Trying hard BUT not really succeeding!!!!!

Hi there again. Hope you are all on top of your stitching and also the dreaded Christmas Shopping. My husband and I have been out and about searching for the illusive gifts. Not doing very well at the moment but we still have some time to go yet!!! Usually I have it sorted to a degree by now but this year it seems to have beaten me. I just love Christmas time from the carols to the Christmas trees and the look of anticipation on family faces. It can also be a time for stash enhancement, now that's a brilliant thought. Must remember if anyone asks for gift ideas I'll have to have a list ready. Don't know if I've a piece of paper long enough..

Well here's how I've been doing.....not as much as I would have hoped but I've been here there and everywhere again so stitching has been a little difficult. Plus getting the task of selling some of my grandchildren's fancy dress and dance outfits on the old Ebay.
Here goes.....................
Still haven't finished the Mill Hill 'White Christmas'. In fact haven't picked it up...now that's naughty ...as there isn't really that much to do just the rest of the beads.
On the plus side the Window Wreath is coming along. I may actually get this done in time for the festive season. I've been doing this in the evenings when I've been at home. I've all but given up on taking any stitching with me when I go to Grandchildren watching nights, partly because the light isn't good enough to stitch by, but I do get a little done in an afternoon.

My next picture is of one I just decided to do just to cheer myself up. It's call 'Kitchen Included' and it's a kit from Design Works Crafts It was a bit of fun although it ran out of the gold thread so the fancy bow on the front of the dress is missing. It is now waiting in my finishing to do pile. This pile is slowly becoming bigger than my stash pile.

The one I have made most progress on really is the Three Kings. It did fall to the frogging a little though when I realised that I had misread a symbol. Fortunately I hadn't done that much and it was on the side borders I'd read + for x or the other way round. Better get it right before I start again or I will be mumbling. It looks a little 'bitty' at the moment but that's because I can't reach the top of the stitching on my frame so I have to keep turning it round. So I've been stitching 'upside down' so to speak and then I'll have to change it again so that I can finish off a side section. Most of the cross stitching it now finished and it's the beading that I am now concentrating on, there's still quite a lot of beads to go on but I can honestly say that I'm very happy with it. Hope I manage to get it done for Christmas....fingers crossed.


I meant to post this picture last time but totally forgot so please don't think I've gone loopy. I bought these great 'Halloween Owls' for my sons. They came from 'Maisie Moonshine's Handmade Craft Emporium'. I think that they're great. I know that there are some lovely Christmas place settings available so guess who's ordering some.


I must try and catch up on my 'blog' reading as I'm sure some of the blogs I follow will have thought I've vanished. I love reading other blogs and seeing what they are up to in the world of stitching. It's a great source of ideas and of seeing designers you may not have heard of. Off now to try and get a little more stitching done. Until next time.... thanks for popping in and if you've time to leave a comment much appreciated.


Happy stitching to you all

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.