New Leotards!

Not for me, sheesh - I wish I looked that good in one though! LOL

I spent yesterday and part of today making the girls much needed new leotards - the couple I made Rhiannon a couple of years ago were getting way too small (indecently small!) ... of course Charlotte wore hers to gym today, and the coach was quick to point out (yep, she's like that - but I've got used to her) that Rhiannon shouldn't wear a skirted leotard for her gym because you can't see how flat and tight the tummy and bum is ... important when they mark them in a competition - sheesh!

Who's the model and who's the "I don't want my photo taken"?



and the upside down versions!

Yeah - I missed her head - it's hard to get that timing right AND frame on a digital camera! LOL

and Rhiannon being more sensible went over the grass, rather than staying on the concrete to do the upside down thing, very sensible - as a good mother, I should have thought of that when Charlotte was doing hers! Whoops!

Okay - off to bed ... I've been stitching Celtic Summer tonight and have nearly, nearly finished the main stitching on the dress - I should tomorrow, then maybe get the bottom gold edges done THEN the border ... THEN the beads ... and it will be finished! (maybe not tomorrow, or this month though ;))

Mirabilia RR and Birdhouses

I finally finished my RR section of the Mirabilia RR - with a few days to spare!

Here is my section - "Fire"

and here is the whole thing -

and because I only had a few minutes to find something to bring to work to stitch, "just in case" I finished the RR - I picked up Shepherd's Bush Birdhouse needleroll that I've had in my stash forever - I finished off all the stitching last night, I'll machine stitch it into a tube later when I have the sewing machine out.

I must say I was a bit disappointed with the kit itself and it's instructions, I have great respect for SB and was surprised at some of the errors - one band said to start one thread in, so you finished it one thread in at the other end, so I did - got to the end to find I was one thread out, it needed to be started in line - not one thread in at all. The ribbon is completely different to the photographed pictures, I suppose they run out over time and can't get the original, but the kitted one wasn't nearly as nice and actually needed the instructions altered for the bead placement, and lastly the "brown" beads are more of a rose colour - and it looks okay I guess, but sunflowers don't usually have purple middles - I dunno I expected more from them ... or maybe I was just grumpy! LOL

Anyway - here it is -

I really have to dig out the leotard patterns today and hope that I've got a big enough size to make Rhiannon a couple of new ones - she must have grown!

Toy Shop Finished!

Another very old WIP crossed off my list ... well, actually, I've never written a list - I kind of find them in my drawer and think hmmmmmm that's right, I'd forgotten about that piece LOL.

Anyway - here it is -

The Toy Shop - Patricia Andrle
From Cross Stitch & Needlework - December 1996
Started sometime in 2002 (I think), finished 21 March 2006

and a close up of the window -

As usual - I have no idea when I'll finally get it framed, but when I do - I have no idea where I'll put it, it just doesn't really "fit" anywhere in the house, not that I have a particular theme or design for the house, but this one just doesn't have an instant home ... but I love it, so I'm sure I'd find somewhere.

I am SO close to finally finishing the Mirabilia RR piece, I would have at work last night but David went to Edgefest (a concert thing - lots of bands and horrible teenagers), and I arranged to pick him and some friends up when it was finished and drove them home, so I ended up leaving a bit earlier than normal - normally I would have definitely finished those last few stitches! Hopefully I'll have a picture of it to put here tomorrow, I will be very pleased to have that done and gone, it seems to have taken a lot of time and effort to get it stitched.

Next up I have to stitch a teacup for a RR I finished up quite a while ago, but this lady's one went missing so she has sent around a replacement - I might try and get onto that today. I'm hoping to have the weekend reasonably free so that I can get on and try to finish Celtic Summer before the end of March ... no pressure, really, just in my head LOL

There's a picture of the latest Mirabilia out too - Bliss Fairy - another one to go on my "I love and have to stitch" list ... sheesh, she needs to slow down, or something, there is no way I can keep up with her lovely designs! ... but then again I've been looking and watching for the past week or so waiting in anticipation for the next one that I knew must be coming out soon! Us stitchers are a strange, nutty breed (or is it just me?).

Thank you, as always, for all the lovely comments ... and happy stitchie weekend to you all :)

Well, Here I am!

at last! Gosh - it's been over a week. Life really got busy last week, which is what I expected, but it just seemed extra exhausting this year. Soccer registrations DID go well - but totally shattered me, starting with sitting at the clubrooms signing people up, taking money etc etc from 9-3 both Saturday and Sunday - we had 500 children sign up over that weekend, and never stopped the whole time, from there I spent Sunday and Monday typing and updating them all in the database - finally sent off the team lists to each grade co-ordinator at 1.00am Tuesday morning ... along with the reports, agenda etc I needed to send off to the Cricket Assn Mgmt Committee for our meeting that Tuesday night. Of course it hasn't stopped all week, lots of phone calls from late registers, changes, etc etc etc.

Tonight is the first night I'll be at home for evening, and hopefully in bed before midnight!

I have stitched, off and on, when I have had time to sit I've had trouble concentrating because I've been pretty sleepy.

I'm sure I had other news and things to talk about, but I've forgotten them all ... so I'll show you a couple of stitching pictures instead :)

The Toy Shop "Top" all finished - I'm working on the over one cross-stitched toys that goes behind this piece - maybe, maybe I'll get it finished tonight.

Wild Rose - Amaryllis Artworks

Finished 15 March 2006 - stitched on a Kiwi Sparkles

I've kind of lost track of my March rotation - I'll probably actually do pretty well considering I've been so busy - but over the next week I have two RR's I definitely have to finish and send off. Really though I'd like to be finishing Celtic Summer!

I'm thinking when I've finished Celtic Summer that I might start Mirabilia's Star Gazer, it should be the Mermaids ... but Star Gazer is calling louder. I ordered the chart and beads from Stitching Bits and Bobs latest sale ... naughty naughty me ... although it is the first bit of stash I've ordered since the beginning of the year!

Just got a call from the Cricket Assn chairman asking for some financial details to be put together - ha! so much for a quieter week.

Hi-ho, Hi-ho it's off to do some work I go ...

Anne wins the prize!

For most useful hint :) ... Thanks Anne - sorry, no prize - but I'll definitely think about tacking a piece of muslin or something to the side of that piece so I can keep it in the Q-Snaps.

Stitching Updates

Celtic Summer (I finished the front green part of her dress!)

The Toy Shop - a very old UFO that I'm going to try and finish this month :) This is the front of the shop, a separate piece of fabric has one over one stitching that goes behind the windows. I finished the door and some vines on Monday night.

and a wee bit more on the RR -

Charlotte Funny's

This kid's brain just never stops! We're driving out of our place yesterday ...

"Mummy - did you know the lady next door is the same as the lady who framed your knitting?"

(knitting - hee hee, she does mean stitching ;))

"eh? are they? what do you mean?" (she had me stumped).

"They've got the same name."

"They have?"

"Yesssss"

(then I click) "Oh, yes they have - how did you know that?"

"I heard Kath call the framing lady Joy, and Daddy know's the lady next door is Joyce - see they're the same!".

Well ... not exactly the same ... but firstly, I had no idea she was listening so hard that she'd even notice Joy's name, and secondly - why on earth would she care or think of it anyway? LOL

... then two minutes later ...

"Mummy - did you know that when you blink your eyes close"

"Yep"

"So you shouldn't blink when you're driving because you won't be able to see where you're going."

ROTFLOL - I suppose she's right ... and I've got to wonder whether she was watching me very intently to make sure I wasn't blinking! LOL

Excitement of my Day, Week, Year ...

I ordered not one new lounge suite this morning, but TWO! We've been using an old brown one for the last 10 years, that I got when my grandfather died "to do us until we could afford a new one" ... well, we still can't afford a new one, but it is falling apart and I've been waiting for the next interest free, no deposit good deal to come along - and it did. One suite is a 2.5 seater, plus 2 seater - not quite big enough for us, so I ordered two, we will use one of the bigger couches for the front room and the three in the main lounge ... it's going to take five weeks to arrive, but I'm very excited! The fabric is a textured kind of thing, called Marine :)

Fun Sporting Administration

This weekend is our big registration weekend - so my head is full of everything I need to remember - forms, newsletter, people to run shifts etc etc ... I'll be glad when it's over. Not to mention it will seriously cut into my stitching time!

Very slow WIP

Mirabilia - Deco Spirits - Fire

This is for the Mirabilia RR I'm involved in - I can't believe how long it is taking to stitch! This is after a weekend's work ... and I stitched a lot this weekend, all of Saturday evening, and then most of yesterday afternoon and all evening again. It wasn't helped by having to stitch it in-hand (I didn't crop the side so you could see how close to the edge it is) ... it started moving faster last night when I was able to put it in my smallest Q-snaps and stitch how I usually do ... in-hand wasn't so bad - just slower, which is frustrating for me!

It will look great all finished, and it IS within the size limits - so this isn't a complaint at all ... just a frustration, because I have so many other things to stitch LOL (oh, and I'm impatient ;))

I think I'll work on it in the afternoons and stick to my rotation in the evenings ... just to keep me happy.

I've had one of those wonderful mornings this morning where everything has gone right and I'm feeling very efficient - I washed the floors, dusted and hung two loads of washing out - and then caught up on Soccer minutes and the posted in registrations - so I'm all up-to-date with those too. All going well I'll catch up on cricket work tomorrow morning and maybe start tackling our very cluttered (read - dumping ground) bedroom, a job I've been "going" to do since the beginning of this year.

This afternoon it's gym for Charlotte, plus I'm looking a friends two boys - a couple of cricket training/practices after school ... and two loads of washing to take OFF the line and fold and put away.

... and Desperate Housewives and Greys Anatomy to stitch to this evening - life isn't too bad at all :)

Sunday Morning

Ahhhhhh ... that is a contented sigh - a Sunday with pretty much an empty day, got to enjoy the moment because the next couple of weeks will be a lot different! LOL

Cameron has gone off to run in some local race - they have it every year and we usually forget about it - but he was very keen to do it, I think they go into school groups or something, I don't really know. DH has taken him, so they can tell me all when they get home.

We've had a definite touch of winter here over the last couple of days ... all the cuddly blankets were out last night to keep everyone warm! Cricket was cancelled for the morning ... I don't think we even really ventured out of the house yesterday.

What to do with a bonus free day? After I'd tidied up my Picturetrail albums I went to work on finally making a Tote Tray Bag for Charlotte ... an idea that has been brewing for a while, I've been using a plastic shopping bag to carry her tote tray in and knew there had to be something different I could do. The tote tray is a plastic box/tray kind of thing - they put their spare clothes, lunch box etc etc in it and then it slots into ready made shelves at the kindy.

Anyway, here it is - one Tote Tray Bag ... modelled by Rhiannon because Charlotte was still asleep :)

and a close up of her name -

and today, it's back to stitching on my Mirabilia RR, I have a feeling I was too optimistic about only allowing 3-4 days for it in my March rotation plans *sigh*.

Stitching Update

I just spent at least an hour moving photos from Picturetrail into new albums etc etc ... all to avoid paying the bigger update on my premium account ... which was very close to being deleted *phew* - hopefully I've got it working out okay and I don't have anything disappear!

Soooo instead of a nice long blogging entry (which I was going to do ... but then remembered the photos ... and well, you know how we get sidetracked!) - we'll just do a very quick picture update :)

Christmas Britty Kitty

JCS Ornament Mag - 2005

Stitched on 28ct Evenweave - over one

October Sky Sampler - Elizabeth Designs

Stitched on 28ct Misty Blue Evenweave

(I'm still missing about 8 beads on this one - I'll put them on when I get near a shop to buy them!).

And lastly - a black blob update of Faery Tales!

Removed to get side-bar right!

February Re-Cap/March Goals

February Recap

1. Finish Rose Arbour - Yes!
2. 3 Ebay pieces - not sure what yet - did 2 (the LHN pieces)
3. Finish October Sky Sampler - nearly
4. Finish 2 Ornament RRs and send them off - Yes (ended up being 3)
5. Finish Mirabilia RR and send off - Yes
6. Finish SAL Ornament - Yes
7. THIS month - stick to rotation plans - mostly, enough to keep me proud and happy LOL

March Rotation

Week One 1/3-5/3
Wed - Ornament SAL/October Sky Sampler
Thurs - October Sky Sampler
Fri - October Sky Sampler/Mirabilia RR
Sat - Mirabilia RR
Sun - Mirabilia RR

Week Two 6/3-12/3
Mon - Toy Shop
Tues - Celtic Summer
Wed - Mirabilia RR/Toy Shop
Thurs - Ornament
Fri - Ornament/Toy Shop
Sat - Toy Shop
Sun - Faery Tales

Week Three 13/3-19/3
Mon - Toy Shop
Tues - Celtic Summer
Wed - Ebay
Thurs - Ebay
Fri - Ebay
Sat - Toy Shop
Sun - Faery Tales

Week Four 20/3-26/3
Mon - Ebay
Tues - Celtic Summer
Wed - Ebay
Thurs - Celtic Summer
Fri - Celtic Summer
Sat - Toy Shop/Celtic Summer
Sun - Toy Shop/Celtic Summer

Week Five - 27/3-31/3
Mon - Celtic Summer
Tues - Celtic Summer
Wed - CS/TS - or whatever I like
Thurs - CS/TS - or whatever I like
Fri - CS/TS - or whatever I like

March Goals

1. Finish October Sky Sampler
2. Two Ornaments (SAL + one other)
3. Finish Mirabilia RR and send off.
4. Finish Toy Shop (old UFO)
5. Finish Celtic Summer
6. 2 ebay pieces
7. Stick to rotation.

I'm probably being wayyyyy too optimistic this month, as it's also soccer registration month which involves putting in 600 players into the database PLUS the banking, organising that goes with it! ... but I'm hoping for some quiet evenings that I get to stitch too - I'll need them to keep my sanity intact.