The Good Old Days

Just flying in to share my latest progress pic of my Blackbird Designs sampler. I think I forgot to mention in my last post that I'm stitching this one over one :) It's tiny, but only one colour so I'm still enjoying myself. Here it is so far . . .

When I first started cross stitching, I would often spend most of a free day stitching. I would put on a couple of films and sit and stitch for hours on end. I don't get to do that much anymore, because there always seems to be "more important" things that require my attention. I should really carve some time out for my hobby, because it definitely puts me at ease. My workload is getting more intense as the festive season approaches. Unfortunately, I have to attend a funeral alongside Lawrence next week. He lost his grandfather recently, and the two of them were very close. I'm going to support him and the rest of the family.

With all the drama that's been happening recently, as well as the build up to Christmas, I think I just might deserve an evening of stitching in front of a film. It's my favourite way to spend me-time.

Thank you for being patient with my lack of posts. I hope to be back in the swing of things soon.

 

Bekca

xxx

Stitch From Stash Update: October

Hello friends. I'm back in the library to bring you my latest report. Stitching was slow at the start of the month, what with the craziness of moving in and settling down into my new flat. But my mojo has returned, boosted by a lovely gift all the way from Canada.

Yes, I was lucky enough to win a SFS prize last month! I couldn't believe it! I was sent four gorgeous charts by Blackbird designs. I couldn't wait to get started on one. I'm stitching this with Dark Chocolate thread on pink fabric. It's dreamy.

 

So, onto the report!

 

New starts:

 

 

WIPs:

 

I'm up to the backstitching on Mouse, but I didn't manage to take a pic before rushing out. I really want to get this one finished, it's taken me far too long.

 

That's all I've got from this month's SFS. I'm so glad Mel will be running a similar event next year. I've enjoyed every month :)

Best wishes

 

Bekca

 

 

My Home

Thank you all for your kind comments on my last post. I certainly do feel like there is a bright future ahead, even if this particular chapter has come to a close. I'm enjoying living in my own place and working to maintain it. I truly do love making my flat into a cosy, warm place that I love to be in. I knew I had to put my own stamp on the place, and what better way with cushions!

I bought reasonable inserts from the massive Fabric Land in town. Making your own is certainly cheaper than buying anything from the high street. And you can make them unique too :) So, after making my fabric choices . . .

. . . and measuring, cutting, pinning and tacking the pieces . . .

. . . I began my wrestling match with the sewing machine. Now the thing is, I love my sewing machine, it was such a good buy. But it's sort of a love-hate relationship - I have a short temper when it comes to sewing. I will sit patiently and stitching for hours at a time, but sewing? I want it over and done with as soon as possible :P Still, they didn't turn out too badly. This is my new little living area . . .

I made the two base cushions and the brown/orange one on the left. I love the mismatched style and they're very cosy :)

The wicker sofa isn't particularly comfortable but the addition of cushions and a throw has improved it greatly :)

Next up, SFS update and a new project.

Best wishes to you all,

Bekca

The Big Day

I have been blogging for many years, and not just about craft and cross stitching. Many of you who have been reading my blog for any length of time will know about my GCSE grades, all of hard work that went into my A Levels and that wonderful day that I found out I was going to study at The University of Winchester. I am so proud to share with you all that I am officially a graduate!!!!!!!

 

The ceremony was perfect. My parents and Lawrence got great seats to watch the happenings of the day. I got to sit next to my best friend during the ceremony and the rain held off when we went outside for photos :)

 

I had a new dress for the occasion, but decided on flat shoes. I couldn't risk stumbling when I went onto the stage to collect my certificate!

 

My degree is now proudly displayed on the wall in my new flat.

I do feel sad that this area of my life is finished. I spent three wonderful years growing up in Winchester, both as a writer, and as a person. I know some of the people I met are friends for life and I will always cherish the fond memories I have from University.

 

Onto the next bit!

 

Bekca

 

PS I've been busy with my sewing machine decorating my flat. Pics and a post very soon!

House Tour

Hello friends. After a very busy weekend, I am all moved in to my new flat. Hurrah! I can't wait to get it set up properly so the stitching party can begin :) It's so nice to finally have all of my belongings in one place. And there's quite a lot of stuff . . .

 

Okay, so there's a MASSIVE amount of stuff! But on my next day off, I'm determined to find a place for everything and it will all be neat and organised (she says!)

 

This is my favourite part of the flat. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to have a kitchen all to myself! I know I'll be whipping up some treats in there in no time :)

 

 

I'm on the top floor and this is the tiny staircase that leads to my flat. It wasn't easy getting a double bed up these stairs, I can tell you, but Lawrence and my dad managed it - thanks guys!

 

I hope to have some actual stitching to report by the weekend. It's a busy time at the moment, what with moving, work and my graduation ceremony taking place next week. I'm planning on taking loads of pictures so I'll be sure to share a few :)

Best wishes,

Bekca

 

PS For Carol, I'm currently typing this at my local library, where I can use their internet for free. It's such a wonderful place :) Go libraries!!

Stitch From Stash Update: September

Just sneaking in on the very last day of September with my report for this month. It's not looking healthy I'm afraid. I haven't blown the budget, I haven't spent anything this month, but I haven't been able to stitch much either. 

The flat is a more difficult process than I imagined and it has been taking up a lot of my time. I've been working long shifts too and I haven't had the energy to pick up my needle. I'm hoping that I'll be all moved in by the weekend, so I can sort through my stuff and get some new project under way. 

I did manage a little stitching during my weekend in Glastonbury so I do have something to share.

Current WIPs:

My little mouse is all finished, just awaiting his backstitching. I'm on the final few rows of the pudding, and I've also got to stitch the plate it's on. But a finish is in sight! 

That's all from me for now. I hope to be back soon with more stitching and a tour of my new home :)

Best wishes,

 

Lisbon 2014

I'm back! Hello friends, I hope your needles have been busy since I've been away. I got back from holiday a couple of weeks ago, but it's been a whirlwind time since then. I've visited my parents in Glastonbury, celebrated my 22nd birthday and found the most adorable flat in all of Southampton. I move in next week and I'm so excited! Currently, all my stuff is sharing space with all of Lawrence's stuff and it's not easy, but at least it's only short term. No stitching update today, I'll be posting my SFS report tomorrow. But I thought I would share a few snaps from our wonderful holiday to Lisbon.

Lisbon is such a beautiful city. There was more graffiti than I was expecting, but I always felt safe with Lawrence by my side. We rented a studio apartment for the week which was modern, clean and ideal for us. 

We did lots of sightseeing, but also took the time for relaxing and long evening meals, talking and drinking and just enjoying being in each other's company :)

We couldn't work out how to buy tickets to ride the trams, but they did add to the atmosphere of the city.

Lawrence outside the Belem Tower.

Me!

A typical dinner in Lisbon. We ate lots of good fish and meat, accompanied by fresh vegetables and more than one glass of wine :P This was great for me as you know I don't eat bread or other gluten containing foods. We ate very well all week for reasonable prices. 

I hope you don't mind indulging me in a few holiday pictures. I'm off to work again this afternoon, so I'll post my stitching update when I've got a bit more time. Hope you're all well, best wishes.

Off on an Aeroplane

Hello friends. This week has been very trying. I've had stomach problems since the start of the week, which resulted in me having to take a day off work yesterday to recover. I never have days off and I felt a little bad taking it right before my holiday, but there was nothing else I could do. It was more important to me to get better and enjoy my holiday than struggle through a long shift and feel terrible on the plane. I'm glad to report I'm on the mend now, although still a bit weak from lack of food. But the most important thing is that I feel well enough to travel :)

I have a few stitching things to share before I jet off. First up is Christmas Pudding. Yes, I'm still working on this little guy. I moved onto the mouse for a change of colours and I'll tackle the rest of the pudding at a later date.

It looks like a magical, floating pudding at the moment, I need to add the cake stand too. I'm determined to get this one finished, I do like it enough to keep stitching on it.

Since I got my stash back, I haven't really had the time for a good rummage through, what with work and being poorly. But I did pull out the necessary threads to get this one finished. It's Barnyard by Bent Creek.

I don't know what I'll finish this one up as, I'd like to get a bit more creative with my finishes, now that I have all my kit back.

So that's it from me and I'm officially signing off for a week for my holiday. I'm sure I'll have some snaps to share when I return :) Best wishes to all,

 

Lookey Look!

Woohoo! It's here, it's arrived! I am at last reunited with my stash and as you can probably tell, I'm giddy with excitement :D

I can't wait to go stash diving and find new projects. But I've also got my sewing machine and fabric box back, so I'm keen to finish finish some older projects too. I will hopefully have much more to share in September compared to August :)

As much as I would like to play with my sewing stuff all day, I'm working all weekend. Mustn't grumble though, as I've only got a few shifts left before my holiday next weekend. Lawrence and I are jetting off to spend a much needed week of relaxation in Lisbon. We've both been saving for a long time for this holiday and we're both so looking forward to it.

Hopefully I'll be back for a bit of show and tell soon. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. Best wishes,

Stitch from Stash Update: August

Hello friends! As we know, it's been a slow stitching month for me. I've been finding more joy in books rather than needle and thread recently, which is fine, but I am truly missing getting stuck into a good project. I haven't spent any money this month, even though we were given a bonus to use. However, I can see an order to Sew and So in the near future, I need some new starts! 

So onto the stitching. I suppose both of these count as WIPs, even though I've stitched as much as I can on Barnyard. My main stitching supplies (including my sewing machine) arrive on Friday and I cannot wait to go stash diving :)

Current projects:

Here's where I'm up to on Barnyard. Silly me for not packing white thread! Of all the colours to forget, honestly :P I'm missing the filling in on the barn, and the tree is missing its trunk, but I'm sure I will get it finished by next month.

And I have done a little bit more on Christmas Pudding since my last update too. I love it enough to want to finish it, but I'm only working on it on my days off when I have the patience for it :) I will be delighted when the actual pudding is finished and I can move on to the cute mouse.

That's all from me today. I'm currently looking for a more permanent place to live in Southampton. I'm currently living in a shared house but I'm branching out and looking for my own one-bed place. It's very exciting! My job is going well too, I'm still enjoying the work, it changes on a day-to-day basis. Still, there's nothing like a day off is there :)

 Best wishes to all.

 

A Well-Timed Gift

Hello everyone, thank you all for the lovely comments on my last post. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has grown disheartened with a project. I'm sure it will get finished eventually, I'm just not feeling it at the moment.

One thing that did raise my stitchy spirits was this gorgeous parcel from Jacquie, from My Journey. I've only recently started following her lovely blog and was overjoyed to win her giveaway! Look at the goodies that she kindly sent :)

All of the gifts were beautifully wrapped in pretty pink paper. 

How lovely are those gift tags? I can't wait to get the rest of my stitching stuff back so I can make use of the trims. I'm also the proud owner of a Smiles pin cushion :)

Jacquie also included some Madeira threads and some aida squares, so I can get stitching on some card designs straight away.

Jacquie, I can't thank you enough for this wonderful parcel. Just as I thought my stitching mojo had been left behind in Winchester, you reminded me how much I love stitching and craft. Thank you! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week, best wishes.

 

Stormy Weather Equals Stitching Time

Hello friends, I hope you're all keeping warm and dry. These storms are awful aren't they? I've managed to dodge the worst bits, but I did have to walk to work in the rain at the weekend, not fun. 

I didn't have a lot to share with you when I first thought about writing a post. I will admit, I have fallen out of love with this little Christmas design. I still think it's cute, but the scattered stitches of similar colours are driving me mad. I will get it finished eventually, but it wasn't helping me to relax after a long day at work. Here's an update to share anyways . . .

I became so disenchanted with this piece, that I decided to move on to a different design. This is my new start, Barnyard by Bent Creek, a gift from Elisa a while back. It's a simple design, I pulled out my own thread choices from my Anchor box and got stuck in. I must say, I'm truly enjoying stitching this one, it's coming together quite quickly.

I think another reason I lost my stitching mojo for a bit was because I didn't have all of my stitching essentials with me. I went to grab my scissors to cut some fabric for Barnyard, before realising I didn't pack them! But this won't be the case for much longer. My parents are visiting at the end of the month and offered to bring some of my stuff down with them. This will make it easier for when I eventually move out into a more permanent residence. I am going to send them a list, and my stitching chest and sewing machine are going to be high up on that list! I'm missing my machine more than I thought I would, it's such a handy thing to have around. Hopefully we won't be apart for much longer :)

I hope you've all had a wonderful start to the week, despite the changeable weather :)

Best wishes,

Stitch From Stash Update: July

July has been a real whirlwind month for me. I moved out of the city I had lived in for three years, made a new city my home, started my new job and started committing myself to finally finishing a novel. And between all that, I've always made time for my stitching :) It's time for another update and this month, I actually spent money!

Total spends: 

99p for a DMC thread needed to complete Miss Peepers.

Finished projects:

I've had lots of lovely comments on Miss Peepers already, thank you all so much for your kindness. Here she is again, she was my only finish for this month.

New starts:

I started a Christmas in July themed stitch and I'm making good progress. It's a bit slow going because the various shades of similar colours means I have to concentrate, and sometimes I don't feel like doing that after a seven-hour shift! But I am enjoying the piece, I think it will be a sweet finish when it's done. (sorry about the creases)

So that's my update for this month. I think I've got plenty to keep me busy over the next couple of months, but I'll feel much more at ease when I can have all my stitching stuff back with me :)

I hope you're all enjoying a lovely weekend. I'm posting early this morning because I'm off shopping with my sister today. It's been awhile since I've seen her and I can't wait to catch up :) Have a lovely day! 

Christmas in July

It's nice to be thinking of cooler climes during this spell of hot weather. I'm not too bad in the heat, but it would be much better if I was lounging under a shaded tree, rather than at work :P It's been a long week so I'm grateful for my day off today. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a few more stitches in today. Here is where I'm up to with my latest WIP . . .

I'm making steady progress, but I do have to concentrate. There's five different types of green thread, so I have to keep my eye on the ball :)

Hope you're all enjoying a lovely weekend, best wishes.

 

Jeepers!

I've finished Miss Peepers! I'm still so in love with this gorgeous little design. I used my own thread choices alongside some of the recommended DMC threads and I'm really happy with the result. I can see me stitching up another one of these beauties by the time summer is up :) Here she is!

It's funny. When I was a little girl, I couldn't stand pink. Pink annoyed me. Nowadays, pink and green is my favourite colour combination! It's funny how our tastes change as we grow up :)

I have a new start to share too. I'm embracing Christmas in July and started this darling little kit gifted to me from Cath over at The Stitchin' Chicken. It's mostly block colours with a few bits of backstitching, a lovely project to enjoy after a long day at work.

Back to work for me tomorrow, but I've got friends visiting for dinner tomorrow evening which I'm very much looking forward to :) I hope you all have a lovely week.

Best wishes,