A new stitching start at the meet up

We had a great time at the Nimble Thimble meet up on Saturday, it was nice to catch up with everyone and I managed a fair bit of stitching .too.

I stitched Oliver and Bonnie a birth sampler for their first Christmas and Arthur will be getting the same too.  I'm a bit late starting this one but I know that it's a straight forward one to stitch so I'm confident It will be all stitched and framed well before Christmas.

I put the first stitches in on the Friday night sitting while sitting in my little hotel room.

I'm really happy with my progress, I haven't really had a lot of stitching time recently so it was nice to get stuck into a project without and interruptions.

As I mentioned last time, I stayed at Ye Olde Boot in Whittington, which is just a few miles outside Oswestry town.  Friday was a horrible wet miserable day but I did stop off in Oswestry and have a wonder round  and the rain kept off until I got back to the car, which was good.

While I was there I picked up a few things to decorate for Christmas which I will show you once they come out again when I decorate.  I also bought  quite a few charts from Chris at the Nimble Thimble, again, I will show you another time as I haven't had time today to sort them out and take photos.

I have finished a few of the twelve (!!!) things I had on the go, I showed you two on the last post so this is the third of those.

When we went to Yarndale in September I also made Bonnie this little poncho.  This wasn't a WIP counted in those twelve, this is a bonus finish, lol

My aim is to start 2019 with fewer things stuck in bags so I will have to try and keep focused now.

I do have another couple finished up and I will sneak those into future posts.

For now I'll finish with a few photos of Whittington Castle which sits on the opposite side of the road to the hotel where I stayed at the weekend.  On Saturday morning it was only 3deg but the sun was lovely, a perfect Winter morning :-)

That white building you see is where I was staying

See you soon

-X--

A couple of finishes

I feel like I'm constantly playing catch-up lately, there are not enough hours in the day to do everything that I need to do let alone the things I want to do, but this weekend I'm going to the Nimble Thimble meet up with some lovely stitching peeps and I'm going to relax and stitch, talk and eat and not think about what needs doing at home or in the garden.

I'm stopping at  Ye Olde Boot Inn at Oswestry for two nights so I will have plenty of time to relax and stitch, or just put my feet up and read.  I do love to get away by myself, I think I could quite happily go on holiday on my own, lol

Anyway, I thought I would show you my October finish before it's time to pack it away.

October Curls Bent Creek

This one I found, half done, when I was having a clear out after my In the making confessions post a couple of months ago, (see told you there were more tucked away, lol)

And here is the mantle all done up for October with a few Halloween touches

Arthur's cardigan was finished

I have to say that this cardigan did not fit him for long, he is much bigger than I imagine when I'm knitting, lol

I also had a couple of nights knitting dishcloths

I must say that I used to wonder what the big deal was with knitted dish cloths, but now I'm a convert.

Right, I'm all packed up and ready to go now, just going to have some breakfast before setting off to save me stopping on the way, there is a market in Oswestry today and I want to be there before lunch time to have a good look around :-)

See you soon

-X-

Time Off, Days Out & Baby Naming

I've taken some unpaid leave from work, I had planned to anyway when Jenny had had the baby, but I needed it anyway as it turned out to re-charge my batteries and just have a break from certain goings on.  I don't want to go into details, it's too long and would bore you all, but lets just say that there are some people that were telling tales and stirring up trouble for us girls on reception, It was related to work and wasn't true, if only the person they had gone to had bothered to hear what we had to say the matter would have been cleared up, but they didn't want to hear us, they just sent a rather nasty email and refused to see us.  I'm trying to forget it, but it's not easy, it upset me, a lot.  I hope I feel better when I return next Thursday, we'll see. 

In the meantime I've been out and about and trying to catching up on some chores and trying out some new recipes (which I will share later on my recipes page).

  Yesterday I went with Jenny and James to Blenheim Palace, there was a Christmas craft fair on and we had a little walk around the house too.  The day was very damp and misty but I did get some photos on my phone.

Just a couple of photos of the lovely goodies on offer

a lot of the stalls request no photographs though

You are not really supposed to take photos inside Blenheim Palace, but as I'd only got my phone I managed to sneek some, lol - although they are a bit grainy.

The next two are taken in the Library which is the second longest room in England in a private house

at 183 feet long.

I was waiting for this random woman to move to take the photo, but she wan having none of it, lol  Still It does help you to see just how tall this fireplace was.

Inside the chapel

I played around with this one in Picasa to bring out the colours more

Despite the bleakness of the day there were still a few signs of Autumn around.

This tree still had most of it lovely orange leaves.

And a lot of the ground was still covered with beautiful coloured Autumn leaves

I've been stitching a little too, something for TP (who by the way has a name now :-)  

Please excuse the terrible photo - It's Bent Creek, Baby Row, or it will be when it's done, I've made more progress since this was taken and as It's not too big I should be able to get It finished in time for Christmas.

As I mentioned baby TP now has a name here he is with his mum last Saturday, getting bigger every day :-)

Baby Oliver James (and mum)

Today is another day out, this time with Joanne and her boyfriend, we are going to Laser Quest, I think I may be a bit old for this activity, but I'll give it a go, lol.  

Have a great weekend, until next time x

Sweet Sixteen

On Thursday 21st April 1994 at 11.27pm my youngest daughter Stevie-Leigh made her arrival into the world, weighing in at a hefty 9lb 11oz, (can i hear a collective 'ouch'!!).

It must have been something to do with the craving i had for milk when i was pregnant, i drank gallons of the stuff, not in the normal way, it had to be put in the freezer until little ice crystals formed and i would eat it with a spoon! glass after glass went in the freezer day after day, funny thing is, before i got pregnant i didn't really like milk and would never ever drink a glass, and it goes without saying that after the event i have never drunk milk!! I had a similar relationship with raw carrots, couldn't get enough of them! until i read something about carotene poisoning, i remember going to my doctors for an antenatal appointment and asking him in a panic if i was going to have an orange baby!! He laughed and said 'No, he didn't think so' (whilst giving me a look that said 'we have a right one here!')

This is Stevie at about 3 or 4 months old with a rather puzzled look on her face!

As you can see, i didn't have an orange baby! She is really tall though, at 5' 9" she is way taller than most of her friends

Happy 16th Birthday Stevie!

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Thank you all for your kind comments on my LHN ornie and the congratulations and well wishes for my #1DD. Her passing out ceremony went well, (i have since learnt that the official name for this is an Attestation), she will be in training now for the next 17 weeks before she is let loose on catching criminals! there is lots to learn, she is getting tons of reading/homework but is loving every minute.

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I've given this week up to finishing my ABC and thanks to the frog hopping it and an almost all day stitching fest on Saturday I'm primed for a finish for the weekend.
No stiching tonight, as we went out for a meal in honor of the Birthday Girl, but I'll be getting a numb bum on Thursday & Friday night to get that finish :-)

Speak soon. x

He's A Flake - He's A Finished!

Here's the little guy all stitched up and finished off!

I must say that he looked nothing special from the chart but now he's all done i just love him!!

LHN Monthly Ornament - 'He's A Flake'

Stitched with the recommended threads

Linen - mystery piece from my stash

It's a pity he's got to be hidden away in a box until Christmas, i want to show him off now!, lol

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I dug out my ABC to work on this weekend, I'd forgotten that i was so close to finishing this one. I was happily stitching away yesterday afternoon on the border until i noticed that i was one stitch off, this is the offending bit

I started one stitch too high, i can't ignore it because it will throw the rest off, but i was too disheartened yesterday to rip it out and started over on the other side instead, I'll take out the little blighters in a couple of days when I've got over it!

Only two sections to go on this piece so I'm going to keep going this week and see if i can get done.

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My other exciting news to share tonight is that my eldest daughter has started her training as a Police Constable today and we will be having a 'Proud Parent Moment' tomorrow night watching her at her passing out ceremony, i can't tell you how proud we are of her, she is such a hard worker and always gives 100% in everything she does and so deserves every success :-)

Right, that's me caught up for a few days, off to settle into bed with my book and a cuppa :-) Until next time xx

Wanna Join Me in a Happy Dance?

Because today i picked up my AT from the framers! I really love the way it's turned out and so glad i went for the red frame

Alla Turca Available from Stitchers Heaven Yahoo group

Designed by Pelin Tezer

stitched on 28 count with threadworx 1089 (Bleeding Hearts)

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Next up is something i haven't shown in a while, my ABC. Since i came back from holiday i haven't spent quite as much time stitching, but the times i have stitched has been on this.

I'm quite close to finishing, but way, way behind most that started this SAL, i keep thinking that i will get it finished by the end of next month, but at the snail pace that I'm going lately that's probably a bit ambitious!

This is also on 28 count, with Anchor threads 1013 & 1014. Please excuse the slightly washed out photos! And, speaking of photos, I've enrolled on a photography course this week, I've been looking around for a course for a while and came upon this one happening at the Botanical Gardens near Birmingham. I'm quite excited about it! The course starts next Saturday afternoon, so it also gets me out of the grocery shopping, lol. I shall bore you all with how it went next time, lol. For now, i hope you all have a lovely weekend whatever you are up to :-)

A Day at The Hospital

Thank you to those who wished me well with my hospital appointment today, it was very much appreciated as i was a bit apprehensive, mainly thinking of where they were going to put the camera :-o Apparently i have a polyp, which has been causing my body to do strange things each month, (ladies you know what I'm talking about here, lol). My daughter found it very funny last night that i was shaving my legs (along with.... ahem, other bits) and slapping cream onto my feet! The reason behind which was that they would be 'on show' while i was out cold in the theatre, Joanne was quick to remind me that "they're not going to be looking at your feet and legs mother!" at least i was knocked out with the knowledge that i was smooth footed and hair free :-) Anyway, i feel fine, went to the theatre at 10am and was back on the ward by 11am, they even fed me while i was there!, shepherds pie, roast potatoes & veg with apple sponge & custard to follow!, I've been in as a day case before and only ever got a slice of toast, so i was pleasantly surprised. To pass the time i finished reading Stephanie Meyer's New Moon, I'm still not altogether sure about these books, i enjoyed it & Twilight but I'm not completely sold, yet. There is a bit too much waffling at times, that said i do intend to finish the series.

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Right now I'm off to watch what is left of afternoon TV and stitch on my ABC which has been neglected in favour of Simply Live the last couple of weeks. Speaking of which, thank you Karen & Kathy for e-mailing your addresses for the Travelling Pattern, if anyone else is still interested in this you can read all about it in my last post.

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I'll leave you with a photo of my ABC, hopefully i will get lots more done on this over the next couple of days as i have the rest of the week off work :-)

Friday will be a happy dance day as my Simply Live will be back from the framers :-) so till then, happy stitching & take care...Tara-a-bit x

Edited Note: should have mentioned that the polyp was removed and so everything should settle back to normal, the camera is so they can have a proper look around and take a sample to analyse. I won't have to have any further treatment.

Phew! What a Scorcher!!

I think we finally have a taste of summer here in the Midlands, it's scorching!! but shhhhhh, i don't think the sun is aware that it' Bank Holiday weekend, so lets not say anymore in case it changes it's mind!!
I didn't see too much of the big round yellow thing in the sky yesterday except through the window, i was painting my daughters room all day, didn't come up for air until around 6.30 and was in bed for 10.00, knackered! Mark picked up all her stuff from uni yesterday, it's all now in boxes in the cellar waiting to be sorted. she has come home earlier than planned that's why we've had the rush with the bedroom, she had a falling out with one of the girls that she shared with at uni, I'm not sure what exactly happened, and to be honest, i haven't gone into it in great depth. Sorry if i sound a bit un sympathetic, I'm not, it's just that Joanne is a bit of a drama queen and i don't want to get involved in the argument, they are adults after all, Joanne is 21 and the other girl is 22 or 23, so big enough to not have school girl fallings out - you would think!


The last 2 weeks I've redecorated 2 bedrooms and i can tell you i ache in places i didn't even know i had! Do you ever wonder how one family can accumulate so much stuff?? I'm through with hording, so the local charity shop is going to get some new stock in the next couple of days!

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I have managed so stitching in amongst the chaos that has been my house this week - This is AT with part#5

I love working on this piece! part 6 is due out around the 1st of June i think. I was in a slight panic about the threads but i'm happy to report that i have gotten my eager little mits on 3 more skeins from Sew and So. I had to wait a couple of weeks, it seemed that as fast as this colour came in it was delivered out in back orders, obviously I'm not the only one in love with Bleeding Hearts 1089!! I can see no difference in the shade either now that Threadworx have taken over NN, good job! as much as i love this piece i don't think i could have gone back to the start!

I've also finished part 2 of the ABC SAl - this is how that's looking.

It's not a great photo, it looks as though there is a staining on the fabric, there's not, i think it just must be shadow from the thread. I think there have been 6 parts released for this one now so I'm going to be way behind on the finish.

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my Paris photos in my last post, i've still yet to make a album of the others, i may get around to it this week as i have the week off work Yayyyyyy!! so looking forward to that, a whole week at home to just please myself!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Bank Holiday, and enjoy the sunshine, (shhhh) Tara-a-bit x