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A blog that's real, real life, real problems, real family.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Reasons to Be Cautious

A few years ago I bought a chart from Ebay of a Tiger Lazing on a tree.  It looked amazing but I didn't get around to stitching it straight away so it was put in my stash until this year.  I made really good progress on it and it wasn't until I was about half way through the actual tiger that I noticed a huge difference in colour from the picture that came with the chart.  So I double checked it and I was using the correct DMC shades.


I just think the person who converted the picture wasn't using very good software and the problem with buying from Ebay is even if I had stitched this straight away after purchase, it still would have taken a couple of months so therefore there is no way of complaining about it.

I'm not saying that everyone who sells charts on Ebay are bad, far from it, I have had many that have been brilliant but just be cautious.


Wednesday 16 May 2012

Sorry ..

I am so sorry that I haven't been keeping my blog up to date!!  I don't know where time goes and kept thinking oh I will post this afternoon but never got round to doing it.  I am so busy with my business and then been doing loads of sewing in the evenings.  I have got quite a few finishes to update on here and I also took the plunge and started my very first HAED (I will do a seperate blog post on that).  But for now I will leave you with a photo I took on a recent trip to Hailes Abbey in Gloucestershire.


Wednesday 4 April 2012

A Finish

I've finished one of my projects, my stitching diary.  I am so happy with the out come, it's better than I expected apart from I wish I hadn't of used Copydex to stick it to the diary.  Does anyone use anything better to attach aida to things?

Anyway this is the finished item ....


xxxx

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Craft Bubble

At the weekend I joined a crafting community website.  It's not just about cross stitch but all crafts, where you can chat and exchange ideas.  I have spoken to loads of really nice people form all around the world on there.  You should all go and check it out....

http://www.craftbubble.com/

Monday 2 April 2012

Update of WIPs

I had a great weekend stitching, I stitched for a total of 7 1/2 hours over Saturday and Sunday.  I have put updated photos of all my WIPs on my projects page.

Last night I decided to start a new project, it is only small so shouldn't take very long.  I thought my stitching diary looked very plain and boring...



So I looked though my magazine for a design I could stitch to put on the front cover.  After lots of mind changes I decided to go for a deign that I found in Cross Stitch Crazy issue161. Its a twist on the popular Keep Calm and Carry On posters, they have 4 different designs in the magazine....



I decided to go for the Keep Calm and Start Stitching design but I have changed it slightly.  Instead of filling in with stitches, I found a scrap of coloured Aida so that will save me time too.  I went with the red Aida as this is what colour the original posters are in....



Hopefully I will get this finished in the next day or 2 and I will keep you updated.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend, take care xxx

Sunday 1 April 2012

I love Saturdays

Yesterday I made great progress with my 3 WIPs.  In the afternoon I spent an hour each on the needlebook and the Fizzy Moon card.  Then in the evening when the kids had gone to bed I spent 2 and half hours on the tiger.  I love the weekends when I get to spend lots of time sewing, my DH is at home so he takes a bit of the housework off me so I have more free time.  Today I have got to go to my local sewing shop to see if they have DMC 310 in stock, I've been in there every weekend for the past month now and they haven't had any in but I'm in desperate need for it to carry on with the tiger.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekends and I will get some updated pictures up soon. xx

Friday 30 March 2012

A Black Cloud

A black cloud has appeared over us in more than one way.  Today it looks like we are loosing the unseasonably warm weather, it's cloudy and it is set to get cooler over the weekend and next week, just in time for the kids half term holidays.

The other black cloud is my daughter was bitten by a dog on Wednesday evening.  We live in a small village in the Cotswolds and she went to the park with her friends after school for an hour and on her way back home she was passing a house that has a Great Dane as it's guard dog and the dog jumped over the wall and grabbed her hand in his mouth.  She managed to pull away and run home but she was covered in blood and we had to take her to A&E.  I went round to speak to the owners and they promised that they would keep the dog away from that part of their property so it can't get over the wall but they haven't.  The police spoke to them last night and I just walked past there and it's still there.  The house is opposite the primary school and I am worried that someone is going to come off a lot worse than Lily did.

I am so angry with them for not keeping this dog in their property, fair enough that they need a guard dog but it should not be allowed to get at the public.  They are rich and think that they are above everyone else but if it was the other way around and my dog had bitten one of their children I am sure I would have been banged up by now!

Sorry that this is such a gloomy blog but I just needed to get it out there.

Take care everyone xxx

Wednesday 28 March 2012

Cherry Blossom

What a beautiful couple of days it has been.  The blossom is out on the Cherry Tree and it feels good to get some sunshine on my skin.  I am writing this sat outside whilst doing my work.  I don't think in the whole time that I have been self employed that I|have managed to sit outside whilst working and it's only March!  I made a massive progress with my tiger picture last night (I will post an updated photo on my projects).  I have also got 2 small things on the go at the moment, which I hate doing because I feel guilty that I'm not stitching them.  My local sewing shop has run out of DMC 310 which is what I need the most so I need to order some online, does anyone know of any good reliable and fast online companies?

Anyway hope you are all enjoying the weather and managing to get some stitching done. xxx


Monday 26 March 2012

What a lovely weekend

What a brilliant weekend.  Lots of lovely sunshine so I got the garden tidied up, the kids run a mile each on Friday for Sports relief, Morgan (the middle one) played football for his team on Saturday they drew so they are now joint top of the league and then he ran another mile for sports relief on Sunday with his football team.  I am so very proud of them all and considering they are only 11, 8 and 5 that was an amazing achievement.  To top it all off I made some progress with my tiger picture.  Brilliant xx

Saturday 24 March 2012

Feeling sad and Excited

I found my old Stitchmaster floor stand out of the loft yesterday as I want to start using a larger frame at home rather than using the small ring that I use whilst on my travels and it's broken (boohoo).  Most of the screws that hold it together will not stay screwed in and the light seems to have broken too..... But this leads me on to why I am excited because my husband said he would buy me a new frame (yay).  Does anyone have any suggestions which one is the best?  I need something that is sturdy as my dogs and kids have a tendency for knocking into things and I don't want it all ending up in a heap on the floor.  Please leave me a comment letting me know what you use. xxx

Friday 23 March 2012

April's Cross Stitcher Magazine

I am a sad muppet, I only discovered this magazine last month and it's fast becoming my favourite.  How did I not know about this one, they are on issue 251!  The thing I love about this magazine is that it's different from the others, I am not say I don't like the others far from it I love them all, but this one has a bit more stylish designs in it.  I will stitch anything but for me to put it in a frame on the wall it's got to be something special and I have found quite a few designs in the past two issues that I am itching to start.

 This month we got a lovely John James Pebble free with the magazine with 4 needles inside.  I got the lovely green coloured one.
 I really like the idea of these DMC colour sample charts....
 And this blackwork looks good too, although Im not a huge fan of backstitch, I think I would enjoy stitching these.
 This birth sampler is really pretty, I just need someone to have a baby now so I can make it.
 I just can't wait for next months issue!!!!

Thursday 22 March 2012

Work in Progress

So what can I say?  I love Cross Stitch, if I could sit and do it all day then I would but unfortunately I don't have time so I try to settle down in the evening once the kids are in bed, for an hour or two.  My family aren't demanding of me and they all help out around the house but I am also running a business so I don't get a lot of spare time to myself.  I have a project on the go at the moment that I am about two thirds through.  It is of a tiger lying on a tree.