Guess What!!!

More Progress!!

Honestly I am so sick of this design now, luckily it seems that its finally getting somewhere and hopefully will be finished by next week. Good job too as I have exchange and PIF pieces just crying to be stitched!

meetings, movies & stitching

So Tuesday's meeting with the area manager went well, he was pleased with the spring layout of the store so far and commented on how nice the windows looked, (so pleased with that remark as I'm the one who did the window dressings this time!) I've only been working at this place for 4 months and can honestly say its such a nicer company to work for than my old job, even had a text off the store manager at lunchtime today saying she really liked the floor move I did yesterday while she was off!

Wednesday night was movie night so no stitching. Watched Predators with Dave and even though its not a film I would have chosen to watch myself, I actually really enjoyed it!

Today was my day off and while that would usually involve copious ammounts of stitching being done, today was spent doing laundry. Did manage to put in a few stitches this evening but it's hardly noticable and so no photo update. Also watched the first half of a two part mini series drama 'Alice' on the syfy channel. Sort of a modern day Alice in Wonderland and so far very good. Concludes next Thursday at 8 and I will certainly be watching! I'll also be buying the DVD when it comes out on 7th February which will hopefully have subtitles so my mum & dad will understand it!

So thats the update from me until the weekend, when hopefully I will have some photos to show!

Happy Stitching!

xX Fiona Xx

Further Progress!

This is how far I got after tea, Tom Mouse is now complete, the booties are finished and the ribbon/bow above the booties (that weird blue thing behind Tom Mouse) is almost done too. Now that I've done the majority of the cream colours, or at least the major blocks of them I'm really enjoying this design. I definitely did the right thing by stitching the bootees first!

Sadly this is one of those designs where the backstitch is what really brings the design to life, I'll be backstitching this section before the border I think, just because I detest backstitch!

Just for Tammy (and anyone else) the design I'm stitching is called 'New Baby' and it's part of the new Country Companions series by Anchor. The finished design should look like this, New Baby, just in the blue colourway instead of the pink.

Right well, it's almost 1AM here and as much as I would love to continue stitching I know I really should go to bed as I have a visit from the area manager tomorrow at work and I have to be awake!

Sweet dreams everyone & happy stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

time for some pixilated stitches & progress

Yes I have been planning my next cross stitch piece and I think its going to be something game related. The three patterns I'm hoping to do this year are show below.

On the left are a zelda design & a professor layton design I made up quickly on KG-Chart by inporting two pictures I found on the web. The design on the right is a Super Mario design I downloaded from spritestitch.com and have seen stitched up a few times. At the minute I'm thinking Zelda or Layton but thats probably just because I've been playing them recently on the DS.

In other news this is my progress on the birth sampler as of tonight, I'm hoing to do some more later after tea!

Till next time, happy stitching!

xX Fiona Xx

colour at last!

This is how far I've gotten since Thursday. The booties are basically done, there are a few blue stitches to fill in and Tom Mouse is starting to take shape. It feels so nice to be stitching with some colour again!

Happy Stitching!

xX Fiona Xx

Progress as promised!

Progress is slow... cream on cream is so boring to stitch lol good news is that this section is almost finished and then its on to some slightly brighter colours!

Hoping to do some more tonight before I go to my friend's house for movie night

Happy Stitching!

xX Fiona Xx

Workbasket

This year I want to try and work through some of my ever-growing stash of kits and charts, (in fact it was one of my resolutions) so in order to help me do this and help me resist the urge to buy a new kit or chart every time I want a new project, I spent a little time recently going through my kits & charts pulling out all the ones that caught my eye.

The selection process was very simple, instead of carefully planning which designs I want to stitch this year, I simply looked at each kit and chart in my stash, if I felt the temptation to open the kit or pull the threads for a chart right away and start stitching it went into the pile. (Check out my workbasket page for a full list of designs!)
I then found a wicker basket in the garage my mum was going to throw out because the cat decided the handles were great to use as a chew toy when he was a kitten so their a little splintered, painful if you plan on carrying a lot of things around but perfect for what I wanted. I have some really pretty fabric I plan on making into a lining but for now all the charts and kits that took my fancy have gone into my new workbasket and have been given pride of place in my corner of the craft room I share with my mum.

look at all those lovely kits & charts...which one shall I do first??

Now whenever I want to start something new I have a basket full of designs that I’m already itching to start. The trick now will be deciding which one to start first!!

Thats all for now, I promise progress shots from cc birth sampler tomorrow!!

Hugs & Happy Stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

nothing to do with stitching

took a break tonight from stitching and completed professor layton & the lost future (unwound future for those of you in the US!) and finally connected my DS to the internet and downloaded all the weekly puzzles on all three Layton games :) I love these games, can't wait for the next one on the 3DS!

May have to do some Layton themed stitching until it comes out (or I can afford it!)

Onto Zelda Spirit Tracks for completion now!

Postie Days

A few postie arrivals to share with you all, firstly I was Michelle’s end of year giveaway winner and this lovely package showed up about a week or so ago.

Some lovely threads, fabric, mini kits & an adorable notebook. Many thanks Michelle, I love it all and can’t wait to get stitching with it!!


This second arrival in the post showed up yesterday, it’s my PIF piece from Elisa

A wonderful Biscornu and the first one I’ve ever received!! Elisa was also kind enough to enclose a cute card giving the details of this piece; the design is French biscornu by Yvonne Horn of Papillion Creations, taken from the April 2008 issue of the gift of stitching magazine. It’s stitched on 28ct Hand-Dyed Fabric in ‘Jouquil’ using Stett Francis hand-dyed cotton and mother of pearl vintage buttons. Many thanks Elisa, I love it!

Thats all for now, off to stitch my birth sampler!

Happy Stitching
Fiona xXx

Deadline GONE!!

My friend had her baby today!!! Little Archie Robert showed up today weighing in at 6lbs 4oz, both mum and baby are doing fine and came home from the hospital this evening. Now I'm really glad I have 3 days off to finish & frame this sampler!!!

how time flies when you're stitching.

I can't believe it's mid-January already. I have been stitching up a storm so far this month, however as most of my finishes are exchange pieces there won't be any photos until the deadlines have past and I know they have been recieved.

Work continues on my friend's birth record, only 5 days left until she's due so I'm glad I have three days off work next week to work on it!!

In between stitches I spent a bit of time today sorting out my craft space, looking through my stash and filling my workbasket with more charts and kits I hope to stitch this year. I'm hoping that by keeping it out on display it will encourage me to stitch more from my ever-growing stash than buy a new kit/chart to do.

That's all for now, will post some update pics of birth sampler soon

Happy Stitching!!

Baby Cards!!

I don't often make cards but sometimes I just get the urge to...mostly after seeing some of the wonderful cards my mum's made :) Anyway... I made these baby cards for a couple of my friends. The blue & green boyish one is for my friend Laura who is due on the 20th (the birth sampler I'm currently stitching is also for her) and the pink girly one is for my friend's daughter, Amy who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on the 13th December.

Made using rubber stamps & promarkers for the bears, ribbon, silver peeloffs, baby tag toppers & paper from my stash (no idea where they came from lol)

Geometric Tile Scissor Keep

I finished stitching this design last night and made it up into a scissor keep this morning by backing the design with felt & attaching cord. Photographed attached to my new fabric scissors which were a late Christmas present from my mum & dad.

Geometric Tile Scissor Keep
Designer: Anchor
Fabric: 14ct White Aida
Thread: Supplied with kit, varigated anchor
Started Stitching: 4th January 2011
Finished Stitching: 5th January 2011

Also made a start on a birth sampler last night. It's the new baby kit from the country companions range by Anchor. Haven't done very much so far so no photo but I'm hoping to do some more this evening after work.

Geometric Shapes confuse me....

lol I'm currently stitching the Anchor geometric tile scissor keep (started yesterday) and I have had to frog this design so many times already!! Not to mention the fact that the chart itself has been printed wrong, a couple of stitches are in the wrong places which makes the design non-symetrical so I'm having to recheck the chart and rejig it so that it is symetrical!

On the upside I'm almost finished and should be able to post photos tomorrow of my new scissor keep & scissors!!

TUSAL 2011

Here is my January update for the 2011 TUSAL

Not very impressive at the minute, a few stray threads off the fabric of my new start and one offcut of thread from the same project.