A quilt, finished!

I'm feeling very proud of myself - a whole, real live, quilt - all finished, by me :) I've fiddled, collected fabric, and dabbled in the quilting thing, but this is the first one I've started and finished :)

... and a close up

It is for a friend's baby - well, the sister of a friend - she is part of our Wednesday morning Womens' Group. As I was finishing hand-stitching the binding on last night I got a phone call to say she was in labour - so the baby should have arrived by now.

As always, thanks for looking. Thanks also for all the comments on my last finishes!

I meant to say in that last post - that little "Quick Stitch" had 87 colours in it!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week :)

A finish ... and another, finish!

Always feels good to finish things :)

Firstly - Summer Fairy, HAED Designs - Artist, Rachel Anderson.



I started this as a practice/experiment on 32ct fabric, I'm wanting to stitch Faery Tales and needed to "play" with something smaller.Here's what I learnt:

Quick Stitches -aren't really that quick!
32ct - is too small for me, 28ct seems to the perfect balance (I didn't like 25ct).
Faery Tales will probably take me a lifetime, but I still want to give it a go ;)

I also finally finished the Mirabilia RR piece, I've still got another to do - so much for wanting them both stitched quickly and away in the post to their owners. I'll probably start the next one this weekend. Meanwhile - here is Cottage Garden Fairy (or part of her).



I started Pink Carnations (Sweetheart Tree) last night - just felt like something smaller, quicker and fun. I was hoping to take it to work tonight - but my boss rung this morning asking if I could do some extra hours as we have six urgent verbatum tapes to do, apparently they are taped off CD recordings of an Employment Case meeting. These tapes are never easy, but apparently these are even worse because the sound quality hasn't come across very well. Oh yay! ... and even worse - those six are the URGENT ones, there are nine more after that! So, there is no hope of stitching tonight, only of overtime.

As always, thanks for looking and reading my rambles :)

Exchanges Catch Up

First, and most importantly, the thank you's!!

I received my Stitchers Bloggers Exchange Board - Needlework Smalls Exchange from Andrea yesterday - she spoilt me!

She sent me an adorable little pinkeep that has a little pocket in the back for scissors to sit in - great idea, one one I'll definitely remember for the future! Plus some lovely little goodies, including a chart I've loved for a long time - I'm not sure how I'm going to stop myself from stitching it straight away - thank you Andrea!





I also received my exchange gift from a "Mystery" Exchange on the Cross Stitch Crazy Board - Tanya sent me an adorable little Nantucket basket and some fabric - thank you Tanya!



My Mystery Exchange that I sent to Velda also arrived during the week (two weeks to Canada ... I was getting nervous about it not turning up). I'm glad you liked it Velda!

5 Weird Things ...

I got tagged by Margaret (hi Margaret *waving*) ...

"I have to say 5 things that are weird about myself or my pets" I've been thinking about this and have trouble thinking of five things - does that mean I'm maybe not as weird as I thought? LOL ... so I've turned "weird" into "interesting facts" ;)

Five Interesting Facts about Me and Maisie:

1. I blatently admit to pinching this from Katrina's answers ... because it's the same for me. I have a phobia of Magpies - not birds though, just Magpies ... and yeah, I'll still turn around and find an alternative route if one looks particularly threatening (not so much these days ... I'm braver than I used to be!).
2. I've had five children - all completely naturally, no inductions, no drugs (except a little gas for a couple of them), no forceps or anything - in this day and age I think that's quite unusual ... not necessarily weird ... but unusual ;)
3. I like nothing better than being alone, not so weird, except I come from a big family and have a big family ... got to wonder where that trait comes from! (although one my mother and Charlotte definitely have too ...)
4. Maisie loves cheese ... so much so that Charlotte now knows that she can't leave her cheese sandwiches alone, because much to her disgust (and distress) Maisie has pinched them a couple of times and raced outside with them to tuck into the cheese. She's also been known to grab a good sized lump of it off the kitchen bench when I've had my back turned.
5. Maisie does this sweet thing most mornings where she sits on the corner neighbour's fence and waits for me to walk back from dropping off the kids in the morning. She miaows as soon as she sees me across the road and then jumps down and walks with me along the road and up the driveway.

I've got some exchange pictures and thank yous to catch up on. I'll come back soon with that post!

Last picture to show ...

I couldn't upload more than five photos into one post, so this one had to be done as a separate one.

This is the first Mirabilia RR piece I need to do this month - taken a LOT longer than I thought it would! I just have a wee bit of stitching on her hand that I missed and then the beads to put on :) I've left her wings out, I actually got the thread, cut it and everything to start them, but when I looked at everyone elses parts (I'm the last to stitch on this one) everyone had left wings out ... so I figured I should too.

10 days!

Where did 10 days go, so fast!! Silly thing is, I haven't actually been as busy as I had been the last few months ... but just can't seem to make the time to update my blog :) ... and those goals I so optimistically made? HA! first weekend we had two BBQ's ... that kinda mucked up my planned stitching time, but such is life ... I am working through them and pretty much sticking to the list!

Anyway - some pictures ... because they're always much more fun than my rambling ...

Ornament from this year's JCS Ornament Magazine, designed by Elizabeth Designs. This should have been stitched on 36ct ... I think I used 28ct, and it really made a difference, it would look much nicer on a smaller count.

Next is the first in the With My Needle series that started in the 2003 Ornament Magazine ... this is my ebay offering this month, I'm planning on stitching and finishing them all as a set.

and then we have the quilted fabric cards - thank you to (Kiwi)Jo for the link to instructions for making these, I had a lot of fun with them! These are all Christmas ones, and I plan on using them for putting in with ornament exchanges this Christmas ... I had a lot of fun using stitches on my sewing machine that I just don't use enough!

and I had some pictures here I'd taken of my smalls exchange I'm sending off tomorrow, and realised I can't show them yet! So, you just have to imagine them ;)

September into October

October already! oh my!

September Round-Up

1. Finish July Ornament - yes!
2. September SAL Ornament - Yes!
3. Finish one other Ornament - no
4. Finish Woodland Cottage - yes! (at last LOL)
5. Work on The Kiss - no
6. Work on The Stargazer - Yes!
7. Work on HAED Summer Fairy - no (it is so close to being finished)
8. Finish Linen and Lace - didn't even stitch on it
9. Work on DT Sampler Game Board - Yes!

I also started and finished the Prairie School Christmas Sampler and stitched a small exchange gift which I've sent off.

October Goals/Rotation

Ohhhhh ... that evil word, rotation, is in there again. I work to goals, much much better - so I'm making my goals, my rotation.

1. Finish the finishing of my smalls exchange.
2. 1st Mirabilia RR piece (5/10)
3. Ornament (7/10)
4. 2nd Mirabilia RR piece (10/10)
5. Ebay item (17/10)
6. 5hrs HAED (19/10)
7. Ornament (22/10)
8. 10hrs Stargazer (25/10)
9. Ebay piece (29/10)
10. 5hrs The Kiss (31/10)
11. Finish piecing quilt together.

The dates are when I expect to be finished that particular goal. I'd also like to work on DT's Linen and Lace and Sampler Game Board. If I have any gaps where I finish things early (I'm such an optimist! LOL) I will try and work on those then.

Righty oh ... if I'm going to have hope of meeting those goals I need to get to work so I have time to stitch later :)

Woodland Cottage

Lookie here ... another finish! ... and just managed to slip it into September so I meet a goal too.

Woodland Cottage - Elizabeth Designs

32ct Linen (can't remember the name, I really must start writing these things down as I start a piece!).

I should answer the Stitching Bloggers Question of the Week with this one! I started it quite a while ago, discovered after I'd stitched all the trees that one of the first ones was two stitches out (that's four threads out) ... but it would have been a major to undo, so I left it as was ... then didn't have a colour so put it aside and then struggled to work up the enthusasim to finish it off, knowing I was going to be fudging all the way ... and boy did it take fudging ... I must have been THREE threads out ... so one side is a thread out from the other ... and it took some fiddling to fit everything else in, but I did it, and I doubt anyone except me would notice.

The girls and I had a lovely day yesterday :) ... did the bank account a wee bit of damage, but not too much. I found a couple of books at The Warehouse that I've wanted to read marked down in price, the girls got a few clothes ... so we were all happy. Got home about 2ish and the girls amused themselves while I watched a DVD and finished the cottage - now, that's how life should be! LOL Oh, and the report from Taupo is that the soccer team had won 5 out of 5 games so far, including one from the top Auckland team who seems to be VERY serious, and wasn't at all happy ;)

Feeling so much more refreshed today I'm ready to tackle some work and hopefully sew up some more the quilt.

The Prairie Schooler - Christmas

A finish! ... um, and it's not even on my goals for September, how did that happen? LOL

Christmas Sampler - The Prairie Schooler

Stitched on a stray piece of cream coloured 32ct linen

Today the girls and I are going shopping! I even managed to get them to tidy their bedroom as an incentive to get going (so I shouldn't really be sitting here LOL). DH and the two middle boys are away at a soccer tournament for the weekend, the biggest boy is still asleep in bed and I imagine will be there for a while ... so it's just the two girls and I :)

Did I mention that David Jnr now has his learners driving licence? AND officially starts his first real "grown up" job tomorrow (at the local supermarket stocking shelves - a 6hr shift every Sunday) ... gosh it really does seem like just yesterday he was learning how to walk!

Oh, and I caved and bought another HAED Quick Stitch last night ... I haven't even finished the first one, and have a few others I've bought and drool over every now and again too. I can't get a direct link to the picture, but it is Red Witch by Meredith Dillman. I'm really really tempted to start it tonight ... but WILL finish Woodland Cottage first!

Righty oh ... must go, those girls will be chasing me soon.

Look, two posts in two days!

I didn't stitch at all yesterday - but I did start making a quilt! ... well, I started in the weekend by cutting lots of little squares, yesterday I cut strips and started sewing it together, and so far, so good! It is for a friend having a baby - she is due end of October, so I needed to get moving. I'm really pleased with it so far :) This is the first two strips sewn together, the third isn't attached, just put there so I could see how it is looking - and a closer up too - my corners aren't 100% perfect, but I think they're okay.














and the promised Prairie Schooler WIP - I was hoping to finish this yesterday but got involved in the quilting thing, and then went to my parents for dinner and after that off to a meeting. I'll take it to work tonight and hope that it is quiet.

Another quietish day today - I have minutes to type up from last night, some accounts to send off and such, desperately need to clean and vacuum this place, but otherwise - the day is free.

An update, again ...

I really need to get into a rhythm with this blogging thing - not only have I been slack at updating my blog, but I'm being hopeless at leaving comments too - I AM reading blogs, lots of them - just not commenting!

Soccer season finished last week, so except for my usual accounts, tidying up etc it should be quieter now ... and I'm counting down - only a couple more months and I'll be finished - I can't wait!

It's school holidays here this week and next week, which is nice. I've been making myself get up at 7.00am rather than sleeping in so I can be sure to get a little bit of work done and spend some time with the kids. The last couple of days seems to have been in and out and about in the car. Today should be a nice quiet one though :)

Anyway - update photos! ... here we go ...



First up - our NZ SAL August Ornament - this took lots of talking and wondering, and ideas to try and stitch and make up without buying the not so cheap called for pillow. I was pretty pleased, when I'd put it all together and it worked! "Noel" from JSC Ornament Magazine 2005 (can't remember the designer off hand)










and then we have this month's SAL ornament - "Christmas" by Brightneedle Designs from JCS Ornament Magazine 2005 - stitched over one and made up into a little flat ornament - and it IS little, but rather cute I think!















Next, an update on Stargazer - I haven't stitched on her for about a week, although I'm hoping to this weekend so should have another update in a few days. She is just so pretty, although I can see that skirt getting rather tedious after a while.



and I had the Prairie Schooler Christmas piece I started this week, just on impulse really - I've been awful at that lately, there are lots I should be finishing, rather than starting new ones! I'm too scared to try and upload it now, I'll probably end up losing everything I've already got here, so you will just have to wait until another day - maybe I'll actually post again tomorrow, that would be two entries in two days! LOL

Thank you for all the previous comments - I love to get them and really appreciate them, especially as I'm hopeless at returning them! Oh, and an update on my father - he is doing fine, very embarrassed, and very frustrated at my Mother and sisters nagging him ... but physically he is healing well. I feel sorry for him, as much as I worry that he will do himself serious damage or run out of the nine lives he seems to have, he'd be miserable doing nothing ... and life is all about living it and enjoying it.

Pictures ... at last!

I've only been promising for about a week!

Here is Stargazer -



and Sampler Gameboard -



I tried to stitch last night but could hardly keep my eyes open, I swear it took about 5x as long to do each cross! LOL

Quiet day at home today ... I have some accounts to put on the account system and then I'm hoping to make up a couple of ornaments and start on the quilt. Have also promised the girls a walk to the park if they're good and let me get on with it!

Cameron and DH are off to yet another soccer tournament - about two more weeks and then soccer will be well and truly finished for the year - it mostly is now :)

and to finish, here is the best I could get of Rhiannon playing yesterday - I reckon getting sport action shots must be the hardest sort of photo to take! (she's the blonde one in the yellow)

The Secret Seven

We had most of the end of year soccer tournaments yesterday (means the end of the season - yay!) - David asked if he and some friends could enter their own team (rather than being in his usual team) - so I checked it out, and the club agreed to let them.

They are all friends at high-school, but different clubs, different teams.So they came up with their name, organised their team - only just seven, and it was a seven-a-side tournament, worked out they'd have no subs, but they'd take turns in goal.AND went out to the mall, bought the plain white T shirts, hats and socks with their own money, then spent Friday afternoon/evening coming up with stencils and spray-painting them - and they looked so cool!

The high school was great too - they let them use the art room on Friday afternoon to do their stencils, and even agreed they could miss their next class to carry on with it - I love that they appreciated a group of 14/15yos were using their initiative and encouraged it!

AND ... they won!

I'm so proud of them - who says teenagers spend their time doing stupid things because they're bored, teenagers, whatever ... there ARE some good ones out there.

Here's a couple of photos -





David is No.69 in the middle holding the trophy ... he was Captain/Coach.

Hit the Road Jack ...

That was Dad's reply when I asked him about the latest silly thing he'd done. Hit the road, off his motor scooter, face first ... and has 32 stitches reconstructing his lip - I haven't seen him but it must be a mess! Not that what it looks like will bother him, he's more bothered that he's being nagged and fussed over by his wife and six daughters! For those who know our area - he was coming down the Akataras, not sure what happened, but their policeman friend who lives up that way came across him as he was trying to get the bike to go again. He called the ambulance, and Dad made them stop on the way through to pick up Mum so she wouldn't be freaked out at getting a call from the hospital. 9 years ago Dad got hit while he was on his push-bike on the State Highway - that resulted in a wired up femur, an operation on his knee, broken pelvus, broken shoulder and other damage ... so, yeah, Mum is always wary of getting those phone calls. They operated last night, one of my sisters went and brought Mum home, and then went and picked up Dad this morning. I talked to him and tried to insist that I do his powerbill deliveries for him tomorrow but he, in his usual bull-headed way, insists it's "just his lip" and he's fine - I think I got him to agree that he'd "think about it" ... grrrrrrrr ...

Sorry - still no pictures, I really was going to try this morning but biggest son took the camera to school. Maybe this weekend if I get five minutes to spare.

This stitching diary really is turning into a soap opera instead! LOL

Another week ... another I'm too busy ...

whinge, sigh ... etc etc!

Actually I don't feel so bad now ... I tidied my desk, wrote a list and crossed a few jobs off. Also gave my apologies to my usual Wednesday morning group so I can carry on through my list tomorrow, so I'm not feeling quite as overwhelmed as I did a few hours ago!

I've been going to take pictures all week to update my blog but never get to it. So I figured I should write a post and show I'm alive anyway. I'll try and take the pictures tomorrow. I've been making myself stitch one house in Sampler Gameboard before I carry on with Stargazer and I've finished up five (I think) houses - it's suddenly growing! Stargazer is looking beautiful - she has such a pretty face :)

In life? Well, work, work, work is all I can say! I'll be pleased when I reach the end of the year and hand my soccer administration job to someone else. I was supposed to meet with a "someone else" today but her daughter was sick so we've had to reschedule for next week - keep everything crossed she wants to do it - I'll feel much better knowing for sure there is someone to take over.

I went to Thimbles and Threads yesterday (hmmm maybe if that is why I have so much work today! LOL) ... and picked up some quilting fabric I want to use to make a baby quilt for a friend. Hopefully in the next day or two I might start it. That shop has such gorgeous fabric, boy if I didn't have a budget I could go crazy!

I think that's all for now ... I'll try and put up some pictures tomorrow!

Shhhhh ... do you hear that?

It's 4.21pm, after school, and it's QUIET!

One gone to the gym.
One at Ski Camp.
One playing playstation.
Two gone off to visit my niece's new house (just about across the road).

I need to enjoy it while it lasts!

Firstly - a big congratulations to Rhiannon - she won her gym competition on Sunday! She has worked so hard the last few weeks with that goal firm in her mind, so I'm VERY proud of her. Not to mention, proving a wee point to a certain set of parents who happened to mention to the coaches a while back that Rhiannon (and another girl) would NEVER be as good as her darling daughter - even if they had 50hrs extra training a week. Nothing like letting the sport do the talking. I do feel VERY sorry for the little girl though - so much pressure, and she really is a lovely little thing - her and Rhiannon get on really well.


... and a quick update - one little house stitched yesterday on Sampler Gameboard (the top right-hand - or left? - the little red one) and where I'm up to on Stargazer after last night.

August into September

August Goals

1. Finish July SAL Ornament - yes
2. Finish August SAL Ornament - started
3. Finish one other Ornament - yes
4. Finish Woodland Cottage - no
5. Work on The Kiss - yes
6. Work on The Stargazer - no
7. Finish HAED Summer Fairy - no (did work on it though)
8. Finish Halloween Fairy - yes
9. Work on starting to stitch through my vast collection of DT charts and kits - yes

Not too bad ... considering it was a hard, busy month!

Not sure about goals this month, I'll set a few - but I think I need to give up on rotating! LOL This week DH and Josh are off to ski camp, I've been working really hard the last couple of weeks to give myself a free week this week, of course I still have a few things to do (typical!) ... but mostly I plan on stitching lots, I'm really looking forward to it. So although I didn't work on Stargazer last month, she is top of my list to get stuck into next week :) Of course, Rhiannon had some 24 hour bug yesterday ... so I suspect it will all turn to custard and I'll end up with various kids home next week (Murphys Law ... I tell ya, whoever came up with that one could be in BIG trouble).

Anyway - September!

September Goals

1. Finish July Ornament
2. September SAL Ornament (Kath, Katrina, Pat - I have the threads, just need to put them together for you!!)
3. Finish one other Ornament
4. Finish Woodland Cottage
5. Work on The Kiss
6. Work on The Stargazer
7. Work on HAED Summer Fairy (I don't even like this much anymore - but want to finish it before starting on antoher HAED)
8. Finish Linen and Lace
9. Work on DT Sampler Game Board (need to dig it out)

This week?

I'm hoping to stitch those ornaments, stitch a good chunk of Stargazer, work a little bit on Sampler Game Board and more on Linen and Lace (nothing like being positive, right?).

Halloween Fairy ... and Linen and Lace

Grrr ... blogger photos don't seem to be working ... and of course as I typed that, one suddenly appeared! Grrrr - I just uploaded them into Picturetrail anyway LOL

Here we go ...

Halloween Fairy - Mirabilia

Stitched on kitted fabric with kitted threads

Finished August 2006

and one I started last week ... just because, well, just because nothing else was calling me!

The Drawn Thread - Linen and Lace

It's been a while!

Life really has just got in the way lately. But having said that - I really need to get into the habit of updating here regularly! It is a great way to keep a diary of life, and of course my stitching. Maybe September will be a better month :)

In big news ... my DH finally has a new job, we are definitely looking at this as a new start. Until a few days ago, I knew he was struggling and had been for a while, but I really do think he was close to being tipped over the edge and a few days ago very nearly did - I'm not going to go into it except to say I didn't realise how much he has been struggling. So onwards and upwards ... he has some healing to do and confidence to build again, but I know we can do that together.

(just re-read that and it sounds like he was going to do something really silly like top himself - definitely not! But he has definitely been in a dark place).

He is going to be working for Signature Homes - he will be managing the office and selling. The franchise owner is ready to "just" organise the building and wants someone to step into running everything else.

It is going to be tough for a little while as it is a much lower salary plus commission, so until the first commission comes in we will have to be very careful, but we have a game plan and everything is looking good ... that plus a little bit of faith and we're ready for what we are hoping is a way up for us.

... and just to prove our luck is turning - we won some money on Lotto last night! well sort of luck turning ... we have six rows of a combination of our 8 b/dates (including the cat) ... would you believe we got FIVE of our birthdates come out, which would have been Div 3 (about $700) ... but with all our combinations not one of them put those five numbers in a row - you really do have to laugh. BUT we did have five rows of combinations of four ... so we get about $170 out of it. We've always had an unwritten rule in this house where if we win a little in Lotto (and believe me I think it's only happened once or twice before and hasn't been that much LOL) that we do a family FUN thing with it - we can't usually afford things like that. So we need to all sit down and decide what we want to do ... I'm leaning towards movies and dinner - but we'll see what the kids want :D

... oh, and yes ... I have been fitting in some stitching, not as much as I'd like - but I always find time for a little bit. I'll update in separate post so I can insert photos easier.

Happy Fathers day to my Husband who is a pretty darn good father :)

Happy Fathers day to my Dad - who is a pretty darn good father too :)

Works in Progress ... and a bit of life ...

I have a blissful week this week - NO meetings! yee-hahhhh! ... the last few weeks have been crazy and I'm so pleased they are over. I'm still busy, still working hard, still not keeping up with housework or exercise ... but at least once the evening comes I know I can sit and stitch for a few hours - it really is a sanity saver for me.

We have major crap going on amongst Cameron's soccer team - well not his team, the parents involved - why they just can't enjoy the kids playing soccer, I will never know. My DH is going along to support the coach at a disciplinary hearing this Thursday - very long story, but basically a parent abused the COACH ... and somehow it's been turned around and twisted, very sad - they are going to lose good people over this :( I'm feeling very defeated myself because I know for sure that there is more to it, and I know for sure one particular man is very sneaky and stirring (especially after hearing his son call the coach a "lying pig"!), but can't pin him to anything!

Anyway - enough of that! On to nicer things ... like WIP's -

Here is Mirabilia's Halloween Fairy - I'm going to keep working on this until I finish it, hopefully in the next few days.

and my Summer Fairie from HAED - she looks nearly finished, but there is still a wee bit of work to do - I might pick her up and try and finish her after Halloween Fairy.

Thanks for looking! Sorry I haven't been around to comment on other blogs - I'm forever hopeful that life really IS going to slow down soon, very very soon! LOL