Pour l'Amour du Fil.... OR For The Love of Thread... ;-)

I have been to France twice recently...first to the Aiguille en Fete in Paris in February. Where I didn't take many photos as it was so crowded one could hardly hear oneself think!!!!

Then, last week this time I was to be found in Nantes...with glorious sunshine and my camera overheating <grin> I was attending Pour l'amour du Fil as the title says. Where they were celebrating 150years of the quilt by Jane Stickle, otherwise fondly known as 'Dear Jane'.

There were many quilts of all sizes and colours, on display and I think i may have photographed most of them. I know I missed some, and others were woefully out of focus but I don't think I did too badly considering!

I'd like to insert a slideshow here of all the pics but I don't know how to, so until then I will try to put one in the sidebar so you can see all the pics from the show! Later I may add some other pics of sightseeing malarky...

PIF...

Happy new year to one and all, warmest wishes for the new year from me to you xx

The first post of the year sees me offering a new pay it forward, to the first five (5) people who comment on this post I will send a little something...it will be a surprise and will arrive at any time during the year. All you have to do is pay it forward in some form or other. If you have a blog, mention it there and offer one too, lets make it go... I am also offering one on my Facebook page, that will be a second one...this will make me stitch in some form or another I guess as I seem to only pick up smalls these days!!!

Ciao peeps, catch you on the flip side xx

Blog competition and slacking...

Well I am still slacking in the posting as you can all see...will have to give myself a stern talking to!!! In the meantime however I have just entered a giveaway on Nancy's blog and I hope to win myself some of her lovely floss... Or I will have to go buy it after the new year...she has some luscious colours I have been drooling over for a little while now!

This is a short post...will return with some pics as soon as I get my patoot in gear!!!

Ciao xx

Well, well,well...

I have been gone for a record period this time around!!! There has been a lot happening, where do I start?
First I went on holiday right??? However, the day before I went I had an interview for a new job...moving sideways at work basically. I was successful, so I came back to my old job for a week before moving - this wasn't completely new as I'd worked on this ward for several years in an old life :-) Not long after this, my uncle passed away and I had to return home again for his funeral :-(

When I came back, the summer was in full swing...had some work done on the garden...still not finished!! And now again I have started another new job! This one completely new to me. I now work mon - fri 9 - 5 and have dropped a huge chunk of my pay...have to see if its something I can live with so in a few months I may be moving again!!!

Also...some idiot again hit the back of my car for the fourth time in three years!!!!! at the start of sept! Now I have a nice shiny new one and hopefully the colour is not so appealing that I get hit! After this abbreviated version of events...I have a few pics to add.

There are tons, I will add them a few at a time if thats ok with you all ;-), first is my new baby...

Oh, and there was a wedding too. Friend of mine, there will be a few more of those pics too :-)

And a birthday...although this is not the birthday boy <grin>

A little stitching was done too...

And a couple from my travels home! Those poor lobsters were brought in fresh for us to enjoy :-)

 And now I think it's time to go, will be back soon with lots more photos, ciao!

AWOL

I have been, haven't I. Life has been fast paced and I'm trying to keep up...lots of plans to make. Lists to write and follow. I have done some stitching, although not as much as I could have been doing.
COA has reached page 25...and will stay there for the next little while ...

I have finished part 2 on the Advent Calender project...

Then moved on to basting...and basting...and basting...Yes, all 24 pockets have been basted. And I have started the first pocket

Now I will be going AWOL again as I go away next week and will return the first week of March!!! I will be taking the pockets and my Cirque de Carreaux (which has very little done) as my travelling companions, but aim to concentrate on the pockets.

Till next time...I bid you all good day...night...afternoon...

Project Advent Calendar...

Yep you heard right, I have a project for a perpetual advent calendar just started and part one is now terminated. Remember that little teaser photo at the start of the advent season well here is the result.

Stats: 1x1, 28ct red Jobelan, Examplar White Chocolate - HDF
I am also up to date with my  COA, page 20 came out on sat... ;-)

And finally....there were lots of other things I wanted to say in the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about posting...now, I don't feel so good and they have all gone from my little ole brain. So IK will just leave you with the nice pics, and you can think on what the next part of my calendar will be :-)

I'm not likely to post again before Christmas, so for all of you who read my blog, whether regularly or in passing. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very peaceful christmas with family and friends, and also a prosperous New year in 2012. May the Lord guide your footsteps in every way xx

Advent...

starts in a week!!! Although the shops have been full of christmas decorations for several weeks already! I have a new project all ready to start. It is part of a MUCH bigger project, which I have envisioned and you can watch it grow with me. Starting with this little gem...

I'm sure a lot of you already know what it is ;-) Staying on the stitching, I'm actually keeping up with a SAL at the moment. Page 16 of the COA sal with Wiehenburg came out yesterday, and I'm up to page 15 with only the overlapping three bottom rows not stitched on this row of pages <grin>

Going back to the church...we had a casino night last night, but while having the coffee morning we saw a conundrum and had to take a pic...as the Vicar said 'only in our church'

How do you like it??? come to our church casino if you're struggling with debt! A good time was had by all, and I hear there are some incriminating photos going around!!!
I almost forgot, I have a progress pic of my Antique Lace Band Sampler, it's growing slowly.

See ya!

No Witty title...

With the best will in the world I cannot seem to come back any sooner than 4 weeks it seems...
What with stupid internet connections and having to go do a full time job it seems to be something of a challenge :-)
I have only one picture to show you at the moment..this is my progress on the COA SAL, I am actually all caught up to page 10...I did it on friday when it came out. Let's see if it continues...LOL

Well...that was last week when I started writing this post, I finally had to resort to restoring my system to a couple months earlier as it turned not to be my internet connection...but the blimming computer itself!!! May be time for a new one soon, I'll have to see what the ole bank balance says. Mean time I give you a second view of the fabric surrounding this stitching and will go start on page 12 tomorrow since I already stitched page 11 <big grin>

Green with Envy???

Some may say that is why I joined this SAL adding another piece to my WIP pile...Oh Lord it gets bigger I hear you say.
No, no, no....I say but first have a look at my pic of the CoA, I am on page 2/55 but I am lagging behind woefully. I only joined up last week and today pg6 gets released, so I have some catching up to do if I want to keep up. Last time I joined a Wiehenburg SAL I finished years after the date!!! I am determined not to this time...famous last words??

I am stitching 1 over 1 on a 30ct evenweave ?Lugana from Sparklies This would be what she calls a Solitaire :-). On this fabric I am using thread from HDF in a lovely green and black combo called Becke Green, shade nos 3397/3259/5300/3439.
Enough info???
I give you Red Pots....

All finished, washed AND ironed for your delight...so I have replaced one WIP with another one..neh, neh.
We won't count all the other ones started and languishing in a pile since I will be doing a lot of catching up on CoA...
Dare I mention that I had signed up for another one starting in Oct...a mystery to boot, no idea yet of stitch count or anything, other than it is meant to be RED!!! So watch this space!

Another birthday!!!?

Yep, we just celebrated another birthday and the cake as usual was lush - take a look if you don't believe me

However the sugar junkie was only interested in these...and he ate most of them...as you can see they weren't few!!!

Me on the other hand I did a bit of finishing on a couple charts that should have been finished Long ago <hint>

Then last but not least, there is my progress on the Red Pots which is not long to go now, then I can pick up another WIP to take it's place.

Yes. I know, it is woefully crumpled, but I will iron when It is finished and washed, until then you just have to humour me...and call me all sorts of names...I don't mind :-P

I haven't done much stitching as I am still quite sore, especially after the Physio was done pounding on me on Thurs, but I hope to get to my new start tomorrow. I  found out that my fabric is almost too short, but I can live with an inch and half margin top and bottom since I don't think this is one that will get framed, I'm leaning towards a hanging instead!

For all of you in the UK, have a great bank Holiday w/e, everybody else enjoy what's left of your sunday evening!

I'm back!

Although I didn't go anywhere in the first place but a few good and not so good reasons kept me away...this is going to be quite long and photo heavy - just a little warning ;-)

Where do I start??? well after my last post I did some finishing for my friends ruby wedding anniversary present.

Then another idiot male driver decided not to stop when I did at a roundabout and not only rear-ended me but also gave me mild whiplash which has been giving me headaches and neck and shoulder pain for the last three weeks - so said car will be visiting the body shop again in about 10days!

Meantime said car went in for servicing and air condition was re-gassed etc only for said gas to be all leaked out in a couple days and garage needing to give me this Tin Can while they sorted it ...

On the stitchy front, I got me a lovely little PIF from Sally

Then I went for a job interview - well you know, one must challenge oneself sometimes... I think it went well even though I think they ambushed the three applicants...I got an email saying three people on panel...there were 5, count that FIVE when I turned up. Plus the fact that they all had time to go through my presentation and prepare questions since they insisted no USB, must email presentation before interview date! After all this...10 days later and they still haven't bothered to say yea or nay - not that I'm desperate, I already have a job but the principle!!!

I had some physio on wed and felt able to do some stitching yesterday...so the best news of all is my FINISH.....TA DA I used Isle Green 3207 for the words and letters and Meadow for the rest of the chart.

Started 21 Feb 2009 - Finished 19 Aug 2011. The pic isn't great since the sun keeps going into hiding, I won't be framing this till next summer 'cause I have plans to send it to Vikki's exhibition next June and framed will not be possible due to cost. Now I need to do some cutting and zigzagging for my next BAP start...not like I don't already have a few of those on the go...

This is my floss toss, if there is enough fabric, I have to go measure to be sure ;-)

I did do some stitching on the Red Pots but I don't have a pic and since I will stitch on it over the next few nights at work I will do an up to date pic next week, I hope not to be gone so long again...but I keep saying things like this don't I? Oh well that's life.
For now I'm off to have some wine with my sis, so no stitching today. Don't want the frogs to visit.
Ciao x

Gone Reading!?

Yep...well, and working too...lol
I meant to post this last week but work got in the way...now here we are. I had arrived at this point on QV - now only 1 1/2 pages to go :-)

Then while I was working I finished off the border on the Red Pots.

So I  decided that on my days off - only two mind you! I would start reading this (pic courtesy of Amazon)

Since I hadn't read for quite a while, luckily I was off for two days...cos once I started it I couldnt put it down and did a marathon read in less than 24 hrs. Needless to say the book is really good, otherwise I would quite happily have put it down to go to sleep! Having finished at 5am i then needed a sleep,so had a nice long nap <grin> Cant wait to get number 2 & 3 from the library.
I have to do some finishes this w/e so no stitching on QV till next week at the earliest I think, but I will show the finishes! Mwah, thanks for reading me!

WOW...

I didn't realise it had been three weeks since my last post...oh well life takes over doesn't it??
Well since I was last here I have stitched my little heart out!!! There has been a finish...

And there has been a birthday...! Don't you just love that cake...Mmmm

And some other stitching going on too..a little progress on Red Pots - excuse the not ironed state :-)

and a whole heap of progress on QV......Only 3 pages to go....I best get cracking...

No stitching done yesterday since I spent most of the day surfing and generally faffing about on the computer, and blogger wouldn't let me upload pics so I couldn't post this. So now off I go to put a dent in those three pages for the rest of the afternoon. See you all soon :-)

Update...and a giveaway!

Well I can't think of anything catchy to say and I'm more interested in playing with my new toy at the moment...LOL. Yep gots me a shiny new iphone and learning how to use it is such fun :-)

So I have three new WIP pics for you  first up will be QV and I am officially past the halfway point I am sure of that, 6/12 pages complete (plus a bit more of course).

Next up is a finish...all I have to do is add 2011 at the top notch of the heart and make it up. Will show a pic in a few weeks when it's all done ;-) And this is the GIVEAWAY chart. I offer it to the first person to post a comment on the condition that you pass it on when you have finished with it...DEAL??

Third is the Red Pots Sampler which is of course in PINK <big grin> and about a 1/4 of the border is done now

Finally, I leave you with a pic of Batman...he doesn't stand still long enough for me to take proper pics (I guess he doesn't want his identity blown) even though his cape proclaims him a FROG!!!

Ciao mes amis xx

Naughty, oh so naughty!

I have been REALLY naughty with not one but two starts...eeek. Oh well, at least I am having fun, right?
See the first time I did it was when I couldn't sleep last week, and instead of stressing about how I had to go to work the next morning and winding myself up the fabric was staring me in the face across the room along with threads...so I cut a piece and VOILA....

This is on 18ct aida...and is being stitched with some of the stash I got from Jean not too long ago. Colours will be Anchor 842 and 844 and the chart is that Red Pots Sampler from a few posts ago!
There has also been progress on my T&E mandala and I am now just over half way through as you can see

The heart is also at half way and moving towards a finish soon

But the Piece de Resistance is the start of Catherine Archer (hereafter only to be referred to as Catherine), I started this today after church and noticed a little boo-boo half way through letter B...I was stitching 1 x 1 and I had gridded my fabric for 1 x 2. So I finished my length of thread and did a little test in the margin of  1 over and 2 over and decided I preferred the 1 over anyway so I kept going and this is where I left off for the day

Sizewise if you're interested after all this is I think 34ct - according to my counting and this is how big they look at the mo

This was my floss toss, although the fabric looks quite pink in this light which it definitely isn't...a WHOLE hank of Vikki's Rubbed Red is what I am using...with tons left over now since I am on 1 x 1.

This hank came to me after I paid the ransom of the customs officers, along with some other beautiful red spools

And since you have stayed with me this long, I present to you my Precious...returned to me after his stay at the spa where he got a good massage, and is all shiny and refreshed ;-)