A Fabulous Finish

I have not blogged in a whole week, which is pretty bad for me. But at least now I have something wonderful to share. Taa-daaah!

Charlie is all finished! I spent so many hours on him during this past week, including a four hour stint to finally finish the backstitch. The french knots turned out easier than expected - I think I'm getting better! I started on Charlie just before I started this blog so it's nice to have him finished. I think I'm going to frame him in a light wood frame, not sure when though! I have started on Snowmen (my first giveaway win kit) but have only done a little bit. I will be continuing with that and maybe put a few more stitches in the biggest project I have on the go at the moment. You'll just have to wait and see to find out what it is :)
I go back to school on Thursday so I'm spending my last couple of summer days getting organised, but also enjoying my hobbies and the relaxing nature of summer. My sister took me out for lunch today and I stocked up on key equipment that I'm going to need once I return to school; pens!
I hope you're all enjoying a lovely weekend,

Happy Dancing for two reasons

My results came through yesterday! I got an A in Drama, B's in History and English Literature, a C in General Studies and I scraped a pass in Biology with a D. I'm really happy with my results, as were my parents. They bought me a card and a box of my favourite praline chocolates to celebrate. It was certainly a relief to know that I won't have to take any retakes in January.
I was stitching to calm my nerves about results, so I managed to finish Nelson!


I haven't secured him to the card that came with the kit yet, I'll do that when I actually use the card. I'm not sure what's next for me. It should be Charlie really, and then I could start on something new. We'll see.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Old and New

I have been taking part in all the normal activities in late summer; starting that homework that was supposed to be finished at the beginning, purchasing stationary for the next school year and meeting up for lunches with almost forgotten friends. But throughout all these tasks I have been cross stitching. I thought I better post a picture of Charlie, since he is a long way off being finished. A progress pic was in order so here it is . . .

I don't know why but I have a habit of choosing designs with fiddly backstitch - like Solo. This design just seems to have a lot of backstitch so I'm just going along when I feel like it. When I tire from the backstitching, I work instead on my new start for summer, Nelson . . .

This was a freebie kit of a recent edition of World of Cross Stitching and it was in my stash. I wanted something quick and easy that I could complete before the end of summer. I have done the main bulk of the white area (sorry, it's hard to see in the picture) and will soon be moving on to the many grey areas.
I'm still eagerly anticipating Thursday, but I'm trying to keep myself busy by re-organising my school folders and getting my study in order. I'm also off to the theatre on Friday with my mum, we're going to see Chicago.
I hope you're all having a great week,

Happy Dancing in the Rain

It's been very chilly and rainy in England at the moment - the perfect weather for stitching! I have managed to finish Keep Calm and I really enjoyed doing so. The picture is not that great because of the dark weather . . .



Now that I have finished this, I really should go back to Charlie. I have been stitching on him ever since I started this blog and he hasn't seen a needle and thread recently. There is an awful lot of back stitching to do on him, but I must knuckle down and get to it.
My results arrive in less then a week, and I will admit I am a little bit nervous. But as my sister said, there's nothing you can do about them now, you'll just have to wait and see. While I'm waiting, it's time for more cross stitching!
Have a lovely weekend,

Lucky Me!

Look what I received in the post today. It's a giveaway prize from the lovely Mel at Epic Stitching. I was lucky enough to win and the package arrived safely this afternoon. I love the kit and the wonderful extras that were sent along too. I got Holiday IX kit, Swarovski Snowman earring set, a pack of Mill Hill beads and a Sampler Threads cotton. This should keep me busy for awhile :)



This was my first ever giveaway win, and it was certainly a good one!
In stitching news, Keep Calm is coming on nicely (I forgot to take the photo :S) but I don't think I can stitch fast enough to win the contest. I've got a day at home tomorrow, so I will hopefully get a progress post up soon.
I hope you are all having a great week,

Lucky Finish

My summer months are always filled with stitching. Especially at the moment, when the sun is still hiding behind the clouds and the temperature is just warm enough. I think these are perfect conditions for stitching at the moment, but I do like stitching in winter a little bit more. There's something really cosy about snuggling into your favourite chair and settling down to stitch. Although, I bet when the weather does turn colder, I'll be wishing for warm sunny temperatures once again!
I have been getting lots done recently, so here is Luck all finished!


This was such a sweet little design that didn't take very long at all to stitch. I also did the French knot first time, definite signs of improvement!
As soon as Luck was done, I threaded up my needle immediately to start on my favourite design from this month's CrossStitcher. How cool is this retro design?

Each month, CrossSticher holds a contest to see who will be the first to make one of their designs featured in the issue. I've never entered before but I think I will with this piece - my needle is zooming through it!
I am continuing with my stitching on this lazy Sunday morning, then I'm meeting up with a friend for ice cream later on today. Let's hope the sun makes an appearance.
Have a lovely week,

Holiday Stitching

Hello again. I forgot to mention in previous blogs that I would be going on a short trip to the New Forest to visit my nan, that's why my blog has been a little quiet recently. We stayed at my Nan's house and visited Bournemouth and Salisbury whilst in that area. I did take Charlie along with me (he is now on the backstitching stages), but I found that I couldn't concentrate on him. Instead, I opted to start on one of the designs I had all the supplies ready for - Luck. This is my progress so far . . .

I really like the bold colours used in this piece and hope to have it finished by the weekend. Charlie has more work to go than I first realised, but he is coming along bit by bit.
Thank you all very much for your views on possible lap frames. I have started researching into them on the Internet, but for now I invested in a huge hoop and will see how I get on with that. I found that my stitching was getting squashed by smaller hoops, so I'm hoping I will like using this giant one better. I bought a couple of pieces in a haberdashery in Salisbury, including another pin cushion and two more skeins of variegated thread to use in red work.

So my summer stitching continues with Luck and Charlie, but I keep finding myself looking forward to brand new projects as soon as I get those two finished. I'll just keep stitching!
Have a wonderful weekend,