Small progress

Another week has gone by... and I don't feel I have a lot to show you this week.

We went to visit Halesowen College on Tuesday for Becki, they do the Dance BTEC National course that she is interested in. She really liked the college and the course and has applied for a place there next year. She has to have an audition but they tell you on the same day if you have got in! Then on Thursday we visited Stourbridge College which is going to be Laura's second choice if she doesn't get a place at King Edwards' Sixth Form College. So that was 2 days of no stitching!!

On Wednesday this week it is Stuart's birthday so I thought I would make him some cards. As he was at a league meeting on Saturday I spent the day working on those. Firstly I made a decoupage card for him off the girls.

Secondly I cross stitched a letter S for him off me. I am pleased with the way they have turned out considering I did them both in just one day!

I have also been trying to do some of my Family Tree, you can see the people emerging on this side now. Slowly but surely on this one!

Lastly I worked on My Needle's Work, she now has 2 arms and half a head!!

I am thinking it is getting very close to Christmas and I may have to abandon my rota to get all the things I want to get stitched for Christmas. I have made very few stitched cards this year but I do want to make some more ornaments for people in my family and I have 2 cushions to make up for the girls - the Ballerina one and Tigger one. This week I am working on the Lizzie Kate Christmas one so I'll try to get as much done as possible, I think I have less of a busy week than recently.

Until next week.

Ginnie x

2 finishes and an exciting weekend.

As usual I have had a busy few days but have managed to clock up 2 finishes aswell.

I'll start with my stitching I didn't get much of my Mermaid done in the end so I won't show any photos of that. I decided instead to get Ballerina and Spring Cushion finished as they were so close to completion.

So here is the Ballerina, I love it now it is done as the colours seem to work well after my initial doubts. This is to be made into a cushion for Becki.

Then here is my Spring cushion, in plenty of time for next Spring!! The colours in this are so pretty. I have all four seasons to do so will start on Summer next but probably not until the New Year.

Now to my busy weekend...... firstly on Friday I went to see The Rocky Horror show with my dear friend Steve. We have seen this many times before in the 1980s and early 90s but this was our first trip for many, many years!! I still wanted to dress up.... I wore my fishnets but they aren't in the photo!!! It was so great, the show was fantastic and the atmosphere was amazing. Here is a photo of Steve and me before we left and then under that is a photo from 1986/7 before one of the first shows we went too! Fun times.

To finish off my great week it was Becki's dance show. I went with her to the dress rehearsal on Saturday then the whole family went to watch on Sunday afternoon. She was in 9 dances in total, 2 with the younger children she teaches and the rest with her own class. She was fantastic, we were all so proud of her. I have no photos yet as a professional photographer was hired to take loads of shots and we'll have copies in a few weeks. She was even more thrilled when for the Finale she was chosen to be on the front row as one of the stars. Needless to say today she is exhausted.

Happy stitching.

Ginnie x

Busy, busy.

I have been a busy bee over the last few days. Stuart got to Poland safely on Friday but the silly thing left his mobile phone charging in the kitchen. So I have only heard from him twice. I am just checking "flight stats" web page now see if his flight has landed at Luton yet.... should be any time now. It'll be good to have him back.

So on Wednesday we bought 2 prom dresses, well put the deposits on 2. Thank goodness my MIL has given us some money towards them because they were SO expensive, but the girls looked fantastic in them and I couldn't say no! Mind you that night I felt really ill, Stuart said it was the thought of spending so much money! I have suffered for years with indigestion/heartburn/acid reflux but haven't been too bad over the last 12 months or so but on Wednesday evening it returned! I was doubled up in pain for hours, it was horrid. I've still had it on and off over the last few days and my stomach is hurting again now but I am trying to ignore it!!

In spite of that I have made lots of stitchy progress, both by hand and machine! Firstly here is a Lickle Ted piece that was free with Card Shop magazine last month, isn't he cute?

Then here is Carl and Jane's Christmas ornament all finished. Looks great with the white cording.

On Saturday I wanted to make a bag for Stuart as a little extra Christmas present. He has an allotment now and was complaining that he had nowhere to keep his seed packets...... so now he has. The design is a Lizzie Kate one. It took me ages because I wanted to finish it just right, the design is on a patch pocket. I just want to add a press stud on the top so his seeds don't fall out!!

And finally here is Henry. I am very pleased with my progress on him this week, I finished the tiny bit of Henry that was needed and have also finished all of Anne of Cleves. I am working on Catherine Howard's dress next, may take a bit longer as more is on show. This will be so special when it is done.

Next week it is back to The Enchanted Mermaid, although I have another busy week ahead! On Friday night I am off to see The Rocky Horror Show at the theatre!! Then Becki has her dance show all weekend, I go and watch the dress rehearsal on the Saturday then we have tickets to watch on the Sunday afternoon. Becki is in 9 dances so we have to sort her costume rota out!!! Normally there is one quick change in the wings!! I'll post more on that after the show.... I am so looking forward to seeing her dance.

Until next time.

Ginnie x

Christmas is forever

I have finished work today for a 3 day holiday, so with the weekend I have 5 days off.... so I hope I get some good stitching time in that!

Last week Laura had her lower brace fitted and really suffered. She was in pain all night and I ended up keeping her at home on Wednesday just to catch up on her sleep. She is a lot better now and when her teeth are lovely it'll be all worth it.

We also went to look around King Edward's Sixth form college which is about 3 miles away. Laura loved it and really hopes she can get a place there to do A levels in History, Classical Civilisations, Pyschology and English Language. You need to be predicted high grades in your GCSEs which she is.... so fingers crossed. She is filling in the form this week but the closing date isn't until January and then the final decisions aren't made until March!! Mind you we'll need plenty of time to save some money as 2 of the courses involve trips to Madrid and Rome..... nice!

Becki has to wait until 10th Nov for a look around the college she wants to go to.

As for any stitching I only have one to show. This is the Lizzie Kate I mentioned on my last post, it is Christmas is Forever and I think I made good progress on it.

This week is Henry week again, plus small Christmas pieces inbetween. I am aiming to get another wife complete!!

Tomorrow we are going to order the girl's Prom dresses, hopefully. Then on Friday Stuart is off to Poland with the British American Youth Football Team to play a friendly game. He isn't back until Sunday so I have a couple of days just me and the girls. Hopefully we are going to Worcester for a day out on Friday, if it is dry!

Until next time.

Ginnie x

Christmas cards and an Advent calendar

I know my rota was to stitch on Family Tree and Ballerina and I have a little, well the ballerina more so than the tree! But Christmas is getting ever closer and the need to stitch Christmas stuff gets greater!

Here are 2 cards I have put together today. The first one is with the Santa I stitched a couple of weeks ago.

And the 2nd is a sweet Angel card that I stitched this week. I love the colours in this. You can't tell from the photo but she has gold thread outlining her wings.

But what took up more of my time this week was my sewing machine. Many years ago when the girls were very little I bought an Advent Calendar sewing kit.... but it never got stitched until now! I decided as the sewing machine is still sitting on my dining room table it was time to get it done. Here it is nearly complete. The bottom has to be slip stitched together and some tabs making, then it'll all be hung onto a piece of doweling. Each pocket was stitched on in a strip with a box pleat to help puff it out! I will fill the pockets with sweets for the girls and it'll save me buying those commercially made ones.

On Saturday there was a Prom Fayre at our local shopping centre. The girls were so excited looking at the dresses.... but they are so expensive. Luckily my mother in law has given us some cash to go towards the cost. During half term we are going to a couple of the shops to try on some of the ones they particularly liked and are hoping to put a deposit on two! It seems early but they take 3 months to come and if you're not early someone else may pick the dress you want and they won't sell the same dress to the same school.

Then this coming Thursday we have our first college Open Day. There is a Sixth Form College nearby that has a good reputation for A levels and Laura has decided she wants to go there. I know she has the ability but it is hard to get a place. I know Laura will be upset if she doesn't get in as they are the only local college to offer an A Level in Classical Studies, which is one of her choices. So we are going to look around then apply as soon as possible. The girls are both excited at the thought of moving onto college but very nervous too!

This week on the rota is "Christmas Stitching" urmmm I know that seems to have been last week too! I am having a new start - a Lizzie Kate one.... you'll have to tune in next week to see which one...... and my progress.

Have a good week.

Ginnie x

Sugar Plum Fairy and others

Thanks for all your well wishes for my cold, I am much better now infact it had gone by Thursday....thank goodness.

I have a few pictures to show today which include 2 Christmas finishes. Last year I bought the Sugar Plum Fairy kit by Mill Hill off Ebay, it was one of 6 based on the Nutcracker and I wish I had bought others because you can't get them in the UK. I spent all week on this because I was just hooked. Even though I broke my favourite long beading needle trying to fit 2 strands of cotton through the eye (instructions told me to) and even though some of the petite beads just didn't want to go through the beading needle provided..... I stuck with it because it is just so sweet. So here she is, the photo doesn't do her justice as you can't see the depth created by the beads.

Then just this evening I have finished my Carol Singer that I want to make into an ornament for mom and dad's tree. Again the photo doesn't really show the white glittery snowflakes and the snowy ground!

Last week was also Enchanted Mermaid week, as I was busy with the Fairy I didn't get so much done on this one. I worked on the top right hand corner..... another cherub now exists!

This week I have had to slot my Family Tree back in it's old place on the rota because I just haven't worked on it. So I will aim to get some done during daylight hours. Otherwise I have dug out the Ballerina I have been working on for Becky for a couple of years. I got very bored with this, especially stitching on the dark blue fabric. I also wasn't sure how much I liked the way it was turning out but I think it is one of those pictures that looks much better at a distance than close up. So I am going to aim to finish it by Christmas for her. Here she is so far and actually there isn't a huge amount left to do.

Hope everyone has a good week with lots of stitching time!!

Ginnie x

Henry's legs

Just a quick update to show off Henry and his newly acquired legs! I didn't spend much time stitching on Saturday so I was determined to get his legs all done last night. I worked until 11pm but I did it. In fact all of Jane Seymour is now complete as most of her dress hides behind Annes. And Henry just has a small piece on his jacket left to do.... then he'll be complete too!

I thought I'd had a bit of a cold last week, but that was only a sample..... today I have a lovely cold!! My head is splitting and my throat is sore, I am in work but can't wait to get home and go to sleep! Looks like I won't be stitching much tonight then, which is a shame as it's back to The Mermaid this week and I have also found a fabulous Santa picture in the new World of Cross Stitching I would love to do!

Hope everyone else is ok, seems a lot of colds etc about at the moment.

Ginnie x