Still here!!!

I am still here, just rushed off my feet! I've been meaning to post for over a week, and even took photos ready to share, but just didn't find the time. Work has been busy (it always is!), but this semester I'm also busy advising an archaeological excavation - which means a long day once a week driving to site (2.5-3 hours), advising, excavating (if I get chance) and having meetings before driving home - 13-15 hour days, which do leave me a little tired for a few days afterwards. Not that I'm complaining - it's years since I've worked on an excavation, and I am loving it!!

The other thing that's kept me busy is planning our trip to the US in April. Yesterday I finally got our flights booked (and from our local airport at a not too bad price, which is unusual - usually I have to drive to Manchester). The bad news is a 6am departure, which means we should be at the airport by about 3am... thank goodness it's only 15 mins away! My conference is in Albuquerque, and this seemed a good opportunity for a road trip to see some of the SW. So we are flying to Vegas, visiting the Grand Canyon, Mountain Valley and the Mesa Verde, then Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Ed's coming along for a 2 1/5 week holiday... hopefully he'll find things to do in Albuquerque while I'm working. Any tips on places to visit (and needlework shops especially) gratefully received!!!

I also joined weight watchers. 2 weeks in (I weigh in on Mondays). I lost 3.5 lbs last week, and now my (admittedly always baggy jeans) are so loose I can take them off without undoing them. I don't think they are decent enough for anywhere other than in the house now!! Hopefully my smaller jeans will start to fit soon - most now do up, but are a little snug!

Anyway, with all that going on I've not done a huge amount of stitching, but I have done more than these photos, which I think I took last Saturday:


Fantasy Triptych - I've been working on the background today, and will go back to it as soon as I have posted this


Postman Pat - worked on this during the week (a little) - he has a face now!

In my last post I said I'd share my latest 2 framed projects:

Elliot and Buttons Wedding Day - for Jane and Keith. I really love the way the 'aged' silver frame sets this off


You were hatched birth sampler for Jamie and Matt - again I'm delighted with the framing job

I'll take new photos of FT and PP when it's light - I forgot today. But they are coming along brilliantly. Neither will be as far along as I hoped at the end of the month (ie bedtime!), but both are much further along than at the start.

Framing frenzy part 2! (and a HD)

Sorry, been busy with work (story of my life) and then just chilling over the weekend, mostly avoiding the PC and the temptation to check work emails...

Here are the other 2 pieces I got framed:



Wild Fairy Light by Who Knew!?!
Stitched on 'Fresco' cashel by PIcture this Plus in Razzleberry by Crescent Colors.




Dracolair's Phoenix, stitched in DMC and Krenik on 'Tundra' linen by Stitches and Spice.

I have a happy dance to post as well:



Elliot and Buttons 'Wedding Day', and Anchor kit, but aida substitued for evenweave. This is for my good Uni friend Jane, who got married in Vegas 2 years ago. The delay is partly because she didn't tell us she was getting married until they'd done the deed (Jane and Keith got engaged in about 1997!) and also because I tried to stitch a view of Vegas over 1 from a photo, on black thread. It's the only xs I've ever totally abandoned as being a REALLY BAD IDEA!!

All were photographed late last night, sorry they are quite dark, but I was having touble with reflections on the framed pieces.

A weekend of sunshine

It's been so lovely this weekend that I had to spend as much time outside as possible! We spent most of the time in the garden, either doing some general maintenance, trying to reduce the number of pots on the patio by planting a few things (getting better but we have a long way to go) and drinking endless glasses of water and cups of tea. And the ice cream van conveniently passed by each days - I think we age ice cream van regulars! As we didn't do anything major I don't have any photos of big changes, so I thought I'd share this lovely bearded iris. We didn't even know it was there - although we probably had leaves last year it certainly didn't flower!



There's another one coming in to bud at the end of the garden - I'm curious to see what colour that one will be!

I did manage a little stitching, finishing the back of my top secret project, and also back stitching Elliot and Buttons Wedding Day. I was hoping to finish this in May, maybe if I do nothing but watch TV and bs this afternoon I'll make it, but I doubt it! It's an anchor kit, which means the bs NEVER seems to go in at a corner of a stitch. The finished effect is lovely, but it's a PITA to do... Anyway, here's a (terrible) photo of where I'm up to so far:



Happy stitching!

Elliot and Buttons - half way!!

Finally I have a stitching photo to share - I have finished all the xs on Elliot and Buttons Wedding Day.



As this is one of those very sketchy looking Anchor kits I'm expecting the bs to take just as long as the xs! I plan on picking up FT tonight (it being TW Monday!) and sticking with that for a while. I think I'll leave the bs on this until May, and have comnpetion of the wedding sampler in May as a goal - I need a break from it!