Best laid plans and all that ...

For the past couple of nights I've been working on my Spanish Mystery Sampler - part three was released last week and I'm still working my way through part one. Anyway, I finished off a thread, and sat back to look at my progress. That's when I thought to myself "something doesn't look right" and sure enough, on closer inspection, I see my mistake. I check the chart and there's an error on the chart and I missed it. (Note to self, check SAL boards more frequently as there was notification of said chart error!).

I've put it to one side until I decide whether I want to frog out two nights worth of stitching over one on black, or just get a fresh piece of fabric and start over *sigh*. I briefly thought of leaving it that way - nobody will probably notice - but I will know and that takes the shine off of it for me.



So, to make myself feel better I started something new :) I've been admiring Dani'sMoonlight Guardian (Dragon Dreams) WIP for some time and since I've had it kitted up for ages, well ... I'll let the pic speak for itself :)

Meet Morag ... :)



DMC cotton floss, rayon, Kreinik and Caron silks over two
on Kiwi Illusions (CountryStitch) 28 count Twilight hand-dyed lugana.

I had kitted it up with one or two choices of fabric and so spent a little while deciding which one I liked best. This decision making process also involved pulling out a couple of other options from my fabric stash before making my final choice!

Of course by this time it was almost 1am and I really should have gone to bed but as you can see I didn't :) Well, it was Sunday, the kids are on holidays and who needs sleep!!

I've been stitching on it in between chores today and it is really coming along nicely - I'll post another pic tomorrow :)

Heaven & Earth Designs LE Tornado Relief Chart

Recently the owners of HAED (the fabulous Michele & Bob) had their home and property devastated by a tornado. One of my favourite HAED artists, Ching-Chou Kuik, donated this beautiful piece of artwork for charting to be used to raise funds for tornado relief. Proceeds raised will go towards the major clean-up and debris removal operation now faced by the family.

Flow Runners is a limited edition chart and will only be available for two weeks. If you want to help, purchase details can be found here.

Being the major HAED fan that I am, I have already made my purchase and will probably add this to my WIP list next year :)

Pic as promised :)

Vierlanden Susanne Sampler
(c) 2008 Stickideen von der Wiehenburg

Stitched with one strand of HDF premium silk "Dusty Rose"
(retired colour now I believe)
over two on 32 count "Hydrangea" Kiwi Illusions lugana from CountryStitch.

Finally, it is done!

I put the last stitch in my Vierlanden Susanne Sampler just after midnight last night - yay! No pic yet as she is having a bath, then I will iron it dry and take a pic and upload later.

I had hoped to have this finished on Monday but the courier did in fact turn up first thing that morning so I was able to take the kids school uniform shopping as planned. They were ecstatic!

The uniform shop is unfortunately no where near the school, the traffic is awful consisting mostly of lots of very large trucks (lorries), and the sign-posting is non-existent or easily hidden behind long lines of said very large trucks! I am glad that I found some directions online and printed them off before we set off. Anyway, we made it and I spent a fortune (DS and DD have grown a LOT this past school year so I had to get everything!) on kitting the kids out. Unfortunately, DS and I will have to go back later in August as they didn't have his size trousers in stock *sigh*. At least I know where to go now, and hopefully won't miss the turn (like I did on Monday because I couldn't see the sign!) on the way back that turned a 25 minute trip into a 45 minute + trip!!

Tuesday morning, in between loads of laundry, I started sorting out the study - filing away papers and getting a pile ready for shredding. Tuesday afternoon DS had his classical guitar lesson so DD and I wandered around the shops for an hour planning to buy a paper shredder (unsuccessful) while waiting for him.

Wednesday morning was spent in the truck running a couple of errands, and then Wednesday afternoon I made a start on my scissor pocket which is this month's theme for the Monthly Finishing Challenge blog.

Thursday morning I was up early to walk the dog before it got too hot. The kids were still asleep when I got back so I went around tidying up before my cleaning lady came in. Mid morning I was down at my friend's sorting out a maintenance problem (they were away and their maid came to me for help - we use the same maintenance company). Got that sorted, fed the kids some lunch then we headed off to the cinema to see "Get Smart". So funny - I had a giggling fit after one scene and I still have a bit of a chuckle when I think of it now. We will definitely be adding that to the home movie collection when it comes out on DVD :)

After the movie we headed down to the food court for some dinner following which DS had an electric guitar lesson (the music school is in the same shopping centre as the cinema). While we were waiting, DD and I headed down to the hypermarket in my quest for a paper shredder (mission successful).

Around 7.30pm it was time to head home, feed the dog and take her for her evening walk, make myself a cup of tea and settle in my stitching chair in front of the tv. I stitched on Carnation Quaker while watching American Chopper and the return of Bones (Season 3).

I'd better go and check on the bathing beauty - be back soon with a pic.

but not quite :)

I've never been good at estimating how long something is going to take me to stitch and the Susanne Sampler was no exception :)

One more stitching session should see it done though (I hope!), which I may get tomorrow. I had planned a thrilling adventure to the school uniform shop for tomorrow morning but that has to be postponed until Tuesday because of a courier delivery I'm expecting tomorrow. So, a possible stitching day - yay me!

I bet you could hear the kids' collective sigh of relief where you are?

:)

Of course if the courier comes early morning, the school uniform shopping trip could still be on - muwahahaha!

Almost ...

Terrible photo, sorry, but I'm on the home stretch now and hope to finish this tonight, so I will take a better one in the daylight tomorrow! Wish me luck!

July Ornament

I started this little guy on Wednesday and finished him up last night :)



The Decorator by Full Circle Designs
Just Cross Stitch 2007 Ornament Issue

Stitched on a mystery hand-dyed 28 count opalescent
evenweave with DMC threads

I succumbed ...

to another new start today. The kids helped me choose the colours :)



This is Carnation Quaker Mystery Sampler from Wiehenburg Designs (available only to members of the Wiehenburg Samplers Yahoo Group). I tried to resist, really, but I kept seeing all the wonderful WIP pics and well, resistance was futile :)

I'm using HDF silks Mauve 1441 and Jewel Weed 3167, one strand over two on antique white 40 count Newcastle linen.

Joss Whedon fans ...

Check this out!



Then spread the word!!