Needle has speeded up. Hooray!

I've had a busy week. Three of my grandchildren came to stay while their Mum and Dad went away for a few days. I decided that a day out to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) would be a good idea. So I put the suggestion to my DH. He was not impressed. He thought it was going to be some dull day looking at statues ( or something along those lines). Actually it was a great day enjoyed by all. My DH loved the Air and Space section showing the Aircraft as did our two grandsons while our grand-daughter enjoyed looking at the different types of weaving from a different section. All three grand children enjoyed walking through the pretend sewers and looking at old toilets. I have confirmed to them that I am from the 'Roman' era as far as they are concerned after telling them that I remembered some of the toilets on show. Pretty Yukky Eh!! The day finished off with a short ride on a replica Stephenson Train called the Planet. I can tell you I had a lovely day and as it was a beautiful sunny day it was great.

My other son and his family have also just returned from holiday in the Dominican Republic where they had a lovely time it was marred by flight delays 12 1/2 hrs on the way out and ---wait for it --- 21 hours on the way back. Looking forward to seeing the photos of at least one of them swimming with the dolphins.

So how's the stitching going you may ask. The answer is not too bad thank you. I have made good progress with my Three Kings forYoyo's Christmas SAL. I just love the beads and how they twinkle in the sunlight. Must admit I'll have to spend a good deal of time bead sewing but I'm sure that it'll be worth it. I did have a frogging day when I inadvertently mis-counted and kept repeating my error over and over (get the idea?) Perhaps because I've made good progress I don't feel as 'blue' this week. Yippee!!!

The photo above shows a section about 3 1/4" long. The fabric colour shown is the most accurate ever managed to get yet.




I have actually made some progress with my UFO 'Break time'. Although I can honestly say I am not enjoying doing it one bit and I keep wondering whether it'll end up back in the cupboard never to see light of day again. Part of the problem is it's just colour blocks and soooo much brown. The other main problem is the thread it is just shedding and very, very dull. When I finally get to his head I'll probably like it because he has a very friendly face and will enjoy doing that section. Here's the link forI've Started so I'll Finish.


I have completed the first day of Christmas now, The Partridge and a Pear Tree, including all the beads, there is just the button to put on but this will go on at the very end with all the other buttons. I really enjoyed doing this just-- another 11 days to go. This one is also for Yoyo's SAL.


Horror of Horrors. There's another download for Castles in the Air from Papillon Designs and I'm already behind by stacks with it. So today I have put it on the stand and have made a start at catching some of it up--- I'm about three and a half downloads behind. I enjoy stitching it when I get started. I feel as though I've got different heads and I need to attach them for each piece I'm stitching. So this time there are no pics for Castles or for Window Wreath although I have done some more of it. I'll keep you in suspense for a while on that one.
Well we are having a few days away this week so I'll be taking my UFO with me as it's easiest to carry and possibly the Window Wreath so at least they'll stand a chance of growing a little.
I have been told that snow is expected again where we are going so perhaps we'd better take a spade! Looking forward to weekend regardless of the weather although I do hope any snow clears before we get there so my DH stands a chance of playing his golf.

Until next time.

Happy stitching to you all.

New Kits on the Block

February seems to flying through. Valentines Day is almost upon us. Then it is my older son's birthday, he reaches the fine old age of 39 this time. Odd thing is I still see him as he was when he was little with the most enormous blue eyes and eyelashes a girl would give her eye teeth for, in reality he's a Dad with three lovely children who all look remarkably like him (even down to the scowls that used to amuse me so much). Still I'd better stop this reminiscent and pessimistic attitude that seems to have descended upon me and cheer my self up.

My Hubby and I spent sometime out in the garden at last renewing some fencing that had been broken by our neighbours cat and doing long overdue tidying up. I have a feeling we'll have to spend more time out there yet plus some visits to the tip. At least the bulbs are showing their heads which must mean Spring is on the way.

I haven't actually done a great deal on my UFO . I've Started so I'll FinishNow that's partly because I took it with me to do and then discovered I'd left the threads at home OOOps No 1. SO progress is limited. MUST DO BETTER

Luckily the new side arms for my frame finally arrived (that is after I'd phoned them). So on to the frame went my Three Kings which is forYoyo's Christmas SAL. I then did some stitching and discovered that when I had ordered the threads I had put down the wrong numbers. Ooops No2. So not to be daunted I decided I'd better do some of the beading. Jim Shore's designs have 'zillions' of beads in them.

I then decided I'd order some more side arms for a Symphony frame (not from the same supplier as my first attempt) and these arrived the following day----a new frame made up and Jim Shore's 12 Days of Christmas put onto it. This is one I really like, again it is quite large. the sewing area is 19.5 inches by 29inches. This is also for Yoyo's Christmas SAL for some reason I thought I'd do two (must be nuts). Then comes Ooops No 3, I again had ordered threads but had missed out some that I needed. Anyhow with the help of my Hubby I went through all the Jim Shore pieces that I have and ordered all missing thread and doubled up on some so that |I now know I'll have sufficient. Three Cheers all round. Thread arrive the next day. I thought I'd better get a move on as I need to complete at least one day per month or else the chance of it being be displayed Christmas 2010 may be just a dream. (Oh to be a speedier stitcher than I am)


One of the best things I've discovered this month is that Jim Shore has released some more pieces, these are seasonal angels and are done on fabric as against to how his smaller ones are usually done on perforated paper (I have altered the Snowmen to fabric). These Will be heading for my 'Wish List'. The pics are shown in the order of Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter





The one thing I haven't touched at all is my 'Castles in the Air'. I'll really have to watch out on that one or else I'll ended up months behind and have to play catch up. I think I'm getting in a muddle again with my efforts at rotation, still never mind I'll just enjoy doing the stitching.

Happy stitching to you all until next time.

February.....already!

I've been quite busy the last two weeks. Going to a Pantomime that has two of my grand-daughters in took up a couple of days. It was very good and thoroughly enjoyable. The three grand-children I took to see it were thrilled so it was well worth the traveling to get there.

The cross-stitching having taken a bit of a back seat I haven't managed to make as much progress as I would have liked but anyhow hope you can notice the difference.

My UFO forI've Started so I'll Finish has actually come on quite a bit and I am quite please. I am still not really looking forward to excessive amount of 'brown' I'll have to do. I've been doing a little brown and then a different part, I think that will be best approach.





I haven't done anymore on my Three Kings as the hoop was making such a mark on the fabric I decided to wait until I had my new side arms for my frame. They have finally arrived, I think they must have come via another country. So now it is on a frame I am hoping to make some better progress especially as it's for Yoyo's Christmas SAL. I have yet to frame up my 12 Days of Christmas as that was waiting for my Hubby to make arms long enough for it.
I am beginning to wonder why I keep choosing all these super huge pieces. I must have been on a real day-dream day when I picked them.

On a more up beat note my' Castles in the Air' is coming along better and I have managed to catch some up. Then horror of horrors another download came through and I felt as if I was back to where I started. The next part of it has an optional 'cut-work' section and never having done that before was thinking of having a go at it. (On practice material first) but I have now had a rethink and have decided to do the simpler side section. I have already been altering between doing the straight forward cross stitch version and the specialty stitch version as suits me. The colour on this one for some reason has come out odd, perhaps it's because I didn't use flash. I'll just have to get better at the photo side of things as I don't always do some of the stitching justice.



I've managed to stitch little of one of the 'shutters' on the Christmas Wreath so there is at least some progress on that one as well.


As I am not to used to rotation stitching I hope I haven't tried to take too much on and get muddled up with where I am because that would be awful.

HERE'S A QUERY FOR ANY OF YOU WITH BLOGS.
Have any of you 'LOST' your counter? My counter vanished as did some on other blogs I follow. and then suddenly they have returned but on my view of the blog they have been 'zeroed'. I am the only person this has happened to? I honestly did not change or tweak at anything . it was just like magic. Perhaps they went out for a walk in the snow and then got lost!!!


That's it for now I hope to have better photo's and more to show you next time.

HAPPY STITCHING TO YOU ALL AND THANKS FOR POPPING IN.