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.

2010 up and running

New Year celebrations now come and gone and the shops are full of Easter eggs. Have they forgotten Valentine's Day I wonder? Probably not, we'll soon have the luscious red hearts all around us. Oh to be young again and wonder if anyone would send me a card (perhaps not I was nearly always disappointed and used to tell myself it was lost in the post!).
Still to not so gloomy thoughts----I have been catching up with Papillon 'Castles in the Air' as I was about 2 1/2 months or so behind I was having an internal panic that it may arrive on the UFO pile. That is of course if a SAL can be a UFO I have not done too badly with the catching up but those who are really good at spotting errors will see I got carried away with the 'arches' on the right hand side I was on a roll when I discovered I'd done two to many so enter the January frogs ( I thought frogs could have at least hibernated for the Winter). Any how since I took the picture I have frogged the offending arches and have also completed a little more and I am quite pleased with the progress. (Next photo I'll take it of the stand and unroll it so you can see it all.)



At weekends I have been stitching on Yoyo's Christmas SAL. I wish the new side arms I've ordered for my Symphony frames would hurry up and arrive so that I can put it onto a frame instead of using my hoop. I rang the supplier and they tell me they could take up to 7 days to arrive, the only problem is they forgot to say when they had despatched the parcel. My fabric for the 12 Days of Christmas has arrived so I need to get that sorted for stitching as well because that is my second Christmas stitch for Yoyo's SAL.




I've made a little progress on my UFO for Jen'sI've Started so I'll Finish . It looks better now there's a little colour on it. I'm dreading the trouser part as there is just a lot of rather boring tan and dark tan. I stitch this when I go grandchildren minding in the middle of the week as it's not to difficult to pick up and put down, so progress will be a bit hit and miss. Trouble is I haven't got a clue what to do with it when it's finished, I suppose at sometime I'll come up with some idea or other.



Now to a design my great sister gave me as part of my Christmas gift. it's by Displaymates and is called Window Wreath. It comes with a deep display box and should look very effective. I forgot to take a photo this time of the actual kit pic so I'll do that next time. It's stitched 1 over 2 and gives quite a good looking finish.


I'm away now to make our evening meal so to all of you who pop in 'Many Thanks' and hope you call again.

Happy stitching to you all

It's Freezing! More time to Cross Stitch

Happy New Year to you all out there in 'Blogland'

The weather here in the North-West of England has been rather out of the ordinary this year. The area I live in doesn't usually see snow for more than a day (I live by the coast) I haven't been passed the front door for four days now, this is mainly because the pavements are like an ice-skating rink and so are the roads. Fortunately my hubby is able to keep upright and he's the one that went up to the Dr's for the old medications that keep us both ticking over. We have a pond in the garden at the rear of our home and I know it won't be much ice to some of you in varying parts of the world but to us it is just strange I decided to take a photo of it. It looks like a whale's under neath the water.



At least it's not all doom and gloom I've managed to finish two items since the turn of the year. One it the Freebie Christmas Mandala 2004 by Chatalaine designs. I have altered bits and bobs on this to suit myself. I have beaded the Christmas trees with Mill Hill seed beads 02019 instead of gold French knots. I am not the worlds best at French knots so I asked my sister if she would have a go at them for me. She did and they looked quite uninspiring so enter Plan B and out came the bead box. I have also used the same small bead on the black 'wall' round the outside instead of 00557 so that I didn't end up with too many different bead types. I have used the beads stated for the outer iron work and also on the bushes, must admit I have not put the gold(00557) bead on the gate iron work because I thought they looked too clunky against the delicate backstitching. The last thing I've altered is the gold work on the plant pots, I could not get it to look good so I changed the way it was done (enter another bead). Any how I'm pleased with the finished result, I just have to frame it and that could be another problem!!!



My second finish is the Jim Shore Southern Snowman by Mill Hill . This one that should be on paper but I am doing all the four snowmen on even weave 'Babbling Brook' this is because I'm going to have them framed as a foursome (some time in the distant future). I also like the Jim Shore Santa Collection but I have yet to purchase any of them, they're on my wish list.



I've actually made a start on my UFO forI've Started so I'll Finish not exactly a great deal of progress as I had to frog what I'd done so that I could restart on a roller frame. and work up and down the length of piece instead of side to side (sounds a bit crazy but that's rather like me). I've discovered that it's another hand drawn chart and for some reason I find them quite difficult to decipher(perhaps it's blotting pens that cause the problem)



I have just put me Papillon designs, Castles in the Air, on the frame as it is months since I did any and I think I really must do a bit a catching up with it. Hopefully there will be a Picture next time.

Well that's it for now. Thanks for visiting---Keep Warm

Happy stitching to you all.

Farewell 2009

Well here we are at the end of another year. What a year! I've learnt how to blog -- now that's amazing. I've enjoyed 'meeting' other bloggers and all the new to me designers have been a fabulous discovery. Thanks to you all for that. Most important of all my hubby and I celebrated our Ruby Wedding in November.

I had a lovely Christmas with my family spread over all the Christmas period and have had a fantastic 'stash' enhancement. Between my sons and their family they have bought me just about everything I need for Jim Shore's' 12 Days of Christmas'. I have just to order the fabric- I had intended to do this for Yoyo's Christmas Sal but as I hadn't the essentials at that time I have started Jim Shore's' Three Kings' instead. I have a feeling that I'll be doing both of them though as I really enjoy the beading and the brilliant colours of his designs.
My niece gave me a Mill Hill Winter design that is gorgeous and my fab sister a design that comes in it's own 3-D box along with a comedy one to do with kitchens. I'll have to put pictures of these on at a later date as we seem to be having a bit of a problem getting the computer to recognise the camera. My hubby has managed to get some pictures to load.





Here's an update on my Mini Christmas Mandala - I haven't done as much as I would have liked because before Christmas I wasn't too well so stitching I'm afraid was put aside. I have altered bits to suit myself, I'm going to use beads instead of French Knots on the large trees and have decided not to put the gold beads on the ironworks as to me they look a bit clumsy and hide some of the delicate back stitching.



I really must put some time in on my Papillon SAL as it is getting behind somewhat. I don't think I've touched it for an age. Another one I must get restarted on is my UFO for I've Started so I'll Finish




I'm sure you can see --I've rather a long way to go with my UFO. It's 42" long and I keep wondering why I bought it in the first place I evidently needed cheering up at the time(it's that long ago I can't remember).
Still with the UFO blog I'm sure I'll get there in the end.

Well I'm now off to have a cup of tea and some mandala stitching or beading.
To all out the have Happy New Year and may the Stitch be with You

Yule tide is almost upon us. Yippee.

Well the Christmas shopping is almost complete, the tree is up and the lights are twinkling merrily away. I haven't yet made any mince pies but will be doing that shortly.
The parcels aren't exactly all wrapped up but I have at least made some headway with them. There are still one or two to sort out, you know the usual--- Husband, Sister, Son, grand-daughter OOOps perhaps I haven't quite finished and time is running out.
Still here's to other interesting things. After my mammoth task of finished my TW Carousel Horse I couldn't decide what to do next. So I have started a Martina Weber Freebie,.Chatelaine Designs, it's from 2004 and I am doing it on an opalescent even weave. I wasn't keen on the blue background in the design picture.


I finished off some Christmas ornaments that I finished earlier in the year and I am really pleased with them. They are by Cross My Heart and are called Heirloom Santa Kits. I haven't found their site but you can buy their charts at several outlets.
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The material has arrived from Sew and So for my Jim Shore ' Three Kings'. I am delighted that I decided to go for the recommended fabric although I have since been told it's difficult to stitch on. It's a Permin linen Nordic Blue. This is for YoYo's SAL. So I'll shortly be making a start on that as well.




I think I may need a few lessons in how to rotate my pieces. I know that it's really easy enough it's just that I seem to forget where I'm up to and just keep stitching one at a time.
I've decided to chill out this evening and do nothing not even cross stitching. I'll probably fall asleep in a chair and snore away quite happily dreaming of Christmas.
Must away now as evening meal is waiting to be made.
Happy stitching to you all out there.