tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68455859194980435982024-02-20T02:43:34.126+11:00Stitchaholic AnonymousMainly a record of my stitching, with a few other bits and bobs thrown in along the wayStitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-53262571552228725342013-08-09T22:30:00.001+10:002013-08-09T22:30:34.295+10:00My new computer!Yay! After the laptop dying on me after my last posting on here, we have finally managed to get ourselves a new computer :D I am soooo happy!!! Now I will be able to update my blog on a more regular basis. I have felt pretty lost without it. <br />
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I will add photo's in when I am a little more organised, but there has been some stitching going on here in the past few months. I have had a new start (even though I haven't had finishes!) as we went away for a few days in May, and I wanted to take something with me that was going to be easy to do and transport. So I started what was classed as a beginners kit that I picked up earlier in the year. It is of 3 Babushka's and the colours are lovely - greens, red and pinks. Little Miss decided she wanted it for her room, and as it is a beginner kit it has been coming along quite nicely and has helped my stitchy bug feel settled. Once I finish this one, I will be getting back to the pheasants :)<br />
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One of the main things that has happened over the past few months is that I have made the leap from scroll frames to q-snaps. Friends of mine have been using them for a long time, but I have been slow to cotton on. I finally made the move and now I am never going back! I was finding the scroll frames could get a little cumbersome, and if I was using the floor stand I would have issues with my back. The q-snaps are so easy to use, they are my new best friend :D<br />
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I have recently been away on my stitchy retreat, and it was a fabulous weekend! Too many late nights/early mornings but so much stitching, talking and laughing (not to mention eating!) was had by all. It is in a beautiful part of the state, and it was pretty cold that weekend (so cold, in fact, that we actually had snow!) but we were nice and snug inside. I can't wait to go again next year!<br />
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A couple of weekends ago I went to a stitchy show with a very good stitchy friend of mine, Belinda, and a work friend, Fiona, who loves scrapbooking and we spent pretty much the whole day browsing the stands, deciding on purchases and indulging in hot choccy and then a late lunch. It was lovely to spend the time with like-minded people and come away with some lovely stash :D<br />
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I am sure there was so much more I wanted to say, but no doubt it will come to me later. I will post photo's as soon as I am able, and will also do a bit more of an in-depth post about the retreat and the show in the very near future. For now, my wine glass is calling me so I will ignore it no longer! ;)<br />
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Happy stitching xxStitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-13580317669217765192013-03-10T21:05:00.000+11:002013-03-10T21:07:48.831+11:00Mini Winnie updateFirst of all, I'd like to welcome my new followers, and to thank the older ones for sticking around while I went AWOL - it's lovely to have all of you here in my little corner of blogville, and hopefully I'll be keeping you regularly updated from here-on-in.<br />
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I've made a small amount of progress on my Winnie The Pooh stitching since my last blog entry, but not as much as I would have liked. I think it's partly down to the lovely(!) weather we've been having of late - it's been super-hot, and the air-con doesn't quite reach to my little stitchy corner so I've been too uncomfortable to stitch for long. It kinda makes me want to move my stitchy lamp back to where it was, but then that's defeating the object of my little bit of stitchy paradise being AWAY from the TV (too distracting!). The cool change is supposed to hit us early on Thursday so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it'll make a difference. It's the start of my days off too, so that's a bonus :D Here's how far I have progressed with WTP - you can see the bottom half of Rabbit now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DrzYqB5lwrD81UBTGk7tIpCpaCmUhcsvhzvKDWQ_uKSoempsLBtR5CZ0hsAQiK97CDvrtLLW5e4DuKKHrdrvdMSwiMjDDiDTvg134A27tKeO4ni-FEcu3fZnTcZkzSiyA1d_FMDyt3PT/s1600/CIMG7641.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DrzYqB5lwrD81UBTGk7tIpCpaCmUhcsvhzvKDWQ_uKSoempsLBtR5CZ0hsAQiK97CDvrtLLW5e4DuKKHrdrvdMSwiMjDDiDTvg134A27tKeO4ni-FEcu3fZnTcZkzSiyA1d_FMDyt3PT/s320/CIMG7641.JPG" /></a><br />
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And this is how far I am with it altogether. I have some frogging to do at the bottom of the design (which I am avoiding at the moment to gain momentum with the rest of the piece!) and then once Rabbit is complete, I have Tigger to stitch before backstitching it all. So, all in all there isn't much to do on it. I am finding it a little challenging working on 18ct at the moment but if I keep working at it, it'll come together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2OIrrD_EmSUl9YK45foJJSTwCD90qlt91okxjzXbS5hOcyaquIlGSDF5P1YrmEdTTSESPLTsGCB1HRSF9bove3dWSFIzyZF1KARZhQ-2wlwWhmN_tOFaS0nvYCkM6cZf1s_MuC8QMSXY/s1600/CIMG7644.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2OIrrD_EmSUl9YK45foJJSTwCD90qlt91okxjzXbS5hOcyaquIlGSDF5P1YrmEdTTSESPLTsGCB1HRSF9bove3dWSFIzyZF1KARZhQ-2wlwWhmN_tOFaS0nvYCkM6cZf1s_MuC8QMSXY/s320/CIMG7644.JPG" /></a><br />
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Looking forward to taking this one back up to the Dandenongs in a couple of weekends time, for a stitchy picnic. Might be finding another project to stitch on soon (or finishing one of my many UFO's) if I'm lucky!<br />
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I'm off to enjoy the rest of the long weekend now, happy stitching everyone!Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-38651109311422727202013-02-17T20:24:00.000+11:002013-02-17T20:24:44.567+11:00Stitching in the great outdoorsI had a wonderful day yesterday, with my good friend Belinda (who writes the Itch to Cross stitch blog). We have been trying to arrange a stitchy day together for ages, just the two of us as most times we get together it's with our daughters (who are almost 4 and just turned 2). We love the girls to pieces but just craved some adult catch up time. Belinda had the awesome idea of going for a picnic/stitchy day in the Dandenongs, and we eventually settled on a date that suited us both. Luckily for us too, the weather was perfect. It was forcast to be 33 degrees, but it's always cooler in the Dandenongs. After looking at a couple of picnic grounds that weren't suitable (either waaaay too busy or just a couple of tables in the middle of a woody area with no shade) we found a lovely little sopt called One Tree Hill picnic ground and set ourselves up. We brought salad and wraps, biscuits, fruit, my jelly slice and all we needed for a couple of lovely cups of tea. And, of course, our stitching stuff! We were in a lovely shaded area and it was wonderful and quiet. There were a few other picnic-ers around but they were far enough away that we felt like we were by ourselves (mind you, we got a few curious looks as people walked past!) The only other "company" we had was that of the bugs... Flies the size of which I've never seen before, some beautiful butterflies and, of course, some ants. One actually got so close that Belinda ended up accidentally getting one caught on her thread. We watched it struggling to get off for ages, but it couldn't. Turns out she's somehow managed to pierce it slightly so it had to have help to get free. Think it was probably a bir sore after the experience but it definitely made our day all the more memorable! In between all the great conversation and the picnicing, we actually did get some stitching done. And I have proof! Here's me.... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdRZiA5mHKTnre0NdgXbDXJrtcWpVr5ICSuMxkSMmN19SVv0XF1dBMBzuramvMtUN7JRHnRy1CJfgcMiu8Z29dDUDq9qRRDjnoP1eYIKrkEUlVSaQh8VRkrCx1vAueEyomx8RzlIlUDYf/s1600/16022013332.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdRZiA5mHKTnre0NdgXbDXJrtcWpVr5ICSuMxkSMmN19SVv0XF1dBMBzuramvMtUN7JRHnRy1CJfgcMiu8Z29dDUDq9qRRDjnoP1eYIKrkEUlVSaQh8VRkrCx1vAueEyomx8RzlIlUDYf/s320/16022013332.jpg" /></a><br />
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And Belinda.... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQ_Fq7nPSoAGpRRBeQK8BK4q30CLiOUf72dsKyXW_8Oo-9LbppzABMASiyVGfKDFIiwc20YPefeVwb8RemxXRjCt1cfbi9e3DjNdpnoOffygaMobIqUN4J6CpQaR3cOwaRwihrX9oerqw/s1600/16022013331.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQ_Fq7nPSoAGpRRBeQK8BK4q30CLiOUf72dsKyXW_8Oo-9LbppzABMASiyVGfKDFIiwc20YPefeVwb8RemxXRjCt1cfbi9e3DjNdpnoOffygaMobIqUN4J6CpQaR3cOwaRwihrX9oerqw/s320/16022013331.jpg" /></a><br />
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And here is the sum total of my stitching yesterday. I was working on the foot of rabbit, so didn't stitch much at all (far too much conversation going on!) but it was the first time I have picked up the Winnie The Pooh cross stitch in a very long time, so it felt good to be doing SOMETHING on it :) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-_FxU-hBCv9i3vsUsbq5tCJmUn0_gjKQTcHp_jDEICvi0ri7GON6z3zIizxfjC9cGIZLFxKRqw4hSzol6QZ33Ju4YtV-6OA80mGVLptcZeH2GY_Ro_E1rtXnDnhV6lRxKndc8NbFOmI0/s1600/CIMG7625.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-_FxU-hBCv9i3vsUsbq5tCJmUn0_gjKQTcHp_jDEICvi0ri7GON6z3zIizxfjC9cGIZLFxKRqw4hSzol6QZ33Ju4YtV-6OA80mGVLptcZeH2GY_Ro_E1rtXnDnhV6lRxKndc8NbFOmI0/s320/CIMG7625.JPG" /></a><br />
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And finally, a picture of how my choc mallow jelly slice turned out. I'm glad hubby made me do a trial run with it, as I'll need to make it in a different pan next time but think it turned out pretty well. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKk-dKGTIex9ZKvhhw_gst_YqHduwQN491hhLbf-Mx53VWiAIAshv7vg0usJByurFHYdkjP4SjqgFG5eGBzW3ztcfVv-GJDQGc9i1Vo5w0vaTgHQwpIdeQqvGCMdKOeCwL2QWEaW4Po6Vo/s1600/CIMG7622.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKk-dKGTIex9ZKvhhw_gst_YqHduwQN491hhLbf-Mx53VWiAIAshv7vg0usJByurFHYdkjP4SjqgFG5eGBzW3ztcfVv-GJDQGc9i1Vo5w0vaTgHQwpIdeQqvGCMdKOeCwL2QWEaW4Po6Vo/s320/CIMG7622.JPG" /></a><br />
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I'll be making something different for the next picnic day - it was so good yesterday that we've already planned the next one! Looking forward to much more stitching time next time!Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-10977753361777355122013-02-10T22:04:00.000+11:002013-02-10T22:04:57.852+11:00Happy birthday Buster!OK, so no stitching to show off, but I just had to add in a picture of my gorgeous Beagle, Buster. He turned 5 today and he's soooo much more mellow than he used to be. Having said that, he caught a bird today.... Hubby heard the commotion of all the other birds screeching and went out to investigate. He managed to get Buster to drop the bird, and once I had the dog safely locked inside, hubby went to see what the damage was. The bird was able to hop around and try and fly so it was difficult to help it out, as well as 2 other birds trying to protect it from him (they obviously thought he was going to hurt it rather than help it). The best he could do was use a bucket to help it over the fence - and get it away from the dog - and hope it managed to fly away after recovering from it's ordeal. Here's the innocent looking attacker on his big day anyway (exhausted from all the excitement!)
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVukLV-Fiu17nDNabrDJUyZ410j78_83Kdouzjm1PpTG-pFJgHK3G6vjNHw8s5jtbLfvB2sbOFf0LD0P5mu-iNlFQsYTh242HgaB0-hy9cspKRgILfYzFP7IuNdpq0V6dPt1YVddSr47z/s1600/CIMG7612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVukLV-Fiu17nDNabrDJUyZ410j78_83Kdouzjm1PpTG-pFJgHK3G6vjNHw8s5jtbLfvB2sbOFf0LD0P5mu-iNlFQsYTh242HgaB0-hy9cspKRgILfYzFP7IuNdpq0V6dPt1YVddSr47z/s400/CIMG7612.JPG" /></a></div>
Slightly stitchy related (grasping at straws now!), when a few of us get together for a monthly stitchy meet, we all bring something edible to share. I spotted the front cover of Super Food Ideas and thought I might give it a go. It's a Choc Mallow Jelly Slice and it'll take a day or two to put together due to the need to chill each layer but hoping it'll turn out alright. Of course, hubby thinks I'll need a practice run (or two!) so will be attempting this one later in the week. Looking forward to it, and seeing how well it goes down at the meeting next month ;)
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This picture isn't fab, but I'll be taking a pic of my efforts once completed :D
Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-712813336575711722013-02-08T21:55:00.003+11:002013-02-08T21:55:50.688+11:00ORT jarThis year I decided to keep the little ends of the threads I cut off, to give me a more visual image of how productive I have been stitch-wise (besides seeing progress on the actual designs, that it!). I have washed out an old coffee jar to use, and set it on my stitchy table. I figure I'll take intermittant pictures of it along the way, as long as some progress can be seen. I wondered what on earth was in there the other night when I saw it, and then remembered that I'd put in the glow-in-the-dark threads I used for Meg and Mog! Here's how it looks now:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdt2yJgpow93sMg3Rzy09FPpwdlANbwJD5m4bTvLcbgkcUva4Gb29uXQB3cUeODjV8ysmy3kM8CbYvLY7Ud-o_agx_ojL-d6TGBU6x12GxH7ai7xOHkR2eTtaFA9gpivMHz8hrxVfJtMW/s1600/CIMG7608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdt2yJgpow93sMg3Rzy09FPpwdlANbwJD5m4bTvLcbgkcUva4Gb29uXQB3cUeODjV8ysmy3kM8CbYvLY7Ud-o_agx_ojL-d6TGBU6x12GxH7ai7xOHkR2eTtaFA9gpivMHz8hrxVfJtMW/s400/CIMG7608.JPG" /></a></div>
When looking up an actual definition of orts, I found this explanation on about.com - so it looks like stitching can almost be connected to witchcraft! ;)
"An ort is a leftover bit of thread, or the last bit of thread before snipping and removing what's left from the eye of the needle when working embroidery projects, knitting and crochet projects, or a hand quilting or sewing pattern.
No one really knows where the term originated, but some suspect in may be an abbreviation of a long-forgotten term. Some believe it's an abbreviation of old ratty tails or odd remnants & threads since it often applies to bits of fabric as well as thread.
While most stitchers toss their snippets of embroidery threads into the waste bin after stitching, some embroiderers have saved their orts, offering them up to the backyard birds as nesting material or displaying them in clear glass jars to create a keepsake of their endeavors.
The practice of making ort jars was probably inspired by witch bottles displayed in museums that contain knotted bits of thread and string. The saved fibers were intended to ward away evil spirits or protect the home from evil spells cast by enemies.
To make your own orts jar, save your snippets of thread in a small dish as you work your project, saving them for your orts display. Once you have completed a project, place the bits of thread in a decorative glass bottle or jar. Small, clear antique apothecary jars, perfume bottles, medicine jars or bottles, empty spice jars (labels removed) or salt shakers, small jelly jars, or unusually-shaped jars look particularly pretty when filled with a collection of orts."
Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-28404671863484575732013-02-02T20:55:00.003+11:002013-02-02T21:47:32.857+11:00Stash sort outToday I spent a bit of time organising my stash. One day, I would love to have a stitchy room, so all my stash is able to be in one place, but that's just not possible right now. I recently decided that I wanted to remove my kits and fabric from the plastic tubs they have been in and put them in a storage chest/blanket box or something of the like. I had been eyeing up a chest in a store at the local shopping centre before Christmas but didn't have the spare cash for it so decided to wait. Last week I had the cash but when I went in, it wasn't there :( It would have been great as it was one with a Union Jack on (feeling quite patriotic at the moment). So once home, I decided to look on eBay and use the money I had put aside. After a few days of sweating over it, I won a wooden storage chest that was just going to be perfect, and came in under my budget! Hubby collected it for me this morning, so this afternoon I was moving my stash of kits and fabric into it's lovely new home. Here's what I started with:
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And here's how it ended up:
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I'll probably end up putting the frames in it too, just to make it look neater on the top but I am so pleased with it, and I think it looks so much better than it did! Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-50809852017053738462013-02-01T21:03:00.001+11:002013-02-01T21:09:55.523+11:00The next generationWell, today it started - I sat down with my 3yr old and began teaching her how to stitch! She's been interested for a while now, watching me when I stitch and asking lots of questions, but I wasn't sure when the best time to start her was. She had the plastic kids threading shapes and called that her stitching, and then my mum sent her a little starter kit over for Christmas. She absoltely loved it (as the picture shows) and I thought we made pretty good progress for her first time. Obviously I started her off, and finished the threads for her but the rest of it was her doing, and she followed instructions and concentrated beautifully. I did change the plastic needle they provided to a thick metal one too. The plastic one was useless for being able to thread behind the stitches for finishing off.
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So now it looks like I'll be having to keep a close eye on my stash in case it's in danger of beign raided! Very happy to be sharing my love of stitching with my daugther though, and looking forward to her joining in with my stitchy group when she's older :)Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-69757688105768015362013-02-01T20:53:00.000+11:002013-02-01T20:53:06.998+11:00I finshed one!!!!Yay! I finally have a finish to share :D It's been so long since I have finished a project that I got REALLY excited about this one. It's only a small design, from a magazine years ago, but a finish all the same. I decided to keep hold of it (I don;t get the mags any more and only kept the patterns I liked as storage was too much of an issue) and I'm glad that I did. My 3yr old is obssessed with Meg and Mog, so once framed, it'll be going on her wall.
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I feel a little more motivated with my needle now too, so hopefully some more progress will be being made on other projects soon.Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-6284306787899883132013-01-19T10:48:00.000+11:002013-02-17T20:28:32.985+11:00New stashOn Tuesday I had a "nice postie day" after my stash arrived. I ordered from Laurel's Stitchery when they had a 40% off sale on NYE. I was so happy with the prices and now have some awesome pieces to add to my "to do" pile. With that kind of a discount, it made sense to get a few things. Most of them had been on my wishlist for a while too, and it felt good to be spending money on myself for a change. Usually I think of Little Miss first, and then hubby so I hardly ever spend any money on myself. <br />
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It's so exciting when new stash comes in, that it's taking all my willpower at the moment to not stitch them. I have promised myself that I will get my current WIP's and UFO's tackled first, before I start anything else. I have been stitching a little bit lately but not enough to post any progress reports. I have just set myself up a little stitchy area in our front room though, so I'm hoping I'll get more achieved. I was finding that whilst it was nice to stitch in the lounge, I would too easily get distracted by the tv, and for a whole night's stitching session I might only have got half an hour of actual stitching done... I'll take a picture of my new set-up soon (once it's been tweaked a bit) and post about it. <br />
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I am sooooo excited that I have booked in our stitchy retreat too. We're going at the end of July to a place just outside Daylesford. We went last year and it was awesome! The place is completely set up for crafters so the lighting is amazing and made it possible for us to stay up til 3.30am stitching! It is set up to such a high standard and everyone was thoroughly impressed at what we got for the money we paid. I'm so looking forward to spending time with friends doing nothing but stitching, laughing and eating! ;) Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-21441805195275143092012-12-09T12:28:00.000+11:002012-12-09T12:28:35.592+11:00I'm baaaaack!And oh dear me, how shameful is it that it's been over a year since my last post.... I was reminded the other day by my good friend Belinda that I need to get back on and post, so thanks for the kick up the rear end Belinda - much needed! :D
I'm still not happy with my blog (for some reason my layout is not how I've set it and I can't see my personal info etc that is supposed to be down the sides, but as long as my main posts show up, I'm happy enough :)
I have been coming and going a bit with my stitching over this past year - my stitchy bug has been a bit unreliable, popping in whenever it feels like it and then high-tailing it out of here without so much as a thought for what I was in the middle of. So frustrating sometimes! However, looking at the photo's on here, I do seem to have made progress. Here's the latest picture of Birds of a Feather. I really haven't worked on this one since my parents visited in February/March this year. It was meant to be a surprise gift for my dad, but it wasn't finished in time so mum suggested showing him anyway. Once that had been done (and he loved it!) the urgency was taken out of doing it, and it came to a standstill. I must get back to it soon!
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At the end of June, I went away for a stitchy weekend with 8 stitchy friends to a little retreat just outside Daylesford. It was a fabulous weekend (and I might have to dedicate another post to that one a little later) but it did mean that I got some work done on my Ouroborus design. Another one that I haven't touched for a few months that is screaming out for attention, but here is the progress so far.
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Little Miss is, at the moment, totally obsessed with Meg and Mog... She has some of the books and 2 dvd's of the show and whilst it was Halloween she was dressing up as a witch and casting spells whilst riding arouind the loungeroom on her broomstitck. Very cute, and it inspired me to find in my syash of many patterns a chart that I had saved from one of the stitchy magazines I used to get years ago. So currently, I am stitching a Meg and Mog design on 32 count linen. I think it's coming up pretty well, and it'll be great once the backstitch is in as that is done in 2 strands, so it should make it really pop. The other reason I am a bit excited about this design is that I have substituted the white thread for white glow in the dark thread, so it should look awesome in the dark!
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Well, that's it for now, will have to update more later as now is the time for the hum-drum activity of the weekend grocery shop.
Happy stitching!
Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-34149985201474505162011-11-20T10:01:00.002+11:002011-11-20T10:01:33.336+11:00GremlinsIt seems I have a few gremlins in my blogger account at the moment - I am working my way through trying to sort them out so hapefully normal service will resume soon.<br />
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I have been stitching quite a bit recently too, so there is lots to report once I have got this working properly again.<br />
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happy stitching!Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-29202100391693606612011-10-16T19:28:00.005+11:002011-10-16T20:38:52.273+11:00A finish and a UFO<div>Well, it finally happened - I finished Jack's sampler! :D *happy dance* So here it is before the backstitch....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwf2Vtfy3T08USvJVNTAY0zx3Ls4OlJkbVoC91GJEU8NQsPWDGptZEPl1WKltjfBx_nCFMna_9yMM6KV1jvsjI232-MTSWnpjSiq2Ql3yqYvWrEcy_Suxsl_dUM2iKerSIzulRySL9DtrI/s1600/CIMG6655.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664005636855361250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwf2Vtfy3T08USvJVNTAY0zx3Ls4OlJkbVoC91GJEU8NQsPWDGptZEPl1WKltjfBx_nCFMna_9yMM6KV1jvsjI232-MTSWnpjSiq2Ql3yqYvWrEcy_Suxsl_dUM2iKerSIzulRySL9DtrI/s400/CIMG6655.JPG" /></a><br /><br />And after the backstitch...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqRpT2kQbnbXZJARUORxBG-rGzuIA8WGvG4SYVKsNtV0YybwZDccdUtHh-rR0OQitRzPuDUyjDvpwZ5F2TwhfVkwp885M9rY8Z8poz_gRMdaJ91-WOWPTyKxoDZrt3a1lCba5rDGPsEt-/s1600/CIMG6661.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 315px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664005648346436562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqRpT2kQbnbXZJARUORxBG-rGzuIA8WGvG4SYVKsNtV0YybwZDccdUtHh-rR0OQitRzPuDUyjDvpwZ5F2TwhfVkwp885M9rY8Z8poz_gRMdaJ91-WOWPTyKxoDZrt3a1lCba5rDGPsEt-/s400/CIMG6661.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I finished it last month, after taking a humungous 11 months to stitch it. Considering Megan's took me only a month, I am pretty disappointed with that length of time. However, I am pleased with the end result. I'm very glad that I took out the border that would have been of a different colour as it would have spoilt the whole thing. I would've posted pictures earlier but I've been having issues with blogger :(<br /><br />Anyway, I have now resumed stitching on a long forgotten UFO. My aim is to work through my UFO's one at a time until they are eliminated and then never have any ever again LOL<br /><br />The piece I have picked up is called Birds of a Feather and is a design by Dimensions. Once finished it will look like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJXqxUmFsdi_GFipfd1FbeGcG-6e2em6VI6Z839XL_17UIQAN5dQdK4ufpOZ9vGV0LV-mxtF2bui0KL6fgoxcZYlrOfPDgi7RHU8jZZkvwdaQ1OVAHM10IkrOB1rOXdSibYwj-cxqrrzG/s1600/Birds+Of+A+Feather001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 281px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664008914518366898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJXqxUmFsdi_GFipfd1FbeGcG-6e2em6VI6Z839XL_17UIQAN5dQdK4ufpOZ9vGV0LV-mxtF2bui0KL6fgoxcZYlrOfPDgi7RHU8jZZkvwdaQ1OVAHM10IkrOB1rOXdSibYwj-cxqrrzG/s400/Birds+Of+A+Feather001.jpg" /></a><br /><br />This is the last progress shot I have taken, but there has been more stitching since then ;-)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxcdnR0Zutu0aaeHyGHgu6g60nvGNBhbLUZH58SuhsxQ8pPR9pijCi0-c_oS7Gw-WvjwE5DPiIA9TEb6JUbQ-iACy69Fhs7_NEpzGvlAVjpCHrN1rxxk1V5euaoOXIARZX4qB0POZy0AY/s1600/CIMG6667.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664008921995782834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxcdnR0Zutu0aaeHyGHgu6g60nvGNBhbLUZH58SuhsxQ8pPR9pijCi0-c_oS7Gw-WvjwE5DPiIA9TEb6JUbQ-iACy69Fhs7_NEpzGvlAVjpCHrN1rxxk1V5euaoOXIARZX4qB0POZy0AY/s400/CIMG6667.JPG" /></a><br /><br />It is a design I am stitching for my dad, and he'll be visiting with my mum in February so I'm hoping to have it done or at least mostly done by the time they get here. Thankfully he doesn't know anything about it yet, as it was one Mum originally bought for him and was unable to stitch it herself. It's done on 18 count Aida and Mum's eyes weren't up to it (this was in the early days of her stitching, before she got her magnifier light. I agreed to stitch it in her place but I started it 8 years ago! It's just been one of those projects that has been put to one side to get other things done first and then I completely forgot about it... Oh well, it's back now and I'm quite enjoying working on it. The cream part of the border is only half stitch so it's coming along quite easily. I did get a little bored by the border though so I have started working on the central design. Gotta vary it up a little :-D This design is also one that I am timing. I am using a stopwatch, but I am not seeing how fast I can stitch (evidently, as it's been 8 years!). Some designs I just like to see how much actual stitching time goes into it. I have a tendency to sometimes have the tv on whilst I am stitching and pay more attention to the tv so a possible 2 hour stitching session might only have about 30 minutes of actual stitching in it. I am simply starting the clock when I begin stitching and stopping it for loo breaks or when I make a cuppa, and then keeping a log of it. I don't do this for every design, mind you as it would completely take the enjoyment out of it. I'll let you know what the final tally is - I think it'll shock me more than anything :-P<br /><br />In other news, I have changed jobs and moved to a childcare centre a little closer to home. I'm really enjoying it, and an added bonus is that I now get an hour for my lunch break instead of half an hour. It makes it a longer day but it also gives me the opportunity to do somethign with that time. I was contemplating taking some stitching with me but instead I decided to use the time to read and leave my stitching until the evenings when I am at home. I have begun re-reading the Elm Creek novels by Jennifer Chiaverini. They are an easy read, and I just pretend that I am reading about a group of cross-stitchers rather than a group of quilters. I do the same thing with Kate Jacobs' knitting books. I seem to get such a sense of belonging within their groups that I almost feel like I am part of the book. It also makes me feel even more lucky to have the group of stitchy friends that I do.<br /><br />Anyway, better wrap it up for one night, Little Miss has gone off for the first time ever (at home with me, at least) without her dummy so I'm going to make the most of it. Before I go though, I'd like to welcome my newest followers - I'm now up to the dizzy heights of 20! I hope I haven't bored any of you too much and thanks for reading my little blog. I'll try to keep it a little more updated so you actually have something to follow :D<br /><br />Happy stitching!Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-20275452947366636252011-08-09T20:23:00.003+10:002011-08-12T23:33:19.809+10:00MotivationI've not really been very motivated to do any stitching for a while. I think the whole having-to-rip-half-my-work-out saga really put the kybosh on it for a while. That and a few issues at work and I really haven't been myself.<br /><br />However, I have sorted things out at work now (to a point) and I finally got the motivation to pick up my stitching again at the weekend, when I had a stitchy meet with my lovely stitching friends (Belinda, Bek and Cassie). It was a fantastic few hours and as hubby was out watching the footie with his dad I had to take Little Miss with me. I was a bit dubious as to how it was going to go for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was right on her normal sleep time, which meant she was either going to sleep in the car and get grumpy, or she was going to get grumpy due to not having a sleep. Neither of those things happened and I ended up putting her to bed almost an hour early that night and she was straight to sleep! It did make her a bit more tired the next day though so she's not quite ready to come out of her daytime sleep yet :) The second reason was that she's never been around my stitchy stuff before (I've always made sure it was away before she got up so she didn't get attracted to the scissors or needles. Again, I needn't have worried - there were far too many toys to play with at Cassie's place for her to worry about what we were all doing. It was a great afternoon with lovely company, good conversation and of course some stitching!<br /><br />So now, this is how far I have managed to get with Jack's sampler. Besides the backstitch, the border is complete so I only have to work on the inside picture. Hopefully it won't take too long now as I feel like I have been working on this one forever. I already have my next project lined up too - Ouroborus. It's a design of a dragon, stitched in purple and I'm doing it as a stitchalong with Bek. We got it at the same time and a good friend of ours (who used to be in the stitchy group before she upped and left us to move to Germany) sent us some lovely sparkly material which was just perfect to stitch him on. I would love to get back to stitching on him but won't pick it up again until I have finished Jack's sampler (or it'll never get finished!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjummHHGJAu-q5QKUcxPgxfmxkymwZwVF_Khlruloqx-Jw1QWSZfTktaV_qYwZCX00s5S_zzn9O18bqp26n7BAIJheIIZdop0D15O5eX9QdxQ9KDY5vGU96jA_oGvcn7ebTyYRO8uVaHQG2/s1600/CIMG6641.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638800365714744802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjummHHGJAu-q5QKUcxPgxfmxkymwZwVF_Khlruloqx-Jw1QWSZfTktaV_qYwZCX00s5S_zzn9O18bqp26n7BAIJheIIZdop0D15O5eX9QdxQ9KDY5vGU96jA_oGvcn7ebTyYRO8uVaHQG2/s400/CIMG6641.JPG" /></a><br /><br />At our stitchy meet, we also floated the idea of going on a weekend away towards the middle of next year, as a kind of retreat. I'm pretty excited about the prospect and have already been looking on t'internet at places to stay. Three out of the four of us are mum's to young children (Little Miss is the oldest at just over 2 years) so we don't want to venture too far away in case we need to get back, but far enough to feel like we're having a complete break. There are a few places that look promising. It'll just be nice to get away from it all, have good company, lots of stitching time and hopefully lots of laughs. maybe even a stitchy shop or two!<br /><br />I hope everyone else is going well with their stitching - I'm going to attempt some catching up on blog reading, but I may be some time!<br /><br />Happy stitching xxStitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-31725277671677665292011-05-10T18:57:00.016+10:002011-05-14T20:30:47.763+10:00The drought is almost overIt seems my bug may have begun to creep back - yay! It's been a long while since I've even wanted to stitch, and I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to get back into it. "What am I going to do with all that stash?" was one of the things going through my mind... I think part of me stopping was that I had had a long run of stitching all the time, which tends to happen - I'll stitch heaps and then nothing at all. But this time I think it was also partly triggered by a mistake with the stitching. I was sooo frustrated that I just couldn't bring myself to pick it up and look at it again. The mistake wasn't my fault either, so that made it even more frustrating. I found that when I changed to the second skein of blue for the border, there was a change in the colour. I had bought all the thread at my LNS, but a few months apart and I went back there to get some more, hoping that it would match what I had already done. Unfortunately it seemed I had bought a rogue thread the first time so there was no getting around the fact that I had to rip out an entire skein's worth of border :( That meant I went from this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LFgR2Ag6m1xXWUkFla_9s9x6aGmdVX-o5rBrTqEX10PpWUmjU5eRVwVU0tQNVVDKOAwF3rdxnUY-Ge9NGcZEFcqYicN3WVI3llRKAJEs5t0y6FCC1I5WlKgHMQZYvsj0y1OAZwyuBD2F/s1600/CIMG6259.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605010301432365042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LFgR2Ag6m1xXWUkFla_9s9x6aGmdVX-o5rBrTqEX10PpWUmjU5eRVwVU0tQNVVDKOAwF3rdxnUY-Ge9NGcZEFcqYicN3WVI3llRKAJEs5t0y6FCC1I5WlKgHMQZYvsj0y1OAZwyuBD2F/s400/CIMG6259.JPG" /></a><br /><br />to this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPFEn5zTegKlCGssJg4cjWC4dPhJ5qeDYrU3AUgaRIJptlZoCQNZePfoBG-k2iAFII2pH08hrhDI71Kt6F8GWwOo_K4VFLplL1JgWFv_U_TOLmgI7THj9pFeSydV_RUqQqvChTBNLqUxW/s1600/CIMG6510.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605010305995580322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPFEn5zTegKlCGssJg4cjWC4dPhJ5qeDYrU3AUgaRIJptlZoCQNZePfoBG-k2iAFII2pH08hrhDI71Kt6F8GWwOo_K4VFLplL1JgWFv_U_TOLmgI7THj9pFeSydV_RUqQqvChTBNLqUxW/s400/CIMG6510.JPG" /></a><br /><br />(The stitching along the bottom is in the new thread)<br /><br />Last week, I asked hubby if there was anything he wanted me to do on my day off (we each have a day where Little Miss is at day care and we have time at home whilst the other is at work. I usually give hubby a list of jobs to keep him busy as I do housework on my day). He told me that I should do nothing and have a break for a change. Who am I to resist that? It was the day before my birthday (when I would be working) and I'd just had a week at home with Little Miss due to the extra long weeknd with public holidays everywhere... I love her to bits, but I just needed some time out :) So, what was I to do with my free time? I spent part of it on the computer (paying bills then getting distracted) and part of it watching tv, and then a thought crossed my mind - maybe I should get some stitching out! So that's what I did and got a few lines accomplished. :D That evening, hubby suggested I could do some more if I wished. I got him to move my daylight lamp from the lounge into the sitting area in the dining room and away I went for a little bit. The light is able to be closer to me there so it makes for better stitching, and that might give me more incentive to keep going with it. :) <br /><br />So now here we are, and a week later I am still doing odd bits on my stitching and it is adding up to some visible progress! I think I might also be in danger of enjoying it again :P This picture was taken under my daylight lamp at night so the colours may appear different to the other pictures.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUC2ZRkFd0QhuTF9KGi1wrJOKrJGpIEO1UDucY-OkU32-8hxXodqQzBIwLg8-mhFltdxrCSo0lXt_5v0hLuoP1C4peykAQcbRDnV8kORyUx-tBq_T-D_Aw5_NItrk5rGBKfoJ4VDBBHP_r/s1600/CIMG6521.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUC2ZRkFd0QhuTF9KGi1wrJOKrJGpIEO1UDucY-OkU32-8hxXodqQzBIwLg8-mhFltdxrCSo0lXt_5v0hLuoP1C4peykAQcbRDnV8kORyUx-tBq_T-D_Aw5_NItrk5rGBKfoJ4VDBBHP_r/s400/CIMG6521.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606514567605616306" /></a><br /><br />I must say I am pretty pleased with my progress now - the sides of the border definitely grow faster than the top/bottom. And now I'll try and get some more stitching done before I get too distracted on the computer!<br /><br />I noticed that I have a couple of new followers too - I'd like to say welcome and thanks for popping by. Thanks also to everyone else for reading, even though it's been a while between posts. I'll try and get around to catching up with your postings soon :)<br /><br />Happy stitching!Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-11417271176110159322011-01-12T17:37:00.004+11:002011-01-12T18:09:14.106+11:00It's been a while...... since I've posted or stitched. Some of you *might* have noticed! :P To be honest, not posting has been due to not stitching, and not stitching has been due to not posting - a vicious circle. :( However, I have now done a few stitches, and have been reminded by my good friend Belinda that it's high time I put up a post. So here I am :)<br /><br />I have also been working 4 days a week at my new job for the past couple of months so I am trying to work out where during the week I can fit in all the things I used to take my time over (housework) as well as being able to spend some time with hubby and Little Miss. Then the stitching might get a thought, if I am not too tired from work! Hopefully soon I will adjust to the extra demand on my time and my body will become less tired whilst working a day week, as that is not going to change. I have found a job I love, at a small childcare centre (40 place) and even though it's a 20 minute drive when I'm not taking Little Miss to her day care - and an hour round trip to work when I am - I am not prepared to work somewhere closer that I might not like so much. So, I guess I'm stuck with long days for a while. I'm sure I'll "man up" soon and it'll all work out anyway. :) It's just lovely to be back in work, with some lovely girls, and enjoy some adult conversation. Don't get me wrong, I adore spending time with Little Miss, she's my world, but I was starting to go round the twist there for a while :P<br /><br />Little Miss is doing well though. She's walking properly now, although a lot of the time she prefers to "walk" on her knees - I don't know how she does it, I'm sure it hurts... And the big one in the past couple of weeks is that she has started to spoon feed herself - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">YAY</span>! For such a long time she totally refused the spoon but would finger feed herself no problem It only became an issue with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Weetbix</span> or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">yoghurt</span>. Now she's becoming Little Miss Independent... Our little girl is growing up! :D<br /><br />Stitching-wise, I am still working on Jack's sampler. Working on is a term that needs to be used very loosely though! Looking back at the last update I can see progress, so maybe it's not all that bad. I'm hoping to work on it maybe one or two nights a week if I can. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">That'll</span> help it move along in no time. ;)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLH9BhE-xGPYD3qYEqsKEiAENlgmLnfg6OMXPmuKesBFfQ6LD8FqKmmuyQaxUIzXUENFg-iJH2IybXBA6oLF3u4zxZ7L3oWvZtm6vVp9_kkHrDB5cLcNNxdkJrdiLzbaFEuhKJcUBB-S7G/s1600/CIMG6145.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561189066622249138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLH9BhE-xGPYD3qYEqsKEiAENlgmLnfg6OMXPmuKesBFfQ6LD8FqKmmuyQaxUIzXUENFg-iJH2IybXBA6oLF3u4zxZ7L3oWvZtm6vVp9_kkHrDB5cLcNNxdkJrdiLzbaFEuhKJcUBB-S7G/s400/CIMG6145.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />I've also decided that that this year, I would love to keep track of the books I read, in case I manage to get through more than two! So far, I have finished reading Nothing to Lose by Lee Child. It was one I started reading last year and it ended up getting put to one side. I love reading the Jack <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Reacher</span> novels, but was less taken with this one than previous ones. It seemed a little more slow-going but maybe that was due to me picking up and putting down frequently rather than reading in a shorter space of time. Hope the next one is the Jack <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Reacher</span> I know and love. :D I usually <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">likje</span> to intersperse his books with something a little gentler, so I am loving the fact that my good friend Belinda has lent me The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. I haven't got too far into it yet, but I already love it, and I just apply the relationships and love of knitting to that of stitching, much like I do with quilting and stitching when reading the Elm Creek novels. It's such a lovely warm feeling to know that you have a close group of friends who love the same thing you do.<br /><br />Speaking of which, I went to Belinda's on Sunday for our regular <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">stitchy</span> meet and it was fab as always. We managed to do some stitching (which is always a bonus!) as well as munching on some lovely snacks and cooing over a 4 week old baby and being entertained by a 15 month old little girl discovering stairs, much to her mum's horror! :P The added plus was that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Steph</span> was there. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Steph</span> was part of our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">stitchy</span> group a couple of years ago but had to leave to return home to the good <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">ol</span>' USA. We all really miss her, and it was like she had never been away. She's only in Australia for 3 weeks (and only 1 week in Melbourne) so it was lovely that she found time to meet up with us. We're trying to get her to come back for good too ;)<br /><br />I noticed that I have a couple of new followers. I'd just like to say welcome to my blog. I hope you like what you see, and please feel free to comment any time. :) I'll try to update a bit more regularly too. And I will <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">makemy</span> way through reading all your blogs as soon as I can. If you have got to the end of this without losing the will to live, I do believe you deserve a medal (or at the very least, a cup of tea!)<br /><br />Happy stitching everyone!Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-81062730548806364942010-11-01T12:41:00.003+11:002010-11-01T12:59:29.141+11:00A big weekIt seems to have been all go around here just lately - so much so that the stitching hasn't had much of a look in! The main reason for that is Little Miss. She's been unwell since last Sunday, cutting a bottom molar and having a horrible cough. The cough is persistent and still here a week later so we're off to the doctors with her tonight. It's waking her up bith during her daytime nap and her big sleep at night so no-one is getting much rest. I just hope they can give her something for it with her only being a little one...<br /><br />The other major piece of news regarding Little Miss is that she started walking yesterday! :D We're on cloud nine at the moment as she is 17 months so seems to be at the later end of starting to walk. She took her first steps on the 21st October and now walked properly on the 31st. I guess it's watch out world from now on!<br /><br />Hubby has started a new job today, which I think will benefit us all. It's still baking, but that's ALL he'll be doing - no more paperwork to bring home! We will get more time with him, especially as his earliest start will now be 4am instead of midnight so we'll have time together in the evenings. YAY! He's also started up his own blog and will hopefully put the first post on today (he's under "The ramblings of a grumpy old man" in my blog list. :D<br /><br />As for me, I've been for an interview and trial day at a childcare centre and it looks like I'm going to be doing 4 days a week soon! I also got a call from a closer childcare centre so it seems I'm in demand at the moment ;)<br /><br />I have done a little bit on Jack's sampler but it's not moving so fast as Megan's did. Purely because of the lack of time I've had to spend on it. I'm enjoying doing this one, so hopefully once we get Little Miss sorted out I will be able to make some headway with it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXKrXRx07rT3YIS_OoSrS3D8sVIAJJjn1JU03fAvYiHSsvuCfw-NwjVGgaZpiKgDQu-XT7jVuSM1P864jcDytUumAyuggGrbK0053Bb-7b46tsb3BMPgjOnoYboX7YkJ4GMAWvVi80FX2/s1600/CIMG5932.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXKrXRx07rT3YIS_OoSrS3D8sVIAJJjn1JU03fAvYiHSsvuCfw-NwjVGgaZpiKgDQu-XT7jVuSM1P864jcDytUumAyuggGrbK0053Bb-7b46tsb3BMPgjOnoYboX7YkJ4GMAWvVi80FX2/s400/CIMG5932.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534391131585128370" /></a>Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-38190899382385383242010-10-19T20:09:00.002+11:002010-10-19T20:25:46.972+11:00Making a startI made a start on Jack's sampler a few days ago, but had to wait until I had some colour on there to be able to take a picture worth taking - cream on cream really wasn't going to show up too well! I have taken the same approach as I did with Megan's - I am going to stitch the border as I go so I don't have to do it all at the end. This one has little boats in the border and it's going to look very cute. This one also has two stuffed toys to cuddle and the blanket has more colours in it, so it's going to look quite different from Megan's. I am looking forward to having them both side by side when this one is finished though. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvW1uslqvvEOb9dRAKbqvmrbzpYE_rcWSYV6TBvy1rg4iAJQIivBD92UWB4gCo4OWLsEKuSTAM0YHMCqzoL0Au1kCz-Gz6rS8NZH9osZcokVy7mRVlcwDtgKl2IECfx-K8SiW8dzdDGnPF/s1600/CIMG5887.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvW1uslqvvEOb9dRAKbqvmrbzpYE_rcWSYV6TBvy1rg4iAJQIivBD92UWB4gCo4OWLsEKuSTAM0YHMCqzoL0Au1kCz-Gz6rS8NZH9osZcokVy7mRVlcwDtgKl2IECfx-K8SiW8dzdDGnPF/s400/CIMG5887.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529682073266634034" /></a><br /><br />I have also been a busy little bunny on behalf of my mum. At the weekend, during our weekly phone conversation, I helped her to set up her own blog. She's been stitching for over 10 years now and has a fair bit of work to show. I think it's also going to help her to keep her stitching going, as this blog has helped me. She's Making Time To Stitch on my blog roll if anyone is interested in having a look.<br /><br />Now that the warmer weather is coming and we've had a couple of nicer days, my enthusiasm for cleaning seems to have kicked in. If we have a nice day, I feel like I should be getting the washing machine on, dusting, etc. I even went as far as cleaning the windows this week - am I mad? :P<br /><br />In the past couple of weeks, hubby and I have seriously contemplated moving towards the country. It is something that has been at the back of our minds for some time now, but this is the most we have thought about it. In the end, after all the excitement, we decided the time isn't right for us. So, to try and get it out of our systems, we are going to re-arrange the house a little bit and have a huge clear out of anything we don't need. We're looking at moving the lounge into the dining area and the dining area to where the lounge is. This will mean that the lounge is away from the front of the house but closer to Little Miss's room. Not sure how well it will work, what with the summer looming and Little Miss having her bedroom door open to keep it cool in her room, but we'll see how it goes. If it doesn't work, we'll just swap it back and we haven't really lost anything.<br /><br />Anyway, thst's it from me for now - I'm heading off to catch up on reading all of your wonderful blogs. Happy stitching!Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-32527354507798824982010-10-14T20:08:00.003+11:002010-10-14T20:16:53.853+11:00Megan's birth sampler is finished!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgckKerKvW3hZRBN6tllFEV4lmmYyasPpJiHXnTZ8yCrVmO1sQxhAeKTDIHMcCAeRAygjv2phhtclFdKUZmsaQ02PcwNuCGQAGhemHsu0DTHNI6QJzCFpeLBHGUGbEPnRv4vSGkkQL5G5/s1600/CIMG5862.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgckKerKvW3hZRBN6tllFEV4lmmYyasPpJiHXnTZ8yCrVmO1sQxhAeKTDIHMcCAeRAygjv2phhtclFdKUZmsaQ02PcwNuCGQAGhemHsu0DTHNI6QJzCFpeLBHGUGbEPnRv4vSGkkQL5G5/s400/CIMG5862.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527826629442830706" /></a><br /><br />I finished, I finished, I finished! :D It's all a little exciting! I get a bit of a buzz when I finish a design, and I am so glad this one has gone so quickly. It was exactly a month from start to finish, so if all goes to plan on Jack's, they should both be done and framed by Christmas, and that'll be fab :D<br /><br />I have already cut my fabric and found the centre ready for Jack's, but I think I might end up starting that tomorrow. Little Miss has gone off to sleep without too much trouble tonight (thanks goodness!) so I am about to go and have some dinner and a well earned cuppa. I might even see what's on the telly for a change ;)<br /><br />Happy stitching folks!Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-22419667520503136422010-10-13T16:32:00.003+11:002010-10-13T16:35:05.120+11:00Double figures!I just noticed that I made it to TEN followers! Thanks everyone for reading my little blog - it amazes me that people are interested in reading what I have to say and what I am working on, so thank you! I get so much enjoyment out of reading your comments and, of course, your blogs too. I can feel that this is the start of something wonderful :D <br /><br />Now, here's to the next 10.... :PStitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-41204708014448402562010-10-11T20:02:00.002+11:002010-10-11T20:16:53.828+11:00Getting there...I have now almost completed the backstitch on the main part of the picture, and just looking at it, it has come alive. I am so happy with it. I can feel the fact that the end is in sight - all I have to do next is stitch the flowers in the border, backstitch them and put in the birth details. Looks like I'll be on to the blue one for Jack pretty soon!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi478urSnxt7KYWkNPJyZlKd5DQWPYpUnbMAYp4H5Owz8CIm3PR9AtPrD_xUWjG5RuZAmeEePnTDAYl6729fkcYDN5_JuDWUazDjt33DGyBKRlXjBrPEF8eGKXSE6hdlPMKcyQnLalIFfY1/s1600/CIMG5859.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi478urSnxt7KYWkNPJyZlKd5DQWPYpUnbMAYp4H5Owz8CIm3PR9AtPrD_xUWjG5RuZAmeEePnTDAYl6729fkcYDN5_JuDWUazDjt33DGyBKRlXjBrPEF8eGKXSE6hdlPMKcyQnLalIFfY1/s320/CIMG5859.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526711584718242658" /></a><br /><br />I haven't been able to get too much stitching done of late, which is a little disappointing but that's just the way life goes, especially with a 16 month old! Poor Little Miss is having a right old time of it at the moment. She's cutting bottom molars so is finding it difficult to get to sleep (hence no stitch time for me) and is grumpy during the day, making her even more clingy than normal. By the end of the day we're all exhausted. I do hope those teeth come through soon!<br /><br />The past couple of days have been wonderful, weather-wise. I've even been wearing shorts - shock, horror! I think my lily-white legs must have blinded a few people LOL.It's amazing how much better you can feel about life when the weather is warm and the sun stays up longer. And it's great for the washing too!<br /><br />Before I finish up, I'd just like to say how wonderful it feels to read your comments. Sometimes I might not get chance to respond to them but I love reading them, and I can hardly believe I have 9 followers now! I know it's not many compared to some, but I value each and every one of you. I didn't think anyone would be interested much in reading my ramblings so I'm glad that you all are. Thanks for making my day special :DStitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-71491459681458680372010-10-05T16:18:00.003+11:002010-10-05T16:43:46.293+11:00Pink is done!This weekend I finshed the pink on the border - woohoo! :D I counted that once the border is completely stitched, there will be nearly 3500 stitches in it... That just blows my mind - it's such a small design for that number of stitches....<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihMJ8mSsOZO6XLnh1bFWzlp8vvC9Jq8kTfHr8rYOWc8V1S0UzvBLyRjlJ1lBXhcPEtULkHFSXI8wC_OI6UxkNuWJOjq_06fYNiw4ImCkODIrgkDF6YZXkpOxP3HiOUEn6PhOcjfTQNJR2/s1600/CIMG5840.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihMJ8mSsOZO6XLnh1bFWzlp8vvC9Jq8kTfHr8rYOWc8V1S0UzvBLyRjlJ1lBXhcPEtULkHFSXI8wC_OI6UxkNuWJOjq_06fYNiw4ImCkODIrgkDF6YZXkpOxP3HiOUEn6PhOcjfTQNJR2/s320/CIMG5840.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524427533472936994" /></a><br /><br />After all my grumblings of how much the pink was annoying me (probably due to the boredom of straight lines all the time) I am very pleased with how it is looking. I am even becoming a little partial to this tone of pink, but Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone! :P<br /><br />It feels like I am on the home stretch now - just a bit more filling in, and then on to the backstitch I go! I think I am going to finish the main part of the design before stitching the flowers in the border. I think it'll be hard to say goodbye to this one when the other one is also stitched...<br /><br />Hubby has also made a little progress on his stitching:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGWCTjZhpU77ViyIaEAM_remk3XwLY7QC6_jjQUI0MqhQwByCPzVQN_2q79wAeGzS3r7EukeAr03W469ipJtVSWqG8Ad6Vtg81el8Z_PfpkXTeUIurFtPqphKpbnjrVOAc3J9EIGkhQq5/s1600/CIMG5842.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGWCTjZhpU77ViyIaEAM_remk3XwLY7QC6_jjQUI0MqhQwByCPzVQN_2q79wAeGzS3r7EukeAr03W469ipJtVSWqG8Ad6Vtg81el8Z_PfpkXTeUIurFtPqphKpbnjrVOAc3J9EIGkhQq5/s320/CIMG5842.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524429863559526098" /></a><br /><br />Gotta convince him to get his own blog so he can give more details about it, but I think he is doing well. :)<br /><br />This weekend has been a bit hit and miss... Hubby organised to take Little Miss to his mum and dad's for a couple of nights to give them some quality time with her and for me to get a break. It was great in theory and the first few hours were pretty good. I had a couple of the girls over for a stitchy meet, so we got a chance to stitch and chat as long as we wanted - especially with the clocks having gone forward on Saturday night, it seemed like the daylight was going to last fgorever! We had a great time - it almost seems like old times, pre Little Miss. It was once everyone left that it seemed weird. The house was soooo quiet! I ended up staying up til about midnight watching a bit if TV and eventually doing some more stitching. I thought it would be lovely to have a lie in the next morning, but apparently my body clock thought otherwise and I was awake at 7am! I fought with it and took ages to go back to sleep and finally got up around 9.45am. The whole of yesterday was very bizarre. Not having to clean up the lounge room every five minutes, having lunch and dinner by myself - I even cooked Stroganoff for myself as hubby doesn't like mushrooms. By the time dinner had ended I couldn't be in the house by myself any more so I went out to visit my friend, Bek. It was good to get out of the house and have some good company and do some more stitching! I came home around 10.30pm and again stayed up late - it was after 1am when I turned out the light. Thankfully I slept until 9.30am this morning so that was good. Hubby and Little Miss arrived back late morning and it was so good to see them. As soon as Little Miss was in my arms she was waving to hubby as if to say "I have Mummy now, I don't need Daddy any more". It's lovely but I feel bad for him when she does that.<br /><br />They both had a great time away, and I am sure it will be something that will be done more regularly. Maybe next time I will feel better about it too :)Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-20755194392867860802010-09-28T13:17:00.003+10:002010-09-28T13:35:36.671+10:00Over the borderOK, so I am now offically fed up with stitching the border on this design. I admit that it is looking lovely, but it is doing my head in! LOL I am so very nearly there with it though, so I am going to finish stitching the border before I get back on to the main design or else I feel that the border will stay unfinished for a very long time...<br /><br />I will probably end up having a bit of a break from it tonight anyway as I have our 6 year old niece staying with us for a sleepover. Since it is school holidays she is allowed to stay up a bit later so we'll probably end up watching a movie before bed, once Little Miss is settled. She's teething at the moment so has been waking up early (4.20am the other day!) so I think I'll be taking the opportunity for an early night too :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7P-Hk3KgFeGja85qRi11j18aCNCn5_ML3Q0oYtjsMY8JF4A6WQVHKH_ccZWRUbGnzIYhNQgJlYsrGXZ9V19KAYORXFfhRIj4J-JdrzSZX6_vuzXXg3PzgRXNnr0vOMKuOnhb_6okz7Upj/s1600/CIMG5795.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7P-Hk3KgFeGja85qRi11j18aCNCn5_ML3Q0oYtjsMY8JF4A6WQVHKH_ccZWRUbGnzIYhNQgJlYsrGXZ9V19KAYORXFfhRIj4J-JdrzSZX6_vuzXXg3PzgRXNnr0vOMKuOnhb_6okz7Upj/s320/CIMG5795.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521798615556041954" /></a><br /><br />Hope you are all doing well with yur various stitching projects. Happy stitching!Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-62342953166313248342010-09-23T15:42:00.003+10:002010-09-23T15:45:37.958+10:00Secret stitchingJudging by the progress he's making, I am sure hubby is stitching in secret :P I love the way this design is coming together - well done hubby!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvDyOwQd13f4iqH9bBAmAibzJtRMC97Z7Og-2GgR_Uw3_Vrqrq-5-beYNXgA2JiARhO5k6Kka-BqxjTx2FxtkCNjQ5kvsKWfe8OfJoaphBTPaMBJ2l4PBoukfe0zbxjbKbnwz7dNsHElt/s1600/CIMG5769.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvDyOwQd13f4iqH9bBAmAibzJtRMC97Z7Og-2GgR_Uw3_Vrqrq-5-beYNXgA2JiARhO5k6Kka-BqxjTx2FxtkCNjQ5kvsKWfe8OfJoaphBTPaMBJ2l4PBoukfe0zbxjbKbnwz7dNsHElt/s320/CIMG5769.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519980474736763442" /></a>Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-76273846763898327732010-09-23T15:32:00.002+10:002010-09-23T15:37:27.455+10:00I am amazed at how well the border seems to be coming along - it seems to be taking an age when I am stitching it, but when I look at the end of a stitching session I can definitely see the progress. I would like to get some of the left hand side of the border done before doing any more on the main part of the design. This will probably be the next couple of days worth of stitching as I am working tomorrow so no stitching time during Little Miss's nap time!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vKyaOcEgqulF8S2uKh_eqsMNZeMxC89P4lSCx00gDIyrU_UoU8jcCTGa947Yw_cgJCvOpBptOZHguL_kcAIdbObw7hKNjTUJmsMy7egoiuZVsAMcUmuTHJwqSYbbi_KhnI1l9l-AZuJ2/s1600/CIMG5768.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vKyaOcEgqulF8S2uKh_eqsMNZeMxC89P4lSCx00gDIyrU_UoU8jcCTGa947Yw_cgJCvOpBptOZHguL_kcAIdbObw7hKNjTUJmsMy7egoiuZVsAMcUmuTHJwqSYbbi_KhnI1l9l-AZuJ2/s320/CIMG5768.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519977798466270482" /></a>Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6845585919498043598.post-10449409731342865312010-09-22T21:16:00.003+10:002010-09-22T21:25:02.410+10:00Good stitchy dayI ended up getting quite a bit of stitching time yesterday, so I made a good amount of progress. After lunch, I stitched whilst Little Miss slept and then I needed to borrow SIL's dryer so headed down to her place for a while with my stitching in my bag too. I left hubby in charge of Little Miss so he had some nice time to spend with her without me around. It was good sitting in the quiet with just the sound of the dryer going round. Maybe I should do it more often! Then last night once Little Miss had gone to bed, out came the stitching once more! I had the tv on in the background this time though and it was a struggle to decide what I wanted to concentrate on more! I ended up giving up when I realised it was closing in on 11pm.... Definitely a late night for me :S<br /><br />I'm pleased with how well this one is going, although I am pretty sure I will have finished the central design before I even get close with the border!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguHcI9CBszbLm-MCfDZN8V73QiLpcjc4P2fPXPH7RluYBJFaMddW6kW1JKEB4_rDRoWc2a0uoOUAzkMnMr3mmKBJMr4XqUmohyphenhyphenTihOXdjKsNpRHRqm8IWeCx9E6N96ETDKd_mjV4SBTwL/s1600/CIMG5766.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguHcI9CBszbLm-MCfDZN8V73QiLpcjc4P2fPXPH7RluYBJFaMddW6kW1JKEB4_rDRoWc2a0uoOUAzkMnMr3mmKBJMr4XqUmohyphenhyphenTihOXdjKsNpRHRqm8IWeCx9E6N96ETDKd_mjV4SBTwL/s320/CIMG5766.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519697117873679634" /></a><br /><br />I actually tried to post this earlier but it wouldn't let me upload the photo... I then had a little visit from the frogs during my lunchtime stitching session but thankfully it wasn't too bad - I've managed to recify it tonight so tomorrow I can continue like nothing happened at all!Stitchaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07112711951987132952noreply@blogger.com2