It's been a busy week.....

....but not with stitching! 

For one reason or another,  this past week hasn't been a good one for stitching. Hey ho, that's life!

I did manage to get a little bit more done on my cute, but ugly, Christmas jumper....and I do mean a little bit....

Not as much progress as I would have liked to have made....but it is only August, so it's not as if I'm running out of time! :)

Max was a bit of a guilty stitch for one night....I felt so bad that I had come so far with him and then put him on the back burner so to speak!

This was where I was last time he made an appearance...

....and this is him now...

I should try to do a bit of him at least one night per week, but I'm just not that organized ......or disciplined! :)

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

More Christmas stitching!

Who would have thought that 2016 would be the year that I (finally) get organized early for Christmas!

Here's another Christmas design started.....

....the good old 'ugly' Christmas jumper!

Seems a bit strange to be stitching a Christmas jumper when its 95 degrees outside!

Can't wait to get this, and some of the other ugly jumper designs, finished and made into cards....or maybe more Christmas ornaments? Ooooh, the possibilities!

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

More little gnomes!

Oh my goodness, I'm having way too much fun ....and getting organized with my Christmas stitching at the same time!! These little gnomes are such fun to stitch......

 ....my plan was to stitch just one little gnome, but got carried away and did two.....

...they're quick and fun and with just the right amount of detail to keep it interesting...

....my little family of gnomes....

Mmmm, can't decide if we shall have a bigger gnome family or not!!!


Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Time to be brave.....

....and get the sewing machine out!

Me and the sewing machine don't always get along. To be honest, the sewing machine terrifies me! All those hours of cross stitching can be ruined in minutes by a  misbehaving sewing machine. But the time has come to be brave and get the Santa's Snack mat finished. I just have to wash the stitching and then face my fears.

And being a true procrastinator, instead of getting on with the snack mat, I decided to start something else! A cute Christmas gnome.....

...another one of my own designs all stitched up. This one was published in The World of Cross Stitching magazine last Christmas. The little gnome was part of a larger picture and I thought he would look cute as either a small card or little gift tag. Thankfully finishing this one off requires double sided tape and no sewing machine! Phew!!!

Time to face my fears with the sewing machine.....wish me luck!

Until next time....happy stitching!
Rhona

The wonders of back stitching!

I feel like I have been quite productive this week! With just a few lines of back stitch....ok, maybe  a bit more than a few :) ....my Christmas design is almost done!

I can see the end in sight! Just one more bit of stitching to do.... a little pocket under the mouse who looks like he's floating in space!

I've even bought some fabric so that I can finish off the design.....a lovely bright red polka-dot fabric. I have no excuses....this WILL be finished way before Christmas. Woo-hoo!

Max the cat hasn't been ignored either. This was how he looked last time...

....and this is how he looks now...

Quite a change! I did say that I had been productive :)

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Almost ready for Santa! (I know it's only June!!!)

Since my camera battery has just died, and I have absolutely no idea where the charger is, I only have one update picture to show you....

 It doesn't look much just now....the horrible lighting doesn't help either.....but once the back stitching is done it will look great.....well, I think will anyway! :)

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Summer sun and Christmas stitching!

Only I could be stitching a Christmas design on one of the hottest days of the year! The things we stitchers do to be organized and have the perfect stitched gifts for family and friends :)

As you may recall I was stitching one of my own designs......

...well it's stitching up beautifully......

.....and such fun to work on.....

...until you run out of pale grey and pale blue thread. And to make matters worse, it seems like they are the only two colours that are missing in all the craft stores! Grrrr.  Luckily for me, one of the stores is getting a delivery of thread this week....so fingers crossed that DMC 800 and 3072 is on the delivery truck and I can get back to working on this cute design again.

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Max and the UFO

Max seems to be growing at a very pleasing rate......

I have started the third and last panel of Max! It doesn't really look like anything just now....just some brown squiggles, but it should begin to look more like a cat with the next session of stitching. (Hopefully tonight!)

Max was interrupted when I decided to pick up an old UFO :) This is one of my own designs and I had started stitching it just before Christmas, but it had been kind of relegated to the 'I-don't-need-to- work-on-that-just-now-as-I've-got-plenty-of-time-to-finish-it' pile....which of course means that it never gets finished in time! I did some stitches on it last month but it was in danger of being another no-show for Christmas.......again!

I decided that if I was going to get it done in time for this Christmas I really should get a move on and keep working on it! So this one is back in my sewing basket to be worked on in-between some Max stitching sessions. It's stitching up quite quickly so hopefully I'll have lots of progress to show you next time!

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

Max the cat

Max the cat number two is finished.....all except for the back stitching!

Such a lazy looking kitty.....just like my own Smokie (which is why I chose to stitch this design!)

Since I had finished the second part of Max, I decided to squeeze in another quick stitch before proceeding with the third and last part of Max....

 ...another free kit...

.... a cute Margaret Sherry design....

 ....that came with a printed card.  Doesn't it look great?

Such a cute design......and perfect for so many different occasions....another one to add to my stash of finished cards.

So all in all, it feels like it was a very productive week!

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Lots more of Max!

Max number 2 is coming on quite quickly....that's what happens when you binge watch Netfilx all weekend! Here's where I left off last week.....

....and here's where I am now.....

.... a great weekend of stitching accomplished....too bad about all the chores that were on the to-do list!


Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

A little card design....and Max (of course!)

My supply of cross stitched cards is getting quite low, so I decided it was time for some quick stitch designs for making in to cards......

I have already stitched one of these geisha girl designs and decided to stitch another one, as they are quick, easy and fun!

Unfortunately, I can't find the last few strands of the light green that I need for the french knots in her hair and for some details on the bottom of her kimono. I think the cat might have stolen them :) 

And speaking of cats.....here's an update on Max.....

I seem to have made quite a bit of progress on this one....feeling quite happy about this!

Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona

Max, mice and housework

As I was sorting out the pictures to post here I was thinking how busy and productive I've been this week.....then I realized that it was actually two weeks worth, since I didn't manage to post last week! Duh!!!

First on the list of things to show is Max the cat.....

I'm well under way on the second panel of Max....and still enjoying working on him.

Then there's a finish! Lizzie Kate's 'Housework' didn't take long at all.....

I'm sure I will stitch this design again (it's a great quick stitch gift idea!) but next time I will alter the colours from the DMC colours suggested as I'm not too sure if I like them or not. (Also it's more fun to change things up a  bit!)

I've also managed to get quite a bit of crocheting done as it's easier to crochet while watching TV rather than stitching....and when it's ice hockey season, I'm watching the TV! So here's how my afghan looks all rolled up in my work basket.....

....of course, I'm almost finished it now that the warm weather is arriving and I will have no need to use it....at least it kept me warm while I was working on it!

There's still quite a bit to go to get it to the length that I think would be best and then also an edging to be done, so it's going to be sitting on the work basket for quite a while yet.

I also picked up a design that I started last year and didn't get done in time for Christmas....always my problem...... but I'm sure it will be done in time for this Christmas!

If only every week could have so much progress made, it would be wonderful!


Until next time....happy stitching!

Rhona