Ta, Daaaa!

Sleeping Beauty

Is finished

I started her on 29th August 2014 and finished her yesterday on 24th January 2016.

Phew! That took a while. But to be fair, I have worked on other projects in that time and had a life too!

So, as celebration for a finish, I get a new start!

 Tea Roses was adopted.

I had a good look at what the previous stitcher had done, about a quarter of the project, and I decided to start again.

After close inspection under my daylight lamp I could see that some of the threads were mixed up and in the wrong places.

 I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there are enough left, especially of the greens, to complete the design. As the threads I have in my collection are somewhat different. Due to dye lots I guess.

The fabric I'm working on is a piece I brought with me from GB. I've had it stashed for a long time, probably about 10 years. LOL

It's a bit wishy washy in these images, I promise you, it's very pretty and perfect for a flower/garden picture.

A wet weekend.

Means a whole weekend in my PJs.

We decided to have a quiet weekend at home, just the two of us.

Tony played war games on play station with my brother back in Britain, while they were both awake, and while my brother slept, Tony and I watched movies, while it rained outside.

Throughout all of that, I stitched.

And stitched.

And stitched.

Sleepy is very near to completion.

 Just one corner left to go.

 I have no work today, and it's raining again!!

I see some stitching happening this afternoon, once I have done my chores.

*

And finally.

One of my postal gifts must have gotten lost on the way.

It finally arrived at it's destination last week.

Janice, I'm sorry you had to wait sooooooo long.

Now that it has arrived I can show the picture I took of all the ornaments I made to swap this year.

The black one is for a lady who doesn't really do Christmas trees and pretty ornaments.

But she loved that I made one especially for her.

Been rather busy!

After a very busy weekend, it's nice to slow the pace down a little.

It was Tonys 50th birthday last week and his best friend and I cooked up a surprise.

So, Dave, (the aforementioned best friend) turned up 'unexpectedly' on Friday.

Once he got over calling us rude names for surprising him like that, Tony got on with the business of enjoying some time with his mate.

So there was a night out, a BBQ and far too much alcohol and food.

Looking for a little quiet time away from the boys playing wargames on play station I took refuge in my sewing room and did a little tidy up.

I've not worked in there for quite a while and it had become a bit of a dumping ground.

Look what I found tucked away in a project case.

I'm hoping there is enough thread left to stitch the candle again and that the wee gift kit will have a similar amount of thread.

Both kits have pre printed canvas included and also a chart, so I was able to stitch the design onto a blank piece of fabric.

Sadly the chart doesn't give thread numbers, but I may be able to fudge something together to stitch more copies of the same designs.

Now I just need to source those wee frames as each kit only comes with a single frame.

I am delighted to say that I have a head start on next Christmas.

I seem to remember feeling the same way this time last year, when I stitched the first and only one done!!!

While I was in my sewing room I also put away my latest acquisitions. 

The postie delivered these on Friday.

 Over the last week I've been able to get a little more time with Sleepy and made good progress, even though the area I'm stitching now is composed of very bitty stitching. Three stitches in this colour, six in that and five in another. Lots and lots of stopping and starting and changing of threads.

It can be quite frustrating.

 In areas like that I risk stalling.

So I make a deal with myself. Rather that power through the housework in the morning and spend the afternoon stitching, I stitch for an hour, then do chores for an hour, then stitch for an hour then....

You get the idea. The chores are spread out through the day, but the frustrating stitches are spread out a little too.

*

Last week, for Tonys birthday we took a road trip up to Christchurch, where we visited a shop more suited to him than me. Well it was to buy his birthday gifts.

Tony has taken up fine scale modelling and needed some supplies that cannot be purchased here in Timaru, and as even we know, going to an actual store and getting a 'feel' of things is much more fun than shopping on the WWW!

On the way home we stopped at my favorite store.

Annies Country Quilt store.

Where I was delighted to find this pattern.

I've been after it for quite a while.

My hour is up, time to stitch.

:-)

A Face!

Finally.

I have company at last.

Sleepy has a face.

I spent a huge amount of yesterday stitching.

My reward to myself after having to visit the dentist and have a tooth repaired.

Back to work today.

Sigh.

2016!

Happy New Year everybody.

I wish you all, all the very best that life can bring.

*

No new year, new start for me.

Being a one at a timer, I'll plod along with Sleeping Beauty.

I'm almost onto the next page of my working copy of the chart.

Very soon she will have a face!

LOL I keep on telling myself that.

In reality, the face is on the next page and I have a couple more hours of work to complete this page!

Sigh...

I'll keep going.

I think my next couple of projects need to be a little smaller, to boost the ego, and reawaken my mojo.

*

For the last couple of years I have sort of resolved to try to stitch one Christmas item a month. The resolution is not strong enough to join any of the groups out there, and well, last year I failed, totally!! The year before I barely made it into March!

Lets see if I can do better this year.

Not a resolution, or a promise.

A wish.

I wish for the resolve to complete at least one Christmas project a month!!

Of course, due to who reads this blog, I may not always be able to show off my finishes! LOL

*

Today looks like being a hot one.

A good day to stay indoors with the AC and stitching away the hours on Sleepy.

I may also make a start on taking down the decorations.

Not all of them, just making a start.