Hug Exchange

Today was opening day for the hug exchange over on needlecraft haven.

We had to include a card on the theme of love, friendship or hugs and I struggled to find anything suitable locally so planned on stitching a Lizzie kate freebie I gave in my stash when I found this as a kit.

We also had to include a couple of skeins of thread, a sweet treat and a pamper treat.

My exchange looked like this

And this is the one I received and opened this morning.

The ribbon was tied round my sweet tray and such a lovely colour I plan on reusing it at some point in the future

I've realised that I should of also made this my gifted gorgeousness post as well but I'm a day late to have it count

Bit of tatting

I'm on a stitching retreat this week and I've been having a go at tatting thus afternoon.

Everything past the blue on the right I've done on my own :)  really pleased with it.

Next job is to master the flower 

TUSAL time

Once it again I'm late posting my rubbish :)

I've added plenty of orts to my stitcing jar but they are all from the Family Sampler, CdC and a  card I can't share for a few more days

Loads more white added to my beading orts but if you look close you may just spot a little bit of purple and black

Christmas ornament

I'm going away on a stitching week at the end of the month and will be offering a beading day while I'm there so I thought I'd better make a sample :)

This was designed by a beading friend and she sold the pattern in aid of out local hospice.

She very kindly gave me permission to teach it 

Weekend progress

I've started to fill in the big circle in the middle now

I'd say I'm around 2/3 done now and should finish sometime in November

Last weeks progress

I spent last week working on the border so I now have both top corners complete and by the end of this week I'll be half done

This week I'm working on the tree but I have to say I'm fed up with it now but will keep going with it until I go away at the end of the month

New start

Indoor bowls started on Monday and it involves a fair bit of sitting round which is something I'm not so good at doing, last year I took hexies with me each week but didn't feel like doing that this year.

While looking through my freebies for another chart I came across the one for this and thought I'd take that along instead.

I wish I could tell you more about it but I can't :( it appeared on someones blog around 8 years ago and she didn't know much about it either but had managed to find the chart on line somewhere and gave a link for it.

I printed out the chart and put it in my freebie folder and there it sat until Monday afternoon.

The lighting isn't as good as I'd like in the hall so I decided aida would be easier to see there, had a root in my extra floss box for a colour I liked that had a lot left on the bobbin and off I went.

Carriage finish

I did finish the body of the carriage on Sunday morning

Monday morning I did the bottom piece and attached and then did the wheels 

The other side 

and the door into the carriage (it's the same on the other end)

And the completed train so far

Weekend progress

Here we are on Friday night and once again I'm only just getting round to posting last weekends progress on CdC

I'm really pleased with how much I got done and now have 3 corners completed :)

I reckon I'm in the region of 2/3 done now.

Plan for this weekend is to start filling in that huge circle

This weeks stitching

I completely forgot to post this last week :(

This is Family Tree Sampler from the Historical sampler company and I'm stitching it for the lady who used to run a shop in Chester.

I did remember to take a pic last weekend tho so here it is after the first week

And this is how it looks now

I'm hoping that by the end of this week I'll hit halfway

Carriage 3 is underway

The pattern for the next carriage of the train was released on Sunday but I couldn't start it until Monday with being out for the day with Mel enjoying lunch and adding to my bauble hoard :)

I made a start on the roof Monday morning and finished it off on Tuesday at beading group

Then I added the gable ends

And here it is on Thursday morning 

Friday morning

and this morning

If all goes well I'll finish the body tomorrow and then I'll just have the base and wheels to do 

Beading finish

Started a few weeks ago and put aside while I completed another box for the bead group challenge.

Finished it on Sunday morning before heading out to spend the day with Mel.

Weekend progress

I did warn you there would probably be very little progress during the last weekend of September and I was right in fact there was so little progress made it wasn't worth doing a post about it but I did take a pic

And here's last weekend's progress. 

The aim this weekend is to finish the corner and then I can start making my way up 

 And lastly an overall view 

September progress & October goals

For September I said

Finish the Autumn SAL   Yes but as yet I've not got round to taking a pic
Start the Spring SAL   No
Stitch the next part of Santa's village  No
Work on Rainbow threads SAL   No
Make at least one flower   Yay one I've done :)
Sell some stash  I can't remember!

For October I'd like to
Get CdC almost finished
Get the model at least half way
Decide on my stitching for the retreat I'm off on
Make a flower
Sell some stash

I stitched for 81 hours 23 minutes in September not bad for a month that turned out to be very busy for me.   I didn't get to do even attempt most of my goals for the month because I have a commission to do but as it's a widely available kit I'll be sharing pics.   I had 1 new start and 1 finish in September and I stitched every day

Current PHD total = 29