Next year... or... I am a realist...

I had such high stitching expectations for this year. At the start of the year, I had made a resolution to finish several wips by stitching on them one page a month. These included,

A Most Noble Pursuit

Shores of Hawk Run Hollow

Mary Wigham

HAEDs (3 of them actually with a 4th to start)

Marie Rose

Did I? Not a jot! I didn't even start Shores - shame on me! I got a bit panicked at the thought of working on that 40 count fabric - gorgeous as it is. I have worked on 40 count before but in small doses. And the HAEDS have gone belly up since my new skein of thread didn't quite match tone wise on the face of one of them!! Eeeek!

So, next year, I have plans yet again. Well, if you don't make any plans then nothing will get done at all, will it? So best to make lots of plans and even if only one of them gets accomplished then that is success!! I have signed up for the WIPocalypse 2012 next year which will totally help to inspire me to make some progress on my wips so here are my wips for next year:

Patchwork - Jan Houtman

Polar Santa - Dimensions

Tranquility - Loopy Lou

A Most Noble Pursuit

Ann Taylor Heartstring Samplery

Mary Wigham

Marie Rose sampler

Sampler au Bouquets

I really want to put the HAEDs away next year and really want to work on samplers. I really do want a "sampler wall" and I am partly there to getting my "The Sampler Girl" wall. So Next Year is going to be the year of SAMPLERS. I have several kitted up ready to go and plenty of charts needing a few threads adding to them so here is my list so far:

A Quaker Christmas - Bygone stitches - kitted up ready

Shores of Hawk Run Hollow - CHS - kitted up ready

Helen Bell's Multiplication Sampler - CHS - kitted up ready

Christmas Window - Brightneedle - kitted up ready

Nan's Garden - Just Nan - kitted up ready

My Home is Built in Glory - Heartstring Samplery - kitted up ready

The Elisabeth Lillie sampler - McIntosh Samplers - kitted up ready

Quackworth - Ink Circles - kitted up ready

All Things Counted pocket book - Kirsten Edwards - kitted up ready

Now as you can see, a lot of these are new starts so I got to thinking about that Crazy January challenge that is going on. But wait a minute... 15 is far too many for me to get my head around - let alone expect me to finish them all in that year. So what if I just did 7 new starts? 7 new starts in the first week of January - get this... - with no pressure to finish any of them within the year??? I like it. I like it a LOT!! So that way, I can combine the new 7 starts into the WIPocalypse (allowed). What do you think? Well I have 9 so far that are kitted up ready to choose from so I might just go ahead and do this.

The Sampler Girl charts I have and would like to kit up and do next year are:

Sense and Sensibility - The Sampler Girl

Return to the Sea - Sampler Girl

In the Meadow - Sampler Girl

In the Garden - Sampler Girl

Elizabeth B sampler - Sampler Girl

I also want to get a Scarlet Letter reproduction sampler. I have been drooling after one of these for years and got very close to hitting the buy button but it just never seemed to materialise. I reckon this year is the year. I WILL get one and stitch it.

Basically, if I want to stitch something then I will stitch it. I have seen a number of LHN designs that I adore as well. CCN and Lizzie*Kate are also calling to me. I think I might have to start a new Webshots album for Sampler Progress 2012 so I can keep track of them all.

Apart from samplers, I will be stitching an ornie a month with Tina again. That will be the only "pressure" stitching I am having next year. No pressure. Just fun. And a bit of crochet too!

Happy stitching day

Today I had a special visit from two lovely stitching friends who travelled far - all the way from Birmingham - to spend the day with ME!!! Lovely! Tina (NO BLOG!!) and Lesley came up from the sunshine into the rain with their gorgeous projects and we had a great time chatting and stitching and eating too.

Here's Lesley with her gorgeous HAED!

and lovely Tina (Happy Eyes!) with her By the Bay wip!

I had put up my ornie tree early especially for them! I haven't got any of the other decs up yet but this little tree does warm my heart. Oooooeeeeeeee Christmas!!!!! This little tree really is overloaded this year and I am expecting another three to go on it as well!!! I promise more pics in another post sooooooooon.

Speaking of ornies, I gave my exchange ornie to Tina so I can show you it now! It is a La D Da one from one of the ornie mags. I loved stitching this one. Sooo pretty.

Designer - La D Da

Fabric - Belfast vintage mocha linen

Threads - DMC and a hand dyed - just raided my stash

We listened to Vintage oldy Christmas music and had Baileys and home made coffee and walnut cake - recipe from here. Yumm yumm. Oh it was such a lovely day!!! Please let's do it again sometime. Pretty please!!!

We had a lovely lunch of fresh bread, salami, cheese, olives, sundried toms and other bits and bobs I had spread out. Nom nom nom. Diet is on hold for now!

I even got out an old wip - in preparation for the forthcoming WIPocalypse. Go and sign up - what are you waiting for??? I am dedicating another post especially to this with a loooong list of wips and up and coming new starts. Now, why did I ever put this pretty down? I love working on this!

Design - Ann Taylor

Designer - Heartstring Samplery

Fabric - my own hand dyed 28 count something - possibly Brittney

Threads - DMC

So now, I am dreamily milking the last cosiness of the day whilst the children are sat watching the semi finals of X factor - grrrrr.. I wouldn't mind but they haven't even watched it this season at all. But I am staying in my cosy world with my stitching and another glass of Baileys while the rain continues to drip down. Hope you enjoyed a peek into my day! We will have to do this more often girlies.

Cheers everyone.

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Happy Birthday Lily

My darling daughter is 9 today! Wowza! How did that happen? Where did the last 9 years go. I don't feel I have very much to show for them except the sweet addition of a darling son! She celebrated it at the weekend and had her bff come stay over which turned out to be a lot of fun and no bother at all. She is growing up so fast. Lily had said she wanted a dolphin notebook for her birthday and seeing as dolphins are her new obsession, I decided to make her birthday dolphin themed. Dolphin earrings, a book on dolphins, a personalised dolphin pencil case and a dolphin cake! I hunted around everywhere for a dolphin notebook but could only find a small one and she had specifically asked for a large one to write all her stories in. So... you remember the secret "aida" stitching I was doing a few weeks ago?? Well this was it! Did anyone guess??

Stitching on aida is not my cup of tea but I needed a quick result and fast! I found an old dolphin design in one of my old Cross Stitcher magazines and changed all the background to half stitches and Voila! A quick fray of the edges and some glue to stick it down and there you have it - a large, dolphin notebook! Not my colours, or my kind of design but is just perfect for my dolphin loving girl. It just goes to show, you never know when those old magazines will come in handy. I don't think I am quite ready to throw them out just yet.

A dolphin cake was in order so I asked my good friend if she would make one for me and she did a grand job!

Nine candles to blow out....

...and got them all in one blow!

Happy birthday sweetie. I love you lots and lots.

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Helloooo....

Hello everyone. How are you all? I am doing just fine. I think I always fare better in the winter time than in the sweating heat of summer. Loving the cosying up and staying in weather and that fog we had yesterday - wow!

I made a good effort at the weekend for IHSW. I firstly finished off the istitch mystery which has been a pleasure to stitch up. Now I want to find a small box for it to finish it off.

Designer: Istitch

Fabric: 25 count Lugana

Threads: DMC variations - not sure which one 41something

I also stitched this up for my DD's yearly Christmas ornie. I have yet to turn it into an ornie but I will find some suitable fabric this week at some point and do that. Excuse the creases!

Designer: The Sampler Girl

Fabric: Kiwi Illusions 28 lugana "woodland glow"

Threads: DMC 718 3818 304

I adore Tanya's charts and have several of them stitched up waiting to be framed. They are all on different shades of linen - quite pastel colours actually and I am unsure of whether to get them framed in the same style of frames or do each one differently. Any clues?

I have also started a Blooming Flower cushion in the remnants of the autumnal wool I had left over from the Autumn Blanket and it is looking quite good I think. It sticks out a little in the middle but apart from that I think it looks good. Problem is, I am running out of wool and don't really want to have to go buy extra so not quite sure of what to do. It may end up beign a small cushion! Anyway, that said, it is a darling pattern and works up a treat. I may well find myself doing another one soon.

Blooming Flower cushion. Pattern from here.

I have finished my secret stitching but can't show you untill after next weekend then all will be revealed!

We have had some bad news in our family. Do you remember in July/August time when I made the blanket for my brother who is severely handicapped/disabled? Well, due to a heck of a lot of neglect at his care home, he has been rushed into hospital with severe dehydration and a chest infection. He had MRSA before he went to the hospital and also a throat full of thrush. Poor boy. They said he may not survive so we all rushed up to see him - it is a bit of a way and he seemed improved. He has been a bit up and down since then but seems on the mend but my mum and dad have decided they want him back at home and do not trust to put him in a care home again. It has been a long and agonising time for my mum who never wanted him to go in in the first place but I do worry about how they will cope as they are both in their 70s now. They have been promised lots of help and support so hopefully it will all turn out okay.

Well, I wish you a good week with lots of stitching and crocheting or whatever you like to do. It's going to get verrrryyyy busy for me now as I have birthdays and Christmas and then more birthdays but I will try and get on as much as I can.

Lots of love,

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International hermit stitch weekend

I'll be cosying up with my stitching this weekend before the hustle and bustle starts next month. I'll be hoping to work on ornies - I have several to do. Some I may be able to show but some are for exchanges so you'll have to wait to see those. So no matter what the weather this weekend, I'll be indoors with my fire on and maybe with a little cakey treat and a cuppa and stitching to hand. It'll be dvds and colouring in for the kiddos. Have a nice weekend whatever you decide to do.

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A scramble of bits and bobs..

I haven't that much to show by way of handiwork but I do have some bits and pieces that I want to blog about so there might be a few pictures in this post but bear with me. I seem to have sooo much to do with dd's birthday coming up and Christmas and then my ds' birthday too and lots and lots of ornies to do in between. I just haven't had time to sit down and blog about the good things that have been happening in my life and I do want to blog about the good bits. I do I do. Things have been lots and lots better in regarding my home situation. There has been a definite turn around and things are on the up. So I want to make a bt of space in blogland for some good stuff - even if it's mediocre.

First up is this gorgeous parcel that fell through my door today and look at how beautifully wrapped it is. Now I knew who had sent this as I recently won one of Andrea's yearly ornaments on her giveaway on her blog and I knew this was it. I ummed and ahhed about waiting till Christmas day to tear the wrapping off but no I couldn't bear it. I had to see which one she had sent me and woweeee look at this:

It is so exquisitely finished. Perfect in every way. I will treasure it always. I have tried for the past couple of years to win one of Andrea's ornies and I am so happy to finally be the proud owner of one. Love, love, love it. Thank you so much Andrea.

I am stitching a secret project for somebody very special but I cannot reveal it yet so here's a sneak peak.

Yes, it is on aida!!! All will be revealed soon.

The weather is getting cooler and it is definitely time to snuggle up and light the candles and have some woolly projects on the needles I think.

I made a quick scarf for my little man. Just knitted in plain garter stitch with a blanket stitch border. I wasn't sure about it after I made it but it looks okay on ds and he loves it! So I am happy.

I also had a go at doing my own candle votives after seeing them on Anaboo's blog. Here are the results. They look really pretty and I am just rubbish at taking good pictures! They were much more "glowy" in real life.

It was bonfire night at the weekend here in the UK and as is our usual custom we traipsed off to the local bonfire and firework display. I didn't get any good pictures but I think my husband did so I need to pester him a bit to send me some of the pictures. I decided to try my hand at making cinder toffee and after dipping it in chocolate it turned out fab. I piled it into little sweet bags and we took it with us to the bonfire. It was really easy to make and you can find many recipes online. Mine was just a simple recipe with only a couple of ingredients - butter, golden syrup and sugar and then added a splash of vinegar and bicarb of soda.

From this:

To this:

And staying on the food that is bad for you theme, I couldn't resist making this:

Chocolate Nutella mug cake:

Nom nom. You can find the recipe here

What else???..... Oh yes! My neighbour has started stitching! She came round for a look at my stash haul and ordered a few bits and pieces for herself and then came round for a stitchy night! Boy, I think she has it bad. Look how much she has done already and this only in a few days!

I have another friend who has also started stitching and she is going to come along to join us too. Woot! Our own little stitchy group. It's going to be fun fun fun.

Well, I told you it would be a bit of a mish mash of stuff and there is probably more to add but that is enough for now and I feel a little more on top of things. Hope you all have a cosy week if you are feeling the cold. Things are going to get a little hectic for me now for the next few weeks but I will try to keep things updated. Hugs to all.

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Things I will do today...

Today I will...

Pray for my husband, marriage and kids.

Go and do the weekly food shop.

Tidy round the house and then again and again.

Take ds to play park.

Walk to pick up dd from school.

Finish Blue Ribbon freebie Noel ornie.

Read Of Mice and Men in prep for tutoring on Wednesday.

Read some of my Outlander book.

Knit a few more rows on ds' scarf.

Make tea.

Put a wash on.

Limit my time on Pinterest.

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Thanks so much guys..

Thank you so much for all the kind comments and emails you have sent me during this last week. They have been very much appreciated. There has been a little breakthrough this week although I don't feel we are quite out of the woods yet. Faith and patience is the key. And lots and lots of prayer. Thank you to those who are agreeing with me in prayer for this situation to turn around. I really trust and believe it will.

Anyway. Onto a more cheery post of some productive finishes I have this week.

First up is part 7 of the istitch mystery. I can't believe I have kept up with this one. I really do think I am better with a bit of a push and a shove and a kick up the behind in order to get me to do things. It appears the whole, "finish the part then you will get the next part" appears to have worked for me. Only one more part to go and then I will be looking into finishing it into something.

I also made The Sampler Girl ornie into an ornie today. Just another simple cushion finish backed by red fabric with holly on it. I'll have a few of these to go on my tree this year. I think I may need to get a bigger stitching tree.

I took a break from crochet and knitted up some wrist warmers for DD which I had had the wool for for quite some time. I used Sirdar Crofter which knits up like Fair Isle but without all the hassle. I am quite pleased with them although I did make a mistake but made the other one the same so it matched. It is all that business about ending on a right side row stuff. Pah! I am sure it must have been a man that made these patterns.

Finally, I have made a bit more progress on Part 2 of Sampler Aux Bouquets. I am really loving this but dreading when I get to the end of this piece as I have not yet ordered part 3 as I have no printer at the moment and I have been getting them in PDF format. Anyway, here she is..

And lastly, browsing Tabiboo's blog, I came across this post on scent and I have been wanting to get one of these tart burners for some time now. I have bought them as gifts for friends and sisters but never one for myself. I think I was secretly hoping someone would buy me one but no luck so I finally ordered one for myself and it is lovely! I bought this Autumn hand painted one to go in my red autumnal room. It matches perfectly and lets out the sweetest smell. I bought a pack of Christmas scents but want to get a set of the kitchen ones now. A lot of money but I am so happy with it and I felt I did really deserve a treat, you know.

So that's all from me for a while. My hand really hurts. I think I have torn a ligament in it and find it hard to pick anything up - even light things. It even hurts to type! So I am off to rest it. See you in a little while.

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