The drought is almost over

It 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:



to this:



(The stitching along the bottom is in the new thread)

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. :)

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.



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!

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 :)

Happy stitching!

A big week

It 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...

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!

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

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 ;)

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.

Over the border

OK, 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...

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 :)



Hope you are all doing well with yur various stitching projects. Happy stitching!

Stitch in time update

All seems to be going pretty well with this little stitch. I am really enjoying working on 32 count again - it was a little daunting at first but I'm very happy with how it is turning out. As always though, the picture on the cover doesn't do justitce to the colours. Normally I find that the stitched design is brighter than the picture on the cover, but with this one it is the opposite - the colours look a lot darker in reality. Still, I am pleased with how it is turning out, and with any luck it'll soon be finished!



I think it helps that I have been making time for my stitching too. I had a stitchy friend, Bek, come over one evening this week and usually we just sit and chat and maybe show off our stitching but we both actually DID some stitching this time - shock, horror! She also very kindly got me 2 threads I was missing for the pattern - my local shop didn't have them in and it really frustrates me. I think it's mainly because when you go in and pick up a handful of threads they just scan one and multiply it by how many you have rather than scanning each one so the stoitck can get replenished. Grrrrr! Ayway, rant over... It was a great night and I love to stitch in company. I have also been taking my stitching to work with me to do in my lunch break seeing as it is such a small one. Half and hour here and there really does make a difference!