First and last

It's the first month of the year, 

and the last day of the month, where did it go!

I had a busy day stitching on Sunday, got loads done, I have 3 centres to do and then the background, which I am thinking of doing white, then just the boarders. Should be finished soon.

I did not get my sewing machine out on Sunday, I was enjoying my stitching so much, I have loads of patterns I want to do my head is buzzing.

It's the coldest week of the winter so far, no snow, but really frosty each morning,

Stitching update

 Sunday morning again, with stitching to show, so not a bad week, I have been working on the rug, it's coming along well, I hope to finish the bold patterns and stitch the centre this week, I did start stitching the infill, but decided the colour was wrong, so I have to start again.

I am using DMC 906,937,3364 for greens and 830 for the brown, the pattern came from the book below, I love most of the designs in here, but they use Appletons Crewel wool, and I prefer my silks.  The authors have a second book, which I have, so I have stitched a few of their designs for Somerset House.

 I wanted to show you the thread I purchased, from Weeks Dye Works, it is called Noel, the colour in the photo I took in a previous blog did nor show true, these are  much better, can't wait to get this on my frame.

We have not done much this week, Kev has been off work and has not been walking to great, his is much better but it will take a few weeks before he is all mended. As for the bike we are waiting to hear what is to become of it, because of the damage we are unsure if they will fix it or just pay out for it.

We have seen both Fliss and Su this weekend, Su and Gav are finishing off their kitchen, she is so happy, it does look nice, I really do like the colours they have chosen only the worktop and tiles left to do. Fliss's little family are all well, we saw Sammy yesterday, full of smiles toddling around the house, he has found the patio doors facing the garden, and he loves to see the birds, my glass was full of dirty little hand marks, but a pleasing sight for a Nanna!

Today I hope to get out my sewing machine, I have a few things to finish , I keep promising to get them done, and I have space on my heart tree to hang them.

Postie's been again!

 I have been naughty again, another new start, making a rug for a dolls house.

I have made this design before, I am making if for my February RAK, I know who will be receiving it, but you will have to wait until next month, I have decided to pass this to the person who has left the most comments on this blog, I am doing a second item for a lady who gives me the most wonderful comments.

 The postman has been again, so soon, but I have purchased the threads and buttons for Simply Christmas by Waxing Moon designs, I have been good/naughty and brought two sets, after I finish this design I aim to pass it on with the buttons and the main mixed colour thread for the word Christmas, another of this years RAK's.

Don't you so love the colour of these threads not the best photo, but they pass from red yellow and green. 

Life has been hard this week, my hubby Kev came off his motorbike on Sunday, and he is bruised and sore all over with a broken foot, lucky he wears all proper biker gear, the really nice driver of a black BMW, who caused the accident, stopped, saw people were helping Kev and then he disappeared, nice chap. The poor bike looks a mess, but Kev is here, walking wounded, but here. 

So we are planning a weekend at home, doing nothing, hope to see Josh and Sammy, pop to the craft club, and stitch. 

TUSAL Jan 2012

 Not loads of ORTS, but it's a start

Life got in the way of stitching yesterday, not a good day at all !!

Signs of Spring, the wicked white witch is loosing her clutches,
sorry to non Narnia fans!

New stash

 First Romantic Sampler, I have finished another two panels,

With just 4 panels and the centre flower to stitch the finish line is in sight, I have really enjoyed stitching this design, I love the colours, it's an easy piece to follow.

 My new stash, I love this Simple Christmas by Waxing Moon Design, 

I will order the correct silks for "Christmas" and match all the others. I do plan to stitch this soon, I will purchase extra thread and have the pattern and the thread as a RAK, here later in the year.

 Patchwork Sampler, Jan Houtman Designs, 

I have wanted to stitch this since I saw it first, this is my next project, and I am itching to get it in the frame, but once it's in the frame every thing else will be set aside.

 Tribal penguin by White Willow Stitching, 

is very interesting, my daughter Su has a love of penguin's so I will stitch this for a surprise, I am thinking of stitching it on pale blue felt and making a cushion. It's OK Su does not follow my blogs.

I have been online and ordered more things, can't wait to see the postman.

Tomorrow we have the second craft club, I'm hoping Fliss will be able to come with me, Sammy her youngest son has not be too well, nothing sadder than a 14 month old lad feeling unwell.

Sunday Kev is planning to go on a motor bike ride with his club, wives are not required, so it might be nice to have time by myself, I would like to get my sewing machine out and finish off some projects.

Watch this space

Not heard anything regarding dates for op's, but not expecting them to get back to me so soon. Just waiting for all my bruises to heal, I have three, it is always a nightmare when needles are involved, took 4 goes before they secured a vein.

No snow, it's not even that cold here, typical January weather for the South of England, at least it is dry most of the time.

Catch up

I just have the shinny thread and the red beads to add, I am thinking of having a different colour bead on this side, will have to look at my stash. Then stitch it to the other one to make a two sided hanging ornament.

I have also done some more on my Romantic Sampler, I still love this and will make it into a cushion for my daughter Fliss, I will then carry on with Sweet Flowers when it is released each month. I also plan to do loads of small projects, I have a growing idea and will need loads of smaller items.

I spent last Sunday going through 3 years of my blog, and reading all the comments for each post. I have decided my next month's RAK is linked to my comments, and I have one lady who always leaves me such wonderful comments, so I am making plans.


Sunday was good, my scans went well, was told they had good images, so now I wait for my letter with a date. I will have to take a month off work, so I am planning to get out my Winter Watergarden and finish that. If I have the operation they are suggesting, it will be worth any extra discomfort.

Stitchy Saturday

 There is a new craft club starting in our museum in Fareham, and Fliss and I popped along.

Our museum is a town house in the centre of town, it has loads of little rooms and deals with local history, they tried to have a knitting club but the is did not attract many people, so they have thrown it open to all crafts. Yesterday was the second week, we had 4 people there for the whole 4 hours, but loads of people passing popped in, we are hoping for more next week.

I decided to take a small project, I am stitching a matching back for my cat tree ornament.

below is the result of an afternoon working with my beads, total disaster, just as I was finishing the tree the wires snapped and so I still have a bowl of beads.

This morning I have an appointment at our local hospital, I am having a body scan, if the results are clear, I will be given a date for my last operation, should be with in the next 6 weeks. Very exciting, I have been told it is a much bigger operation that I was first told, but it will rid me of all my niggling problems.

Later we are going for a walk around Portchester castle, the sun is shinning here, it's cold but we can wrap up warm.

Scan went well, waiting for results...

Guilty stitching

I have finished the first part of sweet flowers, it has just two colours, 

the leaves are a shade lighter.

 

The flowers are beautiful

now back to romantic sampler

I went shopping in Hobbycraft yesterday, and found felt tags in the sale, 10 tags for £1, great value, I have brought them to use a present tags this year, but I have extra, thought I might make a Happy Christmas banner with them, I also got a pack for Fliss, the third colour is white not pink.

My great niece Riona was born last night, a second grandchild for my brother Martin,it will be a while before we get a cuddle they are 100 miles away, but mum and daughter are both doing well.

My guilt was, I should have been finishing Romantic Sampler, it's promised to Fliss

New year, new start

 This is a delight to stitch and to look at.

I have not finished Romantic sampler, but on Sunday I received the first part of Sweet Flowers, it is being released a section each month, and I just had to start stitching it, I am half way through the first part, once I have stitched this section I will go back to Romantic Sampler.

 I am stitching on 28 count white linen, it just has 4 colours

 Angie, the designer's blog is here I love stitching the lace effect.

My heart tree is filling up, I have added a couple of non stitched hearts, my wooden heart in the front I have had for years, it's so smooth to touch, this lives on my dining room table.

Work was good yesterday, I am yoyoing between having the January blues and feeling OK, I will fight it, 10 days gone a third of the way through the first month, the year is going as fast as last year.
Fingers crossed I might have some real good news next time.

Fort Nelson

 Yesterday we went out with both Josh and Sammy, Josh wanted to take us to Fort Nelson, it's only 10 minutes drive from home, so we meet the boys and mummy and daddy there.

Kev and I went a couple of months ago, we walked around enjoying discovering the local history, but this visit was very different. Josh loved all the guns, and there are so many he is able to touch, he does not play with guns at home, they are all sizes as you can see from the cannon below, Sammy had as much fun as Josh. This is a perfect day out for boys of all ages and sizes.

 At 1pm, the fired a large gun, twice, Josh was very brave, but still needed a cuddle, Sammy did not like the noise. After the guns we walked in the tunnels, well we did, Josh ran around jumping out of gaps scaring us, and had so much fun.

Grancha walked with Sammy taking their time, Sammy was able to see everything, there were rooms for us ladies, they had a perfect Victorian kitchen, you can see more here,and on the way out a very good cafe.

All in all it was a fun time to spend a couple of hours, when we finished we had two tired but very happy boys, local history can be fun, I'm not a fan of war history, but seeing it through the eyes of a 6 year old was different and fun.

Nanna and Grancha came home for a rest!

New Year, different promise

 I find myself with not alot of stitching time and very little interest in doing anything.

I have done one small pattern in bottom right corner, I do have some over stitching to do, I want to finish this and make it into a cushion for Fliss, it's her style and colours, she already knows, I would have liked to have it finished for her birthday next Monday, but that's a bit too much work.

 This year, for this blog I have made myself a different promise, I have been thinking of doing a giveaway for a while, but I prefer to do something for the followers I already have, so through out this year, each month I am going to to a RAK for a few of my followers.
My 1st RAK is for my newest follower http://ricketyjo.blogspot.com/, I'm not sure if her name is Jo, but in her 1st blog for this year, she states she would like to sew Lizzie Kate and do something for halloween, so I am sending her the items below.

 I fancy doing something with these beads, I have had them for ages, sat in my bead drawer, I love the colours, I am thinking of making a tree decoration.

I am off work for a couple of days, I feel as if I have flu, but without the cold, I don't like to take sick leave but I ache so much, hopefully a few days rest will help, it was very busy time over the New Year, I think I probably over did things. We have no real plans over the weekend, Josh wants to take us to a local fort for a visit on Saturday. I should do some cleaning now the Christmas decorations are all packed away again.