Jubilations and a finish!!!

Hope everyone has a lovely Jubilee extended bank holiday weekend!!! Plenty of stitching time :D

I treat the little man to a balloon for the weekend.

I've been trawling the web, notice boards etc to find all the local events so we have a few bits and bobs planned in. I've already seen a display of replica crown jewels in our local shopping centre- all in glass cases with beefeaters around them. Shame they didn't have one to try on for photos I would have been over the moon with that!

Were off to see what our local railway museum has on (and cos Vinnie is choo choo mad at the moment) and a fair today. Although this morning it has gone rather cloudy - typical British bank holiday then I guess lol.

I have a confession in the rotation department - I was a bit close to being finished I have done a few more hours than the 10 I should have.

Anyway here's the fruits of that Winnie the Pooh finished!!!

I'm over the moon with this I just need to press and frame it as I think I have someone it would make a good gift to. It's one of the stitches that the backstitch makes.

I don't feel guilty spending the extra time on it to get it finished and that's another one ticked off the crazy Jan list. So that's 5 done - not too bad. But I do keep getting side tracked with other things at the moment.

Other crafts I did some baking with my tot and he loved it. He thought that mixing the cake batter was hilarious.

These are the ones that Vince decorated however the plate that I decorated when he got bored don't look much different lol! I'm not one for baking but I can manage cupcakes but I don't have the patience to do any fancy decorating. It was a great rainy day activity with the tot though.

Loving that he's starting to get to be able do little projects like this. Best go as he's currently empting my handbag all over the floor!!! Catch you next time.

God save our Diamond Queen!

Keep Stitching....

Fun in sun and Xmas stitching

I had finished these the other day but have been in such a stitching zone I didn't stop to update! That and enjoying the glorious weather with my little boy - with a little bit of moaning about the heat lol it's just not kind to bumpy women. Not even a touch of mist on the beach spoilt our building sandcastles today - well hubby and I built them tot squashed them.

my boys emerging from the mist lol

This was the view out to sea but a turn of 180 to inland it was bright blue skies!!

Also over the last few days we've had picnics in the garden, the paddling pool out, seen the sailors from HMS Ocean parade through our town, and ate lots of ice cream - it's been great!

Anyway back to the stitching. I have completed my stitching for the second batch of free Cross stitcher Christmas tags. These were part of my crazy January 15.

Here's where I was after the day in Jan:

And now all completed:

I did have stuff left over to do more but the magazine said it should be enough to do about 6 so that is what I had set out to do. Plus its all in metallics and after a while it does get to you. I normally stitch with the 2 ends through the needle and leave a loop at the bottom to fasten with but I do the opposite for metallics making it loop through the eye and knot the ends otherwise it slips and slides too much.

I have found however that the kit contains a random extra brown metallic thread.

It's not listed in the key or appears in any of the designs - how strange - it had me looking for ages thinking I was just missing something but its no where to be seen.

Here's a closer look at all the tags;

The designs themselves aren't very difficult it is the metallics that add the fiddle to these.

I'm gonna have some handsome dressed Christmas presents this year.


So I'm slowly knocking stuff off my crazy jan list - 4 down and 2 in current rotation but think I'm gonna need to get a move on to get them completed before the end of the year. Think I'll replace this with another smaller kit from the crazies list.

Keep Stitching....

Al fresco stitching

Been a busy week this one with the end of term but I have managed to complete the rotation on the Christmas tags. I had hoped to have already moved on to the next project but it just wasn't happening with how busy I was at work oh and Vinnie cut another tooth so has been a struggle to get him down at bedtime. But I'm done for 2 weeks Easter holidays (woop woop) so hoping to fit in some more stitching amongst all the other plans I'm hatching!!

Anyways how lovely is the weather at the moment I'm loving it. Wasn't at the beginning of the week when I was stuck in my office lol. So I have jumped at the chance as soon as I could to do a spot of al fresco stitching.

The little enjoyed playing in the garden too with his sand table. Although at the moment it's mostly trying to stop him eating everything!! We are planning a good garden sort out not that that'll stop him trying to eat sand lol.

I've got another 2 tags finished

The one with the holly I had to trim to less than a block of aida from the design to get it to fit on the tag. It must be wider than all the others as they trim easily to a couple of blocks either side of the design. I'm pretty sure I didn't go off anywhere.

Here are all the ones that I have completed together

I'm going to have some pretty looking Christmas presents this year!

I have made a start on the fifth one as well

So I'm nearly there with complete all 6 in the set. But I'm happy with that I'll get them done on the next go round the rotation.

We also had the Easter party at playgroup yesterday and there was a Easter bonnet competition. We didn't win anything but here's mine and Vinnie's effort

I did do most of it with Vinnie only being 1 he's not really up to much crafts yet. Its a paper plate and some foam cut outs from the pound shop. But I did stick to materials that he could use and help a little with. Some of the parents had clearly spent ages on some of the hats there as they were impressive but quite clearly not touched by a under 3!!

I'm looking at starting my next project in my rotation sometime today. So watch this space.

Keep stitching

Rotation jitters

Stitching has been coming along nicely and I have completed my 10 hours (give or take the extra sneaky half hour I didn't count) I was really struggling to decide to move on but seen as I took the fabric out of the hoop to picture I decided to take a deep breath and roll it away for something else.

Here's my progress on Motherly Devotion and I'm sure you will all see why I'm loathed to put it down.

It's stitching like a dream too.

We'll just have to see how it all goes with rotating onto something new. I'm hoping it will increase my productivity with all these January crazies lying around. Normally being a one at a timer I'm having nightmares about the orange box

that looms in the corner with all my crazies zip locked in and also Starry Night (which I can't believe is sat there) and Tapestry cat (which is a must to finish this year). It feels like a shameful box of abandoned starts I know I'll get there but I think I rest easier about my stash than all these starts!!

We had a wicked time with Vincent's first birthday he had a great time. Can't believe he's one already and not a baby anymore :( I don't think I was prepared for how emotional I'd find his birthday.

I'm off to hang the washing up outside seen as its a nice day and dries better than when Vince spends all day pulling it off the radiators anyway lol.

Then fingers crossed for some stitching time this afternoon

Keep stitching...

Motherly devotion progress from CJC start

I've picked up Motherly Devotion, Joan Elliot's design from Crossstitch collection from my Crazy January pile this week. Just to recap this is the design

It was one of the ones that I was loathed to put down. I love the way that Joan's designs stitch up.

This is where I got up on day 11 of CJC.

And here is where I'm up to now

Not too shabby eh? Think I have my stitching mojo back. In fact I've been feeling a bit back on my game in general which is nice. Finally going to get my first scan on Monday so can't wait to meet baby 2 and check that they are doing ok.

Shame the middle throws you straight into the greys of the blanket but I'm being good and sticking with it and I'm hoping to get that section completed first. But I'm so tempted to wander with all those other lovely colours begging to be stitched.

I was chatting with my friend, who also stitches (her Joan Elliot Celestial Dragon was in the last issue of collection - I was super proud of her) and she asked me about Starry Night. This then made me feel like I was cheating on it lol. Like I have said before normally I work with one big project and a small side project at a time so I'm not used to all this flitting about. Think maybe I'll have to get onto it soon but it's hard having so much stuff on the go at once. I love it all and want to stitch it now.

So much to stitch and so little time.

Keep stitching...

A finish as promised

WOOOO HOOO......

I have my first finish of the year about time too. Glad a got myself pulled round a bit and got to some stitching.

Margaret Sherry's Little Fairy and she's turned out rather nice. And look at those beautiful french knots. I couldn't do them a handful of years back and then they just clicked.

Seen as it's half term we've been on a film binge on an evening so plenty of relax and stitch time. Off to see Star Wars in 3D tomorrow and now let's see what's next...

May the Force be with you....

Keep stitching...

Attention!!

Well I could hardly believe my eyes... A finish!!!!

After a slog to the finish of my crazy January 15, I had a few days to recoup my stitchy vibes and yesterday was my first day back. What a way to get back into the swing of things but with a finish of Royal Guard from Cross stitcher magazine 242

Also to my surprise when digging in my work basket for the felt finishings I discovered this little fella. My 10 month old son must have posted his toy royal guard in there. I was rather impressed although I did find Captain America in there to.

So is probably just a coincidence but a cute one nevertheless. The work basket is now going to live on the top of a cabinet as I thought it was out of reach enough but obviously not and today I caught him tipping out my TUSAL jar lol. But safety first and so my workbasket with its pins and scissors is going to live out of reach during the day.

Well on with the next...

Keep stitching...

Let the stitching begin in ernest

Well I did it!!! Woop Woop. There was a little while I thought I mightn't get it done, but I've slogged it out and made a start on all my 15.

Day 10: Gift Tags Cross stitcher number 234

Stitched all of one of the tags it just needs trimming and making up.

Day 11: Motherly Devotion Cross stitch collection

Fabric Pack finally arrived this very day so I thought it was rude not to start it right away. Still had been having sleepless nights with my teething son so could hardly keep my eyes open. But I was really loathed to put this one away for the next.

Day 12: Ornies Cross stitcher magazine

 Made a good start. Uses three strands so will be super rich colourwise. But ouch on the threads so will have to see how far supplies get me!

Day 13: Kingfisher in Flight.

 After having been up since 4am I had a busy zombiefied day ended up out at the shops longer than I wanted but luckily I had stopped for a large peice of choccy cake to fuel me along. So really thought I wasn't going to get any stitching done. But being so close to the end I camped out in bed and stitched a length.

Day 14: Christmas Angel

 Did a little bit still was low on energy.

Day 15: Middle Earth

Doesn't look much but did take a bit of sorting firstly I nearly all the threads for this needed winding onto bobbins and it's stitched 2 over 1 so will look really good.

Now to sort the mess out......and where to start arrrrgggghhhhh!! lol

Keep stitching...

Crazies fatigue

I'm soldiering on with my crazy 15, have to admit this week I've found that all these new starts a bit of a fatigue. I used to think starting a new kit was the most exciting thing but I think I've took the comfortable middle stitching time for granted. I struggled a couple of days with having to get all the new bits together and starting but I'm over halfway so I'm sticking with it. But I'm so looking forward to the end of this so I can get on with the pleasure of working towards finishes.

 So here's my varying progresses on my crazies

Day 5: Reindeer cake band Cross stitcher free kit issue 245

I know barely started - too much distractions but that's a story for another day lol.

Day 6:World of Sarah Kay kit

Much better than day 5 seems a nice kit - got loads lovely colours, metallics and a huge tub of beads that look like more than the chart needs - always nice to end up with extras for the stash.

Day 7: Gingerbread Houses

Got nearly all the X stitch for one end of the house done. Took quite a while to measure out the fabric to make sure all the pieces would leave enough room for each other. So looking forward to getting these done I can't wait to see how it goes together to make the 3D houses.

Day 8: Tigger and Pooh

Again not much of a start but think I was lamenting putting the gingerbread houses away.

Day 9: Flaming June

Not bad but this was one of those where I needed loads of stuff out and didn't have to hand. So a lot of time wasted rummaging etc. I was a little nervous when I started as the chart recommended starting from the top corner which I never do but I have a large enough piece of fabric so have gave it a go. But then it also means I've started in the clouds - boring colour-wise doh!!!

Bit concerned I ordered the fabric pack from Cross stitch collection for the motherly devotion but it's yet to arrive and I'm soon gonna run out of time - although I do have other kits I can pull at the last. And here I am on day 10 saying about not having had as much time but I'm here blogging lol

So I'm off to kick my butt into action.

Keep stitching...

CJC Day 1-4

Getting into the new year and enjoying all this craziness. I've had some ups and downs, it's certainly full of fun. Hoping you are all enjoying yours and looks like some great starts from what I caught up on.

So here's my progress so far on my crazy Jan challenge...

Day 1: Christmas tags from Cross Stitcher magazine number 247.

Got all the X stitch done on one tag. Didn't really get at it but we had a lazy start to the year in addition to a teething baby - well I think it's teething, he's nearly 10 months and still to get one lol. I was cursing the kit thinking it was missing the brown (on the bauble top) but to my tired eyes it was masquerading as a green!!

I got a pack of lovely gold needles from the hubby for Christmas and they are gliding through the fabric like a dream and it was a pack of 20 so plenty to go around my crazies.




Day 2: Royal Guard Cross Stitcher Magazine number 242.

He' stitching up quick didn't have long again to work on him so good start considering. At first I thought he was not going to be a starter as the first red thread I used kept snapping on me but it must just have been a bad length in the kit. Even though it was only day 2 I felt a bit naughty opening a new kit when I hadn't made a good dint in the one before.

Day 3: Margaret Sherry Little Fairy

 Wow this one felt like it was flying off the needle. Considering this was the same day I went back to work it's coming along nicely Can't wait to get back on it!!

Day 4: Felt Baubles Cross Stitcher Magazine number 246

~Sigh ~ Just when I thought it was all going so well. The stitching has gone well but after hours of stitching I got to the bottom and realised the little piece of fabric has been cut wonky!! And something has gone askew in my middle finding so it has come dangerously close to the edge and considering this needs to be stitched into some felt this is not good. Not good at all!! :(

Looks like there may be some frogging in my future. Aaaarrrggggghhhhhh!! Kinda glad to put this one back in the box to deal with another day. ~grumble~grumble~

Hoping today's endeavour fairs better!!!

Keep stitching...