Summer - where?

Afternoon all!

As I write this it's a grey and dismal day here - we're in June for ****s sake! Where is that summer weather we were promised? I was watching a tv program this morning, where they were interviewing an amateur weather forecaster. He was saying that the weather at Christmas determines the weather for the following summer. Therefore this year we would have about 2 or 3 weeks of summer weather in July/August! The rest would be wet and dismal. Just as well I've got plenty of stitching to keep me going then I suppose. Still he did forecast that Christmas this year should be frosty, but not deep snow, which should then herald a summer 2017 that we could be happy with. Long while to wait though!

Hopefully on Wednesday, we should be getting out garden patio sorted. Not sure if I elaborated before but we bought some artificial grass earlier this year, which we were going to lay on top of our existing patio outside the back door. Anyway - long story short - the original gardener we hired to do the job eventually didn't want to do it, and we had to find another. This time, the job is on to be done this week. My peony has just begun to come into flower and provides a bright splash of colour in the drabness.

Meanwhile, in the few summery days we have had, I have been out weeding our front garden, I'm leaving it almost bare this year, in an attempt to try and find/kill all the weeds which have been springing up there. One side seems to be a dandelion heaven and the other is a bindweed hotspot! I know that weeds are only flowers in the wrong place, but I really don't want them, so each time one springs up I try to dig it out and hopefully by next year I might have less to contend with.

DH is busy watching these Euro 2016 matches. I don't think he's missed one live yet! Still he did tape the second half of one match last night so that I could watch the season finale episode of Hawaii 5-0! And I do have my stitching to keep me company while he sits in front of the tv.

Better do a stitchy report now I suppose. While we were on our cruise, I managed to catch up with the Brooke's Books Advent Animals. (Although Brooke has just released number 24 in the series which I do have to stitch).

I decided that I'm stitching the name above each animal as I think they are a part of their charm. I've stitched them on long strips of Aida, and the first 2 strips (1-8 and 9-16) have already been part finished ready for assembly. I am going to make them into small pockets on a backcloth, which will hang from a kind of dowel rod. I've got Grumpy Kitty (again Brooke's pattern) to head up the hanging, so my plan is kind of coming together in my mind. 

I also managed to do a quick finish of a cover kit from a magazine (I think it was Cross Stitch Collection or possibly Cross Stitcher). This one will be a small hanging for the Christmas tree this year. 

Finally on to my Fairy Grandmother. I can finally say that I have restitched all that I had done before I had to frog everything, and have started to make more progress on it. This was how it looked a week or so ago - 

 This was not quite duplicating all I had done before. 

This was the start of some progress last week.

And this is where I've got to earlier today! 

I've decided to do her face 1 over 1 (it's 32 count), so I did the same for her hands as a test. I discovered that I can see the threads clearer if I peer over the top of my glasses! So I think that once we have had the garden settled, I must get round to making an opticians' appointment! I'm really not sure about the size of the beads against the rest, but it was what the pattern required, so I soldiered on with them. Also I couldn't make out the gold area just above the stripes on the bodice. It wasn't clear from the pattern. So after asking on Facebook and not getting a definitive answer from anyone who had already stitched this, I contacted Told In A Garden by email, explaining my plight. I had a reply from them in under 2 hours! They explained exactly what I should be stitching, and I was so happy with their prompt reply. It's always worth going back to the pattern maker if you have a query I've found.

Last of all I've acquired 2 new patterns (via 123.com) from swapping a couple of my completed patterns. 

Hawaii Life!

 Christmas Friends.

This will go with the other Vickery Collection pattern I got a couple of years ago - 

I also managed to reframe a picture which I gave to my daughter some years ago. When we visited them last time, she have me a collection of broken frame pieces - it had dropped from it's hook and smashed. So I managed to reglue it back together, washed and restretched the picture and gave it back to her when we visited them last week. 

 Meet Valentino Rossi (Lyndisfarne Needlework kit) - freshly washed and reframed.

Well it's half time in the latest match, so I can get an answer if I ask DH what he wants for dinner! So I'd better go and turn on the oven!

Until next time - take care - and if you see the sun please remind it to come and shine over my way please?

Sandie

New Year - back again

Back again. I had a bit of a funk about writing this blog! I really couldn't see the point of sitting here, writing down what I'd been up to ... but thinking about it I'm going to continue. I shall write about what I've been creating, and where we've been.
Mind you - saying that - I should say that I won't post everything I've finished since my last post! That would take too long! I have to say I finished a few bits at the end of last year, maybe I will get round to posting them at some point - but let's start afresh and go from now.

I am currently working on a Heritage Crafts kit of Neuschwanstein Castle. I'd forgotten how they work those partial stitches they use, but luckily I'd bought the kit with evenweave fabric, so it was not too much of a pain. I'm about two thirds of the way complete, but the camera is tucked away, so I'll post a photo next time. Hopefully that will be a finish (or nearly one anyway).

Remember that Hummel piece I stitched last year?

I finally bought some fabric to finish this as a flat-fold. It will be my first attempt to finish in this way - so watch this space!

My dear friend celebrated her 80th birthday in November so I had to stitch her a special card. I loved the meerkats, but was disappointed that the glue I used showed through the fabric - luckily it almost made a pattern! But I was still upset with the finish.

This was a Joan Elliott pattern which I stitched and added to a christmas card for Jessica this year. My intention is to make another similar each year for her to hang on her tree. Now that they have moved house, they have space to put up a tree, so hopefully I can start this as a tradition for her.

I also finished this for Jess this year. I backed it with a red Christmas print and finally found a small enough hanging rod from Sew and So. (Most of them were too big). Although she is still slow in speaking, there is nothing wrong with her intelligence. And she does not yet write her name legibly. But this year she sat with her mum's Tesco Christmas catalogue and had ripped out the pages where she wanted the toys! So she could slip the pictures into the pocket at the bottom. I also printed out some A4 letter headed sheets which purported to come from Santa's desk, so that her parents could write a reply for her and put it into the pocket as a reply from Santa. 

This year we had Christmas at home alone - merely going to a friend's for a Boxing Day meal. And our New Year was quiet too - we sat at home watching Jools Holland on the television. 

The weather here has been very cold, but so far we have not seen any snow this far south and east. I hope we don't get any either! Tomorrow I have to go for a mammogram and have already decided to go to town on a bus so even with a heavy frost I should be okay for that. Then I have to start looking around for some summer wear - my t-shirts are looking a bit sad! We are off to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary in February in Egypt. We are going with a friend to a hotel in Hurghada and a Nile cruise tagged onto it. At least it should be a fair bit warmer than here!

Right - enough of the computer - time to get the bins ready for collection tomorrow - then make dinner and settle down for a night in front of the television with some knitting. I'm making a tunic style jumper in an Aran weight yarn, so it keeps me warm while I'm making it! The front is almost finished, so I hope to cast on for the back tonight.

Take care

Sandie

Full of cold

Glad that cold germs can't come through the laptop! I know they have PC viruses, but hopefully cold germs don't count!

I know why I'm suffering though - this time last week we were sat in temps of 36C - today it's 19C in Colchester, but it's been raining and horrid!

Where were we last week? Egypt! I got an email of last minute deals from Red Sea Holidays, and we decided to opt for a week of sun before the cold winter blues sets in!

This is the Makadi Palace - on the Red Sea coast. Most days we spent the morning on our balcony when the sun was not too hot. After a stroll down to the Sunset Bar for lunch, we spent the afternoon in the bar near one of the pools, before returning to our room to shower and change for dinner! 

While we were away, DH celebrated his birthday. As usual I had left it late to make a card for him. This year I was stumped for ideas. A week before we left I spotted an entry on Avis's blog Sewing Beside the Sea where she'd sewn a card with a ukulele on it for her daughter. I asked her for a copy of her pattern, and I set about making it look a bit like the one my DH bought in Hawaii. Here's his 2 ukes, and here's the card I finished.

 

What else have I been doing? Well I finished the Hansel to go with my Gretel angel I mentioned last time and also a Mill Hill Santa which we bought in Hawaii last time we were there.

And I promised last time that I'd also let you see the birth sampler I made for my best friends' daughter. Myles was born on August 15th and I had the image stitched, ready and waiting for the details to be added. As his bedroom was to be decorated in cool beige/browns I decided to opt for a soft image, rather than the bright colours of many birth samplers. I decided to stretch it over a canvas rather than putting it into a frame. I edged the picture with a pale blue ric rac binding to give it a finishing touch (which doesn't show up very well in the photo!). I was delighted that both parents seemed to be delighted and it's already hanging in Myles's bedroom.

 


And finally I started to stitch the Advent animals free designs from Brooke Nolan Although so far she's posted animals 1 - 7, the intention is for the series to be completed by Christmas 2015, so even I should be able to complete that deadline! Once I have a few done I'll post in the next blog post perhaps.

In the meantime my daughter and her husband have moved house and our granddaughter's bedroom will probably have an owl theme when it's decorated. Needless to say, some of those owl patterns which have been dominant in magazines etc recently might find their way into my sewing pile! Stay tuned for the next instalment to see which make their way to the top of the pile.

'Til then take care - (and stay free of colds!)
Sandie

Nearly Christmas - another year gone!

Hi all
I've been hunkered down, trying to finish my Joan Elliott diary piece, which might help to explain why I've been missing my blog lately. And I've had a few minor ornament finishes too.
Joan Elliott diary 2013 (World of Cross Stitch freebie) - started Jan 2013 - finished Dec 17th 2013.

I posted a picture of the finished piece on the Facebook group page - and even received a message from Joan herself, "I am smiling. This piece looks fabulous Sandie". Praise from the designer herself! Thinking I shall make it into a wall hanging, but I'm taking the time to look for the right fabric to use, so it might be a while before I can actually say completed.

I managed to finish 3 small heart pieces, which I'm going to sew into decorations. 

I have some fabric which I bought at the Knitting and Stitching Show, which would be great for this, so I'm going to find a few minutes tomorrow to get them done.

I also bought some cotton yarn at the same show, and have decided that I am going to make a short-sleeved cardigan ready for next spring. I have completed the back (obviously this photo was taken a while ago!). I've taken to knitting during the evenings as the winter nights are so bad for stitching. I have a daylight bulb fitted into a lamp which I use for my sewing machine, but unless I carry it up and down stairs every night I'm stuck for a proper light. Maybe if Santa doesn't bring one, I can wait for the January sales?

We went out to town yesterday, looking for a replacement Christmas tree and a new candle bridge. Our old tree was really too large for the space we normally put it, so this year DH and I decided to look around. We decided that we really liked a minimalist look - so we ended up with an LED "cherry blossom tree". 

We put it up, but haven't yet tidied up around the bottom of the tree, so apologies for the mess!

And to top it off my Blood Pressure has been climbing back up again. So after a trip to the doctor's today, I'm on a new regime of tablets, to be reviewed again in January. The pressures of the Christmas season don't seem to count as far as Doctor's are concerned - all he could suggest was that I don't overeat over Christmas!!!

I did manage to get my hands on the latest issue of Cross Stitch Collection. There's a beautiful Joan Elliott Winter Queen cross stitch in it, which I really want to do (perhaps for next Christmas?)

Or do I start those Nutcrackers (Mike Vickery) which I got earlier in the year? Or a kit called Tiki Tropical Collage (Janlynn) as a memory of our Hawaiian cruises? Or my European Bistro? Or do I continue just with my cheetah that's been languishing lonely in the corner for the last few months?
Decisions, decisions, decisions! Tune in again after Christmas to see what I decide to go with.

In the meantime, here's a little visitor to my back garden to wish you all a Merry Christmas or Happy Winter Holiday.

I hope everyone has a fabulous time with family or friends, and that Santa brings you lots of stash enhancing presents.

'Til January
Sandie

I'm BACK!!

Morning all!
I have to apologise to my followers - I have just not felt up to blogging recently. (Blushes as I realise the last post was in August!) And apologies that there will only be a few photos as I can't find the camera to download what I need! (Maybe next post?)

I have no excuse other than I couldn't really motivate myself to put fingers to keyboard! At least not for blogging! I still kept in touch with folks via the various Yahoo groups I belong to, but even that became a pain in the **** recently when Yahoo changed it's format for the groups, making it a real learning curve to keep up with it all. However (apart from a few minor niggles recently) it seems to have settled down, and most days I am able to do what I want or need to do.

Recently we went with some friends to their villa in Spain for 10 days. The weather in Spain was amazing for October. In fact we discovered that Spain had never had such high temperatures in October for many years. But it was relaxing to sit on the terrace, drinking the odd glass of wine, reading on my tablet or finally getting back into stitching. As we flew on RyanAir (a cheap carrier for those who don't know) we travelled with hand luggage only, so I had to find something SMALL with only a few colours of thread to pack. I chose a few christmas heart ornaments from a recent magazine.

My cheetah had to stay at home - far too bulky and too many colours, so I haven't put many stitches in there at all recently. My Joan Elliott diary piece is progressing as I had been able to put a few stitches in it while watching the tv of an evening. As a result I now have almost 9 months completed.

I did manage to complete a rush piece for our friends who took us to Spain. This weekend they celebrated their Ruby Wedding Anniversary, and as they only told us they were having a party about a month ago I had to find a pattern I could stitch fairly quickly. I found a free pattern which I had downloaded some time ago, and managed to get it completed in time to frame it and present it to them at their party. I even had time to make a special card for them too!

On one of the Yahoo groups I am on, one member had been saying earlier this year that her granddaughter will have to have major surgery next year, and other members offered to make quilt squares for Grandma to make into a quilt for her; Grandma chose the patterns she wanted us to use to ensure continuity; we all had instructions on fabric type etc; and then we all started stitching. I managed to put an individual touch to mine by adding a line of paw prints down one side of a personal message for her granddaughter, as the pattern was quite tall and narrow. 

The tacking stitches indicate the 8x8 inch square we were told to make sure we didn't exceed! Grandma has received the square and seems to be delighted with it, so I am happy to have contributed. 

I bought some cotton yarn on holiday in Austria, for 1euro a ball! So I have been busy knitting a few washcloths. Last weekend I went to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Alexandra Palace in London. I was a little disappointed that there seemed to be even fewer cross stitch stands this year. I was looking for a wire hanger for a christmas gift for my granddaughter, but couldn't even find one in the entire exhibition. So I have to resort to internet shopping for it - and who knows what else I might find while I'm doing that!

This has to be made up yet, but the idea is the bottom makes a pocket where Jessica can slip her letter to Santa. When I was a child many homes had open fires, and children would write their christmas letters to Santa, and then consign them to the fire where they burnt and went up the chimney to Santa's home. As more homes now have no chimney, the tradition seems to have died out. So I'm trying to make a new tradition for Jessica!

I still managed to spend a fair amount on fabric and yarns at the exhibition, coming home with 2 bags full of goodies - more of those next time. Until then - take care and keep stitching

Sandie

Tigermum's last Wipocalypse 2012 and Hello 2013

Morning All.
It's finally bright and sunny this morning - the first one in a bright New Year for each and everyone of my followers (and their families). Let's hope that 2013 brings us no more of that horrid rain in the UK which has flooded areas, destroyed homes and even lives.

It was two years ago I started this blogging lark. I admit that initially I wrote down things to remind me what to include, but with increasing age I lose the notes! So most of my blogs are now random thoughts which occur to me at the moment I find a spare minute to sit and write. I haven't been around much lately, and I do promise to try and be a bit better about it all this year! But I'm finding it difficult to fit in all the things I WANT to do - sewing, cross stitching, quilting, knitting, papercrafts, cooking, reading, computer time etc. And as they are all things which require input (you can't set them up to do them without your intervention) then every now and then something falls off the end of the day! But I'm sure you all suffer from the same problem. The first person to invent a way to cram more into a 24 hour day will have the gratitude of crafters everywhere I'm sure!

Anyway - what have I been up to during December? Apart from rushing round and preparing for Christmas? Not a lot! We took a few days away at the beginning of the month on a Christmas Market trip on the Rhine. It was lovely; snow, cold, plenty of mulled wine, good food and a real Christmas atmosphere to get you in the mood for the start of the celebrations.

That was as far as the celebrations went really. My DH and I spent the actual day together but our daughter and family went to MIL for about 4 days, so although we delivered presents to them before Christmas we didn't see them over the holiday. Still we bought them a webcam so we hope that SIL will fix it up soon, and we can keep in touch that way. My decorations are mainly still in the loft - I couldn't even raise the enthusiasm to get them down!

My stitching over the year - my aim for the WIPocalypse was a little ambitious I now realise - as you will too when you look at the before and after pics below. I seem to have concentrated on large pieces this year, and not achieved much, next year I'm going to be a bit more organised (perhaps?) and slip a few smaller projects in!

To the yearly update -
1. Rose fairy and quilt -  This was at the start of the year. And this was the finished article inserted into the quilt for Jessica's birthday -  A pretty fair finish I think! FINISH 1.
2. Egypt -  a long way from finished at the beginning of the year!
And finished (although still not framed)  FINISH 2.
3. Lace fan - start of the year - . Not a single stitch has been put in this over the year. I'm seriously thinking that maybe I should give this one up; perhaps restarting it  on white fabric as I think the navy is putting me off!
4. Cheetah - January -  and December -  At least it's a start!!
5. Daisy -  Again not a stitch!!
6. Mandala cushion -  FINISH 3.
7. Jessica's Wordle -  FINISH 4.
8. All that Jazz -  FINISH 5.
9. Tree Frog Trio -  FINISH 6.

10. SIL's birthday Card - (his birthday is January 1st!) As you may remember from earlier posts he works designing computer graphics, so I thought that a Monsters Inc birthday card would suit this year! FINISH 7.

11. I also started something which I know won't be done for this year, but I saw these vintage Santa's in a magazine and decided that I'd pop them on a band - maybe a start for Christmas 2013! I think that as Jessica doesn't have a chimney for Santa I might make this into a wall-hanging with a pocket at the bottom for her letter to Santa. Then she can hang it on the handle of her bedroom door for Santa to collect! 

Add to that my other sewing projects (embroidered t-shirts, hungry caterpillar pack and various other sewn items), my knitted goods - scarves, fingerless gloves and my shrug (more of that next time), my papercraft - cards for everyone's birthdays this year and ALL of our Christmas cards - then MAYBE I didn't do too badly after all!

This month my daughter is heading to hospital again for her re-re-construction of her right knee. She's due to go in on Jan 22nd, and her consultant has told her it will be a long operation and a slow recovery with at least 6 months physio appointments. So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.

Until the next few spare minutes I think I'd better stop now. In my next post I'll tell you about a few of the things I'm planning for 2013.

I hope you all have a happy and prosperous New Year.
love
Sandie

Tigermum's November WIPocalypse again!

This WIPocalypse seems to come round quicker than ever each month - or maybe it's just that I don't get as much done as I'd hoped each time?

My big finish has to be Egypt - no apologies for giving you the photo again!

Still haven't decided how to frame it though - I must take a trip to the local shops and see what looks right I think.

I also have ANOTHER finish - my frogs came and went quite rapidly without any visits from their froggy cousins either! I'm thinking of a nice vibrant colour frame for this one (once it's pressed!).

I took a few days to make a quick project for DH for Christmas. I can show it here because he never checks my blog! It's been a bit of a job to get it done without him seeing it! I've taken to stitching at the table in the dining room, with another project to hand so that I can swap if I hear him coming! He's always been a bit of a musician (with guitars, clarinets, mandolin, banjo, ukelele and piano keyboard around!) so I went for a music theme. It's called "All that jazz" and It's totally in black apart from a few gold stitches around the singer's dress.

My knitting also takes centre stage this month. I finished my wrist-warmers (and wore them on Monday when we went to London for the day).

I've now started another knitted project - a cabled shrug from a Lion Brand pattern. It's my first attempt using circular needles, and so far I have to say I feel very comfortable with them.

And my cross stitch concludes with the first picture of my cheetah. I showed the fabric on the frame in my last post - here are the first few stitches I've put in. It looks like it will be a slow progress on this one because there are so many pesky confetti type areas, but the finished project looks like it will be worth it. It also uses Madeira threads which is the first time I've sewn a project with them, and so far I'm impressed with their coverage and the fact that - unlike my experience recently with Anchor threads - they do not twist up so much either.

Well, if you're still here I hope you've enjoyed seeing my progress this month. I'm off to check out some of the other blogs and be inspired yet again.
'Til next time - take care and keep warm and dry (especially if you're in the cold or flooded parts of the UK)
Sandie