Secret Stitching Revealed!

As it is Julie's birthday today- Happy Birthday Julie!!!- I can now share my secret stitching:) I do hope you like it Julie:)

This is the stitcher's pocket I stitched for Julie. I used the mail art envelope from The Gift of Stitching for the outline and some of the stitching as well as one of the pieces by With My Needle from the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue.The thread I chose is a Stephi Francis silk. For the making up I used Ashleigh's tutorial as listed in Focus on Finishing Thanks for a fantastic tutorial Ashleigh! I am delighted with the way this has turned out and I intend on making more in the future:)

Last week it was the turn of HAED QS Dragonette by Jacqueline Visconti- Tilley. I finished page 2 and almost finished page 3 finished I had to put her away! I was going to carry on with her this week to get her finished but have decided to wait until she comes up again in my rotation. Here is my progress from last time. I am very pleased with the progress I have made this time. I am looking forward to getting this piece finished and starting another quick stitch! Lol!

This week I shall be stitching on Papillon Creations Serendipity. Hopefully I will get part 8 stitched ready for when part 9 is released:) I can't wait to see what the final part will be! Then my rotation will start all over again and there will be no changes until Dragonette is finished. I really like how this rotation works and it's so easy to stick to.

We actually managed to get out in the garden and give it a really good tidy up. DH cut the conifer hedge round the back as the blackbirds have finally flown their nest. The garden now looks a lot tidier. I should say this very quietly just in case but we haven't had any rain, as such, since Thursday! Hooray! We did have a little after tea last night and it was really strange as over the hedge it was raining heavier than it was in our garden! Lol!

Hope everyone is having a good start to the week and you stay dry. I think it's supposed to be fine for the rest of the week:)

Where There is Life

As promised I am here with a picture of Little House Needleworks Where There is Life:) I actually finished this last year but have never decided on a way of finishing it. I was having a good look through the Focus on Finishing blog and found KarenV's tutorial for a tie-on pillow:) This was so easy to follow as Karen's instructions and pictures were brilliant. My finish is not brilliant but for a first attempt I am very happy. I think my pillow could have done with more stuffing and my ribbon could have done to have been thicker but living where I do it's impossible to find everything you need. We could do with a Boyes here as they have a brilliant selection of ribbons etc. Anyway without further ado here's my pillow:)

Helen asked if she could see the whole of the Christmas Mystery so far so I have just taken a photo the best I can as it's rather dull here again today! I am still very unsure about this one! I do quite like the snowflakes I've just done but as a whole the piece looks a bit "thrown together" if you see what I mean. Oh well:) It might get better but at least I am not the only one stitching this who is not really impressed! Part 8 isn't out as yet.

The weather has been awful again this week. I really feel for all the people who have been flooded, especially in Lincolnshire where some homes are flooded for the second time in a month. How much longer can this rain go on?

Thank you to everybody who drops by my blog. It means a lot to me to know there are people out there reading this and special thanks to all those who comment:) I love getting them.

Some Making Up:)

I have been busy with my sewing machine yesterday and today. I can't show everything as some of it is secret but I can show two needlebooks that I made up with bits I finished recently. The first one is the Papillon Creations freebie Love Letters. It is a little bit big maybe for a needlebook but I am really pleased how it turned out for a first attempt:) I chose a plain calico fabric to back this with and it also added some strength to it.

Next is San Man Originals I Flip for the Ocean. This turned out tiny so may be a bit better for a needlebook but I guess it doesn't really matter what size they are! I don't think this one turned out as well as the first one but I did have to unpick it and start over when I realised it was opening the wrong way! Lol! I am happy with my first two attempts though:)

I am halfway through making up my Little House Needleworks Where There is Life. I didn't really want to frame it but didn't know what else to do with it so that is why it has been in the drawer so long waiting to see the light of day. So look out for another piccie later in the week:)

Onto what I've been stitching:) I haven't had a full week stitching on Just Nan Spring in the Air as I wanted to finish HAED Summer ACEO so I only managed to finish the bunny band and the next band but I love how it looks. I should finish it next time :) I also decided that I needed to get part 7 of Chatelaine Christmas Mystery IV done seen as part 8 should be out on Wednesday and I really don't want to get behind with it or I'll end up not stitching it all. So here's my progress pics on those two pieces.

So this week I'm back to HAED Quick Stitch Dragonette this week. I'm hoping to get page 2 finished then I'll only have two more pages to do but not full ones. It'll be nice to have another HAED finish then I can start Girly Gothic for Abi.

DH's uncle's funeral was lovely. I know that sounds a bit daft but it was a real celebration of his life rather than a morbid service. The church was packed and the collection at the end of the service raised somewhere in the region of £500 for the dialysis unit at Scarborough Hospital.

Hope you are all having a good start to the week and it's been fine where you are.

A Happy Dance!

Wahoo I am doing a gentle happy dance as HAED Quick Stitch Summer ACEO is finished!! Yay!!! I had thought that I would have her finished tonight but I stitched all Monday afternoon on her and also the evening, then we had severe weather warnings for yesterday afternoon so I decided to stitch all afternoon again! I finally put the last few stitches in her last night so here she is! Isn't she gorgeous? LOL! I started her way back on 5th April 2006, only stitching on her on quick stitch Wednesdays on the HAED MB to begin with so this is why she's taken me a bit longer than she might have done normally. She is stitched on 25 count fabric using DMC and Madeira Glissen Gloss. The original artwork is by Sara Butcher who is my favourite artist. She is in need of a wash then she'll be going to the framers in August. I've already had one piece framed this month so daren't get another one done!

For now I'm not going to add another piece into my rotation as I want to finish the other quick stitch I have on the go before I start another. I am in a pink mood but I promised Abi ages ago that I would stitch Girly Gothic next which is a good thing as I don't have any pinky HAEDs anyway and I have no intention of falling off this chart wagon. As Summer is finished I will carry on with what should have been in my rotation this week and that's Just Nan Spring in the Air. I'm looking forward to picking that one up again.

We had some sad news on Sunday. DH's uncle ( his late Mum's brother) died suddenly early Sunday morning. For all he had not been fully fit for a few years it still came as quite a shock. It is his funeral on Friday but I am not sure that I am going to go as it would mean I wouldn't be back for Abi getting in from school.

The annual carnival here was due to take place this coming weekend but due to the severe weather and flooding it has had to be cancelled. It's a shame as the committee started planning for this year no sooner last year's was over with. All that hard work for nothing. However there's nothing we can do about the weather. We have had some huge downpours and storms and the ground where the carnival takes place is just not getting dried out.

Sorry I haven't been blog walking in the last few days. I'm intent on getting that done today to see what you've all been up to!:)

Hope everyone is having a good week!

I Belong in Winter!

You Belong in Winter

Quiet, calm, and totally at peace... You're happy to be at home, wrapped in a blanket, completely snowed in Whether you're lighting a fire or having a snowball fight, you always feel best in the winter.

What Season Are You?

Tagged- Again!

I have been tagged by Michele to list my " Last 7" so here goes!

1. Last dollar ( pound!) I spent: £1.79 on 6 pints of milk

2. Last time I ate fast food: A few weeks ago at KFC

3. Last thing I ate: A kiwi yoghurt at lunchtime

4. Last song I sang to: LOL My fave at the moment "Signal Fire" by Snow Patrol

5. Last time I bought clothes: A week last Sunday at Freeport when the girls and I went.

6. Last time I felt envy: Don't actually remember!

7. Last time I paid bills: Last week.

I'm not going to tag anyone but if you'd like to have a go please do!

I am Still Around!

Sorry for the lack of blogging since Monday, or whenever it was I last posted:) Thank you Nicky ( on the SMO board) for getting in touch and wondering if I was OK. I haven't had any stitching to share or anything to say really. It hasn't been a particularly good week as far as my mood goes but I shall leave it at that and say no more!

On the stitching front I have had a brilliant week on HAED quick stitch Summer ACEO, so much so that page 4 is finished so I only have about 17 rows on the last two pages to do and she is finished! So I have tonight and tomorrow night before I should move on to the next piece in my rotation but I have decided that I will carry on with Summer until she is done:) I don't think I will manage it by the time my stitching goes away tomorrow night but I don't think she should take much longer ( finger's crossed!). I have also done a bit of "secret stitching" this week. Mwah-ha-ha!

One more week and it's school's out! I can't wait! No more getting up early if I don't want to, no more nagging at Abi to get her bag sorted, no more homework etc! Lol! Bliss! Well bliss until her and Jess start arguing and niggling at each other!

We've had yet another wet week up here in East Yorkshire. The promenade road has been closed all week, but I haven't worked out just what for yet! There are pipes across the road, from the dyke that runs from the mere to the sea, over the sea wall so am guessing it's something to do with the dyke. Maybe the pipe that goes under the road is blocked or something. Fire engines are out pumping out behind the post office and newsagents. The water has never really cleared properly since the original heavy downpour the other week and this is the second time they've had to pump out. The problem is the land falls away quite sharply behind there and at the back is the park which is terrible when it rains as it's so boggy. Oh well we'll just have to have whatever comes!

I've been tagged by Julie to list 7 things about me and then tag 7 others ... I always really struggle to think of things so if I repeat myself I apologise!

1. I love chocolate brazil nuts!
2. I love all three CSI programs.
3. I passed my driving test first time.
4. I am addicted to cross stitch and love buying stash ( unbelievable huh?!!)
5. I love hand dyed fabric
6. I love anything to do with Christmas
7. DH and I honeymooned in Tenby ( very exotic!)

I'm not going to tag anybody as lots of people have already been tagged.

That's it from me. See you again when Summer is finished!

Summer Afternoon WIP

I spent last week stitching on Chatelaine Summer Afternoon but didn't get too much done really. I did get it to where I wanted to be at the end of the week so I am happy as far as that goes. I have to admit that this piece drove me mad this week! Lol! The area with the over one flowers was a pig as the symbols were so tiny they were difficult to see but I perservered and managed to complete it without too many hitches! I decided to stitch the butterfly this time but made a bit of a hash of that! The half stitches should have been done with Rainbow Gallery pearl braid but I misread and ended up doing them with Kreinik but I like how it looks so have left it:) Next time it comes out I just have the bottom band to stitch so I may have another finish then! The scan isn't the full thing; I have just scanned the bits that I've stitched which are the butterfly in the middle, the flowers and the honeycombs.

So I started on HAED Summer ACEO early this week and added about 400 stitches to it last night. I'm hoping to get close to finishing it by the end of the week so we shall see how I do! If I can stay off this PC after tea and get stitching instead I might be in with half a chance! If I manage to get it finished I won't be adding anything to that slot in my rotation as I want to finish the other quick stitch as well before I start another one.

Would anybody be interested in buying my Fancy Work Lavender Rose Sewing Case chart? I know it's not that long since I bought it but I have decided that I will probably not stitch it and I have seen another one by AMAP that is more "me"! I'm afraid I'll have to restrict this to the UK so if you are interested please email me . SOLD

Just two weeks and it'll be the summer holidays! Wahooooooo! No more getting up early if I don't want to and no more homework etc for Abi! DH has got two weeks later on in the hols but no idea what we'll be doing!

Hope everyone is having a good start to the week. It's sunny here at the moment but looking at the sky that isn't going to last!

A Change is As Good As a Rest and a Surprise!

As you can see I have a new name for my blog but the link remains the same! LOL! Like Lizzy I couldn't think of a name for it when I first started it up but now, thanks to Julie, I have a better one! No doubt Julie will now be wondering why it's thanks to her! So I shall explain:)

This morning I received a lovely surprise in the post from Julie. It is this gorgeous ornament. Isn't she beautiful? The story behind her is when Julie was looking for a chart to stitch for the monthly ornament SAL on a board she belongs to ( the theme was angel) she came across this one. She says " There was only one lady who could possibly have this when it was finished- the first "Stitchyangel" I encountered when I joined the MBs". Thank you so much Julie, she is gorgeous and will take pride of place on the mantlepiece in my living room. So this got me thinking and I thought why on earth did I not give my blog a name to do with Stitchyangel?! So I have a name for my blog that I am happy with! The treasures are my DH, my two DDs, my stitching and, of coursem all my stitching friends:).

I also have a not so brilliant picture to share of my framed Papillon Creations Simple Little Quaker. I tried yesterday to take some but I don't think my mood has helped much and I didn't get a good one. This one isn't perfect but it does show the frame off quite well. When I took this in to the framers I had got my heart set on a particular frame but when I saw it against it it did not look right so I ended up with two completely different ones. This goldy coloured one does have a red tinge to it so I decided it suited this design perfectly.

The weather has been a mixture here this week. Lots of rain, thunder and lightening ( an aerial on a house was struck by ball lightening on Monday setting the roof on fire), hail and sunshine. Talk about all the seasons in one go!

Thank you to everybody who commented on my last post. You were all so very sweet and I took everything you said on board. I think it has just been one of those weeks and, hopefully, next week will feel better and brighter. I have suffered from low moments for many years now and lacked confidence in lots of things. Tuesday night's Holby City and the Connie storyline when it came out about her Mum got to me and I had tears streaming down my face, whilst trying to look calm and composed and pretending my eyes were itching and watery ( which they do!). It just brought back too many memories for me of my teenage years.

Well I had better go and get some lunch for Jess and I. We're having what's left of the homemade quiche I made yesterday:) Yummy. Have a great weekend everyone!

Kick Up the Butt Needed!

Apologies for the lack of posting since Friday. I just haven't felt much like blogging. I'm struggling a little at the moment with feeling low. I don't like the way I look etc and am desperate for some new clothes to pep me up but everything I look at I don't think I'll look right in so end up not bothering. Jess and I went to Freeport yesterday and I wouldn't even go try stuff on. I need a big kick up the ass I think! I also feel useless at finishing my stitching off. I won't try new ways as I don't think it'll look right when I'm done ( a reason why I won't do exchanges because I don't think my pieces will be any good). Sigh. I really wish I had more confidence in myself.

Thank you for all your lovely comments about Jess' pictures. She had a brilliant time at the ball and I think she was surprised at how good it was! Lol!

Anyway last week was my week on Heaven and Earth Designs Winter and here it is. I didn't get as much done as I had hoped as my neck and head were playing me up terribly last week and I must admit that I maybe tried too hard to carry on through it but by Thursday I had to give in and did no stitching at all. I am happy with what I've done though. As Helen says even a few stitches is progress. Here is my progress from last time if you'd like to see how much I've done:)

On Monday I should have carried on with Chatelaine Summer Afternoon but I just couldn't face it for some reason so I decided to try and finish the Papillon Creations freebie Love Letters. I didn't quite manage it so added the last few stitches yesterday afternoon. I'm not sure how I'm going to finish this as yet but I really must get on top of finishing things off instead of dumping them in a drawer and thinking I'll finish it later! I chose to use the colours Yvonne did on the design and I love the way they look together.

Anyway I did pick up Summer Afternoon last night as I knew if I didn't it would get missed this time in my rotation. I found I'd made several mistakes last time so had some frogging to do which only made me not to want to stitch it all the more! Lol! I did restitch the bits I'd had to frog and stitched a bit more besides so am determined to make the most of the rest of the week and get this bit finished. I really must do the 7th part of Chatelaine Christmas Mystery IV too or I won't do that either!

I am doing fine on the chart stash wagon! How is everyone else doing? I haven't really had the urge to buy any charts although I will admit there was once I had a bit of an urge but that's all! I did RAK a couple of friends with a quick stitch each in the HAED sale but have been very good for myself. I think my first treat come 1st December will be Ink Circles Sea Stars as Karen and I are doing a SAL and I also want to get Elegant Stitch This Too Shall Pass then.

That's it from me today:) Thank you to all of you read my blog and special thanks to all those who comment. I love reading them.