Quick update

Firstly here is my latest progress pic of White Nights.

I have also managed to frame Catgirl & Catboy from Jardin Privé.  The frame came from Wilkinsons.  For the first time I have been able to keep the glass as usually the fabric stretched over the padded board is too thick for a shop bought picture frame.

I have also managed to stitch a small Christmas ornament from The Prairie Schooler.

This was stitched as charted using DMC floss on 28ct Lambswool linen. The chart was a freebie. 

I am thinking that there is only one week left on White Nights as in December  St Nicholas' Tree Skirt might get an airing.

Happy stitching!

Purple is done, pink, red, bue and green still to go!

I'm talking about the snowman series from Shepherd's Bush.  This weekend was a weekend away. White Nights is too big to take anywhere so on Thursday evening it was a trip to the stash room to find something that could be stitched in a weekend. I was tempted with a Halloween project but I decided to go with the Purple Snowman.

Some progress was made with White Nights.

This week I will be continuing with White Nights.

Happy stitching!

Back with a finish!

Sorry for the delay since my last post.  I have had a busy few weeks and stitching has taken a bit of a back seat. However, I can report that I have a finish.  Warm Water Wash from Raise the Roof Designs.

This was stitched on 28 ct Glacier by Picture This Plus with the recommended overdyed floss from Crescent  Colours. The buttons are from Just Another Button Company.  The whole thing came in kit form from The Nimble Thimble.

Last week was half term here in the UK so we spent a few days in Amsterdam.  Here are some pictures.

We visited a few interesting places including the Dutch Resistance Museum, The House of Bols, a must for anyone who likes cocktails.  Here is a picture of me trying to identify one of the 36 different types of Bols liqueur.

We also visited Amsterdam's Extracold Ice Bar where we had to wear really thick coats and gloves to have a drink in a bar where the walls, seats, tables and bar and even the glasses we drank out of were made out of ice.  This is a shot of the normal bar before you go in.

Don't get me wrong the two days we spent in Amsterdam were not spent in bars.  We did find this gem of a cafe/restaurant in Amsterdam's Central Station.

This week it is back to White Nights. I know I've been saying this for a bit but this week it's going to happen.

Happy stitching

At last a finish!

At long last I have a finish! Halloween Night by Mill Hill was finished this week.

This looks better than it does in the photo as the flash is reflecting off the paper. We might be having a heatwave here in the UK but  the nights are still drawing in!

This weekend is a 'Railway Weekend' but despite this I'm still hoping to make some progress on Warm Water Wash. Next week it really is back to White Nights.

A little progress

Well, since my last post there's not been much progress on any of my WIPs. Why? Two reasons, OK, excuses.  Firstly, it was back to school and things have been a bit hectic but calming down now, fingers crossed.  Secondly, there is a wedding to plan.  Thanks to everyone for their congratulations and best wishes on my last post. Rest assured my posts over the next few months are not going to be all about 'the big day' which has been set for April 7 next year.

What little stitchy progress I have made has been on Mill Hill's Halloween Night.

With a bit of luck this should be finished next week then it's back to White Nights.

When I came home from 'The Railway' the other weekend I couldn't resist taking a photo of this.  Good enough for Snow White.

They taste good too!

I'll leave you with a picture of where we will be geting married. Whittington Castle in Shropshire.

Happy stitching!

Otherwise engaged!

Quite a lot has happened in the two weeks since my last post.  On Thursday 18 August the plan was to go into school for A Level results day and then travel over to my boyfriend's in the afternoon. His Mum was coming down from Scotland on the Friday for the weekend and we had planned a surprise trip on a steam hauled train from Leeds to Carlilse over the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway on the Saturday. His Mum was due to travel back on the Tuesday and I would come home as I needed to be in school for GCSE results on Thursday and Friday.  As I said, that was the plan.  Everything did go according to it apart from the fact that I did not come home on the Tuesday because on the Wednesday my boyfriend took the day off work and we went shopping in York for this:

On the Thursday evening, in one of our favourite restaurants, he proposed!

Now it so turns out on that Thursday I started a new stitching project which I managed to finish before the shopping trip. I was Just Nan's 'Tulip Bunny' WhimZi.

This was stitched on 32ct lambswool Permin linen with the recommended DMC floss. All it needs is a frame and a suitable place in the house as a memento of  a special weekend!

On finishing in school on the Friday I drove to The Railway for the Bank Holiday weekend.  We had a busy two days. I was guard on one of the trains on Saturday and on Sunday was 'promoted' to level crossing gate keeper!

As a reward for opening and closing these metal gates over forty times during the day I was given a the chance to be a bus conductor on one of the many vintage buses that were on display this weekend for The Railway's Classic Transport Weekend.

That was Sunday.  In the evening we went to my Mum and Dad's as we were taking them out for a meal as a thank you for our holiday in Belgium, well that's what we told them, and it was half true. The meal became a double celebration as my boyfriend asked my Dad for permission to marry me whilst my Mum  and I were out of the room. Well I think that's what happened as neither my boyfriend or my Dad can actually remember what was said!

The last few days have been a bit of a whirlwind trying to find a suitable venue fro the marriage ceremony and for the reception. Fingers crossed this is all  now in place and we are looking at a Easter wedding.

What with all this going on there has been very little stitching. These are some progress pics. Firstly Warm Water Wash.

I also started what I thought would be a quick stitch Mill Hill's Halloween Night. These projects usually take about a week but like I've said I have been otherwise engaged!

Three starts and two finishes!

It's been a busy few weeks since my last post. With a 60s Weekend at 'The Railway' followed by a weeks holiday in Belgium then a few days at home, a couple of days at my boyfriend's followed by a weekend in Scotland.  With all that travelling I've been busy stitching.  Firstly my Belgian holiday stitching was 'In the night' by Jardin Privé. I began when we emerged from the Channel Tunnel in Calais and finished it before we came home.

This was stitched as charted using DMC floss on 32ct opalescent white linen. The only change I made was stitching it with one strand of floss rather than two. For the last twelve months or so I have been framing most of my own work.  This frame came from Wilkinsons and is a 7" x 5"photo frame made out of solid wood. I've used this style frame a number of times and this was my last one. To my disappointment Wilkinsons no longer stock this range so for my next batch of framing I had to buy a different type of frame.  Here it is with 'Trick or Treat'.

And a larger frame with 'Witches Riding By'

It turns out that this range of frames better as the way the back clips on is more secure. So that's the framing over with, back to the stitching. I had a couple of backup projects in my stash bag just in case I finished 'In the night'. The first back up project was the 'Owl Winder Pocket' from Just Nan.

Here it is made up.

This was stitched as charted on 28ct opalescent raw linen with DMC floss. I also started 'Warm Water Wash' from Raise the Roof Designs.

Progress has also been made on White Nights, but not since last week. I hope to continue with this after the weekend.

That's all for now. Happy stitching!

The results are in!

Thanks to everyone who voted in my 'What to stitch over the summer holidays' poll.  The winner was 'In the night' by Jardin Privé. This is now kitted up and in the sewing bag ready to go on holiday, along with another two projects, just in case.

Late last Thursday I put the final stitch in to my Tuscan Gardens II UFO.

This has been a UFO for a number of years. I have the third Tuscan Garden project in my stash, let's hope that when I eventually start to stitch it, it does not have the same fate. I finished the larger Tuscan Gardens I a number of years ago.  I do have two more Christmas themed projects which have become UFO's over the last twelve months, I started stitching on one of those again last weekend. Progress pics on that one next time maybe.

So far this week I have been stitching White Nights. My aim this week is to finish the lower portion of the middle building on the left and right hand side. Here is my progress so far.

I was lucky enough to receive a blog award from Becka, The Stitching Lion, thanks Becka.  At the moment I am not in a position to pass this on, maybe in a few weeks when things are a bit less hectic.

Happy stitching!

Nearly there!

Look at what I managed to achieve after a weekend at 'The Other Railway'

There's not much to do now! I might be tempted to try and complete Tuscan Gardens 2 this this week, wait and see. I would have finished all the cross stitching on this project if I hadn't finished the DMC mini kit snowman.

I've not decided how to finish this off as at 4" x 4" it's a bit too big for a Christmas tree decoration (I don't have a massive tree).  Any ideas?

Last week I managed to complete the sections of the White Nights border I set out to do. I was also able to make a start on the central buildings. here are the border sections before the project was rolled up.

Finally Waxing Moon's Simply Welcome came back from the framers. The frame is a bespoke frame especially for this project.

Thanks to everyone who has voted on my poll on the sidebar. If you have not all ready done so there is still time to vote. more information can be found in the previous post.

Happy stitching

The border is started and help is required.

Last week I made good progress on White Nights. I started and finished the tallest tower. The previous week I completed the other three towers, which only needed the odd stitch and the beads putting on. This is a picture of the first two towers.

Last night I started on the border. My aim, this week, is to complete the small section of border on each side so that I can roll up in order to stitch the large central group of buildings.

There are now only fourteen school days left until we break up for the summer holidays and my mind is turning to holiday stitching.  Some time will be spent on White Nights but I fancy a new start but what?  So, in order to help me choose I'm going to have a poll.

These are the choices.

In the night ~ Maggi Co's Village range from Jardin Privé

Counting Bats ~ Just Nan

Winter Arbor ~ The Drawn Thread

Three Gables ~ The Cross Eyed Cricket

The poll will close on Wednesday 20 July. So please help me out and get voting!

Please register your vote in the poll on the sidebar.