More WIPs!

Flipping heck it's chilly here in the east coast today! The sun is shining but it's a cold wind although it is pleasant enough. I prefer it this way than boiling hot so hoping the summer isn't too hot! LOL!

I have a few WIPs to share today. It's been quite a productive tome on two of them but not so good on the other two! So first off here is Papillon Creations Serendipity. I stitched part 4 of this on Friday and just love it. I am so pleased with the colours I chose and love how the speciality stitches look. I'm not sure when I'll get the next two parts stitched but I can't wait to see what part 7 is like and am hoping it'll come out soon!

Next up is the absolutely gorgeous Chatelaine Lavender Mandala from The Gift of Stitching. I am really enjoying stitching this piece with Lisa and Julie on a weekend. I have made quite good progress on this and just love the colours so far. Lisa kindly sent me the Vicki Clayton silk I had chosen for this as Jayne can't get the silks any longer, which is a shame, so I'll be starting on the stitches that need that next weekend I think. Stitched on Sugar Maple Fabrics Violets in the Shade using DMC and Rainbow Gallery Petite Braid.

Moving on I didn't make much progress on Heaven and Earth Designs quick stitch Dragonette last week. However I am pleased to see that this little lady now has a head!! She looks so cute! I am hoping to make better progress on her next time.

This week I'll be stitching on Heaven and Earth Designs Winter as and when time permits seen as it's the Easter hols for the girls. I'd like to get page 2 finished but I don't see that happening!

Jayne rang on Saturday evening to let me know my Chatelaine Mini Mandalas 1 chart had arrived and it would be going in the post along with some Udderly Smooth on Sunday and, if Royal Mail behaved, I should get it today. Well Royal Mail haven't behaved ( surprise, surprise!) and I didn't get it today but never mind. Some nice post to look forward to tomorrow. However I did receive some nice post today as Karen kindly sent me some card thread bobbins as well as sneaking in a tube of Udderly Smooth so thank you so much Karen:) I can get some threads wound now.

I seem to be having some up and down days lately. It's crazy really as if I feel fine I'm very upbeat and happy but if I feel yuck I feel so down. Saturday I had a very bad night and did not sleep very well and once something like that happens I just start thinking the worse then I dread going to bed and so it carries on. It's a vicious circle. Thankfully I managed to calm myself down last night and had a much better night, although DH was up at 5am this morning and if he's awake I am as he's not exactly quiet. I did go back to sleep but woke again when he came to give me a kiss at 6am when he was leaving for work! I am really feeling the cold at the moment but then I get really hot. I feel as though I'm going down with cold but it never comes to anything. It's been the same for several years on and off! I just wish I could get through a day without worrying. I thought having a diagnosis would make things better but, obviously, the symptoms are still there regardless.

I almost forgot ( just goes to show how I feel about this WIP!). Yes it's the dreaded Chatelaine Christmas Mystery IV. I was quite enjoying it until part 4 and now I absolutely HATE it! I am not even sure that I want to carry on with it but I can't really afford not to when I've bought stuff to stitch it with. I'm just thankful that I didn't go the whole hog and buy the silks as well. I know it's a mystery and your pay your money and take your chances but it isn't what I expected at all. I certainly won't be doing another of her mysteries without seeing a lot of it WIPs first. I know I am not the only one who doesn't like this part and I have posted on the Chatelaine ez board that I don't like it. Some of the girls think there will be a spectacular Christmas Tree behind the girl and it is going to have to be to make me want to stitch more. I think this is going to be one of those projects that I will get stitched very quickly each month and be relieved to put it away! Lol!

The car is going in for it's MOT next week and we're getting a new timing belt fitted at the same time so let's hope that's it for a long while! I don't think we've ever had so much expense all at once before. The same day we are finally getting the electricity main fuse box replaced. This has been going on since the beginning of February when we were supposed to be having the meter changed but they couldn't get the main fuse out! Thank God that isn't going to cost us anything!