Another HD for me

Another Happy Dance as I got Scotland finished today.

Been over to see Shiona again today and thankfully she is a lot brighter, far from being herself again but loads better than when we saw her Friday.

Oscar has had the same thing and when we went over yesterday he just lay on my knee, not his usually talkative and bouncy self at all. However I have spoken to him on the phone today and though he still sounds poorly that is more than he would have done yesterday.

Right I am off to make a start on Holland. Not sure whether it will be done before the new year but I do hope so.

Ready for the New Year

I really missed my side bar with the old blog skin, and have been promising myself that I would do a new layout before the New Year so here it is. I hope you like it and that unlike the last time I changed no one has problems leaving me comments.

I liked the space I had with the last one, but my rota etc was at the bottom under all my posts and I hated that. Also over Christmas I couldn't add any of the little seasonal bits that I normally put in my sidebar.

If you do have any problems leaving messages or clicking on things then please feel free to email me and let me know and I will try and find something that does work.

Where Did You Get That Hat..

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I did, with lots of lovely stash and other things, and a day spent with all my family over at my sons house.

Yesterday it was just Keith and I and we decided we were just going to spend the day relaxing, which for me meant stitching. I finished Charlotte just after lunch. She wouldnt quite fit in the scanner so there are a few stitches out of site at both the top and bottom. Also there is a big shadow down one side where I had to fold the fabric, but I think you get the idea. I am thrilled with her. She was started on the 6th November 2006 and finished on 26th December 2007. Amelia will be taking her place in my rota.

I had said that I was not going to restart my rota until the new year so thought I would do one of the small VS Beyond Cross Stitch hearts I had for Christmas. I got England and Holland and I decided to do England first. We have been over at my daughters this afternoon as the poor lamb is feeling really ill with a cold and high temperature, I felt awful leaving her and was tempted to bring her home with us but I think going out into the bitter cold might have made things worse. Anyway when we got home I sat down and finished England so I can show you that too.

I am going to do another of these International Hearts next but this time I am going to do Scotland, which was a Christmas present from last year. With any luck I might just get another finish this year.

Thank you again to all the wonderful people who visit my little nook to take a peek and sometimes leave a comment. It is so much appreciated, after all without your visits this would just be a diary and no more, so thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

My Baby Boy

... is 36 today - Happy Birthday David.

Gosh am I old enough to have a child that age lol.

Just look at the photo, Keith's sideburns put it right in the 60s/70s lol and dont we look young. Oh my where did all those years go? I really don't feel any older - though my bones do some mornings. Its a good job its not a full length picture as I think that dress only barely covered my underwear lol.

On the stitching front I thought I would post an update of Charlotte as I had so many kind comments about her. There is not a lot left to do now but it will take a while I think as its like stitching confetti.

I think I am going to be stitching Queen of the Needle on Sunday this week. With Monday being Christmas eve I really don't know what we will be doing or who may be dropping in and I really dont want to miss my week on this one as I am enjoying it so much.

Thank you for all the lovely comment about Oscars card, he is coming tomorrow until Christmas eve morning so will let him read them all for himself. I am sure he will be thrilled with all your kind compliments.

Also thanks for the lovely comments on my Christmas sampler, Shiona was thrilled with it and couldn't believe I had stitched it in only 5 days, come to think of it I find it hard to believe myself as I am not the quickest of stitchers.

I will try and post an update picture of Queen on Monday but just in case I dont get chance to get back here again before the big day I would like to wish each and everyone of you a Wonderful and Peaceful Christmas with those you love and hold dear in your life.

Happy Dancing - at last

I say at last because I actually thought I was happy dancing at about 5 o'clock yesterday. The sampler was done and I just needed a frame. We had dinner and then set out to go to Matalan as we had seen frames in there a few days before that I thought would be ideal. Now I am sure you all know this feeling but - frames and samplers do not seem to feel that they have an obligation to fit together. It didnt matter which frame we picked up - and I picked most of them up even though common sense told me they all followed the same measurements - but they were either just that teeniest of bits too small or miles too big. Well there was only one thing I could do and that was to buy the frame, come home, and work out something more to put on the bottom. The original chart finished with the snowman. My first bit of luck being in the fact that I had just started this at one corner of a rather large piece of fabric so there was loads of room for more.

It was a nightmare I just couldnt get things to look right. In the end I found this little robin on a spade picture - far to long but I didnt need to have all the spade. I found a holly frame which I adapted to fit both sides. The little spikey border was in my easy cross border file and to fill in the gap I just did a double herringbone stitch as there was already a single herringbone in the chart so I thought it would blend in.

It then had to be stitched. The second bit of luck was that Mr Frog stayed well away but I did seem to keep getting knots in my threads (not something I normally have a problem with) but I guess when you are getting in a panic you maybe stitch differently. I eventually finished it at about 1.40 am. I just dropped it on the floor and crawled up to my bed. This morning I have added my name and the date and framed it so its now already for when she arrives about lunch time.

It was difficult getting a picture indoors the flash just diminished everything. So off I went to try my hand outside, in the freezing cold and still in my dressing gown but alas the morning is so dark and grey here that the flash was still going so in the end I tried taking a few at an angle. The results were not brilliant but this I think is the best of them. Would I have gone to this amount of trouble for anyone else but my darling daughter - lol I doubt it.

Ps I couldnt find a picture the right size to fit in the little box which I had left so I ended up doing the little choir boy 1 over 1 aghhh!!!!

Another Update

This time it isn't stitching lol but the piece from last Thursdays newspaper which I have kept meaning to post. It is Ozzie showing off both his Barratt Homes hard hat (he got that and a big tin of Heroes sweets) and the card he designed.

I have been meaning to post it and just needed a break from stitching so thought while I took my break I would do it while I was thinking about it.

A Couple of updates

First off I have last nights update on the Monday SAL I am doing with Sally. I was busy trying to write Christmas cards - I know its a bit late but since I retired I seem to have even less time for stitching etc and I am all behind with everything this year. Anyway I didnt get a lot done but I was really pleased with what I did manage. The roses are quite easy and look good finished but a bit boring to stitch (well I thought so lol), and I have one more of them to do to finish this border.



The second one is my daughters Christmas sampler. The little box on the right I have left blank at the moment as I dont like the picture that goes in there very much so once I have finished the other stitching I will try and find something else that will fit in there.
It is a shame you cannot see the sparkle in this one. The red on the tree is done in metallic and also the red bits in the wreath. The tall half cross stitches are done in silver ribbon and there is a metalic silvery blue thread for the bs bits in the snowflakes, so it looks quite pretty in real life.
I think I am just over half way now so I am hoping it will be finished within the next couple of days. I would like to get the main stitching done today and then be able to just add the beads and that tomorrow but I will have to see as unfortunately I do have other things I have to do today besides stitching. lol life does get in the way.

Thank you for the lovely comments especially about the post on my Dad, you all say such lovely things.

Dad

Mum & Dad

It is three years today since I lost my dear Dad. He thought that flowers were for the living and not the dead and would have hated for us to take flowers to the crem, but I always buy my mum a nice big bunch in his memory (he would have liked that idea ) and this afternoon I took them across to her. The flowers always contain pink carnations, they are what dad always bought her as that is what she carried on their wedding day. They were three months away from celebrating 60 happy years together. Miss you lots Dad and love you still.

Christmas Sampler

As many of you know my Darling Daughter is a lone female buying her own apartment in Nottingham, by the time she had paid all her bills she had very little left for buying clothes etc so decided to take on a weekend job too. So all week she works at the Queens University Hospital and at the weekends she works for the Emergency call out doctors at NEMS. To add to this with the shortage of staff at the hospital she has been working late two or three nights a week in the last couple of months. She came to visit the other week and was looking at all my Christmas pictures and bemoaning the fact that she had not had any time to finish any of her Christmas pictures so I thought I would do her a little sampler to put on her wall and cheer her up. I made a start yesterday and got on quite well so thought I would share my progress so far.

I do have a chart which I am following rather loosely lol and I am quite pleased with the progress so far.

Hope to do some more today though I really must write my Christmas cards today or people will be getting them early for next year instead of late for this lol.

Once again I say thank you to all you wonderful people who take time to read my little blog and even more so to the ones who are kind enough to leave comments. I really cannot tell you how much these are appreciated.

Update on an Olde

I stitched this one some years back for my dear friend Margaret. Since then she has had a couple more grandchildren to be added. Finn in 2004 and the latest little one is Theo.

I have just finished stitching the new name and date and I am going to give it a wash before restringing it and getting it back in the frame. We are going to their house for supper on Saturday so I want it ready to take with me.

Last night we went to see Oscar in his school play. It was called The Christmas Dream, and was a new slant on the nativity as two children sat before the Christmas tree wondering what it had been like when baby Jesus was born, they then fell asleep and dreamt they were there. It was very good especially as they were only 5 and 6 year olds. Oscar was a narrator and stood at the side of the stage telling the story as it unfolded. Oh dear another proud Granny moment lol.

I am still doing stitching on Charlotte and will have to get round to another picture of her, though I have had a busy few days and so not much stitching. Today I have no where to go and no one to see and though I do have things that must be done (still two cards need making and most of the rest still waiting to be written) and could do with doing some of the rude HW word, I am going to find a bit of "Me" space and stitch for an hour or two.

Thank you for the lovely comments on Charlotte and Queen of the Needle, and thank you once again for visiting and taking the time to read my blog.

MONDAY SAL update

Just thought I would post a picture of this weeks progress on Queen of the Needle before I went to bed. Im really pleased with the progress I made tonight. You cant really tell on here but the Trezibond thread which is used for the satin stitches is sort of wavey and it gives a lovely "soft" look. The colours are just so pretty on this one. I hope Sally has had a better week this week and I am looking forward to seeing her updates. Not sure I am looking forward to doing the Roses next week, but I am sure I will cope.

Some Plain Stitching & My Deco's

I have been so busy stitching Christmas cards (my own fault for leaving it so late) and I was beginning to get really bored. I just wanted to sit down and stitch something plain and simple. Not that the cards where difficult but I am not a great one for fiddling about with little things, I prefer to stitch bigger projects.

Anyway I looked in my rota to see if I fancied doing anything in there and Charlotte just started waving "me choose me" and so on Saturday & Sunday night I curled up in front of the TV with Charlotte and really enjoyed stitching her.

Tonight I will be stitching on Queen of the Needle again but I have not put Charlotte away as I think I may stick with her and get her done now she is out. Will just have to see how the mood takes me lol.

I also have some pictures of my Christmas decorations which you might like to see, though they are not as elaborate as many have seen in the blogs.

Thank you for once again visiting and reading my blog. I do so enjoy your visits but wish I could meet you all in person you sound such a wonderful bunch of people.

A Very Excited Little Boy

I have just had some news that I have to share with you.

Recently Barratt Homes launched a competition for schools. The children had to draw a Christmas card and the prize was to be £500 worth of art and craft things for the school.

Tonight my very excited little grandson Oscar has phoned me to tell me that out of all the schools in Derbyshire he has won first prize for his school. The school phoned his parents to ask permission for the local paper to visit the school tomorrow to take pictures and have told them that there will also be a prize for Oscar though they dont know at the moment what that is to be.

A proud granny will be scanning and posting the article when it is in the paper so watch for more lol.

Update on Queen

Here is a picture of this weeks progress on Queen on the Needle. I cheated a bit as tonight I couldnt be bothered to sort anything else out and this was still on the chair so I have done the little urn tonight (sorry Sally) .
The colours really do look lovely.

Took Mum shopping today and then went to have a look at the Christmas display at one of the local garden centres but it was really disappointing this year. They hardly had anything there and what they had was overpriced rubbish. We are going to the rival garden centre on Thursday so I am hoping that will be a bit better.

Tomorrow I have to go to the bank - with my passport - would you believe that when I went in to put a cheque in yesterday they said that my account was now "out of date" and they would transfer it to a new account for me. OK I thought thats OK but the stupid rules wont let them just do that I have to go in with proof of who I am to do it. What is more annoying as that account is no longer running they had to confiscate my book so I have no choice but to do as they wish if I want to get hold of MY MONEY. I felt like saying well just close the ****** account and I will go elsewhere but they are all the same and I would have had as much if not more palaver.

Not long back we wanted to open a new bond for Oscar and we had to get his birth certificate from my son and dil. As I pointed out to the dear lady who did this for us - any man (or woman) in the country can walk into a register office and say he wants to register the birth of a child they ask for the date of birth, the name and where the child was born, they ask for no proof whatsoever, so how the hell is a birth certificate proof on anything.

Oh dear I think I am turning into a Grumpy Old Lady lol but these people do seem to have a real knack for bringing out the worst in folks.

On that I am going back to stitch - another christmas card lol so that will cheer me up again.

Hardanger Angel

This is what I have been working on for the last couple of weeks. I had to adapt the chart a bit as it is designed for one of these dolls heads but I couldnt find one here in the UK and it would have cost about £12 / £14 to send to the USA for one which was more than I was willing to pay - especially as I want to make one for me too. This one is for my Mum. A few weeks back she had been having a sort out and remarked that she had loads of cards I had stitched but although she didnt want to part with them she really didnt know what to do with them so I thought I would stitch her an ornament this year instead of a card, that way she can hang it on her tree every year.
The chart was Emie Bishop's 2001 Angel. The dress should be stitched as one piece with a small hole where the head fits but I stitched the back and the front seperately altered the hole to make a neckline and then stitched it across the shoulders. Also although the wing were very pretty hardanger I had to back them with some "iron on" stiffner stuff which has spoilt the effect a little. The little doll cost me £2 from Asda. Overall however, I am quite pleased with the effect and will take her with me when I go to Mums tomorrow.

Today was SAL Monday but I wanted to make a start on a couple of special cards I have to stitch (I know I'm a bit late but better late than never lol). Anyway I got one done this afternoon and I have made a start on Queen of the Needle tonight. It is lovely to be using some colour on it at last. I havent got a lot done but I am pleased with what I have and will try and take a picture tomorrow. I wonder if Sally has carried on with the colour or done the 2nd Corner. It is lovely to have someone to stitch with and fun to compare what we have done each week so BIG THANK YOU SALLY.

Terri and I have decided that next year we are going to make an early start on stitched cards and on the first Sunday of each month we are going to stitch one in our own little SAL - if anyone fancies joining then please do.

Its been a horrid day today the rain has hammered down and its been so cold. By three o'clock I needed to put the lights on it was like night time. Then some silly woman on the weather said its quite mild at the moment - where do these people get there forcasts, I sometimes wonder if they are in the same country.

Oh well thats my little moan for the day lol so on that note I will say goodnight and wend my weary way to bed.

Thanks for all your comments they really are so much appreciated.