Welcome to 2016 ...

Hello all and welcome to 2016 ...

... I can't believe I haven't posted since October. I do need to be better this year (blogging is one of my 10 New Year resolutions), so here we go off to a flying start with a sum up of a year and setting up goals for the year ahead.

I have only completed 3 of my goals in 2015 ... so hopefully 2016 will be better.

1) Christmas Candle - HAED

Before:

December 2014

After:

December 2015

The goal was to complete the last two pages of the top row, which as you can see I have not managed.

The plan for 2016 is therefore the same goal as last time ... complete the two top pages. 

2) Ember II by Maia. Complete this project ... COMPLETE!!!

Before:

May 2014

After:

April 2015

3) Yiota's Xstitch: Fields of Poppies. Complete one page ... COMPLETE!!!

Before:

January 2014

After:

April 2015

Seven more pages to go ... so I think I will set myself a target to stitch another one.

4) Literate Dragon HAED. Complete the bottom left page... COMPLETE!!!

Before:

April 2014

After:

December 2015

Guess what I think I will go for the top right this year ... that way we might finish this by 2017!

5) QS Poisonous Beauties (complete page 1) - not stitched. Ditto for 2016.

6) Harmony by Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe (goal complete) ... some progress made here, but not quite enough.

Before:

November 2014

After:

December 2015

Lets get this one complete in 2016!!!

7) Venice by Michael Powell (goal: complete the first triptych) ... again progress was made

Before:

December 2014

After:

December 2015

Ditto for 2016.

8) Spring bouquet by Margaret Sherry (goal: complete). Very small progress:

Before:

After:

Ditto for 2016.

9) I feel a bit light headed by Judy Rossouw (goal complete)... no stitching

10) unassigned as Xmas chums was scrapped.

11)  'Tending the Flock' (goal: complete 2 colours) ... no joy ...

12) Making Lickle Wishes (goal: 1 colour) ... ditto ...

13) Cabin Fever by Dimensions (goal complete the cabin) ... I think I stitched about 2 crosses before giving up.

14) John Clayton - Venice (goal complete) ... this is becoming slightly monotonous.

15) 'Picture of elegance' (goal complete) ... ditto

16) Good Heavens by Margaret Sherry (goal complete) ... finally I have some progress to share (and see how good my new camera is ... the fabric actually appears blue):

Before:

December 2013

After:

December 2015

I then scheduled some starts ... but what I started and what were schedule are slightly different.

Starts:

17) Iris by John Clayton (Connections)

December 2015

18) Autumn Glory by Snowflower Diaries

December 2015

19) Twilight & Magic by Suzanne Gyseman HAED 

December 2015

20) Sheep SAL (LHN designs) So far in this SAL I should have had 6 sheep ... instead I am slightly shy of 6 ...

But I have Gratitude complete!!!

December 2015

I will try to get Faith done shortly so that I am officially caught up...

December 2015

Now I feel fully ready for 2016! With 10 New Year resolutions set and stitching plans made I just now need extra hours in a day. (To see my 2016 stitchy goals check out the wipocalypse tab)

Till soon,

Sheep #5.5 and Stitch from Stash October 2015 ...

Month: October 2015
Spent: £0
Earned: £0

Dear all,

Yet another boring post for buying stash ... or rather lack of ... yay! Essentially you take one move, lack of cash, no internet or time ... and you have a frustrating inability to buy much.

Also further 400 stitches on my sheep (technically I am now behind by a week - sigh). 

But hopefully there is still a chance to catch up ... and Sarah won't give up on me just yet.

I have now managed to unpack, with an exception of a few misplaced objects that I need to find a home for.

...I also can't believe that I have just over a month to get ready for my next set of exams! Two this time ... and by the lack of revision in this house I am seriously worried. There is still time I keep telling myself.

Sheep #5.3 and Stitch from Stash September 2015

Month: September 2015
Spent: £0
Earned: £0

Hello all,

I am sorry for my long absence. I have now moved houses (lets hope this won't become an annual exercise) and it took until yesterday for the internet to be transferred and fixed.

My cross stitch is all over the place ... some projects are already unpacked, others still in boxes. Sadly to admit I am using one of my massive bed drawers for all the projects/fabrics/stash that is yet unstarted for the time being ... and it is a mess. I miss my organised drawers and shelves. Incidentally I had no time or money to spend on any new stash.

Sarah and I started on the next sheep and due to the whole internet/moving house I have fell behind in posting.

So ignoring my missed 2 posts I am up to:

600 stitches

I have also fallen behind on my other sheep. Hopefully I can get that one done soonish as well.

Till soon (I better go and continue unpacking),

Stitch from Stash - August 2015 ...

Month: August 2015
Spent: £3.20
Earned: £0


Dear all,

I have been having quite a stressful time recently, so I am very sorry for disappearing for 3 weeks. I will try to be better ... even if it is just a quick update.

My family has decided to follow me and relocate down South ... so I went to visit them for 5 days to help pack up ... and let me tell you it was a task not for the light hearted. For the past month I have been trying to find a van(s) to transport everything across the country and it has been proving to be quite a task. I almost had a meltdown today after all the issues I so far had with quotes etc (too many to mention) I finally booked 2 vans and after paying a deposit and emailing the company got an automated response that they are on holiday until the 29th (the move is meant to happen on the 26th) ... but hold your fingers crossed for me.

What I actually bought recently:

Thread pack for the following HAED (+ 2 magazines) ... I already have the 2 magazines (world of cross stitching), but by accident I found an eBay listing for further 2 copies and all the threads needed. £3.20 it cost me (+£3.80 for postage and packaging) ... in the magazine they estimate that cost of threads and fabric would be around £100, so a great bargain. I wanted to stitch this picture for some time ... so perfect. The seller is charity orientated and 100% of sale proceeds go to Midlands Air Ambulance. Money well spent.

Some progress on a few stitchy things:

Venice

I am now a third way through page 4 of 6. So pretty good progress although backstitching will be a pain.

My new start (I only took my sheep when I went up North, but it was too dark to stitch it in the evening so I started a new project instead):

This is 'Iris' by John Clayton (Connections series). I have already completed 'Calla Lily' in the same style back in 2012 (click here). There are 8 flowers in total and one day I might be able to complete them all. I have kits for 2 further ones, and charts for the remainder 4. Charts are unfortunately for the blue background. 

Last night after all the stress of van hire I was planning on cross stitching. I thought I might start something new ... maybe the one above, or my Alice and Dodo ... but then the first has no fabric and in general I could not find my blue marker for gridding. 

Anyhow till soon ... I am off to go wash dolls hair (I brushed it all out 2 weekends ago and now its lying in a puff and needs a conditioning bath to make it smooth). It is bright red in colour, so quite something! Before I go do you want to see the last doll head I have bee working on? Well here it is:

hair colour - Merlot

The best one so far, even if I say so myself! She needs her hair slightly trimmed at the bottom which will be done once she gets a head!

Hopefully hair won't take too long and I can put a few hours of woking into my sheep. 

Till soon,

Stitch from Stash + Wipocalypse - July 2015 ... something didn't quite go well ...

Month: July 2015
Spent: £0
Earned: £0

Dear all,

I am sorry but it seems I have disappeared again. Not sure what happened. I do need to get a bit of grip on my planning.

Nothing actually went on here since I last posted. I am back in college now, studying business planning tax, and financial management. I had some lessons for BPT already, but not for FM. Tax is fascinating and getting more complex every day. I am still struggling to work my head around various VAT issues. But as the next set of exams is not until December still some time to go.

My mum dyed quite a number of cross stitch threads, which I am slowly trying to add to our Etsy page:

They can be found HERE.




We have decided to put them at a bargain price of £1.80 per skein (10m). For further information check out the listing. I have started with pinks, but some other colours should follow shortly ... I just wonder where does all the time go?





What about my cross stitch endeavours you ask ...

Well I am slowly progressing with my sheep. I think I am going to set myself a task to complete it by next weekend ... that way I won't get distracted with all that other cross stitch trying to tempt me astray ... Sarah is so far ahead it is unbelievable.

Still quite a bit to go on my little 'Faith'. But we will see.

I have finally stitched a tiny bit more on 'Good Heavens' by Margaret Sherry ... (an achievement as this constantly becomes a UFO for me).

And a bit more done on 'Venice' by Michael Powell ... almost half of the first triptych. Then another two to go ... imagine quite a bit of the blanc space on the right being filled with stitching.

Till soon,

Stitch from Stash - June 2015 and I am back

Month: June 2015
Spent: £0
Earned: £0

Dear all,

This is short and sweet post just to stay I have spent £0 and earned the same.

I have now finished my exams, and managed to somewhat recuperate so will be back to blogging shortly. I am in the process of catching up on my sheep and everything else.

Till soon (with something longer),

Stitch from Stash - May 2015 and me going MIA ...

Month: May 2015
Spent: £17.42
Earned: £8.00

Dear all,

Well I really wanted to make it to deadline for this post so hopefully it is on time.

Sew and So had a 10% discount ... with which I had a massive problem ... it put discount through then reduced the amount further when going through the payment (I was going aaaaa has it removed items due to unavailability or something)... and then the system deducted the full amount without the discount from my bank. It was an interesting sort of glitch. I emailed the company and regardless of it being the bank holiday Monday (the 1st one of May) had a lovely girl named Lisa email me back and apologise for inconvenience etc etc ... she unfortunately couldn't refund me the 10% straight away (bank holiday issue) but we got there in the end.

I bought three charts and corresponding buttons (for the Little Sheep Virtues SAL I am doing with Sarah):
Peace
Friendship
Patience

and that's it ... I am officially banning me from buying (or so I hope).

Earned:

I did have a finish (that I am allowed to count the earnings for anyway ... my Winter Friends was not officially 'stash' as it was bought and stitched straight away):

click HERE for the original post

It was 61 x 61 ... so £8 earned.

And finally just to let you know I am going MIA for a wee bit. Just till my exams are done. Which will be a week on Tuesday! I am yet to reach the passing stage (55% on average) judging from practice questions ... but all is not lost ... or so I hope. And then I can catch up with everything stitchy.

Till soon,