Stitching Plans - 2010 SAL's

Now I'm feeling more like my usual self I thought I'd share a few stitching plans with you in this post, so you'll have an idea of what will be in store for the coming months, especially in 2010.......... which, I guess, will let you decide whether it's worth sticking around. LOL

As I mentioned in my last post I've joined the 2010 Weekly Stitch Along Blog, thanks to Gaynor, and I nominated my HAED Mother Earth piece. When I checked back for a pic I got a real shock when I realised that the last time I worked on this was way back in October..... 2008. Ooooopps! Now when I started this project I knew it would be a long term one but hadn't reckoned on it being quite this long term.... and heading towards official UFO status. So it's a good job I nominated it, isn't it? Here's where the stitching stopped back then:

There's an awful lot left to go but am sure the Blog Ladies will keep my nose to the grindstone with it. LOL Plus, the fact that I've now got the magnifier lamp will help things along too. It does help if you can actually see what you're stitching! The first official update for this is Sunday 3rd January, so guess how I'll be seeing in the New Year. ;0) If you haven't yet checked out the SAL Blog please have a look, as there are lots of beautiful projects that the members will be stitching on - very nice eye candy. :0)

As Mother Earth will be going into the Weekly Blog SAL slot that leaves Tuesday UFO Night, over at JA/S&S Forum vacant. Now some weeks I may just carry on with ME for this but there are a number of other projects I'd like to see progress now, and one in particular....... so for this I'm going to bring Sea Stars out again. (About time, I can hear Barb say. LOL) This fell by the wayside after a particularly sickening frogging episode that really spoilt the fun of the piece (anyone else feel like that?). This is where it was left off, post frogging session:

This is another piece that really needs to progress - it is now embarrassingly overdue, as Barb and Rosanne, the other SAL members, have long since finished theirs. Could this be my first large finish of 2010? That would be so good! :0)

New for 2010 is the JA/S&S Forum's Just Nan SAL. Now this particular SAL was inspired by seeing Julie's progress on her beautiful JN WIP piece Lady Scarlet. The SAL is an open one - in other words, you can stitch any JN design you want to - and the choices are varied. This is going to be another lovely one to watch, as well as participate in, whilst all those beautiful pieces develop. So what was my choice for it? This:

Flora, one of the Angels, which I chose because she will look lovely in my new Craft Room (whenever it gets finished! LOL). I'm using all the recommended DMC threads and Mill Hill beads - the only change I've made is to the fabric, which is Polstitches Sky High 28ct hand dye instead of the Antique White evenweave. Quite appropriate, I thought. :0)

I am going to be really careful of how many Challenges and other things I sign up for in 2010 as I don't want to overload myself and end up with the disappearing mojo problem again. If there's a Christmas ornie one going I will probably succumb to it, as my eventual aim is to have enough handmade ornies to fill our big tree, leaving the little metal tree for just blackwork ornies. The LHN ornie SAL tempted me but I decided to pass on it because the mojo was still awol and my cash is currently wanted elsewhere. Hopefully the one on JA/S&S Forum will continue..... and hopefully I'll actually keep up with it too. LOL

Health wise, as I said, I am doing better. Going upstairs no longer feels like a trek up the face of Everest and it doesn't hurt any more when I do it - good job because I've not been taking any painkillers for about 4/5 days now (started to get a paracetamol induced headache). The only thing that does hurt is sneezing, so I try not to do that too often. ;0)
Lifting and carrying is still banned, so I leave the heavy stuff to the menfolk - that includes asking the parcel delivery folks to bring boxes in for me, which they are happy to do when I explain that I've had an op and still have stitches in that I really don't want to pull. You can almost see some folks faces go green, so it's quite amusing really. Eheheh.
I go to the GP tomorrow for my post-op check up, seeing the nurse I know, as I'm comfortable with her....... and she'll take the time to answer any questions I have. She's also had the same op, so I know, from her own experiences, that she can give me a good idea of what to expect next. Although I have been having a few of those "power surges" already, though thankfully they are fairly mild at the moment. Maybe I won't need those Damart thermals after all. ROFL Fingers crossed for a clean bill of health. :0)

The blog reading catch up is almost complete - if I haven't visited yet I will be doing soon. Then there's an ornie finished, some cards made, a Sea Stars update pic and some nice post to share but I'll show those another time.

Thank you for visiting and for your lovely comments. Hope you've all got the bulk of your festive preparations completed and are now able to enjoy some "me" time. :0)

Trades, a Card and the Garden

I'm getting on with the finishing on the charity ornies: got one fully completed over the weekend and the other just needs the rest of its trim attaching, then I can take pics to show you and send them off to Donna. Until then I thought I'd show you a few pics of some more acquisitions - though this time through trades - a recent card make and of a little more progress in the garden.

First up are the nice range of DMC threads I received in exchange for an Avid Lancaster Bomber chart:


They are now happily residing in my stash, until they're needed for a project. Next was the fabulous chart I received in exchange for some magazines:


Yes, it's Papillon Creations Mary Queen of Scots. This little stunner has been on my Wish List for some time - I never actually expected to receive it as a Wish and had only put it on there as a reminder that it was there..... and one day I'd get around to buying it. Was I Happy Dancing when it was offered in trade. :0)

A trade for some plastic canvas booklets saw this gorgeous Sugar Maple opalescent fabric added to my stash:



It shouts mermaid, fairy and Angel to me........ am so torn as to which would suit more. It's going to be a whole lot of fun deciding. Once again many thanks to the ladies I traded with - it was a pleasure. :0)

When DH and DS saw stash arriving in packages again they started chuntering away on that same old theme: supposed to be getting rid of things, not adding more. Well I soon pointed out that: the threads replace a chart and they probably won't be in my stash for long because I use DMC all the time; that one Papillon chart replaces six magazines, so it takes up a lot less space and, once stitched, I don't hang onto the chart and the fabric replaces four booklets - shelf space is freed up and less space is taken up by the fabric, which I fully intend stitching something pretty on it so it'll then hang on the wall. Therefore much more has gone than has come back in says I......... very carefully not reminding them about the e**Y stash bargains received the week before. ;0) LOL Just to make sure they were totally convinced my next words were: Oh, and it gave me an incentive to have another root round my stash and add a few more bits to my Trade Album too. Yup, not only did they stop chuntering but that gained me some serious Brownie points........ and was left wondering just when I became that crafty! LOL

I haven't been solely concentrating on stash acquisition though. The cardmaking goodies that Lynn very kindly sent were put to good use to make a card for Clare. Now her birthday has been and gone I can show you what I made:


It was good to finally do something creative, after what seemed like an age. I now have another two cards to make for FIL and an Uncle so I need to get my thinking cap on for those soon.

As for the garden. Well, remember how it looked at the end of the last tidying session:


The blue metal panels gone from against the privet hedge but still with those others leaning on the side of the shed and the one between us and the neighbours? We had another session out there after DH decided all the panels had to go and this is how it looks now:


No more blue metal panels. Yay! Doesn't it look bigger? By the way, those black plastic downpipes are there temporarily, to make a bit of an obstacle course should any scumbag from the local criminal fraternity fancy trying their chances - although now our neighbours have put up a good fence between them and the neighbour the other side there's much less chance of that happening. They seem happy enough with our plans for that end of the garden and may well not bother putting up a fence panel until after we've taken out the old shed and put the new summer house in its place.

The bonfire heap is still there - DH has been very restrained - so I may well suggest that we leave it until the impending Autumn Equinox and have it then. :0)

As for the garden bed along the side of the new fence.... well Mother Nature did her thing while we were on holiday and all kinds of things have sprouted....... and boy, have they flippin' well sprouted! We have no idea where most of it has come from either. This was one of the biggest surprises:



We think it must have been a stray sunflower seed from one of the bird feeders. There were a few more but DH got brutal and pulled a fair few out. That pink flowered thing in the background is so rife it's definitely at weed proportions. That'll teach DH: he's been threatening to do the weed killing session since the new fence went up and still hasn't gotten around to it, now it's twice the job it would have been. Men! On the other hand, the Pete's next door are really motoring on in their garden: in the last two weeks a new back fence has been put up, the old wooden workshop demolished and all the wood burnt, the area flattened and a new concrete base laid and the wood framework for the new one built and put up. The weekend has seen the roof area be boarded and insulated, the outer roof boards added and a start made on the waterproof covering. These guys really graft...... they have got to be on three Shredded Wheat! ROFL

Saturday we had a day at my DSis's....... we decided it was a bit to soon after her motorway detour to suggest that she came over here for the day. Sunday DH made a small start on replacing some of the damaged floorboards in the little bedroom before going to the Festival of the Plough. I didn't fancy it so had a quiet afternoon watching Stargate Atlantis re-runs and doing the ornie finishing instead. We both enjoyed ourselves in our own ways. :0)

Right I'd best be off to finish the last ornie so I'll finally have something stitchy related to show you in my next post, otherwise you'll be wondering if this really is a stitching blog! LOL

Hope you all had a good weekend. Thank you for taking the time to visit and for all your lovely comments. :0)

Happy Valentine's Day

Mine got off to a good start with a lovely card from DH that looked like a handmade one - very pretty it is too. We're not doing choccies or flowers but have decided we're going to splash out between us on a flat-screen monitor for the PC. Practical, yes - with the added bonuses that it'll last waaay longer than flowers and doesn't do any damage to my hips like choccies would ('cos DH is diabetic - I'd have to eat them all). LOL

Next was a pink parcel from Jayne with the COM Monthly fabric Violets which is a sweet blush of subtle colour - I love it and already know what I shall be using it for: My Big Toe Designs Angels Watching. That was also in the packet, along with the other MBTD charts I'd pre-ordered last month: Cheaper Than Therapy; Friends and Anniversary - Eat The Chocolate is to follow. There was also the cutest little mermaid fob ever which is now attached to my DD Ann scissors:

What a great way to start the day and, despite having a lousy sore throat (now I know why I've been feeling so tired this week!) am in a happy mood. DH is glad that I no longer feel like planting him under the patio. ;0) ROFL

No, that place is reserved for the Gas Man who didn't show up yesterday to change the meter. I rang up to complain at 10 to 8pm last night, to a bored and couldn't-care-less female who said he went to a house with a white door and blue garage but no one was in. I don't have a garage, let alone one with a blue door, as I pointed out. Oh, he must have gone to the wrong house, was the reply. It sounds like he went next door but what kind of muppets do they employ that can't tell the difference between number 29 and 31? Both houses have a number plaque on the wall and mine also has brass numbers on the door. Duuurrrr! Methinks it was more that the fella wanted a flyer, so he could get home quick! They can make me another appointment, narrowing it down to a two hour slot, but not on the days I want. Fine: send me a letter with a date he can come round and I'll ring and cancel if it isn't convenient. It seems so few Companies actually want to give a decent Customer Care Service these days, or their employees to do a decent job! OK, rant over. ;0)

Despite that minor annoyance last night wasn't so bad. DH went to have another go at DS's computer to see if he can get it to work properly and get all the updates/downloads to make sure it stays working. I found a Most Haunted repeat and continued with the Amanda SAL and here's where I got to: It's nice to bring that bit more colour into it and it looks lovely on the Georgian fabric. Well pleased with how this is turning out. :0) Got to extract my digit though, as Part 2 of Memories is printed out and ready to go....... and Part 2 of the Ozark SAL is due out any day now too and there's still the finishing to do on the Monthly Challenge piece. Best get off here and go do some stitching then, hadn't I?

Hope you're all having a Happy Valentine's Day - thanks for stopping by. :0)

A Finish, A Start and A Late Comer

Last night's finish was the Monthly Challenge........ well, the stitching bit of the front anyway. Well pleased with how that has turned out, despite having "fun" with the new thread (although I was warned that it could be awkward to use, so was prepared for this), and am now trying to decide if I'm up to the finishing technique. I'm waiting for a couple of bits I bought from that well known auction site to turn up before making final decisions, as I may well change my mind again - nothing new there, then. LOL


The new start, also last night, is the For Amanda SAL piece designed by Carol Tinson. It won't all fit on the scanner, so here's a pic of what will:

The fabric isn't the recommended one: it's Pol's Georgian Linen, as suggested by Jayne. These are the two outer borders, stitched in Dinky Dyes silk Eungella, and I've completed the top and half of both sides so far and will carry on with this tonight. Am enjoying this piece and loving the effect of the silk/colours on the fabric - they are all a joy to use.


The late comer is the last of the charts outstanding from my Thread Bear order which came this morning, along with the no-sew roller bars. It's a Milady's Needle chart by Gloria Moore: It's such a sweet design, how could I not get it? LOL Whilst Yule celebrations are more my thing we still keep a traditional Christmas for my DH so it'll be a nice piece to make and display for him.


I had a nosey round at various craft sites yesterday and finished up ordering one of those clip-on magnifiers to try out. It's No 7 on this page if you want to have a look-see. Thought it was a good way of keeping me going with the fine work, as what I would eventually like is one of those big, floor-standing adjustable ones that has the lens in the middle and a light round the outside. I definitely would prefer having a try-before-you-buy session before paying out that amount of money though. Still haven't found out where the place in Grimsby is so I guess I shall have to get to a stitching show this year, in the hopes that someone there is selling them.


Well today hasn't gone quite as planned. Last night DH went out to a Retirement Do for one of the higher-ups at work, a meal out and drink - only a group of them went on into town to a late opening pub afterwards as well, with my party animal DH among them. Guess who didn't get back in until gone 2am? Guess who'd had a few more jars than he's used to? Guess who's been feeling as rough as a badger's bum today and spent most of it in bed, feeling sorry for himself? And guess who wasn't too happy about it?
OK, if he was feeling poorly, sick and dying from a bug I would have the compassion and kindness of the sainted Mother Teresa herself and do all the looking after required. It's not though, it's self-inflicted - be prepared to feel the awesome wrath of Sekh'met the avenger!!! Guess who won't be doing that again in a hurry? ROFLMAO
Actually, he's been looking and feeling so rough I didn't have the heart to present him with a greasy fry-up or bend his ear about having more sense at his age - I know he won't be in a rush to feel that bad again any time soon. ;0)

Meantime I've kept myself busy and spent some time in the back garden, filling the brown recycling bin with yet more conifer clippings (they will keep growing! LOL). It was a pleasure to listen to Poppa blackbird singing his heart out at dusk, almost as if he were serenading the new moon. It lifts my heart so to hear him. Hopefully the weather will stay dry so I can spend some time pottering around out there tomorrow as well.

I hope you're all having a good weekend, whatever you are doing, and thanks for stopping by. :0)

Wednesday's Wafflings

We had a nice meal out last night and sat in the pub nattering for a while afterwards, then decided to pop to Tesco to do a bit of shopping (it was just across the road). By the time we'd finished in there, driven home and put the bits of shopping away it was around 10pm and I was too tired for stitching, as planned, by then. So I was a bad lass and didn't stitch on ET but - before Mr Stick starts jumping up and down - I shall be making up for that today instead. :0)

As there's no update pic to show today thought I'd share pics of the other two charts that were in yesterday's Thread Bear package instead. I love the Irish Blessing on this - wouldn't it make a lovely New Home gift? This one was so cute and it'll make a brilliant Oestre picture, as well as being adaptable for a sweet New Baby picture for my bunny loving neighbours...... who just happen to be expecting their third baby in July (which I didn't know when I ordered this):
This uses GAST threads (or DMC). I don't have any GAST but, thanks to Jayne's Monthly Club, I do now have a respectable collection of Carrie's Creations, so does anyone know if there's a conversion list available somewhere online, please? TIA. :0)

DH has booked Thursday and Friday off work, in an effort to use up some of the time-in-lieu he built up over the summer/autumn - although so many men on that same project are now owed so much time off it's been decided some of the over-time worked will now be paid in actual money instead. We won't get excited though - by the time the tax man has done there won't be much left over! Not sure what the plans are yet but am hoping we'll get a few DIY jobs done in the house...... there's plenty on the list to choose from!

Nicola: the Dentist knows how I feel about going, so he puts me under sedation when the main work is done. He wasn't very careful last time though, as I woke up part way through treatment - it hasn't helped at all and why I got so wound up this time. :0( Maybe I should try the approach I once saw in a film on TV: grab him by a certain part of his anatomy while looking him straight in the eye and growling menacingly: Now, we're not going to hurt each other, are we? Seemed to work well in the film, anyway. ROFLMAO.

Thanks for all the lovely comments about the Memories piece - all credit to Jayne, her instructions are very clear and the design is such a treat to stitch.

Now I'm off to do that belated UFO Night stitching on ET before Julie sics Mr Stick on to me. ;0)

Hope all is good with you and that life is treating you well. :0)

A Mini Happy Dance......

as I finished Part 1 of the Memories SAL last night. Yay! Got to say that I've thoroughly enjoyed stitching this and can't wait for the next part. The fabric and threads are lovely to use and everything about it works so well. I also got my Thread Bear order this morning but, from the looks of the packaging, RM have been less than gentle with it. >:0( Luckily the contents were wrapped in tissue (and very prettily bound with a piece of gold ribbon), so the charts were protected from the tears the envelope received. Obviously RM haven't realised yet that stash packages are extra special and should be treated as precious objects and only handled by the gentlest of postal workers, preferably whilst wearing protective gloves. Yeah, right - and that squadron of flying pigs has just gone past again. LOL.
I've now got enough plastic floss bobbins to keep me busy winding my DMC threads for some time and here's two of the charts I got:
I'm a sucker for a cute snowman and the LHN designs are irresistible, so how could I not buy them? It would take someone with waaay more willpower than me! ;0)

Glad to say I'm feeling much better now. Had a quiet but enjoyable day at my DSis's on Sunday. On Monday I managed to do all of my usual house jobs without getting overly breathless (though deliberately paced myself) and had a good natter with my friend Alex in the late afternoon.

Today we've had the dreaded trip back to the Dentist to have our temporary crowns taken off and the proper ones fitted. I nearly burst into tears when I saw the chair and had to make myself sit in it, doing breathing techniques while he was doing the work. When he'd done my legs were shaking so much I couldn't make it back to the waiting room, so had to sit in an ordinary chair in the treatment room while DH had his crown fitted. Needless to say, I didn't look but kept on with the breathing techniques until we could both leave. I was annoyed with myself afterwards for not saying anything about the last visit but just knew if I did I'd have made a total pratt of myself by bursting into tears. Guess what: I won't be going back there for a looooooong time, if ever.

Afterwards DH took us to the nearby garden centre for a warm drink, to give us both chance to settle down, which was a good idea. I settled down even more after he dropped me off at home because, with the weather being fine, I was able to spend a good twenty minutes or so pottering about doing jobs in the garden - always a calming influence and good for the soul. :0)

He also suggested we treat ourselves to a meal out in a local pub tonight, so that's what we'll be doing later. Don't worry Julie & Mr Stick, I haven't forgotten it's UFO Night. ;0)

Many thanks for all the lovely comments about Eliza's Pyn Pillow and the well wishes, they're greatly appreciated. Hope you're all having a good week. :0)

Weekend Update and More......

I haven't disappeared off the face of the planet, I just haven't had much time to myself for Blogging these last few days. Time for a catch up on news now........ so I recommend making yourself a cup of tea/coffee and putting your feet up before starting. ;0)

Saturday DH got on with the shelf for the kitchen cupboard while I pottered with house and garden jobs plus keeping him well supplied with copious cups of tea.
I also got out all of my DMC threads and found all the ones needed to stitch the Christmas card for the exchange I'm in - that's a first, as usually I need to buy at least 1 skein for a new project.
Seeing the disorganisation of the 3 separate bags (a mix of whole and partial skeins), 3 floss boxes (2 of which are only partially filled) and the bag of empty plastic bobbins waiting to be filled gave me a guilt trip. Sorting this little lot is a job I've threatened to get around to many, many times and haven't. So I made a start Saturday night, instead of stitching.

Sunday we went over to my DSis's in Doncaster. We had dinner out, then visited the Crem to see our Mum and Dad's new memorial plaque on the monument and lay flowers for them. The plaque is lovely - they would be proud. :0)
We went for a drive round afterwards and ended up at Bawtry Caravans. We got a few bits we needed for our tourer but spent most of the time in the gift shop and cafe. DSis bought a lovely little angel ornament to tie in the branches of the blue spruce tree that is close to where our parents ashes are at the Crem - we'll do that on our next visit.
DH and I couldn't resist a decorative filigree metal fire screen that has small hoops attached to the back that hold glass tealight holders - it looks lovely on our hearth and it can be "dressed" with ornaments for the festive season.
In the evening we went to the memorial service for Dad and all those who had passed away this last year in the parish of St Peter's Church. It was well attended and we realised why when all the names were read out: we couldn't believe how many there were.
We all had the opportunity to go to the front and leave a lighted candle, in memory of our loved ones, on the marble steps in front of the altar area. When we were seated again they switched most of the lights off for a few minutes silence and the effect of all those little tealights plus the pillar candles on the altar was lovely, almost magical. I found it moving but not upsetting and was glad we'd attended.
Many thanks for the kind thoughts over this, they were much appreciated and did help. :0)

DH has got this week off as a holiday. We had originally planned to go away but decided against it, as it's an ideal opportunity for us to get some of the outstanding DIY jobs done that got backed up while he was so busy at work over the summer.
Monday he continued with the shelf while I did my usual house jobs, ready for Alex's regular Monday visit, as well as keeping the cuppas flowing. BTW, what is it with men, DIY jobs and tea? Is tea to men what oil is to a car: forget to put it in and the whole thing seizes up? LOL
No stitching on Monday night but I did do some more thread winding and sorting. That goes well until I get a knot in it *@!!#**!....... I told DH that's why it's called cross stitch. ;0)

Tuesday got off to a good start with a pink parcel containing the Sassy's Black Ash fabric bargain from Jayne that I got for some Halloween ornament stitching for next year.
We decided to go out and about today, so went to the Kirton Lindsey garden centre for dinner (their tuna cheese melt baguettes are yummy!). We had a look round afterwards and came away with a heavy duty garden sack, a bag full of ordinary tea lights and two boxes of scented ones, a couple of Christmas gifts (for MIL and FIL) and a small birthday gift for DS........ I call that a good haul. We didn't find what we'd actually gone looking for: a decorative but useful bird bath for the garden, so we set off to Brigg garden centre.
No luck there either, despite there being lots more choice, but we did get: a nice decorative wall pot for the front of the house and a beautiful deep red cyclamen plant to go in it; a mini scrapbook wedding kit, and a couple of pocket tags to go with, which I'll make up for DS's friends who married last month; I treated myself to a book (Witch Child by Celia Rees) and a Heritage cross stitch kit called Night Watchman - I love owls and at a tenner off it was a real bargain. ;0)
Part of today's haul:

I shall, hopefully, do a UFO Night update and have a catch up day with everyone's Blogs tomorrow (Wednesday).
DH plans to get the shelf finished - hope so, because we'll then be able to sort out all the stuff we took out of there, Freecycle what we don't want/need any more, and re-organise what's left as it's put back......... there's something very satisfying about getting things like this sorted then crossing that job off the list. :0)

Today's Stash

Well I couldn't figure out how to edit a post to add a pic so I'm adding it here instead. Unfortunately it's only a scan but at least you'll get to see my new stash.

Blogland Here I Come......

After enjoying browsing many Blogs on a regular basis I've decided it's about time I made an attempt at blogging myself.
By the title it should be fairly obvious that this will mainly be about my craftwork: specifically cross stitch, hardanger & blackwork but I also make cards & do the occasional piece of canvaswork (very occasionally). I love my crafts & will look forward to sharing with you.
Today has been a good day: I've been accepted as a member of the Yahoo! Long Dog Sampler group, as I intend to start stitching Rosemarkie soon. Thank you to Ina for pointing me in the right direction & to Marc & Tim for allowing me to join. :0) I've already browsed the pics on there of members completed Rosemarkie pieces - stunning!
I've also received some stash post from Jayne's Attic: the Cat's Whiskers/Dinky Dyes Happy Holidays chart & thread pack. I like both designs but the Celtic Tree Ornament is so me.... & the DD silk threads are gorgeous, so touchy-feely. Bliss!
Will post pics once I've figured it out..... it may be a long wait as I am seriously technically challenged at times. Still, it keeps me quiet & out of trouble. ;0)