Attention of a Fish

Yes that is me, i get distracted easily, bored quick and would change the house around every week if i could. Yes i know i said i wanted to stick to my blog style for a whole year, but i did six months, instead of six days, so hey i am getting better.
Anyway on to the stitchyness.
This week on the HAED BB it is Freebie SAL week, so i got out Fragile Heart and i have done a bit on her, but now my mind is a wandering to another piece, it seems I do 4 days then want to change.
Yes i know i will never finish anything but as a wise woman said on the HAED BB stitching is supposed to be fun and not  a chore SO i am actually listenening to those wise words and putting her away till next SAL, or when she screams at me again, Yes i know 4 days of stitching a month wont finish her this year and i will fail  my yearly goals i set myself but sod it, i made 'em i can break 'em!  ( besides im going to fail on most of them anyway)

Well at least you can see what i did this time :)

Finally does anyone know where i can get the basics on where to learnt to crochet, I bought  the new magazine Mollie Makes and have subscribed for the next 3 issues.

so far its a huge thumbs up, and i would love to have a dabble at learning to crochet, but i dont know one end of a pointy thingy from the other (edited to add learnt it is called a hook, see I'm learning!)
 I was even going to buy a mag on crochet, but thought better of it. i mean i could buy tools to get started and still have change for the price it was!

I am also hoping that i will get a chance of making the cover kit on the next issue, as my youngest decided that she would have this issues and is in the process of making her phone cover, charming i know, honestly my kids will take anything of mine!

Crap photo but i am falling out with blogger tonight so it can stop, honestly i really need to stop shouting at my laptop

TUSAL and 4 Days On Corsair

Yes i have finally managed to actually get my TUSAL in on time, not much going on with it, but i am so tight with my threads but it is growing slowly.

Here is four days stitching on Corsair, she is growing but i didnt put a stitch in her today, as i was making the most out of no internet connection and getting the kids to help me outside. I don't really want to put it down but i need to spend a few extra days on Fragile Heart as i am falling way behind, if i want to actually finish a HAED this year.

This is what she looks like now...

                                       and this is what she looked like before the May SAL...

 i know what your thinking, wow she can stitch fast lol hoping i can redeem myself, but i am looking after my niece tomorrow so hoping this weekend will be better, will try and post a mid week update.

On my previous post, WENDY asked me what the red lines are on my fabric. I dont like gridding much as i am slow and always have to double and triple check the lines so i thought i would give Magic Guide by DMC a go. Now its no where near as nice to stitch on as Jazlyn but it saves me time but i had not seen any that some one had used it and washed the red lines out, so i cut some off my fabric and  followed the instructions on DMC's web site, which to be honest were not very good, wash at 40. That was it.

So i did that i put it into a bowl  at 40 and what happened.... nothing, i left it for a bit longer, still nothing. Panic was now starting to rise and hubby tried to rub it together. By this time i was on the edge of hysterical, all that work for nothing. I then put some washing powder in and it started to disappear. Hysteria abated i left if for another few minutes and this is the end, but very tatty product( lesson learnt not to let hubby had hold of my fabric again.)

you can faintly see the lines when you hold the fabric up to the light, maybe more soaking would eradicate it completely and i wouldnt use it if you could see the fabric but for HAED its perfect.
Now onto a mid week update on Corsair Daemira. I started stitching her on Saturday morning while having a marathon DVD session and by Sunday night I had got this far...

and that was stitching most of Saturday and Sunday, I wish I could stitch faster. I finally finished all the blue and by Monday night i had got this far...

I may even get half a page finished before the end of this week as niext week is the HAED SAL so i will be working on Fragile Heart, and i am not enjoying stitching on 18ct no more it feels too big, if that makes sense.
Hope everyone is having a productive week
.

Finally Finished ( page one that is)

Yes i did it, not like there were many stitches to put in, but there were a few colour changes, in there.

Dont know wether to continue with this page or make a start on Corsair Daemira, ( which will have to be renamed as i always have to look up the correct spelling- suggestions welcome, as i cant think  of any)

Quick Update

Did very Little stitching this week, on DOTF life seems to get in the way. But i AM going to finish this bleeding page this week, i am!!

Now must get back to planning this menu out for school, hubby back soon and i said i wouldnt touch the computer  and my stitching, will be glad when its next week and i get 5 days off work!

Fragile Heart

Crap photo I know!

Page 3 was emailed to us this week so i really need to pull my socks out as i really want to finish a HAED this year. It is the SAL tomorrow so this I took a photo to show where I am at the moment, I should at least finish this page this week.  Looking forward to seeing her eye come alive.

Black, Black and more Black

MY STITCHY BUG IS BACK!!!, Sorry i had to shout about it as i thought it had buggered off never to be seen again, i have got back into my mermaid again, and took it with me camping, I only took two colours with me 3371 and 301 ( dark brown and black), i did all of these two colours on page 5 and i have started page 6 which most of it is just black.

I really wanted to put it down and finish page one of DOTF but i am going to try and get all the black done before i swap, well as much as i can before Friday as its the Freebie SAL on the HAED BB this week.

The trouble with HAEDS are it doesn't look much but it takes me ages to stitch, so I'm happy with the progress, i am hoping you can see a difference at the end of the week

Updates

I  have made little progress of anything since i moved, as you will see, but I MUST finish the baby sampler, as last weekend was the Christening, and Charlottes first Birthday was today, so I really need to get it done.

As for my others well, I am still on page one of Fragile Heart, even though the second page has been mailed out to us.

I did make a start on Marilyn, but alas you cant tell which part it is yet, i think its near her face.

I am still on page one of DOTF, i think my goals are going to fail miserably this year!

Here is my start of Daffodil Springs, another Hannah Lynn which was my treat for moving, yes like i need ANOTHER new start.

And finally here is a piccie of the cupcakes i made for my nieces christening/birthday, not happy with some of them as my hubby was complaining saying i was getting the buttercream was too near the edge, but i prefer them that way, but i have got to make some more, for a child's birthday that was at the christening, so i will do it my way this time!

Here's Looking At You Kid

Here she is, and i have really enjoyed stitching her, so much that i am this week going to stitch another Hannah Lynn, Dreaming On The Farm, (  aka DOTF)  this week, I even remembered to fray check this piece.

Didn't Manage to Get As Much Done

Yay, i finally finished all the black on Fragile Heart, but boy did the last 1/4 of black take some doing. I have been playing taxi service with the kids and only have managed to stitch here and there but i will have to wait till next month to fill the bits in, i have seen a page stitched already on the HAED BB and the pinks just pop.
Will post a piccie tomorrow. Grumpy git (AKA the husband) has gone to bed and the camera is upstairs and its just peaceful with him asleep. should really go to bed since i am at work in 6 hours but I am drooling over Johnny Depp, yummy lol

TUSAL and monotone stitching

Well what can i say, black, black and more black and i am still only 3/4 of the page through, i am hoping to finish with all the black tomorrow as i am wanting to 'colour' in before i put it away on Friday.

And here is my TUSAL, on time too, woop woop ( lets see how long it lasts) most of my things are packed up so my orts are in a Baileys glass until i move and unpack and find something better to put them in. Can you see what's left of the candle - hubby didn't think to move it away from the fire, the dope!

New Start for the New Year

Well first of all, a Happy New Year to everybody! I hope everyone had good christmas, I am debating wether to take down the christmazs decorations today or not, i know my mum says it is bad luck but hell, im going to be homeless soon so im buggered anyway lol

I have decided to not do stupid resolutions that wont last( well not many of them anyway)
but i Do want to do the following:
try and read as many blogs as possible and keep up to date with them
reply to mail asap - as i tend to forget to reply
not change my avatars all the time, i am going to see if i can keep little miss mermaid for a whole year and not change my blog ( well after i have choosen a theme that i like)
NOT buy any more stitching patterns (this one may be hard when HAED keep releasing patterns to die for)

also i am wanting to take things as they ome and make the best of what i have got, there are people worse off than me
and be happy so any moaning posts you can offically kick my but!!

Now for the updates, been stitching Fragile Heart for the HAED SAL and have managed to do half a page of all the black, might do a bit more of her, would really like to get all the black out of the way.

She is stitched on 18ct 2 x1 and i really need to fray check the sides as there is not much room around the edges.
next I started a bit of Mermaid again, but i think i went into stitching overdrive and got fed up of stitching so went looking for a house to live, found nothing and went to bed depressed, i think i should have just carried on stitching.

Now i have to tidy the house up before i can do any mores stitching. i may be a while...

Goal Reached Just In Time

Well I Did it!! i reached my goal of completing four pages of my Mermaid this year, yes it is close and i would not have done it if i had not stitched all day during the Christmas holidays but i can now kit up for the HAED BB SAL that starts on Saturday, don't know what i am going to stitch until then, but i know my husband id relieved as i would not put the stitching down, and he was having to make his own cups of tea, aww poor thing lol.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas!

It's Beginning To Look A Bit Like Christmas

My news years resolution should be do finish something i start. As blogging everyday didn't go to plan. But thats Christmas for you.
Anyway i am showing the very little progress i have done on Mermaid, can you see them 20 stitches? No, well honestly they are there!

Took the photo on my new christmas present, well to be honest hubby bought a camera and said it was a joint present for both of us to each other. Now i know i shouldn't be ungrateful but he wanted a camera so got it i didn't want it, yes its better than our old camera but it wasn't high on my list of 'must get', so will i get to unwrap a handbag, purse even some glovers or slippers on christmas day, No as i have it now, yes i am feeling in a very selfish mood tonight, bloody men well it could have been worse, it could have been some tool or kitchen appliance i got.

Grumpy Bev has now left the building, so back to normal service...
The 2011 Weekly Stitch-A-Long Blog is now up and people can join in and i have put on to carry on with mermaid, but i bought this chart from Celtic Rose Needlecraft,


some of you will know that i have stitched Marilyn before in the 2009 SAL blog. So i am not bot sure which to put forward for the blog.

There is also another SAL i am doing on the HAED BB. From the 5 charts i chose Hannah Lynn Fragile Heart, I have got the floss list emailed through to me so i know have to get my fabby sorted out and make sure i have all the floss, as this also starts on the 1st Jan 2011.

Will i finish a design next year, who knows i managed to finish 2 UFO's this year, i am hoping to finish at least one next year, and as for reaching my yearly goal on the HAED BB of finishing 4 pages of Mermaid, well that is looking less likely all the time

Its Officially Christmas

I decided to make the trifle( minus the sherry, yuck!) yes i changed my mind, but I'm a woman and thats what we do lol, I did get a bit carried away a bit with the chocolate flake, but who doesn't like chocolate!

As i thought, i didn't get much done on Mermmie but still progress it progress.

For the calender we have little biscuits, - if you can make them out, which no i am not making today. Maybe later though lol,

and why is official?   i have seen the Coca-Cola advert today, so Christmas is now here! now if only i could write the christmas cards out, however, it seems my children have bet me to it and used all the cards i bought and left us with  the dodgy ones. Lovely.

Busy,Busy,Busy

Yesterday was like the title says a busy day, i did manage some stitching just not on Christmas Dreams, the bed side lamp is much better for stitching and yes i was being lazy Mermmie was at the side of my bed so i stitched on her last night as my legs just couldn't make it down the stairs to get C-D.

After blogging i dug my car out, dug path out, baked the christmas cake, and boy you can smell the alcohol in it, put the Christmas Tree up ( which i hate but not buying a real tree this year) and managed to make hubby a steamed sponge pudding, all this in 4 hours, so today i was hoping that with it being -11 on the car temperature and black ice everywhere that they wouldn't open the school, but alas they have. The head who lives a mile from me had texted to say it took him an hour to get there( its 8 minutes normally) and be careful, I HATE ICE!! as much as snow.So instead of being able to finish the house off and then stitch i have now to crap myself while driving to work, yes i may live in a beautiful place but all the hills make driving bad at this time of year.

So roll on this afternoon, when i am home and can have the fire on and relax because, ice,snow and kids in school just don't mix!

oh i almost forgot today we have Trifle on the advent Calender. Sherry trifle, yes brings back memories of Christmas parties when i was a child in the 70's the women drinking Snowballs, men on the bitter and us kids sneaking some punch that would have but a horse on its back, while Slade and Wizard were playing full blast, never had trifle since then, may make it for tea tonight, that's if the kids haven't ate the jelly...

Shopping Spree revealed and a few progress pictures

Well I made a start on the baby sampler, as i thought the christening was in a few weeks, but that's been put on hold so there is no rush now, so i will work on it once a month, so i am classing this as Novembers work.

I can also reveal what i bought on my shopping spree ( without even leaving the house)

Yes it is a Mirabilia's  Royal Holiday and Lizzie Kate's Christmas Rules, in the kit for Royal Holiday i got Linen fabric, which to be honest i hate stitching on, so i have ordered some from Silkweaver, I am hoping that it wont take too long to come, as i cant wait to get started on her, but i did start on Lizzie kate's Christmas Rules.

Its stitched on 28ct Ivory Jazlyn, which i love stitching on, definitely my fabric now i want to stitch on.

I have also stitched some more of DOTF, did a few days on it. You can actually see some of the antique white now, the blue is next to it.

Here is a quick update of my mermmie, still not got page 3 finished but i am stitching page four too, i have a pile or ironing that needs to be done, but i cant put her down!

And finally here is what i bought from HAED....

By Randal Spangler, Home is Where The Magic Is... a meer 48 pages of charts, yes this is one serious long term project, and then i bought this...

Vixie by Hannah Lynn. I bought both in colour chart format and i love them, now when they will get started on i have no idea. 

Sneak Previews

Since I cant stitch i'm going to show you the terrible updates i have made, some are not worth the photo, but i need to finish (or start) the baby sampler as i think its the christening next month.

                                     This is what it is supposed to look like when i have finished

This is what it looks like at the moment.

See terrible, i am hoping that it will spur me on

This is what i have done on Paradisal Bird, since i started it

i don't like it, i don't know if its because i don't like the colour of the evenweave and if it was white it would show more, but i chose this because of the dark greens that are in it, i didn't want them showing through, but maybe if i did a bit on it i would get back into it.

here is the progress i made on Dreaming On The Farm.

 there is 2000 stitches here, but the antique white makes it hard to tell, especially with the gridding, i hope that it washes out ok.

                                      And finally this is a piece of art by Brigid Ashwood, which i adore.

 i love the pin up style and have wanted to stitch something like this for years, i can only hope that this becomes available to buy on HAED

I Can't Stitch For A WEEK

I have just had eye surgery and i am not allowed to stitch until at least Thursday when i go back to the hospital for the results of the biopsy and for them to check my eye, i have a patch on ( i took it off as the tape was driving me to distraction but it is stuck back on and now i keep walking into things again!

Since i cant stitch i have been trying to sort out all my blogs that i read as they all went off for some reason, i am sure there is some missing so if your not on give me a holla and i will sort it out, its not like i can do anything else this week, imagine a week off work and i cant stitch.

So here is the progress i made on Mermmie, still didn't finish page 3 but i suppose if i hadn't started a bit of page 4 i would have, i will put a update on Dreaming On The Farm too, as soon as my batteries charge up, and speaking of Hannah Lynn Disney i received my picture yesterday that i won from her Facebook auction! i love it, as i was going to wrap it up and put it away in our new house, whenever and wherever that will be but i couldn't wait, so here is my one of a kind no copies available picture, i may be having a crap time lately but this made up for it.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, I'm off to try and get some sympathy- not that i will get any on this house lol