Sunday 4 September 2011

A New Start and Another Page Finished

Yes another new start! What's a girl to do when she has so much to stitch????!!! Of course I have the excuse that I finished Shepherd's Bush Family Sampler so just had to start something else to replace this so that I can carry on my SAL with Barb and Colleen. What is better than stitching with friends even though they are at the other end of the country and the other side of the world? So before I waffle on anymore here is my new start for our Monday night SAL. I chose Pansy Roll and I just love this so far. I can't actually remember what the fabric is but I think it may be 32 count. That's what you get for sorting your fabric and putting it with your charts. I really must learn to make notes in a notebook! Barb and Colleen are visiting me tomorrow evening ( virtually of course!) for our SAL:)

So what else have I been up to stitching wise. Well I have to admit I have been a tad bit restless again this week so progress has been a little slow some nights. However Drawn Thread The Sanctuary did go rather well on Tuesday evening and I got the border of this block stitched up as well as more of the block. There is still a fair bit to do on this block so I think my hopes of finishing it were a bit much to ask. However I don't know if any of you noticed that I have already stitched the year on this piece so I have to finish it this year right??!!! Speaking of Drawn Thread have you seen Cynthia's gorgeous new releases??? I keep telling myself no new stash but this one is going on my Christmas list and I'm hoping my DH will treat me to it for Christmas! Has anyone in the UK ordered direct from Cynthia?

I was eager to get stitching on LHN Travelling Stitcher again this week ( my SAL with my surrogate sis Lisa) but again the restlessness in me thought otherwise and it was later than usual when I finally got settled enough to stitch. I had an email from Lisa, who has been on holiday, asking how I'd done with it and it suddenly dawned me that I hadn't stitched the leaves on the tree before I'd moved onto the next house!

The "another page finished" in my post title ( I know I'm not very imaginative when it comes to titles these days!) is my 7th page on Heaven and Earth Designs Guardian. I am quite ashamed that I started this so long ago and I've only done 7 pages and had I had the enthusiasm/ drive whatever you want to call it to keep up with it I could have had so much more done. However I am pretty pleased with myself to have another page down. Just 23 more to go now! I need to grid the next page which will, again, be just background.

That's all my stitching for this post as I forgot to take a photo of BBD AotH and to be honest I only stitched on it last night rather than Friday night as well. Friday night I started Tricia's prize for naming my sheep from Lisa. I also had a new start at craft club ( another SB ornie) but it wasn't reallt worth taking a photo of the little I got stitched.

On Friday I placed an order with JJ's on their Labor Day sale. I've had a few sales on Ebay and privately recently so I caved and ordered the Lizzie*Kate 6 Fat Men Flip-its and the Shepherd's Bush 2011 Fob kit which I'm hoping is included in the sale too. Lisa and I are going to SAL on the 6 Fat Men when we've finished LHN Travelling Stitcher so I'm looking forward to that. I admit that I hadn't taken much notice of the new releases at market other than the L*Ks and the SBs. Someone on a group on Facebook posted about the new Bygone Stitches Quaker Christmas II so that has now gone on my wish list with a couple of others I just happened to notice. I swore I would buy no more biggies so will leave it on the ole list for a while and see if I still like it in 6 months time!!!! Lol! Please is there no cure for this addiction????

I forgot to mention in my last post that I got called in for a job interview a week last Friday. I came away from that interview feeling really disheartened as the supervisor said my lack of references could hamper my chances and that they also expected a passport and a drivers licence! I'd never heard anything like it! Yes I expected the references but even that after almost 17 years away from working outside of the home is difficult. I don't have and never have had a passport and although I do have a drivers licence it's a paper one and not a photo one. Needless to say Jess took a message for me last Tuesday while I was out to say that I hadn't got the job because I didn't have a passport or references. I was a little upset and have since been wondering how the hell I'm supposed to find work. Does the fact that I worked for 5 years with one employer and 9 years with the next count for nothing?

Back to school ( well 6th form) for Miss Abi this Thursday while Miss Jess staying home for a couple more weeks yet. She picked her keys up for her new student house last Friday and we moved some of her stuff in. I have to say the house is lovely. It's been gutted and is all lovely and clean and new. So much better than the one she was in last time. She's sharing with two lads one of whom we met on Friday and he seems a really nice lad. We have let the other one before as they've been firm friends since their first year.

Well I guess I'd better upload the photos and publish this post. I've got caught up on blog reading and commenting so I can pop off and stitch after tea:)

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally
xxxx

21 comments:

butterfly said...

Wow Sally you have done some lovely stitching. i love the new one you have started with the girls ,can't wait to see it over the next few weeks.

gracie said...

Love your WIP's.....can't wait to see the needleroll finished. As for the job...sorry how you have been treated. When I moved out here(AZ)I looked into a few jobs and because I do not speak Spanish, I could not even apply. All of a sudden a job will come along...keeping my toes crossed...my fingers will be stitching!

Angie Burrett said...

Lovely sewing Sally - well done. Stay positive job wise - things have a habit of turning up when we least expect them. Fingers crossed.x

Siobhán said...

Sally, your stitching is lovely! Good for you on the new stash, too.

I'm sorry to hear about the job stuff. I've been thinking about looking for a job but I get stuck on the references part. Short of asking a neighbor to give me a reference, what do I do?? I don't want to even ask them because I don't want them knowing my business. Ugh. I've never heard of the need for a passport & a license! Weird. Big hugs--hang in there.

Best of luck to your daughter with school this year!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Great progress on your WIPs! You always get so much completed.

I'm sorry to hear about the job. Keep plugging away at it as the right job will come along. I'm certain of it. Don't forget that during an interview not only are they checking you out, but you are checking THEM out!

Unknown said...

I like your style !!!
ciao Pat

Stitchabilities said...

Oh I have the Travelling stitcher to stitch, a new quaker christmas, oh heck I haven't finished the first one yet!!

Why don't you apply for the new driving licence it comes in handy for a lot of things when you need it. Like proof of who you are, especially when applying for things

Lesleyanne said...

Gorgeous progress on your wips. Keep you head up the right job will come along when you least expect it. I have the L*K Snowmen too - look forward to seeign your progress.

Barb said...

Both WIP's are lovely. Great job so far and I look forward to seeing more.

Ellen said...

Love your SB's new start!

Don't worry, the right job will come around!

Hugs,

Tricia T said...

New starts are just so fun, aren't they?? : ) I was at a shop this weekend and they were out of the 6 fat men. I think I'll put them on my Christmas list - but if I get them before, maybe I'll join in your sal. : )

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Your stitching is lovely and the HAED progress is something to be proud of!

Good luck with the job hunting. I can imagine how frustrating that must be. Sending good vibes your way!

♥marylin♥ said...

c'est vraiment adorable !
bisous bisous ♥

Christine said...

Great stitching Sally.
I understand the problem with references I had the same thing when I went back to work. How about doing some voluntary work at a charity shop or similar for a while, then they could act as referees for you?
Since you are under no obligation whatsoever to hold a passport I don't understand how an employer can require you to have one (assuming the job doesn't involve travel), surely your birth certificate is enough to prove who you are?

Barb said...

Oh love the pansy roll , will have to get mine out I think . Oh yes I have seen the new Bygone one ooohhh so so tempted but no , I think I shall have to make a list too. I am ripping tonight yuk, but hopefully catch up with tonights stitching the morrow. Will mail you tomorrow.
Hugs

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Great stitching, especially love the Drawn Thread piece. The new design is lovely too - there are tiny birds hidden in the wreath!
I agree with Christine, I use my voluntary work as one of my references. It's more relevant to the field I want to work in next anyway.
Driving licence/passport is just daft - I don't drive!! All you need is a NI number to prove who you are.

Kate said...

Lovely WIP's update - I love the colours on your Pansy Roll start.
Keep your chin up on the job front Sally - the passport & licence stuff is usually to verify that you're eligible to work in the UK.

Michelle said...

Wow you have done some lovely stitching. I love your new start -can't wait to see it over the next few weeks. Don't worry about the job stuff. They weren't worthy of having you anyway to treat you like that - there will be some job waiting for you out there that you will love I am sure of it. xx

Elisa said...

Some fab stitching as always Sally....terrible news about the job...it is ridiculous the red tape now for getting work...hope something more suitable comes along soon xx

Carol said...

You've been as busy as ever, Sally--beautiful work :)

Hang in there with the job hunt. I have worked at only one job (my current librarian position) since I graduated from university 34 years ago so I have no suggestions. Just go in with a positive attitude and a smile :) Best of luck to you!

Lois said...

Lovely progress on your stitching as ever Sally. I'm sorry to hear about the job interview, I can imagine how discouraging that was. It is very difficult to get back into the job market these days. Good luck to Abi heading back to school and enjoy having Jess home for a few more weeks!