Sunday 27 February 2011

A Great Time

I've had a busy couple of weeks, here, there and every where looking after grandchildren, must admit I always enjoy myself whether it's at my house our theirs. Usually if at my house they bake cakes, biscuits etc. not that my DH and I ever get to try them because they always want to take them home for their own Mums and Dads. Still the pleasure is in the baking and being Weight conscious (Ho.Ho.Ho.) perhaps it's a good job they don't stay at our house!!

Today my DH and I went to watch our younger son in his field hockey cup final. This is rather like watching the FA Cup final as it has been being played for several months on a knockout basis. It was a glorious day as we set out to travel to the venue at Preston, Lancashire. Summer had evidently arrived as my DH was wearing a pair of SHORTS. I can tell you it looked warm but as the pitch is not far from a river and very open there was a pretty cool breeze blowing. To give a better picture I had two coats on to fend off the wind. There was a good turn out of supporters for both teams, which was good to see, and the nervous tension was obvious. The first goal was scored by Blackpool, my son's team, and then the second. Next goal went to the opposing team. It went along on this vein for a while and then after half time with the score at 4 - 3 the goalie was sent off for 10 minutes. Horror of horrors. The substitute goalie let in a goal, not all his fault I hasten to add, so now on a draw. That ten minutes must have seemed like an hour to the Blackpool team playing one man down. Excitement and nerves tingling the final whistle was blown, 5 all, now what???? extra time, penalty flicks. No, it was decided to play extra time until first goal scored. Fans on edge for both teams off we go again. Then I heard a great whoop of delight and cheers all round the ball was in back of the net. Blackpool had scored......or had they? No it had come off a foot and that doesn't count. By this time everyone was shouting and cheering their team on like mad when there was a foul against Blackpool. A penalty flick shot was awarded, fingers crossed and everyone holding their breath the shot was taken and Yippees of Yippees it went to back of the net with a resounding crack. BLACKPOOL HAD WON.



My son accepting the trophy.

Many congratulations to the both teams for such a great match.


The winners

Well after the excitement here's some more positive progress. I have finished the Old Fashioned Tree from the Festival of Trees range. As I said before these have been stitched previously so I am adapting them as I go along. Not huge differences but just a little here and there. I think the next one I'll do will be the Victorian Tree, but that's not a definite yet.


Surprise here is another finish, at this point I must say this is the most I have ever finished in the first two months of a year, Yes, it's the Waxing Moons 'Our Family....' I have to get it framed yet so I'm possibly going to post it to The Nimble Thimble where the frame is already waiting and then collect it when I go to visit my sister.



This is where I now go into a rambling story to explain my reason for starting this next piece.

It's called 'Munokoreria' (The Dance Leader) by Anchor. The original artwork for this is a Kenyon artist named Gakonga and it's based on the tribal living of the Masai, Kikuyu and Swahili people of Kenya. This is where my husbands family moved to after WW2. They packed up their belongings and with their three children left for new adventures. At first in South Africa and then ending up in and around Kenya and Tanganyika. It is his childhood memories of playing with the children of the tribes local to the part of Kenya where they lived that prompted me to buy three pieces. The colours are lovely and I will probably finish them as bell pulls. I bought them a while ago and gave my DH the task of picking which one I would stitch first, between you and me I think he probably just passed me the first one he came too (but that's men for you!!). I have stitched it on four evenings so am pleased with the progress. There is quite a lot of back stitching to do on it and so far I haven't done any!!



Last but certainly not least here comes 'Castle in the Air'. I really have put some effort in on this one to try and catch up the 5 months I seem somehow to be behind ( can't imagine how that happened)

There I was thinking how well I was doing when another download has appeared so that's up to 6 months behind. Talk about 2 steps forward and one step back that's just how I felt. For those of you who aren't familiar with 'Castle' there were in the first instance 2 versions Cross stitch and Specialty Stitch , I have done a combination of the two as the whim took me. But great fanfare after had work I have caught up 2 months and ..............


part way through the first 'Fantasy' section. The 'Fantasy' has now had four sections downloaded and these are the parts that are causing me to hold back on the stitching as I can't quite follow the gist of it so I guess I'll be doing some of my own interpretations again at some point... that'll be a 'Watch this Space' moment.

Guess what it's cup of tea time. So once again thanks for popping and reading my ramblings. For all your friendly comments that have been left THANKS it's so good of you. Until next time keep up with the great stitching.

Friday 11 February 2011

Ups, Downs, Finishes Yippee.

Hi there again. I've had 'One of the Weeks'... except it was a fortnight... My eldest granddaughter has been on her work experience at a leisure centre several miles away from where she lives. So on my grand children minding days I was asked if I'd mind collecting her there. 'Course not' says I. All I can say is I'm so glad I don't have to do this run again. The only time I didn't get my self confused ( posh word for lost) was when I went on my way from my home directly to the centre. This was because it was a straight change from one motorway to another. You know the sort I mean 'Bear left at next slip road' type of thing. Getting to collect her brother and sister from school was another matter altogether as I followed the signs to my allotted designation totally forgetting that there was a 'South' as well as centre turnoff. Are you following me????? I quite happily followed the wrong sign and if I had carried on would have been on another motorway in the wrong direction.. Fortunately I realised before to much mileage was done and recognising where I was left the motorway and got to the other grand children by going through the city centre. This was only the first time of collecting.. I can tell you it went from bad to worse. The next morning my granddaughter asked me to take her, instead of having to go with the lark (her dad).
OK said I being 'upbeat' thinking I can't get it wrong again. You can you know. This time I had to go through a junction that had a 3 motorway joining as well as them going east, west, north and south, I only managed to go north instead of south on a totally unfamiliar motorway but my trusty car having its own homing instinct got me to a junction I recognised. So I had to go round the roundabout and back onto the motorway. Strange isn't it I can find my way in one direction but the other was a total nightmare. To cut a long story short. I gave up on the motorways from their home and went on the normal roads, with precise instructions from my son. No panic now.....except......I evidently didn't hear him properly and took a turning at the wrong junction. and guess what I ended up on a motorway!!!!!!!! ARRRRRRGH. I am now safely at home I don't think I'll step foot out of my house again.... Well until next week....

Here's a little bit now on some of the other things I've been up to since I last posted.
After having had several down days health wise my hubby and I went to visit my sister and her DH for a couple of days and while there I started Waxing Moons 'Our family is like Fudge' this is from my Christmas stash. After taking approximately an hour to get the first nine, yes NINE stitches in the right place I actually got on quite well with it. Mind you I did have to listen to quite a few comments about frogs (I really can't imagine why!). I have done more since being home, I've been doing it in the evenings when I've got my feet up I have enjoyed doing this and am hoping to have it finished shortly. I already have the purpose made frame for it at the 'Nimble Thimble' so I'll just have let Chris have it and she'll frame it up for me. I may have to post it to her that's another thing I'll have to decide on. Still onward and upward so to speak.

My fabrics arrived from The Silver Needle for 'Counting Bats'. I gave up trying to find it in the UK. I had also ordered another fabric, which did not arrive, but not to worry my sister had, by chance, some of it, she had bought a half metre from Sew and So when she only needed a small amount so now I have fabric for two more of my Christmas gift charts. I'm unsure whether to start one of those at the moment or not.

I have been taking some small things with me when I go grandchildren minding in the middle of each week. Sometimes a get a little done and another I never get the chance to get it out of my bag. Here are two things I've been doing. They are from the Festival of Trees. They have already been done once so I am adapting them to suit whatever I have available, must admit I think they are working out pretty well.



I have put in my last cross-stitch on 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS I now have to take it off the super frame my hubby made, press it and then stitch on the buttons.

Here are the last two days.



After that I have to decide the best way of finishing it. I'm definitely leaning towards hemming the sides and possibly using wooden poles top and bottom to keep it taut for when it's hung on the wall (the jury is still out on that though). This had been a pleasure to stitch. I can honestly say I have enjoyed every minute of it. I still wish that I could get a picture that shows the true colours and sparkle from the beads. A small part of me feels at a loss without thinking I have a little more of it to do.
This next pic is just to show you the last 3 day width all done.

Can you really miss a piece of cross-stitch?
Anyhow it is now going to be back to 'Castle in the Air'. I am months behind on this. I thought I'd just refresh your memory

This is going back on the stand. I remember I was enjoying doing the Blackwork fencing but put it away to get on with the Christmas pieces I was doing. Since then I have downloaded monthly and have become a little confused with some of the designs that have been added. I think part of me has been watching the new sections and wondering what would be the best way to go with it. I'm still undecided. I may have a look at how it looks on the Papillon Gallery. I'll finish the fencing and gates and then give it a big re-think.

I'm off now to get a cuppa Hope you all make good progress with your WIPs. Happy stitching to you all. If you have time to leave a comment it's much appreciated they are all a boost.

Until next time keeeeeeeep stitching.