A New Start & Finish & Carrot Cake Catastrophe

I'll start with the thing that went wrong this week.  I decided to make the Carrot Cake from Issue 2 of Baked & Delicious Magazine.  The recipe said to cook the mixture in two tins and then sandwich together with the frosting.  Well I could only find one cake tin so decided to just make one cake and then cut it in half after baking.  I didn't take into account that it would take a lot longer to cook one big cake than two small ones!  So I cooked the mixture for the required length of time, got it out to test and it was still liquid.  So I cooked it for a further 45 minutes and the top was quite burnt.  This is what it looked like.

So I left it on the side to cool thinking it was cooked.  But when I turned it out of the cake tin the entire centre of the cake was still liquid, this is how much cake mixture I scooped out of the middle.

And this is what the bottom of the cake looked like after having the mixture scooped out.

 It wasn't cooked properly all around the inner edge, I ate a bit of the outside and after picking the burnt bits off the top it was very tasty.  However I ended up throwing it away because I just wasn't sure if it was cooked properly and didn't want to risk poisioning anyone!  I was even more cross with myself the next day when I discovered two tins the same size at the back of a cupboard!!  Anyway it didn't put me off and I made some more Chelsea Buns the next day, I didn't put the glaze on top this time and they were a lot drier than the first time but still nice, I'll definitely use the glaze next time though. 

I discovered Stitching the Night Away recently and they are having a give away for anyone that sends photos in of a completed Brushstroke Butterfly.  This is a free design which you can download from their website.  A colleague of mine is retiring early in May and I decided that this would make a lovely card for her.  It is stitched on 25 count hand dyed Lugana called Apricot Blush from Crafty Kitten.  I used a variegated Anchor thread (1315) rather than the recommended colours and did tent stitch 2 over 1.  Rather than doing the rows in straight lines I stitched on the diagonal so the stripes wouldn't be quite so obvious.  I'm pleased with how it turned out and will probably stitch this design again as I think it is a very effective design.  I started this on 16th April 2011 and finished on 21st April 2011.  I'll add another picture when it's been made up into a card.

Some progress has been made on the jumper "Little Boy Blue" for Samuel.  I have now stitched one shoulder together and picked up all the stitches for the neck band and knitted the neck band.  I now face the daunting task of stitching in the sleeves which I will hopefully be able to do sometime soon but not without the help of my mum!  I've also been knitting a blanket for my cousin who is currently pregnant and will hopefully post a picture next time.

Giveaway

Check out the awesome giveaway at Cross Stitch and Cupcakes

Not much to update on for me at the minute.  I started a new small project earlier in the week and will hopefully get it finished this weekend and post a picture.

Also given in to temptation and bought myself some more HAED charts - just can't resist a bargain and the sale is awesome!

Shy Baby as of 10.04.11 - PAGE 3 COMPLETED!!

So lots of things to update on this week.

I decided to work on Shy Baby this week even though it should have been the HAED Freebie SAL.  I love working on Shy Baby and even though she isn't in my current rotation I just knew she would help me get my stitching mojo back and I was right.  I managed to do 2,500 stitches on her and completed page 3.  You still can't make anything out but when I compare it with the actual picture I can see images starting to form.

I've made good progress on Little Boy Blue, I've now finished the back, front and both sleeves. The sleeve was supposed to be all stocking stitch apart from one row of pattern at the top of the sleeve but I decided to add in a couple more rows of pattern one of which was in the main design and the other I made up myself. I love how easy it is to make pattern and texture by just changing whether you knit or purl.  So all I have to do now is pick up stitches to do the neck and stitch it up.  I'm going to wait for my mum to come back from holiday though as she is an expert at this and I don't want to mess it up by tying to do something I don't know how I'm doing.  I'm really starting to love knitting and have a whole host of things I want to knit. I absolutely love some of the colours that you can get in sock yarn and would love to knit myself some socks. I wonder though why it is specifically called sock yarn - can you use it for other items or only socks? Any experienced knitters who can answer this I'd be very grateful.

One of my 210 in 2010 goals is to bake all 196 cupcakes from the recipe book 200 Cupcakes. I know it doesn't make sense that there are only 196 recipes but there is a main recipe on each page and then an alternative recipe except for four recipes which are for things like cinnamon butter to dip the cupcakes in. So there are only actually 196 cupcake recipes. Anyway after all that waffle I showed my sister the book and she requested that I make the Mini Simnel Cupcakes next so as I am a good big sister and always do what my little sister says (apart from when she tells me not to buy anymore stash!) I made them a couple of days ago. They have mixed fruit in them and you put a teaspoon of cake mixture in the case and then a little round of marzipan and then put some more cake mixture on top, you then bake them, leave them to cool, top with more marzipan and toast under the grill. To be honest I was a little disappointed with these. I absolutely love marzipan so expected to love these and they were nice but they weren't delicious and I'm not sure I would make them again.

So I'm going back to Masquerade and hopefully I will be able to make some visible progress.

Baking, Knitting, Voting and Stitching

Well over the past couple of weeks I've wanted to start doing some baking.  I used to make cakes when I lived at home with my parents but haven't baked anything for years.  It may have something to do with a new magazine that is being published in the UK called Baked and Delicious.  I saw the advert on the telly and it looked really good and my husband agreed so we bought the first copy.  I made the cupcakes and they were lovely so we decided to subscribe to the magazine.  I then decided that I needed a mixer because I only have a hand held one that has one speed and when you mix with it everything flies everywhere.  So I got myself a Breville Stand and Hand Mixer.  So I decided today to make Chelsea Buns (recipe recommended by Dawn from http://www.craftykitten.co.uk/) because they used to be my favourite cakes but I haven't had one in ages.  Here's how they came out.  I haven't had one yet so can't say what they taste like but they look good! (Edited: Me and hubby have just had one each and they taste even better than they look!)

Onto the knitting update.  I've now finished the back on Little Boy Blue and am part way up the front.  I've bought more wool to make another one for Samuel in a large size and one for my niece Jessica.  I went to the library today and borrowed five Debbie Bliss knitting books and there are some really gorgeous designs in them.  I think knitting is going to get as out of control as stitching at this rate.  But hopefully it won't take me years to finish something I start knitting, and you don't have to find room on your walls for people to see them :-)

So the poll is over on which design I should start stitching next after I finish something and the outcome is the Gerbera Daisy Pillow which is three quarters complete so hopefully won't take me too long to finish.  But I have to finish something first before I can start finishing it!

And finally a stitching update.  It is the HAED freebie SAL this week so I should be working on Blue Rose Fairy but I'm really not back in a stitching mood yet so I have gone back to my old favourite Shy Baby.  I always love stitching her so I figure if anything can get my mojo back she can.

A New Start and my Third Finish for 2011

I really thought I had lost my stitching mojo as I'd not done any stitching for nearly a week.  I've been wanting to experiment with a different count and a different type of fabric for a while.  I decided that rather than start a big project on a new fabric and find out I didn't like it I would just do a small project.  So I have had a pattern for some Assisi Christmas cards for a while and decided to try one of them.  I started it last night and finished tonight.  It is stitched on 27 count hand dyed Linda from Crafty Kitten.  I did it 2 over 1 in tent stitch and I really enjoyed stitching it and am happy with the outcome.  The only thing I am not completely happy with is the back stitching but I don't think it looks too bad.

So here's the picture from the magazine of what it should look like.

And here's my attempt.

I've also finally managed to break the cycle of bad luck with Little Boy Blue and have made it over half way up the back.

And progress is being made on my first blanket for SANDS.  It currently measures 8 inches and needs to measure 22 inches so I've got quite a way to go yet.

I'm so happy as I feel like I am making progress now.  I have also conquered my fear of fabric that is not Aida and I'm hoping this means that I will be able to try different designs (like a Chatelaine!) but that might be a bit ambitious yet.  I think I'll try a few more smaller projects before attempting a BAP.

Masquerade SK as of 24.03.11

I am very disappointed with my lack of progress all round this week.  I've had Masquerade on rotation for two weeks and only managed to do 887 stitches.  I don't know if I've lost my stitching mojo or if I'm not enjoying Masquerade as much as I was or if it's just because I've been so damned tired the past few days.  I honestly haven't been out of bed later than 7.30pm for the last few nights.  Anyway I've now completed 78.44% of Masquerade and here is my update picture.

Also I've made no progress on the Little Boy Blue jumper.  I'd done about 30 rows and showed it to my mum and she asked if I had measured it or done a tension square, the answer was no.  So I measured what I had done and it was 10 inches wide and it should have been 10 3/4 inches.  So my mum suggested I try knitting it on a bigger size needle because this should make the difference in size.  So I have had to unpick it and start again, hopefully it will be third time lucky.  I'm really glad though that my mum told me know before I spent a lot more time knitting it and stitching it up.

On a positive note I have started knitting my first blanket for SANDS it is a very basic pattern where you start with one stitch and increase on the second stitch at the beginning of every row.  I currently have 50 stitches on the needle so some progress has been made here.  I find I am able to knit in the car while commuting to and from work.

Hopefully I'll get more stitching done over the next week and get some of the jumper done too.

Little Boy Blue

No cross stitching update this week I'm afraid.  I have been working on Masquerade and decided to keep on it for another week before I rotate and update. 

I have however started another project.  I am knitting a jumper for my little boy.  Samuel has become a lot more mobile over the past few weeks and I can no longer have all my stitching stuff out to just add a few stitches whenever I get a minute as of course he thinks mummy and daddy's toys (i.e. cross stitching, TV remotes, PS3 controllers etc) are much more exciting toys than his own.  So I thought at least with the knitting I can pull it out and put it away again a lot more easily then my stitching.

So this is the jumper I am knitting for him.

The pattern calls for Baby Cashmere Merino Silk 4 ply but as this was £4.70 for a 50g ball and I could get a 100g ball of ordinary 4 ply for £4.20 I decided my budget could only stretch to the ordinary 4 ply.  I decided to go for a beige colour as he has so many blue tops already and I wanted something different for a change.  I had done about 12 rows of the back and then discovered I had done half of the rows using one size of pattern and half of the rows using a bigger size so my pattern wasn't lined up at all so I've had to unpick it and will be starting it again.

I have done some knitting over the years and have made a cardigan for myself in the past but my mum has always had to sew it up into a finished article for me.  With this jumper I want to do it all myself and then maybe move onto making myself another cardigan at some point in the future.  I also hope to make some baby blankets for the charity SANDS they are very simple blankets and I hope to be able to do some knitting in the car to and from work every morning and evening as I feel this is a wasted part of my day.

Anyway I hope all my cross stitching friends don't mind me adding a bit of knitting to my blog.

My sister has recently started a blog about her cross stitching and knitting and I'd love it if you could visit her blog and follow her too - if you add a comment as well she would be very excited :-)

Blue Rose Fairy as of 11.03.11

This week has been the HAED BB SAL and this is my progress on Blue Rose Fairy.

I managed to do just under 1,500 stitches on it this week which means it is now 16.45% complete.

Only a short update today as I am feeling a bit delicate as I've been in bed with food poisoning for the last 24 hours.

Coming out of the stitching closet

I've been cross stitching since I was very young but have always been quite secretive about my hobby.  When I was at school I didn't tell my friends because I thought they would make fun of me and this has kind of stuck as I've got older.  I used to put photos of my stitching on groups on Facebook but would never add them to my news feed for fear of ridicule.

A couple of months ago I was asked to be on the reader panel for World of Cross Stitching Magazine and was amazed when after it was published about 10 people got in touch with me asking if it was me.  I didn't know that any of these people were interested in cross stitching.

It was this realisation that there are lots of people out there who stitch that made me more confident about coming out of the stitching closet.  So now I am trying to promote my blog more on Facebook and when I add photos I am making it so that they are visible to all my friends.

It feels really good to be able to share this part of my life which I've kept secret for such a long time.

Thanks for sharing my stitching life with me!

Samuel as of 04.03.11

I've been working on the picture of my Son for the last few days.  Here's the up to date picture.

It's still quite abstract at the minute but when I compare the photo to the stitching I can see his ear, his mouth and his eye.  I am still not sure about the colours that I'm using but I am putting my faith in Michele's years of charting experience that it will look right. 

I've done 1,905 stitches on this since my last update which brings it to a total number of stitches done of 4,421 which is 4.55% complete.  At this rate I'll have it finished for his 18th Birthday!!

I don't know if you've seen the poll on the left hand side but I'd be grateful if you could vote for which project I will start next.  As I write this blog post there has been 9 votes and 3 projects have each got 3 votes.

Still have quite a lot of items for sale or swap if anyone is interested.

Nx

Measi's Musings - Giveaway

Measi has been blogging for 10 years and is having an awesome giveaway to celebrate - have a look here

Measi's Musings

Also while you're here reading this post would you mind voting in my poll for which project I should start next.

Thanks xx

Masquerade SK as of 25.02.11

Well I have finally completed page 1 of the SK Masquerade, I've done a lot more than page 1 but to finally get that last stitch in and complete a page was a great feeling.  This week I've done 1,261 stitches which brings me to a total of 13,954 stitches done which is 73.76% complete.

I've decided to make this my main focus piece and will be stitching on it evey other week unless that clashes with the QS SAL.  I am desperate to start a new project but also want a finish.  Masquerade is the project I am nearest to completing so it makes sense to concentrate on this and get it finished.

Calling all stitchers of Chatelaine Designs

So I've been seeing loads of blogs where people are stitching Chatelaine Designs.  Now these are such gorgeous designs they really intrigue me but I can't seem to find out much about them.  So I am putting out a call for information - if you are familiar with these designs and can answer any of these questions I'd be really interested.  Or if you can just tell me your experiences with these designs, i.e which you stitched first, how you decide what fabric to stitch them on etc etc.

Are they cross stitch designs?  If you join in a mystery how does that work?  Is there a particular design you would recommend starting with?  Do they have to be stitched on linen or can you do them on aida?  Any other information you can share with me.

Thanks for reading and (hopefully) sharing your experiences!

Believe as of 20.02.11

Here's my latest update for Believe.  I've completed another two colours I've done just over 1,000 stitches which means in total I have now done 3,508 of 29,250 which is 11.99% complete.

Just to remind you as well I still have lots of items for sale or swap on the Sale or Swap page.  Thanks for looking.

Items for Sale or Swap

I've been sorting through my stash this week and have decided to be truly ruthless and try and sell or swap any item which I don't think I will ever get time to stitch.  It's breaking my heart to sell some of these items but I have so many more that I think there is more chance of me stitching.

Items for Sale or Swap
Please take at look and hopefully someone will get some enjoyment from these items.

Thanks for looking.

Hickory Dickory Dock as of 12.02.11 - PAGE 1 COMPLETE!

It feels like it has been so long since I have completed something and even though I haven't completed the total design the fact that I have completed one page feels great.  I love how you can just see the eye peeking out from the clock.

So I have now completed 10,347 stitches which is 35.37% of the total design.

Blue Rose Fairy as of 06.02.11

So here's my update on Blue Rose Fairy.  I've managed to do 2,235 stitches on this bringing the total number of stitches done to 4,194 which is 12.12% complete.  I'm really enjoying watching this grow as it is quite diffferent from any of my other projects.

Christmas Stocking at 03.02.11

This week I've been working on the Christmas Stocking for my son.  So here's the picture of my progress.

It's only been two colours up to now apart from the white snowflakes.  It certainly makes a change from all my other projects which have lots of colour changes.  So I've now completed 2,064 of 17,502 stitches so it is 11.79% complete.

Masquerade as of 26.01.11

Well I went back to work last week after my maternity leave so I'm not getting as much stitching done as I was.  I've been working on Masquerade this week and did slightly less than 1000 stitches on it which takes me to having completed 67.09% of this design.  My goal is to complete this design by the end of the year.  So here's the updated picture.

Believe as of 21.01.11

I've been working this week on QS Believe by Jessica Galbreth.  I am stitching on 20 count hand dyed aida called "Love in the Mist" from Crafty Kitten, 3 over 1, tent stitch.

I am using a different method this time for the stitching.  I've decided that as the fabric is so gorgeous I may not stitch the entire background.  I have therefore decided to stitch each colour one at a time over the whole design.  The first picture was taken after I had completed all the 310 and the second after I had completed all the 336.

I have to say that all the photos I take of this gorgeous fabric are in no way showing it at it's best.  The purples and blues are stunning and as much as I love the whole of the background of the design I want to leave some of the fabric showing.

Hickory Dickory Dock as of 14.01.11

This week I am really really happy with the progress I have made on Hickory Dickory Dock (sorry about the slightly out of focus picture).

I am really close to completing the first page.  I've now completed 26.33% of the total design.  I am really enjoying the colours and the pretty details on this. 

I am now about to start on my new project.

I am sewing it on a hand dyed fabric called "Love in the Mist" from Crafty Kitten.  This picture really doesn't do the fabric justice.  It is a gorgeous blend of blues and purples and absolutely perfect for this piece.  Dawn at the Crafty Kitten helped me choose exactly which fabric would be perfect.  I would highly recommend going to her if you need any hand dyed fabric or advice in choosing what would be the perfect fabric for your chosen piece.

This is all the floss in the piece.  I've never done a floss toss before and found it really interesting to see all the colours which will soon be blended together. 

I am stitching this piece as a memorial for a good friend of mine who  unfortunately lost her son last year to a congenital heart defect.  She and her husband are doing a sponsored sky dive in March to raise money for the hospital who cared for her son.  I hope you don't mind but below I have copied the e-mail she sent asking for sponsorship.  Should any of you be able to donate even a few pennies to help this extremely worthwhile cause it would be very much appreciated.

Dear all,


On March 11th 2011 our son Matthew should be here celebrating his 1st birthday, on 12th March Stephen & I are taking part in a Skydive to raise money for Birmingham Childrens Hospital as part of their heart appeal, I don't know if you're aware, this is the hospital where Matthew was looked after until he died. It is the most amazing place, the nursing staff are honestly heaven sent so we are trying to raise as much as possible, believe me when I say every penny counts.

I've unfortunately not been able to set up a JustGiving account as we have to raise a certain amount prior to the Skydive to pay for the jump itself, unfortunately the company don't offer these events for free :-( so I have set up a Paypal account and an email account so all the money is in one place and once we have raised enough to cover the costs, every single penny after that goes directly to Birmingham Childrens Hospital.

I appreciate not everyone likes having a sponsorship form shoved under their noses so please don't feel obliged to sponsor us, I just thought this was a way to reach a lot of people quickly and like I say, please don't feel obliged to do anything, but if you can spare even a few pennies please log onto Paypal and deposit whatever you can. The email address is skydiveformatthew@hotmail.co.uk I think if you send the money as a gift there isn't a charge.

If you would like to see the confirmation that we are actually taking part in this event let me have your email address, I'm more than happy to forward the emails confirming our places.

Thankyou,

Jo x

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you don't mind me bringing this to your attention.  I know times are hard everywhere at the moment and especially at this time of the year but as Jo says every penny helps.

Blue Rose Fairy QS - 2011 SAL - as of 06.01.11

So this week I started stitching the 2011 SAL.  The chart I chose was Blue Rose Fairy and the finished item should look like this.

I am stitching her on 20 count white aida 3 over 1 tent stitch and here is a picture of the progress I have made so far.  I have completed 1,959 of 34,446 which is 5.69% of the total complete.  My BB goal is to complete 1 page and I have completed 24.99% of this goal and my blog goal is to complete 2 pages and I have completed 13.33% of this goal.

HAED BB 2011 Full Year Goals

A few days ago I set myself my stitching goals for 2011.  Having thought a bit harder about it I think the goals may be a little too much.  So today I have set myself a few less goals on the HAED BB, they are

1. Complete two pages in tent stitch of QS Believe not currently started
2. Complete two pages in tent stitch of QS Hickory Dickory Dock currently done 10.44%
3. Complete in full crosses SK Masquerade 2010 SAL currently done 61.83% 
4. Complete one page in tent stitch of QS Blue Rose Fairy 2011 SAL currently done 3.64%

I will still keep the original goals I set myself here on my blog but will be working mainly to complete the HAED BB goals.  Looking forward to seeing how realistic any of these goals are!

Shy Baby as of 30.12.10

Here's the latest update on Shy Baby.  I have now completed 15,102 of 164,850 which is 9.16% complete.  Still love stitching this as much as ever.  Only moving on so I can start on the 2011 SAL.

With regards to my 2011 goals I am about half way to completing the Shy Baby goal.

So here's the picture update.

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that you have a lovely New Year.

My Awesome Sister

This week a project I have been working on for a long time has finally been finished.  Unfortunately I cannot take credit for the finish.

In May 2009 I found out I was pregnant and began searching for cross stitch designs that I could stitch for my child.  At the beginning of September 2009 I found out I was expecting a boy and that helped me decide which designs I wanted to stich.  I decided to stitch the 8 animals in the Charlie's Ark series.  My sister also chose a bigger design that she was going to stitch as a birth sampler.  So about 15 months ago I started on these designs.  I found them very difficult to motivate myself to stitch and I think it is because the pattern is not the best quality.  It is difficult to see what colour some of the stitches should be because of the back stitch.  I wish pattern designers would provide two copies of a pattern, one without the back stitch and one with.  I am sure it would make it so much easier but probably more expensive.

Anyway I had completed all but two of the designs and they have been hung up in my sons room.  About two weeks ago I finally admitted to myself that I would probably never find the motivation to get these two projects finished so I asked my awesome sister if she would do them for me.  She hadn't really enjoyed stitching the birth sampler that she had done but she agreed to do them as she knew how much I had been avoiding completing them. 

So on Christmas Day we all went to my parents house for the day and my sister arrived with the two finished designs.  What had taken me nearly 15 months to do six designs took her less than 2 weeks to complete two.  I was so grateful to her for taking this project on for me and very happy to see them finally finished.

So here are the pictures of the two designs my sister completed for me.

And here is the whole display on my son's bedroom wall.

I am so happy that this project is complete before my son is old enough to say he doesn't want them on his wall anymore!!  I am sure as he gets older he will enjoy looking at them and I will love telling him that his Aunty Louise and I stitched every little cross with love just for him (I might not mention how much we hated doing it!!)

So this is just a big big thank you to my awesome little sister for helping me out with this.  She is the best sister in the world and also my best friend.  Love you Lou xxx

Second Finish for 2011 (yes I know it's still 2010!)

Well last night I finished the Christmas Card I previously posted about and started my first bookmark.  I couldn't do it straight from a pattern as the aida band I have is only 26 stitches wide and all the patterns I have are much bigger.  So I adapted two patterns and came up with this.  It is for my mum to sell at the next Church Fair so I hope people will like it.  I'm not sure if it is too simple but I think it's ok for my first try and it's another step towards completing my goals.

I have now moved onto working on Shy Baby which is one of my favourite projects.  I will probably work on this until I get the first page for the 2011 SAL which is January 1st.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.

Nxx

First Finish for 2011 (I know it's still 2010)

So I have been working on my first Christmas Card for 2011.  I know it's a bit early but I wanted to get a head start.  So the design I have done is called "Snowman and Deer" and it is from a pattern book by Leisure Arts called "Fast & Festive 50 Christmas Designs".  I bought it from a company called Sew and So.  I have ordered quite a few items from this company and they have amazing customer service and fast delivery.  I really like the designs in this book and can see myself stitching all 50 of them over time.  I normally find with a pattern book that I like about 50% of the designs so was very happy when I looked at this one.  So here is a picture of my first Christmas Card for 2011.  I have another 5 to stitch to complete one of my goals.

The pattern stated to do all the white in B5200 but for the white of the snowman I used one strand of B5200 and one strand of E5200 (metallic pearl).  I wanted to differentiate between the white on his hat and scarf and the white of the snow.  I'm not sure it shows up very well on the photo but I am pleased with the result.

Samuel as of 17.12.10

I started work this week on the photo of my son which I paid for Michele from HAED to chart for me.

Here is the original picture.

I didn't start in the top left hand corner as I usually do but actually started on his face as I want to see how well this turns out. I am a bit unsure about the colours so far as they have been quite dark pinks, salmon and terracotta. I have faith in Michele's work though and I am sure that once I get a bit further and see some details emerging it will be as amazing as the art she charts. Anyway here is my progress so far with this.  The blue lines you can see are the Sulky Metallic Thread which I am so far finding really great to use.  I have unpicked one row of gridding so far and it came out very cleanly and easily, I hope it continues to work so well.

So I have currently completed 2,516 of 87,953 stitches which is 2.86%.  My goal is to have completed 20% of this project by the end of 2011 so this means I have 17.14% to go which is the equivalent of another 15,074 stitches.  Another way to look at it is that I have completed 1/10 of my goal which I am quite pleased with (especially as it is still 2010!!).

I am super excited this weekend as tomorrow is the drawing for the HAED "lottery".  The winner gets to choose 25 charts, if I were to win I would be so happy but would also be sharing the prize with my sister to one of us would get 12 charts and one of us 13 charts.  Also all the participants get a free chart tomorrow regardless of whether they win so I'm really looking forward to seeing what the free chart is as well.

I'm also currently playing Christmas Bingo on the HAED BB and up to  now have 1 out of the 10 needed to win.  I'm not hopeful that I will win on this but it is fun taking part.

Stitching Goals for 2011

So I've been thinking recently about what I would like to achieve with my stitching in 2011.  I have 8 projects on the go at the moment and when I add in the 2011 SAL that will make 9.  I enjoy having lots of different things to stitch so I don't get bored but I do sometimes feel like I am not getting anywhere with any of the projects.  So the goals I am setting myself for 2011 are to:-

1. Masquerade SK - complete - this was the June to Dec 2010 SAL and I have currently completed 61.83%
2. Butterflies Galore SK - complete 75% - I have currently done 45.21%
3. Christmas Stocking - complete by Christmas 2012 - I find this quite hard going sometimes as it is a very simple pattern and has huge blocks of the same colour so my goal is to have completed it by Christmas 2012 when Samuel will be nearly 3
4. Hickory Dickory Dock QS - complete 50% - I have currently done 10.44%
5. Christmas Cards & Bookmarks - I would like to have 5 bookmarks for my mum to sell at next years Church Christmas Fair and I would like to have 6 Christmas cards to be able to send to family members
6. Train of Dreams - complete 1 page - I have currently done 3.51%.  I am finding this project quite hard to motivate myself to stitch.  It's a strange one because I love stitching it when I get started but I never want to start sewing it.  The really odd thing is it is one of my most favourite designs so I can't understand why I find it so hard getting started on it.
7. Shy Baby - complete 3 pages - I have currently done 6.86%.  I love stitching this design and have to stop myself from stitching on it all the time to do some stitching on other projects.
8. Samuel - complete 20% - I have currently done 2.63%.  This is a photo of my son that Michele charted for me.
9. Blue Rose Fairy QS - complete 2 pages - this is the 2011 SAL so I haven't currently started it.

So it will be very interesting to look back this time next year and see how much I have accomplished in relation to these goals.  I don't know if they are realistic or not as I have never set goals for myself before.  If I complete half of the goals I will be very happy.

I have been working on the photo of my son this week and am going to work on it a couple more days before I post an update.

Masquerade SK as of 11.12.10

Well it's been quite a while since I last posted but this last week I have been working on the SK Masquerade for the July-Dec SAL.  I am sad to say that I still haven't completed page 1 (I have about 7 stitches left to do) but I have been working over the whole chart and have now completed 11,633 of 18,919 stitches which is 61.49%.  I always love stitching on this design and never get bored with it.  I don't know if it's because it is mainly purples as this is my favourite colour.  Anyway even though the SAL is over now I will continue this design until it is finished.  It may well be that this turns out to be my first HAED finish.

Anyway here is my progress picture up to now.

So coming up soon is the drawing for the HAED Christmas contest for the chance to win 25 charts.  Anyone who has entered also gets a free chart so I am looking forward to seeing the free chart and also hoping that I might be the lucky winner for the 25 charts!!  I've also just entered the Christmas bingo and selected my chart for the 2011 SAL so all in all lots of stitchy things to look forward to.  Not forgetting that Christmas is coming and it is my little boys first Christmas so I am super excited about that.

Can't quite make my mind up what to stitch next but I do have to finish a knitting project before Christmas so might concentrate on that first before picking up my stitching again.

So for anyone reading this just in case I don't post again before Christmas - I wish you a happy christmas and a healthy new year!

Two Updates in One

Well since I last posted I have been working on two of my projects.

Firstly I started working on QS Hickory Dickory Dock by Nancy Faulkner.  I managed to complete 2,796 of 26,775 stitches in one week which means I have completed 10.44%.  It was quite a lot of background using only 3-4 colours so progress was quite quick.  I am sure my progress will slow down once the confetti starts.

The second project was the SAL SK Masquerade.  I have now completed 10,613 of 18,919 stitches which is now 56.1% complete.  I still haven't completed the first page but I love how you can see the details coming through.  I haven't decided yet whether to carry on stitching Masquerade for the time being or rotate onto something else.

Shy Baby as of 19.10.10 - Page 2 Completed

So here's the latest picture of Shy Baby I have now completed page 2 (actual pattern page 24). 

Just a little update

Well I've finished the birthday card for my niece and here is the finished article.

I've also decided to change how I work my rotation.  I found I wasn't getting enough accomplished in a week to see any progress which was getting me down a bit.  I have therefore decided to work on each project until I either complete a page or get fed up working on it - which ever comes first.  So the projects I have on the go now are:-

1. Shy Baby
2. Butterflies Galore - SK
3. Masquerade - SAL SK
4. Train of Dreams
5. Christmas Stocking (Non HAED)
6. Christmas Cards (Non HAED)
7. Charlie's Ark (Non HAED)
8. Hickory Dickory Dock - QS
9. Samuel (Photo of my son charted by HAED)

So I probably won't be posting every week but will just post every time I change project.

Masquerade SK as of 07.10.10

Well here is my update this week on Masquerade following the October SAL.  I didn't get as much done this week as I would have liked to but I am now very close to finishing page 1.

I absolutely adore this design the colours are wonderful.

I am so excited this week as I have commissioned a cross stitch chart from a photograph of my son.  This is the image I submitted.  Can't wait to see the chart and start stitching on it.  Last thing I really need though is another project to add to my rotation but I just now there is no way I will be able to put off starting this one.

My son looks so different now.  His hair has gone very blond but one of the things I remember most about when he was born was how everyone commented on his gorgeous spiky hair.  That's why I chose this photo to stitch.

I've also been working on and off this week on the birthday card for my niece and this is the update.

New Starts

Well this is the first post for two weeks.  Last week I was away for a few days and the cottage we were staying in just didn't lend itself to stitching.  I couldn't find a comfy position to sit in and stitch and the lighting was awful so I didn't do more than a couple of stitches all week.

This week I decided I didn't have enough projects on the go and added another medium project and a small project.

The medium project is a Christmas Stocking for my little boy.  This is a picture of the final product.

And this is the progress I have made on it this week.

 

I decided I wanted something quite simple to work on as I want my son to have it for Christmas 2011 and if I did a HAED stocking he would probably be 18 before it was finished!!  My intention is to do stockings for myself and my husband as well when I have finished this one.  These will be HAEDs though, I want Cherished Christmas Stocking and I am going to do the Treasure Dragon Stocking for my husband.  If I get all these three done then I may at some point in the future do the Faithful Friends Stocking for my son.

I have also tried gridding for the first time with Sulky Metallic threads, will see how it goes before I try gridding one of my BAPs with it.

The second small project I am working on is a birthday card for my niece.  She is 5 at the end of October so I have just over 3 weeks to get this done.  Hopefully my son will let me get some stitching done during the day so I can achieve this.

I have also this week fallen in love with this Amazing Color by Needle Delight Originals.  There are lots of amazing designs but this is my current favourite.  It is so different from anything I have stitched before or have in my stash.  I have been restraining myself very hard so I don't buy it.  Really want to get a finish before I buy or start anything new.

Butterflies Galore SK as of 16.09.10

So I've been working on Butterflies Galore this week.  I was disappointed last week with my progress on Masquerade but this week I am really happy with my progress on Butterflies Galore.  Her face is nearly finished now and I am very close to finishing page 1. 

Masquerade SK as of 09.09.10

So here's my latest update of the Masquerade SK SAL.  We got page 2 this month and I started working across the two pages rather than concentrating on page 1 as I have been doing previously.  Anyway I don't feel like I have accomplished as much as I had previously.  I have now completed 6,480 stitches which is 34.25% complete.  I do like the way the hair shows how the rest of the picture is coming together and I cannot believe how amazing the cat's eye looks every time I see it I love it more.

Shy Baby as of 02.09.10

So this week has been my rotation on Shy Baby.  I don't know what it is about this project but I just love stitching it.  It's odd because the colours are so similar and what I am stitching is so abstract you really can't tell what it is you are stitching but I always look forward to this project and once when I thought about not finishing it I felt very very down.  Strange how much one project can affect you.  Anyway I have now completed 9,350 stitches which is 5.67% and here's the picture.