Cross stitch software

Just a quick post to update you today! (After so many weeks of silence - two posts in a week!)

A couple of weeks ago I "found" my cross stitch software, which I last used about 4 years ago. I contacted the company (Ursa Software) and discovered how to update it. So I have spent a few days familiarising myself with it, and playing with various small designs. As I found minor niggles I contacted the support line and have been amazed to receive answers within half an hour at one point! (Mind you when I contacted them, they did say that they recognised my name!)

Yesterday I was playing with importing a Wordle design. (Google it if you haven't tried it). I wanted to make a quick design out of it, so I imported the picture, and started playing with colours. In the space of a couple of hours it crashed several times, so I emailed support last night, and this morning I have a reply and a solution! How good is that?

I have to say I have no affiliation to this company, but if you are in the market for a cross stitch generation programme - give them a look. They even have a Mac version. Ursa Software rocks! I'll post some pics of what the screen looks like soon.

I even managed to copy my mandala pattern into it, and have played around with reversing the motifs, as well as the assissi type versions I was thinking about. So maybe I'll get round to stitching those too as I now have the patterns ready to go.

Have a quiet Sunday and talk soon
Sandie

Tigermum's WIPocalypse June update

Hi all
been a while I know, been dragging my heels here about updating as there seemed to be so little progress!

Anyway now I can knock off another finished project! My Mandala is not only finished, but sewn into a cushion and now sits proudly on my sofa! And I had a lovely email from one reader who wanted info about it!

 Here's the mandala finished!

And here's my cushion. The fabric is the remains of the blue I used for Jessica's Christmas Stocking! Never throw scraps away!

And here's Egypt. The backstitch is still bugging me, but this side just has the outlining of the hieroglyphs to finish before I can move over to the other side.

I've been knitting too - a jacket for Jess in a very easy cable twist pattern. As my camera has run out of batteries, I'll have to post that next time. But I have done the back and one front. So not far to go now.

My son-in-law has just been made redundant from his job. He is was a graphic designer for a computer on-line gaming company in Cambridge. Not sure just how easy it will be for him to find another job like that in the area; but he's hoping to get ANY job to get some money coming in, and then take his time to lok for something suitable - but in these days - who can tell? So if any of you have room in your prayer lists, please send hopeful thoughts his way - Tony might appreciate any help he can get.

Last weekend we had the long Bank Holiday for Jubilee celebrations. Did we do anything? No!! Did our neighbours? No!! Our courtyard has 11 houses. There are 2 houses let out to students, and most of the rest are elderly (like us! 60+ years). For the Silver Jubilee we were all young families together and went out, kids playing and parents sitting chatting and eating together. It's a sad reflection of today's society that apart from one or two of them, we don't even know the names of our neighbours. Mind you with the way the weather turned out it was probably just as well we didn't have anything planned! The weekend before (when the Bank Holiday should have been) was brilliant weather-wise; move it to the following week to fit with the extra day for the Queen's Jubilee (and subsequently the school's half-term holiday week) - and it pours with rain - go figure!

We're off on a week's holiday from 23rd June. Going to Seefeld in Austria for a relaxing week (we hope). Have to decide yet what sewing to take with me!

Best wishes and happy stitching

Sandie

New page added

Just a quick note to let you know that I've added new pages to my blog. If you click on "Items for sale or swap" it will take you to a list of things I no longer want. I'm currently advertising only a few charts but that may change as I go through my cupboards! Email me at tiger.doyle at googlemail.com (removing at and replacing it with @) or by leaving a comment on that page. Leave a contact email if it doesn't appear in your profile and I'll happily allow you the pleasure of adding to your stash!

I've also added a list of charts I'm looking for - some are newer, some are VERY old! But even if you haven't any of them to trade DMC threads or even speciality threads are always an option!

Take care
Sandie

Tigermum's WIPocalypse update for May - a bit late!

Hi everyone - it's been a while I know, but I finally got my stitchy mojo under control in the last couple of days. Previously I've had a few weeks where I could see these bright coloured floss skeins peeking out at me - but could I be bothered to pick them up? No way!
So my stitchy progress has been less than I would have hoped. :((

Egypt has had a few more stitches put into it. I am REALLY bored with this at the moment, so it hasn't had the loving care and attention put into it that I would have liked. Anyway - here is my progress - almost 2/3rds done I suppose...

My Mandala/motif is also 3/4 done - only this time I've run out of the required thread. As I haven't been to town in the last couple of weeks I haven't been able to get more, so here's the progress...

As you can see I also forgot to release the hoop when I put it away, so hopefully when I refresh it with a quick wash afterwards it should all look better! Still like the design, but think that when I make the next one I'll turn the motif 180 degrees so that the wider end is in the centre. It will just make the second one a bit different. I've got some of the pale blue fabric left that I used to make Jess's Christmas stocking, so I think that I'll use that to make this into a cushion when it's finished.

My BIG finish is my quilt. Not only is it all put together, but I've done all the quilting. I've even washed it all and made a matching pillowcase! I put the wadding on and the back (I used an old duvet cover to make sure it was soft), then decided that the quilt needed another colour to edge it before I turned the cream from the back over to make the binding. So I took DH on a trip to a local Craft Centre and bought another piece of brown fabric which I used. (DH wasn't too upset to accompany me as there is a guitar shop in the same centre!) So finally - HERE IS THE FINISHED QUILT!!

Full quilt

Top half

Bottom half

Last two panels with my cross stitched Rose Fairy

For the first time in years I have had a series of doctor's appointments to attend. I went for a "Health Check" when invited, only to discover that I'm not as healthy as I thought! I have both High Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure, and have been sent for blood tests for Glucose levels too. Unfortunately when I went on Friday, my GP hadn't told me that I should have fasted for 10 hours before having them done, so I had to go home, and will have to go again on Monday to get it done. As both cholesterol and blood pressure are only marginally high, with a bit of diet change I should be able to get it under control... we'll just have to wait and see.

Hope everyone had a good Mother's Day on the other side of the pond? I'm going to sit in front of the TV in  half an hour to watch Hawaii Five-O and dream of being back in Hawaii instead of cold Britain!

Take care
Sandie

Tigermum's April WIPocalypse postings

Afternoon everyone.
I have to admit that all in all things have been a bit quiet on the cross stitch front this month. Other things have taken priority!

Over Easter my DD and her family came to see us for the day. It was the first time we'd seen them since before our cruise, and I have to say I've really missed them (even though I enjoyed the holiday). We bought Jess a chocolate bunny - she's really got into chocolate this year! (This photo's taken in a local supermarket cafe on a different day).

When they'd left I started again on the quilt for her birthday - I'd put it away to make it a total surprise for my DD too. I've got most of the body of the quilt done (after a chat with my BF who's a quilter). I didn't have much fabric left, so I decided (we decided) to make a border of small blocks. If I can find some more fabric I want to make it a bit bigger so that it can be used on a "grown-up" bed when she's bigger, but as it stands it's almost toddler bed size. I've found an old quilt cover in cream which had a stain on the front, so I'm going to cut that up for the backing. Here's a picture of it hanging on the front of my wardrobe.

As to the rest of my work this month - I've done a tiny bit on the mandala and a bit more on Egypt. One of these days I'll get to the second side of Egypt and that might spur me on to finish it! (Do you think??)

(Apologies - not very good photos there!)

What else have I been up to? Well, I've decided to cut down the vine which covers the pergola in our back garden, so that's been chopped near the root so that it doesn't grow any more and I'm gradually cutting it back. Last year I made some grape juice from it, but it was so sour - not like the previous years'. And because I left quite a few bunches on the vine we were completely over-run with thrushes who cleared them in a couple of days. It was like a scene from Hitchcock's "The Birds"!! Then I have to clear the fallen leaves away from the patio, so this year I decided that I need an evergreen climber to replace it. Once it's all removed I shall take a trip to the local garden centre to see what's around. Anyone have any experience with climbing plants?? Today I have blisters on my fingers from cutting through the thick stems, so a couple of days rest is planned.

Just bought a program from Create and Craft called Serif Craft Artist. It seems a really good paper-crafting CD, but I need to do a bit of housekeeping (AKA clean-up) on the laptop before I install it. Yet another thing that I need another pair of hands for!

Must go - dinner calls!

love

Sandie

I'm DONE!

Finally got another finish this year! After struggling with the choice between sewing and gardening over the last few days of good weather here (joke - no contest really!), I had to show you my finished Rose Fairy!

I'm really pleased with the way it's come out - the original pattern was made for Aida, so contained a lot of fractional stitches. I had to leave them out (as I stitched it 1 x 1 on 28 count), but it doesn't seem to have made too much difference to the overall piece. The only alteration I made (apart from those fractionals) was to do all of the backstitch in the wings in E316 - gives it a bit of added sparkle.

I decided to add the dedication here. While I was researching Flower Fairies on the web I found a copy of the Rose Fairy poem, and also a Flower Fairy Code. "Always try to be Cheerful, Neat, Polite, Friendly, Generous, Honest, Kind, Humourous, Keep secrets and Work hard". Sounds like a good wish for a child's future. So I think I'll try and incorporate both (somehow) into the reverse of the quilt. Any ideas on that would be appreciated.

Gotta go now - I think I need a glass of wine to celebrate!

love

Sandie

Late WIPocalypse post

Finally got round to taking some more photos of my WIPs. I worked on this piece while we were on the cruise. 

I don't normally use Anchor threads, but I liked this space-dyed thread colour - 1344. I've got a few other skeins of different colours, and I'm playing around with the idea of doing more of these panels, perhaps using the design in different ways for cushion panels. More on this idea soon perhaps?

Since we've been home I've been concentrating on my Flower Fairy.

I suddenly realised just how close August is! By the time I get this done, I've still got to complete the quilt (adding this as the last square); then I've got to add batting and a backing fabric which I've yet to decide on. Then bind it all and add any extra hand quilting. I'm going to ask my friend (who is a far more experienced quilter than I am) for her advice on that part of it.

The rest of my WIPs are no further forward than they were last month! That's what comes of having a holiday!

And as a finale - for a change - something that I didn't do!

While we were in Souzhou we visited their Embroidery Research Institute. Their work is absolutely amazing. All worked on silk with silk threads! Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos inside, but DH and I fell in love with one particular piece of "art" - there is no other word for their work. Some of the pieces we saw were done by students, some by teachers and some by masters of their art. Some pieces were single sided - several portraits were on display which were photographic in their realism. Several were double sided - the picture is reversed on the back - both sides are sewn at the SAME TIME! And the other style were pictures with a completely different picture on the reverse! The most amazing was a lion's head with a tiger's head on the reverse! Again - both sides are worked at the same time, but it was so real - you could see each and every hair on the animals' heads.

We bought a piece which shows the Rainbow Bridge in the Humble Administrator's Garden in Souzhou, a place we visited later in the day. Although we didn't have the benefit of bright sunshine or spring flowers - it was still a beautiful place. Enjoy my photos of our embroidery, something I could never hope to achieve.

 The "Front" view.

The "Reverse" view. 

 Close ups of the two sides.

 Absolutely AMAZING work isn't it?

Better go now - my Flower Fairy is calling my name!

'Til next time

Sandie

Checking in - Mother's Day

Hi all, just to let you know that we're back in the land of the living - a Far East cruise is exciting, but EXHAUSTING! We haven't even looked at photos yet, but must have about 1,500 to sort through when we're both feeling better. Yes - with temps ranging from -13C to +32C and a boat full of people coughing and sneezing everywhere, it was inevitable that we caught some bug or another! DH was full of cold and sore throat for the last days of the cruise and I managed to come down with it on the last day - an overnight flight from Singapore when you're blocked up with cold is no fun let me tell you!

Anyway when we get a bit more sorted I'll post a few pics so you can join in the vicarious fun of travel! I'll also try and get a photo or two of what I've been working on while we were away, and of a very special present which we bought in China - no clues except that it's VERY special!

On Mother's Day (in the UK) I just have to add a quick word to my Mum. She died many years ago; my own daughter was small, so Mum never got to have the privilege of being called Great Grandma. Most of my friends are in a similar situation where their own mothers have died. But we all agree that no matter how long ago it was, today is the day that we all wish they were still around for us to call and wish a "Happy Mother's Day". Mothers can be awkward; they can be determined; they can be exasperating or domineering; they can be loving; they can be interfering. But above all they are the one person we could turn to no matter what who would love and support us through anything.
I still miss my Mum. When she died they lived over 200 miles away from us, and I never got to say a final goodbye to her; but when Mother's Day comes around I always make a silent prayer that she forgave me that oversight.

With love to Mothers everywhere - even if it's NOT Mother's Day where you are.

Love and sniffles!
Sandie

I need that holiday NOW!

Evening all - just a quick note in between ironing (ugh:(( ) and packing for our cruise.

I am really glad to see the end of this week. A few weeks ago we had to replace the lock on our garage door as I broke it when trying to open it. On Thursday this week we went out - and some b*****d had tried to break into it! They had broken off something in the lock which meant we couldn't open it with a key and had to call out a service engineer/locksmith. Needless to say they didn't have a spare lock in stock - one should be arriving on Monday! Guess when we drive to the airport hotel?? Monday!! Luckily we are staying there before flying out the next day, so it doesn't matter if we get there late.

Last night our cable TV, broadband and home phone went dead just before 10pm. We headed off to bed and read a bit more of our books. This morning it was still off! So after a variety of phone calls we eventually discovered that it was a district fault (not just us thank heavens) and the tv came back about 1pm and the internet about 3.30pm. But we still have no home phone. Luckily we both have mobiles, so we're not completely isolated! But guess when they are coming to investigate?? Yep! Monday afternoon!!!

All I can say is that I will be glad to lock the door behind us on Monday night. Surely nothing else can go wrong between now and then?

Oh no! Now my daughter wants me to make Minnie Mouse ears for Jessica to go to a fancy dress birthday party before we go!! I was hoping to finish a dress that I'd cut out and not even started to sew for me - but if I hunt around I might be able to find some black felt?? Wish me luck!

Anyway, dinner calls, and I doubt that I'll get time to post what I've been working on this week, so I'm signing off for now - be back on March 16th from Singapore, so check back then?

Love
Sandie

Two posts in two days! WIPocalypse update 2

Finally got round to taking some up-to-date photos of my projects! First of all though here's one more photo of our snowy landscape; slowly disappearing now as the sun shines - even if it is weak!

This is my wizard who sits guard over my rock fountain. He sits on a pile of magic books - but they can't be seen! 

On to the work I've been putting into my crafts. For the last few weeks I've been reading a lot of travel guides, so my embroidery took a bit of a back seat. Anyway - here's Egypt. This is the hieroglyph panel on the top left of the main design. (Not a particularly good photo - sorry!)

Now for my Rose fairy. Considering the light has not been too brilliant, and it's quite small work I'm pleased with the progress on this one. It's actually beginning to look like Cecily Mary Barker's fairy!

And for a finale - the knitting I've been doing - I don't profess to be a wonderful knitter, but I bought some specialist yarn and made some scarves - 

Three with a ruffled effect, and the fourth with an eyelash yarn. Think they'll be enough for this cold snap? I bought another ball of a pink mix. Not knitted that one yet; I'm going to save that for a present for my daughter. Hopefully she'll like mine and be delighted to get one of her own!

I've also sat down and made an anniversary card for my DH. We celebrate 37 years together on Feb 18th this year. And of course I can't show the card as he might see it on here!

So I'm using all of the above towards my WIPocalypse thread too! I simply won't have too much time to add another post in a few days for it, so I've updated this post to include it all. The other bits haven't even had a stitch put in them! But I have found another piece I want to add - a square flower pattern I got from Sparkles 'n' Stitching Louise has a few patterns free in her artfire shop. You request it, and she emails it to you separately. I'm thinking of doing it in a variegated thread on white - but I'm also thinking of making a series in various colours which I can use as cushion covers?

Today I went back to the library and returned a pile of travel guides. Why? Well in two weeks time we're off on a cruise in South East Asia! We are travelling with another couple who we have been away with before. We travel to Beijing, spending a few days there and in Xian. Then we get on board the Diamond Princess. First stop is Busan (South Korea), next sailing to Nagasaki (Japan). Then it's back to China for Shanghai and Hong Kong before sailing to Nha Trang and Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam. Bangkok (Thailand) and Singapore finish it all off before we fly home. Not really sure now if February is the right time to travel there? Temperatures will range from -11C to 34C, so we've got a lot of planning to decide what we should pack! I think it will have to be mainly natural fibres, worn in layers which we can take off as we get warmer! So the travel guides have been used extensively looking where the excursions go to from the ship, and planning what is the "must-see" places for each stop. (I've put some reviews and thoughts on my Book Page.) I think I'll be taking the square pattern with me to sew on the cruise as I won't have to worry too much about colours etc and it will be easy to pack!

I'll try and post more before we leave, but who knows where the time goes these days?

Hope you're all keeping well and if you have snow I do hope you're all safe and warm

'Til next time

Sandie

Snow!

Morning everyone!
We went out last night to see some friends and managed to get home before the snow struck this area. As we got home there was just a light dusting - like icing sugar - everywhere. This morning we woke to this - 

View from our front windows - we live in a courtyard - no direct vehicle access, so the centre area is normally grass!

Part of my back garden.

A small Green Goddess face which hangs on my gate post surrounded with snow hair!

WIPocalypse post 1

Well, the New Year has started and I almost forgot to post my WIPocalypse pics. On the page dedicated to it I have listed what I'm going to work on (as of now) although the list may be added to as the year goes on - the rules allow for that. And how many of us stick to JUST what we decide at the beginning of the year? There's always that last minute gift - or the must-do pattern that we see in a magazine that we decide to slip in! And Measi has kindly said that other crafts can be included too, so I can see my list growing and growing!
So here are the projects as they stand TODAY - Jan 7th at 17.00.

Rose fairy - for my quilt. (I'll add a pic of the quilt soon as I've got most of the panel complete - just need to finish this to complete the whole panel before I add the borders). It's been hard to do any of this over the winter as the light has been so bad this year, so there's not been any progress at all on this!

Egypt - for some reason Blogger has turned this pic - and I can't get it to turn back!!! I'm on the fiddly bits now as each section on either side has plenty of colour changes and LOADS of backstitch - especially those pesky heiroglyphs! You can tell I've been doing a few stitches on this recently because of the Q-snap marks!

This is my longest UFO that I started way back when! It's a blackwork fan design from New Stitches magazine issue 70. Bearing in mind that this months' mag is issue 224 - you can see how long it's been sat around! I think I started it for our 25th anniversary but gave it up in favour of a different project!

Cheetah and Daisy (Hummel) are yet to be started, but they will be next on my list to complete (I think!) As you can see they are both supplied with Aida. As the cheetah is totally covered I think I'll work on that fabric, but I may have to change the Daisy as I think an evenweave will look better as a cushion front.

Another suggestion - do drop by my books page. I've posted my first review of the year. See if it's something you fancy?

Thanks for reading

Talk soon

Sandie XXX

It's nearly 2012!!

Well, with nearly four hours to go to the start of another year - I thought I'd better put a few thoughts on "paper" about this year. So many sites and blogs have their review of the year, and in some ways it can be depressing reading about all the supposed highlights - natural disasters, deaths of famous figures, economies failing worldwide etc etc etc! But we have had some cheery stories worldwide too (I think)? Why do we tend to focus on the negative side when reminiscing at the end of the year? All the tv programmes are full of doom and gloom - if you are REALLY lucky the high spot will be William and Kate's wedding!

Personally I can give thanks that DH and I are safely though another year. Our family members all appear to be safe and well. Our home is paid for and we have a little money behind us in savings. Our many friends are (in the main) also in similar situations to us. We have worked hard for most of our lives are are now reaping the benefits of being retired - with enough money to be able to do what we want, when we want to.

So when people sit down and write their New Year Resolutions for 2012 - I have one simple word of advice - DON'T!! I decided that this year instead of Resolutions - which get either broken or forgotten about before January has ended - I will make some GOALS. That way, even if I slip for a day, week or month I can still get myself back on track by the end of the year - and thus achieve my goal.

Goal 1 - try to lose a bit of weight. I know I'm heavier than I should be, and I know it's bad for my health, but I've never been one for exercise (even if I am a Sagitarian and supposedly sporty!). My goal is to lose enough before we go on our China holiday, that I can actually walk along part of the Great Wall without sounding as if I need oxygen!

Goal 2 - limit the time I spend on my laptop - I spend far too much time just hopping from spot to spot - if I add up the hours I spent on a pc I'm sure I'd get a shock! Life is too precious to fritter away - I can spend more time sewing or reading - or - shock horror - maybe even doing a bit of walking if I achieve goal 1!

Goal 3 - record the days that pass in some form or another. I really enjoyed making that scrapbook for Jessica's birthday - I need to start working on the thousands of other photos we have so that when our family come to sort through our belongings (hopefully in a good few years time), they will bring forth happy memories for them.

Goal 4 - By the end of the year I would like to have achieved the aim of clearing my loft area! It's quite small, and fairly cramped up there - it's only along the centre of the roofspace that I can stand upright - but the amount of things that get pushed up there is amazing - a mini Tardis I think! Working from the entrance towards the back will be like a time capsule in reverse. Near the entrance are our suitcases and christmas decorations. As you work further back, we go through the stages of our daughter's life (in reverse) and who knows I might find some items which could be of use for Jessica. At the very back are things which we have had since we were married (37 years next February). I think it's about time I ventured up there before the physical challenge defeats me!

Goal 5 - Stitch, Stitch, Stitch whenever I can! I want to be able to finally put away Egypt and the Rose fairy. I want to finish off the Flower Fairy quilt for Jess's second birthday in August. And I am NOT going on holiday without at least one project tucked in my hand luggage!

Goal 6 - keep blogging. I started at the beginning of the year with no clear idea of how often I would be able to keep this up. I'm a little disappointed how often I managed it, but if you stick with me I promise to try and give you a peek into my life a little more often.

So how about you? What would your GOALS be for 2012? Do let me know?

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL
love for 2012
Sandie

Monday update

I've been stitching over the weekend (along with other things) and I've managed to finish the centre panel of Egypt apart from the backstitching. All I've got to do is the two panels on either side now!

Needs a bit of blocking to make it straight again before I do any more backstitch, otherwise some of the longer runs across several blocks might be a bit out! That will have to wait a bit though.

Why? I hear you asking? DH and I are going on a coach trip to the Christmas Market in Rudesheim (on the Rhine, Germany) this week. Apart from the wine - gluwein and ordinary, that's where they make Asbach brandy - so I'm not tempting fate by taking any stitching - I'll only end up miscounting and doing a bit of frogging when I get home! So I'm taking my e-reader and an MP3 player to keep me amused instead. Wonder how many books I'll get through?

Last weekend my best friend celebrated her 60th birthday. Her 2 daughters organised a surprise party in a local restaurant and it was a real fun evening. Her family, work colleagues and friends spent many happy hours reminiscing and laughing over "how things used to be"! The laughter was a great tonic for us all, and although I was a DD for the evening I really enjoyed it. The company of friends and family is more of a tonic than drinking a few glasses of wine.

That is something we should all be thinking about with the Christmas social scene approaching. The number of drink/driving offences over the Christmas period is horrifying every year. Those families who lose loved ones because of accidents caused by someone who thought they were safe to drive can never celebrate Christmas again in the same way - they are always carrying the memory forward every year. This year we lost one of our dear friends to cancer just last week (and he was the youngest out of us all). His wife is now on her own - they have no children. Christmas this year will be bleak, but future years will be no better as she constantly remembers the times they spent together. At least with an illness you can prepare for the end of a life. With a drunken driver at the wheel of a lethal weapon (their car) you are given no time to prepare.

So please be careful out there over this season. Keep in mind the Christmas saying - "Peace on earth and GOODWILL to ALL men". If I don't talk to you much before the day itself, please make sure you and your family are safe; and we will all get together on the other side of the day itself in 2012.

Seasons Greetings

Sandie

My first time!

There's been a lot of chat recently amongst x stitch nuts stitchers on several blogs (Julie , Meari and Evalina for example) about people's first times.

Life has been fairly slow around here - I've been knitting mittens as an extra present and have put only a few stitches in Egypt. I have done 2 small penguin motifs to go on a christmas card but can't show them yet! So - as a teaser - I'll let you in on my first time! (And it will serve as a teaser for what might come soon in that new tab above when I begin to post my older finishes).

All of my life I had worked full-time. When we got married in 1975 and moved to Colchester from London, I continued to work in the school I had been librarian in. Even when I'd been spending an hour each way on the train commuting to and from work I'd never found enjoyment from doing anything other than reading. (Mind you that could have been due to the over-crowding on the trains!)

Suddenly there I was at home with a TINY person who was dependent on me for everything!! She was a baby who didn't sleep (guess that's where Jessica gets it from?); her father was driving for a job, so when she cried every night about 8 or 9 times I was the one who had to get up to her. Luckily for me, the neighbour opposite had her baby two weeks later, so we got to know and support each other. One day we sat down in a rare moment of quiet and decided that we'd both like to take up a craft. If we did the same thing, we could share our highs (and lows), so we opted to try cross stitch! I was 28, she was 27, and for a while it felt like we were the only "young" people who were interested in it. I found a magazine which had a few baby motifs in it, and decided to make a birth sampler. Nothing unusual there you might think?

But I had to get the threads and fabric myself as what I wanted to do wasn't in a kit. In fact I don't think I'd ever seen a cross stitch kit then! So I went out and bought a few colours of threads and a piece of fabric. I made up a design, added a few necessary words - like name, date etc and started to sew it. It didn't dawn on me what I'd done until I started investigating cross stitch further after I'd finished. I had stitched the entire thing in 2 strands - not a problem; but I'd used linen and stitched it over one thread! Not really a massive mistake - it still looks fine - but it kind of gave me a headache which I didn't need with a small baby. Anyway it didn't manage to put me off - now (at age 61) I have an enormous stash of kits, threads, fabric, patterns and magazines. If I live to be 200 I'll never stitch all of the things I love (and that's not including the ones I merely like). Still it keeps me off the streets and my fingers from the biscuit tin!

Oh - I'd better post a pic of Erika's birth sampler - sorry about the quality of it, but it was XX years ago!

Better go now - Egypt or Christmas cards call - lots to do and so little time to do it all!
Why don't you let us know how you started?
Until next time
Sandie

A PROPER finish!

Well, I've finally made it - my christmas stocking is well and truly FINISHED!!!

I put the last stitch into the actual cross stitch in September, and it's taken me this long to figure out how I was going to make it up. It's completely lined with the same fabric (pale blue) and I put in some wadding so that it's quite nice and "squishy" too.

We are going to collect Erika and Jessica on Friday morning to bring them to our house overnight. One of Erika's best friends lives nearby and she is celebrating her 30th birthday. Her husband has arranged a surprise party for her, so Erika is coming down for that. On Saturday Tony will be coming down to collect them and take them home, so we'll only have to make the trip once. But while they're here I think I'll give the stocking to them so that they don't go buying one for her nearer to Christmas. It also means I might get a nice photo of her with it! Grandma perks eh?

I think that at the moment it's almost as big as she is!



So as this is the first time she's been here since she's been crawling, I'd better get moving and clear the decks of anything she's likely to try and get into! Been a long time since a "crawler" has been here so it might take a while!

Good luck everyone for YOUR finishings!
Sandie

Heads up - a new giveaway online

Just come across a new giveaway on Craft Gossip .

For those of us that are Joan Elliot fans they are giving away a copy of "Fairy Enchantment". It's open to US and International readers too - so hop on over and give it a go.

Love
Sandie

Christmas comes early - again!

This week has had a bit of an explosive nature! Yesterday (after we got our weekly shop) I put a potato in the microwave for lunch. I turned round and a few seconds later I heard a change in the usual noise it made, so I looked back - and there were FLAMES coming from the internal wall!!! I immediately turned it off, and after waiting for it to cool down I opened the door to discover a hole in the wall of the oven! After cleaning it, I tried again, but the same thing happened. So we had to go out again in order to purchase another one! We've recently replaced our kettle, now this - I wonder what the third item will be? I just keep thinking what might have happened if I'd left the kitchen and gone upstairs or something?

Earlier in the year, I entered a competition online to win an extreme knitting kit - something I've never tried, but wanted to. Weeks went by and I hadn't heard anything, so I assumed it had gone to someone else. But the other day I had an email to say that the original person didn't meet the requirement (to live in the UK!), and I was the runner-up. I expected a small package, but instead this ENORMOUS box turned up! These were all inside! The plastic bags at the back contain 2 more kits to make the knitted bags (2 already made up). There's a scarf (made up) and a cushion pack so I can see my knitting skills are going to be challenged even further.

I started knitting years ago, I even have a knitting machine in our shed but the size of these needles has to be a challenge to manipulate! I'll have to finish the couple of mini projects I have started already otherwise I'll be very confused when I pick up one or the other! I've just finished a jacket for Jess knitted from an Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern (look her up if you don't know her work - it's fantastic and so simple to make the pattern fit the size you want - she explains how to alter a jacket to fit a baby, child or adult!)

My cross stitch hit a bit of a brick wall too recently. So much so that I've joined an on-line SAL! I've always resisted before, thinking that I don't like to be told what I'm stitching and when! But this is TOTALLY different! Measi's Musings is having a stitch along with a difference -

• After years of involving myself in round robins and being so overloaded by projects I was committed to do, I’m committing myself to a year of project stripping before the world is supposed to end – my own little Works-in-Progress Apocalypse (or… WIPocalypse for short). The feedback I received when I made my first post was quite encouraging, so instead of a solitary thing,I’m now starting a stitch-a-long for the idea!

So later on this month I will make a list of the projects I'm hoping to clear-up next year, and will be making regular updates on my progress (or lack of it!).

Meantime the progress on my Flower Fairy (for the quilt) and my Egyptian piece have both been slow. So slow that there's not really a point in putting up a photo. Maybe by next week I'll have more progress to show. And I've just bought the fabric for the christmas stocking - so look out for progress on that soon too.

November has always been a busy month for birthdays in our house, so I've been spending a couple of afternoons making cards for them. I've got up to the beginning of December, but I'm going to have to keep making a few more - then of course there's the christmas cards to get moving on!

Today is my daughter's 33rd birthday - I just wish her all the love and luck in the world.

In the meantime the nights are drawing in, the evenings are getting colder and I'm going to have to find my daylight bulb to put back in the lamp so that I can carry on sewing.

I hope your week has been less eventful than mine, and hope you'll keep sewing.
love
Sandie

Back again!

We are safely back from our holidays and all the catching up has been done - washing (ugh), reading emails (wow - how many?), shopping to refill the fridge, etc etc etc...
Also I've been gradually stripping the vine which covers the pergola outside our back door  to make my own grape juice (bit pretentious to call it wine!) before the starlings beat me to it. Last year I opened my bedroom curtains one morning to be greeted by a scene from Hitchcock's film "The Birds". They all flew off at once on my movement, and the sky literally turned black! I hoped the grapes wouldn't ripen too quickly this year as we'd be away, and so far I've stripped about half of the bunches and got about 5 litres which I have to keep straining in order to get rid of the scum which grows on the liquid. If we can only have another few days of good weather I can get the rest picked, but if it turns wet then I shall leave them for the birds!

On our holiday we stopped one night in Cologne and two nights in Munich on the way to Mayrhofen. Each year the Oktoberfest has an image for all the official souvenirs - this year's was based on cross stitch!

I just had to treat myself to a t-shirt with that on - as well as Mike buying a stein to add to his collection! I might even be tempted to try and recreate it as a pattern to stitch. I'm surprised that the financial wizards of Munich hadn't seen that opportunity coming! I always treat myself to something from a holiday in the form of a pattern or kit. This time I got a couple of Rico pattern books (one of flowers and the other a christmas book). When we got to Mayrhofen I went to where my favourite shop used to be - it had gone! In its place was a slot machine "palace"! So I turned to my phone and Googled it - to discover that it had moved into the garage of the owner's house in the next village down! (What did we do before Google??) So we drove down there and up a very steep hill, we discovered Maria's HardarbeitStuberl, in her refurbished garage area. To celebrate I bought 2 patterns and a Hummel kit! (I've wanted to do one for ages).



Apart from that we didn't do a lot on holiday - we stretched out in the sun and watched the world go by. On the Monday before we left home they had 20cm of snow in the garden of our appartment house. Luckily when we got there it had all gone. For the two weeks we stayed the weather was perfect until the very last day when early morning rain fell, covering the mountains around in a dusting of snow again. Now we're home we've read that they are considering starting the season early this year!

But my BIG news (if you're still with me) is that I FINISHED the second side of Jessica's stocking. I still have to wash it and make up the stocking but I can stop panicking that it won't be done in time. I also created two bands which will go round the top of that.

So now I have to chose what to sew next? I must do a bit more to Egypt. But what else?
My cheetah from Yiotta's Cross Stitch?
The Hummel kit from holiday?
Oh I forgot - I've got to do a bit of knitting first - 2 Blanket Bunnies for Jessica's friends and a jacket for her which I've started - an Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern for a Tyrolean style jacket. I'll have to do that before she grows out of it!
Oh well - watch this space to see what I decide to do next.
Love
Sandie

I'm nearly asleep!

It's been a busy day here! I've been trying to sort out our car insurance today. We got the renewal notice and it had gone up - £10 A MONTH! I knew prices would rise - they hardly ever go down - but come on! That much! OK I had to spend a couple of hours trying to find something but eventually I found a good deal at more or less the same cost we have paid for this year. So today I thank the Lord for the Internet!

Our Jessica's birthday party went off well - in spite of a deluge of rain which sort of scuppered the BBQ aspect of it! That will teach us to pick the Bank Holiday weekend - should have known it would be bad weather eh?

Here's my little darling grinning for everyone during a dry spell! She's got 6 teeth now - so don't go putting your fingers in there any more!

My stitching had been a bit slow for a couple of weeks - I was too busy making cookies to take to the party! But I've picked it up again and been working exclusively on my stocking. I'm very aware that it's going to take me a while to actually make it (being embroidery on both sides), so I want to give myself plenty of time to plan it out. Here's what it looks like now...

In the detail picture above you can just see a bit of a sheen on the snowman himself - that's because I'm using the rayon thread there and I think it's a nice bit of texture to it. I'm hoping to get a bit more done this week, but next week we're off on holiday to Germany and Austria, staying in an appartment we've been to about six times before.

Our appartment is on the ground floor, just on the right of this building. This will be the view from our patio.

It's so peaceful and restful I hope to get the stocking finished there, sitting in the sun just watching the world go by. That's if there is any sun of course! It's the time when they bring the cows down from the mountain pastures, so there will be plenty of activites going on - music, food, dancing etc.

We're also managing to fit in a day trip to the Oktoberfest on the way down to Austria - one of our favourite haunts - this will be our eleventh trip! So I'll have a beer for each of you while we're there! (Or maybe not as they serve litres!)

If I don't write before we go - I'll see you when we get back - but that won't be until the second week in October - so take care until then.
Now I'm off to bed - sleep tight. X
Sandie