it's here, it's here!!!

Yes my halloween copy of Just Cross Stitch finally arrived!!!!

so excited!!! Found too many designs I want to stitch!

Obviously I couldn't just order a magazine...these are the other bits that snuck their way into my basket prior to checkout :)

LHN Tree Farm, WMD Primative Greetings, Stitchy Kitty's Snowman Trio (and the buttons to finish)

Plum Streets Christmas Is Coming & Threadwork Primative's Kingle's Crow

Stashing aside I have also been stitching today, here is how button button is progressing, pretty happy with the way it's turning out so far. I am almost halfway though :)

I have two other bits of crafty news to share, firstly I discovered Ravelry today. I'd heard of it before but after an email from stitchyangel about some mitts she finished recently I thought I'd go and check it out....big mistake!! I have found sevenal patterns I've been wanting to knit/crochet, many from Attic24 of who's work I am a great fan! It's all such colourful hooky goodness :)

My second bit of craftying news is that I have found a craft group about 5 mins away from my workplace, they meet every Thursday from 9 till 12 at a local tea room called Rosie's. The group is affectionatly called 'Needles and Natter' and apparently any and all types of needles are accepted! I'm going along on Thursday to check it out and I'm thinking of taking either Witchy Brew or Dandy Dreams with me. Originally I was going to take Button Button but I think I may have it finished before then but if not I may take it along and finish it.

Till Next Time, Happy Stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

Button Button update

More progress to show!! Stitched some more while watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Probably the most I will actually watch of the Olympics too, much rather be stitching ;)

Before I show how much I have done, I have noticed that more often than not I will put my stitching down to make a cuppa, answer the phone or door etc, (a problem that every crafter no doubt faces) but instead of pulling my needle through the fabric and parking it at the side, most of the time I leave it like this....

Yes that's right, with the needle poking straight up through the fabric...honestly sometimes I have to wonder at my own stupidity, I mean I manage to poke myself with it when I pick it up again too and I still do it!!

Anyway, inepitude aside, here is how much I got done tonight

I'm hoping to get more done tomorrow but as I'm going to Portsmouth to see family I can't really see it happening, still you never know!

Till next time, happy stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

Button Button

Did a little more work on Button Button tonight while watching NCIS :)

Have decided this is going to either be a flat fold or a padded hanging orny when it's finished so I'm using the DMC alternatives to stitch the design, this way it will be washable!!

Happy Stitching!

xX Fiona Xx

Sun, Stash & Stitching

The three things that make every stitcher smile :)

Yes the sun has finally been shining here in Abingdon and my god it's been lovely!! Sadly the weatherman keeps telling me that the rain clouds are due back this weekend but I'm choosing not to believe him!!

I have some lovely new stash goodies courtesy of eBay. The Christmas in July theme continues as they are all festive designs, it really is one of my favourite holidays!

A couple of Lizzie Kate Charts

Limited Edition GAST Winter thread pack

Lizzie Kate'sChristmas Rules

Also picked up some Aida grab bags and an OOP dmc thread from my LNS when I went in to pick up some DMC 739 for Super Mario ~ I couldn't leave without buying more than one thing now could I?!

And lastly I have some stitching to show. I forgot to sign up for IHSW as usual but I still stitched anyway. I finished Mario #1 (bar 7 stitches in the colour I'd run out of...stupid background)

And frogged and restarted 'Button Button' by CCN. (Originally started too low on the Aida) But as I've really not done much there isn't a photo :)

Not massive amounts done but I was also out enjoying the sun!!

Happy Stitching
xX Fiona Xx

Super Mario Sunday!

Yes its finally time to show an update of Super Mario!!

Originally I was going to stitch the entire background before filling in all the Mario shaped gaps but since coming back to this design after almost a year I decided that filling in the upper marios before continuing with the background is probably a much better way forward. Once I have filled these gaps I will finish the design by stitching a page at a time. There is about 2 pages worth pictured here and there are 6 in total.

I have also managed to finish organising my threads today :) Now I only have to keep on top of it when I finish a project! ~ wish me luck! ~

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend, we finally had some sunshine here so I also mowed the back garden and got just a little bit sunburnt!

Till next time, happy stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

Unexpected Organisation

No stitching to show today, for some reason I kept putting my needle down and so have very little to show.

I was determined to have a significant amount done on super mario today so that I coud finally show an updated progress picture but sadly it was not meant to be, I went to change colours on one of the Mario's in the design only to find that I didn't have the colour in my project pack.

I knew I had taken out some of the colours for some of my crazy january starts but I thought I had put them all back again once January was over. One massive hunt through all the projects I had kitted up, in my wip bag and through my pot containing all my 'used threads to be put away' later and I'd found the missing colour. (DMC 311 not that anyone really needed to know :-P )

However instead of going back to my project I found myself sorting through threads, putting away doubles in the towers they are meant to be in, windign new threads onto bobbins and finally sorting out the GAST threads I received either early this year or late last year into flossbags. yes they have been sat there for so long that I have forgotten!!

Still have a little more to do, varigated threads and metallics to go onto bobbins too and I need to check back through those kitted up projects before storing the last of the GAST threads but I can finally say that my threads are almost organised!!

Now if only I'd gotten some stitching done.... LOL

Till next time, happy stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

Happy Dance Thursday!

Santa 10 is finished!!!

Only slight changes I made were ommitting the bottom border and stitching Santa's beard and eyebrows in plain white dmc thread rather than the whisper fibres recommended. I plan on finishing this as either a flat fold or a flat orny.

Have gone back to work on the Green Series by LK now :)

xX Fiona Xx

P.S have figured out a solution to my photo problem, I'm uploading to photobucket first :)

Sunday Stitchings = A happy Dance!!

Humphrey is finished!!! Just in time too as it's my boss' birthday tomorrow!! I've still got to finish framing it tomorrow morning but the stitching is complete!! Woop :)

Here is Humphrey in the frame I am going to be using. The alphabet used is from a different Humphrey's corner design. Due to the time limits I have missed off some of the back stitch and tweaked the back stitch I have done in places to make it easier to do :)

Going to be giving it to my boss when she's back in on Tuesday so fingers crossed she likes it!! Now I can get back to finishing off Santa!

Till next time, happy stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx

Sunday Starts, WIP Wednesday & Stash!

Bit of a mixed bag kind of post today. The weather continues to insist on being rubbish and un-summery but I have decided I don't care. I am going to enjoy the time I can spend stitching when it's too wet to go anywhere.

On that note I started something new on Sunday, before you all cry that my project bag has several projects on the go, I shall explain that it is a present for my boss' birthday next week. I am stitching a humphrey's corner design and I'm adapting it into a sampler for her little boy who's birthday is also next week (same day in fact!)

I started this on Sunday evening and stitched all day Monday as I had a rare week-day off, here is my progress as of Wednesday morning after stitching into the wee hours on Tuesday evening.

It's actually stitching up really quickly, just his head and the backstitch to go! It's a good job really as I'm not going to see my boss after Thursday so I really just have Wednesday evening to get it finished before her birthday! Luckily I'm framing it myself and have everything I need to do that!

 My new stash arrived in the post on Tuesday!!

Apparently I'm still having uploading issues with some images. Anyhoo... Lastest stash is the new Lizzie Kate Mystery Sampler pt.1 & the thread pack to stitch it, PS mini chartpack 'D', LHN sleighbells ring & ding dong merrily & a little snowman chart from heart in hand. (I took advantage of the Christmas in July sale on 123stitch!)

Time for bed now me thinks, hoping to get up early and put some more stitches into Humphrey!!

xX Fiona Xx

P.S Just realised I've forgotten to take a photo of Mario, will try to remember for next time!

WIP Wednesday

Happy 4th of July to all my American friends and happy 'winds-day' to all Winnie the pooh lovers!!

The weather in England so far this summer is leaving much to be desired. So far this week it has been grey, wet and humid. Very greenhousey and not at all plesant!

Although I have been at work I have managed to get some stitching done, this week I am working on Super Mario and I'm enjoying it which makes a change!

-no photo yet as theres not really much to show-

I have been a bit naughty...I got an email from 123stitch saying they had part 1 of the summer mystery sampler from Lizzie Kate in stock....I've bought it and the thread pack to work it....a few christmas charts found their way into my basket too, christmas in July sales will always be my downfall!!

-just waiting for them to be delivered now...only a week or so to go....-

I think thats it for my week so far, reading wise I'm re-reading the Wicked series by Gregory Maguire, as I've checked out the lastest book 'Out of Oz' from my local Library but can't really remember the story so far...for those that haven't heard of them , it is a series of books based on the Wizard of Oz books. Wicked is the first book and is about the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West. It has also been made into a stage show which I'm dying to go and watch in London!!

until next time

farewell my pretties!!

Happy Stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx