again, but that is a long term thing, and not something that I am only going to start today!

I've been stitching on one of my UFOs over the last couple of days. Chorus Line (Heritage) is a cute design, and I found out why it had become a UFO... I had to unstitch most of the unfinished chick almost straight away, as I had gone wrong at some point, putting most of the other stitching out of line. My husband likes to say that I should just work around the mistake, but I can't stand it and have to unpick the stitches... Anyway, I have now got 3 finished chicks, and have started on the fourth:

I hope you all have good health, wealth and happiness throughout 2011!

Happy Stitching...

List of UFOs/WIPs and Stitching Update

2010-12-29T14:09:00.000Z

Well, I've managed to get a bit of In the Arms of an Angel done this week, mainly due to Tommy watching Darts on TV all day, so I plug in my iPod, and sit stitching for most of it!

I've finished most of the blue in her dress, and also started on the 1 over 1 parts. I've made a slight mistake in her arm, though, so will have to frog some of it.

I've signed up for a 'Crazy 2011 UFO Challenge' on Facebook, where we try to finish as many UFOs as possible over the next year. Here are my pieces that I'm hoping to at least make a lot of progress with:

L&L: Song of Christmas

Mystic Stitch: Noelle

HAED: QS Scarlet Witch

HAED: QS Plum Gothic

Heritage Stitchcraft: Lancashire Map

Victoria Sampler: Heirloom Christmas Sampler

Heritage: Chorus Line

Margaret Sherry: Astrocats

My Big Toe Designs: A New Day

Julie Hasler: Wilbur Tapestry

Just Nan: Boo Tin

Maia: Dolphin Silhouette (actually red fabric...)

I also have a Mill Hill design - Toy Shop - that I have started, but I couldn't get a clear picture of the tiny bit that I had finished. Along with my In the Arms of an Angel, I have 14 WIPs and UFOs...Think I'm going to be busy!

Have a great New Year, and Happy Stitching!

Stitching Update

2010-12-13T18:13:00.001Z

I have been stitching over the last couple of months, but mainly on a Round Robin through Facebook. We aren't posting pictures until it's finished, so I will have a few pictures to post at that time, but not much to show right now...

I have also been stitching and making an ornament for my Secret Santa partner at work - it is a Margaret Sherry mouse from the UK 'CrossStitcher' magazine:

I'll hopefully have more to post before Christmas, but to those readers who won't be able to visit before then, Have a wonderful Christmas, and a Prosperous New Year :o)

Happy Stitching

Progress Update

2010-11-07T10:57:00.000Z

I really like how I'm managing to stitch during term time at the moment. In my last job, once I was back at work, I didn't have the time or motivation to stitch, as I was so stressed. This time, as I'm working one-to-one with different children, I'm not stressed out, and I don't have all the marking to do!

I've been stitching on two pieces this week:

This is Heirloom Christmas Sampler by Thea Deuck at The Victoria Sampler. It is very detailed and has some intricate stitches, so I find that I only do a couple of rows before it goes back in the box. (I think it's because it doesn't grow fast enough for me :o))

This is my progress on In the Arms of an Angel. I love the range of bright colours in this, and find myself swapping from one area to another, although the bottom is almost finished now.

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

Saturday Progress Update

2010-10-30T11:36:00.001+01:00

Well, I've had a lovely week off work this week, and have managed to get quite a lot of stitching done. I have only worked on 'In the Arms of an Angel', so have made good progress...

I have also booked our holiday for next year - a week in New York in August...I can't wait! I've never been further than Amsterdam before, so going all the way to the US will be fabulous. We are hoping to go and see a show and take a helicopter ride over the city whilst there...It will be our first holiday on our own, as the kids are staying at home that week. We had to cancel our holiday this year, as the kids decided that they didn't want to go to Scotland and stay in a cottage, so it was cancelled. As they will be 21, 20 and 17 by then, we decided it's about time we started going on holiday without them...

I'll hopefully update next weekend...

Happy Stitching!

Life and Stitching Progress

2010-10-26T18:43:00.001+01:00

It's been a while since I updated my blog, so I thought I'd better get on here and do something! I've been in my new teaching job for just over 7 weeks, and I'm loving it! I am working with Year 2 (6-7 years) in the mornings, and Year 6 (10-11 years) in the afternoons. I have a lot of paperwork with the morning job, but as it is one-to-one work, there is a lot of job satisfaction.

Rachel and Steven are back at Uni for their second year now, and I have spent the last three days reorganising the house - a 'spring' clean, so to speak. Sammy has started studying in the Sixth Form for her A-Levels, and is looking at possible careers, ready for our tours around different Uni's next summer.

My stitching has taken a back seat recently - mostly due to work, but also because Sammy decided to 'sort out' all my stitching stuff, and therefore stashed all my work away - Out of sight, out of mind, as we say :o)

Anyway, I 'found' my Angel at the weekend (it's Half Term week this week, so I'm off work) and started working on her again:

I'll hopefully be able to continue working on her, now that she's back on the table...Time will tell...

Happy Stitching!

In the Arms of an Angel Progress

2010-08-23T13:37:00.000+01:00

Here is my progress picture for L&L's 'In the Arms of an Angel':

I've stitched the beads and gold Kreinik braid on the blue section, and I've started stitching the Krienik braid on the red section. I haven't stitched on her much over the last few days, as we went to stay at a friend's house in Rye (Sussex), and I don't think this will stitch up as quickly as my Mermaid, as I'm going back to work next week...

Happy Stitching!

Happy Dance!!!

2010-08-18T13:41:00.001+01:00

My mermaid is finally finished!

She has taken about 5 months to complete, and there are lots of beads on her, but I'm happy with the result!

I'm now stitching on L&L's In the Arms of an Angel:

I started this last year, but she has been in my UFO box since last summer, so I'm going to work on her now. I'll upload a progress picture at the weekend...

Happy Stitching!

Almost there...

2010-08-16T21:35:00.000+01:00

Well, after thinking that my Mermaid wouldn't get finished by the end of the month, I'm on the last section. All the stitching has been completed, and lots of beads have been added - I just have a lot of cream coloured beads to add to the 'froth' from her arms:

I'm already thinking that I'll move back to my Guardian Angel once this is finished...

Tom and I have decided to go on holiday on our own next year. We are calling it our Honeymoon, since we haven't ever been on a proper holiday alone before (it will only be 21 years late!) We have decided to go to New York City, as it is the main place that I have always wanted to go to (there are plenty of other places in the USA that we want to go to, but NYC is the closest, and we haven't been on a plane for longer than an hour before!). We did want to book an apartment for a week, but I've been told by one of the landlords that there is a new law coming in to NYC, banning the rental of apartments for less than a month, so we will have to go to a hotel instead... You may wonder why we would want to go to a busy city for a holiday, rather than a sandy beach somewhere in the Med... Well, we hate beach holidays - we love sightseeing and going to different places to look at the culture and architecture, and lying on a beach somewhere would really drive us mad!

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

A Quick Mermaid of the Pearls Update

2010-08-07T21:12:00.000+01:00

Here is an update picture of my Mermaid of the Pearls:

I have made a start on the rest of the beading, and have some stitching in the tail section to do, but I'm happy with how she's going...

Happy Stitching!

A Late Update

2010-08-04T14:51:00.000+01:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted anything - mainly due to being busy preparing resources for my new job, and through knitting a baby cardigan that I saw the pattern for at my local wool shop...

I've stitched another cat on my Astrocats piece:

This is Scorpio Cat, and I only have two more to do before the piece is finished: Sagittarius and Capricorn cats...

I haven't stitched any of my Mermaid for a couple of weeks...I really wanted to get her finished by the end of this month, but I can't see that happening now!

My daughters have had their pieces framed:

This is Rachel's 'Angelica', and it is quite large! She is now stitching one of the L&L American Indians...

This is Sammy's Hummel design. It was her first largish design, so I promised her I would get it professionally framed if she finished it...

Happy Stitching!

An Update, and Yet Another Finish...But Not Mine!!!

2010-07-18T13:39:00.000+01:00

A busy week...I went into work on Friday and was given a large bouquet of flowers and a gift card for M&S. I'm going back in tomorrow to collect all my belongings (now school is finished until September), and that will be the end of working at that particular school.

I've stitched quite a lot on my Mermaid:

I'm hoping to have her finished before I start my new job in September...so I'd better get a move on!

My youngest daughter, Sammy, has finished her first large(ish) design - a Hummel - and she is very proud of it:

I told her that I'd get it professionally framed when she finished it, so she has been working like a beaver at it - apparently she was up until about 3am last night, finishing the backstitching off!

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

A Finish....But Not Mine!!!

2010-07-15T18:24:00.000+01:00

This is my daughter Rachel's second L&L finish:

It is 'Angelica', and it has taken her a couple of years, on and off stitching. The face and neck is stitched 1 over 1, which she hated doing, but the effect is lovely.

She had previously stitched 'Catch the Wind', which now hangs in our bedroom, until she has a place of her own.

Busy Weekend...

2010-07-14T20:47:00.000+01:00

A late update due to being on Camp with my Guides last weekend. It was the Division Centenary Camp at Bowley Scout Camp in Great Harwood, and it went well. We arrived on Friday to grey clouds and a bit of rain, but we managed to get the tents up before it rained too hard. The only heavy rain we had was during Saturday night/early Sunday morning, which was great! I was the designated First Aider for the Guides, and was completing my qualification at the same time. I had to make sure I was prepared for any eventuality, so had plenty first aid supplies! By the end of camp on Sunday, I had only had to deal with a cut finger (whilst cutting chicken for fajitas on Friday night) and a wasp sting on Saturday evening, but passed my Health and First Aid qualification :o) The weekend was hard work, but fun...

As for stitching, I have stitched quite a lot on my Mermaid, but will wait until Saturday before I post a picture. I also stitched another of Margaret Sherry's Astrocats:

And here is the whole design so far, with 3 cats left to stitch:

As you can see, the RR is from 2007! When I've finished it, I'm going to stitch the names of the 5 ladies who stitched cats on it next to the respective cat.

Here is the card that I stitched for a friend's birthday:

It is a Lizzie*Kate design, and I stitched it a while ago, but couldn't post the picture until I'd given it to my friend...

I'm going to work on Friday for a visit on the last day. It will be sad, but I'll be able to look forward to my new job once I've done it...My new job will hopefully be less stressful, but still rewarding, and it is much closer to home!

Mermaid of the Pearls Update

2010-07-04T16:59:00.000+01:00

I've stitched a bit of my Mermaid this week:

There are lots of areas of one colour in the tail fin, so it is stitching up nicely. I'm hoping to finish the tail fin this week...

Rachel and Steven have both had their first year results from Uni this week, and both have passed! They can now go on to the second year of their courses in September. Sammy officially left school this week, too. She had her Celebration Assembly at school, where she received her leavers hoodie (with the names of all the Y11's on the back, in the shape of the number 10) and the dvd of her Prom. I think I've seen it about 3 times now, as it was already on You Tube...

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

I Got My Mojo Back...and Won a Giveaway!!!

2010-06-27T16:37:00.002+01:00

After a couple of weeks of little stitching (mainly due to a swollen face), I have finally got my mojo back! I have stitched a card for a friend (which I will post when it has been received), and I've stitched my Mermaid for a few hours:

I also won a giveaway on Pokua's blog, and received this ornament and postcard the other day:

Thank you so much, Pokua!

Another Update

2010-06-14T12:50:00.002+01:00

This weekend has been one of those that I would love to forget...

My gran's funeral was on Friday, and that brought it's own difficulties. It brought back lots of happy memories of when my gran and grandad used to take me out for days out in the red Vauxhall Viva that my grandad drove. We went to Haworth one day, and went to look around the Bronte Parsonage. My gran bought me a copy of Wuthering Heights - I was only a young teenager at the time, and all the romanticism had my head spinning! I also remember picnics by the roadside, and holidays in Scotland with my grandparents, parents and brother...Seems a very long time ago (probably is...!) and a lot has happened since those youthful days...At least I have those memories to keep...

On Saturday I had an operation on my nose. I had a small BCC that had been biopsied, and so needed removing. I had one removed from the same area about 18 months ago, so had an idea what to expect...The operation was done under local anaesthetic, and the injections were horrendous! Needles stuck in the bridge of your nose are very painful!!! Once they were done, I soon calmed down, and ended up having a conversation with the surgeon about how I'm going seeing Green Day on Wednesday, leading into what type of music we used to listen to when younger...Quite surreal when the surgeon is busy cutting into my face! Anyway, this was how I looked yesterday, when all the swelling had come up:

As far as stitching goes, well, I haven't done any since about Thursday - I tried to put my glasses on this morning, but they won't fit on my nose yet...I now have a hands-free magnifying glass that I'm going to try this afternoon. I only need glasses for close-up work...but only use them for stitching :¬)

This is my stitching so far:

This is My Big Toe Designs' "A New Day" (not a great photo...). I'm stitching it on 28ct fabric, using WDW threads. It's going to be gorgeous when finished, although it is bigger than I was expecting it to be!

This is a card that I made for Dusty as part of the Stitch and Stash Friendship Card Exchange. It is a Lizzie*Kate design, stitched on 28ct fabric, using DMC threads.

This is my Mermaid of the Pearls so far. Having frogged quite a lot of the lower section, I have lost a lot of my motivation to stitch her. I have done a little of it, and I am really going to give it a go once the swelling on my nose goes down! I really want to finish her...

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

Another Giveaway!!!

2010-06-14T10:06:00.000+01:00

Just to let you know that Olenka is having a giveaway on her blog - click on the link to go to it! She has some lovely designs...

Recent Events...

2010-06-08T10:05:00.000+01:00

Last week was a busy and emotional week.

My 89 year-old grandmother was very ill in hospital all week, and she died on Saturday evening. Even though it was kind of expected, it was still a bit of a shock when it happened, and my youngest - Sammy - took the news pretty badly. The funeral is on Friday afternoon, and I'm trying to sort out with Sammy's school for her to go with us, as she has a GCSE exam at the time.

My close friend moved down south at the weekend, and we had a leaving party for her on Friday night. She has had a tough time of it recently, and decided to sell up and move back to where her family are. I'm going to miss her, although she will be coming back up here for particular things, and her two sons are staying in Darwen.

Rachel came home from Uni on Saturday. My other half went down to Swansea on Friday and stayed at his uncles house in Port Talbot overnight, before loading the car with Rachel's belongings (everything but the kitchen sink!) and heading home on Saturday. It was nice to see her again, and she is home until September, as is Steven, who came home the week before.

It was my birthday on Sunday, although I didn't feel much like celebrating... I spent the day visiting my mum and dad, shopping, and stitching. I did go out on Sunday night with my mum, aunt and cousin, although that was more of a break from the events over the week. Rachel and Steven had bought me a Maia cross stitch kit (giraffe silhouette), and Sammy bought me an Eeyore cup and a new t-shirt. Tom (OH) bought me a bunch of carnations and roses.

As for stitching, I've not had much time this week, but I have been working on My Big Toe Designs' "A New Day". I couldn't concentrate enough to do any work on my Mermaid, so I stitched the easier design...I'll take some pictures later in the week and post a (more cheerful!) update.

I hope everyone has a good week, and Happy Stitching!

News of a Summer Giveaway!

2010-06-02T10:37:00.000+01:00

Just a note to let you know that Jennifer is having a giveaway on her blog to celebrate her first Blogoversary! Head on over there now if you would like to enter...

Travelling Stitcher and Pesky Frogs

2010-06-01T09:40:00.000+01:00

My stitching last week consisted of working on my Mermaid, and then having to frog most of the work I had done! I was stitching the Kreinik braid in the tail, when I realised that something was wrong...It wasn't lining up with the green stitches that I had done previously. I checked the Kreinik with the chart, and couldn't find any mistakes, so checked the green stitches. Nothing wrong there, either. I then checked the pink stripe that goes across the tail, and found that I had missed at least a row of that, resulting in the green stitches being out of sync. I had to unstitch the green and pink - luckily the Kreinik was ok - it would have been messy if I had to frog that!

All that frogging put me off stitching on her, so I picked up LHN's 'Travelling Stitcher' that I had started at the beginning of the year as part of a SAL, and managed to finish it:

It is straight - the photo made it look a bit curved at the top...

I've got some exchange stitching to do over the next few days, so I won't be stitching my Mermaid or Witch until later in the week. Steven is also home from Uni for the summer now, so stitching time will probably be reduced (although he does stay in bed until about 2pm!) Rachel comes home at the weekend, so we will have a houseful!

I'm having a minor operation in 2 weeks time. I need a Basal Cell Carcinoma removing from under my eye, needing a skin graft. I already have a graft in that area, so they need to remove that one with the BCC, and replace it with a larger graft from my cheek...It's going to be done under a local anaesthetic - not great, but once the injections are done, I don't feel anything until the anaesthetic starts to wear off later in the day...I'll have a lovely swollen and black eye for a week or so...which will be interesting when I'm going seeing Green Day a few days after the op!

Have a great week, and Happy Stitching!

Organisation...At last...!

2010-05-26T12:16:00.001+01:00

I have a new storage system for my threads, beads, Kreinik and needles:

I saw something similar to this on another blog (apologies if it's yours - can't remember where I saw it now...) and thought it was a fantastic idea!

I bought the 44-drawer system from Maplin Electronics with a smaller version, just in case. I then put my DMC threads, on bobbins, in the top 26 drawers (no more than 20 in each), then the few Anchor threads I have in another. I used a small drawer each for Glissengloss/Madeira, Dinky Dyes and Caron threads (I don't have many of those at the moment), 7 drawers for Mill Hill beads (split into antique, seed, pebble, etc), and a drawer each for charms and needles. The 3 larger drawers are for Kreinik braids/filament, Crescent Colours threads, and spare DMC skeins. The large drawer at the bottom is split into two with a divider, and my WDW and GAST threads are in there, stored in Floss-A-Way bags on rings. The whole cabinet sits on the floor at the side of my chair, within easy reach. I keep the threads I am using for a particular project in a bobbin box, and they will be returned to the cabinet when the project is finished...I know, I know - too much time on my hands... :¬)

This system is much tidier than my previous 'system' - three bobbin boxes, 2 floss rings and a Really Useful Box crammed full of beads, charms and Kreinik braids!

I have also gone a bit crazy with stash-buying this month...I bought 5 lots of fabric - 3 x metre lengths of evenweave (25, 28 and 32 ct), and 2 packs of linen (32ct natural Belfast linen and 28ct ???) I also bought a couple of charts, including some Bent Creek and Prairie Schooler ones, and these are the ones that turned up today:

The My Big Toe design is screaming at me to start it....hmmm...Watch this space!

I have done some stitching on my Mermaid over the last day or so, and will be doing more before the weekend. I'm leaving the Astrocat until next week, with my Scarlet Witch.

Happy Stitching!

Stitching (?) Update

2010-05-24T09:47:00.000+01:00

Last week was one of those weeks that I didn't get much time to stitch...I had a headache for 4 days, so couldn't stitch while suffering with that, and I had various appointments to attend, then we bought a new carpet for the living room that needed fitting...hmmm....

I did manage to stitch the weekly Astrocat:

I took the photo before I had stitched his shoelace...This one has been more difficult than the others - I had to frog quite a few stitches on the first day of stitching...I've only got 4 more of these to stitch, then it's finished, but I'm going to catch up with my Mermaid and Witch this week I think...

I was offered a new teaching job the other day. I have been off work with stress and depression since February, and had decided to hand my notice of resignation in, to finish at the end of August (notice periods for teachers are quite long...). The original idea was that I was going to go on supply and look for a part time or temporary job whilst doing supply work. However, a couple of friends gave my details to the schools that they work at, and I had a meeting with a Headteacher the other day. He offered me a full time teaching post, teaching on a one-to-one basis, for 12 months. I think that will do loads for my confidence, which has taken a serious bashing over the last 12 months or so... As I said in an earlier post, it's at times like these that you realise who your true friends are :¬)

Have a great week, and Happy Stitching!

Weekly Update

2010-05-15T12:35:00.001+01:00

What a week!

It has been my youngest daughter's School Prom, and the week has been taken up with preparations for that...nails, hair, etc! Here she is with her friends at the side of their limo:

She had a lovely time, asking if she could have another Prom when she got home!!!

As for stitching, I've managed to complete my weekly goals:

Pisces cat is my completed Astrocat this week. I'm moving on to Aries cat next week.

Mermaid of the Pearls has had at least 5 hours spent on her this week. A section of the tail has been completed - lots of Kreinik braid in this!

HAED's Scarlet Witch has had about 5 hours spent on her - the last couple of days have been chaotic, so stitched on her when I could...

I've also been inspired to crochet after reading Lucy's blog. I used to do a bit of crochet in my youth, but it went on the back burner when I started cross-stitching. I pulled out some balls of Sirdar Denim Tweed DK wool out of my craft cupboard (from when I used to knit sweaters for the kids) and started some granny squares:

I was practising different colours for different rounds, and I have no idea what I'll actually make with them, but I'm going to do some more, and see where it gets me!

So...Next week's goals are going to be:

At least 5 hours on Scarlet Witch
At least 5 hours on Mermaid of the Pearls
Stitch one Astrocat
Crochet at least 5 granny squares

I think these are manageable whilst I'm off work - I'm basically stitching full time at the moment, which isn't good for my fitness levels and weight (I've piled weight on whilst off work) but I need to get 'better' before I can do anything about the weight problem.

Have a good week :¬)

Stitching Update

2010-05-09T13:04:00.003+01:00

I've done quite a lot of stitching this week, on several designs:

This is Mermaid of the Pearls as of yesterday. I haven't stitched on her as much as usual this week, so not much progress.

This is HAED's Scarlet Witch as of yesterday. I've stitched around 1400 stitches so far. Slow going, but seeing the picture come to life as I stitch is amazing!

This is Lizzie*Kate's 'Daughters', stitched on sparkly 14ct Aida fabric using DMC threads. I've stitched this for my youngest daughter, Sammy, and I'm hoping to make it into a wallhanging for her.

This is Margaret Sherry's 'Cancer Cat' from the Astrocats calendar 2007 - it was a free gift with an issue of CrossStitcher magazine.

I chose to stitch these as part of a Round Robin with an old forum back in 2007, and five people stitched cats on it. I was supposed to stitch the other 7, but this is the first one I've done (since about January 2008!) I pulled it out of my UFO box the other day and started stitching...

I've decided to give myself weekly targets, as my stitching is a bit erratic at the moment. Someone on Facebook gave me the idea, so here goes:

Week beginning 10th May:

Stitch at least 5 hours on Mermaid of the Pearls
Stitch at least 5 hours on Scarlet Witch
Stitch one of the Astrocats

The idea is that I don't stitch anything else until these targets have been done...We'll see how it goes...

Have a good week!

Another Finish and Update

2010-05-05T09:42:00.000+01:00

I only started stitching this design yesterday, and have finished it this morning:

The design is Margaret Sherry's 'Hiking Cat', and it was in CrossStitcher magazine (June 2009). I stitched it on white 28ct evenweave (2 over 2) and used DMC threads. A great design to stitch!

I have found that I have some fantastic friends over the past few days. There are things going on in my life that I can't talk about just yet, and these friends are really helping me out with things. It will become clearer when I can talk about it in the next week or two. As they say, it's at times like these when you realise who your true friends are!

Happy Stitching!

May Stitching Bloggers Question

2010-05-03T17:27:00.001+01:00

Lee, who has the Lake Stitcher blog, has started up a monthly Stitching Bloggers Question. This month's question is:

Suppose we say that there are two types of stitchers.

There are those who enjoy the “process” of stitching. They stitch for stitching’s sake and if something gets finished, so much the better, but it’s not necessarily the end goal.   Primarily, it’s the application of needle and thread to cloth that makes them happiest.

Then there are those who are “project” stitchers. They move steadily through their projects, certainly enjoying their stitching time, but finding their greatest joy in the completed stitching.

If you had to pick one to describe yourself, which type of stitcher would you be? I imagine that we could all say that we fall somewhere in between, but really think hard about this and try to pick just one. And once you’ve decided whether you’re a Process or Project stitcher, tell us if your recognize that approach in other parts of your life.

My answer to this is that I consider myself to be a 'project' stitcher. I love the end product, and if I'm stitching a large project, I make sure I do some small items to ensure I get that 'rush' that you get when a project is finished regularly. As for whether I recognise this approach in other parts of my life, well, I think I do...but I can't think of any obvious events to highlight this at the moment...

Feel free to go to Lee's blog to add your own answer :¬)

GOS Challenge 6 Entry

2010-05-01T21:07:00.000+01:00

I've stitched the GOS Challenge 6, and made a small biscornu with it. I added beads around the edge, and used red and purple ribbon to finish it off.

Stitched on white 25ct Lugana fabric using DMC Variegated red thread (115). Stitched 2 over 2 and the letters are 2 over 1. Beads are Mill Hill Antique Glass Beads (03003). It's my first attempt at the GOS Challenges, and have enjoyed stitching it.

Halloween Fairy Framed!

2010-05-01T12:07:00.001+01:00

I picked up Halloween Fairy from the framers this morning:

The frame and mounts go really well with all the browns in the design...I'm well pleased with it! I got it with normal glass (rather than non-reflective glass), so the beads shine through, but getting a decent photograph was difficult - the reflections were ruining the shot! This was the best one I could get.

I've managed to stitch the GOS Challenge design, and now need to make it into something...hmmm...I think I'll also stitch the Stitch and Stash Monthly Challenge design today, then I can finish both designs tomorrow.

School Proms and Stitching

2010-04-30T08:32:00.000+01:00

My youngest daughter has her Y11 'Prom' in two weeks, and we went to the dress shop to pick up her dress yesterday. She loved this dress the moment she saw it, and she couldn't wait to bring it home!

I've also been stitching on my Mermaid this week. I've managed to complete her face and hair, so will be moving on to the tail over the weekend.

I'm going to leave the large bead and Kreinik braid area that is on the upper body area until the end.

I'm also going to have a go with the GOS Challenge and the Stitch and Stash Monthly Challenge this month - it will motivate me to make up some of my finished designs!

I'll hopefully post another update on Sunday...

Happy Stitching!

Another finish...!

2010-04-26T16:43:00.001+01:00

I started stitching this design yesterday, when I was feeling rather drained, and managed to finish it today...A quick and easy stitch:

The design is 'Dimond' by SEBA Designs. It is stitched on 27ct Linda fabric, using Dinky Dyes threads. I have enjoyed stitching this, so will have to look out for other SEBA designs...Back to my Mermaid and Witch now...

Stitchers Meet and Mermaid Update

2010-04-25T11:10:00.000+01:00

I had a lovely day in Nuneaton yesterday, meeting other stitchers. It was a long day - I got on my first train at 7.10am, and got back home at 10.45pm - but it was worth it! It was good to see how different people do their stitching, using hoops, frames and stands (I don't use any!) and lots of different finishes. We also had a three course meal for £3.50...A great deal! Thanks to Clare for arranging the Meet, and for allowing me to go.

I bought a couple of charts whilst there:

The India Designs charts are gorgeous - their designer, Vicki, was at the Meet with some finished designs, and they were lovely!

We also had the opportunity to buy a kit that Clare had created especially for the Meet:

There was also an entry draw, which I won! This was my prize:

Thank you!

My only stitching on my Mermaid this week was at the Meet yesterday...I decided to take her with me, as I didn't think I would be able to concentrate on my HAED, and wanted to spend a decent amount of time on the Mermaid in one sitting.

Hope you all have a good week!

Stitching Update

2010-04-23T12:08:00.001+01:00

I picked up 'Dream' and 'Believe' from the framers today:

I'm very happy with the result, and I hope Rachel and Sammy will be too...

I started stitching my first HAED the other day - QS Scarlet Witch (Carol Vinson). I've managed to do about 500 stitches so far. It's my first design stitching over 1 on 25ct fabric, using 1 thread, and I'm also parking my threads for the first time, too...I am gridding the fabric to help placement, which is also a first - Lots of firsts in this WIP!

I've got my Mermaid packed away, ready for my trip tomorrow...

I've bought some more stash this week (Oops!): Blue Ribbon Designs 'Schoolgirl Samplings', LHN 'Needle and Thread' with Crescent Colours and Pillow, and SEBA Designs 'Dimond' with Dinky Dyes threads:

I think that will have to be my stash limit until I go to Harrogate in November!

I'll update some more on Sunday...

Bye, Bye TV!

2010-04-21T12:09:00.001+01:00

I have found the joy of audio books! I bought 'Too Close To Home' by Linwood Barclay on audio book yesterday, and have started to listen to it whilst I stitch. It is so much better than having the TV on in the background! I just need to transfer it on to my iPod, then I can listen to it on the move, too...

I have been stitching on some of my UFO's this week - mainly due to my attempt at organising all my stitchy stuff. The main one I've worked on is Heritage Stitchcraft's 'Lancashire map'. This has been in my UFO box for quite a long time (years)...I get it out sometimes, stitch bits on it, then it goes back in the box. The maps are quite fiddly, with lots of odd bits all over the place. I managed to finish the 'Isle of Skye' map for my parents a couple of years ago, but this one is more detailed.

I'm going to a Stitcher's Meet in Nuneaton (Midlands) on Saturday. I haven't been to one before - I was supposed to go a couple of years ago, but something happened to prevent me from going...can't remember what it was now...I'm going to take my Mermaid with me, so I can work on her whilst there. I'm looking forward to it!

I'll update my stitching on Sunday...

Mermaid of the Pearls progress

2010-04-17T21:37:00.001+01:00

I've not spent as much time on my Mermaid as I would have liked this week, but have virtually finished the fin with beads and braid, and have started on the upper body:

Both Rachel and Steven are now back at Uni, so we have a quiet house back! Sammy seems calmer - I think she had reached the point of overexposure with her sister, as they had been snapping at each other.

I'm still trying to come to terms with my 'illness', as I feel like I'm perfectly fine, until I hear from school or have any sort of worry...That's when I can tell I'm 'ill', as I can feel my heart racing and I start shaking. Oh well...I have six weeks at home, so I'll just try to relax and make the most of the time by doing some stitching and sorting the house out!

Life update

2010-04-16T19:11:00.001+01:00

Well, I managed three days at work - just...I couldn't handle being in a room with more than a few people (although being in the classroom was OK), and was back to sleepless nights and lots of tears.

I decided to go back to the doctors, and had an appointment this morning. He has given me a sick note for six weeks, and has referred me to a counsellor. I don't like not being at work, but I couldn't stay, being in that state! I'm now finding myself considering other options to Primary teaching...

The cats have been keeping us amused over the last week or two. Dizzy has a thing for racing through the house, and Phoebe has made herself at home:

She spends a lot of the time in her usual hiding place - behind the chair, but has taken to coming out at night and sprawling out on the carpet...She was fast asleep here!

I've done some stitching on my mermaid through the week, and will have an update post on Sunday...

Another Update

2010-04-11T11:08:00.001+01:00

I stitched on my Mermaid for another couple of hours yesterday:

The fin is almost finished - just some dark purple to add on the right hand side, and some beads and braid to add. I think I'll move upwards first, rather than completing the tail end.

Steven is now back at Uni, and the house is slightly quieter. Rachel has gone to Blackpool for the day today, so I've got the opportunity, but not the motivation, to do some work for school...I'm still wondering if I've made the right decision to go back now. I spoke to a friend from work on the phone yesterday, and ended up in tears and shaking! I'll see how tomorrow goes...

The sun is shining at the moment - I think it's not as warm as it was yesterday, but at least we have some sunlight. A lovely Spring day!

Mermaid of the Pearls Update

2010-04-10T10:26:00.001+01:00

I've stitched for about 2 or 3 hours on Mirabilia's Mermaid of the Pearls so far, and this is the result. I love the pinks and purples in the fin...The photo doesn't show the true colour of the fabric - it has different shades of blue throughout. The sun (Long time, no see!) decided to shine when I wanted to take the photo!

Steven is going back to Uni in Stafford this afternoon. It has been good having him at home, but it will be nice to have the quiet house back! Rachel is at home for another week before she returns to Uni in Swansea.

I'm starting to get worked up about returning to work on Monday. I know I'll probably be fine once there, but not being there for 8 weeks has brought a feeling of calm that I haven't felt for quite a long time...and I know that the stress will start again as soon as the INSET starts at 9am...I know, however, that I'm not going to let it take over my life again. Before I was signed off, I was worried about how much of my life the work was taking, and I am determined to take an hour or two off every night to do stitching or reading for pleasure (me time!) I do not want to have to take sick leave again!

Second post today!

2010-04-08T17:21:00.004+01:00

Just posting to show the finished Small Token by Blackbird Designs. Stitched on 28ct evenweave using Crescent Colours. I'm going to make it up into a pin cushion when I've bought some lace for around the edges.

I've spent most of the afternoon finishing it, and also putting the last couple of stitches on Halloween Fairy. If I hadn't done it today, they would have been in my WIP box for the next few months :o) I replaced the creator's initials with my own, and also changed the year from 2009 to 2010, but I'm not too happy with that - it doesn't seem to look quite right...

I'll continue with Mermaid of the Pearls later this evening.

New Stash...

2010-04-08T11:28:00.005+01:00

It was like Christmas when the postman came this morning!

He brought my order from Sewandso, so I can finish the two pieces, and he also brought a large package of designs that I 'won' on eBay - LHN, Lizzie Kate, Just Nan, Prairie Schooler, Waxing Moon and Heart in Hand designs amongst others...

I also spent an hour or two, before the post arrived, this morning finishing the Bright Pyramid Scissor Keep (Sue Hawkins) that I bought at the stitching show in Harrogate last November. I had stitched it before Christmas, and it had sat in my WIP box, waiting for me to make the twisted thread for fastening it onto scissors, and for the bells.

The only problem now is that Dizzy thinks it's a toy for her!

Back to Normal....Almost....

2010-04-07T12:16:00.005+01:00

Well...I was at the doctors yesterday, and he has recommended a slow return to work starting next week. The boss has suggested 2 days teaching next week (plus an INSET day) and 3 days teaching the week after, returning full time in 3 weeks. The thought of being in the classroom again after 8 weeks sick leave is frightening! I also need to get some planning done before Monday, so I'll have to get on with that tomorrow, I think...

Anyway, I started stitching Blackbird Designs' Small Token yesterday, but I'm still waiting for my order from Sewandso - should arrive tomorrow - which has one of the Crescent Colours needed in it, so it has come to a halt for the time being:

So while I'm waiting for the threads to finish Small Token and Halloween Fairy, I've started stitching Mirabilia's Mermaid of the Pearls today on Polstitches' Shimmering Seas fabric. At the moment, there isn't enough done to warrant a photo, but I'll post one later in the week.

The cats have settled in nicely. Dizzy still has the odd moment of hissing - she especially doesn't seem to like Steven - he can't go near her without her hissing or growling at him! He returns to Uni on Saturday, so he's not too bothered about it. Phoebe has a hiding place behind the chair, next to the radiator, and only comes out when she wants to eat or get attention...We bought them a toy to play with the other day - a soft toy on a string and stick, but Dizzy prefers playing with a piece of red ribbon that an order from Thread Bear was fastened with!

I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend!

Happy Dance!

2010-04-05T21:58:00.004+01:00

Halloween Fairy is finished - almost...I have about 7 stitches to do on the small pumpkin, but have run out of the thread. I ordered it from Sewandso the other day, so I should get it tomorrow or Wednesday. It has been a joy to stitch, and I'm so happy I've managed to finish her in one go, instead of moving on to something else halfway through!

I just have to choose what to stitch next....Choices, choices!

Question Time...

2010-04-01T10:54:00.004+01:00

This seems to be doing the rounds on the Blogs at the moment:

What are your hobbies? cross stitch, reading, blogging, walking

What crafts do you do? cross stitch and a bit of hardanger

What sounds do you craft along to? whatever is on the telly at the time, or silence

First Project You Ever Made: a butterfly on a flower - a kit given to me for my 18th Birthday by the playgroup managers where I helped out at the time.

Favorite Project: whatever I'm stitching on - depends on how it's going. At the moment it's Halloween Fairy.

Favorite Items to Make: Depends...I like to frame stuff, but I also like making different finishes such as biscornu, flat folds and cushions.

What's your favorite...

Colour: blue and purple

Movie: I like several films - Grease, Matrix, Ghost, Pretty Woman, Officer and a Gentleman...Don't have a single favourite.

TV Show: Lost - What will I do when this series ends the story...?

Band: Foo Fighters, Green Day and Kasabian are at the top of my list at the mo...

Book: Don't Tell by Karen Rose (current reading material!)

Food: chocolate!!!

Favorite Craft: cross stitching

The new members of the family

2010-03-31T16:23:00.007+01:00

I managed to get some photos of our adopted cats:

This is Phoebe...

and this is Dizzy.

Halloween Fairy Update

2010-03-31T14:56:00.004+01:00

This is Halloween Fairy as it was yesterday. She is stitching up quickly, although I don't spend much more than an hour or two a day on the stitching.

Rachel and Steven came home from Uni for the Easter break at the weekend, and it has been chaotic! Sammy doesn't finish school until tomorrow, and I'm still on sick leave.

We adopted two cats last week, as their owner is moving back down south, and is planning on going on a long break to Australia with the profit from her house. The cats are Dizzy, who is black and white and is just over a year old, and Phoebe, who is a tabby with patches of ginger, and she is several years old - not sure exactly how old...They are both settling in nicely, although I have several scratches on the back of my hand from Dizzy - she is very temperamental - she'll let you stroke her one minute, then she'll suddenly hiss and scratch...I suppose she'll settle down soon...

I've bought a bit of stash recently (Do I really need more...?) I bought Just Nan's Boo! Tin and Needlebook charts, Blue Ribbon Designs' 'A Sampler in the Square' chart, and Prairie Schooler's Alphabet (ABC, DEF, GHI)charts, along with some Crescent Colour and WDW threads. I only needed the threads, but temptation got the better of me :o) I also managed to put 'Dream' and 'Believe' in for framing..Pictures to follow...

Progress...

2010-03-21T12:27:00.004Z

This is my latest project: Halloween Fairy from Cross Stitch and Needlework magazine (Sept. '08). The photo was taken last weekend, when I had spent about an hour or two on it. It is being stitched on Polstitches Chestnut hand-dyed fabric with DMC threads, Kreinik braid and Mill Hill beads.

This is progress as of 20th March. The photo has turned out a shade of orange for some reason...The design is lovely with the Kreinik braid stitches.

Latest finish

2010-03-11T18:29:00.004Z

This is 'Dream' from the book, 'Bewitching Cross Stitch'. It is a partner design to 'Believe' in my last post. I stitched this one on Polstitches' Blue Moon hand-dyed fabric, using DMC threads and Mill Hill beads, and I've stitched it for my youngest daughter, Sammy.

A Finish and update

2010-03-06T20:52:00.003Z

This is the 'Believe' design that I started a while ago. I finished it today, after not doing any stitching for quite some time.

I am off work at the moment with stress-related illness, and going into the fourth week of sick leave. I was at the point of not sleeping and not eating due to pressures at work, so went to the doctors. He immediately signed me off, and gave me tablets to help me sleep. I am now sleeping and eating better, and I can concentrate on stuff for longer than 10 mins, so I think I'll be back at work in a week or so...

I am now stitching 'Dream' - a partner design to the 'Believe' one.

Christmas!

2009-12-24T13:11:00.003Z

How long is it since I posted on here...? I've been doing little bits of stitching over the last couple of months, and I've just started stitching the Heirloom Christmas Sampler again...It had reached a standstill when I got to the first hardanger row, but I managed it the other day, and I am now on the next stitching row.

The kids are home for the holidays, and it seems rather crowded at the moment. I didn't realise I had got so used to the quiet! They both go back to Uni on the 9th January, when I'll have been back at work for a week.

I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas, and all the best for 2010!

Update

2009-09-26T08:20:00.002+01:00

Well, stitching has stopped again - I'm back at work, and my eldest two children went off to University last weekend. This last month has been a bit fraught, but we've got there, and the kids seem happy in their new homes.

I'm trying to do at least an hour of stitching a week, but didn't manage any during this last week, due to workload and worry! I've decided on Monday night as my stitching night, as OH is out playing darts (?), so plenty of peace and quiet.

Hopefully I'll be able to post an update photo of at least one piece next week!

Update - Rotation on Hold

2009-08-29T14:41:00.005+01:00

I've not stitched any items on the rotation this week - I have been stitching some items for my two children who are off to Uni in 3 weeks:

This is "Believe" from a book that I got from the library a couple of weeks ago - Bewitching Cross Stitch. I'm stitching it for my daughter Rachel, who needs to believe in herself a bit more...

The letter R from an Egyptian alphabet, put in a coaster - for Rachel, who is going to be studying Egyptology and Ancient History at Uni...

The letter S from a Celtic alphabet, put in a coaster - for Steven, who is going to study Computer Games Programming, but I couldn't find a suitable alphabet.

I've also been stitching my first HAED - QS Plum Gothic. I've been looking at some of the HAED designs for a while, but have finally bought one and started to stitch it. Progress picture next week...perhaps...(I'm back at work on Tuesday :o( )

Stitching and Life Report

2009-08-22T09:59:00.007+01:00

I've not done a lot of stitching this week due to having to get some planning done for work, and also having Results day...My eldest two children are off to University in a couple of weeks...DD managed to get 3 C's in her A-Levels, and Swansea Uni confirmed her place, whilst DS already knew that his place at Stafford Uni was secure (he did a BTEC ND). It seems strange at the moment - I don't think it is hitting home yet that they are both leaving home...We have too much to do before then, so too busy to think about it.

Anyway, stitchingwise, I have done some work on Noelle and In the Arms of an Angel this week. Here are the pictures:

I feel progress on Noelle has been good - I've decided to do vertical rows rather than horizontal, as there is a bit more variety than doing the background first. The only problem is that there are that many different colours that my Pako organiser isn't big enough to fit them all on!

In the Arms of an Angel is growing nicely - I may start going upwards next time I'm working on this, so I get the 1-over-1 stitching done sooner. I've never done 1-over-1 on linen before, so I'm a bit apprehensive about it.

This is my eldest daughter's stitching (one of her WIPs). It is L&L's Angelica, and she has made great progress on this over the summer. She is going to take all her stitchy stuff to Uni with her - it may come as a shock to her when she has to pay for all the stash herself!

Progress Report

2009-08-15T09:34:00.004+01:00

This week's stitching has been hampered by a chronic ear infection - I had 2 days where I didn't touch any of it. Here are the photo's of my progress:

L&L Song of Christmas: I've stitched Santa's arm - it was quite quick to stitch, with metallic braids and beads included. I've also finished the baby's robe (metallic braid and beads again) and the bell on Santa's hat.

VS Heirloom Christmas Sampler: I've completed a few rows and stopped when I got up to this row, as it involves cutting fabric threads...I'm a bit daunted by that, but will have a go later next week.

This next week is going to be a bit chaotic, as I must get some work done for my MA and for school, but it is also A-Level results day on Thursday, when we find out if my eldest daughter is going to University or not...We already know that my son is going, as he has had notification from Stafford Uni (he is going to do Computer Games Programming)...My youngest daughter is going into Year 11 (last compulsory school year) in September, so we will be fraught again next year waiting for the GCSE results for her...

Weekend Stitching

2009-08-10T13:37:00.003+01:00

Well, I didn't spend as long as I'd hoped on Noelle over the weekend, due to having Hay Fever all day yesterday...Here is the progress picture:

Page 1 of 16 is finished (more than 3600 stitches), and I've done 220 stitches of page 2 so far. Time to change to the next piece in my rotation...

Have a good week.

Progress Report

2009-08-08T10:08:00.012+01:00

I've done a lot of stitching this week...I didn't realise how much until I looked at these pictures:

VS Heirloom Christmas Sampler: Progress as of 7th August. I've finished the tree, and started on the presents underneath. I had to stop this one early, as I had to order some DMC Perle Cotton to continue with it...It arrived in the post this morning!

L&L In the Arms of an Angel: Progress as of 7th August. I love stitching this - there are some nice colours in there.

L&L Song of Christmas: Progress as of 7th August. I hated all the white (B5200) that I had to do - it never seems to sit right on the fabric...but I managed to do the hood. I think I manage to do it OK if I do a bit at a time, alternating with the reds. There are also about 3 or 4 different colours in his beard, so that took a while.

Mystic Stitch 'Noelle': I picked this up again last night. I've not worked on her for so long, and was sorting out my stitching boxes and found her. The first page is almost finished, so I'm working on her for the weekend before adding her to my rotation next week.

Baby Name Plate

2009-08-03T18:22:00.004+01:00

Here is the baby name plate that I stitched for my friend's baby. I couldn't put the picture on here until now, as I hadn't given it to her and didn't want her to see it before it was presented to her.

The design is from 'The Bunny Alphabet' booklet from Leisure Arts, and it is stitched using DMC threads on 27ct Linda fabric. It was professionally framed.

Rotation Progress

2009-08-03T09:55:00.003+01:00

This is my progress on 'Song of Christmas'. As you can see, not much has been done on this, due to working on the other two, but I have started with the Wisper thread in Santa's hat.

This is my progress on 'In the Arms of an Angel'. I love this design, and it is stitching up nicely. There are lots of areas using the same shade, which is nice. However, I did have to undo some of the green, as I had to use a new skein of thread which turned out to have a different shade than the one I had been using...a waste of about 2.5 hours!

This is my progress on Victoria Sampler's 'Heirloom Christmas Sampler'. It has a lot of backstitch to create the tree, and I've completed the garland using Kreinik braid. The pink 'flowers' were made using silk ribbon - awful thing to use. I don't particularly like my efforts with the flowers, but I'll wait until all the other ornaments are on the tree before deciding whether to have another go or not.

Rotation Change

2009-08-01T13:03:00.002+01:00

I've decided to change one of the items in my current rotation. Mirabilia's Mermaid of the Pearls wasn't going well, as I think the fabric is a little neat on the width. From my calculations, it would only have about an inch spare on each side...That was putting me off stitching her, so I thought it would be better to change it for something else and then buy some Polstitches fabric to stitch her on.

My rotation currently consists of:

1. L&L Song of Christmas
2. Victoria Sampler Heirloom Christmas Sampler
3. L&L In The Arms of an Angel

I'll post pictures of progress on each soon...

Hooked on glass...

2009-07-29T11:01:00.003+01:00

As part of my Blogging swap with Swap-Bot, I have been introduced to a fantastic glass craft blog: Lazy Daisy Glass

I wish I could do things like that...

Take a look!

Stitching completed during Summer Holidays

2009-07-28T22:42:00.002+01:00

These are two of the items I've been working on during the current school Summer Holidays - A freebie Alphabet Heart design, and L&L Song of Christmas (after 15 hours). I've also started on Mirabilia's Mermaid of the Pearls, and I've completed a baby name design - I can't post the picture until the recipient has the framed design...

Away too long...!

2009-05-26T10:20:00.004+01:00

I can't believe it is so long since I posted on here! Stitching has definitely taken a back seat to work and now my MA study.

Here are some things I've stitched recently:

L&L Song of Christmas progress

2008-07-28T11:25:00.004+01:00

I have started to keep a record of how long I spend stitching on my projects. Here are photo's of L&L's Song of Christmas - the first showing progress before timing, and the second showing progress after 10 hours of extra stitching:

The photo isn't very clear, as the beads and Nordic threads aren't very visible. The Nordic thread is difficult to stitch with - even after using Thread Heaven...

Package received...

2008-07-24T10:04:00.003+01:00

I received this replacement package for the SBEBB Feathered Friends Exchange today from Goldie (her original package got lost in the mail):

Thank you so much, Goldie - I love the cushion!

UFOs and WIPs...too many...

2008-07-23T11:33:00.002+01:00

Here are all my UFOs and WIPs...I'm currently working on Song of Christmas:

WIPs & UFOs

Photos at last!

2008-07-12T15:31:00.003+01:00

Having bought a new camera, I can now display some of the things that I have done recently:

The charts, pinkeep and scissorkeep were birthday presents from Edgar on the Stitching Bloggers Birthday Blog. I am using the scissorkeep at the moment, and I am about to start the Christmas Medley design...

The 'Teaching is a work of heart' design is my most recent finish, and is a Lizzie Kate design.

Lost time...

2008-05-30T09:59:00.003+01:00

Well, 3 months have passed since I last left a message on here, and I don't know where the time has gone...

Stitching has been torturously slow, as work has taken over my life yet again. I have now finished the Crazy 7 RR, and I am waiting for my piece to find its way home...and I am finishing the Four Seasons RR at the moment. The Dear Santa RR is way behind schedule...

I'm celebrating at the moment, as I have now got a permanent contract at work, and I hit the Big 40 next week...a momentous time in my life :-)

More pics soon.

Another RR Finish - late again...

2008-02-13T09:09:00.002Z

This is my recent finish on the Crazy 7 RR - I think they are so cute!

This one is very late - should have been sent in January...

Christmas Needleroll Exchange

2007-12-28T10:28:00.000Z

Here is a picture of my needleroll for Marijke. The exchange was through the Crafty Natter forum, and the roll is a Shepherd's Bush design - 'English Christmas Cushion'.