Armed Forces Day and Stitching Update

Today I drummed at our local Armed Forces day in Alexander Park. The weather was a bit all over the place. Sun out, then cloudy and windy then sun out again, in a repeating pattern. It did spit a little but luckily the rain held off. I had to get there early as the organisers wanted some drums to make a Drum Altar.

It was in honour of the military musicians that have died in combat.

In attendance were some Gurkhas who have fought bravely for Britain for many years now as part of the British Army.

The gentleman in the wheelchair is Bob, and drums with Section 5 :)

Royal Airforce merchandise. I love the ducks!

Poppy Day merchandise.

Put a silly hat on for today, life can't be serious all the time :)

A few of Section 5 chilling before the drumming.

The other half Sir Grumpy Colin

Stitching.

First up is Nymph in Woods. Previously:

Now:

 I got quite a lot done before I decided I had had enough .

Lavender Fields previously:

Now:

Sunflower Biscornu previously:

Now:

 My current rotation is now 'Spirit' by Heaven and Earth Designs.

I am stitching this one 1 over 1. It is a storykeep  and is nearly half completed :)

Last but not least.........................

Some really good news! My other half has finally managed to get a job after being unemployed for just over a year. I am doing a happy dance!!!!!

A Long Time!

I hadn't realised that it was last July that I last updated. Mind you, this is mostly due to me losing my stitching mojo. I have recently started stitching again and I hope it is for good.

To help me back into stitching I bought a bookmark kit by Vervaco called Winter Landscape with Robin. Here is my progress so far.

I have also stitched on my Spirit HAED.

This one is painfully slow to stitch on due to the confetti stitching.

Over Due Update

I have not stitched as much as I would of liked over the last several weeks, in fact some weeks I did not get any stitching done due to ill health and personal issues. I am hoping to be able to get back into a routine.

First up is Natures Vision:

It is slowly coming along ;-)

Next is Spirit HAED:

Next is Dragon's Lair:

Not too much left to do on this one accept

 for all the beading.

Last up is Humming Birds Scissor Fob:

Thank you for looking and any comments are hugely appreciated :-)

HAED Spirit Update

I haven't been able to stitch as much as I would like to have lately, so here is my 10 hours on Spirit.

Before picture:

What she look's like now:

You can see most of her face now :-)

I have started a new project, but won't be able to post pictures as it is a surprise for someone, until they have received it. ;-p

I am currently working on Dragon's Lair, which is next in my rotation. It is slower going than what I thought it would be due to constant colour changing and blending. I will be leaving the three packs of beads till last!

Teaser Shot and Update

I will start with the teaser. So many people keep asking if Midnight Enchanter, my HUGE BAP, is finished yet. Well, it is not finished but getting very close. I am working on the back stitch and then the couching. So, here is a teaser shot.

So many stitchers have expressed how much they like this piece. In some ways I will be sorry to see this finished as I have been working on and off on it for a few years. The fun part will be starting a new BAP.

Next up is Friendship Tea Time Sampler:

Sorry about the photo quality, it came out a bit dark.

Last but not least Spirit by HAED:

It is starting to get more exciting as her head is slowly appearing lol.

Weekly Update

I have not got as much done as I would of liked, but I was very busy over the weekend.

First Up Spirit HAED:

I am very pleased as I have finished page one and page two which is a partial page.

Next up, Midnight Enchanter:

I am so close to finishing the actual stitching! Just leaves tons of backstitching and couching :-/

Just the bit left in the above photo to stitch and the mauve Kreinik at the top of the moon.

RAK

Edie from my I Love Cross Stitch Yahoo group sent me a RAK. I knew Edie was sending me it but what I was not expecting was her astounding generosity! Edie sent me L&L Angel of Summer, Celtic Christmas, Angel of Spring and last but not least Angel of the Sea including all the threads and beads for it. I was astounded to say the least! I had tears in my eyes when I saw exactly what Edie had gifted to me. She also sent me some pieces of fabric which will come in more than handy seeing Colin's job situation is so dire at the moment. I just can not thank you enough Edie and again, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Lizzie Kate Win

Linda over at the official Lizzie Kate blog held a competition and all you had to do was leave a comment about your favourite bacon food and I WON! I hardly if ever, win anything, so I was chuffed to bits!

http://lizziekateblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/makin-bacon-blog-contest.html

Drumming

All the Scouts groups in our area held a big parade on Sunday in honour of ST. Georges Day , which was actually on the Monday but due to the good old British Government (said with much sarcasm) it is NOT a public Holiday seeing it is England's patron Saint but it should be seeing Wales, Ireland and Scotland all get a day off for their Patron Saints day! Just put a wig on David Cameron (UK's Prime Minster, but you knew that didn't you?), and he will be the spitting image of Maggie Thatcher the Snatcher...............but I digress, sorry,

Anyhow, we drummed for the scouts and didn't realise till we got there what a big parade it was or should I say just how many scouts there were. There was hundred's of them lol. Anyhow, we had a great time drumming in their parade then we headed off around Hastings and then the Old Town drumming for St Georges Day (in advance lol, don't get me started again lol, bloody government).

This is just a few of us but there was about 40 drummers altogether.

Having a pint before we started drumming.

Monday Update

The last week seems to have  flown by!

First of Midnight Enchanter:

I put some more stitches in at the top, the mauve Kreinik but concentrated more down the bottom. There is still a sizeable chunk left to do then the back stitching and couching, but hopefully not too many more weeks now until he is finished.

Apart from my two HAEDS, (ones just a Storykeep, besides, two types of stitching, HAEDS 1 over 1 and normal BAP 2 over 2 , thats my logic for starting a new project lol), after ME is finished I won't have any current BAP's on the go, so I am looking forward to starting something new. Not sure what though. Maybe Circe the Sorceress or a Lavender and Lace Design or even a Patricia Allison Dragon, the ones with all the Kreinik and blending. I am digressing, back to the updates.

Spirit Storykeep by HAED stitched 1 over 1.

Looking much better now that the top of the ladies head is showing. Lots of Kreinik in the 'whitish' areas. It is quite a pain to use on 1 over 1 stitching, trying to get it to lay nice and flat and not look bulky.

RAK'd by Nancy M

This morning I received a RAK from Nancy M . She had read on my blog that I needed to order some navy aida for my son's wolf that I will be stitching him and offered to send me some seeing she had some to give away. Nancy also sent me some other goodies as well...............thank you so much Nancy, I really appreciate it!

I love Cross Stitch Bookmark Exchange

This morning I also received my bookmark from Lyn N.

Thank you so much Lyn, I love it!

Section 5

Our local hospice, St Michaels, asked if we would drum at their charity fund raiser on Saturday, which we did and had a great time as always.

Me on the right in the topper and Colin is the one with the red face lol.

Colin.

Getting ready to play.

Lots of Updates.

I forgot to update my blog last week so this entry is rather picture heavy.

I finished my bookmark for the exchange in my ILCS group. I will post a picture once my partner Lyn has received it.

First up, Midnight Enchanter:

A close up of the area I am working on:

Slowly but surely it is getting there lol.

Next up Summer Sampler:

This is nearly finished and it would of been finished except I didn't have one of the colours to do some of the alphabet but I am going to pick it up in town tomorrow, if I remember!

Next up Dragon's Lair:

I am stitching on this here and there but will devote more time to it when Midnight Enchanter is finished.

Last but not least my HAED, Spirit:

It is starting to look better now that the design is beginning to take shape. I am giving it a rest this week and stitching on my other HAED, The Green Man.

Yesterday was Mother's Day here in the UK and I got very spoilt.

I did have four boxes of chocolates but I ate one yesterday lol.

It is official now that Colin is being made redundant at the end of April, we thought it was May but they moved it forward a month. Can't say I am looking forward to it but hopefully, somewhere down the line he can find another job.