Stocking start

Hi :)) 

I've made quite a good start on the second side of my stocking.
I changed my mind quite a bit about this before I started to stitch it out luckily!
Remember? This is what it's supposed to be -

I was going to use a pale blue lurex thread aida - but that was too scratchy.
I was going to leave the white background for the snow, but I think the holes in the fabric detract from the pattern, so I'll stitch it all! It's only time after all!
So because of that choice to stitch ALL that white, I came up with another idea.

For the white in the sky - which I take to be the light of the moon and some snow flakes - I'm using Light effects thread in 5200 - it's now all in place even if it doesn't show in the picture.
For the snow on the ground, I'm using plain old white.
For the snowmen I'm using the Rayon thread - S5200.

With those changes it should add a bit of texture to it, in spite of there being so much white. I'll let you know if I change my mind again!

Jessica's birthday is coming on fast, so I made the party bags for her little friends to take home - at one year old they won't be expecting much I hope as they're only small bags I've made! (Thanks to SheryK Designs here. )

I've also made an Elmo bag for the boys and put small tags on each with the character, so that my daughter can write their name on it. On the back of the bags I "wrote" 'thank you for coming to my party'. They're just about big enough for a packet of raisins, a small pack of organic baby rusks and a cupcake (which I can see the mums eating!). I had to make a few extra - not in case of extra mouths to feed, but so that Jessica can have one of each to put in her memory box!

Apart from that we've not been up to much these last couple of weeks. My daughter was due to have an arthroscopy on her knee at the beginning of the month, but they cancelled the op the day before it was due. All being well it's re-scheduled for tomorrow morning, so she'll be on crutches for a few weeks I imagine, depending on what they do. Her consultant had told her that she really needs a replacement op, but she's far too young for that. He's not quite sure what he'll do during the op tomorrow, but hopefully whatever he does will at least bring some relief from pain. She's going in as a day patient at 7am, so hopefully all will be well by the end of the day. Her husband is taking some time off work, so that he can look after both her and the baby for a few days until she is more mobile again. It's worrying when your children are going to hospital, even when they're old enough to have children of their own - so please, if you pray, include Erika in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.

Until next time, when I'll post a pic of the birthday girl - her party is on the 27th - the Saturday following her birthday, so pray for good weather too - a BBQ is planned!
Sandie :))