Happy Dancing

Last weekend I finished and washed Gaelic Banner, and I pressed it in the week. I wanted to wait to take a photo until I could use natural light, and here it is:

Edited to add: Terri of Rosy Stitches rightly asked who the designer of Gaelic Banner is - it's a Dracolair design.

If you remember I was worried that it had been stretched out of shape on my scroll frame, but washing it allowed it to spring back - so much so that I needed to take out and then tighten the long stitches outlining the tip of the sword. I am really chuffed with this piece, and thrilled to bits that it's my first happy dance of 2014.

Once I finished it I felt like a complete change, and a quick stitch - digging through my stash I decided on Rose Garden by Blackbird Designs - all stitched in the lovely muted pink 'Jakey Brown'. I decided to use my mum's initials and date on this piece, and I hope to finish finish it tomorrow (along with a few other things - my finishing pile is rather huge!). It's stitched on a piece of us identified hand dyed fabric - I did finally check the thread count, and it's 38 count. No wonder some late evenings my eyes found it difficult!

This weekend I have very little planned. I need to pop into town as two books I ordered have come into the book store - I've decided to re-read the musketeers saga, after starting to watch the (frankly OK but not fabulous) BBC adaptation of the three musketeers. I was amazed to realise that I don't own a copy of Twenty Years After or Louise de la Valliere. But I will by this evening!

Other than that all I have planned is stitching in front of the TV - probably a mixture of rugby, the Winter Olympics and some Scandi-noir. I hope you all have a fun weekend planned.

Happy stitching folks xx

Happy New Year!!!

Wow, I really have fallen out of the habit of blogging - I hope I still have some followers!

Back in October I promised to share a photo of Eeyore's problem - well here it is:

Since then I have been working on Gaelic Banner - I started the BS before Christmas. I took this photo on the 2nd Jan, but have done a bit more BS since - I have 2 pages of BS to go - this will be my first HD for 2014, hopefully next weekend??

I took a final photo of my ORT jar before emptying it on the 2nd (when we got back from seeing friends and family), and it now contains a small layer of green and gold from the banner!

I've not started anything new yet - I just really want to get GB finished! I'll do a yearly round up this week (well hopefully - I really don't want to get out of the habit of blogging again).

Happy New Year everyone, I hope it is stitchy-tastic!

Griffin and dragon

Well I'm back from South Africa. I'll write a post about my trip when I have more time!

I did get to the bottom of Gaelic Banner before I left, and I took a photo, but didn't have time to post it, so here it is:

Golden griffin

I've finally reached the bottom of Gaelic Banner! This weekend I stitched the golden griffin, and last night I started the green dragon. I'm going away on Saturday and I'd really like to finish this page of the pattern before I go. We'll see!

Lots and lots of green!

The last 2 weeks I have been completely addicted to the Olympics. It's been on pretty much non-stop when I'm at home. I've loved the variety of sports, and it's been fun seeing team GB do well, and the entire country get behind them. Quite surprised by that, to be honest, as we are a nation of cynics and had assumed London 2012 would be dreadful. That said, I've not had to travel anywhere near London, or live through several years worth of tube upgrades in the run up to them - unlike my sister. That said, it turns out that she's been secretly impressed too!

So, what have I been stitching while it was on? Well, to finish of the Amish Star quilt I had to pop out and buy black thread. This was tricky, as I had to time it not to fall during an important sporting event. So I nipped out part way through the women's cycling road race, making sure I'd be back in plenty of time to see the finish. As for the actual quilting - well there were a few points when I had to break off mid pattern to watch a rowing race, or someone swimming.... But I did finish it before the end of my holiday:

Since then I've been focussed on Gaelic Banner. Sadly I was back in work on Monday, so my Olympic watching and stitching time declined rapidly... but I've made great progress. I'm now half way through the cross stitch:

I'm really looking forward to the Closing Ceremony tonight, and to the next stage in stitching - two cute little dragons!

 Goodness knows what I'll find to watch on TV next week...

 Happy stitching x

So many projects, so little time!

The last 3 weeks have flown past.... How have I not found time to write a blog post? To be fair, I was travelling a lot for one of the weeks (7 nights, 6 different hotels/flats/houses...), making it up to Orkney, to Stirling Castle, home, then south to Nottingham and London. So to be fair I didn't stitch or blog much that week, but the other two? I expect when I had spare time I was picking up a needle rather than the laptop!

I've had itchy stitchy fingers of late, finding it hard to settle to one project. Possibly because I've been working so much on Gaelic Banner. It's not that I've fallen out of love with Gaelic Banner, but I think I just needed a change! This is where I've got up to:

Ed and I have taken a fortnight off work - we're now half way through. Very much a staycation. We did go to London last weekend for a party (so happy it was before the Olympics, don't think I could be bothered with the crowds), then my sister came to stay for two days, so we went to Skipton and to Hollingworth Lake - both lovely days out. We might make it to Harlow Carr next week, and Margaret is coming to stay next weekend, but for the most part we are just pottering at home.

Yesterday I finished the Amish Star quilt top. I popped out and bought backing fabric, binding fabric (plain black) and batting, but I've run out of black sewing thread.... So I'll pop out again today. Anyway, here is a photo:

Last night, while watching the Olympics opening ceremony (fabulous and bonkers and VERY British), I started Blackbird Designs' Summer Iris. It's a bit wonky and washed out in the photo though:

Finally, I never shared this happy dance - the final heart of the four Heartstruck Quakers designs. It looks a little washed out here:

Right, it's time for lunch, and there's a needle shouting at me from the arm of the sofa (my 'pin cushion'). Happy stitching folks!

Late TUSAL...

Argh, missed the TUSAL again! Here is a photo, plus a progress pic for Gaelic Banner:

A few happy dances and some progress

I was looking over my blog and realised I've missed a couple of recent happy dances. How did that happen?

Anyway, here are the pics:

This is the second Heartstruck friends, which I started on my flight out to Oregon. I finished it AGES ago!

This one is the completed Quaker Pin Cushions by Milady's Needle. Still not sure how I'll finish them - the wooden pin cushion bases are really expensive!

It's been really gloomy and rainy here. Not like summer at all. This weekend I've mostly stitched. Yesterday we had friends over for dinner, so between stitching in front of Boardwalk Empire we went food shopping and cooked a Morroccan feast. Today we did a few DIY jobs, and (because the sun finally came out) pottered in the garden - but we couldn't do too much, as the soil was so wet. Clay soil = not great when it rains a lot :(. The plus side is that I've made more progress with Gaelic Banner, I've finished the left side of the current page (2 of 6). So that's 3/12ths done... There are a couple of symbols I have to finish, but I won't need much thread, so I'll stitch them when I get to the same level on the other side.

Right, I have a hot date with Gaelic Banner and a DVD - probably Batman Begins, unless something else jumps off the shelf at me. Happy stitching.

A week in stitches...

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last post - I was so delighted to win :). I've not had much time for lace making - it just takes a bit too much effort to pick up of an evening, and isn't worth it unless I have a good couple of hours to spare. I'm hoping to see Louise this week - we usually make lace on a Wednesday, but the last few weeks one of us has been busy - I think it's a month since we last caught up!

This week I've made some progress with Gaelic banner:

But to be honest, I really fancied a bit of a change, and a quick stitch. So on Sunday night I started one of the Heartstruck Quakers by Midnight Stitching. I finished it this morning, and after a quick press, it's ready for sharing:

Happy stitching everyone!

Long weekend stitching

Hmmm, I'm getting bad at this blogging malarkey. I blame my hectic job, and desire to sit and stitch rather than surf the web of an evening!! The last few weeks were especially busy - lots and lots of deadlines, a sudden, and especially nasty throat infection, followed by a week-long conference in Belgium. We got back Friday night, after a week of networking, presenting, drinking beer and eating frites, just in time to enjoy the Jubilee four-day weekend. Mostly I sat on the sofa and stitched. Nuff said. So, what has been holding my attention for the last few weeks? It's Dracolair's Gaelic Banner. I love the beautiful blends in the leaves, and the swirling tendrils of the vines. And, importantly for this weekend, the simple border that I can stitch while watching TV with subtitles :) We finally finished watching the Bridge, possibly two of the best characters on TV for ages. Anyway, this is where I am up to:

I also managed to miss a TUSAL a few weeks back, so here's a catch up photo. Guess where all that green comes from ;)

Happy stitching everyone xx

Purest Green

This last week or so I've been using lots of green. I'm continuing to knit my green cardigan (most of a sleeve and the collar to go...), and when I've been stitching I've been focusing on Gaelic Banner - which has come on in leaps and bounds!



I am REALLY enjoying this piece - how did I leave it untouched for nearly 2 years???

I also missed a new moon - here's my ORT jar in all it's glory. It was a lovely sunny day today, and the photo came out brilliantly - all the better because it's one of the first photos I've taken with my new iPhone 4. I upgraded from the iPhone 3G, and I can;t believe the difference. I can barely put the thing down....



This week is busy for me - the last week in work before we head off to Oregon for a fortnight. Too much work to do, and too much packing and sorting.... But tonight I'm putting my feet up and stitching!

If anyone knows any good crafty stores along the north Oregon coast, in Portland or Seattle, do let me know ;)

Happy stitching x

I Heart My Quilt

I finished my first ever quilt!!!!!!




I could just leave this post at that... The quilt is called 'Teacher's Pet', and is supposed to be makeable in just 5 hours. Hmmmm. I fell in love with Moda's Rural Jardin fabrics, especially the duck egg blue at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show 18 months ago. It didn't actually take me that long to do the centre of the quilt top, but then the project stalled while I was doing the borders. For months. Anyway I did eventually finish the top. At which point I felt there was too much pale cream - essentially because I didn't realise the setting triangles were not supposed to be one of the fabrics in the design. So I decided I'd try a little appliqué. And when I did the two big hearts I thought a smattering of little chain stitch hearts would look cute too...

Quilting this on my tiny table was * interesting* - and not quite perfect (hey, it's my first ever quilt), but I am really, really pleased with the result. I finished it on Wednesday, and I've spent most of the rest of the week snoozing under it :)

Last weekend I picked up an old friend:



I last blogged about this on Christmas eve 2009!! I took the photo above as a 'before' photo, although by the time I thought of that I'd actually added a single length of floss to the tendril heading upwards. And then, not much afterwards I realised the leaf on the right was one stitch to high up - so I did a little flogging, and a little restitching, and this is where I'm up to now:



So not a huge amount of progress in 2 years and 3 months, but at least it's not abandoned any more! And I have no idea why I neglected it for so long, as I LOVE stitching it....

I'm off out today - shopping in York with a good friend - to avoid the last day of the six nations. But I plan on picking up my needle this evening - Happy Stitching everyone!

Merry Christmas!!

Wow, December has been a whirlwind. As usual work took over my life, some nights I barely had enough energy to stitch... Our term finished on the 18th, but work seemed to increase as then end got nearer, not decrease. So I took all this week off as holiday. Saturday we did various jobs, not least getting all of our parcels and cards in the post - just before the last posting date (again). Sunday we travelled to Birmingham to see Ed's parents. The weather was NOT on our side, at one point it took us 25 minutes to drive just one mile (though the snow near Huddersfield - a snow hot spot that hit the headlines that night).

We had a lovely time with Ed's parents, and headed back yesterday. A long drive (traffic this time) followed by manic food shopping and a rather bargainous tree - £10, reduced from £40... so there is a plus to last minute tree shopping!! Today we cleaned, tidied and decorated the tree. And watched the Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, and the Muppet's Christmas Carol (our favourite Christmas movie). I'm shattered! But a lovely curry later and I've found time to blog. Luckily Ed brought his laptop home, so I've been surfing the web in front of QI. I'm spending my Christmas and birthday money on a laptop, so TV/surfing combos will become more common...

Anyway, this is what I've been stitching over the last month (it's a month since I last posted... not good!!):
First of all, a photo of the finished Waiting for Ships:

(c) Mirabilia, stitched on 28ct cashel 'Fathom' by Picture this Plus, in DMC and Krenik


I then started a new project, which I designed myself. It's Postman Pat - not my usual style, but a request from my friend Leanne, as a birth sampler for her nephew (I did Bob the Builder for her other nephew):

I'm not really enjoying it, but it's quick (and good for when I'm tired), and is my only outstanding bit of obligation stitching.

I also stitched a bit more of Dracolair's Gaelic Banner:


I took this with me to work on in Birmingham. But we packed so quickly I forgot the page of pattern I was working on, and worse still, the key. Ed was a star and suggested we went out on Monday and got me something to work on. The little independent shop in Solihull, which I have used occasionally, has closed down, so we ended up in Hobbycraft. £25 later I came home with the DMC Wild Thyme flower fairy. After just over 24 hours I finished the dress, proving I'd have been a nightmare to be with if I'd not had anything to stitch in Birmingham... I'm not good at sitting still! I did a little bit more last night and today, here she is (after just 4 days of stitching):


Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!