Stitch-aholic!

I can't help it! I don't seem to be able to stop stitching...

My first was a mini-project, to stitch up one of the patterns I have for sale at Etsy, both to show it stitched up and to sell the panel itself (it's getting closer to Halloween, after all - somebody might fancy it). I gotta say - it was really quick to stitch up, it only took a couple of evenings and (if I do say so myself) it looks quite good.

I haven't put the finished panel up on Esty to sell yet, I'll have to get it pressed and take some decent photos to do that this week.


And just as I was finishing the pumpkin, lovely Mr. Postman delivered my ebay purchase of 28-count evenweave and a load (100 skeins!) of DMC. Just in time for me to get started on my next project - a portrait of Lil' Big Eyes, stitched 1x1 with 1 strand of DMC on the evenweave. It's to fit in an already-purchased photo frame, and I hope it will be fantastic.


I haven't really been able to put it down this weekend, but I'm thrilled with the progress. And look how tiny the stitches are! They're less than 1mm across!

I'm not sure how much time I'll have for stitching this week - we've increased pottery classes to twice a week (I will post photos as soon as some stuff's been fired), and I will be starting French evening classes this week, too. I've also agreed to convert a photo to a cross stitch pattern for somebody on Ravelry, but I'm going to have to spend a bit of time tweaking the photo first, because it keeps coming out too dark.

Hmmm..... Busy busy busy..... I couldn't be happier!

A day off

I had a day off work today to make up for my Saturday being taken over by work (boo - work!), and spend the day clothes shopping (yaay - shopping), going to the dentist (!) and finishing this little cross stitch...

Isn't it cute! It's my little Nintendo/Mario cross stitch pattern. I will update the pattern to put the cross stitch photo on the cover. I reckon I'll put this panel up on Etsy to sell, though - as I don't have any use for it now that I've finished stitching it.

Going potty

We went to pottery last night. It was good, we picked up some of our pots from last term, I started to make a cake stand, and J's making a fish bowl. I think I'll have to make several cake stands before I figure out what it is I'm doing, but it's ok because it's all fun. And cakes stands are pretty. Especially with cakes on them.

These are the pots I collected from last term... Before I show you though - I want to make it known that this was my first ever time on the wheel. Ever. And I am very proud of myself.

From back left (going clockwise) are: Wobbly pot, which is off-centre and wobbly but I like its glaze; The pot which I didn't make, but which I glazed so I'm going to take some credit for it; The pot that was kind of ok (if you squinted), until I applied a glaze to the outside which is frankly sub-standard and which has completely ruined it; The little blue pot which I adore; The pot which fell apart on the wheel, but which I glazed anyway and now think it looks kind of cool; And the pot with the 'artistic' dribbly edge, which I had thought would be much redder (like blood), but which came out dark-blue, which looks ok.

We're going back to pottery on Friday. I can't wait. I have loads of ideas, and want to play and experiment with clay.

Here is a cheesy picture of a cuddly toy with the nearly-completed brown sock. I had to pose it with something cutesy because it's impossible to photograph a dark brown, stockingette stitch sock attractively. It can't be done.

Wow - it's been nearly two months since I blogged!

I have intended to blog, but the longer I've left it, the harder it's been to come back - kind of like if you haven't done your homework for an evening class...

We've had a couple of birthdays since my last entry. We went to Londong for my 33rd in August, went to see Spamalot and Avenue Q in the West End, met up with some friends, and did the whole tourist thing, it was lovely.

J lost me for quite some time in the embroidery section at the V&A museum - I took loads of photos for reference which was a bit difficult in subdued lighting without a tripod, but I coped by bracing myself against frames of embroidery and holding my breath for the long exposure times. I absolutely feel head-over-heels with one piece of embroidery, a detail of which is below.

A couple of weeks after my birthday was lovely J's birthday, we went exploring the west Wales coast in the camper van. The weather was a little bit less than ideal, but we had a fabulous time, and I would definitely go again. Here is a picture of Molly, on the dashboard, watching the rain at Aberystwyth sea-front.

Our gifts for each other were the holidays (hotels, camp sites, meals, etc.), but I couldn't resist making a little present to give him on the day...

Craft and hobbies-wise, I'm afraid I have nothing much to report. I've returned to a boring pair of brown socks which I've been knitting for over a year and which I WILL finish before the end of the month (I've nearly finished sock #1 as I type). After that I want to finish the green bag and a cross stitch of my mushroom pattern (there's a link to the free download on the top right on my blog), which I haven't touched since I discovered a mistake in my counting. Silly me.

Tomorrow is the start of a new term of evening classes, and the return to pottery. Yay! This term I will get good at working on the wheel, and I will make cake stands.

She's finished!

I've been off work poorly for a couple of days, which has given me the opportunity to finish Kewpie!

She's hanging out to dry now after a gentle hand-wash to dislodge some the grime and biscuit crumbs that had found their way into the work during stitching. Next steps will be a good ironing over a fluffy white towel, and a trip to the framers on Saturday.

House-selling frustrations

Weeks ago, probably about 4 or 5 weeks by now, I accepted an offer on my house. I don't think I blogged it at the time, for fear of jinxing the sale.

Time has passed, and we're no nearer completing the sale. The buyer has been having trouble getting a mortgage. There had been a mark on his credit record from a late payment on a mobile phone bill, which has apparently now been sorted out with Experian, but it seems he still doesn't have his finances fully in place, and we haven't heard anything about a surveyor coming round to value the property. I'm getting worried - the longer it goes on, the greater the chances he'll pull out of the sale regardless of whether he gets a mortgage agreed.

Aaaargh!

On the plus side, we spent yesterday at Lovely J's house. We mooched around the house, garden and the neighbourhood. We went for a walk round some of the villages, had a very nice meal out in a local chinese, and sat in the conservatory with some music playing to enjoy the last of the day's sunshine as I carried on with my stitching. I gotta tell you, I can't wait til my house is sold and we can move in to his!

Here is my cross stitch as it was yesterday afternoon. Nearly there! If I keep at it I might be able to prepare it for framing by the end of next weekend....

A day off

I have a day off work today - woohoo! :oD

I love flexi-time. I can take up to two days off work as flexi-leave every 4 weeks - that's an extra 26 days a year that I'm not in work! Yay! (Of course, I do have to make up the hours, but that's not too difficult.)

So - what am I doing with my day off?

#1 - Sheltering from the rain. It's peeing it down here, the man on the radio said that we can expect a month's worth of rain today - said something about the European Monsoon (never heard of it). So, no picnics on the beach for me today.

#2 - Going to the cinema. I went to the 11 o-clock 'Senior showing' of 27 Dresses this morning. It was fantastic. We were in the Gallery (posh seats), had free teas, coffees and biscuits, and it only cost £4. The film was lovely (I cried a teeny bit), and I have to say - old people make the best cinema companions. There was no talking, bag-rustling, seat-kicking, getting-up-to-go-to-the-toilet or mobile-phone-bleeping. Just a lovely, serene silence in which to enjoy the film.




#3 - Going to the Craft Shop. I stopped by Inkspot on my way home from the flicks to pick up some more stranded cotton (DMC 3347) for Kewpie. While there I popped downstairs to speak to the picture framer (Andrew, he was brilliant, very accommodating, patient and encouraging) about Kewpie.


I started our conversation with the inspired, "I have a piece of cross-stitch abouth this wide (hand gesture) by this tall (hand gesture) that I haven't finished yet, but when I do I would like it to be framed with quite a big mount, and in a big, heavy gilt frame. But I don't know which one yet. Do you know how much that might cost?"

Instead of scowling at my vagueness, he was lovely, and went through a load of options with me, and gave me a range of likely prices and timescales. It's not going to be cheap. It could cost anywhere between £90 - £200 to get if framed as I want.



Gulp.



#3 - Cross Stitch. Of course! I won't be able to do very much today, but I have already manage to fit in some stitching, and I daresay I will do some more before bed. Here she is so far...

Nearly there! Look how excited she looks, peeking over at the ever decreasing areas of nude aida...

#4 - Ballroom Dancing. Because my french classes have clashed with ballroom lessons over the past couple of weeks, we have arranged a catch-up session this afternoon. Lovely J's taken the afternoon off work especially. We will be off there shortly, so I need to hurry up with typing this post otherwise we may be late!

#5 - French Class. Yup - I will be parlez-vous-ing tonight again. It's great, I'm really enjoying it, and am considering taking it up in September on a one night a week basis (they do 2 nights a week too, but I could never fit that in around the pottery, dancing, stitching, knitting etc!)

So - all in all, a pretty fabulous day off. Hurrah!

Must dash - have to put my dancing shoes on!