Reveal Day

Today is reveal day for the Stitch and Stash SAL challenge and I just finished this last night and have emailed a piccie today to Karen for the album so I was cutting it a wee bit fine but at least I managed to stitch it! I have just done a basic ornament finish with a gathered ribbon edging. I think this may well be the last one I stitch for this year as I have so many other things I want to get stitched before Christmas. I enjoyed stitching this one though and am looking forward to displaying it at Christmas.

Windy Willows Noel

Unknown Fabric

Needle Neccessities 1531

The Back

The NN thread I used was sent to my by Michele as part of a prize for her blogoversaray draw last year and the backing fabric was sent to me by Yuko as a thank you for sending her a La D Da freebie she liked that I had stitched so this is a special piece:)

Tuesday night I finally got the HUGE motif on Sea Stars done and did a more of the sea monster. I still have a fair bit to do and can't see me getting it finished on Tuesday so I'm going to stitch some more on it tonight to give me a better chance!

As usual Wednesday was SAL night for smalls ( quick stitches, tiny treasures etc) on the HAED forum so I stitched on my Letter J. It is still going well and I must admit I am enjoying stitching on this more than I have done on a HAED since I abandoned Winter.Next week I hope to make a start on some Christmas stitching starting with one of the stockings I want to stitch for DH and I. I stitched the girls one each afew years ago and I think it's only right that DH and I have one too! Lol! Oh and I'd better stitch a card for DH's auntie for her birthday seen as I've stitched one every year for several years. Not sure what to stitch this year but I'll have a look and see what I've got.

My charts for the MM&I RR/SAL have arrived today so I will be having a go at more planning and see how it goes! I do have one more to come as I couldn't resist the new LHN Holly and Berries as I thought it was ideal for my neighbourhood.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend and making the most of the lovely weather we're having here in the UK.

Hugs

In Progress

I have been having a good few evenings stitching and I have even ( you better sit down for this) started this month's S&S SAL challenge which is Windy Willows Noel. Reveal day is Saturday so I need to get a move on, get it finished and made up! I've got about half of it stitched but can't show it until Saturday:)

I have finished my biscornu for the private Autumn colours biscornu exchange which Hazel organised. It's all packed up ready to post next week so I can't show that until it's been received.

I do still have some stitching to show though so this post is not a waste of time! I stitched on the Symphony SAL and got caught up with part 3 then part 4 came out so I decided not to show it until I'd finished that which I did while I was eating my lunch! This is looking so pretty so far and I can't wait to see what's in store for us in part 5.

Sundays, as you know, are Blackbird Designs evenings so out came Blessings and Kind Wishes. The frog visited so I was not too pleased but I did get that bit ripped out and re-stitched. I like how this is looking so far.

Last night I had quite a good evening on Bygone Stitches A Quaker Christmas. I now have just over two pages to stitch on this but one is only about half a page. Once I get the S&S SAL challenge done I'm going to stitch on this for the rest of the week instead of starting something small and try and get a lot more done so that I can be on track to finish it for Christmas.

I have been trying to plan my neighbourhood for the MM&I SAL but ended up getting very frustrated and close to throwing in the towel! I decided to have a go at importing the images into Photoshop and having a play with them ( with Jessica's help as I just can't get the hang of using it) but nothing I did looked right. Anyway I had another go and feel a bit better about it now but I think I shall wait now until I get the rest of the charts I want to use.

Friday afternoon I had a visit from Chris and it was lovely to see her again. I enjoy our meet-ups as we get on really well. We had a drink, a slice of cake and a natter and it was a lovely way to spend a Friday afternoon.

I am happy to say that I am feeling a bit happier in myself. I'm not crying or feeling like crying as much as I did although I do still get times when the low feeling just overwhelms me. I have got "itchy feet" and kind of want to move but after 20 years of living here and having done a lot of work on it I don't really want to, if you understand what I mean. We can't afford to move anyway so unless we have a win on the lottery we can't! Lol! We've more or less got the house how we want it and for all it's not a perfect house it's still ours. Well it will be once the mortgage is paid off in a few years!! I just feel that we live too close to my FIL and with me not working at the moment he just thinks he can come round when he's bored and has nothing to do regardless of what I'm doing and I get so fed-up of it. I'm afraid I did say something about it one day and it came out all wrong but this is my trouble as I keep it all in and then when someone says something it all comes out how it shouldn't! On the neighbour front it hasn't been too bad of late.

Well that's all for today. I'll be stitching on Ink Circles Sea Stars tonight and hoping to get thet HUGE motif done and dusted! Thank you for your visits and your wonderful comments. I'll be catching up on blogs as soon as I've published this:)

Hugs

Stitchy Update!

I thought it was time I did a blog update to show you the stitchy progress I've made this week:) I got the roof done on Blackbird Designs Blessings and Kind Wishes so that was a good evening's stitching! I think next Sunday I shall do a different bit rather than carry on with the house or I might get sick of it! Lol!

Monday evening we had a meeting at school about early entry language GCSEs as Abi is doing her Spanish GCSE a year early so will do it in year 10 rather than year 11, same as her Maths GCSE. So I didn't get as much done on Bygone Stitches A Quaker Christmas as I might have done otherwise. Although the meeting was rather boring we did feel it was important that we know what was going on and what would happen etc.

Tuesday evening I was very happy with the progress I made on Ink Circles Sea Stars and, providing things go to plan, I am still on track for an end of September finish:) The HUGE motif is almost done so just a smaller one and some of the sea monster to do.

Last night was the smalls SAL on HAED so, as usual, TT Letter J came out. Not sure if you can see all the progress I made as the very plae blue does not stand out too well. I'd like to have this finished by the end of the year but not sure one evening a week stitching on it is enough.

When I finished Sea Stars Lisa and I were going to do the SALexandre but we have decided to put it on hold for a while as Lisa doesn't want to add anything else into her rotation at the moment or take anything out, which I can fully understand, so we'll be starting it at a later date. So when Sea Stars is finished I shall either replace it with one of my few UFOs or start one of the two stockings I want to get stitched for Christmas! Lol!

I am happy to report that Chris now has a fully stitched RR. You may remember that the last stitcher was unable to stitch on it and Nicki kindly offered to stitch it and Chris now has it back. Nicki thank you so much for stitching this for Chris. You are an absolute star:) I must admit that I was upset that it wasn't complete seen as I organised it but now I am happy:)

I think that's all from me today:) Oh Beachmama I am not sure if you're asking about a print of the girls holding hands or a copy to put on your PC but you can right click on the picture and save the picture to your PC. Hope that helps.

Also does anyone know how to make pictures clickable? When I placed them at the right of my post they were mostly clickable but now I have them on the middle they're not.

Hope everyone is having a good week and looking forward to the weekend:) I know I am!

Hugs

Symphony SAL

I stitched part 2 of the Symphony SAL over the last two nights and also frogged the large speciality stitches in the first part and restitched those as I wasn't happy with them. I think this is really pretty so far and I am so pleased I chose this colourway for it. The fabric I am using is Silkweaver 28 count cashel linen in Tuttie Fruitie.

I think I have the charts picked out that I want to use for my MM&I SAL I am not sure just how I'm going to place each house/cottage as yet, or what else I will have on it, and will have a play around once I get all the charts together. I do have a couple of ideas ( one of those thanks to Marianne!) so planning should be fun! Lol!

I picked my new reading glasses up from Specsavers this morning. They feel really strange at the moment as I have a slightly stronger prescription again this time and my left eye needed more than my right! Hopefully I won't be too long before I get used to them.

Just a short post today! Have a fantastic weekend everyone. Hope the weather is something like where you are. It's warm here but dull and misty.

Hugs

What Have I Done?!!!

Yes what have I done!! I have so desperately tried not to look/ read about etc at the lovely Vonna's RR/ SAL idea Me, Myself and I! I absolutely love the idea but kept thinking no I've got enough to stitch, no I'd be no good at setting it out/ planning etc then Marianne emailed me and asked me if I was going to join:) Well she got me thinking, even after I'd told her I wasn't, and the little grey cells started thinking about what sort of neighbourhood/ village I would really like. I went through my stash and only found two charts that just might work but then I found a freebie and last night I looked through my JCS Ornament mags and found some bits in there that should work too. I do need a couple more charts ( yes I know I'm doing a project challenge but I can't plan a neighbourhood without blueprints can I??!) and will get those as and when but I need to start planning so that I can sort out fabric. It's times like these that I really wish I hadn't sold charts I'd finished with! So I think I'm going for an LHN Winter village/ neighbourhood. So Vonna sent me my permit and I'll working on getting blueprints and give the architect ( me) the go ahead to start planning! On top of that I had already joined the Needleprint Beatrix Potter SAL that Hazel set up so I'm going to very busy in 2009! The thing I like about both these is there's no deadlines so no pressure. You just stitch at your own pace when and how much you want.

I have done a little bit of stitching so far this week so am showing my usual, boring three pieces from Monday, Tuesday and last night! Monday was A Quaker Christmas night. Still enjoying this piece so much and still hoping to have it finished and on my wall for Christmas.

Tuesday was Ink Circles Sea Stars night and look how this motif is growing now! Not many more Tuesdays on this; finger's crossed! After that it'll be one motif and the sea monster. Yipeee!! Can you tell I just want to get it finished? Lol!

Finally last night was HAED TT Letter J for the SAL on the HAED forum. Not quite as much done on this as I would have liked but somehow I didn't really feel like stitching. It's all progress though:)

Thank you all for your kind comments on my Rites of Spring finish. I haven't heard back from Mary Kathryn if she would mind me using her idea of a stitcher's wallet so I may leave a comment on her blog to ask her. I don't really want to just go ahead and do it but I am sure she wouldn't mind.

The second part of the Symphonie SAL came out Monday but I haven't put a stitch in it yet. I might do some this evening and see how far I get. On the Autumn colours biscornu exchange front I've got one side stitched and I must say I really like how it looks:) It didn't take long to stitch so I should be finished well in time for the post out date.

I am still feeling pretty low and now and again I feel like crying plus I get myself worked up and feel sick. I don't want to see the doctor as I know he'll probably put me on anti-depressants and I don't want to go on them again. Been there, done that and got the t-shirt. I've been thinking about trying St John's Wort just for a bit of a boost but am worried about they might interact with the Menopace I take. Maybe all this is just to do with menopause seen as I'm close to it. I did see the doctor this morning as my ear has been playing me up again ( the one I had the infection in just a few weeks ago) so I now have antibiotic drops as my ear drum is fine but the infection in my outer ear canal which doesn't really explain feeling off balance. Oh well.I think I must be run down etc as I just seem to be feeling ill constantly.

Well it's looking dull and keeps trying to rain so I think I'll go study some charts and have a think about what else I may need for my MM&I neighbourhood:) Take care everyone:)

Hugs

Rites of Spring Finished!!!

I have another finish to add to my 10 project challenge! Yay! Yep last night I put the final few stitches into Blackbird Designs Rites of Spring and am delighted with how it looks. I just love this pieces as much as I loved Where My Heart Blooms. Looking at the fabric though I am thinking that I may have stitched it on the wrong side of it. Is there a right and wrong side to R&R fabric??? Oh well too late now! The photo is not very good I'm afraid as it was a bit dull when I took it.

Blackbird Designs Rites of Spring

30 count Irish Creme by R&R Reproductions

GAST & WDW

Started 29th June 2008

Finished 7th September 2008

Su asked what I was going to do with this when I'd finished it. I think I may steal Mary Kathryn's idea of making it into a stitcher's wallet as I absolutely adore the one she made. I am going to email her to ask her if she minds first though and maybe see if she has any tips too as I've never made one before!

So once this was finished I started the next Loose Feathers which is Blessings and Kind Wishes. Again I think I may have started this on the wrong side but I'm not frogging it now! It wasn't until I was taking photos of them this morning that I realised I might have done! This one had another big house on it so that's more or less where I started ! Thought I'd get that bit over with first or maybe alternate between that and other bits:)

I totally missed out on the S&S/ Jayne's Attic SAL challenge for August but still hope to stitch it at some point. This month's is A Windy Willows freebie called Noel which was the one I voted for so hoping I have more luck in stitching it!

The next part of the Symphonie SAL is out so I've got it downloaded and will print it out in a bit. Veronica asked what fabric I'm using. It's Silkweaver Tuttie Fruitie which is gorgeous. I've had it a while as I bought off Karen last year and kept wondering what I'd stitch on it!

The girls seem to be settled OK at school now. Abi gave the letter in about the lessons she chose but the lady who read it totally got the wrong end of the stick. Anyway Abi can be given the ones she chose but with quite a bit of messing in her timetable and it'll also mean she'll end up with people she doesn't know so she's sticking with what she was given ( Art and Music when she chose Art and Dance). Jess now has all chemistry lessons on her timetable but it means two lunchtime lessons to fit them all in so that it suits both teachers and pupils. When she went rushing in on Friday she didn't need to! Her timetable was right and her friend's was wrong! Lol!

I think I am OK! I won't say for definite that I am as the tears are still flowing now and again. Yesterday morning when I woke up I just laid in bed sobbing and, if I'm honest, I had no idea why. This morning I got myself worked up and felt sick. I think I need putting in a big bag and shaking up!

I hope everyone here in the UK is safe following the heavy rain and floods over the weekend.

Hugs

Stitching the Week Away!

Well it's a miserable day here today. It's dull and raining and rather chilly too! I don't think I'll be doing much today as I feel as though I'm going down with cold. I'm sat here freezing one minute then too hot the next!

I have had rather a good week so far on the stitching front. I think I'm throwing myself into it to take my mind off other stuff! I've got back to all the bits I missed last week so first up here's Bygone Stitches A Quaker Christmas. I'm not so sure now that this will be finished for Christmas! I mean it's September already and I still have several pages to go yet ( lots of motifs!) but we shall see. I do feel that I've made good progress for the amount of time I've been stitching on it.

Tuesday was Ink Circles Sea Stars evening and I am still hoping to have this finished for the end of September so that gives me 4 more Tuesdays! Mmmmm can I do it! I'm still on the big motif but it went well and I did manage to get a good bit done.

Wednesday is the QS/ SK/ TT SAL on the HAED forum so out came Letter J. This is such a doddle to stitch with the blocks of colour and I just love it!

I have had a new start this week; well actually two! NO! I hear you say! I signed up for a SAL which started Monday and I think it runs for 9 weeks. It's called Symphony and you could pick between about 5 different colourways and I chose mauve. This is this week's part completed. The purple bits in the tree are supposed to be French Knots but me and French Knots are not the best of friends so I did Smyrnas instead!

My other new start is one I can't show as it's for the Autumn colours biscornu exchange so you'll have to wait to see that when it's been received by my partner in about a month:) Anyway it's stitching up rather nicely so far.

Thank you to everyone who left hugs, good wishes etc on my loneliness at the girls going back to school and the new neighbours and especially to Gillie and Wendy who emailed me. I am doing a bit better now about everything. I knew I'd be something like once I got settled again after the girls had gone back to school. I do usually struggle for a while but for some reason this year has been terrible. I was very brave and only shed a few tears when they left for school on Wednesday morning. They both seem to have settled in OK now although there were a few hiccups on the first day and Abi did come home in tears but it's a long story so I won't go into details here but I did ring school yesterday and have also written them a letter. Nothing serious just to do with some lessons her year had to choose. Jess' timetable was wrong ( well all the students who are taking chemistry didn't have it on their timetable), again a bit of a long story, and was supposed to now be right but it looks as though hers wasn't and she had to go out in a rush this morning. Finger's crossed she made it in time! I won't say anything about the neighbours as you never know who's reading but I will say we are keeping ourselves to ourselves!

That's it from me for today. Hope everyone has a good weekend. Thank you to everyone for your comments and visits. Your kind words mean the world to me:)

Hugs

A Finish!

I consider this my first finish in my 10 project challange so one down, nine to go! Lol! I LOVED stitching this and can't wait to do more in the future. I did make a bit of a boo boo which will teach me to read instructions properly as I used two strands of thread for the backstitch on the vines and the words before I realise I should have only used one so I just had enough of the dark green thread!

Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Roll Kit

Started 22nd August

Finished 1st September.

Last night I stitched on Blackbird Designs Rites of Spring and I am SO close to a finish on this! All I have to stitch are some stems for the flowers in the bottom corners and then my initials but I do wish there was an alphabet with these to enable you to use your own initials. I think I'll have to use the alphabet that is with the mystery chart. I don't think it's exactly the same but it will serve the purpose!

Both the girls are out right now and I'm feeling very lonely! Jess has gone to the cinema with friends and Abi is at her friend's house until about 8pm. I have not had a good few days as I've been dreading the girls going back to school and being alone again plus we have new neighbours but I'm not going to say anything about that here. The house was repossessed and has been bought by someone then rented. I have spent a lot of today in tears and feel physically sick at the thought of being on my own here.

Well better go and cook tea for the old boy and I! He'll be in from work soon:)

Hugs