Santa's Journey and Flower of the Month SAL

Well there hasn't been much stitching going on recently so I really must get my act together over the coming weeks as I'm really falling behind schedule.  My flower of the month (sweet pea) has only got as far as this:-

I'm a bit disappointed with how the bottom flowers are looking as there doesn't seem to be much definition between the two.  This is making me a bit reluctant to finish it!

On the other hand Santa's Journey has gone from this:

 to this:

If you'd like to see the completed picture then please pop over to Laura at xstitchatoz here who stitched it for the magazine. (Thank you Jo at Serendipitous Stitching for teaching me how to do those links)

This means I only have one more complete page to do and then I can fill in the bit in the middle.  The reason I stopped doing the middle pages is the design is by Maria Diaz and featured in Cross Stitch Collection Magazine Oct - Dec 14.  I didn't have these magazines and couldn't get back issues of them except as downloads.  The problem was the chart was so small when it was printed, I couldn't read it.  When I enlarged it, I lost the clarity of the design and the symbols and I still couldn't read it so I'm stitching it from my computer.  This is fine, except when you come to the next page and I miscounted by 1 stitch.  By the time I realised my mistake I thought I was too far gone to frog it and thought I'd stitch all around and then adjust.  I'm nearly at adjustment time.  Wish me luck!

Anyway, I haven't been feeling too well lately (rotten migraines again) so to cheer myself up, I'm off to look at Sew and So's site.  Let you know what I buy...

Have a good weekend everyone x

Santa's Journey update

Just a quick post, to prove that I have not forgotten about Santa's journey and to show that it has received a little love recently.  Okay, it's only a little bit of love but Easter stitching has got in the way and I have been busy the last few days trying to finish my daffodils for the flower of the month SAL (more on that after the weekend).  Anyway Santa's Journey has gone from this:

to this:-

(Sorry about the wrinkled aida.  I really should iron it before taking the photos!!!!!)

More sky has appeared and you can probably just make out a yellow blob appearing!  That's where I am now!   I've got bored of the sky (as I knew I would...) and have started back on the buildings.  Hopefully this will become the yellow church in time.  Until then it's back to daffodils!  Have a lovely stitchy weekend everyone!

A difficult week!

It's been a difficult week, which has seen very little stitching and blogging being done.  My youngest dog had to have an operation, that turned out to be a lot bigger than anticipated and she has needed a lot of looking after!  24/7 attention has been called for to prevent her licking the wound, removing any staples, jumping, playing etc.  It has been a tough time and very little sleep has been had!!!  Older dog is also very put out at the attention number 2 is getting and is doing a lot of sulking!!!

Santa's Journey has had very little progress:-

Santa's Journey by Maria Diaz

As it has been difficult to stitch with a poorly Flatcoat sitting on your lap!

However, I have made progress on February's flower of the month SAL (photo to follow at the end of the month).  This has taken me a lot longer to stitch than I thought it would as I've been, a bit, all over the place with stitching it.  Usually, I'm quite methodical with my stitching - stitching in blocks or colour groups for example.  But for some reason, I've been stitching this very randomly!  I started in the middle, then did a bit bottom left, then top right, then back to the middle....  I blame worry over the dog....  

Oh well back to the stitching!

Take care x

I have had a great day, sorting out all my projects for the coming year and posting them up on my blog.  Now I just thought I'd show an update of Santa's Journey:-

Santa's Journey by Maria Diaz

Tomorrow, I plan on making up the cards I've sewn so I can start a finishes page!  Yay!!!!

Well, it has literally been years!!! But in the intervening period, I have renewed my addiction to Cross Stitch and (over the last week or so) have become embroiled in the lives of those of the blogging 'cross stitch community' and thought 'what a wonderful idea!' I could do that and keep track of my stitching at the same time.  It would also let me comment on some of the wonderful stuff I see out there on your pages as well....

So here goes....

What are my goals.  To stitch from my stash where ever possible.   I was far too late to join SFS, but if I can keep up with this blog, then that will be a goal from the future.  However, real life this year does not leave much funds for stash buying, so SFS is a definite goal.  I was very lucky in that my Mum bought me my current WIP.  It is Santa's Journey by Maria Diaz and my current progress (from 5th January 2015) is: -

Santa's Journey by Maria Diaz

I'm a bit disappointed with the photo as it's made the Aida seem more white than cream and so doesn't show up all of the 'snowy' detail that I've done.  I'm also stitching up lots of smalls to be made into cards as its another aim to send all handmade cards this year - photo's will follow!!

I also have two very old UFO's that are Lanarte charts that I think I must have had about 15 - 20 years.  One is very near completion and they are both on the 'to do' list for this year.  Again photo's will follow!!

One problem that I've got is by roaming through all the wonderful cross stitching blogs out there, I have come across all sorts of goodies that I never knew existed!  It seems that those of you lucky enough to live in the USA have access to so much more stash at such better prices and now I'm hooked on internet sites and ebay looking up Lizzie Kate, Bent Creek, Little House Needlework and thinking ornaments, let alone getting big ideas such as HAED, Mirabilia and Nora Corbett.  

Oh I can only dream.....

Till later

Elle x