Cross Stitch & Lace

A rough couple of months :-(

2011-07-27T11:19:00.000+01:00

As the title says, it's been a rough couple of months for us - unfortunately just after my last post in May my Nan was taken to hospital and very sadly passed away at the beginning of June after a battle with cancer. This all coincided with my two weeks' annual leave in June which in a way was fortunate as it meant I had time to spend with my family and get my head together before going back to work. To say we're all shocked is a bit of an understatement I think - I'm just so pleased that I managed to get Ragetty Ann finished for her last Christmas :-(

I didn't touch my cross stitch for a good few weeks whilst Nan was in hospital and then gone, but somehow since then I do seem to have done quite a lot. I'm not sure when to be honest, but here's a progress pic of Snap Dragon. I'm really pleased with the way he's going - I'm just about to switch pages on the chart and move on to the legs and the bottom wings. As I'm off work this week I'm hoping to make a bit more progress.

Snap dragon - July 2011

In good news over the last few months, I have had a new little addition to my household again. This is Lilly (or Tiger Lilly or Lilly Pad - whichever takes my fancy!). She is absolutely lovely, but very different from Rosie and Jazzy. She's settled in very well, and her current favourite playtime is hiding in a blanket on the sofa and popping her head out every now and then!

Dragon progress (pic heavy)

2011-05-21T15:58:00.000+01:00

Just a quick update on how I'm getting on with my Little Snap Dragon:

I love the colours in the wings, which is just as well as there's so much still left to do!! The couple who I'm stitching this for had their wedding last weekend and it was absolute fun from start to finish. Great to catch up with old Uni friends and have a good laugh. Here's a pic of me and my best friend - I even managed to find a vaguely medieval/gothic dress for it!

I haven't been stitching much recently because I've been making the most of my National Trust membership and the sunshine and visiting some local places - I would definitely recommend Charlecote Park near Stratford on Avon - they have deer and some wonderful birds and gardens (plus baby ducks which is always a winner for me!). Pics below....

The happy couple!

2011-04-11T21:12:00.000+01:00

I finally managed to give my brother and sister-in-law their wedding picture this weekend. It was framed by Maxim Picture Framing/Cross Stitch Framing and I think they've done a lovely job - I'm really pleased with the frames and mounts that they chose - and they were so friendly and helpful - I'd definitely recommend them if you have anything that you want professionally framed:

Here's a close up of it framed:

I was quite amused that they looked up at the wall as soon as they opened it to figure out where they were going to hang it!!

New Project - Little Snap Dragon

2011-04-05T14:55:00.000+01:00

I have already started my next project - it is Little Snap Dragon by Kustom Krafts, and will be a wedding present for a university friend who is getting married in May. I've taken the pressure off myself by deciding that it will be a first year anniversary present for them - there's absolutely no way it would have been done for the wedding itself!! (I really have to admit to myself that I'm rubbish with deadlines!).

I have done the dragon's head so far, and I'm enjoying it already although there's lots of colour changes which is a bit different to the other wedding picture! I must admit though that blues and turquoises are my favourite colours so it's not too much of a hardship...

It's a lot bigger picture than I've ever done before, so I'm a little daunted by that, but I'm trying out a scroll frame for the first time and that seems to be going well, and much easier than taking a hoop on and off all the time. I'm also doing it on 16ct aida rather than 14ct so it's taking a little time for my eyes to adjust.

Why did I choose a dragon? Well, both of my friends are very into role-playing/RPG and gothic 'stuff'. Even the wedding invites ask for gothic dress! Also, I thought the shape of the flowers are almost half a heart - so it looks quite romantic. I couldn't have done a traditional wedding picture for them!

I think I might interchange working on this with Snow Hunter and Winter Wonderland. I'd really like to get WW finished by the end of the year if I can. There's not too much left of Snow Hunter either, but that one had me bamboozled a little with the amount of colour changes so it might come third on the list.

Wonderful Wedding!

2011-03-21T16:28:00.000Z

Well - finally the wedding day arrived! It was an absolutely wonderful day and everything went very smoothly. The weather was beautiful on Saturday, the Bride was absolutely stunning in her dress, the church service was full of laughter, and the reception venue really pulled off everything that was required of them - and I danced the night away (barefoot! no stillettos) with family and friends!!

Here are a couple of pictures of the day:

The Bride and Groom!

Ushers, Best Man, and Bridesmaids included! (I'm the bridesmaid on the end to the right of the Bride)

I can't stop saying that I now have a wonderful sister-in-law!! They're lovely together and I wish them all the happiness in the world for their future together :-)

Anyway - enough soppyness - here is a pic of the (unframed) wedding sampler. I'm really proud of this - and I enjoyed every single stitch.

Vervaco - Private Moment

There were less than 10 colours which made it really quick to make progress. My only slight gripe with it was that there was *only just enough* thread in the kit, and I realised too late that there was a warranty in the original packaging to get more thread from Vervaco. I was ok in the end, but it would have been helpful not to have had that niggle at the back of my mind.

The other thing I changed was the beads that went in her hair. The beads that came with the kit seemed far too big, so I changed them for some seed beads that I had in my lace spangling stash. I'm much happier with the smaller beads as they don't seem to take it over quite so much.

I'm hoping to get this framed and give it to them when they get back from their honeymoon - everything has been so frantic for us all recently that it will be good to give it to them when they've had a chance to relax a bit.

Phew! I can't quite believe my brother is married - it's still all a bit surreal at the moment....

Drum roll please....!!!!!!

2011-03-16T17:39:00.000Z

I've finished it!!! Only 3 days before the wedding but it's done!

I'm not posting any pics until after the wedding as I think it might be bad luck... I'm so pleased to have at least finished it completely before the actual day - I feel like I can enjoy things properly now without feeling like there's 'unfinished business' left to do.

Now all I have to worry about is walking in stilletos, not tripping over my dress and remembering to smile in the photographs!!!

I can't wait to post a picture - I'm so totally chuffed with it! :-)

Wedding Sampler Update...

2011-03-01T19:15:00.000Z

It's not going to be finished in time!!! ARGH!

I've had a really bad wrist over the last two weeks, which has meant that I haven't been able to stitch as much I needed to. So frustrating! I think having a job that involves sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours a day and then concentrated stitching on top of that has caused the problems. Thankfully it's easing off somewhat now, but it has been hard to use a mouse which has caused a few problems at work. I've been using various support gloves and bandages which have been helping a bit...

Now that I've managed to get stitching again it's coming along really well - I'm sure I'll get the actual stitching done by the wedding, but it won't be framed for the Wedding Day (only 2.5 weeks now!!). I'm hoping to get it professionally framed whilst they're on their honeymoon, but I'm not sure it will be the same (grrrrr) as I was really hoping to give it to them on the day. It's probably better to do it that way and not cause any more damage to my wrist (or make any major mistakes), but I'm so very disappointed. I'm pretty sure that I would have got it done in time otherwise. I blame work entirely.

I have also heard that there's another wedding on the way in May - I'm never going to get a sampler finished for then, but I think I will attempt one and give it to them later on - when else will I get the chance to stitch a dragon for a wedding sampler?! More news on this one after 'His Lordship's' wedding in a couple of weeks ( I can't wait - I'm so excited!!). I promise pics!!!!

Affectionally known as 'Cat in a Hat'!

2011-02-13T10:39:00.000Z

I have been busy working away on the wedding sampler for 'his lordship's wedding' and it's going well - I have done almost half of it now, so hopefully I'll get the rest of it done in time to get it framed for the wedding in March. I had my bridesmaid's dress fitting yesterday and I managed to fit in to the dress - Yay!!!! I would like to lose a little more weight though to make sure it's comfortable for the day. Just got to practice walking in stilettos now.... (uh-oh!)

In the meantime, here is a picture of my 'Cat in a hat' (as he was known to friends and family!). This was the picture that I worked on in the run-up to Christmas - I haven't finished the backstitch yet, but the wedding sampler is taking priority at the moment so it will have to wait:

I've also done quite a lot of work on Winter Wonderland recently - I couldn't really avoid it with all the snow about! So, here's a picture of that too. There's not much more to do to the left of the picture, just another penguin and some trees, and then I've got to work on the top and the bottom to get the 'Walking in a winter wonderland' wording in - I'm hoping to have this one finished and framed by the end of the year!!

I suspect there won't be any more posts now until after the wedding - can you tell I'm excited?? :-) Hopefully I can a picture of the two of them with the sampler in their wedding attire - that would be really lovely :-)

A Tribute to Rosie-girl

2011-01-19T19:40:00.000Z

Some of you may know that around 18 months ago I had a little hamster-sized addition to my household: Rosie. Unfortunately, last week she fell poorly, and on Thursday I had to take her to the emergency vets and send her up to hamster heaven. I'm still a little bit in shock at how quickly everything happened, especially as I had only had her for such a short time. Here's one of the few pics I have of her:

She was very playful and a little bit feisty - the only hamster I've had who has squeaked at me when she has had enough of me disturbing her sleep!!! I'm missing her a lot at the moment, but I know she's not in any pain now, and that's the main thing.

I'm pleased I have somewhere that I can post a little tribute, so hopefully I haven't hijacked the blog too much! I really just felt the need to say goodbye to her. Thanks for reading everyone.

Raggetty Ann framed in all her glory!

2011-01-04T22:15:00.000Z

Just a quick post to show you all how well Raggetty Ann 'polished up' once she was framed - I must have visited every shop in this city to get the right frame, and still had to order the mount off the internet! I'm very happy with how she ended up, and my Nan and Gramp seemed chuffed as well - you know you've done something right when they put it in pride of place in the living room cabinet!!!! I didn't think they'd be happy with having their picture here on the blog - so I took this picture before I handed her over:

After finishing her at the end of November I had a real bug to stitch something Christmassy, but didn't really fancy the idea of pulling together all the aida and threads to stitch something out of my magazine hoard... However - I realised I had this little guy in my stash: http://bit.ly/f7zuxW who was all ready to go! I managed to get all the stitching done before I went home on Christmas Eve, but the backstitch has beaten me for now (grrrrrr)!. I will finish him before the end of January and post a pic then.

I've also been working a little on Winter Wonderland - which other project could I work on whilst all the snow was about?? I'm nearly at a point where I can stitch the other little penguin and then over two-thirds of it will be done - will post another pic soon.

My main aims for the next 3 months are to get my brother's wedding sampler done by the middle of February, so that I can get it professionally framed for the wedding in March. I also have to lose around half a stone by then, otherwise I won't fit in my bridesmaids' dress!!! How *do* you combine a sit-down hobby with enough exercise to lose weight in 3 months???? Arrgghh!!!

Finally, I just want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year, and good things for all in 2011!

Happy Dance Time!!!!!! She's finished!!!!!!

2010-11-26T21:35:00.000Z

I couldn't stop myself from posting this!! I've just put the last stitch in to Raggetty Ann!!!! Woohooo!!!!

Now I just need to find the right frame for her and get her sorted in time for Christmas. I'll post a proper picture then (when the hoop marks have disappeared hopefully...)

It's only taken 18 months to get this far...

I'm so happy!!!

So... Will I finish in time for Christmas...?

2010-10-31T16:20:00.000Z

I'm trying to avoid my housework, so I thought I would post a picture of my progress on Raggetty Ann! I still have to finish the last colour of satin threads in her skirt, but I was so pleased to be able to move on to do her upper half and start on her bonnet!! There are more satin threads in her bonnet, but I'm waiting until I have an abundance of patience to do them....

I'm really hoping to finish her by the middle of November so that hopefully I can her framed and ready to give to my grandparents for Christmas. Can I do it??? :-)

Also, here's a quick picture of my finished Freesias that I started last Christmas. I finished them in June I think! I probably won't do any more in this series (I've done four or five over the years), but I'm hoping to get them all framed together. I've loved doing these!

I already have my next project worked out - a sampler for my brother's wedding next year, but I won't be able to post any photos in case either of them look here in the meantime!! I'm also looking forward to going to the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC in Birmingham on Thursday. My mum is coming with me, so it's going to be a lovely day - we have a list of stash to buy for friends! - and the best thing? I've just been paid!!!!

A card for my Nan...

2010-10-03T14:16:00.000+01:00

Earlier in the summer my Nan had to go in to hospital for a knee operation, so here's a picture of the card I stitched for her, which was a freebie kit from either Cross Stitch Crazy or WOCS (I can't remember, sorry!).

It took a bit longer than I expected, beacuse there was soooo much backstitch! I'm really pleased with it, but I did give up with the french knots that were supposed to go in to the foxgloves - they were really, really frustrating! My Nan was very chuffed with it, and it's currently sat on her mantelpiece for everyone to see :-)
She didn't quite get in in time for her being in hospital, as the doctors moved her appointment forward by a couple of weeks but she didn't seem to mind, bless her.

Some friends from back home have also just had a little baby boy, so I thought it would be lovely to stitch them a liitle present. Somehow I seemed to have given my Mum all the cross stitch magazines with all the baby motifs in, but I found a gorgeous little blue elephant which was just the right size for an aperture card I had in my stash. The elephant was a real pleasure to stitch and looked lovely when I sent it in the post - unfortunately I can't post a picture because I forgot to take one and remembered just after it had gone in the post-box (doh!!). I received a lovely message of thanks from them which nearly made me cry!

In other news - the fressias are finished and I've made good progress on both Winter Wonderland and Ragetty Anne - I might get Anne finished by Christmas for my grandparents - woohoo!!!!

Hope everyone's having a lovely (dry) stitchy weekend. xx

New Stash!!! Rugby Lace Fair

2010-09-19T16:55:00.000+01:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted on here - it's been a long hard summer and I just want the dreaded C word to roll around now for a break again (I've already booked my 'C' annual leave!!!).

Anyways, I went to the lace fair in Rugby this morning and bought a few more things to add to my stash (I also conquered some driving nerves by actually *driving* there, which is something that 12 months ago I wouldn't have had the confidence to do). I passed my test about 4 years ago but only got a car about 18 months ago and in that time I seem to have lost all my confidence, despite having refresher lessons with an instructor.... I'm getting better at it, and hopefully I'll be able to start taking myself off to the New Forest and the South Coast soon :-)

Here's a picture of the stash I bought this morning:

The book has mats and bookmarks in, and I've been looking for a small mat to get my teeth in to for a while. The spangles were lovely and will suit a pair of lovely polished bobbins I bought a few years ago and didn't want to ruin by spangling them myself! The threads are one's I didn't already have - I quite like the idea of doing some lace in black and gold... and I couldn't resist the owl bobbins, the sayings that are on them are:

Keep smiling - it'll make people wonder what you've been up to!
There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'obsession'!

Here's a close-up of the owls themselves (aren't they cute???!!!)

I will post updates of my stitching soon - I have actually been stitching quite a lot, with progress on Ragetty Ann, Winter Wonderland and a couple of smaller finishes!

Thanks for bearing with me, and for coming back to read this post xxxxx

Horseshoes and Poppies

2010-06-12T17:26:00.001+01:00

I have finally, finally, finished something in 2010!! It seems to have been a long hard slog to actually get something finished, done and dusted :-)

So. I proudly declare that I have finished a small lace horseshoe (ground stitch, pricking most likely from one of Christine Springett's early pattern books, but I don't have them with me...). This was made in DMC Special Dentelles no. 109 - a multicoloured thread which is possibly my favourite thread ever!

I have also finished a small cover kit that I started a few weeks ago (when I became a single lady again (grrr)) and needed something to cheer myself up. The poppies are from Cross Stitch Card Shop (issue 67) and I really enjoyed stitching them, even though I ran out of thread at one point. Luckily I had some in my stash that was near enough!

I hope to post a picture of progress on my freesias soon (and hopefully finish - 6 months is far too long for something so small!). My motivation for stitching is beginning to return, and I also hope to get a bigger lace project on the go soon. I finished the horseshoe whilst sitting out by the canal in the sunshine, so it will give me an excuse to have plenty of lazy Sunday afternoons over the Summer!

(p.s. hope you like the new blog template!)

Ok, I know, I know...

2010-05-03T21:22:00.000+01:00

I haven't posted for ages!! I have been stitching though, and have got about 3/4 of the way through my Freesia panel, so hopefully I'll get it finished soon and be able to post a pic up. I've also done some more on Raggetty Ann, although progress is slow - I now have the full outline of her skirt and it's beginning to get filled in, so I'm pleased with that. I'm not going to use satin threads for her hat though (as specified on the chart), as I'm really beginning to hate using them, and it takes soooo much longer to see any progress. I'm sure I'd have this design finished by now if it weren't for those blimmin' satin threads!!!

We've also had some lovely news within the family - my brother is getting married next year to an absolutely wonderful girl (who keeps him in line pretty well!) so you've guessed what I'll be planning as an upcoming project (in between trying on bridesmaids dresses and generally helping out!).... :-)

Also, a quick update on those lovely swans I pictured in the last post. They have been very busy - first they made a nest not far from my window. Unfortunately it was pretty much right next to the path on a regular dog-walking route and I think they must have been disturbed as they kept moving off the nest and I think the egg they laid must have 'died' (is that the right terminology?). I'm guessing they must have been inexperienced as there is evidence of two other nests along the canal that don't seem to have survived. It's a real shame as it would have been lovely to have seen a cygnet swimming around - but I guess in nature that's the way it goes. Hopefully they'll have better luck next year...

Anyways, wishing everyone happy stitching, and I promise I'll post pictures of Raggetty Ann and the Freesias soon! xx

Skirts, flowers and swans

2010-03-24T21:13:00.006Z

I'm not sure why I haven't published this update yet - I've had the photos ready ready to upload for over a week! It seems that life has taken over and I've been here, there and everywhere recently! So.... I have made some progress on both Raggetty Ann and the Freesia and the pics are below. I've nearly got the skirt done on Raggetty Ann, which is a huge relief, as I don't think her top-half will be as bad (I'm keeping my fingers crossed!).

The Freesia's are going really well, but most of the gaps are blended colours so I'm leaving them until last so that I can keep track of how much thread I'm using etc - it came as a kit, so sometimes you have to be careful - who hasn't been caught out(?)!
I haven't done much stitching over the last couple of weeks, but I did get itchy fingers about starting a lace project - the bobbins were wound for over a week before I got around to actually starting the horseshoe! (I think it's the same pattern as the one in the pic in the sidebar on the right). I'll post a pic as soon as I start taking some of the pins out - promise!

And on a side note - isn't it wonderful that spring is now arriving? I spotted the pair below just outside my window on Sunday!

Progress update...

2010-02-14T14:40:00.004Z

Just a quick post to show what I've been working on recently - I've made a little bit of progress on Raggetty Anne and I'm not far off finishing her skirt now, which makes up quite a bit of the design. I haven't quite managed to get onto 'really enjoying' this design yet, but I don't dislike her as much as I did last year!!

I've also been doing some of the Simply Heritage Freesia that I started whilst at my parents at Christmas. I've done quite a few of these small flower pictures over the years and really enjoy them. I've been ill a couple of times over the last few weeks and just wanted something simple to stitch that didn't require too much concentration - this flower seemed to fit that perfectly!

It's also my birthday coming up this week and I've got a few days off so hopefully I can get some stitching done, and, if I'm lucky enough to get any pennies I have a few things I'd like to treat myself to from Hobbycraft :-)

Happy stitching everyone! xx

Dare I say Christmas presents...?

2010-01-17T21:57:00.004Z

I know it's January and the last thing anyone wants to hear about is Christmas presents, but as promised before here are the two quick stitch Christmas presents that I did for my Mum and Dad and a good friend. (I'll be completely honest - I've only just finished them - that's awful isn't it??)

The Canadian flag was for my parents who fulfilled a lifelong dream of going to Canada in the Autumn of 2009 - they had a wonderful time and took hundreds of photographs. I've done the flag so that they can put it in the front of their photo album for the holiday (when they finally get around to putting them into one!). The flag is on 18ct white aida using DMC blanc and 349. The pattern was from issue 129 of Cross Stitch Crazy. Mum and Dad also bought me back a wonderful seal chart from Canada which is from a painting by Sue Coleman who combines traditional pictures of animals with native representations (the seal picture is on the linked-to page as I can't get a decent photo of it).

The rainbow was for a friend who's going through a tough time and wasn't quite as quick a stitch as I had imagined.... I got a bit annoyed with the blue sky for some reason. I'm going to put it in a small frame for her and give it to her when I see her next. The chart is from the same issue of Cross Stitch Crazy as the Canadian chart above.

Now that I've got these two little projects sorted, I've had a good sort through my stash and tidied everything up in readiness to work on Raggetty Ann and a small flower picture that I started over Christmas whilst I was at my parents. I'm hoping to make good progress on her, and that she'll start to take shape soon. All I've really wanted to work on whilst we've had all this cold weather is Winter Wonderland, but I was struggling to finish off the flag and rainbow instead!

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New Year and a New Focus!

2010-01-03T15:10:00.002Z

It seems impossible that it is almost a year ago that I started this blog! I haven't achieved as much in terms of stitching and lace that I wanted to, but when I look back at everything else that has happened this year I can't really be too disappointed. I've been ill more than usual and moving house in the Autumn really curbed my stitching enthusiasm. So.... to look at things in a more positive light here's a list of the crafty things I have achieved this year:

Bambi mini stitch
Finished long-standing WIP - Anemonies
Stained glass tulips
Friends' moving house card
Pretty Christmas tree
Lace bookmark
Made progress on both Snow Hunter and winter Wonderland
Started Raggetty Ann for my grandparents
Made two quick-stitch Christmas presents (pics to follow shortly)
Hat Voucher attempt at card-making (really not my forte but hey ho!)

That's actually quite a lot when it's listed like that! :-)

My 'resolutions' as such for the upcoming year are to try and spend some time each week stitching rather than doing massive bouts with a couple of weeks in between - slow but steady progress this year! With that in mind here's what I'd like to achieve this year:

Finish Snow Hunter
Finish Raggetty Ann (by May/June)
Make progress on Winter Wonderland (at least 3/4 done)
Try stitching a small project on evenweave (any tips on this most welcome!)
Learn how to do French Knots!
Try not to start any new big projects!!!

Ok, that looks a lot, but a few stitches here and there will soon mount up - and with this cold weather I've got no excuse! Well, that's it for now - better drag myself away from Facebook and the laptop and get my fingers busy ;-)

Here's hoping that everyone has a sucessful stitching year and some of those WIPs magically appear finished!

Card Making and Christmas Trees

2009-12-21T20:07:00.006Z

Once again it feels like ages since I've posted anything - I always forget how busy the run-up to Christmas can be! I've been working on a couple of small projects that are to be Christmas presents, so I can't post pictures of those yet - but I just wanted to show you all what I've done with the pastel coloured tree I stitched last month:

If you look closely it's at the bottom right of the tree - I backed it onto some glittery felt and attached some thick silver lace thread to hang it with. It didn't quite work the way I wanted, but I'll have another go with some of the others and see what I can work out for next year. I have to admit that I also wanted to post a cheeky pic of my tree as this is the first year I've had enough space to put one up - I'm pretty chuffed with it - even if I did buy too many lights and had to drape them over the top of my bookcase!!

I've also had an attempt at making a 'hat voucher' for my Mum as a Christmas present. She wants a new hat and it's not really the kind of thing you can just go and 'buy' without having the recipient present (you always know you're going to get it wrong, right?!).

So.... I had a go at making my own voucher for her as a promise to take her shopping for one. The first pic below is the front of the card, and the second pic is the inside:

I know it's really simple, and I would have put a hat sticker on there if I could, but Hobbycraft just didn't have any hat stickers at all!!!!!! I hope she'll be really chuffed with it, and it's a great excuse for some Mum-Daughter shopping time!!!

Anyway, I doubt I'll be posting again before Christmas so I'll wish everyone a lovely Christmas and a happy and safe New Year!

Pretty Christmas Tree

2009-11-24T14:12:00.003Z

I've just finished the christmas tree that I started a week or so ago. It's stitched on 16 count white aida, as I wanted it to be small enough to back it with felt and attach a ribbon to the top and use it as a decoration somehow. There are a couple of others in the series that I'd like to do to make a matching set. The chart was from Cross Stitch Favourites special Christmas issue:

I have to admit that I got a bit bored with the pink border - but I'm pleased I perservered. I've definately got my stitching bug back now and I've got a couple of ideas for quick-stitch Christmas pressies (which I can't talk about obviously!). I hope I can get the motivation back to start working on my bigger projects sometime soon, as I'd really like to get them finished so that I can start some others!!

Quick update...

2009-11-07T09:06:00.003Z

The last month has been crazy, what with moving house, the start of the university term and being ill (yet again!!), so apologies for the lack of posting. I'm now finally in my new flat and beginning to settle in - the first things that got unpacked were my books and my cross stitch supplies!! (The kitchen can wait, can't it?).

Needless to say I haven't managed to get much stitching done, but I have made a decision relating to Raggetty Ann - instead of rushing to try and get her finished for Christmas, I'm going to take it slowly and get it done for my Grandparents' wedding anniversary next year. There's no way I could have done her justice if I tried to rush it. The problem with making this decision has been that I've now started a new mini-project!! A pastel coloured Christmas Tree from the latest Cross Stitch Favourites - will post a pic soon, when it looks more like a tree!

I'm also planning to update the blog a bit over the next couple of weeks and refresh the pictures on the right-hand side, because I have made some progress on my major WIPs! I doubt the blog will change much, but I just feel it needs a bit of tlc before Christmas!

Where did the last month and a half go??

2009-09-29T22:17:00.003+01:00

Crikey. I've just realised that I haven't posted anything since the beginning of August. Blimey. To be honest I haven't actually done much stitching lately, a tiny bit on my Snow Hunter, and a few stitches on Raggetty Ann so there's not much to share. It's been a strange couple of months, with throat infections, flu, a sprained wrist and various other things I think stitching has been the last thing on my mind!!

I did manage to get to the lace fair in Rugby a couple of weeks ago though, so here's a picture of my new stash. My favourite items are the duck and elephant divider pins - I've been looking for something like these for ages!!

I doubt I will be doing much stitching over the next few weeks as I'll be moving house, where hopefully, once I'm settled, I'll be able to stitch whilst watching narrowboats and ducks on the local canal!!! I'm sure the end result will be well worth the interim stress!!!

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Snow hunter - scary eyes...!

2009-08-02T19:55:00.004+01:00

Since I finished the tulips recently my stitching bug seems to have returned, but instead of working on what I should have been (Raggetty Ann) I've picked up my Snow Hunter again. I'm sure Raggetty Ann will get done before Christmas, but at the moment it just seems too far away!

Here's a picture of the Snow Hunter back in April (sorry for the rubbish photo!!):

And here's where I've got to now:

As soon as I put the black stitches in for the eyes, the whole project started really coming to life. They're almost demanding me to keep going and finish the project!!!

I hope everyone else has had a good July, and that our stitching motivation carries on throughout August!

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Tulips - Finished!

2009-07-25T06:55:00.003+01:00

After a concerted effort yesterday afternoon I finally (finally!) finished the tulips I started back in June. Here's a picture of them with the matching pansies. I admit, I prefer the tulips close-up without the black - but they do look very effective from far away. I'll be doing one more from this series, probably the daffodils as I think the yellow, orange and black will set each other off really well.

My next goals are to get going again on Raggetty Ann, which I haven't touched in ages, and to stitch myself a couple of keyrings for my new car keys - I can't believe how hard it is to find nice keyrings on the high street!!! A really good excuse to look through all my old copies of World of Cross Stitch and Cross Stitch Crazy!

I'm hoping that this finish will help me get the stitching bug again!

Lace Close-Up

2009-07-19T18:58:00.002+01:00

Here is a close-up of the lace bookmark (without the pins!!) ;-) as requested by Jenny in the comments in the last post:

I couldn't get the whole bookmark in the picture (which is just as well really as my plait at the end was really awful!). It's honeycomb in the centre, with my version of a fan at the edge (whole stitch with a twist on the outer edge ( I cannot remember if this is an 'official' stitch or not - but it looks ok!).

I've got another week off work this week, so hopefully I can get cracking on some stitching again - it looks as though the weather is going to be right for it!!!

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Lace finish - finally!!!

2009-07-15T20:54:00.004+01:00

Hi everyone - I don't seem to have been in a very crafty mood lately so finishing my lace bookmark finally seems like a major achievement!! I seemed to get myself in a right mess when I was trying to do the plait at the end so pretty much said 'stuff it!' and hoped it turned out alright! ;-)

Here's a pic of the finished lace:
I have also managed to finish all of the coloured stitching on the stained glass tulips I started whilst on holiday. I still think it looks very effective with just the white gaps!! I will fill in all of the black stitches though, as they will probably bring the design to life.

I hope everyone else is in a more creative mood than me at the moment! Happy stitching!!!!

Holiday stitching

2009-06-23T10:25:00.005+01:00

I've been away on holiday over the last week down on the South Coast, so apologies for not posting much over the last week or so! I had a lovely time sitting on the prom watching the sea and generally recharging my batteries. It's a shame I had to come back really!! I haven't been stitching much, but did take a Summery project with me for my afternoon siestas - I took the stained glass tulips to match the pansies that I started over a year ago. All of the white gaps need to be filled in with black stitches, but I think it looks quite effective without to be honest! I'm quite impressed with how much I managed to get done in just five afternoons, since the pansies took me months to complete!! Hopfully I can finish it this week, in between watching Wimbledon on the TV!

I haven't made any progess on any of my big projects, and I still haven't finished my lace bookmark which only has about 10 pins left to go (slaps wrist!!). I've got this week off so hopefully I can make a bit of progess on each of them along with the tulips! Hopefully everyone is enjoying the nice-ish weather - happy stitching everyone!

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Lest we forget

2009-06-06T20:10:00.005+01:00

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Taking place today are the 65th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. Although the above poem was written during the First World War, it always makes me sit back and remember those who gave their lives for us to live today. I hope no-one minds me hijacking the usual themes of the blog to take a moment to remember all those, of all sides, who have died to keep us safe.

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields.htm

Raggetty Ann update

2009-06-04T21:52:00.005+01:00

I have been making the most of the lovely weather so I haven't had much chance to stitch over the last week or so, but here's a quick update on where I've got to with Raggetty Ann. I've done a little bit of her skirt and started the bottom of the doll's shoes. I've also done some of the half stitch sand on the right-hand side:

I have to say that to date this has to be the most frustrating design I've attempted!! The lines of colours going downwards have been driving me nuts, but most frustrating of all has been working with DMC's Satin Threads! There are three shades of satin thread in the design, but I've only used the purple so far. I just can't get the tension right and I'm finding it very hard to work single stitches here and there. If anyone has any tips on working with satin threads, they would be much appreciated!!!!!

Also, I've very nearly finished my lace bookmark so hopefully I'll be able to post a picture of that soon...

Winter Wonderland and a new start...

2009-05-25T22:32:00.007+01:00

I hadn't done much stitching at all this month, but have managed to get some done on Winter Wonderland in between spending time out and about over the long weekend. Here's where I was in April and where I am now:

I have concentrated on the right-hand side and the top areas. I have almost filled in all of the metallic gold/silver in the gaps on the right. I've decided that I really hate working with metallic thread - so time-consuming and awkward! I now have some Thread Heaven which I've found does help, as does using shorter lengths of thread. The above is about a quarter of the design so there's still quite some way to go, but there's no real deadline so I'll just keep plodding away and it'll soon come together...

I've also made a start on Raggetty Ann, which I mentioned in an earlier post. I plan to do this as a Christmas present for my grandparents, as it reminds me of holidays they took me on when I was younger. I feel a bit guilty about starting it when I've got 2 other major projects on the go, but I've realised it's nearly June and at my rate of stitching I'd better get going on it!!!! The design is from issue 116 (October 2008) of Cross Stitch Crazy.

Hope everyone else had a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend and managed to get some stitching done!

No stitching but some lace

2009-05-17T12:15:00.005+01:00

I've been so busy over the last couple of weeks that I haven't had a chance to sit down and do any stitching, even though I've really wanted to. I have been doing some lace though, which has made a nice change! I'm doing the honeycomb bookmark that I mentioned in my last post and I'm quite pleased with the way it's going seeing as I haven't done any lace for about 6 months:

I think the pattern is a bit too big really for the travel pillow, so next time I might have to choose a smaller pricking, or one that is round or joins up. I hate sewing in (or 'joining up') my lace so I tend to avoid those types of prickings - it'll be good practice though won't it? ;-) The spangles I created for my new bobbins have worked really well. I would advise anyone who makes lace to always get polished bobbins as they move between your fingers much easier than non-polished bobbins (e.g. the white ones above). The brown/red bobbins above are absolutely lovely to use! (I bought them from SMP Lace and they are the Sienna Cub bobbins).

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Bank Holiday Beads

2009-05-05T21:09:00.003+01:00

I had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, spending some time watching ducks and swans at a local country park and chatting with my Mum. I didn't really want to go back to work to be honest!!

I did a little bit of work on Winter Wonderland over the weekend, but mainly worked on making some spangles for my new travel lace bobbins. I spent a rather large amount of money on beads in the Hobbycraft shop (oops!) but I think the spangles turned out rather well. The spangles are there to weigh down the bobbins so that the threads have an even tension throughout the lace. I'm guessing that my sudden urge to start playing around with my lace stuff means that a lace project will be on its' way soon! I think I'll do a honeycomb bookmark if it fits onto my travel pillow.

Winter Wonderland - polar bear

2009-04-30T20:17:00.004+01:00

Here is the promised picture of progress on Winter Wonderland. It feels strange to be working on a winter/Christmas picture at this time of the year, but if I want to finish it by December I'll have to keep having a go at it. It's quite a nice design to stitch because you have big blocks of colour, so you feel as if you're actually achieving something. I think the characters are really cute, and I really enjoyed bringing the polar bear to life. I left the dark stitches for his nose and eye until last and suddenly it was as if he magically appeared before my eyes!!

I hope you all think the polar bear and penguin are as cute as I do!!

Now that I've done a bit more on Winter Wonderland, and progress is good on my Snow Hunter I might try and make a start on Raggetty Ann which I mentioned in an earlier post. I always feel guilty about starting a new project whilst I have others on the go, but I'm starting to find that it's nice to have options to suit my mood. I also feel much more confident in my stitching now which helps a lot, and certainly speeds things up!

For those living in the UK, have a wonderful (hopefully sunny!) Bank Holiday. I'm planning to go to a local country park and enjoy some time outside. :-)

Sunday update - I needed colours!!!

2009-04-26T21:08:00.008+01:00

I've managed to do quite a bit of stitching this weekend, despite clothes shopping and nights out with the girls!! I felt an urgent need to stitch using colours as I was getting a little fed up with the greys and browns of my Snow Hunter. So.... I have been working on the Winter Wonderland picture (pic down to the right) and have managed to make a polar bear suddenly appear! I'm really pleased with how it's turning out and will have a photo to post soon (camera batteries need recharging).

Here's a picture of the 'New Home' card I stitched for a good friend when she moved house recently. I didn't have quite the right colours, but I think it turned out quite well. My favourite colours are turquoise and purple so you can see why I was drawn to it!! I left the actual card blank because my card-making skills are completely awful and I didn't want to spoil it by making some horrible error!!

Also, for those who are interested, here is a picture of my new hamster Rosie (isn't she lovely?). She's settled in really well, and I'm getting very close to being able to pick her up and handle her. She hasn't bitten me yet!!

Exciting but non-stitchy!

2009-04-19T20:34:00.002+01:00

This weekend has been very exciting for me - I have finally got a new little hamster!!! :-) My other hamster, Jazzy, passed away last November after having her for two and a half years. She is still missed but I have taken the plunge and got a new little girl called Rosie. So far she has been very curious and seems to be settling in well. I will post a picture later when she's settled in a bit more - I don't want to blind her with a flash.

This does mean however, that I will have to be much more careful with my stitching and lace stuff - it wouldn't be good to leave pins and threads lying around for her to swallow! It also means less stitching time as from experience I know that you have to supervise them every second whilst they're out. Jazzy was always escaping and getting into mischief!! The picture below is of Jazzy:

My Snow Hunter has ears!

2009-04-14T22:10:00.003+01:00

Through slow progress on my Snow Hunter I have managed to pretty much get his ears done and he seems to be starting to take shape now. I've almost got down to the same level as his eyes which is really exciting!!

Apologies for the extremely rubbish photography - I can just never get the light/flash thing right... I really ought to learn how to use my camera properly!

Anyways, I hope everyone had a lovely Easter Weekend - I'm feeling much more upbeat and positive about life suddenly which is great :-)

Beautiful Aberystwyth

2009-04-06T21:27:00.006+01:00

At the weekend I escaped back to Aberystwyth for a couple of days. I went to Uni in Aber and spent 3 lovely years there, with the sea being the only thing that kept me going through the dissertation panic and relationship struggles!!

It was like I'd never been away, and not a lot has changed. It still has all its wonderful charm and character. It also still has the power to give me a sense of utter calm. If there were jobs there and the town wasn't quite so isolated I would be very happy living there. I hope you enjoy these pictures of one of the most wonderful places I've ever been.

Been too busy...

2009-03-31T22:47:00.003+01:00

I've been very busy lately so haven't had much time to stitch (or anything else for that matter!). I had to work Mother's Day weekend (also my Dad's birthday) so I went home this last weekend for hugs and to see all the family (i.e. Mum, Dad, cats, brother, grandparents etc...). It was lovely to see everyone. My mum really liked her Pixel Art polar bear and we sat sat together and did some of it which was really nice. :-)

Work has been really busy too, with conferences to attend and meetings and all that stuff. It has made me feel a bit more focused at work, which should help with stitching as I always feel more motivated with other stuff if work is going well. Hopefully that will be the case now.

Back to whether I have been stitching... I've started a quick stitch project which I intend to be a present for a good friend (I won't say too much here until it's recieved for obvious reasons!!). I've loved the chart for ages so just needed an excuse to stitch it!! I've also done a little bit on my snow hunter but progress is slow...

No stitching this weekend as I'm off to my old Uni haunts to see the sea!!!

Snow Hunter

2009-03-22T17:35:00.003Z

I started this Snow Hunter stitch last year, but ran out of steam when I went wrong but couldn't figure out where! After having gone back to it with clear eyes it was easy to see that I only needed to unpick a small area and I'm back on my way again. I think this is one of those projects where you never seem to make any progress, but I'll keep plugging away at it again now. I think once I get the eyes done, I'l have to finish it quickly - I don't fancy having those eyes staring at me for long!!

I have also finished my little red squirrel, but have to try and decode the backstich key because it is a bit confusing. I'm thinking of writing 'Brownsea Island' in backstitch above the squirrel rather than doing the longstitch branches but haven't decided yet.

I hope everyone else is doing ok with their stitching? It's that awkward time of year when you want to be out and about enjoying the spring days and the sun.... I can't wait for when the clocks change so that I can go and explore after work rather than having to come straight home from work. Best make the most of my stitching time whilst I have it!!

Trip to the NEC - Sewing for Pleasure Show

2009-03-14T18:49:00.004Z

I went to the NEC Sewing for Pleasure show this morning and bought a few items for my stash. The Polar Bear is actually a gift for my Mum, and is Pixel Art rather than cross stitch. You have lots of little tiny squares of plastic that you put onto a baseboard using tweezers and following a pattern. My mum's been having trouble cross stitching lately, so I thought this might be something new for her to try.

The 'Lacemakers do it on pillows' was a kit that I couldn't resist - and I love County Needlecraft designs as they give you the chance to try different stitches and techniques. It's really nice to be able to mix across my two favourite crafts in this way too - there's no way I can replicate cross stitch in lace so it has to be the other way instead!!

I didn't actually buy the red squirrel today, but as it is to be my next 'between' project I thought I'd include it. I bought it last year when I went to Brownsea Island off the Dorset coast. I didn't manage to see any real red squirrels whilst I was there so I got the kit instead!

My next goals/projects are to:

Sort out my Snow Hunter project (I need to unpick a small area, as I was stitching it last year when I didn't really have the concentration to do it properly).
Do a chunk of Winter Wonderland - I'd like to try and finish it by this coming Christmas.
Start on my next major project - a design from All Our Yesterdays called Raggetty Ann from issue 116 of Cross Stitch Crazy. This pictures a little girl standing on a beach looking out to sea. I'm going to do this for my Nan's birthday - which is in December! I bought all the threads today - including satin and colour variations which I've never used before.

Anemonies - Finished!

2009-03-12T22:18:00.003Z

After a marathon cross-stitching session on Saturday afternoon (approx 5 hours straight!) I have finally finished the cross stitch on the Anemonies project. I completed the backstitch tonight, as I couldn't face looking at it after Saturday afternoon!

I am so pleased to have finally finished this project, as to be honest it has been lying unfinished in my workbox for around 18 months!! I think the reason I stopped working on it back then was because the key wasn't very clear and I got a bit confused about the mixing of colours (mostly in the greens and purples). It was good to go back to it with fresh eyes and probably a bit more stitching experience behind me which gave me the confidence to say 'that may not be completely perfect but it will look fine'. Such a lot of stress over such a small design ;-)

I have decided to keep this one, as it has been hanging around for so long. I think I'll frame it and keep it for when I have a bigger place to live.

I also wanted to say thank you to my first commenters on the post below. You definitely brought a smile to my face, and I'm pleased to see that I'm not the only stitcher who loses their motivation, or has loads in their stash that either needs finishing or starting!!

Progress report...and there is progress!

2009-03-01T22:08:00.006Z

Apologies for the lack of posting over the last week or so - it has turned out to be a very busy time lately! I had my birthday recently and have decided to treat myself to a kit and some new scissors at the Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC in a couple of weeks - what a great way to drag my birthday out a bit longer?!

I have been making slow but good progress with the anemonies and really only have the purple flower to do now. I think the part which is slowing me down the most is that I need to use a strand each of two different colours - which looks great but really gets on my nerves as it's so fiddly to get the needle threaded up and the threads don't always sit as well on the aida. I also realised I'd made a couple of mistakes and had to go back and unpick two blocks of stitches. Fortunately it wasn't too much, and it does look much better now that it's correct so it was worth the effort. I'm now actually beginning to enjoy this kit, so it's worth persevering with!

I've also managed to find a proper way to store all my stash (only because I've chucked loads of non-stitchy stuff out) and think I might post a picture of the kits I've got still to do in the hope that it might inspire me to get stitching a bit more quickly! Hopefully there are other stitchers out there who have a large collection of kits and charts that they'll 'get around to one day'!

Craftbubble

2009-02-16T17:40:00.003Z

I've just had another try at using Craftbubble and I still find it clunky and awkward to use. I'm not usually one for using crafting forums / discussion boards but thought that Craftbubble would be good for meeting other types of crafters e.g. Lace-makers who otherwise you might not connect with.

I'm not sure about Craftbubble - it seems really slow to load and just really hard to navigate. There are few breadcrumb trails to take you back to the previous page and I still can't work out how to remove a photo!! I think it's a great idea, but unfortunately it just doesn't have the simplicity of the WOXS forum. I will perservere but I can't see me getting on with it somehow...

Where has my stitching motivation gone?

2009-02-13T21:01:00.004Z

Yet again I have barely done any stitching this week. I keep looking at my WIPs and just not really feeling like gathering the concentration to get going. I think it's probably to do with not having the excitement of actually starting a new project and putting those first few stitches in! I have to admit that I relented and started a quick free mini-kit (Some Bunny to Love) but then I felt guilty because I wasn't working on one of my WIPs!

I'm also reminded of this time last year when I was rushing to finish a Lickle Ted design for a friend's birthday. This year I'm giving her the free Winnie the Pooh kit that came with a magazine last month. She loves Winnie the Pooh, and only has the time to do really simple designs so instead of doing it for her, I thought I'd give it to her to do herself. I've even bought a Winnie the Pooh birthday card to keep it all in theme!!

I absolutely loved doing the Lickle Ted design last year, as it really summed up the relationship between us - a big mug of tea and a good ol' girly chat! I think I'll do one for myself at some point as it really is a cute design. :-)

Stained Glass Flower Cards

2009-02-05T21:43:00.006Z

I fell in love with these stained glass cards as soon as I saw them. I am absolutely fascinated by bright colours so they really caught my eyes. Also, having grown up surrounded by flowers and plants these really appealed.

So far, I have only done the pansies, but hope to do the tulips and the daffodils this year (as shown in the magazine picture above). I'd like to frame the three in a 'triptych' frame so that they are all together. I think they'd look great in a hallway to brighten the place up and welcome people into the home.

The only hard bits about doing the pansies were the single lines of cross stitch going downwards. I left these until last so that I could use the backs of other stitches to catch the thread to hold the stitches in place.

I am putting in pictures of past cross stitch projects as I haven't managed to stitch at all this week :-( I keep looking at my WIPs but am really too tired to pick them up and have a go. Hopefully I will get some done over the weekend and get the stitching bug again. Also, might take a trip to Hobbycrafts to get a frame for Bambi!!

Bambi - Finished

2009-02-01T19:07:00.004Z

I finished Bambi last night (hated the backstitch!) and the photo is above. I think he looks really cute and doing this makes me want to do a picture of Bambi and Thumper. Might have to hold back a while and then get one for my stash at some point (NEC Sewing for Pleasure in March - brilliant opportunity!). It's taken me since just after Christmas to finish this - I really must stitch faster and more often. All I have to do now is find a lovely matching square frame and mount - might have to take a trip to Hobbycrafts at the weekend!

Backstitch - Arrgghhh!

2009-01-31T14:46:00.006Z

I have decided that the only problem with cross stitch is that fact that you then have to go back and do all the backstitch for the detail. Now I know it looks good and 'makes' the picture but it really drives me nuts... It's just not as much fun as actual cross stitch!

I have finished my Bambi mini-kit, but just have the backstitch left to do - can I be bothered? I've picked it up several times but just can't get the motivation to finish it. *Must finish it by Sunday evening.... that is my goal - and then I can start on another WIP - the anemonies I think.

Also, have just got the latest WOXS (issue 148). I think the Sarah Kay design of a girl holding a ginger kitten is my favourite chart this time - although there was a nicer version of this in an issue of Cross Stitch Card Shop not so long ago - definately on my to-do list for the future!!

** I finished it! Backstitch and all. I got a bit frustrated and didn't follow the chart exactly - but it looks good to me. All I need to do now is frame and mount it. I'm keeping this one, as Bambi is my favourite childhood film.**

Rosie Rabbit - September 2007

2009-01-29T20:56:00.004Z

This is a picture of Rosie Rabbit which I stitched for a good friend's birthday. The chart came from an issue of WOXS and was part of an RSPCA series. This was a real pleasure to stitch, despite all the shades of grey, and watching her appear on the aida was great!

I think this was also the largest project I had ever attempted and took me quite a few months to complete. I always knew I would finish it, but I almost lost my motivation a couple of times. My favourite project to date though and I think my friend was really chuffed when I finally managed to give it to her!

Teddy Card - September 2008

2009-01-26T23:16:00.004Z

This was given away as a present for a friend's birthday and came free with either The World of Cross Stitching (WOXS) or Cross Stitch Crazy (sorry I can't remember which!). I thought it was really unusual in that it was to fit into the card, rather than being the card itself.

Unfortunately I didn't read the instructions properly and used two strands for the green section and ran out of thread, so had to find a closely matched colour! That'll teach me to read the instructions properly!!

Welcome to Cross Stitch and Lace!

2009-01-26T22:31:00.000Z

I've been looking for a way to share my cross stitch and lace projects with folks for a while now... It seems a shame to hide all the photos away, especially as I'm proud of what has been created over the last year or so. Not sure if a blog is the best way of doing this but I figure it's worth a try.

I have to admit that I'm not the quickest at stitching, and find making lace a much quicker craft - I guess it depends on how I'm feeling and how much stress my fingers can take! I generally do medium-sized cross stitches and torchon bobbin lace - so if these are crafts you enjoy, I hope you enjoy my efforts here!

Anyway, it may take a while to get this up and running with photos etc, so please bear with me if you find this before I've got myself in gear.