Happy Dances AT LAST

It seems an age since I blogged. I've been stitching away along with trying to Christmas shop. Must admit I've done better with the cross stitching than I have with the Christmas shopping. I have no ideas really on what to get any one and time is getting nearer.OOOps OOOps and even more OOOps. I'll have it sorted in the end though. Now that's what I call positive thinking.!!

I have been working hard at finishing some of my stitching. The first one to start the music to the happy dancing is the Window Wreath. I have actually finished this one off completely even down to it being mounted and framed.

There was a lot of back stitching on this and it was working with one over two. The finished piece is very pretty and looks quite delicate especially the window panes.

I have finally finished the 'Winter Wonderland' I have to get a frame for it yet though and this will probably come from Sew and So. I got over the stressing about the the fact that so many of the beads just didn't want to let you sew them on. I muttered a lot and got on with it and I am so glad that I did.


Now can you spot the deliberate mistake? (Other than the fact that one is taken with flash and the other isn't)
The sparkle on it is incredible and well worth the music on the dancing starting to get a little louder.

Hold your breath every one wish you could hear the 'fanfare' it's reverberating all around............The Grand Finish........ THE THREE KINGS.........
I am so please with this I wish I could think of enough words to say how it looks. I still have to get it framed and mounted and I had intended taking it to the 'Nimble Thimble for Chris to frame it this last weekend when I was visiting my sister but with the weather being so YUK I was worried about the roads so I didn't take it. Hopefully this next weekend may see it reach the framers as I am off to my sister's again. It's a good job she is an understanding sister for my DH and I keep arriving on her and her DH. for yet another couple of days or so.


The next surprise is The Twelve Days are back out of hiding. I made a start on the 9 Ladies Dancing and then when I went back to it today I couldn't find one of the threads so spent,what seemed like, forever looking for it to discover later that it was under the cover on the frame all the time. Never mind at least I found it. I will be trying to get this finished by Christmas but I think I may just be dreaming still there's alway next Christmas. I think that that will be the more reasonable approach as I am going to make a wall-hanging of it I think and I'll have tp work out the best way of doing that. Any ideas out there?????



I then had a slight detour as I ended up on Ebay hopefully selling some things. It has taken me ages to put everything on between weighing and working out what you call everything. I just hope a bit of it sells so that I'll have a little more room for my next lot of clutter to mount up.!!!
A new start is the Western Santa from the Jim Shore range. Silly me forgot to take a photo so that'll be something to look out for next time. I'm stitching it on the Babbling Brook Jobelan instead of the card that comes in the kit. I know that they work out OK as I did this with the last one I did.
I'm off to a 'panto' with a school next Tuesday so I've been practising my 'He's behind you' lines as I can be as bad as the children. It'll be good fun.
Still trying to catch up with the blogs as we have been having several computer problems, I hope that they'll soon be all sorted out.

Anyway once again thanks for popping in and it you've the time to leave a comment. much appreciated. Good luck with all your stitching Until next time Keep warm
Cheers to you all.

ON A ROLL.....again

OOps she says. started to post and then I clicked the wrong button and it was gone. I then discovered that I had posted a title all on it's own. Now that's sad.

There I was really pleased with myself thinking I'd do a draft posting so that I can finish it off when I get back from my grand children minding. My days doing that have changed this week as it's half term. I think this is just to confuse me!!! I shall pretend that it never happened and continue in my own wondering way.

Hello there everyone in cross stitch land. Hope you have all been having a productive time. Finally got a completed finish to show you all framed and done properly. It's the Waxing Moon 'Christmas Snow'. It's the one I finished at my sister's house a couple of weeks ago and forgot to photo.


I've also finished stitching the Christmas ornaments, the frames have arrived so I'll have to get them finished. That's often where I go wrong I stitch them and then put them away and forget about them ( Or should I say 'put off' finishing them in case I make a mess of doing it).


Must admit I enjoyed doing these ornaments as they are not something I would normally do.

Still no progress on the 12 Days but again the Three Kings are moving on slowly at the moment but this is partly because I have been grand children minding more than usual and I love doing that. The Three Kings now has the top border about 1/3 completed and I'm beading it as I move along it I've found it easier to follow the pattern. The side borders still need some time spending on them but I'll get there.

A few weeks ago I bought some buttons from Hob-Nobb Designs. Well after lots of sole searching about where I was up to with everything I decided I'd do one of them.My choice was the 'Snowflake Snowman'. I have stitched it on a pale lavender linen, the outer border is Gentle Arts-Sugarplum, the inner border is Gentle Arts - Cornflower, the centre band is Gentle Arts- Potpourri, the snowflakes are DMC- White. This is the first time I have used any over-dyed thread and must admit I love the finish but found I had to work hard to remember to do each stitch individually and also was surprised how much the thread seemed to twist. Hope you like the result.


I may just have to find another one out now and do that one. But wait a minute ...NOTE TO SELF: COMPLETE THREE KINGS AND GET A MOVE ON WITH THE 12 DAYS....
I have been doing a little better on my Window Wreath. Although I did take it with me when I went to visit my niece one evening. Actually I was delivering something for her other half after dropping off two of my grand-daughters at the final night of the Centenary of Girl Guiding. The Centenary finale was well thought out as the guides attending re-took their promises at 20.10 on the 20th of the 10th in 2010. So it's just the 20.10.20.10.2010 time and date to remember. Clever don't you think? Anyhow back to my visit. My niece industrious stitched away at her piece and I plodded along with mine, her other half then casually asked ' How much have you actually done? You seem to be taking a good deal back.' I had been found out. The small amount I'd done had been stitched in the wrong colour followed by the wrong place. I probably put in about ten stitches in the right place and colour in about 1 1/2 hours. Is this a record???

Today I have been shopping, well I was looking for some square photo frames. I've worn my feet out and haven't managed to find one. Evidently square is not in fashion at the moment. I'm devastated as I wanted them to frame some of my cross stitch. I'll have to look on line (hadn't thought of that when I went shopping). Still I bought some rather fetching fluorescent socks, also some earrings ...........

.....now guess what I'm doing this weekend.!!!!!!

SURPRISE....SURPRISE...

Here's my FINISHED CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS I'm really rather pleased with them. I'm trying to decide whether to tie some red ribbon bows round the top of the frame. That's one I'll have to think about.


That's it for now. Many thanks for popping in. If you've time please leave a comment much appreciated they are. Until next time Happy Haunting Halloween to you all. Have super spooky time.

How Many Days to Christmas??? Panick Alert

Hi there to you all yet again. My stitching seems to be taking a bit of a turn for the worse at the moment. I'm trying hard to keep on top of it but I seem to have a bit of a wandering mind set. I haven't even put on the frame my 12 Days of Christmas so unless I can get my head in gear the chances of it being finished in time for this Christmas could be doubtful. I have been getting on with 'The Three Kings' though. I am pleased with progress here as I am almost at the top of the inner border on the right hand side although there are still the beads to sew on. All three kings are finished stitching and beading as is the most of the background which was rather fiddly. So it's just a case of knuckling down and getting the rest of the border done. Perhaps that my best bet is to get this one finished and then concentrate hard on the 12 Days.
The colours yet again don't seem to have come out right I wish I knew what I was doing wrong, I just can't get the lighting conditions to do it justice.

I have made some progress on the Christmas decorations that I started to give myself a bit of a boost. There will be eight of them when finished and I'll have to order the frames for them in due course.






This one when finished shows animals in the stable. They all look a bit odd without the back stitching on. My DH has yet to recognize any of them before b-stitching!!

Just to show that my garden is as muddled up as I am, here is a picture of a 'spring' flowering clematis called 'Ruby Wedding'. Flowering beautifully in the wrong season. Could this be 'Global Warming'???

Some things are at the right time The grapes are changing colour. Yippee.

Winter Wonderland has moved on. Must admit in the past I have had the Mill Hill Bead designs done in no time at all. I think I have done all the cross stitching on it and have to finish off the beading, quite a few on this particular piece are the petite beads so have to be cross stitched on to look good. It a very pretty piece and when the lights catch the beads it looks stunning. I know that Mill Hill have release another 'blue' based design that will look good with this one. (Must think about that one.)



For a change I went to watch my eldest grand-daughter playing netball last Wednesday. It was a coolish evening and as I had finally bought myself a waterproof/windproof coat I decided to wear it. Was I glad!! It rained,rained and more rained just like stair rods. At least I was dry and warm. The girls (who play in a Womens' League) drew. They played really well and I think if it hadn't been for the weather conditions would more than likely have won. Still I'll be watching again next week and will see how they go on then.
I've also been doing a bit of reading. It's a book titled 'The Conquest' by Elizabeth Chadwick. it's taking place about the time of the 'Norman Conquest' in England 1066 and all that. It's the third book I have read by the same author recently and true to form read them in the back to front chronological order, you know that seems just about right for me.

I've just realised my head has jumped a bit I've forgotten all about Halloween. I haven t stitched one Halloween thing, nor have I anything to stitch Oh Boo Hoo.

I've been having problems just trying to write this blog as the save part keeps failing and I haven't been able to upload pictures(Oh Whoa is Me) it's taken an age. Anyhow moan over. Finally managed to do it.

Again thanks for popping in and hope you can find the time to leave a comment. Until next time Happy stitching to you all.

A Bit of This and a Bit of That

A little late with the old blogging but here we go again. I was away last week staying with my grand-daughter while her siblings were away on their school PGL week and her Mum and Dad had gone away for a few days. I did take some stitching with me but didn't manage a lot as I was helping her with a needlework project from last year school term that had gone horribly wrong (not her fault I hasten to add). The fabric that the school had provided her with to make an apron for her 5 year old cousin was rather like lining material and slid all over everywhere, she was supposed to have appliquéd another slippy fabric on to it. Well she did her best but everything just frayed and she ended up very upset, so I found some other material and she started from scratch. It got finished and I think she will now have given it to her cousin. So sorry I haven't got a photo of this work of art but it did look quite good. Any how that's my excuse for not having done stacks of stitching.
When I get back home one of the first things I do is have a look round our small garden and these roses had come out in defiance of the fading summer ....Good for them I say.

I had decided a few weeks ago that I would stitch some Christmas ornaments for my eldest son for his tree. I am taking some designs from Donna Kooler's 555 Christmas Designs ' Inspirational Christmas' hanging. There will 8 of them and I intend to put them into small circular frames.

The colours are more pastel than I had imagined but I am sticking with the stated DMC threads.

I also dug out Window Wreath, I started it a few months ago but never seem to get round to putting any stitches on it. So I surprised it ...it's very pretty actually and there are some very subtle colour shadings. It's single thread two over two and I forget when I start doing it so out come the frogs for a short while.


What do you think of my apples they look as if they have come directly from 'the Wicked Queen's basket' (when she had changed into the Old Lady) from Snow White.

Oh yes! back to stitching. I finished my 'I Believe' by Mill Hill while at my sisters a couple of weeks ago and am very pleased with it.

Also back out for a few days was 'Castles in the Air' I haven't yet caught up all the downloads as I have the right hand side to finish and I wouldn't mind thinking that the next download will be here before I've done it, still never mind there are several months of it to go and if I concentrate on my Christmas pieces and get them finished then I should have plenty of time to catch it up then (I hope) . So I thought you might like to see it unrolled for a full view of it so far.

Back to my Christmas Themes 'The Three Kings' have found their way back onto the stand. I spent yesterday sewing on some of the zillions of beads that needed to be caught up and there are still a lot more to go on. The bottom left hand side is almost complete, just a few purple beads to go on there and then that small section will be complete. Hopefully this will definitely be completed for Christmas time. I just love doing these Jim Shore ones, stacks of beads and lots of colour.

Last but not least Winter Wonderland by Mill Hill started but not yet quite finished.


All the beads to put on it and the rabbit button, I'll have to get on with it and then my finish list doesn't look quite so appalling compared to some of you stitchers out there. I really am quite green with envy at the speed some of you can stitch.

Many thanks as always for popping in and leaving you inspirational comments. Until next time Enjoy your Stitching.

Water, Water everywhere but not a drop to ......water the garden with

Hose pipe ban in full force. Absolutely pouring down! That seems to be the way it goes. We have been told it's not the right kind of rain or else in the wrong place. Sounds very strange, fortunately I know what they mean but it doesn't help the bad feeling when watching water coming out of underground pipes that need repairing by the water company. That's the grumble over.

Now to happier things. My DH and I have been away this weekend. He's been on the old golf course thoroughly enjoying himself. Mind you his feet ache and his shoulders need a massage, could be from lack of golf playing through the injury earlier in the year or else the fact that 'Old Father Time' keeps chasing him and he's starting to find he's catching up!!!.
I had a good weekend stitching as did my sister. I took with me the dreaded Break Time, which I started by following Jen's I've Started so I'll Finish....Eventually. I have to be honest and say I haven't yet got a picture of the latest progress made this weekend but I have an update of prior advance. He's coming along well and I have at least got a sense of achievement from how he's doing.

I have been thinking about what to do with him when he's finished and top of the list of ideas at the moment is a hanging for the bedroom my grand-children use when they come. I'm still considering this though. I'm not the best at finishing things like that and I really don't want him to look a mess. Has anyone any good finishing tips???

I promised last time that I'd post my picture of The 12 Days of Christmas, 6 Geese a Laying after I had beaded it so here it is. There are still missing some red beads off the wing as i have yet to order them.
I have started the next part being the 7 Swans but up to now have only done 2 1/2 sides of the frame, that is my current WIP on my frame. Both the Twelve Days and the Three Kings were started for YoYo's Christmas Blog. I haven't heard anything for an age off Yoyo and am becoming very concerned.


The best progress has been made on The Three Kings. Despite a visit form the frogs where I took out a full section of the base pattern believing I had counted the centre square 1 stitch out, only to discover after I'd taken it all out that it was right in the first place. I can tell you I cried all the way to the kettle. Put the stitching away and started again the next day. After giving myself a good shake and making sure that I had my good frame of mind in control I set to on the third King. I can tell you his robe is a pain with fiddly back stitch round the sections that seem to make up the 'flower leaves on the robe. Granted they look worth it when you can see it for rea, the colours are lovely. At least this time the photo has a better colour, last time it looked washed out.


Last week I went to Liverpool on a visit with one of the school's I volunteer at. Must say we all had a great day we visited the World Museum. The children had been studying Egypt at school, the museum had a super Egypt display and question hunt, We also went in the planetarium and that was also superb all the pupils enjoyed it even though several of the girls clutched hands because of the sometimes intense dark. It a place I would recommend if you aren't too far from there for 'Summer Hols' visits,
Off now to watch the 'High Lights' of the 'Tour de France'. I'll be out of breath after about 2 minutes. I just don't know how they do it.

Happy stitching to you all. Thanks for visiting, Bye for now.

Stitching. Bugs and Frogs!

Well it's been a beautiful weekend. We actually had a bar-b-q yesterday. Just the two of us and it was very pleasant. We were going to have gone and visited my sister but I came down with quite a bad virus/cold/ awful coughing bouts/ nose bleeds---- I won't go on ----so we didn't go. Cross stitching got put on hold for most of the week as I couldn't make out the charts through blurred eyes. Anyhow although not 100% I am back stitching on my new frame built for me by my DH.

Be amazed at the progress on my UFO for I've Started so I'll Finish Break Time. I thought I'd take a full picture for the first time and even if I say it myself I was surprised at how much it had grown. I have discovered that some of the threads seem to have become variegated all by themselves (perhaps it's just the age) it's mainly the pale green.
This is how it looked yesterday evening. That's when I realised there was an error!!!! Horror of horrors What to do???!!!





So this is how it looks now.


Can you spot the difference? Of course you can I frogged all the part I had done yesterday evening. I muttered all the time I was doing it .


As I said in my last post Papillon Designs 'Castles in the Air' next download had been sent. So not to end up behind with it I set to and completed it. I am just soooo proud of my self now to wait for the next one to arrive.!



Now to my Three Kings.Yoyo's Christmas Sal I have been putting beads, beads and more beads on it. The colours for some reason are rubbish so that's disappointing but I have really made good progress with it this month. Two Kings done just one to go and then the rest of the border.




Lesleyanne asked me what is my rotation. Well as I am not or ever have been particularly good at sticking to any hard given plan I have a tendency to pick and choose as the mood takes me but over the period of a month I will have done a reasonable amount on each piece I'm doing. I do, however, tend to do the Break Time in an evening while watching TV!! ( Can't imagine how I went wrong) mainly because it takes less concentration and it's in colour blocks. I wouldn't have a chance with any of the Jim Shore one's in the evening. My stitching fits in and around my spare time I really don't know how those fantastic stitchers do it who have full time jobs and yet still complete the most amazing work all credit to them I say. I usually listen to reception class readers on Monday and Wednesday mornings so I stitch in the afternoon on Monday, most of Tuesday depending on what jobs need doing. I take Break Time or Window Wreath with me on a Wednesday afternoon when I go and sleep over at my son's house to do the school runs and meals on that PM and Thursday AM and PM. I also go and listen to year 4 readers while at my son's. Back home Thursday eve. My DH is always waiting with a meal ready for me and it is really so much appreciated. I then usually collapse in a chair and fall asleep. Friday back to stitching. Week-ends are hit and miss. depends on the weather. So there you are my version of a rotation. It may not be perfect but it works for me and I don't get upset if something gets missed. Oh yes I try to avoid going from one Jim Shore to another directly as it takes me a a while to remember that the symbols have changed although he does use the same colour palette.
I am going to go back to 12 Days of Christmas tomorrow and try and get up 6 geese a laying by the end of the month. We'll see. I'll do my best as it's the only way I'll get it completed by Christmas this year. Wish me luck.

Caught Up Yippee!!!!

Over the Easter holidays three of our grandchildren came to stay. It saved me worrying about my Hubby managing to cook, wash up, bathe or really just have anymore accidents. His elbow is giving him quite a lot of pain and he keeps leaning on it when he gets up from a chair. Anyhow he's back at hospital in about 10 days for a progress check. Back to the grandchildren. We had a lovely couple of days. Chocolate cake was in abundance along with butterfly cakes and a first attempt at egg custard(all courtesy of our young grand-daughter). She did a grand job. The garden got tidied and sweet pea seeds were planted by the other two. Even homework was done!!.( The cross-stitch suffers a bit when they are here as I just don't seem able to get any done. ) They all enjoy playing with Playmobil or more to say these days is setting it up and moving characters to the desired places and then looking at it for a while and then putting it all away. We have got loads of it stored away in all sorts of places so they have plenty of choices on what they set up.

Well after a their short stay peace returned and so did the cross stitching. I have been trying to catch up Papillon's ' Castles in the Air' and at last I have managed it. Now all I have to do is to remember to keep a look out for the down loads and not let it get behind again.(We'll just have to wait and see). I am now getting more into it. It's the first time I have ever done a download pattern so it's been quite a challenge for me. I admire anyone that does the large mandalas I think I'd probably get lost in no time at all.




I am getting on quite well with the Christmas SAL and really enjoying them both. The Three Kings is coming along quite nicely, the centre King is almost finished just a few more beads on the lower section of his clothing and then he is complete. Then back to some of the border and the first King. Sometimes the background blue seems to all blend into the background blue stitches and I lose where I'm up too. When I was on the phone to Sew and So the other day they said Mill Hill were bringing out some more Jim Shore designs so I'll have to keep my eyes open for them.

The 'big' Christmas one is the 12 Days of Christmas. I am loving doing this. It is a real challenge. I need to try and complete more than one day a month so that I stand a chance of finishing it before this Christmas. I seem to be doing huge amounts of stitching but great lack of finishes.


Here's the one I 'started a little earlier' and am trying to get finished 'Break Time'. I have spent quite a lot of time doing back stitch and at last I have rolled it on on the frame. I've decided to go for the brown trousers first so here's hoping I don't go nutty doing it. As always with this one Thanks to Jens I've Started so I'll Finish otherwise it would still be in a cupboard.
Mind you I'm still very unsure to what I am going to do with a 42" long cross stitch!!



Until next time. Thanks for calling in. Please leave a comment, it cheers me up. Happy Stitching to you all.

Just another week!!

Happy Easter to you all.

Firstly here's an update on my accident. I went off to the hospital and discovered that I had broken two possibly three ribs. So I have been taking pain killers like mad just to get through each day. I'm starting to feel a little better now thank goodness.


Over the Easter Weekend I always go, at some point. to watch my younger son play Field Hockey at the annual tournament in Blackpool Lancashire. I think this year is the 59th one to take place. He has played in them for about the last 20 years and his family also go and do a bit of supporting. This year my hubby and I went up to watch and after the completion of a match were moving to another pitch. Our grandchildren were there watching and my hubby, in a fit of thinking he was younger than he is, started to play hockey with them with one of their shorter than adult sticks. You've guessed it. He fell over. He got up laughing and we plodded on to the next match. Later in the day we had the grandchildren at our house when he decided to go and get his now rather painful arm checked out. He took himself off to the local hospital while I stayed and made buns and fudge with the younger grand-daughter, her twin brother and older sister watched Harry Potter DVDs. Eventually my DH arrived home with his arm in a sling. He's broken his funny bone. So it's back to the hospital on Monday to see the Orthopedic people. Between us we can make one whole person at the moment.

Now to the better bits.
I have finished 'Let it Snow' and am really pleased with it. The button attachment has fantastic detail.

I've also made a little progress on 'Window Wreath' . The colours in this are really close together but the effect is very good on the window panes. There is quite a lot of backstitching to do on this. I had started to take it when I go child sitting but have decided that the light is not good enough so I just pick it up every now again.

My Christmas SAL pieces aren't doing to badly. This month I haven't done as much on the 'Three Kings' because I had been concentrating on catching up Castles in the Air. I have got some done though and stitched quite a few beads on. Click HERE For Yoyo's Christmas Sal Gallery.


I am really pleased with my Two Turtle Doves. They took quite a while to do. I still have a few more green beads to put on one of the small leaves to the right at the bottom because I ran out of them. I have sent off for several more lots of beads as the requirements list I saw has evidently underestimated the amount of beads required. Still that doesn't matter because I am so pleased with how it's looking, it's a shame that the photo's don't always do justice to the vibrancy of the colours. It's all about French Hens next and I'm looking forward to that as well.





I have just started to try and do some more of my UFO forI've Started so I'll Finish. I am doing some of the backstitching and then I am ready for turning it so that I can do either the next section of the trousers or the other way for the jacket. Oh! Decisions. Decisions. At the moment I'm thinking on the lines of the brown because that'll be the part that'll drive me nuts most and then I can cheer myself up by doing the checked jacket and finish off with the smiley face.


Any how that's it for now. I'm off to administer the pain killers to my DH and sort out a meal.
Keep safe everyone and Happy Stitching.