Saturday 28 March 2009

Something Old, Something New

The something old is the latest update on the ongoing UFO Night project, the handsome fella. This week I really got into this piece and actually did three nights stitching on it and here's where he's at now:


Still a reasonable amount left to do but that HD is getting so much closer! I want that new start finishing this will enable me to have! LOL There are plenty of candidates waiting in the wings for their turn, too........ what shall the new project be? Don't you just love that anticipation? :0)

As for other projects: I've got the final bit of finishing to do on this month's Christmas Ornie, then I can add it to the album and post a pic here. Talk about scraping in at the last minute! I'm still stitching the piece to turn into a scissor case for Challenge for a Finish but that looks like it might come in overdue - I keep prevaricating and it's because that scissor case is a first and I keep bottling it. Yes, I joined because I wanted a push to try new types of finishing but it still comes hard when I know my other sewing skills aren't up to a decent standard - it's just awful when you've taken time to stitch a really nice piece then go ahead and ruin it with naff finishing! If the Adult Education folk hadn't pared down the craft courses available to an absolute minimum I'd go join a sewing class to learn some useful basics and boost my confidence that way.......... it would be nice to get out my sewing machine and not be afraid of the darned thing! LOL

DH booked a couple of days off work and had Thursday and Friday off. No, not from some romantic notion of spending some extra time with his missus - he was going to a full dress dinner over in Grimsby on Thursday night and wanted the extra time so he didn't have to rush to get ready and over there on Thursday and so he wouldn't have to go into work on Friday. You know.... should he need some recuperation time. ;0) Actually he was quite well behaved: though he wasn't exactly sober he didn't come home rat-faced either, so there were no after effects at all other than him being tired. Lesson learned, shall we say? Eheheh.

The something new was the arrival on Friday of the final few bits from my last Thread Bear order:

A couple more finishing braids, some gorgeous buttons that will be ideal for ornies or biscornus and a blackwork kit I just couldn't resist - I love blackwork and it'll be ideal for one of the monthly Christmas ornies. Looks like I'll be getting more practice at a heart-shaped finish then, doesn't it? LOL

Today (Saturday) has seen more windy weather, bitter cold and alternate hail and rain showers - not nice at all. Despite wanting to do the hedgehog thing and hibernate we had to venture out. DS was up and out first thing to Brigg Farmers Market with Alex whilst DH and I had our own plans. First we went to Jackson and Shipley, though not to the DIY bit: we went to the next door showroom to have a look at the kitchens they do in there - more bits are dropping off our old one, so it's going to have to be done soon . A certain well-known DIY place hadn't impressed us much when they were doing the bathroom quote for my DSis... or should I say quotes, as each time she spoke to them the price went up. Not by a few quid either - by around a £100 each time....... which is why she told them thanks but no thanks and why we won't now use them. We saw a really nice set of units in there that we both liked and a chat to one of the staff had us both reasonably impressed with the service they offer. We came away with a brochure to look through and get a better idea of what we'd like - once that's firmed up and some measurements taken we should be off back again to have another natter and see about having the designer round. If redundancy is on the cards for DH it would be nice to get this big job done, paid for and out of the way before it happens.

Next we went to Uncle Henry's Farm Shop where we had dinner. Only I left DH to order didn't I, so the ham salad and small jacket I wanted came with both potato salad and coleslaw on it - neither of which I'm allowed to eat. It also had a huge jacket potato when I wanted a small one. Guess who had not only his own jacket potato with beans and coleslaw but also my potato salad, coleslaw and half a jacket potato? Yep, he did - makes you kinda wonder if the gannet did it on purpose, doesn't it? ;0) I'll be ordering my own food from now on though - that way I'll end up with more things I am allowed to eat on my plate. Once we'd eaten I popped one of my Book Crossing books (Astraea) into the separate comfy sitting area (I'd gone prepared) - this time I tried a slightly different tack and stuck a yellow Post-It on the front explaining why the book was there, so I hope this one gets picked up quicker than the previous wild releases I've made. We then did our shopping and when we paid we got a £5.00 off voucher for our next visit, thanks to the loyalty scheme they do - plus two stamps on our next card, to start saving towards another voucher. Don't you just love those loyalty schemes? :0)

After that we called in at the Pink Pig to pick up a few things we couldn't get at Uncle Henry's. It wasn't until we saw some signs up that we realised it was their WWII re-enactment weekend, so it was rather busy despite the lousy weather. When we'd done the shopping I grabbed another of my Book Crossing books (Ingo) and headed for the Cafe. In there they have a shelf of books that are available for folks to read but with a couple of provisos: if you want one of the books on the shelf you have to take in a book to replace it and pop 50p in the Hospice charity box. I spotted it last time we were in there and thought what a great idea for raising funds for the Hospice and a nice way of sharing books......... and what a great place to leave a BC book! LOL Here's what I found on the shelf and brought home with me:


Julie: if you haven't got this one let me know and I'll send it on to you when I've read it. Giving you first refusal with letting you down over Lady of Hay. :0)

No idea what the plans are for tomorrow yet - guess it's dependant on the weather and how brave (or not) we're feeling - but I do know we're having roast chicken for dinner, as DH got it out of the freezer earlier. LOL Am sure I shall find time to fit some stitching in along the way though, whatever we do.

Thank you for visiting and all the lovely comment, which are very much appreciated. Hope you're all staying warm and cosy! :0)

5 comments:

Christine said...

Nearly time for a HD on Nightwatchman. A new kitchen sounds exciting, I'll expect piccies when its done ;)

Angela said...

The owl is coming along really well. Love the new stash as well.

Hope you have better luck getting your home improvements done than we did. We still have a bathroom that's in bits.

Laura said...

Oh my, your owl is looking fabulous! You have made great progress on this project. He is just magnificent!

Julie said...

NW is growing so fast now, Mr Stick said why dont you have a whoel week stitching on him *he he he*

Thanks for the offer of the book, but Rachael has just got this one and offered to send it on when she has read it (i think, if my brain remember correctly)

Stitchingranny said...

NW is certainly growing quickly now. I love the little heart - I have a few of these BCS kits and they are such a pleasure to stitch.