Home Exchange received

I was all set to post on Exchange Heaven to warn my partner for the home exchange that I was off on holiday to day and so wouldn't be home to let them know if it arrived or not.

That became unneccessary this morning when the postman brought this from Elisa

Isn't it gorgeous and so very true a saying.

I'm taking the one I'm stitching away with me to do and will make it up the day after I get back

Mel has stripes

I got her to pose for some pics

This badge is the one she passed SCIC for

and then got promoted for this one

The purple one is the BTEC award she got earlier this year and the other is for sharp shooting (she also made it on to the shooting team at one time)

And her 3 star badge that's hiding in the other pics

We are off to Devon tomorrow for a few days holiday before Fibrefest next weekend so don't worry if I don't post until I get back (I will have internet access but it will be limited and slow)

Woo Hoo they are done

To say that I'm happy to have them done is an understatement!

Sunflowers

Jan Kooislta

Lanarte kit

Jo you asked what I planned on replacing them with well I plan on going back to my normal work on whatever WIP grabs me and have spent this evening on ABC lessons

More Sunflowers & proud Mum moment

Not a huge amount of progress to show this week, I didn't even finish the other leaf at the top but that's because I went and spent a few days with a very dear friend at the end of last week and refused to take them with me.

I did start Mel's birthday present and made some good progress on it but as she reads my blog your going to have to wait until mid October for a pic.

I've already finished the leaf off and started on the remaining yellow so next time you see it it will be for a Happy Dance as I'm determined to finish before I go to Devon at the weekend

Now the proud Mum bit :)

Mel rang me earlier to say that she was signed off for the day and that she had passed her SCIC (Senior Cadet Instructor Course) at camp not only that but she may well be a Sargent by the time she gets home on Thursday

Sunflowers again

So last week's effort was the leaf on the right.

I've made a good start on the left hand left that goes with that one and then there's just the bloom to finish.

I was hoping I'd get it finished this week with Mel being away at camp but I'm not going to spend a few days visiting a friend at the end of the week and although I will take stitching with me I refuse to take this.

So unless a small miracle happens in the next couple of days it's going to be early next week (busy couple of days first but I should get that leaf done before I go)

Thanks for all the comments on my new bead stash yesterday and to answer a couple of them....

Dieflyn ~ I'd forgotten just how close Haydock is to me, a mere 4 juctions up the M6 and less than 1/2 hr.

Karan ~ I doubled my delica collection with that little lot but that's a mere drop in the ocean to the amount of seed beads I have

Beads galore

I've been to a bead fair at Haydock race course today and spent way to much but at least now I'm all set to do all the Christmas decorations/ornaments/presents that I want to get done this year. And I can now finish the beaded needlecase I started at a weekly class I used to go right before they stopped so we never found out how to finish them off (plus the book has some really cool patterns in)

I love these charms and I'm thinking they would work on the back of exchanges & Christmas ornaments
Pretty colours
More pretty colours

And lastly this weeks update on Mary Busby.

I did have the flower pot that goes with bloom done but I've discovered that the part done yellow motif, C and the blue have all got to come out as they are one stitch too far over to the left and it will be too much of a headache to try and fudge it for the remaining 2/3rds of the sampler.

I am not amused

July Progress & August Goals

For July I said
Finish the Sunflowers I have a leaf to do, a bloom to finish and the odd bits round the edges
Finish off Magic in Motion Never touched it
Work on a WIP Mary Busby got worked on every Friday

For August I'd like to
Finish the Sunflowers
Start Mel's birthday present
Pick a new UFO to send out
Work on a WIP or two

I stitched for a total of 87 hours 11 mins last month over half of which went on the Sunflowers. I had no new starts or finishes (apart from the bag but that doesn't come under stitching) and I stitched every day of the month

Sunflowers update

I ended up with a fairly busy week last week so not much progress although I did get that bottom right leaf done.

I've moved on to the 2 leaves at the top now and then there's just the right hand bloom to finish off

Jo asked where I planned on using my bag for the first time and unless an opportunity comes up before then it's going to be the WI christmas lunch in December

Happy Dance ~ the bag is finished

I attached the strap a little while ago and then danced round the living with Millie who wasn't very impressed but that prob has something to do with my waking her up from her nap and bouncing round the room :)

Close up of the strap, that's a vintage Swarovski on the end and yes there's one the other end as well. Unfortunately they were out of the budget for the entire strap but they do look good as an accent

and lastly the fringe, that for me was the most boring bit

Art Deco Purse
Designed by Di Noyce
Issue 77 - Jill Oxton's Cross Stitch & Bead weaving

I'm sorry the pics are'nt that good but it's very overcast today and I at least managed to take pics during a break in the rain.
Now a couple of facts about it, it's taken me approx 2 months to complete and it's my first project in square stitch. There are 17,672 delica beads in it (yes I worked it out but the amounts needed for the sides are already listed) and it weights 115g/4oz.

I have my next big project planned and I start getting the beads for it on Wednesday until then I'm going to either work on a WIP or start one of the many kits I have.

TUSAL

It's July 22 and a new moon so that means it's Totally Useless Stitch Along day and time to share my orts

Lots more black nymo from the bag and plenty of yellow from the sunflowers