Finishes Are Like Buses!

You wait ages for one then two come along at once! Lol! OK so I've not exactly had to wait ages but it seems like a while before I finish BRD Stitched with Love that I had one! So I should stop rambling and show you. As I said in my last post I finished BBD AotH Pink Hill Manor on Friday evening and here's the photo!

Blackbird Designs AotH #4 Pink Hill Manor

36 count Rosewood linen

DMC & GAST

Started 8th April 2011

Finished 29th April 2011

I loved stitching this one as the colours are so me! Lol! I personalised this with mine and DH's names, the initials of our daughters, the year we were married and the initial of our surname. Jane and I are almost ready to swap our first 3 charts so I'm not sure which one I will do next but I'm looking forward to starting another one.

On Saturday evening I completed my piece for the Spooky SAL for Lisa Roswell. As I said in my last post I hadn't picked this up for a while but I stayed up until 11.30 and finished it! I really like this but not sure how I'll finish it as yet. Probably a pinkeep or a pin cushion so that I can display it on my black tree:)

The Primitive Needle By the Light of the Moon ( freebie)

Unknown fabric ( won on Lee's blog ages ago)

DMC

Started 3rd March 2011

Finished 30th April 2011

Yesterday I'd had a good vac round downstairs, cleaned and re- protected our sofas and done some washing so I decided an afternoon stitching was a nice idea. I picked up Silver Creek Samplers Dandy Dreams and after the afternoon and evening stitching sessions it was almost another finish! Once I get started on this I just don't want to put it down but had to tear myself away from it as I was so tired. The frog visited so I had to rip out some of the big leaf and restitch it so I might have got further on it than I did. Still when you consider where I left it last I did not do a bad job! I am hoping to get this finished when I pick it up again, probably tomorrow, evening so look out for a giveaway as I will passing the chart on ( I won it from Christine)

It's SB night with Barb and Colleen tonight. Do I start the sheep row or finish the other row that I left?????

Thank you for the lovely comments on my last post. I had to laugh at Anne's comment on my DH's glasses!

Angela and I have been emailing each other about the design for the stitcher's box that I won in her giveaway ( I still can't believe it) and , although I have given her some ideas, it is going to be a surprise which I absolutely LOVE. Come on who doesn't love nice surprises!  I am so excited!  

After my scare last week I decided I needed a wee stash treat but I had bother deciding what to get! Now I'd seen KarenV's gorgeous BOAF Sally Spencer Sampler finish and fell in love with it straight away so I emailed Thread Bear at the weekend to see if they had it in stock ( they had it on their website) but they haven't so they are going to get it for me. I am keeping my fingers crossed as it is still listed on Hoffmandis but is it right that BOAF are no longer designing cross stitch? I intend to dye some fabric to stitch this one; as much as I would like to get some nice hand dyed to stitch this on it's a bit too expensive for me these days! So I'll have to experiment I think but can anyone suggest what to use to dye a piece a similar shade to the one Karen used for hers??? Would tea and coffee work?

DH is back at work tomorrow then Abi is back at school on Wednesday. I'm not looking forward to being on my own as it's been a bit of a stressful couple of weeks and last Friday I hit such an awful low but I have to try and be positive and hope that in a few months time I might just start to learn to like myself and deal with all these issues through the help of the counselling. I really should start another blog to get everything down rather than talk about it here.

Right time to go and maybe pick up my stitching or I might just see if Abi would like me to join her for a game of Mario Kart on the Wii. I love playing that with her but not played it in ages.

Have a wonderful week.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx



A New Start and Progress.

This is kinda getting bad! Another new start this week and I should really stop before  all I have is new starts and no finishes BUT it's my hobby and I enjoy it. I will have finishes eventually! Anyway my new start was for the PS SAL over on NH which is a lovely, friendly Yuku forum run by Clare. I decided, after much deliberation, on Daffodils which is lovely and bright and, well, the thing that kind of swayed it was the sheep! Yes I am a sheep lover as well as a snowman lover incase you did not know!!! So here's my progress from last night.

Monday evening was SAL night with Barb and Colleen so out came Shepherd's Bush Emmanuel's Song. I did not quite manage to finish the cross stitch that I had started last week but never mind it'll get done this Monday then I can move on. Aren't these colours just so soothing? I can't wait to get to the bottom cross stitch row as it's those cute SB sheep!

I hope you are not getting bored just seeing WIPs but I haven't had chance to get my DT Spot of Winter actually stitched up as yet. Maybe this weekend? So here's a little progress on another WIP this time Silver Creek Samplers Dandy Dreams. Not much progress as I've just been adding a few stitches in an afternoon when I've had chance. Just love this verse on here.

Of course I am still stitching madly away on my anniversary sampler BRD Stitched with Love. It is going really well too and is so simple to stitch. Love these colours.

Finally those WIPs that seem to be getting left behind! The Primitive Needle's freebie By the Light of the Moon  ( Spooky SAL piece) has not seen the light of day for a few weeks now. The reason for that is my print out of the chart is rather bad and I can't see some of the symbols properly. I really want to finish this so I may just finish the tree and leave it at that so that I can make it up and have it on display at Halloween rather than leave it and have it become a UFO. The other one has had a teeny bit of attention and that is Shakespeare's Peddler Jenny Bean's Pin Tuffet. I plan on finishing this for a friend if I can get myself motivated to actually get the stitching done. I think I need a mental health day with nothing but stitching!

I have had a sort of my stash and am hoping to get all my DMC spares put into an inventory and I've also had a bit of a sort through my charts and have popped a couple more on my for sale page so please have a look to see if anything takes your fancy:) These are unused. I've had thema while and decided that I just won't stitch them. Thank you:)

Thank you for all your good wishes for Abi and I. We are both feeling a lot better although she scared me ( and herself) on Monday afternoon as she started to feel dizzy. I decided to read through the side effects of the diclofenac that the doctor had prescribed and sure enough, right down the list, was dizziness so I rang the surgery about it. They rang me later to say not to let her have anymore and to give her ibuprofen instead. Thankfully she's getting there now and her headache has gone.

Well I am off to play blog catch up for a bit.

Take care everyone and whatever you are doing enjoy the weekend.

Hugs

Sally

xxxx

Valentine Rose......

is finished!!!! I popped the final stitches into this gorgeous piece on Friday evening which meant I could start A Wish for You last night.

Blackbird Designs AotH #2 Valentine Rose

36 count Rosewood linen

GAST & DMC

Started 12th February 2011

Finished 11th March 2011

I dedicated this block to my maternal Grandma. The year is the year she married my Grandad ( they did not get married in February though), the initials in the heart shaped flower are my Grandad's and the number 12 on the door is the number of children they had :) I am really pleased with how this one turned out.

So onto A Wish for You now. This is the start I made last night.  I am thinking that this one may be for my paternal grandparents as I think they were married in March.

Finally my Thursday evening progress on The Primitive Needle By the Light of the Moon which I am stitching for the Spooky SAL as a tribute to Lisa Roswell.

Just a quick post today but I cannot end this without mentioning the  earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The images we are seeing are just horrific and my heart goes out to all the people there and those in other countries who are waiting to hear if relatives and friends are safe. I feel so sad that so many people have lost their lifes and those left behind are living in fear of further quakes and the explosions at the nuclear power plants. I will be continuing to keep them in my thoughts, especially our dear stitching friend Yuko and her family.

I will try to get caught up on blog reading tomorrow after I've been to the surgery to support Abi while she has blood taken.

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxx

A Teeny Finish

I can now show the teeny finish I had last week as it has been received. I wanted to stitch a little something up for Lindsay to show my appreciation of her lending me the BBD chart and as Spring is, hopefully, coming and it'll soon be Easter I chose this little fellow:) He was lovely to stitch and so cute!

The Prairie Schooler Peep ( card freebie)

Unknown ornament cut

DMC

Started 26th February 2011

Finished 1st March 2011

Thank you gift for Lindsay

As there were only two takers for the BBD A Wish for You chart that Becky sent me but I already have it I have decided to pass it on to Lesleyanne, as she commented first, then if she would please pass it on to Hazel when she's stitched it :)

I had a good couple of evenings on BBD Valentine Rose. I didn't get it finished but next time I stitch it I will!!! I love the heart shaped flower and the pot it's in. It looks so pretty.

Thursday I made a start on The Primitive Needle freebie By the Light of the Moon for the Spooky SAL in tribute to Lisa Roswell. I won this piece of fabby from Lee a while ago and decided it would be perfect for this design.

Finally I have actually remembered to take a picture of my little bit of progress on Blue Ribbon Designs Stitched With Love. I'm going to have to stitch on this more often as I only have about 6 weeks to get it done and into the framers. HELP! I'd better move this into my rotation rather than just stitch on it here and there!

Took Abi to the doctors on Friday. She was supposed to have a mock exam but ended up not being able to do it as she had stomach problems. DH and I started to think that she may have IBS and sure enough that is what the doctor thinks. She's given her some peppermint capsules so we will see how she goes with those. We have had so much going on and what with the stress ot it being her final year at school and exams coming up there's no wonder she's feeling the way she is. Bless her.

I've updated my for my sale list. Have reduced prices and also if you're interested in my finished Christmas Mystery IV piece please make me a reasonable offer! lol!

Just a quick post today. I plan on a stitchy afternoon if I can get away with it! Thank you for your comments- I truly appreciate each and every one of them.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxx