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.

:-)