My 2013 targets!

After yesterday's review of 2012, I thought it would be a good idea to share my plans for 2013.

before I dive in completely though, there was a question about which company does the 3D houses, the company is called The Nutmeg Company, this is the link to their website, but all the houses are sold at different distributors.

So onto my 2013 targets, my New Year's Day New Start is going to be Lakeside Village:

  

It's the one my hubby pointed out at the Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate.  It looks complicated from the picture, but in reality, it's only 4 pages and a snitch compared to my mega HAEDs!

My next new start will be for the HAED SAL which I've mentioned before - Heather:

The SAL starts on the 4th January and I hope to finish it in 2013.

I'm not forecasting any more new starts and just as well, that will take my current WIPs to 9!  Not sure if I've ever had that many before, but should be able to finish County Durham soon.

I'm not setting any timelines as I've done in previous years as it never seems to work out as you planned, so what I'm doing is re-starting the 10 hour rotation, with a little difference.  I will prioritise Heather and stitch her to keep on top of the SAL.  The rotation will initally cover:

1. Lakeside Village
2. Heather (Focus Piece)
3. County Durham
4. Ladybug Love
5. Samantha
6. Think Pink 

When I finish a page of one of the BAPs (no. 6) I will rotate the other BAPs into this slot (Beacon Ridge and Snowy Friends)

In this way i hope to be able to show you progress on all the designs thoughout the year!

I'm also on the look out for a new blog template so any recommendations are welcome!

Well that's me signing out for this year, take care, have a fabulous night and 

Happy New Year!!!!

Another finish & review of 2012!

Hi all, so after my last post, you're probably thinking why has it been so long between posts?  Well here it is:

I got it at the Knitting and stitching show in November, my hubby set me a task of completing it by Christmas! It's called Santa's House IV: Final Preparations Unfortunately that wasn't possible with all the card making and gift wrapping to do, but finished it on the 28th December.

Now onto the review, my first finish of the year was last year's SAL Curl up With a Good Book:

It was a very detailed design so not too disappointed about missing last year's target on this one!

My mid-summer design was A Good Marriage which I've stitched for my sister's wedding next June, granted it still needs a good iron and to be framed, but got plenty of time!

I then moved onto The Travelling Pattern:

I'm still trying to pass this onto the next recipient, but not received the address for them! Lesley Anne Smith - can you please e-mail your address to samantha.long@live.co.uk asap?  In the meantime if anyone else is interested and also has a blog, please feel free to send me a message as I need to get it posted soon otherwise Cucki (the founder) will not be happy! :(

Now onto my SAL piece this year, I got it finished in November so just in time for the deadline! Bookend Kittes wasn't my favourite design to stitch, mainly because of the 'samey' colours, but I'm pleased with the final result!

I also had one more new start, Ladybug Love which I loved stitching, but was started around the time of my 10 hour rotation, which i'm going to start again in the New Year.

I also worked a bit on some other WIPs, including this one, County Durham:

And this, Samantha, both of which I want to finish this year!

Oh and of course, another HAED, I finally finished page 1 of Snowy Friends!

So all in all an interesting year, to be fair I had a very slow start as I got addicted to one of those horrid Facebook games, which I'm never ever going to do again ever!

Happy New Year everyone

&

Happy Stitching!

I was awarded the Liebster Award!

I'm so pleased to have been awarded the Liebster Award, it's nice that people think so much of my blog!

What is the Liebster Award?  Liebster is German for 'dearest', and the award is given to up-and-coming blogger s with less than 200 followers who deserve recognition and support to keep them blogging. 

Thank you so much to Lesleyanne Smith who blogs here!

Here are the rules, if you choose to accept.

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.

2.  Link back to the blogger who awarded you.

3.  Copy and paste the award to your blog.

4.  Nominated 5 blogs, that you enjoy to receive the award, who have less than 200 followers.

5.  Inform them of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here are my choices, I hope you'll agree they're all fabulous blogs!

Sarah in Stitches

Ramblings of a Biscournu Addict

My Creative Corner

Just a Little Stitchin'

OK, I don't have a 5th one at the moment, but will edit later! :)

Will be back soon to tell you all why it's been so long since I last blogged!

Congrats all!

Bookend Kitties Finished!

Sorry for the break in posts I've been on holiday in Cuba.  We had a fab time and i'm hoping to do a dedicated post in the future, kinda my assessment of the island!

So after all the turmoil and perseverance and lets not forget all that confetti in those books - he's finished!

It took exactly 180 hours on 18 count magic guide.

Now what's next I hear you ask!  Well the 2013 HAED SAL has been announced and I've decided to do Heather:

I've sort of fallen in love with Hannah Lynn this year and so although I didn't want to do another SAL, I really couldn't resist!

In the short term though there's not going to be any stitching since i have about 100 Christmas cards to make in 3 weeks! Eeek!  Given that some of them were ordered 2 months ago, I better get on with it.

Oh but first... On Sunday I'm going to the Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate!  I can't wait and this little finish will allow me to make an extra little purchase I think - it's only fair right!?

Happy Stitching! xx

Page 3 Complete!

So here it is!  Page 3 complete!

I decided to continue with this one as I'm so close to finishing now!  I've done another 200 stitches now and hope to finish it in November.

As I'm on holiday for a week mid November, I need to get the hours in now really so I can be put in the draw for the free chart!

I decided to buy the Hannah Lynn montage with my voucher and am currently working out how many threads I need so that I can start in the new year!

Good news for you guys is that I have decided to keep the rest and use as a giveaway once I hit 50 followers!  So tell your friends and enter as soon as I announce it!

Hope you all had a good weekend.

Happy stitching xx

Bookend Kitties Update and splurge wonderings...

I know it's been a long time, but here's my latest update on Bookend Kitties.

I've had a terrible time with the confetti in the paw and haven't even finished page 3 yet, however I'm hoping to get close by this time next week.  I really need to get a move on since even hubby has commented why I haven't finished when others have!

On the back of my win of HAED vouchers, I've been weighing up what to get.  Now I said no more big projects until I'd finished one, but love the Hannah Lynn Montage and as lots of my online friends are doing a SAL next year, I'm seriously considering it!

However it is a massive design so I'd need to tent stitch it and hope one day I have a little girl who will appreciate it!  I'm thinking her 16th birthday right!?

Well better get back to Kitties before hubby moans!

I'm a winner! And here's the winner of the travelling pattern!

I just found out I'm a winner on Katy's blog!

I'm so excited it's $20 of HAED vouchers! Help me choose a design!

Should it be Trick or Treat (Spangler) or a Hannah Lynn Chart?

Or maybe that mini Asian 3?

Decisions decisions.

Oh yes, sorry I haven't updated my blog for a while, I've been fighting Bookend Kitties (update coming soon).

The winner of the travelling pattern is:

Lesleyanne Smith

Her blog is here if you want to follow the pattern!

Happy Stitching!

The Travelling Pattern

I've been working on the Travelling Pattern this week, a Lizzie Kate design that Cucki has circulated where by one stitcher stitches the design, then passes it onto another.

I hope you like my interpretation of it, sorry for the dodgy photo.

So who wants it next?

To get a chance to win the next opportunity you need to:

a) be a follower of my blog

b) have a blog of your own

c) your blog is active and you write on it frequently

d) you are able to stitch the design in a reasonable period of time

To apply, just leave a comment on my blog, deadline is  12th October 2012.

I will post the design to the winner after drawing the entries that weekend.

Good Luck!

I'm so happy to have completed page 2 of Bookend Kitties:

With only a couple of weeks until page 4 arrives, I feel it is timely!  it did take me over the 10 hours for my rotation, but I am happy I extended it although my hubby did give me grief about it!

However, next is the Travelling pattern.  Still not sure how I'm going to do it yet, either something rustic, sparkly or cool blues in variation thread(s).

Happy Stitching!

County Durham and 10 hour rotation!

Here's my 10 hours on County Durham:

It's actually taking a bit longer that I thought due to all the back stitch, think that's the main reason I love HAED - NO backstitch! Yay!

So I'm back to Bookend Kitties SAL as I'm so close to the end of page 2, I'm going to keep going until it's finished, about 15-20 hours I think.

Oh and then the rotation gets a bit scrabbly (yes that's a word!) as I have the travelling pattern!  I've got some variegated threads by both Anchor and DMC so am going to see which combination works well.  As I don't have any special aida, it's going to be white or cream, but I may do it on 18 count as I have some really  small off cuts too tiny for a HEAD, but we'll see.

After that it will be Samantha or Bookend Kitties whichever is shouting the loudest!

Happy Stitching!

The Travelling Pattern

Just found out that I'm the next recipient of the travelling pattern!  For those that don't know, it originated from Cuki's blog which you can find here.

It has been travelling around the country and Kerry had it last, you can find her blog here.



I'll have a think about the fabby/threads to use for this little gem and then watch this space as I'll be passing it on to another lucky participant!

Kitty Update and Rotation

Well 10 hours later and this is what Bookened Kitties looks like, after this column there is only 1 and a bit columns and then page 2 is finished!  I may have to extend the next 10 hours on her to get the page complete.  

I must say though, I think the rotation is working, it makes me stitch faster knowing I only have a few hours on her.  Next on the list is County Durham Sampler.  It's a UFO that I dug out, I think I'll stitch it up quickly and it will be good to have another finish!

Happy Stitching everyone!

10 hour rotation

Well I'm back again already! 10 hours done on Ladybug Love, so back to Bookend Kitties!

Here's a little update pic for you, sad to leave these gorgeous colours, but it must be done.

Happy stitching everyone!

A new start & a new rotation!

Well, my perserverance of not making any new starts until Christmas disappeared last weekend and I decided to kit up and start Ladybug Love by Hannah Lynn.  This is what I did in an afternoon!  I'm loving the coulours and although I don't usually stitch HAEDs cross country these charts lend themselves well to it.

 

 

My new rotation however means that another 4 hours today and then move back to Bookend Kitties for 10 hours.  A more up to date picture for you:

I saw a rotation idea on another blog (don't you just love bloggers!) and thought it was worth a try, the idea is that you continually do a little bit (10 hours) on each design, encouraging finishes and getting rid of those UFOs.  So this is how it works: you pick 5 designs from your current WIPs/UFOs trying to get a mix of styles and colours, these are the designs I've chosen:

1. Ladybug Love
2. County Durham sampler (one of my UFOs that I revived last weekend)
3. Bookend Kitties
4. Samantha (Lanarte)
5. Think Pink

You then stitch for 10 hours on each in that order to keep you interested.  Because I have decided to make Bookened Kitties my focus piece since it's got a deadline, I will be alternating this one in between the others.  This also means I'll be blogging more so it's win win all the way!  Let me know if you've tried this type of rotation and how it has gone!

All change!

Just a quicky!

A note to say that I'm praying along with other stithers that Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED) stays open! http://www.heavenandearthdesigns.com/

W/C 10th September is Christened HAED appreciation week where everyone is encouraged to buy at least one chart to support the business! I hope you'll join me!

On another note, Kitties was starting to annoy me so I revived a UFO!!! Yay! It's a map of County Durham and made a lot of progress - when my hubby said "you'll be finished that one in no time" that I thought I had to accept that challenge!

I'm also making a new start today! QS Ladybug Love (HAED)!



To make sure I go back to them all I'm starting a new rotation which I'll talk more about at the weekend!

Happy Stitching!

Bookend Kitties progress!

Well after a long break from this one, I picked it up again, and I'm actually really enjoying it.  I think all teh confetti in page 1, but with no real detail just got me down.  However I'm loving seeing his face develop.  I've actually almost finished another column on this and hope to get close to finishing page 2 by the end of the bank holiday!



Meanwhile, I'm struggling against a strong desire to make a new start particularly as I got 5 RAKs in the past month! But I'm going to be good, finish Kitties and then Samantha.

I've also decided not to stitch the parenting sampler for my sister as by the time I've bought the chart, threads, fabric and got it framed it willbe over £50 and I'd rather spend it on some clothes and toys for the Christmas baby!  I may stitch it for the christening or her 2nd baby!

For now, my stitchy time is all mine. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

A finish!

Here's A Good Marriage - it only took me just over a month so pretty pleased with that!  Sorry for the dodgy photo - the linen obviously needs a good iron.  The wedding's not until next June but wanted it out of the way and want to do the Baby sampler for them for December The ABC of Parenting but as I've just booked my holiday, I'm stuck for money until after the next couple of paydays, sat laast I know how long it will take roughly.

I'm now going to return to Bookend Kitties to try and catch up with the HAED SAL.  I think I might just do it as both pages are partial ones and I've got my Q-snap frame now which keeps it nice and tight.

BUT I've ordered some 25count magic guide to re-do Think Pink so the temptation may proove too great, although it's out of stock until the end of the month, so you never know, I may just do it!

Happy Stitching everyone! xx

Dying to get back to my HAEDs!

I've been away for 2 consecutive weekends, once with the Hubby and last weekend to see both my sisters in Lincoln which was lovely.

For that reason I've not finished A Good Marriage yet, but I hope to get it done this weekend.

And then back to one of my HAEDs - either Bookend Kitties, Beacon Ridge or another page on Snowy Friends?  Not sure if to use the randomiser or just go for Bookend Kitties as I really need to get some more done on it so I can post some more pics on the HAED bullitin board.

I can't do Think Pink as I've decided to do it on Magic Guide and they don't have it in stock at the moment so will have to wait until the end of August for the re-start!

Wish me luck! Happy Stitching! xx

Snowy Friends Page 1

 

So here is Page 1 of Snowy Friends at last! I managed to get most of the Sulky threads out and whilst I'm still going to use them I'm going to go 2 columns at a time to have better chance of getting them out.

 

I've been working on A Good Marriage as I need to make some progress before I buy ABC of Parenting as my sister is due in December and want to have it ready for their Baby Shower! So busy times, but all fun!

 

Considering buying 25 count magic guide for Think Pink as I've only done a tiny bit albeit gridded the full row!  I don't trust the tread anymore so I think that's what my first paypacket is going on!

 

Happy Stitching x

Disaster!

Well I've been stitching Snowy Friends as you know and using sulky thread to grid, however because I'm using 2 threads over 1, it's proven near on impossible to get the sulky thread out and has snapped!  I can't see it from the front, but it's just annoying!  I think I'll have to find another way to grid the fabric, or make do maybe with shorter lengths.

I'm almost finished page 1 so will hopefully be posting a picture in the next few days.

I've also been doing some work on 'A Good Marriage' as on some of the warm days my fingers were hurting a bit.  But I have to say I love my Q-snap frame! It's wonderful for getting the tension right and am really looking forward to using it on my HAEDs.  You do have to have a good border on it though, but I think I can afford that!

I've been doing my new job for almost 2 weeks now and although there's a lot to learn, I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in.  It's a promotion from my last role and I'm determined not to let my MS get in the way of it so balancing the stress with stitching! It's a win win (plus I'll have extra cash for my stash!)

Happy Stitching!

What a wonderful suprise!

 

Not really stitchy related, but I finished my job yesterday and my gorgeous friend that I met only 5 months ago sent me these beautiful flowers and a card in the post today!

 

So happy and the good news is that I have a whole week off to stitch to my heart's content until I start my new job! 

Well I know it isn't a full page just yet, but I just had to share with you my Snowy Friends progress.  I've not stitched on 25 count for a while, but I have to say I'm loving it!  And the confetti here (in the branches) is mixed with the background making the design more varied than Bookend Kitties and with a lot more to show to the effort!

 

 

However I also have some most amazing news! Yesterday my little sister told me I'm going to be an Auntie! So very excited for her.  So of course I'm thinking - must stitch something for her!  Tehre's no way I can get a HAED done in time for December, so I thought I'd do this Lizzie Kate design having already bought 'A Good Marriage' for their wedding next year.

 

 

I don't really start non-HAEDs anymore, however I think on this 32 count linen it will be a pleasure to work on.  I do however need a way to re-design the word 'mold' to 'mould' to convert it to UK English or I'll never live it down!  I like this design as rather than a gift to the baby, it's one her/his parents will treasure forever (I hope!).

 

Happy stitching!

Page 1 finally finished!

 

Bookend Kitties is part of the HAED SAL, but I've been really struggling to focus on it this year.

 

I'm not going to be doing page 2 just yet as I've decided to use a randomiser to pick a design to encourage me to finish some UFOs and to make progress on some of my other WIPs too!

 

Also a quick Samantha update - just need to do her feet and the rest of the background!

 

 

So I have 2 UFOs, 5 WIPs and 1 new non HAED on my list.

 

And the randomiser has picked: Snowy Friends!

 

I'm really pleased about this as it was my first HAED and had to stop when it got too painful to stitch it.  I'm half way through page one so another update very soon - I hope!

oops!

Posted the wrong update, so have made rather more progress than before!  Been stitching more regularly recently and stitchy show this Saturday! Can't wait!

Happy Stitching!

Bookend Kitties Update.

Not much progress I know, but been busy at work, I hope to show you much more progress next month!  I'm hoping to have done a whole lot more by then and hopefully finished pages 1 and 2!

Happy Stitching!

Bookend Kitties

End of January - not as much as I'd have liked but done some all the same!

He's finished!

Well after a mamouth stitchy Saturday - he is done! I'm so happy my first HAED!

Now onto Bookend Kitties which is mainly background for a change, but already craving confetti - how wierd you always want what you don't have!

Happy Stitching!

Nearly There...

Happy New Year everyone!

Just counted up 2011 stitching hours and I stitched up 419 total hours! Phew!

Most of them on Curl Up:



Well here he is - I've done a little more than this since the photo was taken, but page 6 is a small page and I hope to have him finished this weekend so that I can start this year's SAL - Bookend Kitties!

New Year's resolution is to post more on my blog and less on Facebook!