tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78865211096780306482024-03-16T08:15:12.148+00:00Ally's Stitching LifePete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-62450798057092692052016-08-26T21:22:00.000+01:002016-08-26T21:22:16.809+01:00They Call Me The Wanderer ....<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've had a long hiatus from blogging during which I have had a lot of ups and downs in my life. However, with encouragement from my boss and my lovely friend Rachel I have decided to pick it up again - so we'll see how it goes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In March 2014 I upped sticks and moved to West Yorkshire after getting a transfer with my job. Now after several moves I am finally in a place of my own and I love it. I have a lovely wee three bedroom terraced house - well maybe that should be two bedrooms and a craft room - and its close to work so my travelling is down to a minimum and I'm not spending endless hours on buses or trains. I've got settled in very quickly and its the first time in almost 2 and a half years that I feel like I have a home. I miss Glasgow and it will always be home but for now I'm here and I am finally starting to make a life for myself down here.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately my constant companion and bestest friend in the world, my gorgeous wee Minnie May died just 7 months after we moved to Yorkshire. I miss her terribly and it has taken me a long time to even think about having another puss in my life, but thanks to my landlord's two moggies who seem to think that this is still home, especially Lola, I am coming around to the idea of giving a special cat a forever home. Since I am going to be away rather a lot over the next couple of months I am going to wait until I get back from my holiday in October before I start my search.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back in April I managed to get a wee allotment in the local park. I fell lucky as not only was in laid out into beds it also has a shed. I've done more experimenting than anything this growing season and currently have parsnips, sugar snap peas, beetroot, carrots, butternut squash, pumpkins and courgettes as well as rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurants, gooseberries and blackberries (or brambles where I come from). I've also created a wee memorial garden and planted three rose bushes for my parents and my gran - a yellow rose for mum, a lovely scarlet red for my dad and a pretty apricot for my gran. I'm planning on a fruit tree for next year together with a proper greenhouse and I might even paint the shed! My friends Jo and Richard regularly bring their two little lads Craig and Thomas up to visit while I'm up there and Craig loves to help with the digging. I have regular orders for my rhubarb from Jo and her mum and also my neighbour Nicola.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This month marked 40 years since my dad passed away. Hard to believe he's been gone so long. I still miss him so much especially when I am visiting new places that I know he would love. Unfortunately on the day of his anniversary I found out that my uncle Archie and my wee cousin Craig had passed away last year. I am travelling up to Scotland for the Davis Cup next month and spending a week catching up with friends and I also have some bridges that need mending as far as family go. I haven't seen my aunts and uncles since mum's funeral over 10 years ago so I will be visiting them and hopefully start a new chapter there.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've not done much stitching at all in the last couple of years and in fact I think I have only finished one project since I have been down here. I lost my enthusiasm for stitching in a big way but putting my craft room together has helped a little ad I have started a new project for my kitchen Lizzie*Kate's Little Cups of Friendship. I have done more knitting than anything whilst here and only have one sleeve left to do on my bolero cardi and I'm also knitting a cushion cover with the wool I got for my birthday last year from my team at work (and you should have seen the looks on their faces when I told them what I wanted with my birthday money!!) Its lovely wool and the shade I am using at the moment, magenta, is so vibrant. My friend Rachel and I have joined a lovely group of knitters in a wee village called Silsden and we go there twice a month on a Saturday for knitting, crotchet, stitching, loads of chat as well as tea and home baked goodies. We also take our knitting to our wee local, the Fox in Shipley, just up the road from my office. Its a small pub but they have live music on a Tuesday night and a little group of knitters too. I don't think I've ever been a regular at my local in my life but I am now!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All in all I have a fairly hectic social life these days what with the knitting group, the Fox, my once a month book group, the once a month pub quiz and the random days out - this week alone we've been on a Scarecrow Trail and a Treasure Trail up at Burley in Wharedale where I found not one but two "des res's". Just need that lottery win ...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This weekend is a Bank Holiday and I am planning on a day at the allotment tomorrow before spending Sunday with friends in Saltaire before we head to the Hop to hear (and see) the fabulous Turnarounds and then off out to the Brew Haus on Monday for the Sausage and Cider Festival. Can't wait - will need to go back to work on Tuesday for a rest!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I plan over the next couple of months to add lots of photos of where I've been recently but for now I will just add a couple of shots of the allotment and a finished project I finally got around to framing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So until next time thanks for reading and see you soon.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love and hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ally xx</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My shed</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One view of the allotment</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkins</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butternut squash</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OoSBJEZgGqc/V8Ci3dhVJDI/AAAAAAAAAdA/SCKmKWfArpoQZjr64S1Nr8s0icGl4699QCLcB/s1600/20160731_182354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OoSBJEZgGqc/V8Ci3dhVJDI/AAAAAAAAAdA/SCKmKWfArpoQZjr64S1Nr8s0icGl4699QCLcB/s200/20160731_182354.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daddy's rose</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Official Crazy Cat Lady</td></tr>
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Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-48127598332889857532013-07-26T22:16:00.000+01:002013-07-26T22:16:00.417+01:00It's Been a While .....<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well more than a while really - just shy of a year since my last post. I always set out with good intentions which swiftly fall by the wayside ... but since my fellow Mods on <a href="http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Friendly_Stitchers/">Friendly Stitchers</a> are always reminding me that I haven't done an update lately (at all!) then hopefully this will appease them a little.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I won't make it too long of a post. Lets just say the past year has been an extremely long and arduous one - got a job and promptly lost it again (but it is less of a loss and more of a blessing) but I have a call back for an "informal chat" for a job I went up for a couple of weeks ago so fingers crossed that all will be well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been stitching and have even have some finishes! I took part in our annual pilgrimage to Harrogate last November - great fun as always - and also had a day trip to Woolfest at Cockermouth in Cumbria last month. I've also joined a local book club and a Meetup group - Glasgow Knit n Stitch so I have come into contact with a whole new set of likeminded friends. I think in the main I have been trying - and succeeding - to keep myself busy. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the beginning of the year I decided that since I have failed to finish one single project last year that I would make a concerted effort to finish as many WIPs and UFOs as I possibly could this year. So far I have finished three of my 2012 Crazies - CCN The Bookstore, Diane Graebner's Flying High and a Traditional Sampler designed by a very good friend and member of Friendly Stitchers (and very talented designer) Nancy Taplin. I also finished one of my 2011 Crazies - the Crocus Cushion by Sue Page. That took me up until the end of March - and then I started that job (hiss hiss spit spit) and I went from being prolific to being non-existent. Lets just say when I wasn't working (just shy of 50 hours a week) then I was sleeping. If it hadn't been for the Knit and Stitch peeps I doubt I would have been doing any stitching at all!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And speaking of which - I went along to Woolfest in Cockermouth with the ladies from the group - there were 16 of us in the wee hired minibus and some others had driven down. We had a wonderful day - I met lots of lovely dogs and fell in love with some gorgeous alpacas. I also bought some wool! So after 20 years of not knitting at all (my gran taught me when I was 5 or 6 years old) I am knitting again! You never know you might even see a couple of knitted finishes on here too at some point.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around March/April I bought one of those walk-in greenhouse thingies - the ones with the plastic covers - and we now have got a whole load of tomatoes and a very prolific pepper plant growing profusely in there. It is south facing so they are thriving and I can't wait to get my teeth into the first crop of tomatoes which shouldn't be too long now. i just hope they taste as good as they look! We've also had a lovely display of flowers out in our back yard overlooking the river. I've had some close encounters with the wildlife too - three otters, the kingfishers and a family of baby gosanders - needless to say I didn't have a camera to hand when I had those encounters :(</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am off down to Yorkshire at the end of September to the Mouse House for a weekend of celebrations and hopefully some stitching too and then we are off to Harrogate again in November. This year we have taken a cottage and it looks absolutely gorgeous! Niina and I are already fighting over who gets in the bath first! Look out for loads of photos from that when the time comes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And talking of photos i will end with some photos of finishes and veggies - and one of Minnie May who is celebrating her 14th birthday today. It would have been my mum's 83rd birthday today so she has been in my thoughts too today. The piece of stitching Minnie is modelling says it all I think!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet pepper plant</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomatoes </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More tomatoes :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpacas mwaaaaaah I want one!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Xm5-ynUoRs/UfLjnnRRXQI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/hGSdzGJtHc8/s1600/20130705_141023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Xm5-ynUoRs/UfLjnnRRXQI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/hGSdzGJtHc8/s320/20130705_141023.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday Minnie May xx</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xz_vO-rPmsU/UfLksBrxLcI/AAAAAAAAAbs/DGttB9s2P9k/s1600/Crocus+Cushion+close+up+of+motifs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xz_vO-rPmsU/UfLksBrxLcI/AAAAAAAAAbs/DGttB9s2P9k/s320/Crocus+Cushion+close+up+of+motifs.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of motif on crocus cushion</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AnF4R_nWgy0/UfLkwnAMszI/AAAAAAAAAb0/DJT_DWHoEXI/s1600/Crocus+Cushion+finished+310313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AnF4R_nWgy0/UfLkwnAMszI/AAAAAAAAAb0/DJT_DWHoEXI/s320/Crocus+Cushion+finished+310313.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crocus cushion finished at last!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wsLLUk7sGmc/UfLkj-mLDuI/AAAAAAAAAbk/eDEcvbT2fO0/s1600/Traditional+Sampler+040513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wsLLUk7sGmc/UfLkj-mLDuI/AAAAAAAAAbk/eDEcvbT2fO0/s320/Traditional+Sampler+040513.JPG" width="120" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Sampler</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_n4c4mChuI/UfLlNliu3PI/AAAAAAAAAcE/pF5Pf0PFu-A/s1600/Flying+High+finished+060313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_n4c4mChuI/UfLlNliu3PI/AAAAAAAAAcE/pF5Pf0PFu-A/s320/Flying+High+finished+060313.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying High by Diane Graebner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5JdoJEzggww/UfLlLummI9I/AAAAAAAAAb8/-adUAD023rE/s1600/The+Book+Store+180313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5JdoJEzggww/UfLlLummI9I/AAAAAAAAAb8/-adUAD023rE/s320/The+Book+Store+180313.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Book Store by Country Cottage Needleworks</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am currently working on the latest Friendly Stitchers Round Robin - I've done Mouse's and I am working on Frances's at the moment so will post updates of those next time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for stopping by as always and I promise not to leave it so long next time!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love and hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ally xx</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-33318279750095461402012-09-30T21:31:00.004+01:002012-09-30T21:33:16.105+01:00Lazy Sunday Afternoon ..........<br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's a song in there somewhere lol! Well here I am again; not as quick as I had hoped but having had visitors and lots to be getting on with I didn't have a chance to get to sit down and blog until now. Kettle's been on so grab a cup of whatever you fancy and settle down.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat Lessons for People - Lizzie*Kate</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been stitching - on one of my Crazies and here's a pic to show how I have got on. I am putting this back into my rotation tomorrow but I am so happy with what I have achieved so far especially as <a href="http://maursiescrossstitchstuff.blogspot.co.uk/">Maureen</a> pretty much gave me a challenge to at least get the cat finished when she was here two weeks ago. Didn't I do well?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should have put a bet on it ........</span>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The weekend that Maureen was here I had another Maureen visiting; this one an old work colleague. Its always nice to have her come to visit and she kindly took us both out to dinner to </span><a href="http://www.battlefieldrest.co.uk/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Battlefield Rest</a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to celebrate her recent 60th birthday and my belated (very) 50th birthday! Battlefield Rest is a very popular eaterie here on the south side of Glasgow. in fact it used to be a tram stop and I can remember sitting in the waiting room (what is now the main body of the restaurant) with my mum when I was little. I hasten to add that it was a bus we were waiting for as the trams stopped in Glasgow in the very early 60s!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had a busy Saturday as we not only took a trip up to Queens Park to the Farmer's Market (and discovered a late clutch of chicks on one of the ponds) but we also went up to Pollok Country Park where they were holding a Highland Cattle Show. Plenty of lovely highland cows and their wee ones and I got a chance to renew an old acquaintance with one of the Clydesdales, Spencer, who is a complete darling. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-coWoscCqfOU/UGil-AVEn9I/AAAAAAAAAaI/h9f0d4WbRas/s1600/DSCN0909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-coWoscCqfOU/UGil-AVEn9I/AAAAAAAAAaI/h9f0d4WbRas/s320/DSCN0909.JPG" width="320" /></a> <span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh and I received the most gorgeous ornament from Frances (no blog) in our Christmas/Winter in July exchange on Friendly Stitchers. It is really quite stunning and I am thrilled to bits with it and can't wait to place it on the tree this year. She also sent up a piece of Campbell tartan ribbon which I am thinking of using as part of a cushion at some point. I have never had a piece of Campbell tartan ribbon before - not even for my hair when I was little. I am proud of my clan roots so will use it sparingly and wisely! Thank you Frances so much!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Work continues slowly on the bathroom. Scottish Power are insisting on installing an insolator switch before they will give permission for the new console board to be fitted. They are coming tomorrow afternoon and hopefully the electrician will be able to come before the end of the week to do the rest of the work. If I can also get the plumber to come on Friday - I could spend most of next weekend just standing under my new shower. Prunes anyone? I promise a photo when it is all done (and I promise NOT to be in the shower when the photo is taken lol!)</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay I am going to toddle off for a refill and pick up my needle again as Downton Abbey will be on shortly and I want to be nice and comfy before it starts. Hope you've all been stitching away merrily and as always thanks for stopping by.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hugs,</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ally xx</span><br />
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Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-80167120777877577592012-09-09T13:25:00.000+01:002012-09-09T13:25:29.119+01:00Read all about it!!!!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well that got your attention didn't it? Apologies for not posting sooner but I wanted to have some proper stitching finishes to show off and I finally have something. Was that a thud I heard??? </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berry Christmas by Lizzie*Kate</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mistle-toad by Lizzie*Kate</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noel Squared by Lizzie*Kate</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kettle's been on and tea has brewed so first up are the three ornaments I signed up for in our Christmas/Winter in July Challenge & Exchange over at Friendly Stitchers. I finally got my three ornies finished and although they are not made up yet at least they are stitched and ready to go. My partner was Frances and we agreed that we'd stitch our three and then we'd have our choice of the three from our partner. I have chosen a lovely pendible which will look lovely on my tree and I can't wait until it arrives! I'll post a photo once it gets here. All of my ornaments were from Lizzie*Kate; two of them "Berry Christmas" and "Mistle-Toad" are from the Tiny Tidings series and the other "Noel Squared" is one of their Snippets series. I am waiting for the berry buttons to arrive so that I can finish this off and then get it off to Frances so I will do an update photo of that to when its done.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum (summer school <br />Spanish students in foreground)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">there is a heron in there somewhere!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glasgow University from the grounds of <br />Kelvingrove Art Gallery</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been busy with the teaching lately; working mornings at the school and then afternoons at Strathclyde University where we had a contract to tutor 70+ Chinese engineering students up to a passable IELTS level. That finished on Friday and it was sad to say goodbye to the students - they were all so nice. They all looked so much more relaxed on Friday after receiving their results in the morning so we had a fun activities afternoon for them. They've worked hard these last 2 months and deserve a wee break now before their course starts proper at the end of the month.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and he decided to be friendly after all :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the locals!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the end of August I took myself off down to Yorkshire and Cheshire with a little detour into Welsh Wales to go visit with <a href="http://talesofastitchingmouse.blogspot.co.uk/">Mouse</a> and <a href="http://www.britishladybythelake.blogspot.co.uk/">Gillie</a>. It was a very last minute decision - i.e. I decided pretty late on Thursday night and booked my coach ticket and spent all day (and I mean ALL day) Friday on a coach down to Sheffield where Mouse picked me up. I had completely overlooked the fact that it was the English Bank Holiday weekend and the coach company appear to have overlooked the fact too because they had vastly overbooked the coach and had to put on an extra coach at Edinburgh to cope with the amount of passengers. The extra coach was supposed to just go to Newcastle but it was the same story there and so it went on - until we got to Leeds where we were stuck for 40 minutes waiting for the other coach to catch us up which is failed to do - and I had to call Mouse every 10 minutes to say yessss we're STILL in Leeds!!!!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Mouse halfway up the stairs ...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Three Amigos!!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, that aside it was a lovely weekend but way too short. Friday night was spent at Mouse's although we didn't manage to get any stitching done we spent the evening looking through her WIPs so there was lots to see. I also got to meet Master Bentley at long last and he is twice as cute as his photos! The following morning after breakfast we headed off to Cheshire for an overnight visit with Gillie and the WT. Its been a while since I had last been to the barn but it was just as lovely as I remembered it and of course I had to go off down to say hello to the horses too ... We played musical tables in and out of the courtyard as the sun alternately was blazing hot then cold and rainy. Needless to say much tea was quaffed but no stitching done :( although Mouse overlocked a whole load of fabric for Gillie and Gillie got on with a very pretty scarf she was knitting. We had our mods meeting there as Gillie won't make it to Harrogate this year :( (well not at the moment anyway!!)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One or two wee things from Nimble Thimble ...</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After lunch on Sunday, Mouse and I headed off to the Nimble Thimble which is in a very pretty rural location. It was my first visit there but it certainly won't be my last! Chris was so very accommodating, opening especially for us and we were only just in the door when the kettle went on. In between browsing around for stash I rescued a little fieldmouse from a little grey cat. The wee thing was in shock and I just hope it survived ...</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and a close-up of that fabric!!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got one or two wee things but I was suitably restrained as I am saving myself for Harrogate in November. It was a lovely day out though and on the way back to Sheffield we stopped off for a lovely Sunday roast lunch at a local hostelry before mouse dropped me back off at the coach station in Sheffield to wend my weary way home again. Got in at 3am so I may rethink the overnight option next time lol!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been busy lately with work being done in the flat so that I can get it on the market. The bathroom flooring is down at the shower is up although the trouble and money that has cost has been no laughing matter. The console board is obsolete and even if we could get a replacement fuse to allow the shower to be hooked up it would be too powerful for the board so I need to have a new console board fitted. However Scottish Power will not let the work go ahead without them installing an isolator switch at the cost of £152! Only then can the electrician go ahead. So, what was a simple job has cost nearly £400 and has dragged on and on and on and on .... all I wanted was to have a shower in the evenings when I got home :(</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The flooring is also down in the kitchen but the electrics are holding everything else up and until that is done then the rest of the work will have to wait.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've also had visitors aplenty - with one of my Spanish students joining me for dinner last Saturday and another ex-student and now a good friend, Kasia from Poland coming for lunch yesterday. Next weekend is another busy with with an old work colleague coming for the weekend on Friday and staying till Sunday and then <a href="http://maursiescrossstitchstuff.blogspot.co.uk/">Maureen</a> coming for lunch on Sunday. I love having friends to visit whether it is just for an evening or afternoon, or for a weekend.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, I think I shall call it a day here and go do some stitching once I decide what I am working on! Thanks for stopping by and if you pop over next weekend there may even be some lemon drizzle cake. Just sayin .......</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hugs,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ally xx</span></div>
Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-58636902552478284302012-06-08T23:08:00.000+01:002012-06-09T16:38:17.848+01:00Return of the Wanderer<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well here I am, finally, blogging again after an enforced break due to my laptop being sick. Turned out it had a faulty hard-drive which has now been sorted out and I got it back yesterday all set and raring to go. Just as well I had backed everything up onto a couple of memory sticks or I would have lost everything ....</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I suppose my BIG news is I am working! Well, at the moment still on trial but I am hoping that at the end of the month that status will change to permanent. I have gone back to teaching English (ESOL) and I am with a small language school in the centre of Glasgow. Its a fairly new school (they started up about a year ago). The main thing is I am really enjoying it and I had really forgotten just how much I love teaching.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Wonderland - LHN</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Since starting back at work my stitching has very much taken a backseat. I do the evening classes and the occasional private student also in the evenings so I am rarely home before 7.30 in the evenings. By the time I've fed Minnie, and me, I am too tired to do much more than vegetate on the sofa for an hour or so before heading off to bed. However, with the laptop being in the shop for the whole weekend and most of this week coupled with a 5 day weekend thanks to the Diamond Jubilee, I finally found some time to do some stitching and picked up one of my Crazies - Winter Wonderland by LHN. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Mh-w9-jSCs/T9MkycYYIJI/AAAAAAAAAS0/MC20TzFqUzE/s1600/Strawberry+Language+of+Flowers+250212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Mh-w9-jSCs/T9MkycYYIJI/AAAAAAAAAS0/MC20TzFqUzE/s320/Strawberry+Language+of+Flowers+250212.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry Language of Flowers Sampler - Sue Hawkins</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Prior to starting work I had managed to do a fair bit of stitching and here is one of my progress pics of a Crazy. I really love working on this one and can't wait to make more progress on it. I love the four sided stitch which the boxes are created from - so easy to do and so effective! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also did a lot of work on Flying High by Diane Graebner and The Book Store by CCN but I need to scan those in so will post of progress shots next time.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B0hvEWkCboc/T9MhoWO9lrI/AAAAAAAAARc/eF_DUtLTjAU/s1600/IMG00037-20120409-1439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B0hvEWkCboc/T9MhoWO9lrI/AAAAAAAAARc/eF_DUtLTjAU/s320/IMG00037-20120409-1439.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dawn of Spring by Mouse - top part</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One thing I have been working on is Dawn of Spring which is the latest SAL on Friendly Stitchers and has been designed by my lovely and very talented friend <a href="http://talesofastitchingmouse.blogspot.co.uk/">Mouse</a>. It took me three attempts to decide on fabric and two attempts to get the thread colours right but I am happy with what I decided on and all I have to do now is catch up with everyone else. I got a bit held up at the start as I injured my thumb in a silly accident in the kitchen and for the best part of a week I couldn't even hold a pen never mind a needle so there was no stitching for me. It's not one of my Crazies so I work on it when I can, and it is such a lovely stitch with a few specialty stitches thrown in here and there to spice things up. There's nothing like too many specialty stitches to put you off a design is there?</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rLu5SsRbY9E/T9MkQGiZu8I/AAAAAAAAAR8/GPIqOhlooy0/s1600/DSCN0880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rLu5SsRbY9E/T9MkQGiZu8I/AAAAAAAAAR8/GPIqOhlooy0/s320/DSCN0880.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Oh - and I made another biscornu using Mouse's Harrogate design again. This one was for my friend Yvonne for her birthday in February. She loves it and has got it hanging up in her kitchen apparently where it has been much admired! Yvonne and I met on a course to tutor in Adult Literacy about 12 or 13 years ago and have been friends ever since.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So there you go - I HAVE been stitching - despite what some people might think!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A couple of years ago I set up a round robin for members of my Friendly Stitchers group to stitch the Weather Poems series by Sue Cook which was in Cross Stitcher magazine in 1997 (yes I still have all the magazines!) Not all of the girls carried on with it but one of the ones that did (Penny) sent me a little gift when she sent some of the magazines back to me. Not only did she capture my love of plants but of cats too. Thank you Penny - it was a completely unexpected gift and I absolutely love the charts and threads!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The coleus is one of the two remaining ones that I planted from seed last year</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivy in an old teapot</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I</span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> have been spending lots of time at the gardens and my allotment is full of veggies and potential veggies (ie seeds lol). Currently in the ground are potatoes, leeks, carrots, parsnips and beetroot together with some oregano. In the greenhouse I have got tomato plants, plum tomatoes, sweet peppers and aubergines and I also </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">have 3 tomato plants here at home on the kitchen windowsill. I've also got lots of flowers growing too and have brought home Livingston daisies and sweetpeas to go into the baskets and tubs and I've already planted up one of the baskets with pretty little violas. I've also got petunias and impatiens (bizzie lizzies) in seed trays here at home. I've got some lovely ivy leaf geraniums to go into planters too so hopefully there will be a blaze of colour in our little backyard beside the river when we get into summer proper ... if we get one of course! I'll post up photos of those once they are planted up but for now here are some shots of a few of my plants and a few other things in and around Glasgow for your delictation!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9QLQN9EYHQw/T9MkSK3k7II/AAAAAAAAASE/KQgCiYuJbNQ/s1600/IMG00014-20110903-1340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9QLQN9EYHQw/T9MkSK3k7II/AAAAAAAAASE/KQgCiYuJbNQ/s320/IMG00014-20110903-1340.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby heron in the duck pond at Queens Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MNB5gxzLz_s/T9MkUY4nt0I/AAAAAAAAASM/HtncXVaLJbc/s1600/IMG00034-20120325-1749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MNB5gxzLz_s/T9MkUY4nt0I/AAAAAAAAASM/HtncXVaLJbc/s320/IMG00034-20120325-1749.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the frogs in the ponds in the walled garden next to our allotments in Kings Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glasgow Green - Cleopatra's Needle in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arched entrance to Glasgow Green</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thanks as always for dropping by to read and leave a comment (thanks to those of you who always do!) I promise I will be back soon with more news. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ally xx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-35951901063783459392012-03-22T14:57:00.000+00:002012-03-22T14:57:09.582+00:00Missing in Action<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So so sorry guys for being missing for such a long time. My laptop for some reason will not update my browser due to a missing Service Pack and so I need to get someone to fix it which will hopefully happen soon. In the meantime, I am keeping busy with my jobsearch and also my stitching (of course). I've started om the Crazy 15 Challenge but having checked my memory stick I only actually have a photo of one of those which of course you will get to see.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've also been going to sewing machine classes (gasp horror!) and I can now actually use one of those mechanical beasts. My little antique hand crank Frister & Rossman is feeling decidedly put out but I've also put in a couple of pics of what I have actually made! The classes are over for now but we're all looking forward to getting back to it when our lovely teacher Dianne comes back from her holiday.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana;">I'm really enjoying the Crazy 15 Challenge. Some projects are coming along at a great rate, some not so great lol. I guess it just depends on whether I get completely hooked on what I am doing at the time. Once I have got the browser sorted I will upload pics of all my projects for you to see.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana;">Anyways, I shall get myself off now and leave you with some nice photos of what I have been up to over the last few months.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ieVkvBrF-Lo/T2s5GC2wssI/AAAAAAAAAPA/N_ArtgSbVL8/s1600/Cushion+progress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ieVkvBrF-Lo/T2s5GC2wssI/AAAAAAAAAPA/N_ArtgSbVL8/s320/Cushion+progress.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cushion in progress using an old stitched project from many years ago</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uzhgwfL-Uwg/T2s67GhTkEI/AAAAAAAAAPI/G_h6jR6MWAQ/s1600/Milkweed+&+Monarchs+Progress+Feb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uzhgwfL-Uwg/T2s67GhTkEI/AAAAAAAAAPI/G_h6jR6MWAQ/s320/Milkweed+&+Monarchs+Progress+Feb.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milkweeds and Monarchs by Diane Graebner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5gEyXCg47k/T2s7xf0QAHI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/nZQIIOlwmew/s1600/My+Apron.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G5gEyXCg47k/T2s7xf0QAHI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/nZQIIOlwmew/s320/My+Apron.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first sewing machine finish - dontcha just love that fabric??</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h968gzOGsjE/T2s8jy5Gz1I/AAAAAAAAAPY/Y0jL-U24zWk/s1600/Traditional+Sampler+Part+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h968gzOGsjE/T2s8jy5Gz1I/AAAAAAAAAPY/Y0jL-U24zWk/s320/Traditional+Sampler+Part+5.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Sampler by Nancy Taplin of Friendly Stitchers - Part 5</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xpgqxx2N7uA/T2s8rc3XNEI/AAAAAAAAAPg/c8FIYb813lc/s1600/Traditional+Sampler+Part+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xpgqxx2N7uA/T2s8rc3XNEI/AAAAAAAAAPg/c8FIYb813lc/s320/Traditional+Sampler+Part+6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Sampler by Nancy Taplin of Friendly Stitchers - Part 6</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks all for stopping by - I'll try not to leave it so long next time!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana;">Hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana;">Ally xx</span><br />Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-59210230015800569692011-11-12T21:59:00.000+00:002011-11-12T21:59:23.144+00:00Slowly but surely ....<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am getting there ... I promise! I've had no internet access at home since the beginning of September; long story but I will get it sorted at some point. I bought a dongle thinking that would help, and yes it did up to a point. It worked on the laptop I used for work (which unfortunately went back to my ex boss last weekend) but for some reason I couldn't get it to work on my own laptop (i.e. this one). Tried everything I could think of and nothing, nada, zilch. I took it up to the local coffee shop today as I was meeting a new pupil (more of that later) and thought I'd try using their free wifi access and - you guessed it - nothing! Came back and contacted a techy friend on Facebook through my Blackberry and she was sending me ideas to try out and whilst all that was going on I thought I'd do a system restore which I did, back to the end of September, and <u>it worked</u>!!!! Maybe I am more of a techy than I give myself credit for.</span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Anyway I thought, since Mouse is out living it up in Barnsley tonight and not on Facebook to give me grief about my lack of stitching progress, that I would do a blog update. I'll do the cuppas tonight since she is out on the ran dan (*tuts*) So, I went to the bag I had taken up to the coffee shop this afternoon to get out the Crocus Cushion to do an update - and it wasn't there! Panic set it! Oh no - months of work and it's almost finished and now it's gone! I even phoned the coffee shop to see if it had been handed in. Then I went through everything I had taken out of the bag again just in case - and there it was - in amongst a load of finished projects I had taken up with me to show Hannah. Phewwwwwww!</span></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crocus Cushion by Sue Page</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">And without further ado, here it is: I thought that the gold metallic swirlies would take me no time at all; get them done in a weekend I thought. Yeah right - that was back at the beginning of September and you can see how far I have got! It is taking me about an hour just to do one. Talk about soul destroying :( Anyway it is almost done and I have high hopes of getting it finished and sent off to Mouse for getting it made up into a cushion. I have got the most gorgeous fabric to back it with so fingers crossed and who knows maybe on my next blog post I will have a proper finish to show you all.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">I have been stitching honest just haven't got a lot to show for it at the moment. I am currently working on a Christmas ornament for an exchange on my Friendly Stitchers group and also doing some other ornaments for a craft fair taking place at one of the coffee shops where I meet up with fellow stitchers - and more on that later as well.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Well on the non-stitching front; I had a week-long visit from Mrs Mouse at the end of August/beginning of September and oh it was lovely to have her here! She hadn't been here before and it was the first time she had met the Minster too but they took to each other straight away and to be honest I was beginning to feel a bit left out of it ROFL! I showed Mouse around my wee home town - took her up to the gardens to show her around and she met some of our members up there; also took her up to the PDSA shop where I volunteer and she came along to the quiz night that Nyree and I go to every couple of weeks. I think she enjoyed herself (well I hope she did lol) and Minnie and I really enjoyed having her here and I was so sad to see her go. She did crack the whip a bit while she was here and brought her sewing machine and overlocker with her and made me practice on them. She had a go on my antique Frister & Rosmann too and really liked it. We had a wee trip down to the coast too to Largs to meet up with Maureen and Dee from my Scottish Stitchers group (and Dee's friend Lorna too) - and a lovely time was had. We took Mouse to <a href="http://www.nardinis.co.uk/">Nardini's</a> for icecream - I think she was impressed lol!</span></div><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Then it was my turn to pay a visit! While Mouse was here her DD1 contacted me and told me she was arranging for me to go down to Barnsley for Halloween and not to tell Mouse cos it was to be a surprise! Have you ever tried to keep a surprise from a nosy Mouse? You'll know what we went through over the next month or so then. DD1 organised the train tickets and got them sent up to me and even booked me into the local Travel Inn for the first night too. On the night of my arrival DD1 and DD2 and DH (Mouse's not mine of course) made some excuse of going out for a McDonalds and of course when they came back they had a MacAlly instead! The Barnsley stitching girls were at Mouse's that night too - and of course they were in on it, so I got to meet them too. I loved the look on Mouse's face when I walked in behind the girls!</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">We had a lovely weekend - but no stitching because we were getting organised for the big Halloween party that Mouse's DD1 organises every year. Unfortunately I came down with a chest infection and was feeling distinctly rubbish the whole time I was there but it didn't stop me getting stuck in to help where I could - I was right chuffed with the end result of the cupcakes DD2 baked them and I iced them and then DD1 sprinkled them with glitter. They look reet good on the cupcake stand in fact they looked so good we had to persuade people to eat them - they didn't want to spoil the display! I have to admit that I ate so much buttercream during the icing of the cakes that I didn't even try one when they were done. Still can't face the idea of buttercream lol!</span></div><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Karen came over with her DH and wee Freddie her gorgeous wee Yorkie on the Saturday and they stayed over at the local hotel until the Sunday. I shared with Freddie - he's such a wee gentleman lol.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Mouse's craft room was the bar for the night of the party and then she was decorating it so I think we only actually sat in there a couple of times and not a single stitch was put in. I didn't stitch on the journey down either due to lack of space and on the journey back I was just too tired. Ah well there's always the next journey ...</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">As usual I left my camera at home so I didn't take a single photo that weekend but <a href="http://www.talesofastitchingmouse.blogspot.com/">Mouse</a> took loads and you can see them on her blog.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">I have been keeping myself busy and have started running some stitching classes up here in the south side of Glasgow. I do Saturday mornings and Saturday afternoons at the moment in the local coffee shops but we're hoping to be able to have the use of a fabric shop that has just opened up not far from here where I can have the classes and we can do some workshops too. The ladies who have contacted me and come along are all so nice and I'm hoping that they'll be able to come along to the next get together of our Scottish Stitchers too which would be nice. I am going to renew the ad on Gumtree over the next week or so and maybe get some more people interested pre-Christmas. I need to do some more work to the website but once Christmas is over I can concentrate on that more.</span></div><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">I am hoping to have some more work done in the flat before Christmas with a view to hopefully getting it on the market some time in the New Year. It seems to be a much better idea to sell up, move to Yorkshire and use the proceeds from the flat to set up the shop rather than try to get funding here and struggle along. I can get on with the classes and the website for now and leave the big plans until I can move. Wish me luck on that!</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOpYXE2hdnw/Tr7qC_qtSQI/AAAAAAAAAOw/9dtAyHqO8cE/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239px" nda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOpYXE2hdnw/Tr7qC_qtSQI/AAAAAAAAAOw/9dtAyHqO8cE/s320/scan0001.jpg" width="320px" /></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Oh before I forget - here is the lovely needlebook I received from Mouse in the Autumn Needlebook Exchange on Friendly Stitchers - and it was purely coincidental that we ended up being partners. We drew the names while she was here and I had just said wouldn't it be funny if ... and the rest well you can figure it out lol! </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vhdo_eEJHsk/Tr7qInM6qHI/AAAAAAAAAO4/4vpar51j0Fg/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vhdo_eEJHsk/Tr7qInM6qHI/AAAAAAAAAO4/4vpar51j0Fg/s320/scan0001.jpg" width="258px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Here's the needlebook I sent to Mouse too. I used a JBW Design and Fragant Cloves GAST hand dyed thread on Potato 28ct lugana. I was really pleased with the way it turned out and it was a really nice stitch too.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Ok well I guess I ought to go now and finish off that Christmas ornie. See what happens when Mouse goes out for a night lol! Sorry it has taken me so long to do an update but I promise that I'll have another one for you very soon. Oooh and thanks to the Canadian Oddball for yet another lovely letter. I need to get mine out to my secret penpal at the beginning of the week (should have gone already but life keeps getting in the way!)</span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Thanks for staying with me - hope you enjoyed the tea. Might even do some scones for your next visit if you're lucky!</span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Bye for now!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Hugs,</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana;">Ally xxx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-78652886614229918032011-09-07T14:47:00.000+01:002011-09-07T14:47:11.468+01:00Just a Quickie ...My internet access at home is down at the moment so I am struggling a bit. Thank goodness for wifi cafes and library services!<br />
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I just wanted to let my mystery penpal ~ Canadian Oddball ~ know that I got her letter! It made me laugh out loud! You are one crazy lady and I love getting your letters.<br />
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If anyone is trying to get hold of me I will check emails when I can.<br />
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Normal service including lots of photos will hopefully be resumed very shortly.<br />
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Thanks for dropping by!<br />
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Love n hugs,<br />
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Ally xxPete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-69020396398668922132011-08-15T12:57:00.002+01:002011-08-15T13:05:16.275+01:00Two more crazy finishes .... am I on a roll???<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi all from the rain-battered west coast of Scotland. This horrible weather we've had the last couple of weeks has prevented me from getting up to the gardens but I managed to get some pics of my lovely poppies before the rain set in and will post them a bit further down.</span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">As the title suggests I have not one but two!!!! Crazy finishes to show off. The only "good" thing about being out of work at the moment is the fact that I am getting absolutely loads of stitching done, so hopefully by the end of the year I will have an almost empty WIP basket ready to fill up again next year. This Crazy Challenge has been a godsend for me and I haven't felt pressurised to finish absolutely everything either; just a little progress on some of my older WIPs is better than nothing at all.</span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86Aes3jdrrI/TkkIKs-gScI/AAAAAAAAAOU/C9W0a_-1P24/s1600/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" naa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86Aes3jdrrI/TkkIKs-gScI/AAAAAAAAAOU/C9W0a_-1P24/s320/scan0002.jpg" width="315px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Blossoms 2007 ~ Just Nan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">So ~ I know you are all desperate to see the finishes and here is the first one; Royal Blossoms 2007 by Just Nan. This was a wee kitted up freebie sent to me by <a href="http://tickledpinkinstitches.blogspot.com/">DJ</a> and was an absolute pleasure to stitch. I love the colours and the fabric has such a pretty sparkle which is picked up by the beads. It is just absolutely gorgeous and I am thrilled to bits with it. Thank you DJ for such an absolutely perfect gift and I only hope I have done it justice. Also big thanks to my stitching partner in crime <a href="http://www.talesofastitchingmouse.blogspot.com/">Mouse</a> who gave me some invaluable assistance with those pesky eyelets and helped me along to my finish. I have now passed the chart on to Mouse so I expect she will take about 2 days to stitch it lol!</span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hxWk6N6ZY7Y/TkkISeRN_MI/AAAAAAAAAOY/YSvPizckaxQ/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" naa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hxWk6N6ZY7Y/TkkISeRN_MI/AAAAAAAAAOY/YSvPizckaxQ/s320/scan0001.jpg" width="189px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Carols ~ Country Cottage Needleworks</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">My second finish is .... Christmas Carols by Country Cottage Needleworks. I picked this chart up in Harrogate last year. It caught my eye at Trudy Anne's stall and I just had to have it. I am not the biggest fan of Christmas as many of you will know (nothing but sad memories for me there) but I am a sucker for Christmassy type charts and winter themed charts so I just couldn't resist this one. It kind of reminds me of the midnight carol service at our church when I was younger. In my late teens and early 20s we would be at Joe's birthday party and break off to go to church and sing the carols and bring in Christmas Day and then go back to the party; and latterly mum and I would go up there to bring in Christmas Day with old friends then come home to tea and toast and open one of our bigger pressies before heading off to bed. This design was also such a pleasure to stitch - the more I stitched the more I wanted to stitch and I loved watching it grow. I eventually put the last stitch in at 5 minutes to one this morning and texted Mouse to let her know it was done because she had been hanging on all evening for me to do it. </span></div><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Phew ~ that's finish numbers 4 and 5 out of the way and my little notebook is filling up with finishing dates. So ~ now its on to number 6 and possibly number 7????</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Number 6 will hopefully be my crocus cushion. I even pulled it out ready to go right after I finished Christmas Carols - forward planning or what?? Mouse is going to be here from next week for a few days of tea drinking, stash trawling and stitching so who knows what might happen! She's bringing her sewing machine with her and is going to give me some lessons and is also going to try out my antique Frister & Rossman hand crank sewing machine for size. We're also meeting up with some of my Scottish ladies for a day out in Largs and some ice cream sampling so watch out for a blog update and lots of photos just after that. I have told Minnie so often that "auntie" Mousie is coming to visit that I think she thinks her long lost mousie is coming home. Mouse ~ take care that she doesn't try to stuff you under the sofa or fridge but if you get too tired she will willingly carry you through to bed!!!!!!</span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Oh and thanks to <a href="http://seasonsofmymind.blogspot.com/">Parsley</a> I am taking part in her secret penpal exchange and I had my first letter from my penpal in Canada on Saturday morning! Oh she did make me chuckle ~ I am really going to enjoy her letters and can't wait to find out her identity in December. I sent my letter off at the beginning of last week so my penpal should have it by now. Hope it arrived safely!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gRHGOQlXs0Y/TkkIrTvZkwI/AAAAAAAAAOc/ZbOHlBnFHlM/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" naa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gRHGOQlXs0Y/TkkIrTvZkwI/AAAAAAAAAOc/ZbOHlBnFHlM/s320/009.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Right I am going to go get myself up to the gardens but before I go here are the promised pics of my poppies and some other bits and pieces up there. I'm going to take Mouse up for a looksee when she's here and we may come back with some onions lol.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Thanks all for popping by and for the much appreciated comments which really do go a long way to encourage me. Take care all and look out for another update in a week or so.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Love and hugs,</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2BXrp5_MekY/TkkIzBx1CEI/AAAAAAAAAOg/YYbJIUduQh8/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" naa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2BXrp5_MekY/TkkIzBx1CEI/AAAAAAAAAOg/YYbJIUduQh8/s320/010.JPG" width="320px" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JG6lKTmKUcI/TkkI8wF4lCI/AAAAAAAAAOk/Xa8jzC_TsPE/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" naa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JG6lKTmKUcI/TkkI8wF4lCI/AAAAAAAAAOk/Xa8jzC_TsPE/s320/022.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Ally xxxx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-18787799093489336342011-07-16T20:56:00.000+01:002011-07-16T20:56:35.251+01:00Another Finish and an "Almost" Finish<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catch a Tail by Diane Graebner</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi all from a very sodden Glasgow. The horrible weather has kept me indoors today which is a good thing because it means that I have finished yet another Crazy! So without further ado, here it is .... "Catch a Tail" from the Cats & Quilts series by Diane Graebner who is one of my favourite designers. I chose this theme a few years ago for my robin in my round robin group and ended up having to do two of them because one of the others was "too busy" to work on all of them (huh!) Anyway I am glad I got to do them myself because I really love working on these little charts even if they are hard on the eyes lol!</span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PH_xG7JApWY/TiHrDPh9VcI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/yL3HtSaRmXk/s1600/scan0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PH_xG7JApWY/TiHrDPh9VcI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/yL3HtSaRmXk/s320/scan0003.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Blossoms 2007 by Just Nan</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Before I picked this one up again I had been working on "Royal Blossoms 2007" by Just Nan. I got all the eyelets done, the beading done and the last thing was the double cross eyelets. Every single time I tried one it just didn't look right. I tried it with 2 strands as was suggested and nope didn't look right, I tried it with a single strand - still not right, and I tried it with perle and nope still not right. So, I decided to put it aside for a while to figure it out and work on something else. If anyone has any ideas please let me know - I even tried an Algerian eyelet and it STILL didn't look right!!</span></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Next on my list for a finish is "Christmas Carols" by Country Cottage Needleworks. I have enjoyed working on this one in my rotation and now I am going to keep on with it until it is finished. Watch this space!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>O</span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">therwise</span>, I have been spending time up at the allotment doing a lot of weeding thanks to the rather damp summer we are having. I was absolutely thrilled when I went up there on Monday and discovered that some poppies have sprung up in my patch. I absolutely love poppies and can't wait until they are in full bloom. I will take my camera up with me this week to be ready to catch them at their best. I have also planted the sweet peas and put in some leeks too. What with the potatoes and onions and already have in the ground I think I am going to have a nice pot of soup at the end of it! My cherry tomatoes unfortunately are not doing too well but I continue to encourage them and I just planted some thyme seeds this past week too - first time I have tried herbs so here's hoping. Our communal area at the back is looking lovely with the planters Sarah and I have put out and its nice to have the whole space again. I'll take some photos down there too for my next blog update.</span> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Okay, I am going to go heat up some paprika chicken for dinner and then settle down with some more stitching - I'm on such a roll I just can't seem to stop!</span> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Thanks everyone for your kind comments - a little encouragement really does go a long way! Take care, enjoy your summer and talk to you all soon again.</span> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Love and hugs,</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Ally xxx</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-58741718757163680872011-06-26T13:20:00.001+01:002011-06-26T13:22:39.666+01:00Bang the gong the snowman's done ....?<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay so poetry isn't my strong point lol! I read it, just don't write it!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Anyhoo, just wanted to let you all know that yes, the snowman is done! I actually finished it 2 days ago but thanks to a nasty migraine which floored me for an entire day, although eased up long enough for me to finish the stitching on this one, I am only now getting around to putting up my post about it.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5aZTxW00B_s/Tgch7nGenGI/AAAAAAAAAOE/FGlQDMzQXgI/s1600/scan0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238px" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5aZTxW00B_s/Tgch7nGenGI/AAAAAAAAAOE/FGlQDMzQXgI/s320/scan0006.jpg" width="320px" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">So here he is, in all his snowy glory lol! Ain't he sweet? I so enjoyed working on this one, despite the traumas of running out of GAST Cornflower (thank you <a href="http://acozylittleplaceforstitching.blogspot.com/">Lynda</a>) and then discovering that I had miscounted on the "W" and having to frog the whole thing! I got there in the end and the result is just lovely! Can't wait to get him framed and he will be hanging in the shop (hopefully) this coming Christmas along with my other winter/Christmas themed stitched designs. Which reminds me I need to speak to the gallery in Knaresborough to see if we can come to some sort of arrangement .....</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">The chart will be winging its way to Finland very shortly, to <a href="http://ilmatar81.blogspot.com/">Niina</a> - hope you enjoy stitching this one as much as I have!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">I have now picked up Royal Blossoms 2007 by Just Nan - another Crazy! Could this one be my next finish? You'll just have to watch this space. Having Wimbledon on the telly at the moment (my favourite time of year) helps my stitching and is probably the reason for the finishes (that and my rediscovered mojo!) Andy is doing well and is through to the second week - he plays Gasquet tomorrow and I shall of course be glued to the sofa, needle poised, willing him onto the quarter finals.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EG1iwhL_4zg/TgckWaublYI/AAAAAAAAAOI/rf1nm_JQ3mc/s1600/Bizzy+Lizzies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EG1iwhL_4zg/TgckWaublYI/AAAAAAAAAOI/rf1nm_JQ3mc/s320/Bizzy+Lizzies.JPG" width="320px" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Before I go, I just wanted to show you the bizzy lizzy (impatiens) that I grew from seed in the greenhouse and are now gracing my window seat in the lounge. The colours are lovely and its so nice to see them all in full bloom. I also grew some coleus from seed which are still in the greenhouse. I am giving a lot of those away to my fellow members of the gardening club, the majority of the bizzy lizzies will go to friends as a wee reminder of their daft pal who has once again taken off into the great unknown. I'll keep some for myself though, as a wee reminder of what a clever gardener I am (ROFLMAO!!!) I'm really excited that my downstairs neighbour Sarah came along to our open day yesterday and has decided to join! I hope they'll be gentle with her.</span></div><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Right I am meeting Heather for a coffee and a catch up in Shawlands so I'd better get my skates on. Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend and I sincerely hope that your weather is a lot better than ours!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Thanks for popping by (again) and for all your lovely comments. Hopefully I will be back sometime this week with a Royal Blossoms update!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Love and hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Ally xxx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-51050314445254362732011-06-21T12:53:00.000+01:002011-06-21T12:53:12.253+01:00Another Finish .....Well Almost!!!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hello all! Bet you didn't expect to see me back so quickly! Well, fired on by my finish on The Needlework Shop last week I immediately picked up the next of my Crazies in line, which happened to be Bring on the Snow by Waxing Moon. Its a pretty easy stitch, large blocks of colour so not a lot of changing of thread going on, and I was getting along just fine until .... I realised I was running out of one of the threads - GAST Cornflower to be exact! I had just enough to finish the "W" in snow and maybe start the "S" or so I thought ...</span></div><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">until I realised that I had put too many rows in on the first leg of the "W" - and this was when I was finishing off that letter so i had to pretty much frog the whole lot. Stitching it back up of course was difficult because the thread had already been used and so was knotting if I looked at it the wrong way (lol!) and I ended up just about making the "W" with only a couple of stitches to go. I put out a call to the lovely ladies on <a href="http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Friendly_Stitchers/">Friendly Stitchers</a> and <a href="http://acozylittleplaceforstitching.blogspot.com/">Lynda</a> came up trumps. I am hoping that the thread she is sending me will be a good enough match to enable me to stitch the "S" and finish the design. I have learned that dye lots of hand dyes can differ widely!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egWb8M9sqyE/TgCGB4n7yAI/AAAAAAAAAOA/zKvTcdv6g1M/s1600/scan0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278px" i$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egWb8M9sqyE/TgCGB4n7yAI/AAAAAAAAAOA/zKvTcdv6g1M/s320/scan0005.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Anyway, here is my progress to date ... I have cracked on with the rest of the design and only have a small bit of backstitching on the scarf to do and the snow and snowflakes on the "snow" lettering and then I can put this one away and concentrate on the next one which will be ....</span></div><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Royal Blossoms by Just Nan. I am stitching a lot as Wimbledon started yesterday (well done Andy by the way!) so I need something that I can concentrate on as well as concentrating on the tennis. The next on my list is actually Blackberry Jam by the Sweetheart Tree but as I am at the scotch stitch part of the design perhaps I should wait until the tennis is over before I tackle that.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">On the shop front - a shop AND a flat above may have been located, we are just waiting for the particulars to be issued by the letting agents so watch this space! I am impatient to get moving and my tenant is impatient to get moved in; unfortunately I can't move out till I have somewhere to go to so things aren't moving as quickly as I would like. I am however bashing on with my business plan and contacting suppliers too beef it out ... so excited about some of the suppliers I have contacted!!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Right I need to shoot - my shift at the PDSA shop starts in 40 minutes I have have got a large hill to climb to get there lol. Thanks for all your lovely comments as always - they really do keep me going and all the encouragement is reaping rewards in my stitching as you can see.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Thanks for stopping by!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Love and hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Ally xxx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-11656050285497225652011-06-15T23:34:00.000+01:002011-06-15T23:34:55.366+01:00I Finished a Crazy!<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes you read that right! Precisely 15 minutes ago I put the last stitch into my first Crazy finish - CCN's The Needlework Shop. I am sooo proud of my finish that I wanted to share it with you all straightaway so here it is in all its glory!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MLdIeCvSyhg/TfkyzyESeZI/AAAAAAAAAN8/hs-2BrI7jxI/s1600/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MLdIeCvSyhg/TfkyzyESeZI/AAAAAAAAAN8/hs-2BrI7jxI/s320/scan0002.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Needlework Shop by Country Cottage Needleworks</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have loved working on this one. I took it with me when I was dog sitting the last couple of weeks and have been beavering away at it over the last week or so and i just didn't want to put it down. It was the first one I started for the Crazy 15 Challenge so it seems fitting that it is my first finish. Hopefully before too long it will be hanging in my own needlework shop!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Just a short post tonight. Thanks all for stopping by. I'm on a roll so I might even have a second finish before too long!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Ally xxx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-39634186099926031092011-05-23T14:58:00.002+01:002011-05-25T14:41:07.751+01:00Catching Up and Moving On<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I always promise an update don't I? Always full of good intentions but then life kind of gets in the way. Not long after my return from my visit to Mouse's I learned from my boss that she was going to have to let me go as she couldn't afford to keep me on. Just as well I didn't sell up and move to Lanarkshire to be closer to my job then isn't it? I was gutted as you might imagine and sometimes it is a struggle - going from having a decent wage coming in to literally nothing at all.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">However, keeping positive, I am looking at this as a sign that now is the time for me to move on and go ahead with my plans to open my own stitching shop. Gillie has kindly offered me a place to stay for a while to work on my business plan and more importantly rent out the flat so that bills get paid. I am hoping to be in Yorkshire and up and running pretty soon after that. The girls have been amazing to say the least and I count myself lucky to have them as my friends.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d4FEVELWvE8/TdpncjEhjpI/AAAAAAAAANs/paUipf_rvnk/s1600/Crocus+Cushion+May+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d4FEVELWvE8/TdpncjEhjpI/AAAAAAAAANs/paUipf_rvnk/s320/Crocus+Cushion+May+2011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Going backwards in time, I had a fabulous stay at Mouse's and got lots of stitching done. We spent a day working on CCN's The Needlework Shop and that has come on a treat. I also did a load to my crocus cushion as you can see ... </span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Early on Saturday morning we went off to deepest Cheshire to visit Gillie ~ what a wonderful place she and WT have found to live in while they are here. With a lovely walled garden and a field of horses right next door, I think I am going to enjoy my little sojourn in the Cheshire countryside - and Minnie will be a Cheshire cat (think about it .....)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Karen came down too and we had a right girly get together, raided her boxes of books and did some stitching too. I made my trifle for dessert on Saturday night and WT brought home a friend so that he didn't feel too outnumbered. I think he acquitted himself rather well to be honest lol.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">I am dog sitting for friends for the next two weeks although I have popped back home today to pick up a few things, attend an interview and check the mail. Angel is a Tibetan Terrier, 13 years old, and a wee sweetheart. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-64pi1KIusIQ/TdpofyIY8dI/AAAAAAAAAN0/068_9nHREa0/s1600/Honey+Bees+230511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-64pi1KIusIQ/TdpofyIY8dI/AAAAAAAAAN0/068_9nHREa0/s320/Honey+Bees+230511.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">I have also found myself a wee voluntary job at the local PDSA shop (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals). I am doing two afternoons a week starting tomorrow so wish me luck. If nothing else, it will give me the retail experience I need for my new venture. My last retail experience was over 30 years ago so I am a tad rusty but I am sure I will pick it up again in no time. I think cash registers have moved on a bit since I last used one though. </span></div><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">I have been working on my Crazy 15 Challenge and here is an update on my Honey Bees project. I'm quite enoying this one now and it is working up fairly quickly thanks to the many half cross stitches there are.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HfgWG8dbYgQ/TdpoYQTas3I/AAAAAAAAANw/pN3KBVBgl8s/s1600/Spring+Bookmark.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HfgWG8dbYgQ/TdpoYQTas3I/AAAAAAAAANw/pN3KBVBgl8s/s320/Spring+Bookmark.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">I also finished a very long overdue bookmark which has now made it to its partner. I made her a card too but true to form I forgot to take a photo before I sent it!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">It is blowing a hooley out there right now and I am so not looking forward to having to go out again but I need to get back to let Angel out. I have got several projects with me so expect an update when my dog sitting stint is over. I promise I will have something to show for it!</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A5PRFYfdA4U/Tdpop2m7EUI/AAAAAAAAAN4/jc-3FJuf4s8/s1600/Calendar+Girls+March+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A5PRFYfdA4U/Tdpop2m7EUI/AAAAAAAAAN4/jc-3FJuf4s8/s320/Calendar+Girls+March+2011.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Here is a shot of the lovely threads and fabric (and cards) I received from my Calendar Girls group on Friendly Stitchers. The girls thoroughly spoiled me as usual.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Thank you all for reading and for your continued encouraging comments.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Over and out for now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Ally xx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-49961141550348984432011-03-29T21:03:00.003+01:002011-03-29T21:53:32.964+01:00We're all going on a spring holiday??<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Don't you just love it when the sun shines, the skies are blue and it actually feels warm? We've had some lovely spring weather here in the UK; yes even up here in the frozen north in Scotland! I've been busy with spring planting up at the gardening club and my seedlings are sprouting all over the place - it will be another month or so before I am able to plant them out but I am hoping to have a nice array of flowers for the summer, including sweet peas which are one of my favourites. I've also seeded some cherry tomatoes this year and have got some more onions to put in but that will have to wait because ....</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">I am going on holiday!!! Boss's orders, I need a break apparently so this coming Thursday I am jumping on the train down to sunny South Yorkshire to spend some time at the Mouse House and we are having an overnight visit to Gillie at her new pad too which we are all looking forward to. Its going to be lovely to see all of the girls, and its just a shame that Val can't join us this time around .... but maybe next time?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WUm8k2Z3rf8/TZI6uLBLG5I/AAAAAAAAANo/JGxXNqnJvwM/s1600/scan0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WUm8k2Z3rf8/TZI6uLBLG5I/AAAAAAAAANo/JGxXNqnJvwM/s320/scan0004.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">I have been stitching, albeit slowly and absolutely not as much as I would have liked. I got absolutely nothing done on my Crazy 15 project last week which is "Free Spirits" my horses project, so I decided to hang onto it for this week too and I actually managed to get needle meeting fabric. There isn't an awful lot to show for my very poor endeavours but needless (gettit???) to say I will have loads to show for my time when I next blog because that dreaded wet noodle is going to be hanging right over my head and I won't get away with just a couple of stitches! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">I am taking my crocus cushion project with me and perhaps another project (although I have no idea which one yet) so I hope to have a good report for you next time. I am going to squeeze in a few stitches on the Christmas Wreath tonight and tomorrow inbetween working, ironing and packing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Short and sweet this time - got to take the laundry out of the machine and then settle down with a cuppa and my needle to watch Murdoch Mysteries.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Oh and I almost forgot to add ~ I won a PIF on Mouse's blog so I have to offer the same on mine. The rule is that I have to stitch something for someone in the next year, so ... if you are interested in having someone stitched by little old moi please leave me a comment and I will pick out a name when I get back from my travels.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Hope you are having good weather wherever in the world you are. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Until next time - thanks as always for reading and commenting.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Love and hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Ally xxx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-79722018377607662722011-03-14T22:00:00.002+00:002011-03-14T22:14:21.068+00:00And as if by magic .....<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here I am again with more progress photos! I am slowly but surely getting back into a regular stitching thing, and try hard to spend even half an hour in the evenings no matter how long the work day has been. I spent this past weekend stitching instead of gardening - well what else is there to do when there is snow around (I know it didn't last that long but shhhhh no need to tell anyone!!!) and managed to get a fair bit done on this past week's Crazy Challenge project.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G9YXVX_GBfU/TX6N5zDF_NI/AAAAAAAAANg/Gv3LGbwQooU/s1600/Lady+of+Shalott+update+070311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G9YXVX_GBfU/TX6N5zDF_NI/AAAAAAAAANg/Gv3LGbwQooU/s320/Lady+of+Shalott+update+070311.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">However, the previous week's Challenge was "The Lady of Shalott" by Teresa Wentzler. This is really turning out to be a labour of love for me. I started it on Midsummer's Day 2003 after several false starts including putting the fabric onto the scroll frame the wrong way lol! Later that day when I called round to mum's for tea we heard that her closest friend's son had died in a house fire that day - so you see, this particular date has got bittersweet memories. I started the project as a SAL with a now defunct Yahoo group and to be honest I think I am the only one still working on her (using the term "working" in the loosest possible sense lol). Anyway here she is as of 7th March - I felt as I had done loads but somehow it doesn't look like that does it? She is now firmly back in my rotation and I am determined that I will at least get off this page!!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rG__iohf4yU/TX6QJyRdMUI/AAAAAAAAANk/CL6kreHq_ik/s1600/scan0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rG__iohf4yU/TX6QJyRdMUI/AAAAAAAAANk/CL6kreHq_ik/s320/scan0003.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">On to last week's Crazy project which is "Christmas Carols" by Country Cottage Needleworks. In contrast to "Lady of Shalott" this one is working up really quickly and since I managed to sneak a whole weekend of stitching thanks to the rather inclement weather I got more done that I had hoped. Hopefully this will only take one more rotation to finish - well I need to catch up on all those people who have managed to finish one or more of their Crazy Challenges!</span></div><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">This week's Challenge is "Free Spirits" which is another of my longstanding projects and the one I was working on when I discovered that stitching and morphine aren't a good combination lol (I started it in hospital after major surgery). Look out for an update next week.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">I shall be popping off down to Yorkshire and Cheshire for a little rest (orders of my boss) at the end of the month but I shall keep you all posted with updates and I have even worked out which project(s) is(are) going with me. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Thanks for stopping by and for all your lovely comments as always. Its nice to know that there are people out there interested enough to leave an encouraging message. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Take care all - see you next week!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Love and hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Ally xxxx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-62593203429119248702011-03-01T16:46:00.004+00:002011-03-04T17:40:34.246+00:00A rather belated update ...<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Hi all - apologies to everyone who has been hanging on with bated breath for an update from yours truly. Life and work kind of got in the way again I'm afraid but I have been stitching ... not as often as I would like, but I have made some progress. So, without further ado here's a quick roundup - hang onto your seats!!</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bj2AZW6Zc1E/TWwclqSKJeI/AAAAAAAAAMo/xq6cptU9VXw/s1600/scan0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bj2AZW6Zc1E/TWwclqSKJeI/AAAAAAAAAMo/xq6cptU9VXw/s200/scan0005.jpg" width="158" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">"Bring on the Snow" was next for the Challenge treatment. I have to admit I did rather well with this one and it is a nice easy stitch with large blocks of colour. I discovered when I picked him up again that I had miscounted and his eyes were too close together! Well my mother told me never to trust a man who's eyes are too close together so they needed sorting. Minor frogging only and he looks a lot better. Of course now that he has his scarf on and a smile on his face he looks quite happy - what do you all think? I think maybe only one or two more rotations on this one will get him finished.</span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">I have promised myself that once this snowman is finished I will frame all three (yes three!!) of my unframed snowmen and this one and get them hanging up for the holiday at the end of the year (not going to name it cos it is only just past and it is a traumatic enough time without thinking of it when the year is still in short trousers!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8mVxRiO3PFc/TW0e0Z5wJmI/AAAAAAAAAMs/Hz-H6WybAiE/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8mVxRiO3PFc/TW0e0Z5wJmI/AAAAAAAAAMs/Hz-H6WybAiE/s200/scan0001.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">Next on to Blackberry Jam. It was around this time that things started to go a little bit pear-shaped. Last year I was plagued by headaches which were finally put down to work related stress - I quit the job and the headaches went away. Now unfortunately they have returned with a vengeance and nary a day goes by without a headache - or worse - a migraine! What little stitching time I get in the evenings and weekends has been eaten into drastically by these nasty things and Blackberry Jam fared worst of all - and after several attempts and even more froggings, this is all I managed. I think the lesson to be learned here is don't stitch when tired/have a headache/fuzzy eyes. Luckily by the time this come round in rotation again we will (hopefully) have much better weather, longer nights and the chance of stitching in daylight. </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zSBB79yAzCQ/TW0h44mQEcI/AAAAAAAAAM0/qW2Eo6W8Vig/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" l6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zSBB79yAzCQ/TW0h44mQEcI/AAAAAAAAAM0/qW2Eo6W8Vig/s200/scan0001.jpg" width="196" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">Moving swiftly along to Royal Blossoms. This one fared marginally better than Blackberry Jam in that I managed to get more time for stitching on the weekends, but the headaches persisted and I think I spent more time looking wistfully at the design than actually stitching it. I do love this one though and think I did not too badly to stitch a whole crown and half a bloom (or is that half a petal??) I've had another Just Nan in my stash pile for way too long (Catnip Tea) and another promise to myself - I will kit it up and get it done when this one is finished. Watch this space as they say - but please don't hold your breath!</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-quQ1_bV29MA/TW0h9cOjw4I/AAAAAAAAAM4/tyd_p7_vtW4/s1600/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" l6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-quQ1_bV29MA/TW0h9cOjw4I/AAAAAAAAAM4/tyd_p7_vtW4/s200/scan0002.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">Catch a Tail was next - and I actually made some progress on this that shows! A whole cat - and half a quilt. Not bad going! I shall have to start thinking about what I am going to turn this RR into once it is finished. Again only one or two more rotations should see it finished. Maybe by then I will be thinking of starting the next RR - watch out girls and get your thinking caps on! I do love Diane Graebner's designs and have rather a large collection of them. Maybe for next year - if we do another 15 challenge, I will include one or two of them in there. The trouble is - which ones?</span></div><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">And finally ... the Willow Fairy. The sheer amount of shades of green on this design is actually quite daunting and I actually sat for a whole night trying to work out if I was supposed to be working with blue greens or yellow greens and then I got a headache and gave up and went to bed :)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">So, I aimed higher and tackled her rather unruly hair instead and I surprisingly made some progress there too. Not a lot, but some and I am more than happy with that. This one has been around longer than I care to admit to and it would be a nice feeling of achievement to see her finished and framed. I can only hope ...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">This week's Challenge is Lady of Shalott - my aim is to finish the page I am on. I may need a cheering squad on this one and that screaming you hear in the background is Karen running for the hills.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">Well its time I got on with some real work lol. Thanks for popping by and for all the lovely comments you leave - they really are appreciated.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;">Till next time. Love and hugs, Ally xxx</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-28437722252565043812011-01-24T21:15:00.000+00:002011-01-24T21:15:12.601+00:00Don't all fall over at once ....!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TT3rh8z-20I/AAAAAAAAAMg/oY-aiXArKgc/s1600/scan0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TT3rh8z-20I/AAAAAAAAAMg/oY-aiXArKgc/s320/scan0004.jpg" width="303" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know what you're all thinking; barely a week and another post already!! Well the truth is I just couldn't wait to show everyone my progress on the 15 new starts challenge. I have decided to work on each one in turn for a week and keep to the order that I started them in, which meant that The Needlework Shop came out top of the pile. Bearing in mind I only get an hour or so stitching in the evening I spent a large part of Saturday working on this, and watching tennis at the same time. Coincidence of course that the Aussie Open just happens to be on whilst I am in the early stages of this challenge so watch this space!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Next up will be the snowman project which I picked up tonight when I got home, so pop back next week for another update!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Brief but straight to the point lol - thanks for reading!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Love n hugs,</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana;">Ally xxx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-64371643708887036232011-01-17T22:17:00.000+00:002011-01-17T22:17:57.441+00:00Crazy January Challenge - the end!<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well not quite the end, but the end of the 15! And yes, I know I promised an update last weekend but life (and work) conspired against me as usual. I am here however, and yes I have been stitching so take a deep breath and grab a cuppa and get ready for 5 to 15 .....</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS35k3G5rI/AAAAAAAAALw/d_-tGA_Bka4/s1600/Catch+a+Tail+050111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS35k3G5rI/AAAAAAAAALw/d_-tGA_Bka4/s320/Catch+a+Tail+050111.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">No. 5 is "Catch a Tail" one of the Cats & Quilts series by Diane Graebner. Anyone who knows me will tell you I love Diane's designs and I was gifted the set of cards that make up the Cats & Quilts series a few years ago when I was going into hospital for surgery. I had several ideas on how to do them and when I was looking for a theme for a round robin with my little round robin group it seemed like the ideal time to use them. I ended up having to stitch two because one of the other girls in the robin decided she "didn't have time to do all of the robins" - don't you just love when people let you down like that. Needless to say she didn't get another chance with us. But I digress ...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">My fabric is a lovely hand dyed 28ct jobelan and the theads are all DMC. 5th January was my first day back at work after the holidays so I didn't have much time in the evening for stitching hence the very little progress - but at least I got it started.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS6fY9emtI/AAAAAAAAAMM/Ye-_-wmOutA/s1600/Willow+Fairy+060111+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS6fY9emtI/AAAAAAAAAMM/Ye-_-wmOutA/s320/Willow+Fairy+060111+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Day 6 is the Willow Fairy - this is where my new starts and already started projects start to blur at the edges lol. Being back at work means that I don't have as much time to devote to my stitching as I do on the weekends and during holidays so ... I decided to add in some already started projects in an attempt to get some, if not all, of them finished this year. I started the Willow Fairy and the mermaid at the same time and since I got the mermaid finished last year I reckoned that it was the fairy's turn. She is stitched on 28ct Jobelan in bone (one of my favourite shades as you will no doubt figure out) and using DMC threads. all the greens drive me potty after a while so I tend to only work on her in good light to differentiate the blue greens from the yellow greens lol. Again not a lot of progress but its a start!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS553lJJrI/AAAAAAAAAME/zG5k-Ji3Ajk/s1600/Lady+of+Shalott+070111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS553lJJrI/AAAAAAAAAME/zG5k-Ji3Ajk/s320/Lady+of+Shalott+070111.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Day 7 is the Lady of Shalott by Teresa Wentzler. I have always loved this one and Teresa really did her proud. When I first started her my (now ex) Pete gave me a little book of Tennyson's poems which includes the Lady of Shalott. Again she is being stitched on 28ct Jobelan in bone with DMC threads. After all that stitching I am STILL on page 1!!! She really needs to grow a head and some feet so I need some encouragement here guys! Progress on this was fairly minor again due to a very busy day at work and being completely worn out when I got home from work - why is the first week (even if it is only half a week) the worst?</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS7UfvaELI/AAAAAAAAAMU/1DOjKhQqvpU/s1600/Christmas+Carols.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS7UfvaELI/AAAAAAAAAMU/1DOjKhQqvpU/s320/Christmas+Carols.jpg" width="262" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Day 8 being Saturday was a new start and so I chose "Christmas Carols" by Country Cottage Needleworks. It is stitched on 28ct Zweigart linen in Miracle Mint (love that name!) using DMC threads. I actually did a bit more to it after this photo was taken but you'll see that in my next update on this one. I got this chart at Harrogate in November and fell in love with it. Christmas is not my favourite time of year but I do tend to find myself wandering around the house singing Christmas carols for some reason. Not always at Christmas either ....</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS5Iqj5CFI/AAAAAAAAAL8/hjxA-uvjXa0/s1600/Free+Spirits+090111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS5Iqj5CFI/AAAAAAAAAL8/hjxA-uvjXa0/s320/Free+Spirits+090111.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Day 9 is Free Spirits which is from one of the beautiful Chris Cummings horse paintings. She really does capture the movement of the horses and I swear as soon as the horse's eye went "in" this beauty came to life. Again I have been working on this one for a while so it is about time it got finished. Worked on 28ct Ice Blue Brittney fabric it was a kit that I picked up at a stitching show several years ago.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS6p-7PWyI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/DVw9GJnkfLw/s1600/Winter+Wreath+100111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS6p-7PWyI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/DVw9GJnkfLw/s320/Winter+Wreath+100111.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Day 10 is Winter Wreath by Maria Diaz and is from Cross Stitcvh Gold magazine. I am stitching this one on a 28ct white opalescent fabric using DMC threads. This one, when finished, will be raffled on behalf of my gardening club in aid of the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice. We do several fund raising raffles and an open day every year to raise money for the Hospice and I was asked to stitch something that we could use to raise funds. Hopefully this will be done in time to raise money for next Christmas.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS7et0DoFI/AAAAAAAAAMY/RLqABe_cBGI/s1600/Grandfather+Clock+110111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS7et0DoFI/AAAAAAAAAMY/RLqABe_cBGI/s320/Grandfather+Clock+110111.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Day 11 is the Grandfather Clock by DMC - and is another kit that I have been working on for a while. A friend down in Staffordshire was given it for a birthday or Christmas (hers are on the same day so it could have been either lol) and being a non-stitcher she asked me to do it for her. I think its about time it got finished and back to its owner don't you! Need encouragement on this one too because Country Companions are just so not my bag!!!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS4PFQugtI/AAAAAAAAAL0/Rxz6iuYjkj4/s1600/Crocus+Cushion+120111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS4PFQugtI/AAAAAAAAAL0/Rxz6iuYjkj4/s320/Crocus+Cushion+120111.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Day 12 is a Crocus Cushion designed by Sue Page from a very old edition of Cross Stitch Collection. I have had this one kitted one, well forever I guess, and I finally decided that this was going to be the year I got it done. It is a really lovely design and I have the most gorgeous fabric to back it with so I can't wait to get it finished. It is being stitched on 28ct white evenwave with DMC threads.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS5lV9XNFI/AAAAAAAAAMA/Ktaktq1kPdY/s1600/Honey+Bees+130111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS5lV9XNFI/AAAAAAAAAMA/Ktaktq1kPdY/s320/Honey+Bees+130111.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Day 13 is Honey Bees by Fleur de Lys. This was a kit given to me in an exchange some years ago and I was pretty unimpressed with it to start with but the more I looked at it the more I liked it. I changed the kit fabric to my favourite 28ct Jobelan in bone and decided to use it for last year's round robin. I came back to me ages ago but I am only just now getting around to doing my part and my progress although slow, is getting there. Another one I desperately want to get finished.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS4_csSl4I/AAAAAAAAAL4/FA0N38FSHyY/s1600/Fast+Off+140111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS4_csSl4I/AAAAAAAAAL4/FA0N38FSHyY/s320/Fast+Off+140111.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Day 14 - Fast Off (Cats & Kittens) another DMC kit which I bought in a wee stitching shop in Scarborough on a day away with my mum and her friends. Mum spotted it and said "look there's Minnie" and so it was - it is almost an exact replica of my own little tabby so I just had to buy it. The browns are soul destroying lol and it has been put away so many times over the past couple of years just for that fact alone but it is almost finished now and this is going to be the year!!!!! Encouragement required ladies!!!!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS6KjEyaLI/AAAAAAAAAMI/mUKdM5shEhk/s1600/Poppyfield+Lane+160111%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TTS6KjEyaLI/AAAAAAAAAMI/mUKdM5shEhk/s320/Poppyfield+Lane+160111%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">And finally (fanfare here!) Day 15 is Poppyfield Lane. I had a choice of two here - this or Yoder's Hill. Both have very sentimental value to me. This one was meant for my lovely friend Nan who died 18 months ago very suddenly. It was very close to completion and I had hoped to give it to her when she got home from hospital, and of course she never did get home. It has taken me until now to find the will to get it finished and framed. I couldn't possibly have it hanging here at home as there are too many memories attached but some day when I have my own LNS it will have pride of place with a little plaque underneath dedicating it to Nan's memory. It is a Derwentwater Design by the very talented Rosie Swalwell.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Phew, if you managed to get through that lot give yourselves a pat on the back and have another cuppa. Doing this challenge has really brought my stitching mojo back and I am enjoying my stitching for the first time in absolutely ages which has got to be a good thing, right? </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">I am working from home tomorrow morning so I may find the time to put a few stitches into something although what I am not sure as yet - it may be a late night/early morning as a certain Mr Murray plays his first match in the 2011 Australian Open tonight/tomorrow and I am very tempted to stay the distance with him - well lets face it, it wouldn't be the first time I had pulled an all-nighter for my tennis. I do suffer for my art ... but I also get a lot of stitching done!!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Hope everyone taking part in this crazy challenge is enjoying it as much as I am. I wonder who will get the first finish? </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Thanks for reading everyone and for the comments you leave - they really do mean a lot.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Love n hugs,</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia;">Ally xxx</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-6160924145162353762011-01-05T21:38:00.000+00:002011-01-05T21:38:31.431+00:00Crazy January Challenge<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yes - I admit it I am a sucker for a challenge. When I first heard about this one I thought no way and then I thought well maybe, and before I knew it I had signed up. To be honest I haven't chosen all of my projects yet, and I will be cheating ever so slightly because they will be a mixture of completely new and already started WIPs, but the aim is to try and get most if not all of them finished by 31st December 2011. So (deep breath) here goes with my first update - Days 1 to 4:-</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TSTjNuxln3I/AAAAAAAAALk/8s9HY1vglzU/s1600/The+Needlework+Shop+-+Day+1+Project.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TSTjNuxln3I/AAAAAAAAALk/8s9HY1vglzU/s320/The+Needlework+Shop+-+Day+1+Project.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">For my first project I have chosen "The Needlework Shop" by Country Cottage Needleworks. I've had the chart kitted up for a while courtesy of an exchange in Friendly Stitchers, and I have been looking for a good excuse to get it started so here it is. I love how it is coming along and can't wait to get back to it. I have another CCN chart I plan to do for this challenge, one which I got at Harrogate this year - I just have to decide on my fabric for that one.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TSTi0rREV-I/AAAAAAAAALc/-PuVi1pVFms/s1600/Bring+on+the+Snow+Day+2+Project.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TSTi0rREV-I/AAAAAAAAALc/-PuVi1pVFms/s320/Bring+on+the+Snow+Day+2+Project.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">My second project is "Bring on the Snow" by Waxing Moon. From what I can remember I bought the chart in 2009 at Harrogate (I think but I could be wrong lol) and kitted it up some time ago but just hadn't had a chance to start it. Any excuse eh? Anyway - here's my progress so far. Anyone how knows me knows I love snowmen - as long as they are of the stitched variety of course!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TSTiqnNCDBI/AAAAAAAAALY/UIYBUIzfrrY/s1600/Blackberry+Jam+-+Day+3+Project.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TSTiqnNCDBI/AAAAAAAAALY/UIYBUIzfrrY/s320/Blackberry+Jam+-+Day+3+Project.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">For my third project I am doing "Blackberry Jam" by The Sweetheart Tree. Again I bought this at Harrogate in 2009 and have taken it out a couple of times, looked at it and then put it back in the basket. This time however, it stayed out and I love working on it. Another one I can't wait to get back to - and it has the right mixture of cross stitch, speciality stitches and beading too.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TSTjFGvY62I/AAAAAAAAALg/ieM1AWjY5Ns/s1600/Royal+Blossoms+2007+-+Day+4+Project.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TSTjFGvY62I/AAAAAAAAALg/ieM1AWjY5Ns/s320/Royal+Blossoms+2007+-+Day+4+Project.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">My fourth project is "Royal Blossoms 2007" by Just Nan. This one was a surprise gift from DJ a couple of months ago and I loved it the moment I saw it, and having now seen the finished article I can't wait to do more on this lovely piece. As soon as I had decided to do the challenge this one was top of my list!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Well that's my progress so far - I am back at work as of today so the next few projects will be already started WIPs so that I don't have to mess around with getting everything together and sorted. Time is limited in the evenings unfortunately :( I'll post an update of those towards the weekend.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I am really enjoying this challenge so far - thanks for reading and for all the encouragement!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Hugs,</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Ally xxx</span></div>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-72544149941650449392010-12-31T22:52:00.003+00:002010-12-31T23:02:49.668+00:00Out with the old .... in with the new ...<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Good evening fellow bloggers. It's the last few hours of the old year and I thought I'd do a small blog update in preparation for welcoming in 2011. </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My work life is as hectic as ever and is eating into my stitching time drastically. However, I love what I am doing; Liz and I make a great team and although we work really hard we take time to enjoy it and manage to laugh even at some of the more harrowing moments of what we do. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Working a fair bit away from home means that getting there - and back - isn't always easy. The last weekend in November, I was in Harrogate with several of our Friendly Stitchers (of which more later) - and came back to a frozen Glasgow after a heavy snowfall. We spent that week working from home as there was absolutely no way we were going to make it to the office. That first weekend in December however saw a thaw and we decided to "chance it" on the Monday. When I left home it was raining, which had turned to sleet by the time I got to the train station. By the time the train deposited me at Newton the sleet had turned to snow and on arrival at Hamilton I was greeted by a winter wonderland. It took Liz ages to get to Hamilton - although Strathaven was at that time clear, I think it was the only place in Lanarkshire that was! She picked me up just after 10am - and we spent the next 8 hours - count them 8!!!! - just trying to get out of Hamilton! Being an enterprising pair I was sent out on regular foraging expeditions and managed to get us sandwiches and crisps and even chips later on in the evening. We eventually managed to get onto the M74 and got to Strathaven at 9.30 pm - and there I was until Wednesday when the trains and buses had by then started to run some sort of service. Luckily my next door neighbour has my spare key and popped in to keep Minnie fed and watered. Thanks to Liz's dad, George, who lives across the road from her, for putting me up for a couple of nights. I have put some photos of our "ordeal" up on my Facebook page.</span></div><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But back to Harrogate. What a hoot we had! Maureen came to pick me up about 8.30 am on 26th November - and I wasn't even dressed - or packed for that matter, having spent the previous afternoon sitting in a camper van for 3 hours with a springer spaniel called Toby for company waiting to be called to give evidence at a tribunal - only to discover that they didn't need me after all! On the way back, Liz decided I was coming back to theirs for dinner as they were doing Thanksgiving for Rachel (Marshall's girlfriend) who was visiting from San Fransisco. I got home around midnight-ish so needless to say nothing got done! Maureen kindly fed Minnie whilst I threw myself into some clothes and some clothes - and stitching into my weekend bag (or case). The drive down to Harrogate was lovely - sun was shining and we made excellent time - got to the hotel and booked in, and then people started to trickle back across the road from the stitching show and sooner or later they all ended up in our (mine and Karen's) room. I am sure reception just give my room number out to anyone to be honest - a right load of reprobates we had in there!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We all met up for dinner at 7.30 and a lovely meal we had too - and lovely wine too lol. We then retired back upstairs to "our" room and continued the conversation and then we threw everyone out and got down to the real business for the evening - the mods meeting! Maureen kindly took notes on the laptop when I got into a fankle and we managed to get through all of the business we had planned to - and having Maureen on hand as an interested "other" helped a lot with some of the stuff we were discussing.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TR5dUiul2-I/AAAAAAAAALE/bYZuPOJFuWk/s1600/IMG00059-20101231-2136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TR5dUiul2-I/AAAAAAAAALE/bYZuPOJFuWk/s320/IMG00059-20101231-2136.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Oh and there were gifts too! From Mouse I got this beautiful Friendly Stitchers pillow - which I love to bits and of course it is in my favourite colour. She designed it herself and it was her "first" and she is and should be justifiably proud of it. Just goes to show that there is a designer in all of us somewhere (mine is well hidden!!) and Mouse's designs are simply lovely and very creative. She had designed a biscornu which she brought along to let us see and it is quite simply stunning. Remember your friends when you are rich and famous petal - and thank you for my lovely pillow!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TR5e6idcfFI/AAAAAAAAALI/MqrJN26B1UY/s1600/IMG00060-20101231-2136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TR5e6idcfFI/AAAAAAAAALI/MqrJN26B1UY/s320/IMG00060-20101231-2136.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Val made everyone a little cushion with some handmade counting pins on the back - just beautiful - and of course mine is purple hehehe! Thank you for that Val. Every single one of them was different too.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TR5fCJM8UGI/AAAAAAAAALM/w_Nb1FFw0KI/s1600/IMG00061-20101231-2137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TR5fCJM8UGI/AAAAAAAAALM/w_Nb1FFw0KI/s320/IMG00061-20101231-2137.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We all headed across to the stitching show on Saturday and I think everyone enjoyed themselves, especially those that hadn't been before, and managed to spend a fair penny between us all, although we did miss Kate from Sparklies dreadfully - especially Mouse! Jo and her husband Tony had arrived on Saturday morning and were staying overnight so Tony joined us for dinner that night and acquitted himself very well indeed. I think he can count himself as an honorary Friendly Stitcher. After dinner it was back to our room again where we had some very strange conversations going on - including the "psychic handbag" which I will explain one of these days I promise! Everyone seemed to think it was hysterical and I thought we were going to have to call the paramedics for Mouse at one point she was laughing so much.</span></div></div></div><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Maureen and I left fairly soon after breakfast on Sunday morning as we had heard reports of heavy snowfalls in the north and Val had reported back to us that her drive home the previous evening had been pretty bad and that they were now snowed in. Unbelievably the first really bad snow we came across was just outside Hamilton - and the rest is history!</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TR5f3YgjwPI/AAAAAAAAALQ/FPV-jOzr85g/s1600/IMG00058-20101231-2135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TR5f3YgjwPI/AAAAAAAAALQ/FPV-jOzr85g/s320/IMG00058-20101231-2135.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I am now enjoying a well earned rest from work for 12 days - although there are only 4 of those days left and I seem to have achieved very little! I got a couple of lovely stitched gifts for Christmas this year including this beautiful needlebook designed especially for me by Val, and this gorgeous beaded mitten ornament from DJ. Thank you both so much ladies - I love them and will treasure them.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TR5f9r3SFZI/AAAAAAAAALU/BFKjEDrsOtY/s1600/IMG00062-20101231-2137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TR5f9r3SFZI/AAAAAAAAALU/BFKjEDrsOtY/s320/IMG00062-20101231-2137.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And that's me pretty much up to date. The snow is all gone, so work next week will no doubt be back to normal. I am looking forward to it in a way, getting back into a routine - but unfortunately probably not much stitching time :) I am taking part in the 15 WIPs challenge starting on 1st January and carrying on throughout the year although I think some folks are already making bets on whether I will manage to finish any of them never mind all of them! I haven't decided which one I am going to start with but I have just over an hour to make my mind up. One thing I will be doing is an old Scottish tradition - opening the front door at midnight to let the old year out and the new year in.</span></div><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I will leave you now wishing you all the very best for 2011 and for those who have had an up and down year like me, here's to bigger and better things. Thanks everyone for taking the time to read my ramblings over the past year or so - I really do appreciate the comments you leave.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Love and hugs to all.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Ally xxx</span>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-51863129966477439622010-11-13T17:22:00.001+00:002010-11-13T17:37:52.523+00:00Been missing for a while ...............<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Funny how life takes you unawares and then a bit further down the line you realise that it was all part of the "big plan". Just days after my last blog post I left my job. I had been stressed out for quite a while and let's be honest I really didn't enjoy my job in the slightest. It just took one comment from a "colleague" (someone who ought to know better but probably never will) and I realised that I really did not need or want to be there, put my jacket on and walked out. I don't actually remember much of the journey home but the first thing I did when I got home was phone the doctor to make an appointment for the following day. The next thing I did was phone Abi (and Mouse cos she was staying at Abi's for the week) and tell them what I had done. Thank goodness for good friends! I was basically told to "get myself down there" asap. The doctor confirmed what I guess I already knew - severe depression and work-related stress and I was told not to even think about work for the next few weeks or months even. I flew down to Birmingham on the morning of 26th March to meet up with Abi and Mouse who were at the NEC for the stitching show. I wandered around in a daze that day not really seeing much of anything and for the first time ever I came away from a show without spending a single penny! We then drove back to the Forest of Dean where I stayed with Abi and her family (and Mouse) until the Sunday when Mouse and I drove back up to her home in Yorkshire. I am now an official member of the Mouse clan! We got loads of stitching done, tidied out Mouse's stitching den and drank vast quantities of tea - and also managed to fit in a visit to Knaresborough which is only an hour's drive from Barnsley. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On Good Friday Mouse and Stew took me through to Manchester to Karen's and I stayed there till Easter Monday - and the three of us had a right good giggle whilst sorting out the beads for Karen's newest project. In fact its a wonder we didn't drop any of them given the amount of wine consumed lol! </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7EHIoGjuI/AAAAAAAAAKw/mIOcj0bsMEA/s1600/038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7EHIoGjuI/AAAAAAAAAKw/mIOcj0bsMEA/s320/038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I also had a few days up at my old schoolfriend's in Perth. Lyn and I have known each other since we were 5 or 6 years old and sat together in primary school. We spent a day in Dunkeld having lunch and wandering around the cathedral on a lovely spring day.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">If it hadn't been for my lovely friends I never would have got through that first 10 days. They kept me thinking positively and have continued to lend their support over the last few months. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I had a message completely out of the blue at the end of June that one of the former partners from my former employers was trying to get in touch with me. I managed to find her number and gave her a call and within 2 weeks we had found an office and set up in business. Liz is the Craigmyle and I am "& Co" - apparently I am key personnel (the fact I am the only personnel is absolutely nothing to do with it!)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Apart from the long hours and unbelievable travelling time (it can take me anything between an hour and three hours depending on the weather) I am loving every minute of it. Liz and I make a good team; we work well together and have a good work ethic even when the days are long and there is the occasional working from home when needed. I have a more hands on approach to this job, attending client meetings etc. and I feel that I am learning all the time. Hopefully we will go from strength to strength although a rest over Christmas will be most welcome!</span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7DCivCzVI/AAAAAAAAAKY/SlO7V04LxQU/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7DCivCzVI/AAAAAAAAAKY/SlO7V04LxQU/s320/scan0001.jpg" width="232" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">There have been changes within Friendly Stitchers too. Abi stepped down as co-owner and moderator in March and my new co-owner is Mouse and together with Karen, Gillie and Val we are going from strength to strength. Its good to have reliable friends and the fact that we discuss everything on a daily basis helps make things go a lot smoother. We have got Harrogate coming up in 2 weeks time when we have things to reveal to those attending - and having the chance to get together with other members of the group is always fun. There is going to be a lot of new things coming up on the group so watch this space!</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Unfortunately stitching has taken a back seat and I seriously lost my mojo for a while. I am slowly getting back into things but it is a long slow process and the long working hours means that I am missing deadlines all over the place. I am seriously behind with the bookmark exchange so many apologies to Margery and I promise it will be getting to you just as soon as possible. The last piece I actually finished was for the quilt for DJ who is now almost at the end of her treatment for breast cancer. Several of us got together and stitched squares in the form of biscornu which was beautifully put together by Mouse and delivered in person by Gillie. Thanks to everyone who took part in this worthy cause. Pop over to DJ and Mouse's blogs to see the finished article.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7DJzW4kRI/AAAAAAAAAKc/7r837MmIGdo/s1600/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7DJzW4kRI/AAAAAAAAAKc/7r837MmIGdo/s320/scan0002.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I did manage to finish the last part of my round robin group's latest robin. I had been working on Myleen's piece when I was at Mouse and Karen's around Easter and managed to finish and get it away to Mylene. It was a nice stitch and she has now finished the design and made it into a cushion which looks absolutely lovely.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Unfortunately, we lost a valued member of our Friendly Stitchers. Alison Joy Clarke lost her battle with brittle asthma just a couple of days before her 38th birthday. She had been ill for a long time but through it all she showed great courage and will be dearly missed by all of us. We are in the process of stitching Christmas ornaments which will be sent to her husband Kelvin to present to the ward on which Alison Joy spent so much time in the last few years.</span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7D7n3LpPI/AAAAAAAAAKs/SAcZKgLaB3k/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7D7n3LpPI/AAAAAAAAAKs/SAcZKgLaB3k/s320/043.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I did manage to finish a May Day exchange and Joanna and I sent to each other. I got an absolutely gorgeous needleroll and some lovely hand dyed threads from Joanna together with a beautifully stitched card - all with a "sheep" theme. I made Joanna a little sewing tin with a design from Victoria Sampler (adapted slightly) and made up from an Altoids tin - who knew those tins could be so useful! I also stitched an orchid card for Joanna - its an alphabet that was in WOCS years ago and it is a lovely design. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7Kv_wJQZI/AAAAAAAAAK0/bgnCT96CDD4/s1600/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7Kv_wJQZI/AAAAAAAAAK0/bgnCT96CDD4/s320/044.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Joanna's DS had a hand in deciding on the theme and she also hand dyed the fabric for the needleroll - clever girl! I had the pleasure of meeting Joanna for the first time when she and her family had a break in Southerness in August. We met up in Ayr and had a lovely lunch at Maureen's together with a peek at each other's stitching achievements. Joanna is going to Harrogate to this year, and Maureen and I are driving down for the first time - that will be an adventure so look out for news of that in my next post!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7DTHkDRqI/AAAAAAAAAKg/obx0BmXQalc/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7DTHkDRqI/AAAAAAAAAKg/obx0BmXQalc/s320/scan0001.jpg" width="230" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I also made an orchid card for Lynda when she was our Calendar Girl .. I have a feeling this alphabet is going to get a lot of use!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Its been absolutely ages since I stitched any cards at all so it was quite theraputic to do something which was a quick stitch and so effective. One of these days I must have a trawl through my magazines and sort out some more little alphabets for future use.</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Oh and I was Calendar Girl in June and received a whole load of lovely fabrics and threads and hand made cards too - -thank you to the lovely girls in my group for spoiling me as always!</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7K3r7i1wI/AAAAAAAAAK4/DLBNgquiozk/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7K3r7i1wI/AAAAAAAAAK4/DLBNgquiozk/s320/scan0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">The only other finish of note was my Snow in a Row which was an absolute joy to stitch and I am so thrilled with the end result. All I need to do now is frame it! </span></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I spent a few days over Hallowe'en at Mouse's and not only had a blast at her daughter Joanna's Hallowe'en party but had a nice night at Lord of the Dance in Sheffield. Not a big fan of Michael Flatley but boy can that man dance! Karen joined us for the party and we had such a great time - many thanks to Mouse and family for their hospitality and for a lovely weekend.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">The weekend before Hallowe'en was my 50th birthday. Liz threw a surprise party for me at the office - and believe me it was a BIG surprise! My lovely friends and fellow mods on Friendly Stitchers surprised me with a box of 50 individually wrapped gifts ranging from stitching supplies - thread, fabric and charts to gardening equipment - a hand stitched gardening apron, seeds and bulbs and a lovely pair of gardening gloves and some mini gardening tools together with some other little gifts including a tote bag, sweets and some mini measuring spoons. Thanks to Mouse, Karen, Gillie and Val for making my birthday so special! Lyn came down from Perth on the day of my birthday and we went out for dinner at a local restaurant and then spent the evening have a jolly good catch up. And the celebrations continue as I am meeting friends next weekend for lunch.</span></div></div><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">During the summer months I joined a gardening club and I now spent most of my weekends up there looking after my plants. I am looking forward to growing my own fruit and veg next year as well as expanding my collection of orchids and pelargoniums. I have also been nominated as Minute Secretary for the club which I am thoroughly enjoying. Becoming a member of the club was a turning point for me and not only have I made firm friends but I have gone from never being out to never being in! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">And that, I think is that! Its has been an up and down 6 months but I have a much more positive outlook to life and am enjoying myself for the first time in a very very long time. Hopefully I will have more stitching to report on next time and look out for more Friendly Stitchers news!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Thanks for reading.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Love and hugs,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Ally xxxxx</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/TN7C1Sd6IjI/AAAAAAAAAKU/EIkGZBYlliw/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-15877961184184002322010-03-20T15:53:00.000+00:002010-03-20T15:53:13.566+00:00Spring has arrived (at long last!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Midway through March already but spring has finally arrived! It's lovely coming past the park in the evenings after work and seeing all the purple and yellow crocuses with the remaining snowdrops dotted in amonst them and the shoots from the daffodils just beginning to show now too. I bought some daffodil buds on Thursday and they have already burst out into bloom and look absolutely gorgeous. There's just something about a bowl of daffodils that brightens up a room isn't there?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S6TmWBmJGmI/AAAAAAAAAJA/wB5UD3FXmes/s1600-h/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S6TmWBmJGmI/AAAAAAAAAJA/wB5UD3FXmes/s320/scan0002.jpg" vt="true" width="249" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I only have one small finish to show off this time around. One of the partners at work has been asking me for some time now to stitch something for her mother; she just couldn't make her mind up exactly what she wanted. She eventually said she wanted something with her initial or initials and I remember a little design I had stitched for my mum way back in 1997. I showed it to Christine and she loved it. I finally finished her mum's sampler last weekend and here it is ... It's the mini basket sampler which was in Cross Stitcher magazine in May 1997, designed by Cathy Bussi. I love the delicate pastel colours and it really is a lovely little design. Christine hasn't managed to get a frame for it yet but we may have tracked one down at John Lewis's. I said I would put it into the frame for her so hopefully I will get a chance to take a photo of the framed sampler to show you next time around.</span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S6TrFGSg6vI/AAAAAAAAAJI/mXTaKfyeROI/s1600-h/scan0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S6TrFGSg6vI/AAAAAAAAAJI/mXTaKfyeROI/s320/scan0003.jpg" vt="true" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">My robin came back this week (thank you Maureen!) I've still got my bit to finish off of course but here's how it looks so far! I'm pleased with the result ~ all I have to do now is knuckle down and finish it lol. This one is an Anchor Fleu de Lis kit called Honey Bees. I am currently working on Mylene's robin, which is a summer cushion cover so will hopefully have that finished soon and let you all see that when its done! I'm already racking my brains as to what theme to choose for my next robin. All of the themes we've had over the last 5 or 6 years have been lovely and it's getting harder and harder to choose a new one. No doubt I will think of something though!</span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I finally got my date through for surgery on my nose. I go into hospital on 12th April, have my surgery and come home the following day and then I have two weeks off work to recover. Hmmm wonder what I could stitch to keep me occupied? I haven't made up my hospital bag yet but I will have to make sure that I have something with me to stitch during my overnight stay. Something new perhaps??</span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S6TtZX8B_rI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/Iw2604rCBwA/s1600-h/Putty+cat+and+project+bag+from+Mouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S6TtZX8B_rI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/Iw2604rCBwA/s320/Putty+cat+and+project+bag+from+Mouse.JPG" vt="true" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last time around I was showing off the gifts I'd had for Christmas from my stitching friends and it wasn't till after I published the post that I realised I had left one photo out! So here it is; my new little putty cat and the lovely project bag, both beautifully made by </span><a href="http://www.talesofastitchingmouse.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-small;">Mouse</span></a></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">~ I adore them both and puss is doing a very good job of guarding my WIP basket; he's doing such a good job in fact that projects rarely make it out of there!! The project bag has already been put to good use as I use it to take stitching to work with me; and I will use it to take my chosen project to hospital with me too. It has long straps (handles) to go over my shoulder or to hang off of my chair. Hopefully if I ever master the ins and outs of these monsters they call sewing machines, I will be able to make things like these too ~ I might even be able to put together my own cushions (got to stitch some first though right???)</span></span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S6TvPEHDkaI/AAAAAAAAAJY/w_7oJyv48z0/s1600-h/TUSAL+March+2020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S6TvPEHDkaI/AAAAAAAAAJY/w_7oJyv48z0/s320/TUSAL+March+2020.JPG" vt="true" /></a><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Andy's been playing at the Masters 1000 Tournament in Indian Wells, California this week. Unfortunately he got knocked out of the tournament at quarter final stage by Robin Soderling last night. I only managed to stay with it for the first set as I got hit by a migraine which forced me off to bed. Not often I say this, but it seems like I didn't miss much .... ah well. Miami up next so we'll see how he does there.</span></span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm off to try and do some work on Mylene's robin now but will leave you with my TUSAL update ~ hope the daffodils brighten your day!! Thanks for stopping by.</span></span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love and hugs,</span></span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ally xxx </span> </span></div>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-11034205090203442252010-02-20T12:53:00.020+00:002010-02-20T18:31:04.599+00:00First post of the year? Where have the weeks gone??<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">I cannot believe that we are over halfway through February and this is my first post of the year - and the first for several months too! I think if I was back at school I would be getting "could do better" notes in the margins of my jotters! I've been very guilty of not blogging at all lately; I kept telling myself that it was because I had no stitching to show off, but since I now have a couple of finishes under my belt I no longer have that excuse so here we go - and its probably best to start recently and work backwards (if that makes sense!) You might want to make yourself a cup of something or get a glass or wine, this promises to be a long one!!</span><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4ASi2xjPlI/AAAAAAAAAHI/MMVbSFrkJkk/s1600-h/006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440368739891756626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4ASi2xjPlI/AAAAAAAAAHI/MMVbSFrkJkk/s320/006.JPG" border="0" /></a>So here she is ... at long last - my mermaid! Nicknamed "Marina" after the mermaid in Stingray (I wanted to be her when I was little) She has been a (long) labour of love and although I am thrilled that I finally got her finished, I feel like she has left a rather large hole in my WIP basket - but I guess that can only be a good thing, right? The picture really doesn't do her justice and of course the next step is to get her framed and hanging on the wall. She was originally intended for the bathroom, or at least the cloakroom but I think she deserves a place in the lounge, don't you?</span></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AaJqCEIVI/AAAAAAAAAIA/8P-puSLFh0Y/s1600-h/Kathryn%27s+Basket+(2).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440377103067652434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AaJqCEIVI/AAAAAAAAAIA/8P-puSLFh0Y/s320/Kathryn%27s+Basket+(2).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">In between frantic beading to get the mermaid done I stitched a basketliner for a gift basket for a work colleague who retired just before Christmas; she was ill and so her retiral "do" was postponed until a few weeks ago. I filled the basket with M&S smellies and some chocolates all with a lavender theme and wrapped the basket handle with lavender and blue ribbon. Kathryn was thrilled with her basket (phew!) At the same time I was working on a sympathy card for another work colleague who sadly lost her husband just before Christmas. In true "Ally" fashion I forgot to take a photo of the finished card but if you look in my Webshots (link on the lefthand side) there is a pic of the finished card (this is the third or fourth time I have stitched this one!). </span></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AmNWLYBmI/AAAAAAAAAIo/oN9UKsj4v08/s1600-h/DSCN0667.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440390360597005922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AmNWLYBmI/AAAAAAAAAIo/oN9UKsj4v08/s320/DSCN0667.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">We had our annual Secret Santa on Friendly Stitchers and I received a lovely parcel from Sandra with lovely hand dyed threads, some beads (yippee!!) and a Loopy Loo design for a needlecase, scissor fob and biscornu - a really pretty design it is too. I shall have to get my act together and get that started at some point. I was <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AUD3Mf3YI/AAAAAAAAAHg/ZxbVO8wWR84/s1600-h/DSCN0668.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440370406452092290" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AUD3Mf3YI/AAAAAAAAAHg/ZxbVO8wWR84/s320/DSCN0668.JPG" border="0" /></a>also very spoiled by my lovely stitchy friends Abi, Mouse, Karen and Val - who sent me some lovely gifts including hand dyed Sparklies fabric and threads, a beautiful hand stitched biscornu, scissors (two pairs) and a beaded scissor fob and a fabulous hand made project bag and a hand made lavender cat who sits in front of my WIP basket and glares at me when I am not stitching (lol!)</span><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">The round robin has kept me busy too and I now have Mylene's robin to work on which is going to become a cushion cover; I haven't managed to start it yet as I need to order some threads but hopefully it won't take me too long to stitch up. I am really looking forward to getting it started though.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AYKPQ_CtI/AAAAAAAAAHw/8WEwwZkolWc/s1600-h/Dickens+Mitten+(Belle).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440374914039089874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AYKPQ_CtI/AAAAAAAAAHw/8WEwwZkolWc/s320/Dickens+Mitten+(Belle).JPG" border="0" /></a>Lynda's mittens were closely followed by Ginny's birdhouses - both of which were lovely to stitch. The mitten is "Belle" from Crosseyed Cricket's "Dickens Mittens" - it stitched up a treat and I absolutely loved working on this one. Ginny's birdhouse is from Alma Lynne's booklet "A Little Bit of Birdsong" and I fully intend at some point to do some more of those gorgeous birdhouses for myself!</span></div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4Amvdd-MSI/AAAAAAAAAIw/kbyGghKF0wk/s1600-h/Birdhouse+15-11-09.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440390946669605154" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 261px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4Amvdd-MSI/AAAAAAAAAIw/kbyGghKF0wk/s320/Birdhouse+15-11-09.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">I was thoroughly spoiled by the Friendly Stitchers girls on my birthday too - I had a whole host of gorgeous hand dyed threads from the Calendar girls, stitched biscornus from Mouse and Val, gold needles from Abi and between them the Friendly mods sent me the materials pack for Mirabilia's Enchanted Mermaid which I had been planning to kit up. I am still swithering over what fabric to use for this one but I think I have finally narrowed it down to two - so watch this space!</span><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AaucvRFzI/AAAAAAAAAII/F-gEKRvTzLI/s1600-h/Birthday+biscornu+from+Mouse.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440377735154308914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AaucvRFzI/AAAAAAAAAII/F-gEKRvTzLI/s320/Birthday+biscornu+from+Mouse.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4Ab-QzqkaI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/3bJ2e7jz5gE/s1600-h/Birthday+Biscornu+from+Val.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440379106341065122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4Ab-QzqkaI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/3bJ2e7jz5gE/s320/Birthday+Biscornu+from+Val.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AdIknwmxI/AAAAAAAAAIY/bgQ-j4UPsiI/s1600-h/Birthday+threads+2009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440380382970157842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4AdIknwmxI/AAAAAAAAAIY/bgQ-j4UPsiI/s320/Birthday+threads+2009.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">I am currently working on a mini sampler which one of the partners at work asked me to stitch for her mum; it is to be either a mother's day gift or a birthday gift (both of which fall in March) but luckily it is a fairly quick stitch so shouldn't take me too long. I already stitched this about 13 years ago as a birthday gift for my mum and it turned out really pretty. Mum loved it and of course when Christine asked about something for her mum this sprang to mind right away. I took it into work to let her see it and she said that it was just perfect so away I went. Luckily I had all the threads so I could get started on it right away. I am using 18ct aida in pussy willow for this - very subtle shade and it works well with the very pastelly colours of the sampler.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">In the world of tennis; Andy got to the final of the Aussie Open (well done young man!) and Elena (Baltacha) has broken into the top 75 and is now our number one ladies player. Right chuffed for Elena she is a lovely young lady and a very talented player. Andy isn't playing Davis Cup this time around so I won't be travelling to Lithuania to cheer our squad on -beside I am hoping to be either just about to go in or just out of hospital by that time (I should have a date for my op any day now).</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">I still have plans for my shop - it's not happening just yet although I have had a re-think as regards the location and think I may just have found the perfect place; more on that as it happens and my research progresses.</span></div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4Ae0HqfTWI/AAAAAAAAAIg/GvX0e7b5GxM/s1600-h/TUSAL+Jan-Feb.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440382230622850402" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/S4Ae0HqfTWI/AAAAAAAAAIg/GvX0e7b5GxM/s320/TUSAL+Jan-Feb.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">That's it - all caught up at last! I will endeavour to be a better blogger in future I promise - at least once a month - and in that respect here is a pic of my TUSAL (yes I have become a TUSALer after following <a href="http://needleinhand.blogspot.com/">Charlene'</a>s efforts last year) This is all the brainchild of <a href="http://dragonmyneedle.blogspot.com/">Yoyo</a> the clue's in the name (totally useless - but fun all the same!)</span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">Until next time ... thanks for reading and for the comments you leave; I really do appreciate it!</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">Love and hugs,</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">Ally xxxx</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7886521109678030648.post-55174406421827752392009-09-19T13:03:00.004+01:002009-09-19T13:34:00.101+01:00Happy Dancing - A Finish!<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/SrTLR5YiZRI/AAAAAAAAAGU/7AZbV47Ntlw/s1600-h/Home+Sweet+Home.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383150962936538386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/SrTLR5YiZRI/AAAAAAAAAGU/7AZbV47Ntlw/s320/Home+Sweet+Home.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">Another delay between postings - but at least this time I have a finish to show off! This one has taken me absolutely ages; caused mainly by me completely losing my stitching mojo halfway through working on the design. That hasn't happened for such a long time; and never for such a long period of time. It couldn't have come at a worst time too - right in the middle of a round robin! Not to worry though; normal service has finally been resumed and I have got my mojo back with a vengeance - and this is the result!</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">I am so pleased with the result! The design is by Sandy Orton of The Kooler Studio and I found it in issue 7 of Cross Stitch Gold. Karen's theme is "welcome/home sweet home" and I knew this one would be just perfect for her. Her home is an old Victorian terraced house and she has kept this theme within her decoration - I thought the lettering on this was quite "Victorian" looking and the colours are similar to the ones that Karen used in her "welcome" design at the top. It is stitched using DMC threads and embellished with Kreinik blending filament in copper and Kreinik #8 braid in antique gold. I really hope Karen likes it! Mouse is already making noises about me doing one for her too!!</span></div><br /><div></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/SrTOiplKauI/AAAAAAAAAGc/___asUbFHAk/s1600-h/My+Sewing+Machine!.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383154549287185122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vgGmni-VBe4/SrTOiplKauI/AAAAAAAAAGc/___asUbFHAk/s320/My+Sewing+Machine!.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">Last month, Sheila came to stay for the weekend and brought me a present - an antque Frister & Rossman hand crank sewing machine! I am absolutely delighted. We had been talking about sewing machines when I was visiting Abi in July - she and Mouse are trying to persuade me to go down the electric route, but I was taught by my gran on and old treadle Singer sewing machine which unfortunately got left behind when my mum moved several years ago. I wanted to ease myself into machine sewing gently and having mentioned this to Sheila when I was visiting her in July, she found this lovely machine on Freecycle for me. It has been well looked after and I am just building myself up to having a go at it! At the end of the day though, if I do progress onto the electric monsters, this one will look lovely somewhere prominent in the shop - whenever I open up for business that is!</span></div><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">Well I am going to spend the rest of this weekend working on the next round of the round robin - this one is Lynda's and her theme is "Dickens Mittens". My only problem there was deciding which one to stitch because they are all so adorable. I finally decided on "Belle" and plan to get started on it straight after lunch when I have settled down to some Davis Cup tennis (fingers crossed for our boys today). I'm hoping this one will be a quick stitch and I will be back soon to post an update.</span></div><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">Hope everyone had a nice summer and that autumn isn't being too harsh to you. Thanks all for reading!</span></div><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">Hugs,</span></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#330099;">Ally xxx</span></div></div>Pete's Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368586759450572047noreply@blogger.com14