Some nice progress over the weekend...

I spent a bit more time stitching this weekend than I probably should of but I had a great time.

Here is the progress I made:

Sadly I realized that I made a huge mistake when I measured the fabric for cutting and I don't know how I managed that.  The fabric will have very little edge for framing and I am trying to figure out what to do about it.  Maybe I will turn it into a pillow or just sew more fabric on the sides to get it framed.

I framed A+ Teacher and am not sure if the frame suits it or not.  It was a weird size and this was the only frame I could find that the design fitted into.

Audiobooks are good for progress

I spent the last four months of last year playing a online game and so most of my free time was spent in front of the pc and so I didn't do much cleaning (other than the necessities)  and not much stitching.

So my one decision for 2014 was less gaming and so far I have not played once in a week.  I don't miss it as much as I thought I would.  I think what is the worst is that I got so much stuff in game that I worked hard to get and alot of time improving my character... but I don't miss the actual playing.

To help me I have been listening to audiobooks.  They are lovely as you can listen to them no matter what you are doing.  So while I clean I listen and while I stitch, I listen.

I finally listened to The Hunger Games and must say that the books are good to read before you watch the movies(s) as there is alot more info in the books that are not in the movie.

I listened to all 3 books in the series as they were not that long and I have now moved onto some Dean Koontz books... specifically the Odd Thomas books.

I finished Odd Thomas and just started Forever Odd.

I went to the shops the other day to get a frame for A+ Teacher and got one for Broom Parking while I was at it.  Sadly the frame didn't work for the Teachers gift as it has an overlap that you didn't see until you try put the stitching in it but the frame for Broom Parking worked beautifully.

I have also been working on 99 Bottles and am pleased with the progress.

I finished the last bottle and the last of the shelf:

And here is the full shelf (and yes Deb it's the middle shelf that I just did):

I moved one shelf down and finished two bottles on that one:

Even though each bottle is different and I feel accomplished every time I finish one, I also realised that I will go nuts if I only stitch bottle after bottle for an entire week.  So after thought I have decided to make this my Fri - Sun project every week and I will carry on with Jewel on the water one week from Mon - Thur.

Also now that I finished my A+ Teacher which I had in the New Start rotation, I will start Winter Fairy by Joan Elliott on Monday this coming week as it's replacement.

First Finish Of 2014

I felt overwhelmed last year not knowing what to stitch because I had too many starts and I kind of lost my mojo near to the end.  So this year I have decided to stick to a 2 week rotation... one week a wip and the other week a new start.

So when one wip is finished, I will pick up another wip and when I finish a new start, I will start something else new.

Though I have already broken my schedule:-P

But it was for a good reason.  Last week was my turn to work on a new start and I worked on A+ teacher and it was so close to being finished that I just decided to continue on working on it for the first two days of this month.  But it has to be done because school starts next week and this needed to be done and I still need to be framed.

So here it is:

A+ Teacher
Finished:  07 January 2014

A Bit Of A Funk

I have been in a bit of a stitching funk lately.  I got lots that I want to start and have actually tried a few times to start something new but each time I just sit there an stare at the fabric and eventually just put it away.

I am still stitching so I don't know what's the problem... maybe subconsciously I just feel like I already have far too much started already?

Anyway the one thing I have been working on is 99 Bottles and here is what it looked like about a week ago:

And heres progress as of today:

I think I am just going to stick with this for now and see how long I can stick to this before I itch for a new start.

It's been awhile...

It's been a combination of busy and distracted that has kept me away from both stitching and blogging.

I talked about making a end of year present for the daughters school teacher but I never got it completed in time.  Now it will just have to be given to the teacher on the first day of school.

This leaves it at about half way now.

I spent the last two days working on HAED Ariadne... only got about 200 - 300 stitches in but at least it progress.

As of right now, I have no idea what stitching I will pick up to ork on next.

Generosity and Updates

A while back I was reading blogs and I cam across three designs that I loved.  Debbie messaged me and offered too send me all 3 of the designs once she had finished them.  Well they came in the post the other day and are making me want to start them all.

Thank you so much Debbie for your huge generosity and I will enjoy working on them.

Since my last update I have finished row 3 and 4 of page one Ariadne.

It is going to be put away as I have a "end of year" present to complete for my daughters teacher, and only a few days to do it in.

Why do I always keep things to the last?

Let's hope my fingers fly on this one.

A New Project

But it's not cross stitch.

We have lived in this house for 7 years now and I have never had a space of my own as such.

In the average home the woman is the one that makes the house a home and the husband that lets her:-)
In my house it's different.  The husband takes a majority interest in the house and is finicky that he likes things just so.

He does all the work by hand (his choice) and I guess that makes him feel like he has a right to decide how things must be as he is doing the physical labour.

As a woman it does bother me sometimes that I walk through a house that doesn't have "me" in it.
You see we have totally different tastes in things and we clash on ideas.  I came to terms with this years ago and learned to just let him be.  When I used to fight it, it used to cause problems and I eventually learned that it's a small price to pay for a happier marriage.

We have a small flat in the back yard and I was given that as my craft room but it never really worked for me.  It's on the far side of the yard and I always feel separate from the house if I use it and also my daughter has grown up in this house and it's difficult to sit in there with a young child who doesn't want to be in there:-)
So it ended up being a storage area and I still had the problem of my wips being in the house and not really having a place to put them when I wasn't working on them.

We have a spare room in the house and I talked my hubby into letting me turn that into my craft room instead.  It used to be my daughters room until we moved her into the warmer bedroom and it has been sitting empty ever since, waiting to be turned into a guest room.  It's still painted pinks from when she stayed in there so my first job will be painting the walls.

I chose and picked up the colours of paint today and am excited and scared at the same time.  I love warmth and colours and I might have gone overboard with my colour choices:-(  I don't have an eye for colour so not sure how the two colours will work but I am holding thumbs that it turns out beautiful.

Other than painting there is a small vanity that I want to work on by removing the top half that hold the mirror, painting it and using it in the craft room.  I will also be needing a few pieces of furniture which I hope I will be able to find in the 2nd hand store etc.

But first things first... painting!

And I will of course take pictures before and as I go along, as it's a super important time to be able to have a craft room and also to have a room that can be done to suit my likes and every time I go in there it will be me.

I do warn you that it's going to be bright, cheerful and somethings will be quirky.