Panic!!!!

Just realised that I've got three days (four evenings) to get the map finished. Progress is definately happening but it's going to be ever so tight. I'm going to have a big session on it tonight to make up for yesterday. We bought a Wii for the children (supposedly!) but DH and I spent all last night on it. I beat him at Tennis - very satisfying. And I just love the boxing. We had hours of fun and loads of laughs but not a lot of stitching.



Anyway, here is it's current situation and a couple of close ups. Hope to have loads more progress to show soon.

Four Counties Ring

As promised yesterday, here is an update on the map I'm stitching.

I'm starting to get worried that it won't be finished by 2nd May. I've done 10 of the 18 scenes, still got to finish the boarder and stitch the title "Four Counties Ring". I guess I'm about half way, but I've used up more than half the time. I've also still got to add french knots as flowers to every scene. It's going to be very tight. I'd like to have it in a frame by Dad's birthday but that is looking very unlikely, even if I do get it finished in time.

I'm still itching to stitch other things as well, but so far have resisted the temptation. I so want to finish Fruit Smoothie and do the April square of Juggy Bugs - I'll have to do that with the May square now. Oh dear, the temptation we are all fighting I guess - just so many things I want to do and only 24 hours in a day. If anybody finds a few more hours, let me know where they are! lol.

Forgotten Discovery ...

DH went up into the attic over the weekend to put some stuff away and came down with a piece of stitching I had completely forgotten about. It's a piece of crewel work of a bunny rabbit and basket of flowers that I abandoned years ago.

I'm trying to remember when I last worked on it. We've lived in this house for 9 years and it's been up there all that time. My eldest is 10½ and I think I put it away well before she was born. Do you know, it could be as long as 12 years since I stitched on this. Could it be the oldest UFO?

Will I finish it? Well that's a good question. What the photo doesn't show is how badly mottled the fabric is, it was only stored in a carrier bag which broke as DH got it down from the attic. The thing is, I'm loving my cross stitch and don't know if I really want to do crewel work again. Also, I'm not so keen on the design anymore - too cutesey (sp?). Of course, I couldn't possibly throw it out, so for now I think it will just go in my UFO pile and, who knows, maybe it will win a record for the longest WIP ever? lol.

The map is going great guns now, I'll post an updated pic tomorrow.

As for the weekend, well Gemma had her sleepover - four girls in one room, not a lot of sleeping went on! Plenty of giggling, but not much sleeping. Then on Sunday we went to my three year old niece's birthday party (give me for 8 year olds anyday!). I forgot how tireing and how much hard work they are at that age and it really wasn't all that long ago.

Anyway, happy stitching all and thanks for dropping by.

Happy Birthday ...

... to Gemma. I can't believe it but my youngest was 8 yesterday! Where does the time go? It has to be said that this is not the best shot of her but she is so proud of her "gap" that it had to be recorded. She's having a sleepover at the weekend with a couple of her friends and is very excited about it.

Onto the subject of stitching, I sneeked out yesterday and bought two fat quarters of fabric. They are for backing things and finishes rather than stitching on but were a bargin at £1.25 each. They both work with the spring item I'm stitching and I can't decide which to use, then again I've got to finish stitching it first!

Hi!

Sorry I've not posted this last week. I've been working hard on the map and it is progressing. It still might be tight for 2nd May but, fingers crossed, I'll get there. It currently looks like this.

It needs one more picture bottom left and then that is the full width of the picture. It still needs to go a little higher as that is not the top of the waterway yet but it's definately coming along.

I've also been side tracked with a quick stitch, that I had to unpick half of and is no longer a quick stitch :-( It's just a little cushion to hang in my car. I'll show pictures when it is done.

Hope everybody has had a good weekend. Happy stitching and thanks for visiting.

Started The Map

I've made a start on the Map for my Dad. When it arrived I thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew as the design suddenly looked rather large to get done by 2nd May. However, I've done two fo the 18 pictures so far. If I can achieve one a day then it will be done with time to spare so that's the target. Anyway, here is what I've got so far.

I've put the Fruit Smoothie project on hold for now as I really need to get the map done. But here's a pic of where I've got upto so far. I've nearly finished so it's a bit frustrating to put it down but I won't get the map done if I don't so it's one more for the UFO pile for now.

Stash Delivery

Yipee! My order from Stitch and Things arrived this morning.


There is the kit for the inland waterways map which I'm going to stitch for my Dad. It's his birthday on 2nd May which I'm aiming for but it might be tight.

And then there's the threads I need to do the April square of the Juggy Bug monthly quilt squares. The only problem with that is that I don't know when I'm going to do it as I think every spare minute will be spent on the map. I will do it Julie, promise but it might have to wait until May.

Boquet for Cheryl

I worked on the Boquet last night. The extra daylight helped with the black material as did the pillow cushion tip. Will definetely be doing that again. Here is my progress.

It's back to the Fruit Smoothie tonight though.

Hardanger Update

I thought it was time I updated you on the progress of my first Hardanger piece. As I said before, this is not top of my list and actually keeps falling off it (lol). However, progress is being made and I've actually done the first bit of cutting (that took courage and I lost count of how many times I checked everything before I actually snipped those threads). But here it is.

I've placed in on yellow paper for the photograph to try to make the cut areas clearer to see. Anyway, I'm really enjoying the piece and looking forward to being able to put some more time in on it.

I'm still awaiting delivery of my stash items. I hoped they might be here today, but I guess that was pushing it really. Hopefully they'll be here tomorrow.

Tuesday today so UFO night. I think I'm going to pull the Bouquet for Cheryl out and try Rachael's idea of the white pillow case.