Santa Is On His Way!

Just a quick post as I've been meaning to update for a couple of weeks, but time seems to have run away with me somehow.
I have no progress pics to share yet I'm afraid. I have been stitching but again just haven't got around to taking photos. I've finished the page on HAED QS Alisha which I'm really happy about, and have made progress on the next page on my Personalised Sampler although don't think I'm going to get this page finished before the end of the year which I had hoped for. I'm also doing quite well with Winter Whites, although that definitely isn't going to be finished this year.
I can however show a pic of what I stitched for Sally's birthday earlier this month. It is a design from this year's JCS ornie issue and was my first attempt at a mini cushion using my sewing machine! Although I was scared making it up I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and Sally says she loves it so that's the main thing.Well, we are just about ready for christmas here. David is working today so Erin and I have been getting the house ready for our visitors tomorrow, whilst watching various christmassy films. David is bringing home a chinese takeaway for us tonight and that's when the festivities will really begin lol. Unfortunately he's also on call tomorrow so we have decided that we are having a buffet tomorrow when my family come so that if he's called in it won't ruin everything, and he can still eat when he gets back if need be. Then we are going to have our christmas dinner for just the three of us on Monday when we can enjoy it fully.
I'm afraid that I got way behind on blog reading and commenting recently and this week have just felt really overwhelmed so I have commented on very few this last few days. I'm sorry if your blog is one I have missed, but I have decided to cut myself some slack and am going to start afresh with blog reading after christmas.
I'd like to thank all of my blog readers and commentors for their friendship and kindness throughout the year, and for their enabling as well lol. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year filled with everything that they have wished for all year.

Christmas Stitching, Heaven..., And A Wonderful Gift

I've been waiting to start the LHN Winter SAL that Sally and Chris organised for what seems like forever, so was really happy when the 1st December finally arrived (nothing to do with starting to open my yummy Cadbury's Santa Advent Calendar of course lol). I was so excited on starting Winter Whites that I went a bit crazy and ended up skipping allover the place, just to get as many colours going as I could and see how it looked, and I'm loving it so far.It was a real chore after my two nights stitching on it to more on and pick my personalised sampler back up at the weekend, and then when it was QS Alisha's turn on Monday I was still sulking and Winter Whites was still calling lol. However I do have update pics of both, although I'm afraid they're not great as all the snow we still have here seems to have sucked the colour out of them and they look quite harsh.I don't know if it's the fact that I'm loving Winter Whites so much, or that my rotation is getting a bit stale for me. I do know that part of the problem is I've been really tired this last week with both DH and DD being ill, and none of us seem to be getting a full night's sleep, so some nights I really don't feel like stitching but have picked it up because I've not wanted to miss a rotation night. I'm going to stick with it a little longer, but am thinking that I may need to tweak things and maybe say rather than have set nights for set things, do a couple of nights on each project, then move on, so it doesn't matter if I miss a night's stitching as long as I get two nights in.
And last but definitely not least, I was extremely lucky to win a giveaway on Andrea's blog for one of her beautifully stitched xmas ornaments. I didn't know what the ornie I was to receive was going to be, but when I opened this the day it arrived it was as if it had been chosen just for me. Two years ago we took DD to Lapland to see Santa early in December and on returning I stitched a Prairie School ornie for our tree as a reminder. Ever since then I've grown to love Prairie Schooler designs more and more and this one will be treasured and help us remember Lapland again (and Andrea confirmed that DD was right when she said the reindeer has to be Rudolph!). I hope Andrea doesn't mind that I used one of the pics of the ornie from her blog as it's much better than any I could take and shows the true colours.That's it from me for now, off to cook tea then once DD is in bed it's Winter Whites night for me again, and I can't wait!!! Thanks for all your visits and lovely comments, I truly appreciate each and every one.

Giveaway Winner!

Happy 1st Day Of Advent everyone!
DD was up before the alarm this morning she was so anxious to open the first window in her Hello Kitty Advent Calendar lol. DH opened his Stig calendar as well and both proceeded to eat their cheap choc at 7am. Me being a good girl opened my Cadbury's (yummy choc) calendar and have left my cracker shaped choc on the side to have later when my evening choc craving hits.
So, time to announce the winner of my giveaway. I used a random number generator which gave me the number 2, and on looking at the comments the winner is....

JANE!!!!!

Congratulations Jane, can you please email me your full address, along with your favourite colours, and I will be sending you a surprise something in the next few months, hopefully sooner rather than later but definitely in the New Year.
And just before I go, I had a new start today, LHN Winter Whites for the LHN Winter SAL that I'm doing with Sally, Chris, Lesleyanne, Claire and Hazel. I've been wanting to start this for so long, and have had it kitted and ready to go for a couple of weeks. I almost started it yesterday as I've had a terrible couple of days with several crisis' around here and I really needed a pick me up, but I was good and waited til about 9.30am today lol. My attention span is obviously not great as I'm skipping about allover the place with it right now, playing with the colours and just getting a feel for it, but I'm loving it so far and think it's just what I needed. Will hopefully have a pic to show next post.

Let It Snow!!!

Well, it already has here! We had about an inch of snow overnight which looks SO pretty, and we've had clear blue skies all day so far, a lovely crisp and bright day to lift the spirits a little.
Well, I know it's only been a few days since my last post, a miracle I know, but I've had the sewing machine out again this morning and finished finished Lizzie Kate's ABC Christmas! I don't know exactly what you'd call it, sort of a hanging pinkeep but not lol. I stitching the stitched piece and backing fabric together on three sides as if I was going to make a cushion, inserting ribbon for a hanger along the top side, then inserted a piece of mountboard covered in batting into the opening and stitched the final side up using ladder stitch. And for the perfect finishing touch I think I attached two little snowmen that I found in my stash to the ribbon. I am just so proud of myself with this. It isn't perfect, but I really do love the way it looks and I'm gaining confidence with the sewing machine all the time which I'm so happy about. I forgot to take a pic of the backing fabric I used, sorry, but it's red with snowmen in multicoloured outfits which I thought was a lovely match to the design.Finishing this up today has made me want to put our christmas decorations up, but we're waiting til next weekend so I'll have to settle for watching christmas films and admiring what's left of the snow while I stitch on my Personalised Sampler later and hopefully finish the page!
Don't forget to enter my giveaway by leaving a comment on my last post if you'd like to, I will be drawing a winner on the 1st!

A Sweet Gift And Overcoming A Phobia

On Friday I received an email from Sally to let me know she'd put something in the post to me. So Saturday morning saw me accosting my postie as soon as I saw him coming down the drive (and he really isn't nice, so you can tell how excited I must have been lol). When I opened the package I was so touched to find this beautiful pincushion from Cherrywood Design Studios called Eat, Sleep, Stitch. Sally saw that I had this chart on my wish list so was so thoughtful to stitch one of the designs for me. I actually had a few tears I have to say as I'm struggling with feeling rather down at the moment and this was such a welcome surprise. Sally's stitching is so beautiful and this is my first ever beaded edge item, and it's perfect! I love the colours and have sat it by my side but can't bring myself to use it as a pincushion at the moment lol. So thank you again Sally, you are a wonderful friend/surrogate sis, and I will treasure this!After my early morning excitement I then went onto have THE best day in ages lol. Hubby and DD were both elsewhere so I had the house to myself, and I'd decided that Saturday would be the day I would finally get my sewing machine out and give it one last shot to get over my awful phobia of it. When I was at school I used to be great at sewing, even made some of my own clothes, but since then my phobia has grown and grown and I've been terrified of ruining my stitching by the machine running away with me or ripping the fabric or something, so it's just sat in the cupboard under the stairs. But on Saturday I got it out, had a good read of the instructions and figured out how to set it up. I found some old scraps of fabric and had a practice for a while (wanted to make sure I could actually sew a straight line lol) to check tension etc, then I was off! I was very nervous the whole time I have to say, but I did relax a little the more I got used to it, and in the end I had three finishes! Two are below and the other is for a gift so can't reveal it here for a little while yet. Sock Monkey is from this year's JCS magazine and I stitched it for DD who got a sock monkey from Santa last year and LOVES it. The M Designs Hope Tree I stitched a few years ago, but have just never got around to making up. I think the key for me now is to make sure that I get the machine out again regularly, if only to make up one item, so that the phobia can't grow again and hopefully I might get a bit more confident with it.I still have Lizzie Kate's ABC Christmas that I want to finish up before we put our decorations up on the 5th, so hopefully the machine will be out again in the next few days and I'll have another finish to show soon!
In and amongst all the excitement I have been stitching and even finished Waxing Moon's Spooky Greetings Bellpull, as well as making more progress on my Personalised Sampler and HAED QS Alisha, but I haven't got around to taking pics of those yet so they'll have to wait til my next post.
I've also now fully kitted up LHN Winter Whites for the LHN Winter SAL I'm starting with Sally, Chris, Lesleyanne, Claire and Hazel on 1st December. I cut and prepped the fabric yesterday and it took a lot of self control not to thread my shiny new needle and put in that first stitch! But I was a good girl and will wait til the 1st lol.
Finally, I know it's now well after the 14th which was my blogoversary and I now have 54 followers instead of the 50 I had when I last posted, but it's time for my giveaway! You were all very polite when I asked what you'd like to win in a giveaway and didn't make any silly demands of a whole set of DMC or anything, so it's going to be a surprise! If you'd like to be sent a surprise, which I hope you don't mind but will be in the New Year now as the Christmas chaos here is about to start, please leave me a comment on this post and I will draw a winner on the 1st December when it's time to start releasing those choccies from our advent calendars!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

It's SO cold here today, just got back from collecting DD from school and as soon as I started walking down the road I was frozen, it's going to take me a while to thaw out I think lol. Mind you, I'll take nice blue skies, sun and cold like we've had today over the high winds and heavy rain of the last several days, I've felt so miserable with it and have just wanted to hibernate.
We had a busy weekend last weekend with it being Bonfire Night in the UK which meant a visit to the local Round Table bonfire and firework display on Saturday. I used to love to go as a child and it only seems to get better each year, and now Erin loves it as well. The local fire station also open up and do pie and peas, hot dogs etc beforehand to raise funds for charity and we love to make the most of that as well. Then we were invited to a belated 40th birthday party later on the Saturday night which was great fun, although I haven't had so much to drink in a LOT of years, and spent most of Sunday in bed dying lol.
But apart from the busy weekend I have been managing to keep stitching and am really pleased with my progress mostly.HAED QS Alisha now has another block of rows finished and is ready for me to start the next section down next week.Waxing Moon's Spooky Greetings Bellpull now has a witch on her broomstick flying across the moon, and I've started the tree in the graveyard below. Although I didn't want to stitch on this last week as I knew it was going to be black, black and more black for the witch I actually really enjoyed it, and am looking forward to getting it back out tonight for some more stitches. I'm really wanting to try to finish this in November before I start LHN Winter Whites for the December Winter SAL I'm doing with Sally, Chris, Lesleyanne and Claire, but I realised last week that I was starting to rush my stitching again and making myself too many deadlines, which lead to me losing my mojo altogether earlier in the year, so I've relaxed again and fingers crossed it will get finished, but if not it doesn't really matter.The only one which didn't get much attention was my Personalised Sampler this week as I usually stitch on this on Fri and Sat while Sally stitches on Shores. What you can see, a little more progress on the top border is what I managed to get done on Friday. I didn't get any stitching in on Saturday as we were out and then although I had planned to stitch on it instead on Sunday, that didn't happen lol. Hopefully this weekend will see better progress.
I noticed the other day that my blog has now reached 50 followers plus it is my blogoversary on the 14th November I think! So, I've been trying to decide on a contest. What would you like the chance to win? A chart or some threads or fabbie maybe? A surprise? Right now I'm struggling to decide so thought I'd throw it open to you to help me choose lol. Let me know what sort of thing you'd like the chance to win and I'll decide and post the contest when I next blog.

Wow, Has It Been That Long?

I thought I was doing well with approx weekly posts, then I don't know what happened, didn't realise it's been almost 3 weeks since my last post, sorry (blush)! lol
But I'm pleased to say I do have progress to show on three of my wips, and even a happy dance!!!My Personalised Sampler seems to be really starting to take shape now and last time I stitched on it I finished page 2! I'm really hoping that if I can stitch about a page a month on this then I might actually have a BAP finish in about 18 months hehe.
I'm still loving stitching on my HAED Alisha QS. The colours are so bright and cheerful and I'm really happy with the way I'm stitching her now. I'd love to be able to finish this page before the end of the year, and again, I'm dreaming of a finish on her in about 18 months like PS lol.
Spooky is finally getting somewhere as well and I'm aiming to try to get this finished this month if at all possible before I start LHN Winter Whites for the winter SAL I'm doing with Sally, Chris, Lesleyanne and Claire. I spend 2 nights a week on this and the first night I never enjoy but the second I do for some reason, strange I know.
And finally my happy dance. Sock Monkey is finished!!!! If Erin hadn't loved this ornament so much it would have been binned long ago lol. I've found it SO boring to stitch for some reason and then had to frog some on Sun that I'd stitched right at the beginning. I thought I'd finish it Sunday, but actually ended up having to do more during the day yesterday and then spent all night on it last night before it was finally done. I've changed it from the model by using different colours for the hat as I wanted it to be more christmassy, and because of that I bought different mitten buttons as well. I also realised last night I couldn't remember how to do french knots (hate them with a passion lol) so after working it out and doing the two that had to be done, I decided against the ones on the background lol. I'm actually really pleased with how it's turned out though and Erin was so excited when she saw it this morning so it was worth it in the end. Not sure how I'm going to finish it just yet, but will come up with something and finish it along with ABC Christmas one day this month.
We went away in our caravan for a few days over half-term, but unfortunately Erin had been ill before we went and then DH and I came down with the same thing while we were away. It started as a sore throat and then turned into a head cold, followed by aching and then finally it seems to move down to the chest and leave you with a hacking cough and struggling to breathe. Lovely! So been feeling really sorry for myself this past few days. Just hoping that the worst is over and I'll start to feel better soon. I think Erin is on the mend now and isn't coughing much at all, but DH and I still have a way to go.
And finally for some really bad news... Sally and I were talking on MSN last week about our stash and spending etc, and I stupidly suggested we both go on the wagon for 3 months til 1st Feb so we can stitch some of our stash and save some money over xmas etc. And what's even worse, Sally agreed with me!!! So we are now firmly superglued onto the stash wagon and already I've had to make my wish list longer lol. Seriously though, it won't do me any harm and I have so many things I'd like to start in the next few months so it will be good not to add to that list as well.
Thanks so much to everyone who visits and takes the time to leave me a comment, it really brightens my day. I'm off now to go try to catch up on some blog reading and commenting myself before I start cooking tea. I am way behind with us being away and being ill, bit I'll catch up eventually.

Weekly (Almost) Update

I don't seem to be able to think of exciting titles for my posts I'm afraid lol, so had to use something really obvious.
Have had a good stitching week again this week and pleased with the progress I've made on all my wips. I'm afraid it's going to be the same wips for you to look at for a while yet, so hope you don't get too bored. Hopefully the Sock Monkey ornament and then Spooky will be finished this year, but my Personalised Sampler and Alisha are here to stay I think lol.

I've been having thoughts of what I'd like to stitch in 2011 and although I have other wip's/ufo's that could do with some attention, at the moment I think I want to keep going with PS and Alisha while I'm enjoying them and then devote the rest of my time to ornaments and small to medium projects so I can have some finishes and maybe even finish a biggie next year. Saying that though, I'm also daydreaming of a new start for 1st Jan 2011. I would love to start another biggie, but almost all my wip's/ufo's are biggies, so I think it needs to be a small/medium which I have a hope of finishing one day lol, and if so then it needs to be one I've wanted to start for a while. Or maybe I could start something I've given a bit of thought to, a monthly ornament for 2011? Not just christmas ornaments, but more seasonal. What do you think?
I have carried on adding my stash to an inventory as well over the last week, and the more I add the more I think I could open my own shop lol. I REALLY shouldn't be buying anymore charts as I've enough for me and all of you to stitch for the rest of our lives without worry I think pmsl. But that still doesn't stop me wanting to order more. At the moment I've got the Kelmscott Tombstone Angel and Monogram Hornbook in my cart along with some fancy scissors and tweezers at Anita's Little Stitches, but I haven't pressed the place order button just yet. I've also seen the upcoming releases from CCN and Christmas Carols is absolutely gorgeous, one I really am going to have to get at some point. And then I saw some new Dinky Dyes scissors which are heart scissors and available in purple or hot pink, some of my favourite colours, and they both want to come home to live with me. See my problem? I keep thinking of placing a big order and then going on the wagon for a few years hehe, but I don't think it's going to happen so I'm just trying to be good one day at a time lol.
Til next time, happy stitching and stashing!

Loving This Stitching Lark

I still can't believe how good it feels to have got my stitching mojo back. It went missing really about a year ago and no amount of searching for it helped. I kept reading the odd blog and checking out new releases at the various ONS', and even stitched a little bit, but it all felt like a chore for so long I actually thought that I'd never enjoy my stitching again. So this last few weeks I don't know what has changed, but suddenly my interest has perked up again and I'm really enjoying my stitching sessions. I'm loving the very loosely termed "rotation" I've set up for myself, seeing the progress I'm making each week on my wips and just generally being able to relax with needle and thread again. I've even started cataloging my stash this last few days so that I can actually look and see what I have and what I want to start in the not too distant future lol. I have to say that it's frightening seeing how much I have, and knowing that I'll never in a million years be able to stitch it all, but I'm not going to let myself worry about it (or stop buying more pmsl!), I'm just going to enjoy it.
So what have I been stitching on this last week?Nouveau Encore Designs Personised Sampler - Here is my progress up to yesterday. I'm now on page 2 and working on the top border. This came out again last night and I finished the border on the page and have made a start on the letter C.
Next up is HAED QS Alisha by Hannah Lynn Disney. I spent a couple of nights last week filling in some of the confetti that was left, then started the next bit going towards the right hand border. I was really pleased when I uploaded the pic off the camera today and compared it to last week's as I can really see some progress.
Waxing Moon's Spooky Greetings Bellpull came out last Fri and Sat which I'm SAL'ing on with Sally while she stitches on Shores. Friday I didn't really enjoy it as 2x2 seems so big to me nowadays, plus I wasn't at all well and had been up most of the night Thursday night feeling like death warmed up, but on Saturday I got into it more and enjoyed it. I think SAL'ing on this with Sally is going to be a really good thing as it's something I think that would probably get overlooked otherwise, whereas with two evenings a week on it I think I can maybe have it done pretty quickly.
And finally here is my new start from Sunday, the sock monkey ornament from this year's JCS Ornament Issue. Again this is 2x2 because of the mitten buttons it uses, and his body is stitched using 1 strand each of cream and dark brown (is it called tweeding?) which is a bit monotonous, but I took a break to stitch his happy red mouth and then went back to do a bit more body lol. I think with only one day a week on it it might take longer than I'd originally thought, so I put another 20 or so stitches in it again yesterday afternoon, and think I'll keep doing that every couple of days or so, concentrating on his body, so that won't seem too bad and will hopefully see him finished quicker.
Well I think that's it for today, I'm off to take my contact lenses out now, then I'm going to sync my mobile and ipod and then hopefully put those few stitches in on sock monkey before hubby brings DD home from school in an hour. Then tonight I'm looking forward to a long evening stitching more on PS.
Thank you so much to those who left comments on my last post after finishing ABC. It really cheers me up when I see I've had a comment and that other people are interested in what I'm stitching, and just makes me want to stitch all the more!
Til next time, happy Tuesday.

For Sale

I've updated my For Sale & Wish List Blog, which you can find in the side bar on the right, to include some of the charts I've finished recently.
If you're interested in anything please leave me a comment or email me.

Back With Pics

It's a dull and cold day here today so the pics aren't great, but I did promise proof that ABC Christmas is finished, and thought I should take update pics of the other things I've been stitching while I had the camera out.

LK ABC Christmas 1x2 on 40ct flax linen (I think lol) using CC

Here is my new start from a couple of weeks ago, Waxing Moon's Spooky Greetings Bellpull. I bought this as a kit (without threads) about 18months ago and have only just got around to starting it. I've subbed the recommended threads and just hope it will look ok. It's stitched 2x2 which is not my favourite stitching, but I had to follow the rules due to the linen banding. I have decided to put this in place of ABC and stitch on it on a Friday and Saturday with Sally in the hope that I might be able to finish it by the end of the year like Sally is aiming to do with Shores.
We have been kicking eachothers butts since we started and it's obviously worked as I finished ABC last night and she finished block 8 on Shores lol.

Next up is HAED QS Alisha. Not a lot more progress on this since the last pic, but I'm pleased to say I'm still enjoying stitching on her in the new style so hopefully I can finally start to get somewhere with her.

And finally is my personalised sampler by Nouveau Encore Designs. I'm loving this more and more as I stitch it, and it's actually coming out again tonight for a couple of night's attention. At first I was worried that the variagation in the silk would make it really hard to keep it flowing, but I'm finding that isn't really a problem at all which is great. Page 1 is now completely finished and I've moved right to start page 2.
Well I think that's it for today. Tomorrow I am excited to be going to meet Hazel for the first time for a coffee and a drool over some wool in a shop in Holmfirth. Hazel has got seriously into crochet and is wanting some new stash for her blankets. I've tried to make a start with crocheting myself but don't seem to be able to do it and instead just got frustrated with myself lol. So whilst it will be nice to look I think I am safe from spending, unless of course I find something in one of the other shops hehe.

It's Finished!

Just had to come on and post that I finished Lizzie Kate's ABC Christmas about half an hour ago!!! My second finish of 2010 and it's only September lol.
I'll be back with a photo of it and progress on my other wips tomorrow hopefully, but for now I'm going to go do a happy dance!

Whoohoo, I Really Am Stitching!

I've actually done more stitching since my last post and really enjoyed it as well which is a definite bonus lol.
Over the weekend I concentrated on LK's ABC Christmas and managed to finish another letter, so I've only got four to go and I'll be having a huge happy dance! I'm tempted to just focus on this now til it's finished, but I don't want to burn out on it so am going to stick with Friday and Saturday night's with Sally and I may carry on on a Sunday if I'm close to finishing a letter. One letter seems to take me two to three nights, so I'm actually hoping I might have it finished in another four weeks, and then I'm going to start the yearly christmas ornament for our tree, which I've decided will be the sock monkey from this year's JCS Ornament issue, when it arrives. DD got a sock monkey last year for christmas after seeing the film Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium which she loved, and as soon as she saw the ornament on the cover she asked if I'd stitch it as this year's ornament, so how could I refuse?Before the weekend and then last night I stitched on HAED QS Alisha (artwork by Hannah Disney) again. I've changed the way I'm stitching this slightly as I was finding it really frustrating, and it seems to be working so far so fingers crossed I can keep going with it.And finally the finish I promised last post! This is Just Nan's Winter Hearts Humbug. I stitched it using the called for fabric and threads and although I struggled to get into it to begin with I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and am looking forward to displaying it during the winter. I will be adding the chart to my for sale blog soon, but if you're interested just let me know.Tonight I have decided to pull out my Personalised Sampler which I haven't stitched on for a couple of months. It's lovely to stitch as there are no colour changes, but as I'm using a variagated silk floss I am having to tape bits of chart pages together so that I can keep the flow going in the design. I've got a few sections to do and then page 1 will be all finished and I can remove that page and move on. Hopefully I'll be back with an update on that soon!
Before I go I just wanted to thank everyone who commented on my last post very much, I really didn't think anyone would still be reading lol.

I'm Baaaaccckkkk!!!!

I'm probably talking to myself now after so long being missing in action, but here goes lol.
It's been so long since my stitching mojo went awol that I really don't think it's ever going to find it's way home. So instead I just stitch a little when I get the urge, and put it down again when it goes. This year has been my worst stitching year ever so far, but I'm just glad that I haven't stopped completely and I still enjoy what stitching I do manage and can still drool over new releases.
Sally being such a good friend always humours and encourages me when I whine about the pitiful amount I stitch, and after thinking about it for a while I've decided that I'll try to start blogging again, even if it's only very short update posts, so I can try to get back into the blogging world, start commenting on other blogs again and maybe even get stitching a bit more.
So without further ado, here are some update pics!!!
LK ABC Christmas
I've finished another letter and am part way through the next since I took this pic. I'm hoping to finish it before Christmas if at all possible, so I'm happy to be joining Sally on a Fri and Sat night starting next week when she stitches on Shores of Hawk Run Hollow as she's trying to finish that this year as well.
Nouveau Encore Designs Personalised Sampler
I haven't stitched anymore since this pic, but I'm hoping to pick it up again soon.
HAED Moon Fantasy SK
Haven't stitched anymore on this either.
HAED Alisha QS
Have finished the row of blocks since this pic and started the next bit lower down. Stitched on it last night and really enjoyed it so will hopefully be doing more tonight.
I also have a finish to show! I know you don't believe me, but really I have, I just need to take a pic of it, I promise I'll do it for my next post.
And if anyone is still here and reading, thank you so much for not giving up on me completely lol.

More Progress With My Weight Loss Than Stitching

Happy Easter everyone, hope you've all had a great weekend. Ours has been fairly quiet as DH has been on call for work so we've not been able to go far, but I have actually stitched a little which is progress lol.
I'm very pleased to say that my 61lbs loss I reported in my last post has now increased to 79lbs! I've now lost 5 dress sizes in 8 months and have been learning to run on the treadmill at the gym for the last couple of months, which is something I never thought I'd do. I've signed up for the Race For Life on the 3rd July so now need to start getting used to running outside on grass. I've tried it once and it was a major shock to the system, so going to use the same programme I've used to get me into treadmill running to start with the outside running and hope that works as well.
Stitching wise I seem to have startitis, but once I've actually started something I then lose all interest in it...
I have done a little more on my Personalised Sampler, as well as starting a new HAED in silks from HDF, QS Garnet, and Just Nan's Winter Hearts Humbug. I have decided that I no longer enjoy stitching with 2 strands of floss which Winter Hearts requires, so that is getting a few stitches here and there just so I can keep making progress, but I'm planning on as many new starts as possible being with just 1 strand in future. The Personalised Sampler has also just been getting a few stitches here and there. I've started a 10 stitches a day SAL sort of thing with JM from the HAED BB and Sally also joined in with one of her UFO's. So the humbug and PS get approx 10 stitches a day in on them, some days more, some none at all, but at least I can see progress is being made. HAED QS Garnet is lovely to stitch so far, the silks are gorgeous colours and just glide through the fabric. The picture doesn't do it justice at all, the colours blend much better than they look on the pic, but you get the idea.
And I have another three starts in the pipeline. Sampler Cove's Rhapsody in Red in HDF silks, Ink Circles Kaleidoscope in DMC, and a new design called Follow Your Heart which is winging it's way to me from France as we speak hopefully (will use HDF for this but not sure what colours yet). Not sure which will get started first, depends on my mood the next week or so I guess lol.
Thanks for looking and for continuing to read my blog, even though I'm useless at posting regularly.

I've Been Stitching!

Again, it's been a long time since my last post, but I'm still here and although my updates may be few and far between I do still intend to keep up with my blog.

I had a nice surprise when I just looked at my last post which said that I'd lost 50lbs. A nice surprise because as of today I've now lost 61lbs, so another 11lbs since the start of the year, which I'm very happy with. I'm now in between clothing sizes again so all my clothes are looking a little baggy lol.

On the stitching front, my rotation came and went AGAIN! but the one great thing that January brought was the final realisation that my hobby had turned into a chore. I was so taken up with trying to get a rotation that worked and make sure that I stitched on all my WIP/UFO's that I had totally lost all enjoyment in my stitching. I felt guilty about everything that I wasn't stitching on, and felt I wasn't allowed to start new things because I hadn't finished others. I kept looking longingly at my huge stash collection, and just being frustrated because I couldn't let myself stitch on it, and so felt it was just being wasted.

So after a long chat with Sally one night, who was feeling a little the same as me, we made a pact to stop being so obsessive over our hobby, to start stitching on what projects we want, when we want, and to put away and ignore anything we've lost interest in. I realised my ufo's aren't hurting anyone, but forcing myself to stitch on them is, me, because it's taken my love of stitching away. And we also decided if we want new starts then we shall have them! lol

Since that night I feel like a totally different stitcher, almost like the person who started stitching about 15years ago. I've stitched some days, and not others, but when I have I've just enjoyed each stitch. In the past few weeks I've stitched on LK's ABC Christmas, HAED's Moon Fantasy SK (which I hadn't intended to stitch on, but called to me one day lol), L&L's Celtic Autumn and my January new start the Personalised Sampler I had designed for my family. I'm stitching this 1x1 on 25ct antique white lugana using Vikki Clayton Hand Dyed Fibers in BeWhined. I did start this on 1st January using different fabric and threads, but I didn't like how it was looking, so started it again on my birthday in this colourway and am much happier. Apologies for the shadows on the pics, but I wanted to take the chance to get some photos while the sun was out, which is a very rare sight at the moment lol.

Items For Sale

I am starting to go through my large amount of stash as my tastes have changed and I have some items which I now know I'll never stitch. You can see a list of the items over on my For Sale Blog, in the left hand side of this page. I will be adding more as I go through more boxes lol.