Weekend progress

I realized earlier today that I hadn't posted last weekend's progress on 4 Wishes!

I wasn't well on Saturday so didn't make as much progress as I'd hoped but that wasn't helped by making a mistake on the tulip band and having to undo almost all the flower heads to fix it.

There is still a mistake in it but it's staying in because I'd already done most the bits underneath when I noticed it so I'm claiming it as my Amish bit for this project :)

Fruit progress

Last weeks progress on the fruit, I had to move the frame up a little to make it more comfortable to work on

I'm hoping to finish the page I'm on this week which will mean the top half is finished, the bottom 2 pages aren't as full so I'm aiming for one a month meaning a finish around the end of March.

Weekend progress

4 wishes is coming along nicely and I'm hoping to get a couple of bans done this coming weekend as the next few are simple and don't require loads of colour changes 

Fruit progress

I did get the page finished last week and I've moved on to the other half of the top now.

In an ideal world this page will be finished this month but I doubt that's going to happen although I don't think it'll be far off done

First beading finishes of 2016

Long time readers may remember that each time a special fondant fancy comes out I buy a box for research and recreate it in beads.

Last year for halloween it was black with green cake, here's my version of it

I then went on to finish off a PHD, a plate to put fondant fancies on or any other cake I decide to make :)

I wanted to make it raised but I don't think it's high enough, it could of done with a couple more rows on it.  As I was coming to the end of the top part I had an urge to add an extra colour on the edge so dug in my stash to see what I had that was the right size and ended up with a bronze.

This is the other side of the halloween fancy

And at last a non fuzzy pic of the bookmark I made for fella as part of his Christmas gift

Cup Cakes

On Thursday at WI craft club we had a go at decorating cup cakes which is something I've never done before and loved it!  It's a shame I have no one to bake for these days because I'd love to do more.

My efforts all together

First thing we did was a very simple, basic buttercream swirl

Next came a buttercream rose

Then we got to play with sugar paste :)

First of all we learnt how to put a plain circle of it on top, these were put aside for a while while we did something else and then we came back to them and used a stencil.

This is my favourite one

While our plain cakes were set aside we did another circle only this time we used a texture board 

Next came making a rose, cutting out leaves and using edible glue

We were also let loose with the glitter so everything got some :)

Then we played with a mould and I did a Hydrangea.

With this one we also learnt how to paint the centre's using the same powder as the stencil one above

And we had a little time left over so we got to play with other little moulds so I added the butterfly and little square to my buttercream ones and the brooch to the bubbles but it looks more like a sun to me

Gifted Gorgeousness

With having to work on the Lake District Sampler and Fruit Sampler last year my GG fell apart part way through the year but I've signed up again this year and I have weekend projects planned that will fit in until the fruit is finished :)

Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted by the lovely Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching and the idea is to stitch those projects that have been gifted to us wither it be a kit, a chart or using fabric/thread that was gifted.

My first GG project is Just Nan's 4 Wishes.

I was RAKed way back in 2008 with the chart, bead/charm pack, fabric and some of the DMC to stitch it was well.   Last year I made it my Birthday start and didn't get very far with it because the Lake District and fruit arrived.

I've made it my first weekend project of 2016 :)

This is as far as I got with it last year

And after it's first weekend outing, band 2 is finished and band 3 half done.

I'll come back and add the beads at the end

Last and first

It's TUSAL posting time once more and if you have no idea what it follow the link to find out.

First up are my 2 jars from last year, I took these first thing on Jan 1st before emptying them and giving them their annual bath :)

And onto this years.

So far I've added orts from Alchemical Romance, 4 Wishes, fruit sampler and normal sewing thread from hexies

And my beading orts for once I can remember what they are from as well!

2015 bead mat, 2015 Halloween Fondant Fancy, hexagon plate, Tetris box and Stan the snowman

Fruit progress

I'm back on the fruit now :(  I did enjoy taking a break from it in December and didn't really want to start on it again but it needs to be done or I don't get any holiday spending money this year

A reminder of how it was at the end of November

And after around 15 hours on it last week.

The page I wanted to get done in December should be finished this week, it's taped to the other half of the top of the chart now and I pick my next colour to work on by what's left on the first half, hope that makes sense!

New Start

I had my traditional Jan 1st start last Friday, it's one of those designs I've been wanting to start for a while and have at last got round to it :)

It's Ink Circles Alchemical Romance

I'm using 2 NPI silks from my stash and Dr Smiths Tonic from Sparklies

Unfortunately I only got to spend 3 days with it because I've had to get back to the fruit sampler this week :(

2015 goals report & 2016 goals

For 2015 I said
Keep  up with Stitch from Stash     I did until Mel decided it was time to finish it
Keep up with the TUSAL    Yep done, not always on the right day but still counts :)
Finish Santa's village    I never touched it :(
Finish more than I start    Done it by 1 project!
Get my PHD total below 20   No but it's lower than I started the year with also by 1 project!
Finish at least 2 of the projects that don't have start year listed   I finished 4 of them
Make good progress (or finish) a TW   I finished one, the plums ornament
Not to leave my Christmas ornaments till just before they are needed.   This one was a spectacular fail and I finished them the day before :(


For 2016 I'd like to
Keep up with the TUSAL
Keep up with Gifted Gorgeousness
Finish Santa's Village
Finish more than I start
Get my PHD's to 20 or below
Finish 1 project with no start year listed
Finish a TW
Finish a Silver Lining Flower
Stitch from my stash as much as I can


In 2015 I stitched for a total of 883 hours 45 minutes which is down on 2014 but I bowled for 3 nights a week not 2 that really does cut into stitching time, I'm not complaining tho I do love bowling :)
I had 20 new starts and 21 finishes and end the year with 25 PHD's which is less than I started the year with so I'm happy with that :)

December progress & January goals

For December I said
Finish St Basil's    Done :)
Make more hexie flowers and snowflakes   Done
Add to my hexie flower quilt    I basted more path hexies but that was it
Finish at least one other project    I finished 2 but one was a new start as well
Keep selling stash   Haven't sold any :( been busy with other things

For January I'd like to
Not start loads of new projects
Make good progress on the fruit
Carry on with hexie flowers and snowflakes
Start the lap quilt fella gave me for Christmas
Sell some stash


I stitched for 89 hours 19 mins in December, had 1 new start and 4 finishes one of which was the new start and 2 days of no stitching.

Current PHD total = 25