Monday, July 31, 2006

Hmmmm ... a wee addiction?

Here's what I made yesterday :) ... I used fabric that I already had - I've loved the friends one for ages and just been waiting for something to do with it - I only had a fat quarter though, so had to be a wee inventive to make sure I used it the best I could, for anyone making these, it's probably useful to know that a fat quarter is enough for the main fabric on the outside and base and I think it was half a metre I had of the purple which was just enough for the lining, top contrast and handles. The narrower top is a mistake, but one of those mistakes that actually turned out well - when I went to do the final sewing of the lining and bag together there was an extra half inch for the outside, I must have measured the main fabric wrong to start with - but I actually think it shows the main fabric better and for that particular one probably worked better that way, funny how those things work out! I love the blue and green one - I'm not actually sure what I'm doing with these two, but I know it's going to be hard to give them away LOL.

I did do a wee bit of stitching last night - I started our NZ SAL ornament for July, I was hoping to sneak in and finish it before July was over but might not quite do it - I might update my goals one or two days late, just so I can mark it off as a Yes! Saturday night I finished stitching my house exchange piece, I just need to put it together now.

I've got a busy week this week so don't imagine a lot of stitching will be done at all. I'll try and be nice to myself in the afternoons and give myself some me time - but we'll see how it goes.

Off to do some work now ... hope everyone has had a great weekend!

Friday, July 28, 2006

So. Tired...

I knew this week was going to be a toughie ... and next week too, but that doesn't quite make feeling like crap from lack of sleep any better today! I haven't gotten to sleep before midnight since Monday night. Tuesday night was AGM then the netball - in bed at about midnight, and then tossed and turned. Wednesday was stocktaking, home about 11.30pm ... alseep about 12.30, last night was my usual late working night ... but of course, no work until about 10.30pm then a couple of urgent things came in ... first one froze ... grrrrrrrr ... finished the other one about 12.30, home after 1.00am ... this morning? I'm tired, surprise, surprise! Roll on a normal bedtime tonight and the next couple of nights before a full on week of late nights next week.

I did stitch last night though - before work came in I worked on my house exchange piece for a while, I'm hoping to get some more done this evening and finish it tomorrow, then stitch this month's ornament to just sneak in to meeting those two goals before the end of the month!

So, that is my exciting life, work, work and more work :) I'm off to dust the furniture and vaccum now - so at least the house looks slightly respectible!

Thanks for all the comments on my bag - I'm still rather chuffed with it :)

Thursday, July 27, 2006

No stitching yesterday, BUT!


I sewed :)

Another thank you to Katrina for passing the pattern on to me - I love this! I bought the fabric while we were in Napier at our retreat, so it will always be a nice little memory as well.

While I was sewing it Charlotte was asking ... can I have one, can you do this, can you do that ... until I got fed up and said NO!!! This is for ME! just ME! ... just for a change ;)

What's even nicer is I actually managed to follow the pattern, not make any boo-boos and finish with a good looking bag - it will be perfect for carrying my knitting and stitching around in.

I have ideas to make more - a teddy bear one for my mother for Christmas, a quilting themed one for Deb and her mother for Christmas ... I'm totally hooked ;)

I had a busy day yesterday, and a few more busy ones to come. We are stocktaking as a fund raiser for the school so I was at The Warehouse from 6-11pm last night (hence the little afternoon spoiling to myself and taking the time to sew for ME!) ... work tonight, tomorrow night - weekend at home (yay!), then three more nights stocktaking. Roll on end of September when fundraising for school and a soccer tournament should be all finished.

Okay - off to type up minutes and sort out last years filing for cricket, so I can sort this years stuff into a more organised state :)

Thanks for all the compliments lately - they make a girls day!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Quick Halloween Fairy update



Isn't she lovely! I'm a wee bit disappointed in the green wings - they're a lovely colour but get lost in the fabric, I'm using the fabric from the kit this time and didn't expect that - they are outlined though, so once that is stitched I'm sure they will be more see-able.

This was after last night's stitching, I was hoping to get some more in today, but I'm not sure where the day has gone - maybe later, maybe not.

I've got the Cricket Assn AGM tonight - think of me as I have to present the accounts, my least favourite thing is to speak in front of a group of people and on top of that I know the Chairman isn't particularly happy with the way they are laid out. The Auditor was more than happy, and we discussed how my coding is different from last year as I am new to the job this year - but it is worth one year of a bit of confusion, to make sure that they're consistent in future years, but I know for sure that Mr Chairman isn't particularly happy with it!

There is a NZ/Aussie netball game tonight at 10.00pm ... I'm hoping to be home and stitching for it - so lets hope it's a quick meeting (I can dream, right?).

Monday, July 24, 2006

I feel good :)

There is nothing like good friends, good food, good wine (and whine! LOL), stitching and shopping to make a girl feel good.

Our little NZ retreat was this weekend and we had a lovely time - thank you Katrina, Kath, Wendy, Donna and Pat!!

I was biking home with Charlotte from her gymnastics class this afternoon, with the sun shining ... and just thought ... I feel good - I still have way too much to do, not enough time to do it, but I feel so much more relaxed and less stressed, and I'm sure it's the weekend away from it all that helped.

Also helped by the fact that my wonderful DH had the house tidied, laundry up to date and dinner all cooked by the time I arrived home :) I'll keep him on a little longer! LOL

... and some pictures, just to prove we stitched, and didn't just eat and chat ;)


Here is the start of Stargazer - bit of a blue blob for now, but I'm already loving her.














and the start of Mirabilia's Halloween Fairy - I'm going to carry on with the fairy for a couple of days - I have a free evening tonight (and good TV!), and hopefully a couple of free hours tomorrow - after that I'm busy, busy, busy again - cricket AGM tomorrow night (which I'm all ready for *phew*), stocktaking at one of our big stores for ski-camp fundraising Wednesday night then work Thursday and Friday. A free weekend and then stocktaking Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings ... no rest for the wicked, and I was obviously VERY wicked at some point in my life!



and last but not least - we had a winter exchange, I was a lucky girl and ended up (after a few fun swaps) to end up with a bis... whatsit pillow from Katrina (isn't it lovely!) along with some lovely smelly shower gel and a cute notepad - thank you again Katrina!

Monday, July 17, 2006

Summer Fairy

It was HAED stitching in my rotation yesterday - so I was a good girl and stuck to it! Here is my Summer Fairie - I only worked on her last night, I was busy putting an exchange together in the afternoon. I did a wee bit of her skin, and the blue/purple scattered stitches on the left.

I can't wait to get this finished because it's not my favourite anymore, I like it - but so many of the QS I like a lot better, and really want to start ... but I'm trying to make myself finish this first - I know what I'm like, if I don't, it will sit in a WIP draw for a long, long ... time.

Kids are back at school today, and I'm trying to start this term with new "habits" which includes walking each day and less internet "playing" - I've been watching Dr Phil ;)

Thanks for the comments on the Stargazer fabric! Funny enough, I came across a piece of Countrystitch's Autumn Thyme not long after I posted those pictures, and the two colours are amazingly identical - but I like the feel of Countrystitch's better ... so I might go with the Autumn Thyme :)

Sunday, July 16, 2006

What do you think?



I was going to order a new piece of fabric for Mirabilia's Stargazer ... but going with my mission this year to only use fabric (wherever possible) that I've already got so as to save money, and use the oodles of fabric stash I already have - I went through my fabric today and found this one. So what do you think? It looks a bit more dusky in real life, the blue tinge through it doesn't show quite as well either ... but is there enough to bring out the blues of the design. I quite like it, I was going to go with a thundery grey coloured fabric (had to find one
that matched what was in my head, of course LOL) - from the pictures I've seen of this stitched up though - the nighttime colours seem to make the design get lost on the fabric. I thought I would fall in love with Countrystitch's specially dyed fabric for it - but having seen it finished I think it makes look the lady is being drawn up to the "light" (probably just me!). So, anyway, what do you think? crazy, yuck, cool - or what? (it is Silkweaver's Greystone)

Friday, July 14, 2006

Sad news

NZ paralympian killed in motor accident I don't know the shooter particularly well, have seen him around at shoots, but couldn't say I know him. But Ross Mason (wife Kris Mason was driving) who was in a different vehicle going somewhere else is a friend, and extremely good man (you know, one of those few truly GOOD people in the world) - he has put so much heart, soul and time into this shooting team to get them to World Champs etc and to give them the same opportunites that healthy bodied shooters have. I just know that poor man will be absolutely gutted, not to mention poor Kris who was driving.

And as an aside - Alison Fursdon is an old shooting friend that I haven't seen or heard from for a few years, she left her DH and children and took off overseas with another shooter about, oh 10 years ago, I didn't even know she was involved in the team and was so surprised to see her name there!

On a happier note - I FINALLY took the kids up to see the Statue of Mary today. I have promised, and promised, and promised again, Charlotte that I would take her up there but something always happens and we don't make it. You can see it from the road, and at night her halo lights up and Charlotte has asked lots of questions about how big it is, what's it made out of etc etc so I said I'd take her up and have a look.

Here's a photo of the kids and the Statue


and a picture of the view - the big green and yellow building is our Pak n' Save supermarket - I think Charlotte was more thrilled that she could see it from the top of the hill and that it looked so different ... than she was at finally seeing the statue! LOL

Thursday, July 13, 2006

SBQ - 12 July 2006

I'm sure there is a little logo/clicky thing you can put on these? It's that long since I joined up, and then never answered any - I can't remember where to find it. Anyway, on to the question -

"Since you started blogging, have you noticed any difference in your stitching
habits? Tell us about them.
"

My habits haven't changed too much, they changed more once I'd entered the internet world of stitching about 6yrs ago. There is definitely more enabling, more ideas on finishing and more ideas on rotation ideas - all of which I've pulled what I want/need/aspire to from. I have made lots of new friends and contacts though, which is always very very nice :)

No stitching updates today - I'm working on an exchange piece, which I did get a good block of done yesterday :)

I've got a few soccer things to sort out this morning, really really need to get some laundry done (this rain is getting tired), and work tonight - not a very exciting day at all! Hopefully work will be quiet and I'll be able to get some stitching done.

Thanks for all the lovely comments lately - I love to know people are interested in my little life and my stitching :)

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Smooches



I did indeed pick out a Mirabilia to stitch, as per my planned rotation - yay! me!

As is pretty usual with me, I'm left wondering why I'd left it so long - I really enjoyed stitching on this yesterday. I did a lot of her left sleeve and the greenery/flowers on that side. Now to put them away for another week :)

Should be a good stitching day/evening today as well - I need to find a couple of charts for exchange pieces and will probably work on those tonight.

Got to get moving, shopping to do ... and I want it done early!

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

I won!

I won our World Cup sweepstake at work :) ... I get a lovely little cash prize of about $100 (I can't remember exactly how much) ... just the right amount for guilt free shopping for our weekend away - isn't life good? DH thought I was nutty for picking Italy to win - HA!

No stitching update from yesterday because I didn't even touch it :( ... I hate that, I need my daily stitching fix! ... the day just seemed to get away from me - I did some soccer work in the morning, did some housework, took Josh to the shops so he could pick out some clothes and a book for his birthday - folded the HUGE pile of laundry and the it was dinner time. I then had a gymnastics committee meeting ... and that was my day.

I'm hoping that I don't even have to leave the house today - and I plan to stitch the afternoon and evening away. According to my rotation I should be stitching a Mirabilia so I think I will dig The Kiss out - she hasn't seen the light for day for I hate to think how many months.

Oh - and I lied about not leaving the house - I got a call at 8.30am this morning to remind me about Charlotte's dental check-up at 9.00am - which I'd forgotten about, so I got to wake her up, break the news to her ... and then rush down to the school dental clinic and hold down a screaming, kicking Charlotte. Even better? The Dental nurse thinks she might have some decay and she wants to check her again in 3 months ... which is about a month before she starts school - nothing like a bit of extra trauma to welcome her to school - so went from there and got the kids some games and DVDs for a few days ... so we're all set now for a quiet day in :)

Just remembered the other thing I did yesterday rather than stitching - I made the cutest little book for Charlotte. She is desperate to learn how to read, so Josh spent sometime taking photos of her for me yesterday - doing different things. I then put the photos into a word document and she has a little book of "I can ... " that she can VERY proudly read herself. I'm going to do another one with "This is ... " and take photos of all of us. So the day wasn't lost in boring work and housework!

Monday, July 10, 2006

Happy Birthday Josh!

and Yay! Italy (fancy having two titles to choose from, I always have trouble coming up with one!).

Happy Birthday to our Josh - he is 12 today :) ... hard to believe that 12 years has gone by since our little very pale skinned, white fuzzed hair 6lb20z baby boy was born. He literally flew into the world ... so quickly that the new mid-wife turned around and almost missed him ... and got a good talking to later (DH heard the "old" midwife telling her to never, never, turn your back on a patient). He came out blue with an initial agpar score of one - they suctioned him out and then rushed him off - to this day I'm not sure what they did with him, I think they gave him some oxygen and cleared his airways some more. Now he's a very intelligent, quiet, caring (still pale)12 year old ... who is slowly getting to my height ;)

and Italy - wooohoooo! I was third in our sweepstakes at work before the weekend, I picked both Germany and Italy AND picked Italy to win before the tournament started, which also earns me extra points ... I toyed with the idea of picking France so I'd be guaranteed a safe 5pts, but went with the gamble and it paid off. No idea if I'm still in the running for prizes - but I'm chuffed that "my" team won :D ... makes it, oh so much more exciting when you've got money on it! LOL (probably the best way of seeing through four weeks of a soccer made family!).

In a funny World Cup thing - Josh's birthday being today, of course, was also the same day as the World Cup final ... of course Josh has no interest in it whatsoever ... if it had been Cameron's birthday it would have been a perfect sleep-over/party for him as he's the soccer mad fan of the house (along with big brother and Dad of course). Funny how things work out ;)

On to stitching ... here is a picture of my needleroll for the SAL weekend - I supposed I'm supposed to put it away for a few weeks now? Gosh, that won't be easy, it's a fun stitch - I'm not sure why I've had it kitted up for so long and not started it!

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and lastly - a photo of the four younger kids (Mr nearly 15yo is just too old and above himself to go bush walking with them) - they are (I think) at the top of walk they did yesterday, that is Otaki River below them - the car would have been parked on the other side of the river - DH got some good photos of them all crossing the swing bridge - but I won't bore you with those! They had a great day :)

(Charlotte, Josh, Rhiannon and Cameron)

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Sunday, July 09, 2006

Well ... I did take a photo

But DH has just left with all the kids to go on a bush walk, and taken the camera with him! I'll forgive him, this once.

So I get to tell you that I did indeed start a needleroll, after looking for all the supplies for Sweetheart Tree's Victorian Floral Needleroll, and finding that I didn't have anything - not even the right DMC colours, that I'd start Little Pink Houses (M Designs) instead - especially as I've had it all kitted up for quite a while.

So I had a lovely little photo of little pink houses - the line of houses nearly completed - but you will just have to pretend instead.

I'm off to do a wee bit of soccer work, then try and get an hour or two in before going off to work this afternoon.

The house would be quiet ... except the big teenager is home, of course *sigh*

Saturday, July 08, 2006

No stitching update

Ha! make a goal to update your stitching daily ... and what happens, you don't get to stitch! It was very quiet at work last night ... but you can see what I did instead of stitching ;) ... I took the opportunity of the peace and quiet and fiddled with my blog, I never did like the rose before it - I was playing around and ran out of time to do anything further.

Thank you to Nicki (Plush) for the idea and link to photos to change the top banner - I can't work out how to make it exactly the right length, but I'm happy as it is. I even fiddled and change a few colours of headings so it all fitted - quite proud of myself, I am ;)

I sometimes get to stitch for half an hour or so when I come home from work on a Friday night ... but last night I arrived home to find DH in a tizz surrounded by bakery goods and no idea where to put them. I have a wonderful friend whose BIL owns a local bakery, she will quite often ring and say she has some leftovers at home that are great for the kids' lunches and after school snacks ... but last night the charity who usually does the pick up of the leftovers on a Friday night didn't turn up - so he dropped the whole lot off to my friend's place. So she rang here and David went around collected a whole lot. I managed to find places in the freezer for all the freezable things ... and we have plenty of filled rolls for lunch AND dinner ;) So anyway, my usual stitching time was spent wrapping filled rolls and finding room in the freezer and fridge to put everything ... and I'm not complaining, not one little bit ;O) ... these extras from my friend really do help the grocery budget! (she has five children as well and in a very similar situation to us so she knows how much we appreciate it).

I don't think I mentioned my plans for tomorrow (Sunday) ... DH obviously finally got the hint that I'm desperate for some alone time ... and is taking the kids out for the day - off to Otaki Forks which has a couple of great bush walks, they're planning on going in the morning, doing one of the small walks, having a picnic lunch, then doing another small one - giving me a day at home alone ... I've been looking forward to it all week. Of course, you know what happens don't you? I got asked to come into work at 3.00pm for a few hours - and I never say no to weekend overtime, good money, no childcare to worry about ... and going away in a couple of weeks! ... so my whole quiet day has disappeared :( ... not to worry, I'll still have the morning and I'll have time to stop in at Spotlight on the way into Wellington ;)

Righty oh ... I need to get moving ... washing to do, house to tidy etc ... just the usual. Although I had a meeting to go to this afternoon (ski camp fundraising for school) which has now been changed until tomorrow ... and joy of joys - I genuinely can't go because I'll be at work *dancing dancing dancing* (I don't enjoy these meetings at all - I have to go if I want help paying for Josh to go to camp, but most the parents are very lapse in volunteering and it is VERY frustrating).

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Friday, July 07, 2006

A little work stitching

Just a little! ... I had one of those frustrating times when every bit I went to stitch, I didn't have the right cotton with me! It's been so long since I stitched this I'd say I've pinched the colours out for other things. I did manage to stitch the leaves on the left and the grey steps/walls, whatever they are, at the front bottom of the house. I'll make sure I've got the couple of missing colours to take with me to work tonight though!

I'm very tempted to join in with Katrina and the other needleroll SAL girls this weekend ... wonder how long/difficult it would be to find one of my long put off needleroll charts amongst my ... very untidy and unorganised ... stash.

It's the end of week one of two weeks of school holidays here - mostly I like them ... but then there are mornings like today where I've just sent Mr nearly 15yo to his room because I'm sick of his smart, not nice, comments to his sister ... and the whining reaction from said sister that goes with it. Although, I must say, I'm always relieved when he actually listens to me - he's a good few inches taller and bigger than me now and could quite easily to tell me to go get knotted! (of course, he knows darn well that would probably results in loss of phone, or no roadcode book etc etc which helps).

I have so much to do this morning. I need to desperately tidy and clean this house up a bit, Rhiannon has a friend coming to play. I have some matchbox cars that need posting out, but need to go buy the boxes to do those. Probably means I should get off here and get to it!

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Thursday Morning

and it's already 10.15am! I need to go do some grocery shopping, then get back home and ready for work - I remembered in the shower this morning that I'm supposed to be there about three hours early, which means I need to leave about 2.00pm. So much for getting lots of work done this morning! Anyway - here are a few picture updates.



Firstly - my very "slow" HAED Quick stitch - I'm loving stitching this though ... after 20 or so years of cross-stitching I think I'm just plain enjoying something a bit different - kwim? I'm quietly hoping to finish this one this month - but we'll see how life pans out ;)










and then we have an ornament I've been stitching for a few months - it's my, what am i going to bring and stitch, pick up and stitch, one!














and lastly, last months NZ SAL ornament - Peace by Charlotte's Web Designs.


Okay - now I've also got to drop a couple of the kids off to a friends house, so I need to get moving, grooving!

(... but I did manage to do an update - as promised in my goals! LOL)


Wednesday, July 05, 2006

June to July

June Round-Up

1. Finish Friendship Exchange and send off - yes
2. NZ SAL Ornament - yes
3. One other ornament - no
4. Finish Woodland Cottage - no

I did do my ebay stitching though -

DT - English Garden Pocket
PS - Tall Oak Sampler
LHN - Rose Sampler
SB - Be True

I'm hoping they make enough money to give me a lovely guilt free stitchy/stash weekend with our NZ group of ladies :)

July's Goals

I really, really need to get myself into a stitching routine/rotation again ... but I'm just not too good at sticking to one! ... so I need something with a bit of freedom, but also gets me working on some pieces I haven't touched in a while.

I also want to get better at blogging regularly AND commenting on other blogs, I've got pretty hopeless at that lately.

Soooo ...

Goals

1. NZ SAL Ornament
2. One other Ornament
3. Finish Woodland Cottage
4. House Exchange
5. Work on Mirabilia The Kiss
6. Work on HAED Quick Stitch (maybe even finish it!)

7. Update Blog daily, with that day's stitching.
8. Comment on at least 3 blogs each day.

Rotation

Monday - HAED
Tuesday - Mirabilia
Wed - Ornament/Exchange
Thursday - Ornament/Exchange
Friday - whatever
Saturday - whatever
Sunday - HAED

Weekend of 21-23rd, I plan to throw the rotation out of the window and possibly start Mirabilia's Stargazer - that is the weekend we are away and I think I deserve a treat!