We did a boot sale today and I made £100 selling some of the cross stitch stash I sorted out last week, still have more to go so we’re doing another one when we come back from Wales, only 5 days to go and I’m getting really excited!
At the same boot sale I found 5 old copies of Cross Stitcher magazine for 10p each so I snapped them up as I didn’t have any of them. Bought a few fiction books to take on holiday as well so it was a good day all round.
I have finally finished the main cross stitching on ‘I stitch’ so now it’s onto the backstitch, this project will be finished before Wales, I’m sure of it! I have made up Lexi’s birthday card using the Somebunny cover kit I did last year and as I don’t have to stitch the poppy tribute anymore I am almost finished with this months targets now; just ‘I stitch’ to finish and ‘Summer Bentley Bear’ which I can take and finish on holiday. I may even have time to start stitching Sophie’s Tatty Teddy chart for her birthday on July 15th but we shall see.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Friday, 11 June 2010
Spring Cleaning :)
Today I have been off work sick, after spending the entire morning and most of the afternoon in bed asleep I really wanted to do some stitching but sadly my body wasn’t having any of it, couldn’t make myself focus on the pattern without seriously hurting my head. Decided to have a look at my stitching stash as I have forgotten about a lot of the stuff I actually own. Decided to get rid of quite a few kits because I just know I’ll never get round to doing them, pretty sure that I only picked them up because they were going cheap at one of the shows I went to when I first started stitching anyway. Also tidied up my workbox and put away all my threads properly. Discovered two more UFO’s (not happy about it), one of them is a Christmas card chart and is nearly finished so probably won’t take more than an evening to finish. The other UFO is a country companions kit my mum got for her 40th birthday which I was doing for her as a surprise as she wasn’t really into cross stitch at the time. Mum is 46 in September which means this is my oldest UFO to date. I’m pretty sure the reason I stopped this one is because I made a mistake somewhere in the half stitched background and couldn’t figure out where. I will restart this one at some point as mum thinks she got rid of this kit years ago; if I can stitch it in secret it will make a nice surprise for her! Won’t be going to work tomorrow as I’m still feeling really lousy but hopefully my head won’t ache quite so much and I’ll be able to do some stitching.
Now that I don’t have a deadline to finish that poppy picture I am so tempted to put it down and carry on stitching I stitch…if I am off work tomorrow I may do just that as I stitch is so close to being finished, I have one group of flowers left to finish and then its just beading and backstitch! I already have the frame picked out and everything, I just can’t wait to see it finished!
I’ve also picked out the design I am going to do for Lexi’s birthday card; it’s a baby Newton’s Law design from cross stitch card shop magazine, although I did find a Somebunny to Love design that I’ve already stitched so all I would need to do is mount it into a card & I can always stitch it again for myself at some point in time; this would save me valuable time on this months targets & possibly give me a head start on next months targets….will have a think about it and probably run the idea past mum in the morning.
Now that I don’t have a deadline to finish that poppy picture I am so tempted to put it down and carry on stitching I stitch…if I am off work tomorrow I may do just that as I stitch is so close to being finished, I have one group of flowers left to finish and then its just beading and backstitch! I already have the frame picked out and everything, I just can’t wait to see it finished!
I’ve also picked out the design I am going to do for Lexi’s birthday card; it’s a baby Newton’s Law design from cross stitch card shop magazine, although I did find a Somebunny to Love design that I’ve already stitched so all I would need to do is mount it into a card & I can always stitch it again for myself at some point in time; this would save me valuable time on this months targets & possibly give me a head start on next months targets….will have a think about it and probably run the idea past mum in the morning.
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Don't know why I bother (a rant)
Ok, so I get to work today and Harriet informs me that she’s had a massive fall out with her friend I’m stitching the poppy for and as such doesn’t actually need the picture anymore. Wish she’d text me that yesterday so I didn’t waste my time starting it. Oh well, will turn it into a card instead and give it to one of my relatives next year
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
Less Worried...
Ok, slightly less panicky about this Poppy picture, seeing as I’ve actually started it now and I’m about halfway through after a days stitching on and off while watching the telly. It’s quite a deceptive pattern really as it looks like its full of confetti stitches which is what put me off starting it but once I got into it I realised that its all blocks or lines of colour and because the strands are so short I don’t actually waste any if I used the single strand loop knot method. In some places I did use two strands but only where there were larger blocks of colour or blocks that were close together. Unfortunately I can’t continue stitching tomorrow as I’m off to the cinema with friends but if there is time when I get back (and I’m not so tired that I’ll either stab myself or make a huge mistake that would require unnecessary time wasted frogging it again) I will definitely be picking up that needle!
I’m not enjoying stitching this picture, if anything it gives me the creeps just a little bit. Basically I was asked to stitch this picture as a tribute for a friend of a friend from work whose daughter passed away; this is the information I was given when I agreed to it. The whole reason it’s a poppy picture is because her name was Poppy and also because poppies signify remembrance. Anyway! I agreed to do it because it seemed like a sweet way to commemorate this little girl who died and maybe it would bring some closure for the mother, which it may still do as it’s to commemorate what would have been the birth date of a baby who miscarried at 39 weeks. This year would have been her first birthday and while I realise how traumatic it must have been to lose a baby I can’t help but be just a little bit freaked out by it. So yeah, I don’t like stitching it but agreed to do it so the sooner I get it finished the better. I was asked to put her date of birth on there as well as her name but I am going to suggest leaving it off as it may be upsetting for the mother whereas just her name makes it a memorial picture rather than a birth sampler.
Speaking of birth records I really want to pick up the new country companions design featuring tom mouse asleep in a pair of baby bootees, the kit comes with pink and blue threads so the design can be adapted for either a boy or a girl and its just too cute!. I don’t know anyone who’s pregnant at the moment but they seem to come in swarms of 3 or 4 at my work place so it’s always nice to stock up on designs!
I’m not enjoying stitching this picture, if anything it gives me the creeps just a little bit. Basically I was asked to stitch this picture as a tribute for a friend of a friend from work whose daughter passed away; this is the information I was given when I agreed to it. The whole reason it’s a poppy picture is because her name was Poppy and also because poppies signify remembrance. Anyway! I agreed to do it because it seemed like a sweet way to commemorate this little girl who died and maybe it would bring some closure for the mother, which it may still do as it’s to commemorate what would have been the birth date of a baby who miscarried at 39 weeks. This year would have been her first birthday and while I realise how traumatic it must have been to lose a baby I can’t help but be just a little bit freaked out by it. So yeah, I don’t like stitching it but agreed to do it so the sooner I get it finished the better. I was asked to put her date of birth on there as well as her name but I am going to suggest leaving it off as it may be upsetting for the mother whereas just her name makes it a memorial picture rather than a birth sampler.
Speaking of birth records I really want to pick up the new country companions design featuring tom mouse asleep in a pair of baby bootees, the kit comes with pink and blue threads so the design can be adapted for either a boy or a girl and its just too cute!. I don’t know anyone who’s pregnant at the moment but they seem to come in swarms of 3 or 4 at my work place so it’s always nice to stock up on designs!
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Starting to panic now...
Seeing as we’re now a week into June and I’ve not completed a single target, not only that but I haven’t actually picked up a needle this month yet!! Luckily I am home alone tomorrow and so can focus entirely on stitching the Poppy tribute picture as it has to be done before my holiday on the 26th, not sure if I’m going to make it but will just have to try my hardest!! More to follow tomorrow, right now I’m going to bed to get an early start!
Friday, 4 June 2010
Damn You Facebook!!
I’m not quite sure why I do this to myself, it was obvious yesterday that I can’t afford to make anymore starts without finishing some of these UFO’s off first! But that was yesterday…
Today I find myself agreeing to stitch Sophie from work a card for her birthday (July 15th)just because she’d seen the photos of my work I’d posted up on Facebook, but this is not just any card either, oh no, it’s a Tatty Teddy (me to you bear) card! Not only that but I also found myself thinking I can also stitch a card for her 2 year old daughter’s birthday as it’s only a week before Sophie’s. However this means more work to be added to this months target list…which is now starting to look less and less achievable and is reaching the realms of impossible!
Revised Stitching Targets 2010
June
• Finish Summer Bentley bear kit
• Finish I stitch therefore I stash
• Start & Finish Poppy Tribute (deadline 3rd July) ~ Essential
• Stitch Lexi’s birthday card (deadline 6th July) ~ Essential
July
• Stitch Sophie’s birthday card (deadline 15th July) ~Essential
• Finish Winnie the Pooh: Water Games (possible?!)
• Finish Somebunny to Love: April Showers
Ok, that seems slightly less manic in terms of stuff to do this month, not so sure about the way July looks now as there is an awful lot of water games left to do…will have to reassess that nearer the end of June depending on how far I get with targets for this month; Although on saying that I haven’t actually achieved much stitching in the last two days!
On a completely separate note, I’m a published stitcher again!! My comment about the strangest place I’ve ever found a needle was published in the latest issue of Cross Stitch Crazy Magazine (#140)!
Today I find myself agreeing to stitch Sophie from work a card for her birthday (July 15th)just because she’d seen the photos of my work I’d posted up on Facebook, but this is not just any card either, oh no, it’s a Tatty Teddy (me to you bear) card! Not only that but I also found myself thinking I can also stitch a card for her 2 year old daughter’s birthday as it’s only a week before Sophie’s. However this means more work to be added to this months target list…which is now starting to look less and less achievable and is reaching the realms of impossible!
Revised Stitching Targets 2010
June
• Finish Summer Bentley bear kit
• Finish I stitch therefore I stash
• Start & Finish Poppy Tribute (deadline 3rd July) ~ Essential
• Stitch Lexi’s birthday card (deadline 6th July) ~ Essential
July
• Stitch Sophie’s birthday card (deadline 15th July) ~Essential
• Finish Winnie the Pooh: Water Games (possible?!)
• Finish Somebunny to Love: April Showers
Ok, that seems slightly less manic in terms of stuff to do this month, not so sure about the way July looks now as there is an awful lot of water games left to do…will have to reassess that nearer the end of June depending on how far I get with targets for this month; Although on saying that I haven’t actually achieved much stitching in the last two days!
On a completely separate note, I’m a published stitcher again!! My comment about the strangest place I’ve ever found a needle was published in the latest issue of Cross Stitch Crazy Magazine (#140)!
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Ok, breathe…this isn’t that bad, there aren’t that many things to finish off…
Today I made a list of all my unfinished projects or UFO’s as they are commonly known; There were a few more than I remember actually starting, I swear someone else starts them and puts them in my work bag!!
Anyway after I recovered from the shock of discovering that I have managed to rack up a total of ten UFO’s in my 3 years of stitching I knew I had to do something about them. I’ve set myself stitching targets for the rest of the year:
June
• Finish Somebunny to Love: April Showers
• Finish Summer Bentley bear kit
• Finish I stitch therefore I stash
• Start & Finish Poppy Tribute
July
• Finish Winnie the Pooh: Water Games
August
• Finish Jo Verso Housework Fairies
• Finish Margaret Sherry’s Totally Tropical
September
• Finish Mirabillia Halloween Fairy
October
• Finish Passione Ricamo Ghost freebie
As you can see I’ve got my work cut out for me…on the whole they seem to be quite manageable to achieve, although I have just realised I also need to plan in time to stitch the charity squares I promised to stitch for Auntie Jane on the forums for her charity blankets, I said to myself I’d do 15 squares this year as that’s how many they need per quilt and so far I’ve managed to stitch….none, this is not good.
I am on holiday in about 3 weeks though so if I get the poppy tribute (commissioned piece) and I stitch therefore I stash out of the way before I go I can hopefully do a square or two while I’m in Wales! If I can’t get 15 done it isn’t the end of the world as it was more of a personal target rather than a promise made to someone else. But I will be disappointed if I don’t get them done.
Am really looking forward to this trip to Wales as it means I get to visit the Nimble Thimble stitching shop!! Only downside is that I will probably end up buying more stitching goodies and will if I’m not careful end up with even more UFO’s than I have already!!
Anyway after I recovered from the shock of discovering that I have managed to rack up a total of ten UFO’s in my 3 years of stitching I knew I had to do something about them. I’ve set myself stitching targets for the rest of the year:
June
• Finish Somebunny to Love: April Showers
• Finish Summer Bentley bear kit
• Finish I stitch therefore I stash
• Start & Finish Poppy Tribute
July
• Finish Winnie the Pooh: Water Games
August
• Finish Jo Verso Housework Fairies
• Finish Margaret Sherry’s Totally Tropical
September
• Finish Mirabillia Halloween Fairy
October
• Finish Passione Ricamo Ghost freebie
As you can see I’ve got my work cut out for me…on the whole they seem to be quite manageable to achieve, although I have just realised I also need to plan in time to stitch the charity squares I promised to stitch for Auntie Jane on the forums for her charity blankets, I said to myself I’d do 15 squares this year as that’s how many they need per quilt and so far I’ve managed to stitch….none, this is not good.
I am on holiday in about 3 weeks though so if I get the poppy tribute (commissioned piece) and I stitch therefore I stash out of the way before I go I can hopefully do a square or two while I’m in Wales! If I can’t get 15 done it isn’t the end of the world as it was more of a personal target rather than a promise made to someone else. But I will be disappointed if I don’t get them done.
Am really looking forward to this trip to Wales as it means I get to visit the Nimble Thimble stitching shop!! Only downside is that I will probably end up buying more stitching goodies and will if I’m not careful end up with even more UFO’s than I have already!!
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