Not A Lot......

to show for the last couple of days really. I started the Ozark motif, as planned, on Monday night but struggled to get a flow going so it didn't get finished. Maybe tonight????

Tuesday night was UFO Night again, so For Amanda came out to play. Boy, is it nerve wracking going back to cut a piece that you've already had one monumental cock up on! Took me a bit to get up the courage to do it, then it went ultra slowly - almost ended up oxygen starved due to holding my breath each time....... not that my brain notices the difference these days. LMAO The bar wrapping went much easier and this is how the heart looks now:

I didn't do any infilling stitches in the end - I decided I would wait until after all the beading is completed, see what it looks like and how many beads are left and take it from there. No beadwork attempted last night as I was too tired to concentrate - I opted for an early night instead. Hopefully the Tacky Bob will get an outing next week....... it's been a while since I've done any beading, so it will make a nice change.

I've stalled on the finishing of one of the ornies today. Well, actually, that barely got started - I cut out a couple of rectangles of card then decided I wasn't in the right mood for it and put it all away again. I seem to have lost my motivation somewhere along the way this week. As my Mum used to say: I need putting in a bag and shaking up. :0)

Something I did manage to do today was putting up the new bird feeder in the garden. There's nothing hanging off the hooks yet (need to go shopping for something suitable) but there are four fat balls in the lantern bit at the top and some water in the dish. It hasn't taken long for three of this years starling broods to discover those fat balls and start squabbling over them but, surprisingly, the ram-raiding sparrows have been much more cautious, preferring to suss things out from the top of the back fence while someone else makes the first move. Going by what I've seen before though, it won't take them long to start diving in there. LOL

DS has had two reasonably good dress rehearsals this week and is feeling a bit happier about the performances to come. Good job, as they start from tonight. He's working during the day and performing in the evening so he's going to be living on adrenalin for most of the time. Fingers crossed all goes OK.

DH announced last night that he has to go off to Italy again next week for a few days and possibly for a few days the following week as well. Good job we didn't book the week in Thwaite, as we had planned to do, or it would have had to be cancelled. Am hoping we can still manage to go off for a long weekend together somewhere before the end of November - perhaps to Hope or Castleton in Derbyshire instead, as it's not that far to travel. It's worth travelling further for a week but not a weekend at this end of the year, what with the weather and the darker nights.

Thanks to Angela the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time will be off on the start of its Book Crossing travels soon. (Angela: it's all packaged up ready to go, am just waiting for when DH can pop it to the PO for me). Can't wait to see where this one ends up. :0)

Sally: the LNS is called The Sewing Shop (I think) and is towards the top end of Ashby High Street. Can't say I've spotted any cross stitch items lately but it's got a reasonable amount of finishing items - well packed for such a small place. :0)

Time for me to be off if I'm going to have chance to do some blog reading and get some stitching done tonight.

Thank you to all who visit and for all the lovely comments. Big wave to any newbies - please say Hi....... I don't bite. :0)

Tiring But Fun

Definitely the best way to describe this weekend. Thought I would first give you a look-see at the stash I bought from my LNS on Saturday:

Sunday and DS shot off bright and early to help out with the Get In at the theatre and we didn't see him again until gone 10pm. We started out with going to Silica Lodge Garden Centre for our dinner - had a little look round after but nothing caught our eyes. Next we went to the Stephen H Smith's Garden Centre, so I could go raid the rather good craft shop there. No pumpkin orange cording in sight but I did find some other goodies that were on my shopping list (the Whisper templates)...... and some I decided needed to be on it when I saw them. ;0) Here's that haul:


Aren't those Halloween tags so cute? LOL We also managed to come away with another bird feeding station for the garden which I want to set up with special seeds to attract robins, tits and finches to come and visit.

Next up was a trip to The Range - frustratingly enough, still no pumpkin orange cording but I did console myself with a reel of thin orange piping and a couple of other must-haves and also found a nice replacement shower curtain for the bathroom. See, it wasn't all craft stuff. LOL It's thirsty work, all this looking round and shopping, so we stopped off for a drink in the cafe and I succumbed to one of their choc chip cookies with white choc chips in it. Now the mix of choc chip cookie and mango and passionfruit drink doesn't quite work but I decided to be brave and go ahead and deal with it anyway. LMAO.

Next was a trip to Poundstretcher, just across the road. What is it with that place that has you filling your trolley? We went in to get a couple of tubs of wild bird fat balls (our ram-raiding sparrows love them, getting through loads and Poundstretchers have the cheapest price) and we also came out with a new steam iron (that was on the list, so that wasn't so bad) BUT we also came out with a Halloween bucket and sweeties (ready for the Trick or Treaters), a new yard brush and pan and some other household bits plus a laminator. Now that laminator definitely wasn't on the list and, although we'd said in the past that it would be a useful thing to have at some point, it wasn't a priority........ but at £9.99 it was just way too good to ignore...... and I have just the spot for it, once DH has moved the old printer out of the way. Think it'll be a while before we go in there again though. LOL

Home, and while DH sorted the chicken and put it in the oven I put the shopping away, then he went out and mowed the lawn while I prepared the veggies. A Farmers Market corn fed roast chicken and all the trimmings for tea - DS nuked and ate his when he finally got in. It wasn't all work and no play though, as I managed to get the second Halloween ornie completed later on:

Stitched 2 over 2 in DMC threads

Polstitches 28ct Hot Potatoes evenweave fabric.

I also finished reading the book: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (see The Reading Corner Blog for more info). This is another one I shall register with the Book Crossing web site but am thinking of doing a controlled release this time. Does anyone fancy reading this? I'm happy to post it out to someone, so long as the recipient is willing to go to Book Crossing and journal on it, then pass it on - I really would love to see at least one of my registered books begin travelling soon!

Despite planning to do some no other stitching got done over the weekend - we were either out or I was in but too tired and not fancying a frog visit. The intention is to make up for that lack this week: today it's my regular jobs session before Alex's visit but tonight I want to get the final Ozark SAL motif done.

Well, it's time I gave the Dyson a trip out of the cupboard so best be off.

Many thanks for all the lovely comments and for visiting - you make my day. :0)

Ta Daaa.......

Yes, it's Reveal Day for the JA/S&S Monthly Challenge. This month's design was a freebie called Noel by Windy Willows and this is how I chose to make it up:

Stitched 1 over 1.
Fabric: unknown oddment of 28ct evenweave.

Thread: Carrie's Creation Plymouth Red.

For the back I used some fabric I bought from my LNS:

I used a gold edged burgundy organza ribbon for a ruched edge finish - another technique that was a first for me but which I'll certainly be using again some time, as I'm very pleased with how this turned out. There weren't as many finishes in the group album as I was expecting but those that were in there were lovely and there were some more finishing ideas to pinch. :0)

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month Karen has posted lots of links to freebies (and useful links) with this in mind, so the Challenge is an open one: we can choose, stitch and finish any one (or more) of the pink ribbon designs we want to - I've already chosen the one I want to stitch. I am hoping lots more of the S&S Forum members decide to join in with this one as I think it's a brilliant idea. My piece will be stitched with my SIL Helen and Aunty Doreen in mind........ unfortunately they were not survivors.

Last nights plans to tackle the second motif on the Ozark SAL didn't happen........ I got waylaid by the Online Needlework Show, spending quite some time browsing through all the booths. A pleasant way to spend an hour or so but I was a bit disappointed by the time I'd done, as I didn't really see anything that grabbed me enough to want to go and find a seller. :0( By the time I'd finished the browsing it was getting a bit late to start the motif so I did a bit more on the Halloween ornie instead. This one seems to be taking forever to stitch, for some reason, despite it not being that much bigger than the Fall piece I did - must be the colour changes slowing me down. LOL

Today was a pleasant day. The weather was nice, for a start, and I got a trip out of the house - unlike last weekend, when DH had to work.

DS was up and out and off to Brigg Farmers Market to stock us up on lots of tasty goodies. This week, as well as the usual items, he came home with some diabetic banana and walnut cake for DH to try (better for him than the other cake and scones he sneaks when he shouldn't) and some eel steaks to try. I'm happy to try the cake but not quite so sure about the eel, though I'm usually game to try most things at least once..... so long as they're legal. LOL At least it's not jellied eels - now those I definitely do draw the line at. Anything that looks like it's covered in snot does not appeal at all, thank you very much. Blech!

My trip out, with DH, was a walk down our local High Street. First stop was Il Sorriso for dinner: we had their home made beef and vegetable stew, which comes with a thick slice of bread and butter, and we also had a warm drink. As I'd finished reading my last book and had registered it on the Book Crossing site (see The Reading Corner Blog in the side bar for more details) I took it with me, to release it into the wild there. Got my fingers crossed that this one gets picked up quickly and starts travelling far and wide, as the previous book (Labyrinth by Kate Mosse) seems to be staying put in Chapel Stile. Maybe I should try some controlled releases with my next books, as that way I know they'll be read and passed on.

After dinner we popped into my LNS. I was after some finishing bits for the Halloween ornies - no pumpkin coloured cording in site but I still came away with some goodies that will be useful for other finishing jobs. Well, tell me: who on earth, in their right minds, can walk out of a LNS with empty hands? LMAO Next stop was the Help The Aged charity shop for a look-see at the book selection and I didn't come out of there empty-handed either:

I love Dave Eddings fantasy books and am gradually working towards collecting all of them. The middle book with the odd title I bought out of curiosity: I want to know what made it an award winner and if I would class it as a good read. The Candace Robb book is a medieval murder mystery and I usually enjoy the history/thriller mix. I've got quite a few non-fiction books waiting to be read, like those I bought earlier in the month, but do like to mix a good fiction read in there as well, otherwise it gets a bit heavy going, and these will do quite nicely.

We also called in at a couple of other shops for some bits and pieces and the chemists for DH's new meds (Elisa: they're the same tablets as yours but DH has to take these on top of the gliclazide he's already taking, as they weren't keeping his blood sugar levels down enough. Hopefully the combination will do the trick). After that we stopped off at the Malt Shovel for a cold drink (pint for him, J2O for me) and a rest before tackling the walk home - all that shopping and the warm weather was very drying. :0) DH was happy to sit and watch the Grand Prix qualifying when we got back - he'd taped it - while I was happy to settle in front of the computer.
No stitching again tonight as I've been blogging and blog reading/commenting, having a natter with my DSis, catching up with forums and generally pottering around - hope to make up for the lack tomorrow, after we've been iron shopping (Karen: nope, irons definitely don't bounce. Wonder if the Dyson bloke fancies a new challenge? LOL).

Many thanks for the kind comments about Sea Stars. Thank you for visiting. :0)

Are You Bored Yet?

With all these Sea Stars updates? If not, then you probably will be by the time this SAL is finished. LOL Here's my Week 5 progress:


Yes, I've reached the octopus. Yay! The motif in Denim was completed (quite a nice one to stitch) a second fish has joined its mate and a start made on the octopus, which is in Carrie's Pacific Blue, and the ship's wheel, in Rosewood. The stitching went a bit better this week: I decided the needle was getting a bit old, so swapped it for a new Jonathan James size 26 petite and the thread seemed to twist and knot much less than before. Perhaps I don't twist the smaller needle so much?

As for my other pieces:

• I did a little more stitching on the second Halloween ornie yesterday afternoon but there's still more to be done. I shan't bother posting a pic until it's completed though.
• There's been an answer to the Ozark query, so I can go ahead and stitch the second motif now - probably tonight's project. Will post a pic when it's done.
• The next part of the Good Friends Count SAL has been received, so that'll be one for this weekend.
• I haven't done the finishing on the first Halloween ornie yet but hope to get to it some time over the weekend. I may go shopping for some ribbons and bits for it tomorrow.

As for other things: rehearsals for Henry V have been coming thick and fast for DS. He's also had a final costume fitting and photo call for the programme this week. It's Get In at the theatre this weekend, Technical run through Monday night, a full Dress Rehearsal on Tuesday and the performances start Wednesday night through to Saturday night, then Get Out on Sunday. It's going to be a hectic week - just call this place The Mad House. LOL

DH had the results back from his second set of diabetic blood tests today: his blood sugar levels have lowered but still not enough, so he's been put on a second lot of tablets to take. We didn't quite expect that. Hopefully the extra meds will sort his levels out and he will be back on an even keel again soon. I'll have to make sure he's not sneaking any more cake or scones into his diet for a while!

We haven't got any set plans for this weekend, as such - to be honest, I was half expecting him to have to work again, so deliberately didn't make any plans - apart from needing to get some gardening jobs done (weather permitting) and to go shopping for a new iron. We've only had this one around two years and the flippin' cable is fraying badly. At the risk of sounding like an old fogey: they really don't make things like they used to! Oh, and we'll probably be popping to the local sewing shop, or The Range, for finishing bits for the ornies. Whatever we do it will have to adjust to fit round the Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday or he'll not be happy! I don't mind - I can get some stitching or finishing done while he's watching them. :0)

Many thanks for the kind comments regarding the For Amanda piece. I've got my head round it now and hope to tackle the rest of the cutting and stitching next week. The Copper Beech design - which I started ages ago - from Alchemy Stitchcraft has some nice infills on it (which is what gave me the idea) so I shall use one of those on FA. Hope you don't mind Christine. :0)

Well, the Ozark piece is calling me, so I am off to see if I can get it started and finished tonight.

Many thanks to all for visiting - have a great weekend, whatever you do. :0)

Another Tuesday - Yet Another UFO

This week I decided my eyes probably couldn't cope with another session of 1 over 1 stitching so opted for a different UFO and it was the Heirloom Embroideries piece For Amanda that guilt tripped me the most. Just in case you can't remember what it looked like, here's a pic of where I last left it:


Now I thoroughly enjoyed stitching this piece but I stalled when it came to the central heart motif, as it involved some woven and pulled thread work and was totally outside my comfort zone. Last night was zero hour: time to tackle it and put the phobia to bed. The kloster blocks stitched up, no problem, and I started on the cutting......... three sections taken out OK and then my DSis phoned, so I broke off to go for a natter. About half an hour to 45 minutes later I came back, settled down, glanced at the chart and cut out another four threads............ then had that sickening "OMG, what have I done?" moment when realisation hit:

1. I'd cut out the wrong four threads;


2. It was going to be impossible to repair;


3. I can't do the woven/pulled threadwork infill in the heart now.

I put it to one side and told DH what I'd done, then swallowed hard so I wouldn't either start crying or start throwing things. Yes, it's only a piece of needlework but I'm stitching this as a joint memorial piece to my Mum and Dad, so it's got special meaning to it - making such a huge cock up on it hurt and I felt physically sick.

After I'd calmed down I picked it up again and realised that, actually, I can make the mistake work for me: I can forget about the woven and pulled thread work, as per the chart, (which I wasn't confident about anyway) and finish the centre area as a proper hardanger piece with woven bars and a beaded filling stitch. I've already altered the letter M in this piece, to make it a little less heavy than the charted one, so now I'm altering the heart - maybe it's not as Carol, the designer, envisaged it but I guess it will have my personalisation on it. Hope she won't mind.

The mistake was taking out those horizontal threads - I should only have been taking out vertical threads, so the gaps shouldn't be there. A very hard lesson learnt this time round. :0(

This morning the remaining piece of fabric from my last Sew and So order arrived: a fat quarter of 28ct Brittney in Antique White, so that's been added to the rest in my stash. Good service again: received an email yesterday to say the fabric was back in stock and my piece had been despatched and it arrived today, postage free. :0)

I picked out the threads for the next Halloween piece this afternoon and will probably use some Pol's Hot Potatoes fabric again, so that's my stitching for tonight sorted. It's the final part of Lost In Austen too, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that unfolds - there have been some unexpected twists and very funny moments but the best bit had to be this Mr Darcy dunking himself in the ornamental pond at Amanda Price's request. Christine: Colin Firth he isn't but Phwoar! He would certainly give CF a run for the money in a wet cotton shirt competition! LMAO. Poor Jane Austen - she must be turning in her grave! LOL Oooo it sounds like it's about to start so I'm off.......

Many thanks for the kind comments, they're much appreciated. Hope you're all having a lovely stitchy day, free of pesky frogs and mistakes. :0)

Autumn Equinox and Fall

Last night was the Autumn Equinox, or Mabon, celebrations when day and night are of equal length. In keeping with the time of year the weather here has now turned decidedly autumnal, with leaves dropping, nights drawing in and a definite cold nip in the air. Here's a wonderful display of harvest produce, snagged from Wikipedia, that sums up the feeling of this season and celebration:


Celebrating in my own way, I decided to have a new stitching start last night and settled on a suitably apt piece called Fall which is a freebie design from Homespun Elegance. It's such a quick and easy piece I finished up the stitching this afternoon whilst watching Dawn Bibby on QVC (didn't buy anything, in case you were wondering LOL). Here's a pic:

I used Polstitches 28ct evenweave Hot Potatoes fabric and Carrie's Creations Pumpkin Spice, Raven and Pina Colada, Ozark Emerald and a scrap of DMC 966 for the cats' eye. I left off the Fall wording, as this is intended as a Samhain or Halloween decoration (plus I didn't like it). I haven't decided what to use to finish it yet but I know I want to hang it from a handle on one of the four doors leading off from the downstairs hallway. The intention is to have ornaments of some description hanging on each of the doors, so that's one down and three more to go. The second ornie has already been chosen, I've just got to gather the threads and choose a fabric for it. :0)

So, what else have I been up to whilst absent from Blogland? Well, I completed the finishing on the JA/S&S Monthly Challenge piece, as planned, and a pic has been taken and sent off to Karen for the album. I tackled another new to me technique in this finish and was very pleased with the outcome (even if I do say so myself)........... but you'll have to wait until Reveal Day to see what it was. ;0)

I also made a start on the next part of the Ozark Mystery SAL piece, completing one motif...... but stalled when I noticed the other motif was positioned a stitch out on the chart. I don't know if this was meant or if it is an error and have queried it. There's no way I am going risk guessing wrong then end up with yet another frog visit so, meantime, while I wait for an answer, this piece has been put on hold - so that's why there's no update pic just yet.

DH only worked half a day on Sunday. He thought we would go to Epworth for dinner at The Lemon Tree, then go to the Festival of the Plough event after - as it was already around 1pm, meaning we'd only end up with a couple of hours at the event by the time we'd eaten (hardly worth the entrance fee) and I could see that he was shattered I knew he was being a tad unrealistic, so suggested we had lunch at home and pottered about here instead. After an initial strop (boy, don't they get moody when you don't fall in immediately with their plans? LOL) he soon realised staying home was a more sensible option. After lunch and a chill out he felt better and fitted the new ceiling light in the living room and what a difference that has made. Unfortunately when he turned off the power to do the light we soon realised that the back-up battery for the burglar alarm is dead, so we need to get a new one - otherwise next time there's a power cut the darned alarm is going to keep going off and pee off the neighbours big time. By late evening DH said he was glad we'd stayed in, instead of rushing off out.......... I guess that was his way of apologising. ;0)

Monday was jobs galore - got such a flying start on those that I gained a bit of extra computer time and had an enjoyable browse of the Freebies Gallery site, looking for Halloween/finishing inspiration and trawling for suitable charts. Thoroughly enjoyed that and found what I was looking for, then had a good natter with Alex when she arrived. She and my DS had been to a Mind, Body and Spirit event at Harrogate on Sunday, so that was one of several topics of conversation we got through. After she left I kitted up the Fall freebie and..... well, you know the rest.

Today being Tuesday makes it UFO Night tonight. No idea what I'm going to stitch yet............. may end up tossing a coin at this rate. Drop by tomorrow to see which piece guilt tripped me the most and won out. LOL

Thanks again for taking the time to visit. I hope you all had a good weekend and an even better start to the week. :0)

Santa and Friends

No, not Santa and his friends, just in case you think I'm going dotty and having Yule/Christmas mega-early this year - that's Santa and the Friends SAL. :0)

As promised, here's a pic of the fully assembled plastic canvas Santa ornie:


That's another Yule ornament made, though he's a bit too big to go on the tree. He looked quite at home in the spot where I took the pic so he'll probably end up there when it's time to trim the house.

Boy, did I have a nice surprise last night! While DH was getting ready to go out to see his friend I grabbed the remote and channel flicked, prior to settling down with my stitching for the evening, and found: a programme about Brian Ferry and Roxy Music, followed by a televised gig from the 80's over on BBC4. WOW! Was I in Seventh Heaven or what - hardly noticed DH say goodbye on his way out! Had a fab couple of hours with great music, a nice bit of eye candy and a really lovely piece of stitching to do. Luckily the eye candy didn't have me drooling all over my stitching and, despite the big distraction, the frogs stayed well away. LOL Here's a pic of the finished Part 3:

Taken in artificial light again but it's not a bad pic for colour (on my screen anyway). This really is a nice piece to stitch, not just because I like the colours, but because if flows so well, IYKWIM. Looking forward to the next part coming out next week. :0)

DH was up and out to work first thing and has just come home for dinner at almost 2pm. He's off back at around 3.30pm but, as he's feeling fairly tired, we'll not be going anywhere or doing any jobs so he can have a bit of a rest. Am hoping he may decide to go back to work via Screwfix, so he can get the new light for the living room - at least it will then be to hand, ready to go up when he's got the time and does feel up to tackling a job. Thankfully Mr Italian is in a much happier frame of mind because steel is being cast and he can get on with the job he needs to do - dummy is now back in the pram!

DS was up and out fairly early too: he's doing jobs at the LTC Guild Room - something to do with speakers and cables and the like. I guess he'll be back when he's either hungry or needs to get ready to go out. LOL

Meantime I've been playing on the computer, catching up with forums etc, and gathering a couple of bits together to tackle the finishing on the Challenge piece - with immaculate timing DS emptied a box of tissues this morning, so I grabbed the back off that, ready to roll. I know what I want to achieve.......... let's just hope I can get it to actually look like the image in my head. :0)

Stitching plans for today are to get on with the next part of the Ozark SAL and, if that doesn't take too long, perhaps make a start on a Halloween ornie. Glad to say that the Ozark part isn't a choice between six bands this week - just two motifs to stitch and the only choice being which thread to use for which motif. Think I'll toss a coin. LOL

Hazel: would love to know which HAED piece it is that's got that many pages! Will be so impressed if you do ever stitch it. :0)

Thank you to one and all for taking the time to visit - hope you're all having a good weekend. :0)

Here We Are Again.....

Yet another day has been and gone and what did I do with it? Well, apart from the house jobs, things finally came together and I managed to make that birthday card for FIL. Here's the outcome:

Unfortunately I still haven't quite tamed the new scanner, so it's chopped off the top and bottom chalked edges of the card and I was feeling too idle to go back and do it again. This will be off in the post to FIL last thing tonight, so it gets there in plenty of time.

I also did the gluing on the plastic canvas Santa ornie but I'm going to be a bit of a tease and leave the pic until another time. Got to leave myself something else to blog about this weekend as I will have to keep myself busy - DH has told me he's got to work most of it, thanks to one of the Italians having a major league spat today. Thank you Mr Italian for ruining our weekend plans........ hope that's made you feel much better now. :0(

Last nights Sea Stars SAL was frog plagued once again resulting in a frogging and re-stitching of all of the right hand side of the larger motif I've just started (one flippin' stitch out again, despite counting several times!). So wish those pesky little blighters would hurry up and go into hibernation for the winter! LOL Managed to do a reasonable amount, despite that, so here we are again with another update:

I completed the second small motif from last week then stitched the little fish in Carrie's Wildfire (still making my mind up about this - wanted a wild card for the fish but not sure if it's too wild), the small motif below that in Tropical Water and the part stitched larger motif is in Denim. The pic has come out a bit dark due to having to take it tonight in artificial light. I was going to take it in the lovely sunshine we had today but I missed most of it, thanks to having to take pain killers and go back to bed. Thankfully the pain killers and extra sleep did the business and I feel a bit more normal now........ well, as normal as I can pass for these days. LMAO

It's been a two pinkies end to this week. Yesterday's arrival contained the next part of the Ozark Mystery SAL and today's was this month's COM fabric from Jayne's own dye pots - a lovely colour called Aster. I can see this one with a sweet fairy ballerina stitched on it for my niece Erin - just need to find the ideal chart now. Then the third part of the Good Friends Count SAL was in my inbox first thing this morning, so that's been printed out all ready to go. Great timing: between the Ozark SAL, the GFC SAL and with the finishing for the JA/S&S Monthly Challenge piece still to do there's certainly plenty to keep me busy while DH is working.

Thank you for all the kind comments on Mother Earth - they are very much appreciated and they certainly help to keep me motivated. Definitely needed on such a looooong term project! LOL Do you realise that I also have at least another five large HAED charts waiting in my stash? *Groan* what was I thinking? ;0)

DS has disappeared out to a rehearsal and DH is off to see a friend at 9pm, so the TV remote will be all mine from then - hope there's something on worth watching! I'm off to go choose something to stitch. :0)

Thank you for visiting. I wish you all a happy and fun-filled weekend. :0)

Another Week - Another Update

It's that time of the week again (aren't these weeks disappearing fast?!) for another UFO Tuesday update. I had the intention of tackling a different UFO this week but Mother Earth was calling loudly for me to give Her a face. I stitched on Her both Tuesday and Wednesday night - one night's progress just doesn't look much on a HAED piece. So here She is:

The colours on Her face look a bit odd when working close up but it all seems to look OK when viewed at a distance. Maybe next week I'll get to one of those other UFO's! LOL

I've also been in stash heaven this week. My order from Sew & So arrived very quickly: ordered the goodies Monday evening, received confirmation of despatch email Tuesday tea time and it arrived Wednesday - just shy of 4pm. Honestly, RM get worse! DS is spitting pips now, as goods he ordered (within the UK) on Wednesday last week still haven't arrived. Great service from Sew & So once again though. :0) Oh, so you want to know what I got? LOL This nice little addition to my stash:


Whilst I have quite a few nice hand dyed fabrics in my stash now - courtesy of Jayne's Fabric Collectors Club - it was rather woefully short of neutral coloured fabrics. So I bought some fat quarters of 28ct Brittney evenweave in Ivory, Mushroom, Bone and Cream (with Antique White to come when it's back in stock) and 32ct Murano evenweave in Ivory and Antique White. My fabric stash is looking a little more "rounded out" now. I finally remembered to get some self-adhesive backed felt for finishing off the back of ornies that are stitched on plastic canvas or perforated paper, to avoid using wet glue - a nice Christmas green which is actually called Holly. While I was there the Just Nan needlebook fob chart just happened to hop into my basket - now how could I be so cruel as to put it back when it so obviously wanted to come and live here with me? LMAO

The Holly felt has been put to good use already, as I backed the plastic canvas Santa ornie early last night (the one I started stitching on holiday last month and completed after getting home). It's a lot quicker than gluing but it does have a tendency to gunge up the scissors....... though I'm quite happy to put up with that for the sake of speedier finishing. :0) I shall get the cold melt glue gun out later and christen it (bought it on holiday and not had chance to try it out yet) by gluing the plastic canvas pieces to the metal wording frame - if that's successful that'll be a pic to share another day. :0)

I also have a birthday card to make for FIL. I had a go at making one yesterday but stalled: I know the theme (snooker) and have a basic idea of what I want to achieve but things just weren't coming together. Am hoping a nights sleep and coming to it a bit fresher today will help the ideas start flowing. Weeeeell......... that's the theory, anyway. LOL

Tonight is Sea Stars turn again, so that's tonights stitching plans sorted. By the time I've got the rest of my jobs done today I'll probably be ready for a sit down this afternoon: wonder if I can fit another stitchy project in then? Best get on so I can have the chance to find out, hadn't I?

Whatever your plans are I hope you're all having a good day. Thank you for taking the time to visit. :0)

A Little Something About The Weekend.

We were out in the garden on Saturday, thanks to one of those lovely late summer/early autumn days of sunshine - not been much of that sunshine around this year, so we made the most of it to get some outside jobs done and also sit and enjoy it all. There were lots of birds and butterflies fluttering around though we didn't see the dragonflies this time. Thought I would share some pics and let you see what certain bits look like now. Here's the door to the Secret Garden again:




Helen: we didn't cut it back after the last pic to show you what happens when the ivy is allowed to do it's own thing. We won't be able to get in there soon, so it's going to have to have a trim. :0)

The triffids have decided they are on a mission to take over the bottom end of the garden - before going on to take over the world! LOL They've had a second flowering:



Think the Green Man has just about disappeared now. This is a view of the large daisy type flowers DH's Dad gave us quite a few years ago:

They flower every August and also seem to want to take over the garden. The little pile of dead wood at the front there is for the frogs to hide under, although I'm not sure if they actually use it. The butterflies and bees love those purple flowers on the bush next to the daisies - it's another one that has to be thrashed back hard every year or it takes over and also decides it wants to be a tree rather than a bush.

Saturday evening I finally got round to starting the Jayne's Attic Good Friends Count SAL. Parts 1 and 2 were waiting to be done, so I stitched them whilst watching the first LOTR film on TV. Here's what it looks like so far:

It's on 28ct Chocolate Crush, hand dyed by Jayne, and the threads are: Dinky Dyes silk Ironbark and Finca Perle #8 shade 4000. The piece is one of Jayne's own designs, the second she has released via her Stitch & Stashers Forum, and is just as much of a pleasure to stitch as the Memories piece was. Am looking forward to Part 3 coming out. :0)

On Sunday we had a trip over to my DSis's. We had a meal at hers and DH watched the Grand Prix. Later he took down the old light in the front bedroom and put up the new one for her. He's quite taken with the lights she's bought and has suggested we get one for our living room, as the current bulb and shade makes the room look quite dingy. Not one to stop him willingly spending money on home improvements I've told him to go for it. ;0) Her re-decorated front bedroom looks lovely so far - the wallpaper looks and feels like she has a fabric on the walls. I had hoped that would also have DH wanting to dip his hands in his pocket for wallpaper for our bedroom but he wasn't feeling that enthusiastic. LMAO.

Oh, and here's a pic of something that arrived last week and I forgot to share - the Halloween issue of the JCS magazine:

Of those on the front, the top two and left middle one are definite must-stitches and the right middle one is a maybe and inside are a few more must stitches too. I do love this end of the year and it's celebrations. :0)

Well I've got all my jobs done and Alex is due any minute so I'd better go and put the kettle on.

Thank you to one and all for taking the time to visit. Hope you've all had a good weekend and an easy start to the week. :0)

Sea Stars and Other Things

A rather belated showing of this weeks Thursday Night SAL progress on Sea Stars - still, better late than never I guess!

The top small motif is stitched in Carrie's Country Blue and the lower in Solitude. If it hadn't been for an attack of the dreaded frog on the top motif, where I had to re-do the top half of it due to being a stitch out, the second motif would have been finished. I think it must have been the night for it, as Rosanne also had to frog some of her piece. Barb is on her holiday, so didn't stitch - I wonder if the frogs conspired together to make sure we didn't go racing too far ahead of her. :0)

DH had the day off on Friday. After breakfast he set to and put fresh silicone sealant all round the bathroom sink, tap and back of the vanity unit so hopefully making it all watertight again. It's ready for a wipe down and the stuff going back in there once he's cleared the clutter away. We then popped to Screwfix to pick up the new light and bulb for DSis's front bedroom, as she's finished all the painting and wallpapering now, then set off to Epworth to have dinner at The Lemon Tree Tea Room. It was a bit of a trip down memory lane, as Mum and Dad used to love meeting up with us there on a Sunday for a meal, a natter and a look round at everything. After that we called in at a shop to buy some flowers then set off for Rosehill. Once again the pathway that Mum's plaque is on was looking neglected, so we did a tidy up before putting some flowers in the little pot and putting her tag there. We then put some flowers in the pot at the monument where Mum and Dad's name plaque is, then put a rose near where Mum's ashes are and a little spray of carnations near Dad's ashes. It was drizzling with rain but still looked lovely and felt peaceful. We saw the big buck rabbit in the undergrowth again and a squirrel skittered down a tree, then scurried away when he saw us. For the first time ever a large dragonfly appeared and did a dancing flight around the area in front of where I was stood in the scattering area, twice flying towards me and then away - it was one of those special moments that has you glued to the spot with wonder. :0) When I glanced away and looked back it had gone. DH didn't see it at all.

By this time the drizzle was a bit more substantial, so we said our goodbyes and left, driving to The Outlet to see my DSis - she had to work, so couldn't go with us to Rosehill this time. We called in for a coffee and warm through/dry out and she was glad of the distraction - it wasn't very busy for a Friday and they were looking for things to do. Afterwards we did a little shopping. First stop was the book shop and there are always lots of interesting books in there at reduced prices so I got me a nice haul:

Thought it was about time I read about my own country's myths and legends and not just those from Ancient Greece and Egypt - the book is the size of a large doorstop, so it'll keep me quiet for a while. LOL The Ceremonies book doesn't just include Pagan celebrations but also includes information on those from other religions that are celebrated throughout the Wheel of the Year - it will be interesting to compare the differences/similarities between them. :0)

The Dream book is a more comprehensive one than the book I already have, as it covers the spiritual, as well as the emotional and every day, interpretation of dream symbology. I got the Rune book out of interest: I'm interested in and drawn to Runes but don't have a set (at the moment), although I do have three Tarot decks and a beautiful set of Angel cards. Thought I would read up about them first. I also bought two books about Churchill for DH, making six books in all, and the total was still just under £20 - that's what I call a bargain! After stash buying books are my next weakness/indulgence. ;0)

I looked round Whittard's but I couldn't decide on which coffee to buy, so didn't bother. Next was Julian Graves for some Tyrrel's Veg crisps and some herbal capsules. Then on to Camille's for some new underwear and nighties. That completed the haul so we popped to say goodbye to my DSis before heading home.

The day didn't end there though: we stopped off at one of the local pub restaurants on the outskirts of our town for a meal. I think DH decided I needed a bit more cheering up. :0) I must say the chicken and bacon salad I had was rather nice - though it would have been far tastier if they'd remembered to add the French Dressing it was supposed to have. Never mind: a sachet or two of mayonnaise remedied that. LOL

All in all it was a "funny" old day - bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride in some ways but it certainly ended on a positive note. I know Mum (and Dad) would have approved - they used to enjoy shopping trips and meals out. :0)

Many thanks for the kind comments, they're greatly appreciated. Hope you are all having a very good weekend. :0)

Cardmaking and Mother Earth

Many thanks for all the recent well wishes - after another nights' sleep I was more or less OK and the cold feelings and cold sore had virtually disappeared. Yay! I just haven't been around much this week as things got a bit busy here.

Sunday DH and I went out to Brigg Garden Centre for dinner. We had a look round at the trees etc afterwards....... we didn't come away with a tree or any plants but I did get a few other goodies: a pack of 50 pastel coloured pearlescent cards plus various embellishments and a couple of papers from the reduced box. I love a bargain! As it was a nice day and we hadn't been there for a while we had a trip out to Humberside Airport so DH could do a little plane spotting. I had pre-planned (I'm not daft!): I took my book and the JA/S&S September Challenge piece with me. DH enjoyed watching the planes and helicopters, plus catching a few rays, while I got a reasonable amount of guilt-free stitching done. I carried on with it after tea that night too.

Monday was my usual busy day doing jobs before Alex's visit for a coffee and a natter. After tea I managed to complete the Challenge piece stitching. Result! I was annoyed with myself for not stitching last months piece through letting time get away from me (especially as I voted for it), so was determined not to let the same happen this time round. I have an idea for finishing this but haven't had chance to make a start yet. Sorry - no pics until after Reveal Day. ;0)

Tuesday wasn't a good day: had a niggling in my back and head as soon as I got up but had hoped it would wear off. After dinner it soon became obvious that my head was feeling a whole lot worse and, although it wasn't full on flashing lights, there was some visual disturbance there: a migraine, the first one in quite a while. After taking some tablets and texting DH and DS to let them know not to phone or knock at the door and please be quiet when they came home I went back to bed. DS must have taken it to heart: I vaguely heard him let himself in but never heard him get ready or go out again. I woke up just before 6pm feeling much better and even managed some UFO Night stitching after tea - not happy with the amount of progress made I didn't post a pic as I'd decided to stitch more on Wednesday.

Wednesday I felt bright as a button and got up as DH left for work and got on with laundry, other house jobs and even had an hour in the garden, trimming all the dead stuff. By the afternoon, happy with the satisfaction of being a virtuous housewife (it doesn't happen often so I like to make the most of it LOL), I felt I'd earned a craft break :0)

First off was some card making. DS attended an evening wedding "do" on Saturday and I ended up having to do a rush job on a card for him - so rushed I didn't have time to take a pic or scan it for my album. I don't fancy another rush like that so made another so there's one in hand for next time:

Friday would have been my Mum's birthday so I made a tag to put beside her name plaque at Rosehill along with some flowers:

Next up was a birthday card for my Uncle (Mum's brother). He's a retired Merchany Navy Chief Engineer so the ship theme is spot on, especially as he and Aunty have been on a few holiday cruises too:

Sorry for the blurry scans - I'm still getting used to the new printer/scanner set up. Printing I've got cracked but the new scanning set-up is taking a bit of getting used to. Yes, DH came home with it last Saturday and he came home a lot happier than he went out......... mainly because it didn't cost him as much as he thought it was going to......... not that I'm saying he's tight or anything. ;0) LMAO

After tea I carried on with Mother Earth and felt much happier with the progress after a second stitching session - am sure fellow HAED stitchers will know what I mean when I say it doesn't seem to grow much. I'd last touched Her back in December 2007 - this is where I'd left off then:

This is how She looks now:

Glad to have got the trees bit done on the left as it means that next time around I'll be stitching Mother Earths' face and body....... much more interesting and the lighter colours will make a nice change. :0) Still not sure if this piece will be a regular UFO Night stitch though - I may just pinch Miss376's idea of stitching one thread length a day on this and choose something else for next Tuesday night.

I've also finally managed to catch up with all blog reading and commenting, something I'd been struggling to do since getting home from our holiday. It's been fascinating to see how many folks have said they weren't going to, have now caved and are signing up for the Me, Myself and I NRR and what plans they have for their neighbourhoods. LOL I like the idea and have bookmarked the blog, so I can watch everyone's pieces develop when it starts. I don't have any plans to sign up - it's not as if I haven't got plenty to keep me going already, is it? Except last night I did find myself wondering what a Blackwork neighbourhood would look like...... Get thee behind me! LOL

Tonight is Sea Stars SAL night so I'd best be off and get that motif finished and see how far I can get with another one. I did think about not stitching it this week as Barb (no blog) is away on her holiday but it's shouting too loudly......

Thank you for taking the time to visit and for the kind comments, they really are appreciated. :0)

This and That

Well I managed the SS SAL stitching Thursday night but that early night didn't happen. Despite going to bed earlier I still managed to see 3am in, then had a really broken night's sleep, waking up regularly through what was left of the night.......... consequently by Friday the zombie effect had increased greatly and the yellow snow hole eyes syndrome had also kicked in big time. Just to add insult to injury a big cold sore appeared without warning on my top lip that morning and my body has been trying to fight off a cold and sore throat ever since. Welcome home to the lergy DH! LOL

Sea Stars proved to be a bit of a pain whilst I was stitching it: the fabric wouldn't stay taut, resulting in regularly having to twist the scroll frame to correct it (it's only just wide enough for the fabric so that's probably got something to do with it), plus the threads kept knotting, sometimes badly, so progress was a little slow. To be honest I was so disappointed in the progress made I stitched a bit more on it on Friday and here's where I left off:

Didn't quite finish the first motif but by the time I got this far I'd had enough........ I took some Ibuprofen and disappeared under the fleecy blanket for a while. I was so well swaddled DH reckoned I was trying to do an Egyptian mummy impression........ no, only Matthew's Mummy feeling rough and seriously sleep deprived, said I. LOL I feel much better today (Saturday), especially as the cold sore is now beyond that painful/tingly/annoying stage too. It's amazing what a decent nights' sleep can do. :0)

Looking forward to next Thursday night now: it shouldn't take long to finish the first motif, then start another in a different colour - that will really feel like things are progressing. :0)

In the end I didn't get round to emailing the Friends Count SAL chart or the Challenge link to DS for him to print the charts out for me as I decided it could wait until after DH got home, especially as I wasn't feeling up to a new start yesterday anyway. Consequently today's plan is for DH to go to CRAM to get a new printer/scanner.......... once the Grand Prix qualifying has finished. Well it's now finished and he's been dithering ever since - amazing how much he can find to do to delay going out when it involves spending some money! LOL

Hopefully I shall have some more stitching to share with you in the next day or so...... once the new printer has been bought and installed and the charts printed out so I can get on with it. ;0)

For those who were wondering DH had a good trip to Italy. Apparently whilst he and his colleagues were all walking round in shirt sleeves, enjoying a bit of pleasant late summer sun that occasionally veered towards stickily warm, all the locals considered it as the start of Winter and were wearing thicker clothes. Not sure what happened to Autumn and DH didn't ask. LOL They sat out on the balcony of the hotel Thursday night, enjoying a few grappas, under the canopies whilst the rain came down, thinking it had cooled things off quite pleasantly. The poor barman looked bewildered and kept shaking his head at them........ I guess the mad English men and their antics will be a topic of conversation for a while. LOL He was glad to get home: there was a 20 minute delay setting off from Venice airport, followed by a delay on the motorway on the drive back, due to a minor shunt in the outside lane, all making a long day even longer. One kebab for tea and a good night's sleep later and he's much happier.......... or he would be if it wasn't for having to buy the printer/scanner. ;0)

Christine: A new career for you then and I shall be sure to come to you whenever I want a reliable weather forecast. ;0) Plus I'm with you & Miss Price when it comes to Colin Firth. LOL Am looking forward to next weeks episode especially as I know, via the trailer, that the greasy Mr Collins gets kneed in the crotch! LMAO

Right, I am off to get another Welch's Grape Juice - cold from the fridge it tastes lovely and is bliss to my throat right now - and choose some fabric and thread for the Challenge piece. I will be organised this month! No plans on going out, as it's raining again - everywhere is getting extremely waterlogged but so far there doesn't seem to have been much flooding our way. I hope all in the UK are also staying flood free.

Thank you for all the kind comments, they're much appreciated. Hope you all manage to stay warm and dry, wherever you live, and have a good weekend. :0)

Flowers, Another Award and an Owl.

Would you believe it, with all the holiday unpacking/jobs and the excitement of starting Sea Stars and finishing Guen I totally forgot to post the flowers that Lynn gave me and the award from Miss 376 I received whilst away. So sorry for the delay.

The virtual flowers are so pretty:

Thank you so much for giving them to me Lynn, they and the sentiment behind them mean a very great deal to me (((((hugs))))). It's always a pleasure to visit your blog to read your news and see your stitching. :0)

The award from Miss376 is a thank you for visiting and commenting on her blog:

I'm amazed at getting an award for doing something that gives me such pleasure anyway. I love to see all of your varied crafts and will admit that I envy your wide needlework skills. Thank you.

I am going to hand the award on to all the people who take the time to comment when they visit my blog. I do appreciate all visitors taking the time out from their busy days to come and visit but extra thanks have to go to those who also go to the trouble of writing a comment....... it lets me know that I'm not just wasting time, waffling away to myself, and that others are interested in the crafts I love and wish to share. So a big thank you to you all - consider yourselves duly awarded. :0)

Last night, knowing that I wouldn't sleep that well with DH being away, I settled in front of the TV for the night with Night Watchman. With several good documentaries on and a new programme called Lost In Austen (that's Jane Austen, author, and not a city in the USA) there was enough of interest to keep me glued for some time and NW really has benefited from it. Here's an update pic of where I left off at around 3am this morning:

Yes, 3am! I also found an awful lot of rubbish to have on in the background after Lost In Austen finished, keeping going until I'd reached that brain numbed state where I knew there wouldn't be a problem with dropping off to sleep. OK, so today I feel much like the zombies in the Resident Evil rip-off film that was on Zone Horror in the early hours (not scarey - just carp!) but it sure beat laying in bed for hours, hearing every noise in the neighbourhood, and constantly getting up to check that it wasn't some scumbag breaking in to the cars/caravan/house. I fell asleep about five minutes after getting into bed and only woke up a couple of times through the night, going back to sleep more or less straight away each time. Result!

Tonight it's the second outing for the Sea Stars SAL. DS has another rehearsal so the plan is to have tea then, when he's gone out, settle in with more documentaries and stitch on SS. I doubt I'll be pulling another 3am finish though!

The first part of the Friends Count JA SAL arrived in my inbox today and the winning Challenge piece for September has been announced, so there would be plenty more to get on with on Friday if I had a printer that worked! I am going to have to forward the email and the link to DS so he can print out the charts for me, as DH has the memory stick (the easier transferral method) with him in Italy at the moment. Typical! Didn't he know I would need it? ;0) LOL

As for DH: he is busy, over in Italy, with lots of meetings on various technical bits to do with the equipment etc that the company out there is supplying to the steelworks. He sends me a text at dinnertime and phones in the evening. Today's text tells me that the weather out there is warm and mostly sunny and they're walking round with rolled up shirt sleeves. Go on, rub it in, texts I, as I'm shivering in decidedly autumnal colder weather and currently looking out at yet another downpour. Fat chance for getting those cyclamens in the pots, so it looks like you're right Christine.

Well I've since had my tea, DS has disappeared for the night and SS is calling loudly so I am off to get some stitching done.

Thank you, once again, for taking the time to visit - hope you are all managing to stay warm, wherever you are. :0)

A Final Fanfare, Please

Yes, please stand for the final Fanfare for Her Majesty Queen Guenevere. Thanks to Julie, Mr Stick and the girls on the JA S&S Forum Tuesday UFO Night yet another UFO has bit the dust....... or, should I say, finally turned into a finish. :0)

Here's Her Majesty in all her unwashed and unpressed glory:

I reckon she'll look good as a wallhanging in my hall, so I shall be keeping my eyes open for a suitable medieval style fabric for that. Meantime, those Egyptian bellydancing CD's have had another outing so if there's any news reports of earth tremors in the UK you'll know why. LOL
There are several other candidates for next weeks UFO Night waiting in the wings, so watch this space.

Night Watchman has grown nicely but I shall do a little more on him before posting a pic - will leave that until next time.

It was the Monthly Challenge Reveal Day on JA S&S Forum at the weekend. The design was a lovely one by A Mon Ami Pierre and once again there have been some gorgeous finishes - some novel finishing ideas and lots of inspiration there. The selection for this month is up for voting (which I've done) and it'll be some early Christmas stitching this time round. Looking forward to seeing which one wins and I'm determined not to have to drop out, like I had to last month. Got my fingers crossed for one particular piece to win as I've already got a thread colour in mind for it. LOL

We had a good day at my DSis's on Sunday: we went to a garden centre for dinner, then had a shop. DSis bought an ivy plant for one of her pots and some bags of glass nuggets for decorating the tops of her pots. We bought a couple of metal toadstool decorations as part of her Christmas present - they look quite magical and make a lovely sound when the wind rattles them - as well as some cyclamens for our pots, to replace the violas that have died off, and a kneeling mat for DH to use inside the house. While we were there DH removed the radiator from her front bedroom and sealed the pipes, so she could get on with wallpapering the room this week (she's off all week) - she's got a shorter double radiator to replace it with when the decorating is done. A local gypsy kindly took the old one away, saving her a job and a rupture from moving it (very heavy).

I had quite a nice surprise yesterday afternoon: I was sat at the computer when I heard a skittering noise on the sun lounge roof. I almost ignored it, thinking it was Poppa blackbird, until I realised he'd have to have clogs on to make quite that amount of noise. Glancing up made me realise it wasn't a bird at all and a double-take had the realisation hit that it was a squirrel! I shot out into the garden to see he had jumped off the roof and into the neighbours garden and as I watched he scampered across their garden and shimmied up a concrete fence post to stand on the top of the fence. Unfortunately the kids in the next house were making a bit of noise, startled him and he shot off along the fence like a rocket, soon disappearing from sight. It's the first sighting of an urban squirrel I've had round here in many years and it was such a thrill.......... but I've been kicking myself ever since that I didn't once think to grab the ruddy camera to take a pic! I shall be keeping the camera to hand from now on, in the hopes that the visitor will be back again some time soon. :0)

DH is off to Italy tomorrow (Wednesday) morning with several work colleagues, on another trip to Buttrio, due back Friday night. With a little forward planning (for a change) we did a Tesco's online shop last night and had it delivered tonight, so DS and I can eat while he's away. ;0) As DS will be busy with rehearsals in the evenings I shall be on my own more than usual but the cupboards are now stocked, the TV remote is mine and there are plenty of stitching projects waiting to keep me busy, so the time will be filled quite nicely. Hopefully the weather will behave during the days (had rain in the afternoon and a thunderstorm around 6pm today) so I can get those cyclamens in and have a potter round as well. Who knows, I might even feel inspired to have a trip to the library and back! :0)

Karen: I heard about the Ozark Mystery SAL via Jayne's Stitch & Stash Forum & signed up for it there (there's an actual Ozark Forum but I never got round to joining it and don't know the link). Jayne is currently taking sign ups for the 2009 Mystery, if you're interested. :0)

Well I'd better go and make sure DH has packed everything he needs for his trip.

Thank you for visiting and thank you for taking the time to comment - all are very much appreciated. :0)