October Round Up & November Goals

Still waiting on two charts which are on back order so no stash pics just yet.

Now that it's Halloween Night (not that you can tell here...I had one trick or treater!)

October's challenges were just that, a challenge. For some reason I found it hard to stitch this month and as such didn't really get much done.

• Finish Halloween Rules....No
• Finish Green Flip-it Series....No
• Finish Nose Garden....No
• Finish Hello Kitty....No, it got binned early in the month, so I guess technically it counts?!
• Finish Witchy Brew....Yes!!

Yes the only thing I managed to get finished was Witchy Brew however I have only one challenge in November and I am going to achieve it!

November's Challenge is *drumroll please*.....

 

FINISH SUPER MARIO THROUGH THE AGES

 

I have been posting about this piece for over a year and I'll be damned if I'm going to blog about it next year!! Now I've been doing some maths (shocking I know given that I struggle even with a calculator) but it's actually achievable to have it finished by the end of the month if I stitch a little every day.

 

Here's how I worked it out:

 

Total stitches in piece: 23,328

Stitches completed: 7,482

Stitches left to work:15,846

No. of stitches required per day to finish: 528

 

Given that I'm working this on magic guide aida that's just under five and a half blocks a day :)

 

Sadly I won't be able to start this until the 3rd as I'm away on training for the next 2 days with work and I really don't want to take my stitching with me so on Saturday I'll have to have a bit on a hermit weekend and stitch around 1600 stitches to catch up (16 blocks)

 

Wish me luck!!! I'll be posting updates every few days

 

xX Fiona Xx

nothing stitchy to report

my copy of the new Professor Layton game currently has my undivided attention, however my latest order from 123stitch also arrived today so I'll do a stitchy stash post tomorrow :)

Teaching Tuesday :)

'Tonight I have been sharing my addiction with someone close to me (before you all get worried, its totally craft related and harms no-one and nothing-with the exception of my bank balance!)

My friend Sam asked me to teach him to cross stitch a few weeks ago and nw that we've had some free time I've been able too!

After Sam picked out a chart he liked the look of (something small, a little backstitch & a few colour changes) I pulled the equipment he'd need, explained the difference between Anchor & DMC, went over the basics (how to make a cross, work stitches in a line or singularly, start off, finish a thread etc) and then pretty much left him to it while I got on with my own project.

 

While Sam was stitching I managed to finish off 'Eat Locally', I know I said I was going to finish it yesterday but I kinda fell asleep instead! Here is 'Eat Locally' & 'Save Water' finished, next up is 'Keep Our Air Clean'.

 

 

I took Sam home around 9PM, after 3 hours of stitchy fun. I think he enjoyed himself! (Well I hope he did!)

 

 

And a close up of Sam's first Cross Stitch, he's taken it home to finish :)

 

Till Next Time, Happy Stitching!!

xX Fiona Xx





Monday Musings

Lots going on this week, my friend Sam is coming over tomorrow night to learn how to cross stitch!

Should be fairly easy to teach him the basics, after all if I can pick it up anyone can!!

As well as playing teacher this week I shall be working on:

•  Green Series, 'Eat Locally' is almost finished as we speak, shall be finished before bedtime tonight I think
• Knitting Mug Hug christmas presents at Needles & Natter on Thursday morning & during my lunch breaks at work, have one act on from lunch today and I'm aiming to be on my second by Thursday.
• Possibly getting another Halloween Rule completed before the weekend.

Also found out that my friend from work is expecting a little boy in March :) Looks like the Lizzie Kate Birth chart I picked up at Ally Pally will be getting stitched sooner rather than later!!

xX Fiona Xx

Ally Pally, finishes and more :)

Well a week ago today I went to Ally Pally with my mum for the stitching show, we met up with Michelle & Kath there. There were a couple of cool exibits there, one called 'the unfinishables' which tied in with a book release of the same name, the exibit was all those unfinished items that everyone has lurking in boxes and drawers, the ones you know you will never finish but can't bare to throw away.

The second exibit was a really awesome knitted model village, I took quite a few photos of this one and no matter how many times I look at them, I still find things I didn't spot before!!

The show itself was huge! However I think I bought home the least amount of stash I've ever bought from a show!

Few Lizzie Kates, including 3 of the new 6 snow belles, and a few other charts from my wishlist, fabric from sew-it-all, 2 FQ and some new scissors.

I also bought some Rico Design Aran Wool.

I also got my christmas presents from Michelle & Kath but I'm being good and waiting until christmas to open them (mum's hidden them!) however one of them was 'jingling' all the way home...hmm...

This week I have been off work, using up the last of my holiday days as I'm not allowed time off over November/December so I've been stitching. I finished Witchy Brew, it only took 2 days :) Love this design!! Stitched in DMC's and GAST :)

Continued with Halloween Rules, only 3 to go now!

And did a little work on Green Series Flip-its.

I have decided to bin Hello Kitty, the person it was for doesn't want it now and I'm not really into Hello Kitty so I figure why waste thread!

I realised I never showed a photo of Button Button finished so here's how it came out, I added flower shaped buttons to the flower centers and stitched it in DMC.

My other news is that I entered a giveaway and my new local branch of hobbycraft when it opened here in Oxford and I won!! I've now got £25 worth of vouchers to spend!! :)

 

 



Well thats everything for now, sorry its been such a long post!!! Will try to update a bit more often now!!

xX Fiona Xx

One more sleep

till Ally Pally!!!!

So Excited!!!!!

Lol will do a proper real update with *photos* when I get back!!

October Already?!

Wow the year has gone so fast! Hard to believe it's October already.

Suppose I'd better set myself some targets for October then ;)

1. Finish Halloween Rules
2. Finish Green Flip-its Series
3. Finish Witchy Brew
4. Finish Nose Garden
5. Finish Hello Kitty Head

Fair amount to do but my stitchy bug is back so who knows? I might just do it!!

September was a pretty good month, I spent more time knitting than stitching though, I finished the scarf I started back in January (not for the CJC sadly!) and I knitted my first ever 'mug hug'. Pretty pleased with the way it came out, it looked like the picture in the book and it fitted round my mug!

Stitching wise I did manage to finish Button Button, which was a january challenge piece so I only have 4 left to go!!

xX Fiona Xx