Sunday 25 October 2009

Spooky finishes!

This weekend I've managed TWO spooky finishes!
Here is Horrid Halloween.

Horrid Halloween
Here is is before finishing.


As mentioned in my last post I changed some of the colours for Glow in the Dark ones. This was a really fun stitch. You can order the chart from Faby Reilly Designs here.

It is my sister's birthday today so yesterday I set about stitching this biscornu based on the Boo needle book from Just Nan.

Boo Biscornu
I finished this one this morning. I also did some domestic stuff between the stitches and, yes the needle was glowing by the time I was done! Unfortunately, what with postal strikes and things over here, my sister will not get this in time for Halloween Sorry Sis, but your prezzie does look good in my Halloween display!

With all this biscornu stitching Open House has not had a look in since Thursday evening. Here is the progress to date.

Open House
This Halloween stitching sure is fun! Off to wave my magic wand around the house. OK, reality check, it's a duster!

Happy stitching!

Tuesday 20 October 2009

Spooky Update

Before the spooky stuff here is the November Calendar, and it's still not finished. Why? because I ran out of one of the Kreinik ribbon colours with about twenty stitches to go. I hunted high and low and could not find any stray big pieces that had got transported around the house on my clothes. So a quick email to Mill Hill and some more ribbon is being sent in the post.

November Calendar
So now for the spooky stuff. Here is the Horrid Halloween Biscornu by Faby Reilly. I made a few floss alterations. Firstly I used a blend of DMC 321 and E321 for the wording, to give it a bit of sparkle. I also used Kreinik Glow in the Dark #4 braids for the brew in the cauldron, the white parts and the border.

Horrid Halloween Biscornu
This next photo is not too good. Open House looks more like the house that Jack built!

Open House
I picked up Midnight Ride from the framers today. It took ages to choose the frame. In the end I chose black. I do not know how good Glow in the Dark threads are behind glass so I went without it. I think she looks really good.

Midnight Ride
This picture isn't the best either, maybe I need a new camera? Off to write a letter to Father Christmas, or does he do email? Better still I wonder if he has a blog? Now that would be COOL!

Sunday 18 October 2009

Totally Useless SAL

This weekend I put up my Halloween stitchy display. The ort flask decided that as he now had even more glow in the dark threads inside, from the Horrid Halloween Biscornu, he should be part of the display too. So I bought some Halloween tinsel from Tesco for some extra decoration.

Here is this month's photo



Tuesday 13 October 2009

She has a roof ...

... well half one!

Not much stitching got done this weekend. The progress on 'Open House' was achieved on a long car journey on Friday afternoon.

Open House
We were off to Pickering in North Yorkshire, one end of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. This weekend no train travel was involved. We were attending a carriage restorers convention. Although I own a carriage myself I'm not really in to fixing them, until it gets to near the end when they require curtains and stuff. This was not always the case, but having fallen through the floor in one of The Other Half's derelict vehicles, he has many, I'm not quite so keen!

All these carriage restorers needed feeding and I had volunteered to help out with the catering. So on Saturday three of us laid on all day coffee, tea and cake. A buffet meal for 82 people and in the evening we put on a four course dinner for 26. On Sunday we did another buffet but for half as many.

The kitchen was in railway carriage and was about 5 to 6 foot wide and about three times as long. Not only did we cook on gas, a six ring gas hob, with gas cooker we also had a gas plate warmer and the two fridges were gas cooled. It was hot! The washing up facilities consisted of a domestic double sink unit with single draining board. OK for normal pots and pans but too small for the commercial variety. All I can say is that I am glad the whole thing was not on a train that was moving. Here is a picture of the facilities!


It was the first tome the kitchen had been used to cook in and there were some teething problems which will need to be fixed. Not least how to stop things like dirty dishes and the clean ones on the drainer falling onto the floor whilst the train is in motion.

Anyway despite the heat and the lack of space good fun was had by all. We were complemented on our efforts on a number of occasions. One I found particularly amusing. I was complemented on my egg sandwiches. Now I do not eat eggs and have, to my knowledge, have never made an egg sandwich in my life until this weekend.

Back to the stitching. On the way home I stitched on the Horrid Halloween Biscornu until, despite using 'glow in the dark' threads, I was forced to stop.

Horrid Halloween Biscornu

Thursday 8 October 2009

Spooky Stitching

At last I have started my spooky stitching! Here is a quick update on progress so far.

Open House.

Open House
This really is fun to stitch.

My handbag stitching is the Horrid Halloween Biscornu from Faby Reilly. I am doing this on 32ct Crystal Peach linen as I have a lot left over from the Over the Top and in the Tin project. I am going to change some of the colours for Kreinik 'Glow in the Dark' ones as I have them in my stash.

Horrid Halloween

I also managed to spend an evening on the November Calendar.


I hope everyone has a happy stitching weekend!

Sunday 4 October 2009

The Big Finish Weekend 2!

This weekend I was able to finish a number of projects. Firstly the October Calendar got framed.

October Calendar
I also mounted Midnight Ride. She will be going to the framers tomorrow. I also finished The Boo tin lid form Just Nan.


And finally,

Breast Cancer Awareness Biscornu
the Breast Cancer Awareness Biscornu. I'm really pleased with this one.

Today is Sunday so it should be Mary Wigham day but I have a half finished November Calendar. This is the eleventh one I have stitched and usually they take about a week each but there is a lot of work in this one.

November Calendar
I did also say that I was only going to stitch spooky stuff in October. It's now the fourth and not a single spooky stitch has been sewn!

Thursday 1 October 2009

Janlynn's Dolly Mamas Contest

A few years ago, whilst flicking through some cross stitch magazines my Mum and me came across these.






They are from the Dolly Mamas range from Janlynn. We thought they were quite amusing. There are now over fifty cross stitch kits in the series. The sayings like 'Go braless...it pulls the wrinkles out of your face!' are called Dollyisms. Now Janlynn have launched a contest where you can submit your own Dollyism. There is over $1400 in prize money with the grand prize being $1000. The winner also has their Dollyism made into a kit by the Dolly Mama's designer, Joey. In this Youtube video she explains what the contest is about.



To find more information about the contest and how to enter go to www.janlynn.com/dolly

My best attempt so far 'When did the bags under my eyes become suitcases?' Mmm, might need to do a little more work on this one!