Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my Blog readers!

I'm writing this as I sit watching the TV with a glass of wine on New Year's Eve 2011... I thought I'd better write another post before the end of the year...and post pictures of my stitching over the last few weeks.

Here are progress pictures:

 "Me First" by DMC Country Companions

"Toy Shop" by Mill Hill

I do have other progress pictures, but they are on the main computer (on the laptop at the moment), so will have to post tomorrow...

Today I finally got my sewing machine out, and did some finishing on some recent and old stitched pieces:

 Alphabet Heart - old finish that was a freebie on the internet...

 "Hiking Cat" by Margaret Sherry

 Home Sweet Home - old finish made into a cushion

 "Small Token" by Blackbird Designs

 "Bubbles" by Heritage

"Wilbur" tapestry by Julie Hasler - recent finish

I also have a pile of old finishes that are for framing, so will be at the framers for a good part of the next few months!

Happy Stitching!

Very little stitching done...

I've spent the last 2 weeks working on ByGone Stitches' "One Nation".  I stayed with it for 2 weeks because I've been extremely busy with work and Guiding activities, so had minimal stitching time.  I have made some progress, though:

This week will be spent on L&L's "In the Arms of an Angel".  I hope to get plenty stitching time this week, as DH is away until Tuesday evening, so tomorrow evening can be spent in my stitching chair!  Here is the Angel before I started stitching on her again tonight:

Happy Stitching!



Ruby Progress and Teaching Cross Stitch

I've managed to get quite a lot of Gorjuss Ruby stitched this week:

I'm quite happy with the amount I've managed to do, but it's time to change to another piece.  My husband drew out a piece of paper a short time ago, and this week's stitching will be on:

"One Nation" by ByGone Stitches

This is a large project, so I don't think the progress will be as noticeable...

On Friday, I helped to start a Cross Stitch session at school, as part of Golden Time.  I took some of my smaller pieces to show the children, and then they started designing and stitching a bookmark on binca, with a border and their initials or name on it.  They all enjoyed it, once they had started stitching:



I'm looking forward to next week's session!

Have a good week, and Happy Stitching!

UFO Stitching Challenge/Rotation organised

I've finally got a rotation set up again...I'm linking it to the 2012 UFO Stitching Challenge, where I am attempting to finish some UFOs, make good progress on others, and also start some new designs.  The pieces I'm going to work on, and information about how I'm going to run the rotation, are on my UFO Stitching Challenge page (click on the tab above).

The first piece selected to be worked on this week is Bothy Threads' Gorjuss Ruby:

and here is my progress up to now:

I am planning on updating my blog every Sunday with the progress I've made on that week's chosen piece...

Have a good week everyone, and Happy Stitching!

Nimble Thimble visit

Today was spent driving down to a cross stitch shop called Nimble Thimble, that is just over the Welsh border near Oswestry.  I had heard about this little gem from a friend at the Nuneaton Meet-Up, and decided to go down at the end of the Half Term break.

The shop owner, Chris, was very welcoming and helpful, showing me around the shop to start.  She also provided tea and coffee when we first arrived.  The shop reminded me of the store I visited in New Jersey, USA, but wasn't as big...  There were lots of stitched models around to look at and entice you, though!

I bought the following items:

 Twisted Threads: "If the Shoe Fits" and Bent Creek: "Spring Row"

 28ct Opalescent linen and 28ct pawprint linen

 Lizzie*Kate: "Cat Lessons for People" with frame

 Twisted Threads: "Standards for Men", Lizzie*Kate: "Breakfast in Bed" and Raise the Roof: "Official Crazy Cat Lady"

 Silver Creek Sampler: "Northwind" and Raise the Roof: "Which Side?"

Waxing Moon: "My Best Friend" and "Chocolate makes your Clothes Shrink"

We also went to visit my son, Steven, in Stoke on the way home.  He seems quite settled in his Year-long Work Placement from University now...

Yesterday, we booked our holiday for next year.  We have decided to go back to New York City, and take our youngest daughter, Sammy, with us.  She is 18 in a couple of weeks, so we had said that we will take her away with us next year.  We can't wait to go back to the States, even if it isn't until next August, and we're only going for 4 nights next time...

Happy Stitching!

Stitching Update

I promised to show pictures of my stitching from Nuneaton in my last post, and I've finally got around to doing it!

The main piece I stitched on was L&L's "In the Arms of an Angel", which I don't normally spend much time on:

I now only have the wings, some beading and metallics, and some of the 1-over-1 on the baby's head to do...

I also stitched on Ink Circles' "Celtic Ice" - a design I picked up in the US:

This is stitched on 28ct Windowpane linen, using Carrie's Creation threads.

This weekend has been a very rare weekend off for me - no Guiding activities, or work to do (due to the Half Term break this week), so I've been getting on with some stitching... But did I continue with either of the above designs..?  No...I started something new! 

This design has been screaming at me to start it, and so I started it on Friday evening, and finished it on Sunday afternoon!

It is a Forever in my Heart design - "Cross Stitch Maniac", and it is stitched on 18ct Davosa linen, 1-over-2, using Thread Gatherer Sheep's Silk threads.  The house at the bottom is straight - I hung the piece up to take the photo...

I also started a Bothy Threads 'Gorjuss' design - "Ruby" - which is stitched on Aida...

This is stitching up quite quickly, but I doubt I'll spend all week on her! 

I think I need to set up my rotation again... My stitching is quite erratic at the moment...I'm glad I've got the bug back again, but this is silly!

Happy Stitching!

Nuneaton Meet Up

I am currently in the middle of a very relaxing weekend (very unusual at the moment!).  I spent yesterday in Nuneaton with some fellow stitchers.  We met up to spend the day stitching and chatting, and then we went for a meal at a Carvery... I find the meet-up very helpful, since I do not have any stitching friends who live locally, as I can ask questions, see other people's stitching for real, and find out about good things to use and where to buy them!

After the meet, I spent the night in a hotel, where I stitched for a couple more hours, and had a lovely time on my own...  This morning, on my way home, I'm going to call in on my son, Steven, in Stoke and take him shopping for a computer chair... I've not seen him for a while, as he is currently on placement from Uni.

I also forgot to upload the pics from my exchange stitching in my last post.  I stitched 3 Christmas ornaments for a 'Christmas in July' exchange.  They are all Mill Hill designs:

I'll post stitching updates later - mobile broadband isn't great for uploading pics!

Happy Stitching!

Some finishes...and Life...

Well, yet again it has been a while since I posted on here...I have been very busy with my new Guiding role - District Commissioner, as well as looking into becoming a Trainer for Girl Guiding, and also my day job of teacher!

I have had two finishes recently:

'Rachel' nameplate, stitched with designs from Designer Stitches' Winnie the Pooh Alphabet book for a friend's newborn baby.

Ink Circles: 'Here Comes Treble'

I'm currently stitching another Ink Circles design, and will post a pic when it's finished...

Happy Stitching!



A Very Late Post...

Well, it's been a while since I posted on here...Life has a funny way of taking over!

We have been to New York - what a fantastic week we had!  We saw all the main sights, and walked a lot around the city.  We also had the experience of the earthquake and Hurricane Irene, so we got the whole deal!  We are already looking forward to going to the USA again...

Whilst in the USA, I met up with a fellow cross-stitcher that I met on Facebook.  We went to a Cross Stitch Shop in Clifton, New Jersey, where I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!  The shop is called 'Where Victoria's Angels Stitch', and it has almost every design you could wish for...Needless to say, I spent a small fortune in there, having nothing like that here in the UK!  Here are pictures of what I bought:

 Dragon Dreams Charts

 Ink Circles charts, Q-Snaps and Needle Minder

 Just Nan charts and charms

 Waxing Moon and My Big Toe charts

Caron Waterlilies, Crescent Colours, Weeks Dye Works, DMC and Kreinik threads

I have also been stitching my Lizzie*Kate 'Living with Charm' design:

Other pieces I've stitched are for exchanges and a Baby Nameplate - I'll post pictures of those once I know people have received them all...

Happy Stitching!

A Happy Dance and some framing

I've not had much stitching time recently, due to working 2 teaching jobs, but I finished 'Astrocats' today:

Capricorn Cat was the last one stitched on the piece...

I have also had two pieces framed recently:

'Chorus Line' by Valerie Pfieffer

'Faith' by My Big Toe Designs

It's half term at the moment, so I have a week off work.  However, Rachel is here with her boyfriend Nick for the week, and Steven is home until he gets a placement...I'm also off camping with the Guides on Friday for 2 nights, so I don't think I'll feel like I've had a break once I go back to work next week!

Happy Stitching!

Another Happy Dance!

I finished 'Chorus Line' by Valerie Pfeiffer yesterday:

I'm really happy with the way my ex-UFOs are getting finished!  I've also nearly finished my Astrocats - just been waiting for more thread through the post...and it arrived today...

As is always the case, I have been shopping for more cross stitch stash (as if I haven't got enough!):

 Bothy Threads: Gorjuss 'Ruby'

 HAED: Selena Fenech 'L'

 HAED: Jasmine Beckett-Griffith 'Storykeep Butterflies Galore'

 HAED: Jasmine Beckett-Griffith 'TT Purple Dragon'

 Forever in my Heart: 'Cross Stitch Maniac'

I shall no doubt be making a start on at least one of these over the coming weeks!

I started my new part-time job last week, and I'm still trying to find my way around.  It's weird working in another school, with new colleagues...but I'm sure it will become quite natural soon!

I'm also soooo excited!  We've finally finished paying for our holiday in New York in the summer, and I've booked a cruise around the island, and sightseeing at the Top of the Rock!  I can't wait to go...even if it is still 3 months until then...We are also hoping to book tickets to see a show whilst there - probably 'Chicago'.

Happy Stitching!