No Stitching But.....

that hasn't stopped me acquiring stash, although those acquisitions have been over a couple of months - I've just been really slack at blogging enough to share them before now.

First up is an eBay bargain 99p chart:


I love the version with the wording. The logo of the Alternative Therapy Clinic I go to is a sunflower and I plan on stitching the version with the wording for Jan, my Herbalist, as a thank you for all the help she has given me.... and all the help she will continue to give once I've had my op. She has helped me in more ways than she knows and helped to open up a whole new world for me (I write about that on my other blog), so it is such an appropriate piece. :0)

On the same day I also spotted this gorgeous fabric bargain too:


A large piece of opalescent fabric for under £4.00 and free P&P. Who could resist that? Certainly not me. ROFL I don't have any specific plans for it at the moment but just the right design is bound to turn up at some point.

Another day I was bored and browsing on the same good old auction site, following links to see where they'd take me, when I came across someone selling craft goodies for children...... only when I investigated there weren't just the pipe cleaner type stems but also some sparkly trims that were sold by the metre, ideal for Christmas ornies thought I.


As you can see I succumbed to a few of them. Those yellow stems were a freebie - I couldn't think what I could use them for (so did not fancy making that many Easter Chick legs! LOL) so gave them to my friend Alex, for her children.

Then another nosey around revealed these rather useful pieces of fabric at a bargain price and I was lucky enough to win the bids:


A 32ct fabric in Mocha and a 28ct in French Latte. Another couple of neutral colours that are especially useful as my stash seems to have a large bias towards hand dyes in pretty colours. Much as I like those pretty colours they aren't always suitable for some designs.

When I got fed-up of bargain hunting on eBay I had a wander over to Thread Bear for a nosey as I needed some different coloured backing fabrics. Whilst I was there I couldn't resist the sparkly felts they'd just got in stock...... and the chart was in the Sale section and goes with one from the same range that's already in my stash.


The 28ct is a piece of Lakeside Linens fabric and was bought specifically to stitch the Plum Pudding Salem Sisters piece on. Yes, I had all good intentions of starting this piece for Halloween........... but it just didn't happen. Yup, that mojo packed its bag and disappeared into the wild blue yonder....... again! The current happenings haven't exactly helped either.

Just so you're not left thinking that the Craft Bug had totally disappeared:


Yes, last week my cardmaking goodies came out of their boxes long enough for me to make a card for my DH's birthday. Though they did go straight back in again and haven't been touched since, as I've been busy with other things.

So, what has been happening to keep me busy? Well, I went for my pre-op checks on Tuesday morning and that took way more time than either of us expected. So the questions were asked and the forms were filled in by a very nice Staff Nurse called Gail; blood pressure and blood oxygen levels checked and noted; height and weight checked and noted (and I don't like their scales 'cos they have me 4lbs heavier than Jan's!); then various questions asked and answered - though not too many details wanted or needed about the op itself because I'm a firm believer that ignorance is bliss with that kind of thing as I really don't want nightmares beforehand, thanks; all the consents signed and a parting gift of a cup of pee, for testing. Finally there was a trip down to see the hospital vampires again so they could take four lots of my best red for various tests. Staff Nurse Gail reckoned I looked and sounded fit enough and the checks she did were fine, so - unless the test on the blood or pee turn anything up - it's all systems go, in the best Thunderbirds tradition. LOL

Meantime, I've been keeping up with the laundry and other dreaded H word jobs, trying to keep on top of things before the enforced break happens...... you know men, they aren't going to class things like that as a priority, are they? And I am not going to burst my stitches trying to keep things straight when I come home, so I'm getting it sorted now in the hopes that it won't begin to look like a mess for a while. Yeah, right - not with these two! LOL

Then there's making sure that the clothes I want to take in with me are clean, ironed and packed and the other bits I need are to hand (things have a nasty habit of disappearing into that Safe Place just when you want them). Shopping for enough soya milk and cornflakes to take in with me because the hospital don't have anything I am allowed to eat at breakfast time - plus enough for after I get out, as DH won't have the time to go into town for more. And that the cupboards, fridge and freezer are well stocked beforehand too........... because there isn't a snowball's chance in h*ll of me being able to help do that after the op. Plus I've been making sure my other blog is fully up-to-date (got more posts saved to draft) and doing my best to catch up with all the blogs on my blogger list because who knows how long it'll be before I'll be able to sit up to the computer - I've already been warned that I'll be left wondering if I'll ever be able to walk up straight ever again, due to it being an ordinary incision op with stitches. Thanks for that! LOL

I guess it's probably a good thing the mojo has gone on holiday again because, at this point, I'd probably end up having to frog it all anyways. LOL :0)

Thank you taking the time to stop by and for all the lovely comments you leave. Hope you all have a good weekend...... and all those in the UK stay safe and flood-free. :0)

A Gift, a Rethink and a Question

Despite the current bad weather - yet more snow yesterday and bitterly cold every day - there was a bright point this week when a surprise envelope from Helen arrived through the door. Inside was this rather lovely RAK:

I love the words of wisdom on this piece - a reminder of how life should be lived - as well as those gorgeous stylised birds and flowers. The colours this is shown in is so me too and it would be perfect for the sun room wall (if it ever gets finished enough to hang anything on the walls!), so will probably go for a very similar combination when I stitch it. Thank you again Helen for your generosity and kindness. BTW, hope you have a fabulous holiday. :0)

As the title says I've had to have a rethink: this one was about the piece I stitched for the February Challenge over on Challenge for a Finish. I really like the piece I did but it turned out smaller than anticipated so is far too fiddly for me to achieve the required heart-shaped finish...... well, it is if I want it to look neat and anything like! LOL So the piece I stitched will be turned into something else very soon. Meantime I trawled the net and found another freebie I like just as much....... more importantly, it will be easier to finish as required. Unfortunately I now haven't got a snowball's chance of having it finished for Valentine's Day tomorrow. Ah well, think it'll still be OK for posting on the site though - fingers crossed. So guess what I'll be busy with tonight. LOL

I stitched on Sea Stars last night and got the larger motif finished and a start made on a smaller one but I'd like to get that finished before I take a pic and post an update. I'll leave the latest pic of NW until another time as well - don't want you all to get bored of seeing him. BTW, there's still a bit to go before he's a HD - almost as much as is already stitched.

Now for the question. It's our Silver Wedding Anniversary this year and I've chosen to stitch this gorgeous piece by Elizabeth's Designs:


It not only brings to mind the Tree of Life but the Family Tree, of which we are a part, as well as sheltering boughs and longevity. As it's commemorating such a special event (let's face it, over the years there were times I thought I might have panned him prior to reaching this milestone! LMAO) I want it to look special too. So: I'll be using the recommended DMC threads but have you all any suggestions for a really nice fabric to use on this? I was wondering about a softly coloured hand dye, rather than a plain fabric, but am open to ideas. The chart itself suggests 32ct Burnished Gold Linen (or Toasted Almond Belfast Linen) by R&R Reproductions..... but I wouldn't have a clue where to get that. Is it sold anywhere in the UK? Very interested to see what you all think. :0)

Today has been an enjoyable day. Whilst pottering about doing jobs and tinkering on the computer I've been chilling listening to some CD's. So what have I been listening to? Roxy Music. Sheer bliss, as I haven't been able to listen to my cassettes in a long time, thanks to the player packing up - now I have CD's to listen to instead and the cassettes can go to the Hospice shop for someone else to enjoy. Just finished listening to Roy Orbison and now Alison Moyet is on and next up will be Mediaeval Baebes. As you might guess from these my taste in music ranges widely - though my most consistent love is for Roxy Music (Brian Ferry - Phwoar!), a lot of 60's and 80's music..... with New Age stuff to relax to. Anyone else like such a wide range of sounds or am I of a butterfly mind/just plain weird? ;0)

One of the things I pottered with was making a Valentine's Day card for DH. Nothing like cutting it fine, is there? LOL Am quite pleased with it but will leave a pic until the official day of luuuurve tomorrow. LOL

The veg box was delivered today: as well as the usual goodies and my celery "extra" it had a red cabbage and pack choi in it. Now red cabbage I've only ever eaten pickled before but that's a definite no-no on the special diet, so that's one to check out the veg box recipes for. Pack choi is another veggie that's new to us all and I haven't a clue with this one so that'll be a veg box and veggie site recipes raid. So glad we signed up for the box though, as it's been a real learning curve and expanded our gastronomic horizons quite a bit. Now all I need is to clear some room in the kitchen for my juicer to sit.... aren't allowed fruit juices but can have as much veggies as I can eat and drink, so that'll make a nice alternative to the herbal teas and water. Tonight it's boiled beef and carrots with rice, broccoli and cauliflower and a little roasted beetroot, so I'm off to serve up now DH is home.

Many thanks for visitng and for the kind comments (Hi to newbies!). Hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day and a great weekend. :0)

Best Laid Plans?

Up until today it seemed to be one of those slightly frustrating weeks where not much was going to plan....... although it seems too much hassle to get bothered about it - methinks the Reiki has helped me stay chilled (or is that down to the bitter weather we're currently having? LOL).

The Fascia guy didn't turn up on Tuesday to review what was needed for the job and revise his costing (we'd asked him to add an extra job to what needs doing). OK, no sweat, he seemed to want the work so I figured he'd contact us eventually and left it there.

Wednesday morning I'd got my head round having the walk down the High Street to see the Herbalist for our two hour session..... only to get a phone call first thing, from the receptionist, to cancel the appointment. Poor Jan seems to have come down with one of the bugs that's doing the rounds here at the moment and is off sick - she'll be phoning me when she's back at work to reschedule. OK, I didn't mind too much: people can't help getting sick and the weather was blooming freezing, so it wasn't exactly filling me with enthusiasm about venturing out in it, but I really would like to know what I'm doing with my diet, so I can make those needed changes and get used to them a little before the festive season starts properly. I want to know what I am OK to eat and drink and what I have to avoid. Oh well, I'll just stick to doing the little things I'm currently doing, as they seem to be working for now.

With not having to go out Wednesday I got some extra time for reading and managed to finish Picture Maker by Penina Spinka - more about that in the side bar and on The Reading Corner. Another enjoyable read and again I've registered it with Book Crossing and also added it to my list of swaps - it's open to anyone that wants it, so give me a shout if you'd like to read it next. :0)

In the afternoon I got a phone call from the fascia guy to apologise and explain he'd been ill, losing his voice for a few days. I could tell that was genuine, as I had to ask him to repeat some of what he'd said - he was so hoarse I struggled to make out what he was saying. He arranged to come round Thursday morning instead.

I didn't pick out another book straightaway in the interests of my stitching mojo which, up until Tuesday UFO Night, seemed to have gone awol in protest. Subsequently Night Watchman came out of the bag on Wednesday night as well this week and here's where I got up to:

I got some more of the background done on the right hand side and also stitched a little more of the Watchman himself. I love the way this is turning out...... although I am biased, as I do love owls. :0) At bedtime I finally chose my next book: Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine, and made a start on it before settling......... am hoping I can better balance the reading and stitching this time round, so I can have a new small start on Friday (Sea Stars SAL today).

This morning started off well, with the arrival of a chart from my last Thread Bear order. The first one went missing enroute, unfortunately, and Kate had to wait for new stock coming in before she could send out a replacement for it.

Couldn't resist this, as I thought it would make a nice Spring/Oestre picture. :0)

He may not be a white rabbit but he seems to have brought a little Luck with him: not only did the fascia guy turn up today but he's having everything delivered tomorrow dinnertime and is hoping to make a start on the job in the afternoon, if not then definitely on Saturday. Yay! Come Summertime we'll only have the windowsills, back door header and bay tiles to repaint to make it look all fresh and tidy again. :0) I must say, though: I do not envy the guy his job at all at the minute - working out in this weather would finish me off for sure. I'll keep him well supplied with warm drinks while he's here - he's a young lad about my DS's age so the instinct to mother him is strong, especially as he's been poorly, bless him. LOL

I've also dug my box of Christmas cards out from the bottom of the wardrobe, ready to start the marathon writing session it always involves. At the moment I'm hovering between prevarication and total avoidance - there are other things I'd much rather be doing than working towards a bad case of writers cramp. Yes, folks, I'm in a full on "Bah, Humbug!" frame of mind and that despite the messages from Dad. I can't help it: I love the quiet celebration of the Yule Festival, which is far more in keeping with my beliefs and outlook on life, and just can't abide all the hype and hysterical frenzy that seems to be mandatory at this end of the year. Right, I'll stop there and climb down off me soap box before I thoroughly depress anyone who has managed to get into the Spirit of the Season. LOL

Whatever you are doing, I hope you are all managing to stay warm and cosy now Winter seems to have got underway. Thank you for visiting. :0)

On A Cold And Frosty Morning

It seems our central heating boiler lost pressure some time during the early hours, due to the hard frost we've had, and didn't come on to warm up the house before we got up this morning. It was definitely a tad nipply, as my DS calls it (charming child) . :0)
The frost had also claimed a victim outside: a poor cyclist seems to have come a cropper on the crossroads and had to be taken off in the back of an ambulance, all before 8a.m. Hope he/she is OK. What a way to start the day!

Anyway, as promised here's the latest UFO Tuesday and Wednesday night progress on EgyptianTablet:
As you can see I've been stitching on the opposite side to last time and that's not the edge of the border on the left corner either, there's some more to stitch there yet. Not complaining though, as I'm quite enjoying this at the moment. I actually fancied carrying on with it tonight but decided I'd better concentrate on my Christmas card for the exchange instead - I suddenly realised that the posting date is fast approaching and I'd better extract my digit if it's to be finished in time.

That Christmas card is turning into a bit of a saga. The sparkly fabric, although Christmassy enough, just wasn't working with the design so this afternoon I went for a root round in my stash for a more suitable fabric. As it was all piled together in a crate this led to me finally sorting through it all and arranging it into the 4-drawer plastic storage unit I bought some weeks ago: top drawer is all 28ct; next down is for 32ct and miscellaneous linens; next down is all different aida, hardanger fabrics and banding and the bottom drawer is for cloth items that can be stitched on. By the end of that I was a little surprised, as it made me realise I'd got way more fabric than I thought........... but don't tell anybody I said that, especially not DH. ;0)

The upshot of all that was that (as well as getting nicely organised fabrics and backache) I came away with a lovely piece of Jayne's Count On Me fabric that I reckon will look much better and restarted the design on that tonight. It's certainly helping my eyes working on a darker, non-sparkly fabric, it's definitely standing out more and I'm much happier with the result. It's my first exchange so I want it to be just right.

So that's no new start for me yet, no matter how much Tanglewood, Rosemarkie and that empty scroll frame calls to me. (BTW, Karen: have emailed you, hope you got it OK.)

I also got busy on the HollieStitch site today as well. I started by ordering some goodies intended as pressies but somehow three charts just fell in the basket as well........... isn't it weird how that just happens? ;0) I couldn't resist Pelin Tezer's Labyrinth and Romance and the Wal d' Champs Arabesque designs. I have plans to make Arabesque into a 25th Wedding Anniversary piece for DH and I - we've got two years to go, so there should be plenty of time to plan and stitch it (she says, tongue in cheek). As for the PT charts - I just love her monochrome pieces and had to add these to my collection.

As for that stash wagon, well all I can say is: what wagon? ROFL.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering: the Chocolate Button cake is very nice. LOL :0)