A Little Bit of Progress

Just as I'm typing this now, the first little snow flakes are starting to fall. It's been getting colder for days but now the snow has started. I'm sure we won't get it as bad as some of you out there!
This week has been pretty slow for stitching, as I've only had time to work on one project. What with coursework and the upcoming drama performance, stitching is just not on the agenda much, even though I would like it to be :)
So here's where I'm up to on Chilly Paws . . .



This one is certainly stitching up fast and I'm using my first ever Crescent Colour for the main colour of the cat. I think it's a bit bolder than the DMC version, which I like.
Just a quick post from me this week, as I'm off out again soon. Busy busy! I hope you all have a lovely weekend and manage to fit in more stitching than me :)

Chilly Foxes

Hello everyone. How is your January going? I love seeing all the different projects on the Crazy January Challenge, as well as the Up for a Challenge. There are so many designs that I have been investigating because of them, checking to see if I can get some in the UK. My wish list has certainly grown since the challenges started!
I've been doing a fair bit of stitching in the last week or so. The Foxes has grown considerably, my girl now has a head :)



I've only got her hat to stitch using the glitter thread and the backstitching and this piece will be ready to be framed. I'm keeping this one for myself as I have a real love of foxes. What animals do you like to stitch?
I started another new design recently that I bought as stash awhile ago now. It's Chilly Paws by Brittercup Designs, featuring one of their lovely "Britty Kitties". Here's where I'm up to on that . . .

I'm thinking I will turn this into a pin pillow when it's done, if I can get out to our local fabric store some time soon. I don't have very much fabric at all and none of them seem right for this design. I will just have to go hunting for some more :)
I've started babysitting again so I get to use that time for my cross stitching. School is good at the moment too, we have a Drama performance coming up in one month's time but I'm sure my group will be fine. My mum's started making homemade soups recently, a new hobby that I greatly approve of. We had leek and potato today and it sure was yummy!
I might have a peek in my stash later on to see what I might like to stitch once I finish The Foxes. I don't think a finish is too long away now.
I hope you're all having a lovely week,

My Very Own ABC's

This seems to be doing the rounds on a few of my blogs at the moment, and I love how you get to know a little bit about the people who write some of the best blogs. So I thought I'd join in the fun too!

A - Age: Eighteen

B - Bed Size: Just a simple single

C - Chore you hate: Washing up

D - Dogs Name: No dogs but I do have a very fat cat called Tiptoe

E - Essential Start of the Day item: Cereal, mostly Shreddies. I cannot function without some kind of breakfast.

F - Favourite Colour: Green

G - Gold or Silver: Gold, I like collecting little gold necklaces

H - Height: 5ft 7"

I - Instruments you play: I wish!

J - Job: Studying for A-levels and a weekend job in Sainsbury's

K - Kids: Not yet, not for a long time :)

L - Living Arrangements: Still at home right now, but I will hopefully be at Uni by the end of the year

M - Music You Love: The Beatles, the early days

N - Nicknames: My closest friends call me Jam :)

O - Overnight Hospital Stay: None so far *touch wood*

P - Pet Peeve: People who don't say please and thank you.

Q - Quote from a Movie: "We're having too much fun today, we ain't even thinking about tomorrow" - John Dillinger (played by the lovely Johnny Depp) in Public Enemies

R - Right handed or Left: Left handed

S - Siblings: Just one older sister

T - Time you wake up: 7:07am

U - Underwear: Never without it :)

V - Vegetables you dislike: None really, I don't like certain fruits like pineapple or coconut

W - Workout Style: Shopping LOL

X - X-Rays You've had: Knees (I had growing pains when I was younger)

Y - Yummy Food you make: I make a pretty good spaghetti bolognese :)

Z - The best place to Visit - My nan's cottage in the New Forest

There we go, I hope you feel like you know me a little better :) I'm off to do some stitching now, I'm itching to do a new project - stay tuned!

Snowmen in January

Hi everyone!
I'm afraid there's not been much stitching happening in my house recently. I just haven't had any spare time since going back to school, it's all about coursework recently. That should calm down in the next week or so.
Although, I have a few spare moments to stitch up this little cutie. This is my January ornament, my first piece for my ornament a month challenge. I had a scrap of fabric and will hopefully be turning him into a pincushion the next sewing machine chance I get.

Prairie Schooler freebie
Stitched on 28ct mushroom
Unknown threads used
Hopefully this evening I will be able to set myself up with a DVD and The Foxes and stitch away undisturbed. That's the plan anyways :) Where do you do most of your stitching?
I hope you all have a lovely week,

PS I've just seen I've hit thirty followers! I must thank each and everyone of you for following my little blog, it means a lot to me :)

Hello 2011

Hello all! I've been very preoccupied recently with family gatherings and dinners out with friends to celebrate the turning of the year. I had a very relaxing New Years Eve with my boyfriend and a few friends. It was perfect :) Now I'm ready for 2o11. I always like making resolutions at the start of the year, and even if I don't manage to stick to them, it's still nice to have them. My personal resolutions for this year are :
1) Work hard for good grades for Uni.
2) Have more picnics
3) Take more film when on outings.

And onto the more stitching related ones, this year I'd like to:
1) Complete an LHN design (I keep seeing them on fellow blogs and I really want to do one myself)
2) Host a giveaway
3) Take part in a small exchange (my sewing knowledge is too small to take part in a challenging exchange, yet)
4) Work on my fairies design (I really can't let it hide away for another year lol)
5) Stitch something for a RAK
6) Complete the ornament a month challenge (I would love to have more cross stitched pieces to display when next Christmas rolls round)
These are things that I would like to do throughout the year and I will celebrate my first bloganniversary this year. If that's not reason for a giveaway I don't know what is!

I'm very late in counting up my finishes for this year, but I've only got 11. That's pretty good for me, even though I know fellow bloggers can do five times that amount lol. My biggest design finish of the year was Charlie's Ark which is the piece I first started blogging about. I'm hoping to do many more finishes this year, in lots more finishing styles.

In other news, I did a fair bit of stitching over the Christmas holiday and this is where I'm up to on The Foxes. The girl is just starting to grow and the foxes are all finished, apart from the backstitching. I'm going to keep this design for me and frame it; it's already got a place on my wall waiting for it :)


I got a fair bit of Christmas money and I was thinking of purchasing my own sewing machine. I'm sewing more pillows than ever before, but I rarely get to use the Singer sewing machine we have now because it's very precious to my mum. I was thinking of getting a small but reliable machine of my own so I could get it out whenever I wanted rather than wait for my mum to get out the Singer. What do you think? And do you have any suggestions for good sewing machines? Any advice would really be appreciated :)

We're back at school now and I'm lucky not to have any January module exams this year. There's no let up on the coursework though, and the next Drama performance is in a couple of months. No worries though, I've still got plenty of time for stitching :)
Hope you're all having a great week,