More Cross stitches.

If you want to see more cross stitch projects you could follow the link to this post on Chookyblues blog, where she has a whole list of folks who are taking part in a Cross stitch blog hop organised and hosted by the lovely Chooky herself. Thanks Chooky, I'm loving looking around at other cross stitch pieces.
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On with the show.
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Todays pieces are all from 2005. In spite of what you see here they were framed and given away.
'Tenderness' was a gift to a dear friend and her new baby daughter.
Nordic Angel was a gift to my sister and her husband. They eloped and secretly married in Sweden in an ice chapel, so I wanted something which reflected that, besides, she didn't like any of the wedding samplers we looked at.

Little Angel was a gift to my BFF. Rather that sign the edge of the work, I signed my name on the pages of the book. Along with a message.

I have many more projects from 2005. I may post some more tomorrow, in fact, I probably have enough pictures of my cross stitch to keep us busy for the whole week! Right now though, I'm off to knit, I'm half way up a lovely cosy hat.

Blame Chookyblue

As some of you know, I was a cross stitcher before I got interested in patchwork and quilting. So when our beloved elf Chookyblue asked if anyone would be interested in doing a post or two about cross stitch I jumped in. I've been working so many early shifts I have no energy for sewing, so it's nice to show something here.
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This first cross stitch piece I made back in 2004 and gifted it to my mum. I framed it first of course. It now hangs in her sitting room.
This picture really doesn't do it much justice, it really is a beautifully peaceful scene.
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This is another piece I made as a gift, I think I made it at about the same time. A chess board for my Hunney. I made it all in secret and gifted it to him for Christmas. He knew nothing about it.
Everyone else did, our friends at the framers. The window guy who cut me the toughened glass is also a friend of ours, all of my colleagues and service users at work. Only my Hunney was in the dark.
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I'll post some cross stitch over the weekend.

First Anniversary

Sunday was our first wedding anniversary. It seems like so much longer, but we have been together for over 8 years. The first anniversary is traditionally celebrated with paper gifts and look what my Hunney came up with.
A message in a bottle, the paper of course being the message. He composed his own message to me. What a wonderful gift. He said it was the first thing which popped onto his google search. This is where he found it.
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Mum also got in on the act and gave us a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Thanks mum.
No sewing, knitting or crafting to report today, I have done a little, little being the operative word! I've had loads of early shifts, so not much energy for sewing once dinner is made and cleaned up.
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I have a job interview today though. :-) Fingers crossed.

Gotta go.

Catching up.

I had a gentle return to work with a late shift on Monday and a day off on Tuesday so I could attend an appointment, then a day in the office yesterday. In spite of over 60 emails awaiting my attention and a few items of old fashioned Royal Mail it was a good day and I feel as though I got loads done. So today is my day off and I have plans.
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I made pastry on Monday morning and it's been sat in the fridge waiting for me. I plan to use it up today by making more lunch box pies. We didn't eat all of the last lot yet, but no harm in stocking up. It's a cold wet miserable day, so a good day to have the oven on. I also plan to make a lamb and bean hotpot for dinner, that needs to sit in the oven for a good while too, so I plan to stay in the kitchen /dining room most of the day. I have Kays quilt with me and I'll be closing the binding on that and adding it's label. If I manage to get through all of that I'll get on with a few more rows of my rippling blanket (2)
I've played about a bit with the row count, on the previous version I changed yarn colour every 12 rows, this time I'm making more of a pattern, I think I like this one. As I think I said in an earlier post this version is also wider than the last one and I plan to make it longer too. I could easily make a habit of knitting a blanket to snuggle under during the winter. Although it's still only 14 inches long, it's very cosy already. :-)
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Sleeves up, pastry here I come.

Back to work today.

My two weeks of Annual Leave come to an end today. Even though I achieved a lot and was busy almost every day, I do feel rested and enjoyed my time off. So much so in fact that I wish I'd won the lottery and didn't have to go back to work! Don't we all have a similar wish? So this morning I made Monday pies with the left overs from our Roast dinner then headed up into my cosy nest to play. I've prepared a bunch of pretty Christmas ornaments made with more leftovers!
I sorted some ribbon to use and hunted through the button tin for buttons to use as tree trunks. I also decided to have a go at some round ornaments this time.

Hmm, not perfectly round, but they'll do me. :-) That's me all set for an evening with my Hunney in front of the TV. :-)

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My Monday pie smells so good I'm off to eat it now. Then relax for a while before going into work for 3pm.