Are you missing me? lol

Are you missing me? lol

It's been a while since I did a blog update but my life has been very hectic. I can't believe that within the next two to three weeks, I will have two new grandbabies! I have been helping my daughter in the restaurant, so thats why I havent been online so much let alone on my groups. Cross stitch has taken a bit of a backburner for a while just while I get the baby things done.

First off, I would like to say thank you to Lori for my lovely pincushion and matching bag and goodies for our swap on International Hand Stitchers. I love it and so does my grandson. He walks around with tortoise pincushion when he is here lol

I have managed to finish a pram blanket for Becky, the peach one, and am now crocheting a cot blanket for Sarah. Got to finish that one and start another cot blanket and finish it by the time the babies are due :o

I have also managed to do some more squares for the throw from the Art of Crochet publication.

Besides, just lately, every bit of cross stitch I'v picked up, I've gone wrong on. So a break is probably good at the moment until the baby bits are finished. Obviously my mind is elsewhere!

I have Colin at home off sick from work with a virus and my gas boiler has been condemned so I am waiting for my landlord to install the new one. Thank gawd we have an emersion heater for backup hot water.

I hope everyone is well and healthy. I will be back in full on groups as soon as both grandbabies are born. So for now, happy stitching my friends.

Big Monday Update

Oh dear, what a bad stitching week I have had............way too much frogging and I was so cross with myself over it as I pretty much never make huge mistakes when it comes to my stitching. First frogging ordeal was my pirate.

I had used the wrong colour on his face so had to frog the entire lot which also included the skull and crossbones and the edging around the hat. This is what he looks like now.

Guess your wondering what the second frogging incident was? Unfortunatley it was my Castles in the Air. On the second peacock I was one stitch out, so, out has to come the whole peacock, what a pain in the proverbial arse lol.

This is my progress on my Haed Storykeep, 2004 stitches lol. Had to scan it as the camera couldn't pick up the details where its so small. Theres loads of colours used here lol.

Good news is that one of my twins asked Saturday out of the blue if he could do some stitching so I sorted out one of those little stitchables. Come Sunday he had stitched two of them, so kudo's to him. Mind you he probably won't stitch for a long time again lol.

Sunday I met up with Sophia and Jenny for our weekly stitching session. It is nice to get out and be able to stitch with other fanatics about stitching stitchers. We have two more potential new members. In two weeks time we will be having the meeting at my house and then might be meeting their until new premises can be found as I have quite a large living room.

My other new love is crocheting. I got the bug pretty bad I'm afraid. I did a little stash shopping for it and bought these.

Aren't they gorgeous colours? They were bloody expensive though and I couldn't get any of this cotten in purple or a really bright yellow. I am going to make another throw with these. The throw I am currently doing is from a weekly publication, The Art of Crochet, and it uses wool and dullish colours as you can see from the previous squares I have done and the two squares below. I need to try and source some cotton online that is cheaper but must be very colourful. Colin nearly had a fit when she rung up the bill for these lol. It was from an upmarket shop that only sells expensive wool and cotton and not the everyday kinda stuff. Hastings is shit 

bad for trying to buy stuff like this ;p

Heres square number 6 of my throw.

And square number 7.

Last but not least is my Lindita Senorita:

She is booked in for the groomers but theres a waiting list and as you can see, she's really hairy now hehehe. The groomer has such a time with her as Lindita does not like being groomed at the best of times let alone having her fur cut, hence why we send her to the groomers and don't do her ourselves lol.

Update

This is my progress so far on Castles in the air. Nearly finished part four now. I'm trying to put a few stitches in most days to try and catch up.

This is Sue Hillis's 'Another Day Another Ship'. It is stitching up quite quickly. 

Sunday I met up with Sophia and Jenny, two local stitchers who advertised for other stitchers in one of the cross stitch mags. We are going to be stitching together most weeks, so should be fun.

Busy as a Bee Pincushion

Stitched on 28ct Jobelan in Buttermilk.

Pattern free, available HERE

I stitched this pincushion for an exchange on a Yahoo group I belong too.

UFO Tuesday update

Here's my progress on Midnight Enchanter by Dimensions. He is slowly getting there with me stitching on him on UFO Tuesdays via my ILCS group.

As I compose this, I am talking with Rene on Yahoo messenger. Earlier I said to her, 'I don't know what to stitch on today', and she said, 'start your pirate one' So I have lol. I kinda meant which one shall I stitch on that I already have on the go lol. Oh well, whats one more new start right?

Evalina's Challenge lol

Evalina has set a challenge by asking are we brave enough to show the contents of our handbags/purses. Well Evalina my friend, I'm brave enough lol.

In mine is my old purse and the new purse which I havent transferred my money and cards in to yet. My make up bag, old till receipts (luckily I only cleared my bag out a few days ago as I usually have LOADS of crap till receipts lol), Sugar free mint Polo's, Nokia phone, strawberry tea bags, Dr's prescription, little notepad and pen, Dr's appointment card, an old envelope with nothing in it lol ,tissues and a ladies doberry doberry thing.

I only carry the makeup I am wearing in my bag as I have too much of it to carry around with me.

A finish and update.

Lizzie Kate June 'stamp'.

Stitched on a fabric oddment from a Polstitches 'Grab Bag'.

I finished this last night. I really like the way it turned out and I think it is my favourite one so far.

I framed this too which was a job and a half. I originally was going to make it into a pillow ornament but decided once it was finished that I wanted it framed. What made it a pig was I hadn't left much for the boarders on it as I don't when making ornaments as I like to be econimical with fabric. So, out came the sewing machine and I sewed strips of fabric on the stitched piece so I could stretch it to frame it. There's a little hint of the pink fabric at the bottom of the frame. Other than that, it turned out ok.

Shelley from my ILCS group, sent me a RAK. She sent me some floss I needed for a couple of projects and a Wolf chart which I really love. Thank you so much Shelley!

I have started two new pieces. One is a stitched pincushion for an exchange and the other is a Tea Sampler by The Design Connection. I really love the way this one is turning out and the picture on the chart does not do it justice.

I am really excited about this coming Sunday as I am going to meet up with a couple of stitchers from my town. They advertised in one of the cross stitch magazines, which I didn't get, but Sadie emailed me with the particulars, so I emailed and we have arranged to meet at lunch time Sunday. So, thank you Sadie, very much appreciated that you thought of me!

Monday update

Colin and I went away this weekend to his mum and dads. I did mange to get some stitching done on my Lizzie Kate June Stamp.

Colins mum, Linda, stitches too,and this weekend I enabled her to stitch on linen! I am looking forward to seeing how she gets on with it next time we go visit.

I did get a wonderful suprise from her.............whilst we were out shopping on Sunday afternoon, I mentioned that I had finally decided on the theme for my kitchen, teapots, cups, tea and coffee theme. As it happens a friend of hers relative, passed away, and she had lots of minature teapots and she had just given them to Col's mum. It wasn't just a few, it was a big cardboard box full of them! Some of them are really really pretty. So Him Indoors now needs to put up shelves in my kitchen for them to go on. They will be going in the dining area. What a great start to my collection. I will take a picture of them when they are all unwrapped ond on the shelves. I just need at some point, to stitch some teacups/teapots/coffee/tea type stuff to accompany them.

My kitchen walls are totally bare. Him Indoors says it looks way too sterile lol.

My grandaughter Destiny was two years old on Friday. Time seems to fly by so quickly now. Here she is with her daddy, and my son, Christopher. Dosn't she look just like her daddy lol.

A Lizzie Kate Finish

Lizzie Kate Snippet #S75

Fabric, 28ct Jobelan in 'Buttermilk'

I'm having two weeks off my large projects to do some small items and this is my first finish. Meari sent me this for my Birthday last year in the ILCS Birthday Club. It is very appropriate right now seeing I am getting three new grandbabies this year to add to the three I already have :) So, thank you again Meari!

I swapped out a couple of colours ie the purple instead of dark blue for the text lol.

I was going to make it into a pillow ornament but I am leaning more in getting it framed but I am not sure if I have left enough border to do that. I am going to pick up a frame on Thursday, hopefully, for it.

Monday update

On my ILCS group, I challenged the members to a finishing weekend. It was to finish off items that were already stitched and just need turning into something. I found five unfinished items but only managed to finish off two.

A snowflake ornament and a little dragon holding a candy cane that I turned into a keyring for Colin. I had my grandson Rylee staying over night on the Saturday so my attention was devoted to him and the twins and we watched the second Chipmunk movie lol.

Sunday evening I worked on my ornament for the Summer Ornament exchange on ILCS. At least I managed to get some stitching done eventually lol.