A glimmer of Spring

I'm sitting in my living room to type this post and the sunlight is streaming in through the bay window. I have a beautiful bouquet in a duck egg-coloured vase that was gifted to me by a lovely friend. It could almost be Spring, if only it was't so cold outside! Still, that means plenty of time inside and stitching :)

I finally picked up my Christmas sampler for the first time in awhile. I only managed to add a couple of motifs, but I'm glad I spent some time on it. I think I'm just going to pick it up as and when I feel like throughout the year and definitely get it finished by November. There's not really much to do, but I can't find the perfect colour for the house in the centre of the design. I think I need to go to a craft store and take it with me and see if I can find a colour I love. Here it is at the moment:

The designer of this piece, Faye from Little Dove Designs, has just done another sampler in the latest issue of CrossStitcher - Spring Sampler. It's the first in a four part series and I love the look of them. I don't know whether to wait and collect all four designs, or kit it up right away. What would you do?

Speaking of CrossStitcher, they had a fab cover kit on this issue. It was a wooden pendant where you could select one of three designs to stitch on it. I normally tuck my cover kits away for another time, but I couldn't resist starting this one straight away and I finished it in one evening! I'm not sure what I would actually wear it with, but I do love the look of it.

It's been a good week for stitching, because I even had time to put some stitches in on Highland Walkies too. I love the colours in this piece, they're so cheerful. I think I'm going to pull this one out right after this post and spend the rest of Sunday working on it :)

I only have three more days working with District Nurses, then I'll be off on a long weekend to Southampton to visit friends, which I'm so looking forward to. It will be the perfect way to relax before starting my new job. 

I hope you're all enjoying a lovely weekend, and thank you so much for your kind comments on my last post. It's so important we look after ourselves, especially when times are tough.

Best wishes,

Bekca

xxx

All change for February

Hello my friends, I hope this post finds you well. I've been having a busy time of late, as always! We've merged two district nursing teams as part of a cost cutting exercise, but sadly, the result has been that many staff have left. That means more work divided by less people and it's been a bit of a strain to say the least. However, I'm coming to the end of my contract with the District Nurses, so I only have to do my best for the next two weeks. I have another job lined up to start in March, I'm going to be a placement administrator for a foster care company. It looks like a difficult, challenging job, but I'm ready for it. It looks like it could be truly rewarding too.

When life gets a bit much, I always like to concentrate on looking after myself. That way, I can fire on all cylinders and get as much done as I can. For me, that involves sleeping plenty, eating right and always making time for cross stitching. I've made some good progress on Highland Walkies. It's a lot of block stitching, which makes it a good project for the evenings. Lawrie bought me a clip on lamp for Christmas too, so I use that a lot for good sight. Here's where I'm up to on my latest project:

I'm only working on one piece at the moment, which is unusual for me, I normally have at least two on the go! My Christmas chart hasn't seen the light of day since January, I still can't decide if I want to power through and finish it, or wait until November when I start to feel the festive spirit again. What would you do? 

I hope you've had a marvellous weekend and you should never feel bad about taking a little time out for yourself :)

Best wishes,

Bekca

xxx

A Fresh New Year

Hello friends and Happy New Year to you all! Thank you for being so patient with me during my little break from blogging over the holiday season. 

I'm glad to report that my surgery was successful. The surgeon found endometriosis, but it was mild and they were able to remove it through key hole surgery. I have three little scars that I'm sure will be almost invisible in the not too distant future. I got to come home the same day as the operation, which I was really grateful for, it's much more comfortable being in your own bed. I was very slow and a bit weak in the days following, but my recovery has gone well, and I went back to work at the beginning of January. During my recovery time, I got to do plenty of stitching, which was a wonderful distraction to my swollen tummy. 

I've been really enjoying editing the magazine projects to suit my own tastes. I've been working on two pieces lately, one wintery and one Christmas themed. The first one is adapted from card designs by Durene Jones in Issue 326 of CrossStitcher. I liked the modern designs, but not the orange pallette, so I whipped out my thread boxes and started making my own combinations! This one just needs a little more backstitching and it will be complete. Do you think it's too big to be an ornament? The characters remind me of us, so it would be nice to have it up on the tree.

My other project is definitely too big for an ornament! This is Christmas is Coming from Little Dove Designs that was in Issue 324 of CrossStitcher. This was my big project I was working on during recovery, as it was an easy stitch on 14ct ice blue aida and block colours, with very little backstitching. I'm choosing my own colours again for this one, which has meant I could add little bits of metallic here and there for extra Christmas glitz. I've still got quite a few components left to add to this piece, and then I've got to make my mind up about adding the border or not.

I was lucky enough to receive a Sew and So voucher for Christmas and I stocked up on some lovely stash, I'll have to post the picture next time. I got a couple of kits too, one of which I think will be my next project. It will be a lovely introduction to Spring :)

I hope you've all had a wonderful start to the year and had plenty of stitching time this weekend. 

Best wishes,

Bekca

xxx

Stitching through the Winter

Hi all, I hope this post finds you well. I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying my stitching lately. Even when I'm not putting needle to thread, I'm reading magazines or browsing blogs or eyeing up my next stitchy purchase. It's lovely to be fully immersed in a hobby once more. 

I've got another card finish to share. This one is a birthday card for my grandmother, who doesn't own a computer, so no risk of her seeing it before the big day! I used a design from an old magazine from my stores, then picked the colours as I went along from my box of leftovers. I'm glad I'm not the only one who keeps leftover threads - they're so handy for small projects like this. 

I finished Love Cats fairly quickly. It was all block colour then a bit of back stitching so it was a nice quick one. I'm thinking of adding her wedding date and gifting this to my sister. Just got to find the perfect frame first!

And I have a new start to share. I don't think this one will take me too long at all. It's Time for Tea by Country Cottage Needlework and I've subbed a couple of the threads for ones I already had. I'm definitely a budget stitcher! 

That's it from me this time. Only two weeks to go until surgery, then there will be no stopping my needle :) I've started kitting up a few things so it will be nice and easy for me to pick things up during my respite time. And then it will be Christmas! I've sent some SewAndSo links to Lawrence so hopefully Stitchy Santa will leave something for me under the tree!! 

Best wishes,

Bekca

xxx

November already!

Goodness me! Where does the time go? I've been meaning to take stitchy progress photos for the last couple of weeks and never quite getting round to it until today. As always, there has been a fair amount going on.

I didn't take to my new job well at all. The office was slow, poorly managed and the work was not as rewarding as I hoped. I was going into work each day feeling useless and out of place and it was really starting to get me down. Luckily, I was able to organise a transfer back to my District Nurses team, so I can safely return to my old job on Monday! I'm so pleased I've managed to erase my mistake by stepping back into my old role. It's only a temporary solution, but I'm far happier already.

Still no surgery date, so it's the same old story with my endo flare ups, my good days and my bad days. I now have two water bottles - one for home and one for work, both are extremely necessary! 

I haven't been the best with blogging, but I have been getting my stitches in. I was very kindly gifted with a subscription to CrossStitcher magazine for my birthday and as soon as the first one arrived through the door, I got started on the free kit. I've just got to add the french knot eyes to Scandi Santa and then onto the finishing.

I think it's a neat little decoration idea. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to keep him for my tree or give him another home. I guess it depends on how neat my finishing is!!

I've also been working on my two WIPs, which are coming along nicely. I think I will get Sewing Machine finished this month, as soon as I get my hands on the last thread I need. I thought I ordered everything I needed to complete it, but I seem to be one thread colour missing. A quick trip to my LNS will soon sort that out. So here is Sewing Machine . . .

And here is Cook's Measurements . . .

The next CrossStitcher mag is due in the next week or so, so I'll have another cute kit to work on, I'm sure. I don't think I'll be doing much festive stitching this year, maybe a card or two. I better get cracking!

Best wishes,

Bekca

xxx

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,

 

A Different Kind of New Start

Hello all! I started my new job at the start of the week, I'm working at ALDI in Southampton. I was very pleased to get this particular job as its in an ideal location within walking distance from my house. I've done two shifts and today is my first day off. 

I like the freedom my new job gives me as I have two days off a week, as well as some afternoons. This is great for stitching time! Miss Peepers is coming along a treat. I was pleased to hear that I had been a bad influence on Justine from Justine's Cross Stitch, who has recently purchased this chart to stitch for herself. I can't wait to see your version Justine!

Here's where I'm up to with mine . . .

Not too much more to go actually, I think I may be able to finish it within the next couple of days. And then I'm going to have to get creative with what I stitch next. As most of you know, I packed up a lot of my stitching stuff when I moved to go into storage. I have a few supplies with me, but I also remember the vast collection of charts I have saved on my computer. I may not have a printer, but I know the library offers printing services. Oh, the lengths I will go to for cross stitching! :P

Hope you're all having a great week, best wishes. 

Stitch From Stash Update: May

Wow, I can't believe it's been two weeks since I last posted. The past fortnight has flown by. I've been out celebrating my finished degree by eating meals out with friends, going on day trips with Lawrence and attending lots of parties! I've had such so much fun, but now it's time to re-focus and get my head in order. Now the real adventure begins :)

Today I'm here for another SFS update. I haven't needed to spend any money again this month. Only one project has got my full attention at the moment, and at the rate its going, I don't think it will take me long to finish it. Here's where I'm at with White Magic . . .

I hope to catch up on my blog reading in the next few days, I can't wait to see what everyone has been working on. I'm sorry for my lack of consistency, it appears I've lost a couple of followers due to lack of updates. I'm afraid I can't make promises, I just post when I can and when I have something worth sharing :)

Best wishes to all,

 

The End is Nigh

Hello friends! I left it longer than I meant to from my last post. But I'm here now for a jolly good catch up :)

I have now handed in my final assignments for University. So technically, I'm all done, although I won't officially finish until the end of term in June. It's a weird sensation to have finished with University. Of course I will be sad to leave, but I'm so looking forward to the next chapter. I'm currently applying for jobs in this area and flat-hunting as well. I'm also spending these last few weeks socialising a lot and making sure I spend as much time as possible with my Uni friends. 

I'd like to thank you all for your kind comments and emails regarding my life at Uni. You're all so generous thinking of me and wishing me well. I've been blogging for so long, I remember telling you all about results day and getting into Winchester in the first place! Thank you so much for sharing this journey with me, your encouragement means a lot :)

As a treat to myself for finishing all of my assignments, I bought an official Winchester hoody to commemorate my time here. It's really cosy!

Time for a stitching update! The only thing I've been working on recently is White Magic. I can't seem to put it down :) I have got a bit more time on my hands now to work on other projects too, but I'll just share a pic of my lovely wolves today . . .

I'm onto the third section, with only one quarter to go after that. And then it will be time to tackle all the backstitching! I think this piece will look great when it's all finished up :) You know I'll have framed pieces all over my new flat when I settle in. Hopefully, that won't be too far off in the future :)

Best wishes to all,

 

Stitch From Stash Update: January

Here I am with my first Stitch From Stash update! It's been a very busy month for me, but I always find time to pick up my needle. I find it so relaxing after a hard day of study. 

Money spent: £0 - not a penny! I'm saving up for when I truly need some new things.

Finished WIPs:

So pleased to have finally finished the Pokemon Project completely! These three are displayed in Lawrie's room at University. He says he's very proud to own something I've made specially for him. He is a sweetie, isn't he?

I finished up this sunflower bear this month too. It was a nice and gentle stitch. I'm hoping to finish it up soon so that I can gift it to my grandmother.

I finished this little Halloween ornament too this month. I have two more of these kits in my stash. I've got this idea of Halloween themed bunting in my head, using these designs. Let's see if I can pull it off!

New starts:

This All Our Yesterday's design has progressed a lot since this picture, but I haven't had a chance to update it. I think this will definitely be a finish for February. 

I've started a couple of card designs this month too. Using scraps of fabric and leftover threads from kits, these two will be finished in no time. 

There we are, my first post for the month. I'm determined to post every month, fingers crossed I can!

Best wishes,

 

A Good Start

Hello my friends! I hope you've all had a fabulous start to the New Year. I know the weather is not making it easier for any of us. I've never known rain to be so continuous. Still, it's the perfect excuse to stay inside and stitch :) My only stitching-related New Year goal is to keep up with the Stitch From Stash posts. I'd like to get my post in for every month, and stay within budget of course :) I'm doing well so far, not a penny has been spent. 

I have my first finish of 2014 to share! Hurrah! I started this little guy in December. He sure helped get me through the last few days of last semester. I think he's got a very sweet face :) 

I'm hoping to make him up into a large scale ornament and send him to live with my grandmother :) We'll see how long it takes me to do just that :P

And I have my second finish of 2014 to share! Hurrah hurrah! This was a cute kit I had in my stash. I decided to leave off parts of it, including the backstitching. It's just how I wanted it to be :)  

It needs to be fixed on the hanger you can see in the picture. Then it will be all ready for Hallowe'en :) I have a couple more of these kits in my stash, so I'm sure they'll be making an appearance soon.

And finally, I have my latest start to share. Cath really did spoil me with a birthday parcel full of lovely kits. I've pulled out another one to help me think of summer days when the wind is howling outside. I really love All Our Yesterdays designs, long time readers will remember this is not my first pattern from this range. You can see other designs I have stitched here.

I think this piece will keep me out of trouble for awhile :)

This week is all about getting ready for my final semester. I can't believe I'll be all finished with Uni by the summer. But I'm trying not to think about that just now. I'm just going to take things one day at a time :)

I hope you are cosy and warm wherever you are!

 

The Final Stretch

Hi all! I thought it was high time I shared some stitching on this here stitching blog! I have been working on my BAP Farmhouse design for most of the summer. When I posted my last picture before my long break, it looked liked this:

 

 

But I have been able to work on it a lot more since then, and it now looks like this!

 

There are only two more animal sections to complete once I have finished the cows. But alas, these last two bits are fraught with difficulty. You see, I was very young when I first bought this pattern and attempted it for the first time. Twelve-year-old me, very ignorantly, has scribbled over the only copy of the pattern in black biro! Oh the horror!

But all is not lost. You can still make out the symbols of the pattern if you look closely. It's going to take a lot of concentration, but I'm determined to finish this piece this year. I never thought I would even come close to finishing a design this big, but now I really am on the home stretch :)

 

I start back at Uni on Monday, which also happens to be my 21st birthday :) I celebrated with my friends yesterday with a tea party, I'll be sure to post about that soon.

Best wishes,

Summer WIPs

Good morning everyone! It's a grey day in Winchester today, hence the slightly dark photos. But I think you can still get a good sense of where I'm up to with my latest projects :) I thought I would do a round up of the four pieces I'm working on at the moment. I hope to get them all finished finished by September.

Starting of with the biggest one of the lot, Farmhouse. This was my first cross stitch kit I bought, aged 12. This is my second attempt at stitching it, because as I naive cross stitcher, I went wrong at every turn! Now that I've got a few years of experience behind me, this piece is coming along a treat. It's very large and I'm hoping to get it professionally framed, not like my handmade ones the other day - thank you for all of your lovely comments on those by the way!

Next up is an Anchor Humphrey's Corner design, Lottie. This was an inherited project from my sister, but she has only colour ordered the threads and stitched two rows of crosses. I'm quite far along with this one, the crosses are nearly all complete. However, there is a lot of tricky backstitching on this design, so it's one to do during the day when I can actually concentrate on it!

My third project is another Anchor design, this time Solo the Cat door hanger. I've completed another Solo project before now (in fact, it's still on my to-be-finished pile) and the similar thread colours require a bit of focus. This one also has a lot of backstitching, but I know it will be worth it.

My last project at the moment is this darling hippo. The design was from one of the cross stitching magazines and another inherited project. My sister had completed most of the bottom half, went wrong somewhere and put it down. It's Super Sister to the rescue to finish this cute design! This one is very simple, so I should have it finished up within a couple of evenings.

So that's everything I'm working on at the moment. I really want to get on and finish them all as soon as possible. There are already other projects in my stash calling out to me, including my UFO :S I'll have to get a picture of that another time. As soon as these current projects are done, I want to get work on Christmas things. I want a truly handmade Christmas this year, cards, decorations, cushions, framed designs, everything festive, everything made by me :)

One more picture to share. Thanks to some student ingenuity (read: a drawing pin and a metal paperweight!), I was able to mount Mississippi Riverboat on my wall. I now have two designs decorating my once bare walls and they keep making me smile. I know there's space for more! 

I hope everyone has had a great start to the week. I've got a couple of days off from work now, so Lawrie is coming for a visit and we're off to a party tomorrow night :) Best wishes to all,