Stitching, sewing, school and a crash!

Good Morning to you all!

The kiddies are all back to school.  Conor has started Secondary school with ease :D  He is really enjoying it! Which I am quite pleased about!!

Conor's First Day
2nd September 2016

Conor and Ryan

Mark, Katie and Cara are back to school too!!  Mark's last year at Primary School! So I feel like I have deja vu the past 3 years lol One boy after the other leaving Primary school!  At least I will have a rest for a few years before it is Katie's turn!!  

Cara, Katie and Mark off to school on 1st September

During the summer I got little chance to do much but I did make a pencil case for Cara!
She is totally delighted with it :D 

Caras pencil case
11 August 2016

We had fun and Ice-cream in the park
24th August 2016

I finished my Joan Elliott SAL and had it framed!
(17th August 2016)

Now back onto Charlie Bear
(as at 20 August 2016)

I am trying to stitch a wee Egyptian hanger for Katie's teacher as their topic this month is all about Egypt but I can sit for very long and craft ... something that would normally take me a couple of days has taken about a 5 days!  A few stitches then I have to put it down and my shoulders, back and arms start to hurt :(  

Why?

Well, on 1st September some woman, who was not looking where she was driving, drove straight into the back of me whilst I was waiting to turn right!  I had been there for about 30 seconds and she came flying down the road and smashed straight into the back of me!!  She was NOT looking at the road!! Wonder what she was looking at??  Laura and Abby were in the car too!  Everyone is battered and bruised.  Laura's arm is in a splint.  Lucky nothing is too seriously damaged, except the car has been written off!!  That woman came at us with some speed that's for sure!  

So at the moment we are taking things easy!  Not quite the start to the new school year I had planned!!  

So, with luck I hope to be back to my normal self soon!  I am sore from head to toe!!  

Have fun and Keep Safe!!

Bye for now

Love me

xoxoxoxo

DUCJFC2016 up to date at the end of January

Good Evening everyone,

It's the end of January ... How did that happen?!!!  I have done Debbie's Ultimate Crazy January February Challenge all month. Here's my update ...

Day 23-29
Butterflies (well sort of!)

Day 30
(The blue blob of a bird)

Day 31
Something for meeeee! 

For February I am going to work on WIP's all month :-

1) Mermaid for Cara

2) Joan Elliott Faces SAL

3) HAED Fireside Fairy Tales

4) Charlie Bear Alphabet

I was going to carry on with new starts but I think I have enough to be going on with lol

Also during February I am joining in the Letters of the Month Challenge, were I need to post a piece of mail (letter or card) everyday except Sundays through out February! I'm looking forward to receiving lovely post too ... Fingers crossed :)

Have a lovely Sunday Evening

Hugs

Heather

xoxo

Im Back ....

Hello to you all :)

Well how are you all?  After a very nasty chest infection and a few sick kiddies ... I am back ... haha there is no getting rid of me is there? lol

Here is a photo of the finished Letter I on Charlie Bear :)

Charlie I and the start of Charlie J

I thought I would show you the whole thing so far :)  I cant wait to get back to it all.  I have missed my stitching :(

Charlie Bear Alphabet

I spent the weekend battling with metallic thread stitching Sliver and Gold for the Pre-school Colour of the month table ... well worth the 'naughty words' when the thread kept snapping and fraying lol!!

Gold

Silver

Thats all for now folks as no news really!  Nearly time to go and collect Cara from Pre-School!  She was so excited to be going in today as she missed a few days last week.

So have a great day and I'll be back very soon to annoy you all lol

Lots of love
Me
xxxxxxxxxxx

Another letter done plus a few e-mails!! And Tusal

Hello there,

First of all I have finished the letter H on my Charlie bear sampler oooo yay!!  He is a little cutie :)

Charlie H

The kids have been away this weekend so I have stitched on Summer Fairy.  I am concentrating on the wings then get the ribbons completed.  After that I think I might start on some of the backstitch before doing the bottom half!!  

My TUSAL for November ...  

November 

The e-mails ... well they were about the house!  I looked into the company that have taken over the house to see on behalf of the bank that repossessed from the landlord and the company is a massive international corporation.  I spent a while going through their website and reading up what they exactly do and part of their organisation helps re-home tenants!!!  

Well this hit a nerve with me because I was having problems finding another house big enough within the area we as a family need for schools.  The only places I could get that would take 5 young children (they didn't count in Laura or James because they are classed as adults) where too far away, with no bus to their schools so it would be a case of 40 minute drive each way for all but Cara as she isn't allowed on the bus with being a Nursery child or change their schools!!!  So with Cara I would have to go back to collect her at 12.15 when Nursery ends ... I would spend the week driving lol

Change of schools is not an option because the landlord not paying his bills is not a life changing situation for us .... way should it be .... so I e-mailed the company and explained the situation plus quoted parts of their website about how they help the tenants and asked why was I not offered this help!!

Hey presto ... they have put off having us move before Christmas as I could only afford the move or Christmas.  Why should the kids suffer????  They will help re-locate us and it will be done in my time so we do not end up somewhere silly and out of the school bus route!  So its all happy happy happy here :-) Christmas is back on!!!

It has been a hell of a week, plus the kids have been off for Half Term so not much else done!!!  

Well its is off to get a memo done for school as I am running a Coffee Morning in the school on Thursday ... a coffee morning organised by parents for parents ....  That's a first :)  Looking forward to it!

Have a great Sunday

See you all soon

Love me

xxxx

P.S I have not forgotten about the give away .... with everything else I have been run off my feet!!  In fact I will set that up once I have this memo done :)  Watch this space!!!  

My Charlie and my Katie

Hello all!

Here is my Charlie Bear Alphabet SAL with Steph ... letters A-G fully completed.

I am really delighted with how he is looking at the moment.

Charlie Bear Alphabet SAL
Designed by Margaret Sherry

as 14 January 2013
Letters A-G completed

Charlie has been put away for the moment as I have a few essays to get written for my Open University course I am doing so whilst studying and writing essays I will do a few smaller pieces in between.    

This evening I started a smaller design by Margaret Sherry.  Will post a photo when I have done some more on it.  It is 2 hedgehogs doing a crossword!  Its the same picture that is the header on the Margaret Sherry Lovers blog 

Katie spotted it and said that I have to stitch it for myself because I love Crosswords and I love Cross Stitch lol!!  This child knows me too well ha ha :-)

Speaking of Katie, she came home with her first lot of homework today and she was delighted!!  I wonder how long that will last :-P

Katie showing off her homework bag

Katie doing her very first piece of homework

Yes she has her Santa Dress on lol!!

No other news from my little corner of the globe!

Keep safe and well all.  Will post a photo tomorrow of my little crossword cross stitch piece for me :-)

Love me
xxxxx

A quick update ...

Of yesterdays stitching:-

Charlie SAL with Steph

I finished the stitching on letter G on Charlie and did most of the backstitch on G but get the back stitching done on the other bears.  Just eyes/face in black to put on as the other backstitch is in brown.

I also managed to get the back stitch around the letters A and B.

All in all I m made up with how Charlie is looking now.  I will spend time getting all the back stitch on everything else before I start he letter H and I think from now on I will stitch a letter and do all the backstitch before starting the next letter lol

SAL with Margaret Sherry Lovers Blog 

I have started the big doggie with the slipper in his mouth.  I am going to carry on with him today for a little while.

So another cupper then off to get some stitching done before I spend all day on the lappy!!

Happy stitching and crafting all!!

Introducing the New Love of my life .....

Hi all!!

Well here he is .... (bet you thought I was going to say a man ... well now that would be telling ... lol)

Charlie Bear Alphabet

Designed by Margaret Sherry

I started this piece ooooo quite a while ago now.  I am doing him as a SAL with the one and only lovely bessie called Steph.  Click on her name to go to her blog and see her progress.

I was doing my HAED Fireside Fairytales but had to put it away.  I think this well be my 'Kids away for every other weekend' project ... in other words when my adorable mob stay with their father 2 night per month!!  Then I can stitch my heart out :-)

Steph mentioned stitching on her Charlie so I copied!! I am really looking forward to stitching all of him.  Ryan told me off for not giving Charlie a face so I spent the best part of 2 days, on and off, working on the backstitch.  I still have to backstitch the letters but at least I've made a start.  Think I will also copy Steph again and do the backstitch as I go along, once I have caught up on the rest of it!!  

No other news from here other than back to school Monday for my lot!!  Ha Ha!!

Take care and be good!!

Love me 

xxxxxx

PS .... Take a look at Ryan's Blog (my 2nd eldest son and he is 9 years old)  xxxxx

Yesterdays Adventures

Hello!

Today I have done a few lines on my HAED Fireside Fairtytales but I couldn't get peace to concentrate so I got my Charlie Bear SAL out that I am doing with Steph.  See her blog as she is making brilliant progress.

I'll have to post a picture in the morning as my camera is taking the photo orange lol  Bad light is the culprit!!

I love Margaret Sherry Designs but I haven't stitched any of hers since I did the Karate Dog for Conor, which then reminded me I need to do him another Karate Dog but with a yellow belt on!!  Better get a move on, plus add that 'job' to my WIP/To-Do list before I forget again!!

Anyway back to the Margaret Sherry lovers blog I decided that since there is a year to complete the piece I might as well join up and get myself back into the Margaret Sherry frenzy I used to be in many moons ago lol!!

So looking forward to this .... in all my excitement of my new found 'joining-in' so far in 2013 I must remmber that I have 2 Open University essays to do by the end of march lol!!

Bye for now

xxxxxx

Margaret Sherry Design

Karate Dog for Conors Red Belt (9th Kyu)

Need to do a Yellow Belt Karate Dog

For his 8th Kyu

News from my corner of the world

Hello fellow bloggers

News from my corner of the world is that my husband and I split last week.  I am now a single mother of  7 children, well I say children but my eldest girl, Laura, is 22 and my eldest boy, James, is 16.  The 5 youngest are from this marriage but even so all 7 children are at home.  Thank goodness Laura is here as she is my rock!

So my stitching time is totally cut to next to nothing at the moment but the children are far more important.  I have put my HAED's away for now and hope that they do get finished this life time lol!

I am going to solider on with my Fairy Grandmother and Charlie Bear SAL as and when I can.  I have a few of my UFO's out to finish as and when I can.  I hope to keep blogging even if it is about life more so than stitching!

On that stitching front I do have a few things to sell at the School Summer Fete this weekend.  I will post a photo asap.

My plan of action is to finish of M'Ladys Strawberries that I started last June lol! It should have taken me a few days to stitch this chart but yet nearly a year later .....  Then onto the fishing stitch I also started towards the end of last summer.  The idea is to get the smaller pieces I started finished and maybe do a few smaller kits for now.  Life without stitching is a little sad!  Life without him is good ha ha!!

I have spent the last week clearing out jumk and rubbish then having a small re-arrange of the house.  So when all that is complete I might get some stitching into the day.  Time will tell, but like I say there are more important things at the moment but stitching will always be there!

Bye for now
Keep up the good work, I'll be looking lol

Lots of love

Heather
xxxxxx

A bit of this and that

Hello, a long time with no blogging again for me!  Hope you are all well.

I have done quite a bit of stitching the last week but it does not feel like it!  I think since my main projects are all big pieces it seems like I have not done much with not having any finishes, so I am cracking on with Gone Fishing today and the rest of the week to see if I can get this one finished and off my pile!  I did quite a bit last night.

Gone Fishing as at 6th March 2012

I worked the weekend on my Charlie Bear SAL and I am delighted at my progress.  I plan to stitch a few more letters then do some back stitching.  Steph stephs blog has already back stitched some of hers and it is looking fantastic .... oh and go to her blog to see her news!!  Cant wait to add detail to mine now.

Charlie Bear SAL

Next I would like to show off my Fairy Grandmother!  Her wing is very slow going and lots of colour changes every few minutes so I have decided to make progress on her body and face for now and do the wings as I go along!  She is looking beautiful I will admit and the photo does not do her justice at all.

Fairy Grandmother at 5th March 2012

To add to the mix of my stitching I have been asked to do a baby sampler for my friend niece who is expecting her baby in about 8 weeks time.  So the Sampler kit is being posted to me today so this will be my main project for the next few weeks.  Also I am going to be doing some stitching for my daughters Nursery. Then ... I found out a friend of mine is expecting so hey why not add a bit more stitching to my growing list lol!  I cant wait!  So I think I will have to adjust my target times and add to my to-do list!  With all this stitching being asked for I think I could start up my own little business :-)  Could not think of a nicer job!

Happy stitching to you all
xxxxx

The past week

Hello there,

I did not do any 'real' stitching until Friday.  I spent Monday chasing my tale, Tuesday evening at James' school at an A-Level Options evening, Wednesday I was worn out, Thursday and Friday running about again.  I did a little on my Fairy Grandmother for a couple of hours during the whole week but at craft club on Friday Morning (no way was I missing that!!) I did some more on Charlie Bear SAL that Steph stephiesstitching and I are doing of a weekend.

Tell you something exciting .... go and look at Stephs blog (link above) and see her fab stitching and for those of you who do HAEDS you will be amazed!  Brilliant work :-)

Charlie so far ... this is what he looked like when I started stitching this afternoon.

Charlie at the start of session 25th Feb 2012

I plan to do some more on Charlie tomorrow and then spend every spare second working away at Fairy Grandmother in the week.  I forgot to take an updated photo of her so will do one and show her off ASAP!!

Lovely post today ... I ordered the rest of the the threads I needed for Universe in a Jar and they arrived today along with a Punch Needle kit!  I have never tried this at all so this will be something new to me.  I looked it up and it seems really easy to do, lets hope it is as easy as it looks!

rest of the threads for Universe in a Jar

Punch Needle kit and tool
(Can't wait to start!!)

I will post updated photos on Monday of Charlie and Fairy Grandmother and lets hope next week gives me a good run at stitching her as I cannot wait to see her progress.  I want to try and get her face completed next week when the kiddies are at school.  I can do her face 2 over 2  or 1 over 1 on the 32 count evenweave.  I am opting for 1 over 1 as the detail will be spectacular so i think i need full daylight and no distractions lol  oh and my glasses :-)

Have a great weekend folks, we what is left of it

Bye for now

Love Heather :-)

xxxxxxxx

What I have been up to the last week or so ...

Hello fellow bloggers and crafters

I hope you are all well.  This posting might be a little long but plenty of photos to look at, so that must mean I have been up to lots of mischief lol :-)

First of all I would love to show off a wonderful gift my 4 year old and I got of a very good friend of ours ... a crotched flower for our coats.  mine was meant to be the yellow and any daughters the cream but Katie liked the yellow one (probably because she knew it was mine lol)  so we swapped.  we just love these flowers and we wear them with pride.

Mine and Katie's flowers ... just beautiful

I made lovely hangers for 2 of the ladies at the craft club I got to on a Friday morning.  One of the ladies was the one who made the flowers for Katie and I.  Both of them where totally delighted with their gifts!  This was the first time I had attached tassels so I was delighted and I think they look fantastic. Lets hope the weather improves and we get to see some lovely blooms very soon .... roll on Spring!

For 2 'Blooming' crafty ladies 

I have made good progress on my Charlie Bear SAL.  Its going to a long SAL but a very enjoyable SAL with Steph who writes stephiesstitching.blogspot.com

Charlie SAL as at the end of 5th Feb 2012

I have been busy working through my WIP's and this is another one I have been working on. It is called 'Gone Fishing' and the kit is a Heritage Crafts kit from the Silhouette series.  I think its going to look fantastic when finished.

Gone Fishing

As I said in a post a while ago I have taken up Latch Hooking.  I got a small kit from Hobbycraft back in October.  Its is meant to be a rug kit but I would call it more a place mat as it is tiny lol!  Its a great size to start off with as it was only a few pounds and I would rather have spent a few pounds having a practise and making a mess than buying a fantastic large kit and not enjoy latch hook rug making.  I can say that I love every minute of it but have to do it when my youngest daughter is not about as she likes the wool and runs away with it!!  

Umbrella and Hearts latch Hook 'rug' 

Other news

My friend Jan and I are doing a 'Valentines' Friendship Exchange, so I have stitched and made up her gift but I cannot show it to you all just yet ... you will have to wait until she has opened it!!

I have done about 400 stitches on my HAED Fireside Fairytales.  Its not much but its 400 stitches more than I had last week :-)

Fairy Grandmother has also had a few extra stitches put on her.  I must take photos of both of them.  

Happy Stitching and crafting everyone

xxxxxxx

Last weeks stitching

Good Morning Bloggers,

I must say a huge thank you to you all for joining in the Giveaway (posted on my blog Thursday 5th Jan 2012) and to you all for re-posting on your on blogs.  A big thank you too to all the new followers my blog now has.  I am totally delighted!! :-)

The last week I have been busy stitching on the Charlie Bear SAL with Steph.  We are stitching him as and when we can Fridays to Sundays. He really is going to be a pleasure to stitch.  Here is a progress picture of last weekends SAL on my piece.  Take a look at Steph's progress on her blog stephies stitching

Charlie Bear Alphabet SAL at the end of 8 Jan 2012

I have spent most of my time stitching Marks Pirate for him.  I hope to finish the main picture by Tuesday.  I will carry on stitching this today and then put it away for the Charlie Bear SAL over the weekend.  The plan then will be to stitch more on Conor's Penguin to have a breakfrom the 'brown' of the boarder.  I am half way through the first Penguin.  The second Penguin is slightly smaller.  With luck and sheer stubbornness I hope to have both pieces near enough done by the next weekend!!  Fingers crossed lol (please excuse the quality of some of the photos, my camera is not my friend today)  

Marks Pirate picture as at 11.20am 12 Jan 2012

Conor's Penguin as 12 Jan 2012

I feel quite mean with the pieces I am stitching as the Horse picture for Katie was massive but I am stitching what they have chosen and they haven't complained!!  Link to Katie's Horse photo on blog

I must choose some thing for my wee darling Cara who is nearly 19 months old. I have the idea, like the other Children did, of letting her choose her own kit or chart from my stash but I do have the worry that she will just run off with the lot :-) ... Not such a good plan I don't think!! I will have to think of something nice for her.  My eldest son has been hinting at a Lion kit I brought home last Summer .... now can I squeeze another piece in :-P

Once I have finished the 2 pieces for the younger boys I will carry on with Fairy Grandmother for me and rotate between the HAED Fireside Fairytales and start HAED Universe In A Jar.  Once I have Fairy Grandmother completed I will work through a few of my WIP's or if I fancy a quick simple stitch I will do my WIP's.  So long as I have the boys pieces finished and my goal for both the HAED stitches complete by the end of the year I will be a happy bunny.  My stitching goals for 2012 blog page

Fairy Grandmother as 12 Jan 12

Looking forward to Craft Club again tomorrow morning!  Probably wont get much stitching done whilst there but we have a laugh and over dose on coffee lol

Hope you have enjoyed reading my post and I will catch up with you all very soon.

Happy Stitching and crafting everyone

Love me xxxxx