#81 IHSW Round Up!

Well once again the weekend has flown by, and as ever there just never seems to be enough hours in the day.

Not so much hermitting or stitching happening today - it was my Grandad's 70th Birthday today so we all met up at his local to have a drink.

However yesterday was a bit more productive. This time I worked on the HAED BB SAL Mystic Garden. This is slow going for me but when I compared pictures I've done better than I thought I had so I suppose I can't complain too much.

This is how it looked before:

Before IHSW

Here it is now!

17-03-13

I really don't know how some of the stitchers have already completed the two released  pages - they are speed daemons with the needle clearly!

Fingers crossed this coming week should be a good one for me, we both have a week off work (yippee!) with only plans for Monday and Thursday, so fingers crossed I will have lots of stitching news for you!

Have a great week everyone!

Emma/Itzy

xo

#74 What a Week!

My goodness, I really don't know where this week has gone!

First I want to say a massive thank you to all my followers, old and new alike, this past week my giveaway has gone crazy with so many entries and new followers to my blog! Hello and welcome and I hope you enjoy your stay :P Hehe.

In between Pancake Day, Lent, Valentines, Pankcake day #2 and this weekend precisely 0 stitches have been added this week to any of my projects. I am hoping after this post that perhaps I can get in an hour or two, it is IHSW after all!

For lent I have given up full sugar fizzy pop and crisps, it was originally all fizzy pop but I accidently drank a can of diet coke without thinking so I have tweaked it a little, I am not religious but I always try to give something up for Lent.

Valentines was nothing special, we both already had our gifts which we chose a few weeks ago (you may remember my post here) so we just had a night in with a meal and watched some dvds. We were originally going to go out for dinner on Saturday but when it came to it we were both tired so instead we stayed in and made chilli.

Also this weekend we have been busy decorating, Davids friend is coming to stay in March so the spare bedroom needed a bit of a spruce up. So yesterday we went carpet shopping and painted the walls. Today was spent doing the woodwork, it does look better but in reality it is a 23 year old male coming to stay, the chances are he wouldn't have noticed either way!

Now, some stitching, this is what I got done last Sunday, the last time I picked up a needle!

Just a little more added to the top, but at least you can start to see the peacock feathers forming now.

The mail man has also been kind to me, first a couple of weekends back Jo was kind enough to send me some bobbins and a box! I mentioned a while back I needed a new one as mine was now full and she offered to send me one she had acquired but had no use for, thanks very much Jo! It will come in most useful :)

I also won a giveaway over on Bruna's blog which arrived on Friday, it cheered me up just when I need it, work has not been pleasant this past week.

Again, thank you! I can't wait to stitch the Lizzie*Kate pattern and find a use for the wool :)

In the above photo you can just spy two little white paws, yesterday I sat down for over three hours reading all the blog updates, luckily I had some company...

I think that is everything for my weekly round up. If you haven't already then take a look at my giveaway, there is still time to join :)

Have a great week everyone!

Emma xo

#65 What a day! Plus IHSW

Phew! Finally made it home in one piece, as predicted the snow came and made the commute to work eventful! But luckily we were prepared, I didn't sleep well last night so in the early hours of the morning I watched it come down so when I woke up this morning it was no surprise.

Luckily work let us leave an hour early today to get home before the rush hour :)

Now, on to IHSW! This weekend I worked on Mystic Garden, I didn't really feel like I had done much but comparing it to last weeks photo then I am pretty happy - especially now I can see the beginnings of a tiger paw at the bottom :)

Before

After! 20-01-13

Other than that I did a little more on Mini The Black, but that is just even more 310 so would make a rather boring photo for you all!

I hope everyone has a great week and I look forward to seeing how everyone else got on!

Emma xo

p.s. I haven't forgotten about the giveaway - it will be launched very soon!

#58 New Starts Galore!

Good afternoon!

Thank you so much for all my birthday wishes in my past two posts, you are all so kind. The only problem I am having with this new layout is I can't seem to reply to any comments left, I have no idea why, but please be assured I am not ignoring you! I have tried my best to solve the issue but to no avail so for now I think I am going to have to reply via email when it arrives in my inbox. Not ideal but there you go. If anyone could shed a little light on this it would be much appreciated!

Now, on to stitching. To say I didn't join the Crazy January Challenge I have made a pretty good attempt in keeping up! In the first four days I had three new starts. Thankfully I now seem content with these to keep me occupied.

I have decided January will be my "do what you want" month, after which my main focus will be the wedding sampler as that NEEDS to be done.

Speaking of which that was the first project I picked up, only a few stitches in but a start is a start, right?! This is done on iridescent white 14ct Aida.

Next, after my first day back at work this year (boooo!) I made a start on Mini the Black. This is on 25ct Magic Guide and I am trying 2x1 tent for the first time. I'm not sure if I like it or not, but I wanted to give it a go so I could at least say I've tried. 800 stitches in so far - all of them 310!

Finally on Friday the first page on the HAED BB SAL arrived in my inbox so of course I HAD to start it. Got the first 100 stitches in. This is done again on 25ct Magic Guide, but this time 1x1 full cross. This chart really is confetti madness (20 colours in this one block alone!) and I dare say the most challenging piece I have ever done. If I get this done then I really will be proud of myself!

For now I am going to continue on the SAL, I figure if I get a head start on it this month it will give me some breathing space before the next page is due.

Happy Stitching all!
Emma xo