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.
.




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.

Christmas is Coming.

It's that time of year!!! I have been on the search for those illusive Christmas gifts. You know the ones that in July you think will be a really good idea and then you forget all about them and have to start all over again(Aaaargh).
I came to the conclusion that I'd rather unwind with my cross-stitching. I've looked out my Christmas advent calendar which I actually finished for last Christmas but ended up having my appendics out so it never got used properly, so you might say this is it's first time of proper use. (Can't wait) It's a Bucilla Kit, Christmas Advent Calendar, and I really like it. You have 25 charms to decorate it with and they look very pretty.

Now I have some decorations that I have finished, they are a Dimensions 'Gold Collection' called Santa's Wildlife collection. This is another group of decorations that gave me a lot of pleasure.

I have yet to finish just one of my Jim Shore Snowmen,(there are four) so it's not looking as though they'll be seeing this Christmas, still it's just another project to keep going with.


I have signed on to YoYo's Christmas SAL so that is another piece I'll have to keep on top of and I'm afraid I'm not very good at rotation sewing because I forget where I'm up too. I am still trying to decide which of two to do, both are Jim Shore designs, one is called Three Kings and the other 12 Days of Christmas.

Now I have actually finally completed my Teresa Wentzlers Summer Carousel Horse I shall try and catch up on my Papillon Castles in the Air SAL which I am sorry to say has not yet moved any further forward, still never mind It'll get there in the end.

Here's some I did a little earlier!

I thought I'd post a picture of my UFO that I have been working on for some time. I started it an awful long time ago such as in the 1990's, put it in a cupboard and there it stayed. Eventually I thought I really ought to do something with it and started slowly to do a little. Now that's when I found I've Started So I'll Finish I have stitched regularly and have posted the up and downs of the saga of the Carousel Horse. Now it is coming to an end so just in case you haven't seen it before here are a couple of pictures showing it 'how it was' and 'how it is'. There's still quite a large amount of back-stitching to do and the outer frame still needs completing but I'm quite sure now it will shortly be finished.





Another piece I'm stitching is the Papillon SAL -Castles In the Air-. I'm about two downloads behind (Oops) and I think there will be another one shortly. I'm doing it on a printed 32 count linen and the colours are a combination of 11 set colours and the others chosen by myself. I must admit I am not the best at colour blending so I looked in my garden and all the colours in SAL are the ones I saw there. I have done a bit of a mix and match as there are two versions of the SAL . One is cross-stitch and the other a speciality stitch, as I am not keen on Lazy Daisy stitch I have taken bits from each one and put them together to suit myself. How it'll look when it is finished is anyone's guess but it coming along quite nicely.



As Christmas is on it's way here's a piece I have sewn through the Summer,( I just love Christmas) it's a Jim Shore Design and there are oodles of beads on it and I just love the colours. I quite like Santa doing 'other things' and have just seen the Sue Hillis Santas ( Sue Hillis Cross-Stitch Design Blog) so the charts are something to look out for.


I said I had a recipe for you. It's one that's been hidden in another cookery book and it has my son's name on the cover so I am unsure of the Author hope you like it:

How to Preserve Children

One Grassy Field
A Pinch of Brook
One and half dozen Children
Small Pebbles,2-3 Small Dogs.

Mix the children and dogs well together,
Put them in the field and stir constantly,
Pour brook over pebbles and sprinkle with flowers,
Spread a deep blue sky all over,
Bake in hot Summer sun for one hour
and set away to a cool bath tub.

Well now the kettle has just boiled, so it's off for a cup of tea and a feet up, a search for a small cross-stitch and a chill out before I go off on child sitting, netball supporting etc etc. Till next time, enjoy yourselves doing whatever is you favourite passtime. See you then