An extra day ...

isn't that what us stitching girls all wish for when we have a project we really must/want to stitch, well today is the extra day in the year, have you spent any of the extra 24 hours doing things just for you or has it passed you all by much the same as any other Friday would have done LOL

My family have a different reason for today being special to us. My dear FIL passed away on this day in 1996. He was the most gentle and wonderful man and his life was cut short all too soon at the age of 67

I know he would have been happy at the fact that we can only officially raise a glass to him once every 4 years as he was not a fan of folks attending the cemetary and pondering at the graveside. So i'll blow a kiss to this lovely pic of him and say .... "God Bless you Dennis, we miss you very much"

Now to stitching talk and what i achieved this month -
Finishes ...
Dimensions - Spirit of the Eagle
TS Feb colouring book heart that i made into the pink pillow
Blue Ribbon Designs - stitching finished on pinkie (still needs to be made up)
JA Feb challenge - Dragonfly Stitches - Valentine Heart
Mothers Day basket
Charland Designs - Tipsy Tree
Bookmark for the TS exchange
WIP's - Papillon Creations SAL Part 2 done

Wednesday was the stitching club and i had every intention of making a start on ED's 'Spring' i put in a grand total of 30 stitches before i was called away to a meeting and have not touched it since. I'm hoping to make some progress on it this weekend and also to make up the pinkie (i know i said that last weekend didn't i LOL).

Thanks for stopping by and letting me know your thoughts, i really appreciate your advice, suggestions and encouragement. Enjoy your weekend.

Christmas stitching ...

Yesterday was Tinsel Time at TS, the day of the month you stitch on a Christmas project. I had decided at the beginning of the year to do an ornament a month like last year, but of course as usual other things happened and it hasn't got done until now. This one is Charland Designs Inc - Tipsy Tree from the 2007 JCS Ornament Issue, stitched on nordic blue jobelan and made very simply with a beaded bottom edge. A cute little tree and one that i have wanted to stitch since the magazine came out. Just one more to do and i'll be up to date LOL


My Mothering Sunday basket is all filled with goodies. In it is a bone china mug, Earl Grey tea, cappucino coffee, hot chocolate, horlicks, ovaltine, sugar cubes, chocolate biscuits, scottish shortbread biscuits and a bar of After Eight chocolate. Including the card, wrapping and the basket it cost £11.47, a nice and not too expensive unique handmade gift for those of us on a tight budget!!!

Thanks for your comments on the basket idea, both on here and on the MB's. I'm looking forward to seeing what ideas you come up with for stitching and filling them.

Tagging ..

I've been tagged by Karan and Elisa to name seven weird or random facts about myself.
Rules
1 Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2 Post the Rules on your blog.
3 Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4 Tag 7 people and link them.
5 Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

So here goes....
1. I was brought up as a Spiritualist as my mum is a medium and my dad was a healer
2. I collect buddhas
3. I was Chair of Governors at the local school
4. When i was a teenager i used to do the 25 mile sponsored charity walk for Christian Aid each year
5. My house number is 52, the reverse of 25 where i lived with my parents!
6. I do yoga and meditation and like to listen to tranquil music
7. We grow our own fruit and veggies at our allotment

I've decided not to tag anyone else as most of you have already been tagged, but if you read this and want to add it to your blog and pass it on to 7 of your friends please do

Alternative to the plan i had ....

So where did the weekend go to then?? plans i had for my stitching have not materialised at all, and here i am 2 days later with not a stitch in anything i was going to do.

My 'new start' project had a problem with one of the threads. It asks for Needle Neccessities 131 which i ordered ages ago (Threadworx 1045 alternative arrived). When i came to pull the DMC threads i needed for it, the Threadworx was nothing like the greens in the DMC colours, way too bright - disappointment was an understatement, i was looking forward to trying the Threadworx out never having used them before. Karen (Queen of bright ideas and a saviour on many occasions, i wish i had her brains) suggested i look at my collection of DMC variagated as there are 2 different greens in the normal range. Out came the box and sure enough DMC 92 is a perfect match but i only had about 1m left on the bobbin - isn't that just typical. DH drove me to the LNS yesterday afternoon (my brain and legs not in synch mode right now, hence the repeated bloodwork that was done Friday morning) to buy a couple of skeins at a whopping 67p each!!! So you would have expected me to start it last night .... errrrr no, because ....

Whilst we were out i had an idea, in our local Wilkinsons (hardware store for those not in the UK) i purchased a lined bread basket for £1.49. An idea popped into my head that i could use some waste canvas, stitch along the edge and fill with goodies for my mum for Mothering Sunday which is next week in the UK. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out and think i might be off to purchase a couple more of these, they would be great Xmas gift baskets.

The decision now is do i start the Elizabeth Designs (couldn't keep you in suspense any longer Rachael, and i do have the other 3 that go with it too lol) or do i finish the bookmark that i was going to get completed this weekend???

Hope you all had a good weekend

It's reveal day ...

This months challenge, Dragonfly Stitches - Valentine Heart (thank you Kris for such a lovely design). After a lot of thought about this one i decided to stitch mine 1x1 on 27ct red linda using black and made a bobbin holder. I'd seen one of these on a blog a while back.

Rachael, here's a clue for you ... the design is an old one from 2000 and a seasons one, any ideas yet LOL