Happy dance!

So much for the New Year's resolution about trying to post every week but in my defence things have been a bit hectic here, but more about that later.

In my last post I said that I was about to start Lady Scarlet's Journey for my Just Nan week on the rotation. This is how far I got!

This is stitched on raw linen so the colours have come out a bit funny.

When I first started this blog in January 2009 the first WIP to be features was the St Nicholas Tree Skirt from Dimensions.  This was the photo.

I am pleased to announce that it's finished!

Again not the best quality photo.  I included the scissors to give an ideas of the size of this project.  Now all I have to do is decide how to finish it off. It will not be a tree skirt, possibly a table cloth or wall hanging.  When it is fully finished I will post a, hopefully better, photo.

This week is the first of the school Easter Holidays and, at last, my husband and I are living in the same house!  Our first wedding anniversary is on Sunday.  We spent part of last weekend at the railway and then it was back to his to start to pack a few essentials, the TV, the PC etc.

Here is my old TV alongside his!

This week we also adopted a rescue cat from our local animal sanctuary.  We brought her home yesterday.  Her name is Bella and she is about two years old.   She came to the sanctuary via the charity Prevent Unwanted Pets, she was being used as bait to train fighting dogs!  As you can see from these photos she is settling in well.



Whilst all this activity was going on I was able to start and finish one of the stash enhancements my mum and dad gave me for Easter.  Here she is before making up.

Here she is made up.

This is Just Nan's Honey Bunny.  It was stitched on 32ct Vintage Country Mocha Belfast linen with the recommended DMC floss.

Continuing with the bunny theme I also finished off Just Nan's Tulip Bunny.  This fits a WhimZi frame which sits nicely on a small easel I found in The Works.

I have a couple more stitchy items to share with you but that will have to wait until next week.  With everything else going on Halloween Rules, on the rotation this week, has not progressed much so I'm off to remedy that this evening.

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!