Off again soon!

Right - for those of you wondering where we are off to this time I'll keep you waiting no more.

This weekend we are flying with Virgin America to Los Angeles, and then onto Ruby Princess for yet another Hawaiian cruise!

Hopefully we will get some wonderful weather and warmth. I am so fed up with being cold!

So I will not be updating this blog until after we get back, when I'll try to post a few photos of our trip. We keep thinking that this might be our last long haul flight - it's 11 hours in a plane from Heathrow. We have upgraded our seats to Premium Economy - more leg room and wider seats to mention just two advantages!

So I have spent the last couple of days inundated with washing and ironing. The two cases we are taking are almost packed, but I will have to repack, as I need to split his and hers clothes between the two cases - just in case! I will never forget the sinking feeling when our cases were left behind at Sydney Airport when we flew on to Auckland to catch a cruise liner there. Luckily our bags turned up before we were due to board the ship, but that sinking feeling that we might be in the clothes we stood up in for days was frightening. Now if the clothes are mixed in each case and one disappears en route, at least we would both have changes of clothes for a few days!

What I do have to do is sort out my stitching bag to take with me. I've made a new lined project bag (following the video by The Twisted Stitcher for guidance). I've decided that I am going to take a couple of mini kits which came as free gifts on magazines for the flights, but I'm going to pack Brooke's Advent Animal freebies so that I can catch up. I have finished up to number 18, so I have the rest printed off and the colours sorted for them. I'm also packing one of Brooke's angels - or maybe one of her little witches - just in case I get everything else finished!

By the way I'm slowly getting my disastrous Fairy Grandmother frogged, and I have marked on the fabric exactly where I should start next time! But I am delaying starting it again until after we come home.

So I'm off into the wide blue yonder shortly, and I'll catch up with you all soon.

Take care until then

Sandie

Changed my mind!

Well today I was going to tell you about our next holiday - but instead I'm after some uplifting thoughts!

Yesterday I got out my Fairy grandmother to put a few more stitches in. Here is where I was.

Now if you compare it to the photo I posted last time, you will see where I am on the pattern - 

I had just reached the point of her sleeve up to her neckline. So I decided to move my frame to give myself a bit more space. 

HORROR OF HORRORS!

I checked and double checked - NOOOOOOO! When I actually looked at the positioning, I worked out what I had done. The bottom line I had stitched was the centre line. But I had stitched it on the line 3/4 of the way up! I tried to grid and count to see if it would fit on the fabric I had left. But even that wouldn't work. When I had gridded the extra I would need, I was right on the selvedge edge of the fabric. Could I chop off a few lines of the pattern - just not sew them? No - even that did not work as the fairy wings go virtually to the top of the page.

So I had to bite the bullet and admit defeat. I started to unpick it last night and carried on today. It is so disheartening. I have actually put it back on the frame - I have turned the fabric round, so what was the top of the fabric is now on the bottom. It means that tomorrow I can start again and unpick a bit at a time. 

On Friday we had dinner with some friends who have just come back from an 8 week holiday in Australia. They showed us some of their photos, and more than ever now I am desperate for some sunshine which might warm these old bones of mine. Now I promise more of that next time!

Sunday dinner calls - roast chicken today!
Until next time

take care

Sandie