2010 - A New Start

I was in two minds to do the 2010 Challenge this year. In 2008 I didn't finish either of the pieces that I started for the challenge & in 2009 I didn't even sign up for any. But having spent the latter half of 2009 getting myself back into my all time favourite past time I made a rather late decision to take part... and I did it... I started a nice new design on 1st January. It's Sweet Dreams by Cinnamon Cat & it's for my little boy.



I'm taking part in a few challenges this year & I'm looking forward to working on all of them. I have a 5 day cruise booked with my mum which we've already designated a "stitching holiday", I am sooooo looking forward to that... roll on June.

2009 Finishes
Baby Love by Cinnamon Cat. My only finish this year, my only finish for 2 years for that matter.

2010 Goals/Challenges
Ultimately to finish more than I did in 2009 :-)
Jan 1st Challenge - Sweet Dreams, Cinnamon Cat
UFO Challenge - Cindarella is Proof, Lizzie*Kate
Christmas Design SAL - Merry Christmas By The Letter, Lizzie*Kate
I've Started UFO - Was Christmas Trees but I think I'm going to change that this evening.
I would also like to complete the Festive Biscornu from Polstitches Designs & do at least one (if not two) pages on my HAED Dragon Riders.

Well there it is, that's what I would like to do, only time will tell if I get anywhere. I'll do my best to post regular updates & pictures. All pictures will be found in my WIP folder down the right hand side of my blog & once I get going I'll start a new folder for my HAED.

Happy New Year

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone has enjoyed christmas as much as I have.

Now that the twins are 20 months old the whole christmas concept is brilliant this year.... lets just say that they have "unwrapping gifts" down to a fine art now! Our modest house is like toy central, yet again, & in the evenings whilst they're sleeping we'll be having a toy cull. The toys that the twins have grown out of will be donated to Twins Club, Playgroup, our Dr's waiting room & my boot sale box.

I've had a few stitchery gifts this christmas & will at some point get around to taking a picture with my new camera.. yes that's right, DH bought me a nice shiny new camera, an IXUS 100 (an upgrade on my current IXUS40). I had some new fabric, a Lizzie*Kate Christmas Kit & a pull along trolley for my sewing machine :-)

I was well impressed with the trolley as it was a bit of a late addition to my christmas wish list (bit of an afterthought really). I've booked myself onto an evening course for quilting. Although I could probably get along fine with some patchwork & quilting I've never actually dabbled in it properly so from 18th Jan I'll be doing 10 weeks on a Monday evening hopefully making up my first quilt. The trolley will enable to me to take along my machines, fabrics & all the trimmings. I can't wait to get started.

I made a small start on Yoyo's Christmas SAL but then had to frog the lot as I'd completed messed it up. My own stupid fault, I just wasn't paying attention.... gutted... but I've already re-started.... 3rd time lucky :-)

Early Xmas Gift & a RAK

With poorly twins there hasn't been much time for stitching this past couple of weeks but I did have a lovely surprise from DH the other day.

He was going to buy me some new 18ct fabric for my Dragon Riders HAED as a christmas present but the other day he left a package on my desk which contained none other than my new fabric :-)
I was over the moon, means that I can prepare the fabric all ready to get started. But that wasn't the end of the package. Also included was some new 16ct aida for me to use on the Christmas Design SAL. I'd previously bought cream but it was far to light & so far haven't made the trip to LNS to buy some more. DH ordered online & his comments were "I don't know if its the right colour as I had to guess but if not you can use it for some other projects". How wonderful is he??? don't you all want one just like him??? The colour seems perfect.

Next is the small amount of progress that I've made on the Polstitches Designs Festive Biscornu. It's a really lovely design that was featured in Issue 178 (Dec 2009) of Cross Stitch Collection. Polstitches are selling a materials pack for just £9.50 that includes the fabric, threads, beads & buttons to complete the biscornu. I know my progress isn't that great but it's already looking really pretty. The front & back designs are slightly different, I thought that was a really nice touch :-)

One more picture to show you today & that's an update on my latestest UFO project which is Cinnamon Cats Christmas Trees. Again not much progress here but the tree is now complete & I just need to put the backstitch around it before continuing with the ribbon to the next tree. Apologies for the slightly blurry image... I must have wobbled!



Thats me done for now.... getting there :-)

Busy.... Busy.... Busy....

So much happening at the moment in my world of stitching... or rather not happening as the case maybe!

Christmas Design SAL - With fabric & threads all ready I made a start on 1st December only to find that the cream I had decided to use was too pale :-( The recommended fabric is a 32ct Belfast Linen but I have quite a bit of linen that I'm working on at the moment so I thought some 16ct would be a bit easier & a welcome break from linens. I've been through my entire fabric stash & don't have anything darker than a cream. I even had my mum go through her fabric stash too & still no joy. Now I can't decide if I should order online or wait until I can get to a shop but I don't know quite when that will be.

HAED, Dragon Riders - After much deliberation I have decided to re-start my Dragon Riders. I only ever managed a fraction of page 1 when stitching on the 25ct over 1 & the more I think about it the reality is that I don't think I'll stitch any more. I've chosen some 18ct aida to re-start on. I know thats going to increase the size of the design dramatically but I have the perfect place for a lovely large picture to hang & how much better could it be than to hang a piece of my stitching :-)

Maybe later or tomorrow I'll post updates on the Festive Biscornu & my Christmas Trees UFO with pictures too. At the moment it's time the twins were up from their nap!

Christmas Design SAL

Today is the first day of Yoyo's christmas SAL. I have the fabric & threads ready & I'm good to go... hopefully by the weekend I'll be able to show you the start :-)