Little Ballerinas

Oh I let 2 weeks pass by.... whoops. Problem is I load photos onto our old PC..... and it is very old and slow. So I avoid going on it unless I have time to hang around and wait for it to load etc. Instead I borrow Stuart's work laptop on week evenings to catch up on my Facebooking !

Since my last posting I have had another birthday... didn't do much, booked the afternoon off work and did some stitching.

Then on Wednesday Laura and I went to visit Nottingham University again, she loves it here and has now firmly accepted the place and booked her accomodation. Just needs to get ABB grades in her A levels.

Becki has her audition at Bedford University on the 14th, so if that goes well they will both be sorted.

So here is my update of the Christmas Window, the man in the window is coming along well now.

I have put this away again now for a while.... others to work on.....

I also started Little Ballerinas, this is the one I am doing for Becki's dance teacher for when she leaves in July. Not a lot to show yet.... lots of whites and pinks...

I am still working on this so will update again next time.

I need to start a few small pieces for cards again, another forever friends teddy for one of Becki's friends and then something for the girls for their 18th. I have also spotted a new one in the latest Cross Stitch magazine which is of a Roman Goddess.This is stitched on black fabric but I am keen to give it a go!

Happy stitching

Ginnie xx

Good enough to eat

I finished my Liquorice Allsorts jar for Becki, don't they look lovely? It makes me feel like eating some when I see it. Becki has a tin in her room that we have to keep topping up with allsorts ! I now need to stitch it onto her blanket.

I also dug out one of my WIPs this week - the Christmas Window one. I have been working on this 2 years now and think I ought to try to get it finished for this Christmas. Once I picked it up again I enjoyed stitching on it and aim to work on it all week. I have done more though as I have had 2 days off work, but now I go back tomorrow and therefore will have less stitching time. This is how it looked last week -

Lastly here is my Valentine's card for Stuart. I normally stitch one but didn't have time this year with all the 18th birthday cards I had to make. So I made a decoupage one instead. I was pleased with the end result.

Laura had her interview at Reading University last week and has been offered a place there too. She thinks though that Nottingham is still her favourite but will pick Reading as her "insurance" place as they require lower grades. We visit Nottingham again in a couple of weeks. Becki too has now heard from one of her Universities and has an audition at Bedford in March. This is her favourite one so let's hope the end result of this audition is more positive than the Dance School ones.

Today we have had a family portrait photo session. We will get one free family print and then will buy one of just the girls. So looking forward to seeing how they turn out.

Happy stitching

Ginnie xxx

Some you may not have seen for a while !

I thought I would post a couple of photos of WIPs that I haven't posted on here for a while. Both of which I worked on over Christmas.

This one is my Christmas Window, slow but sure progress here. New aim to finish for Christmas 2011. There is still a lot of brown to do on this one..... but I am loving how it looks.

Then "My Needle's Work", I had forgotten all about this one until I sorted some bags of stitching out. I would like to get this finished soon also!

Lastly a small finish, a little baby Eeyore, a freebie from a magazine. Eeyore is my favourite Pooh charactor.... so I couldn't resist! Not sure what I am going to do with him now.

I have started making my friend's 40th birthday card which I'll show you next week. I am also taking part in a Valentine Card exchange on a Cross Stitch forum..... I have picked which design I want to do so must start it soon, as well as doing Stuart a card too !

Until next time
Ginnie x

A few bits

I don't seem to have much to show at the moment. My stitching mojo keeps coming and going! It has not helped that I haven't been feeling 100% recently, but I won't bore you with the details at the moment! I have also been out a few times, meeting friends etc, which has been lovely but effected my stitching also.
So firstly here is my Christmas Window, I think it has been a while since I showed this. It still has a long way to go. I have been working on the lady's red coat and the red doll's house. It will be lovely when it is done but I think that'll be sometime next year.... there is so much brown that is boring!

Here's another little start that has been on my "to do" list for a while. You can probably guess from the small part I have done that it is an All our yesterdays. It will have 3 girls and a dog on looking at a pier. This was in one of my magazines last year.

And finally just another charity square, this was a really quick stitch for the "robots" theme.

Everyone in my house are on summer holiday now, which is fun. I leave them a job list as I come to work and they sort of attempt it! We go on holiday in just under 2 weeks which I am looking forward too, I need the break!

Anyway until next time.

Ginnie xx

Recent stuff !

Not very original title today....... too tired to think ! I would have posted on Friday at work as I do recently....... but I seem to have managed to break the internet at work and the lads were too busy to look at it!! I hope it gets sorted tomorrow, I do need it quite a bit for actual work not just leisure !

Last week I finished the second Art Deco lady, so now I have 2 done but would like to do at least one more before I look into getting some matching frames etc.

Also a little late but my Lizzie Kate "May" flip it is finally finished. I haven't made it up into an ornament yet as my mom has borrowed the sewing machine, so this may not get hung up during May.... never mind. I will still start June soon..... although I think I will be running late on that one too at this rate!

The last few days I have worked on the Christmas Window stitching again. There is a lot still to do but it is certainly taking shape. The dog now has legs and the man has trousers !! I am glad I am enjoying this piece now as I wondered at first if it would turn into a UFO !!

I will try to work on my Family Tree again next week, my rota has fallen apart over the past few weeks but I am back on track now! I have also been stitching on the Forever Friends Christmas kit my Aunt left but I forgot to take a photo!

The girls GCSE time table starts next week, Laura has 3 exams and Becki has 2. Becki also took 2 dance exams today..... poor things, no wonder they are stressed out ! The reality that they are leaving school has struck home and even though they have had a tough term or two they suddenly don't want to leave !

Anyway, I am off for a soak in the bath..... hope you all have a good week.

Ginnie xx

My Easter week

Hope everyone had a good Easter. We had a very quiet Easter, we didn't do much or go anywhere. We have been having problems with the dog, he is getting very old now and struggles to get up etc. I get up nearly every night to get him up and let him out.... which makes me tired and he doesn't have a great quality of life anymore. So we think we need to make a big decision and take him to the vets... but it isn't easy. So that may happen over the Easter holidays while Stuart is off work! My one Auntie is also very ill in hospital, they are still trying to find out what is wrong.... so all in all we have had a rough week! On the positive side my one cousin and his wife, who live on the lovely island of Jersey, are expcting their first baby. They have been trying for ages and have had lots of problems, so this is great news.

As to my stitching I am pleased to say I finished my Art Deco Diva. Here is the end result and also a close up of her face and beads around her head dress.

I think I will get this framed, it is so pretty.

I also worked on my Christmas Window piece. I can finally say I am enjoying doing this one as it has started to take shape. I still don't think it'll be completed for this Christmas but I'll try my best. You can now see the ladies bag and her boots. There is just so much brown yet to do for the door etc..... that'll drive me mad, I'll have to try to do just a bit at a time.

This week I am working on my Family Tree again, I still hope to get this done by the summer. I find working on it makes my back ache though as it is on a large floor frame. So I do just short bursts at a time.

Anyway the weather seems to be improving here, which is nice. We are going to have a day out in Worcester on Saturday, go and look around the Cathedral and shops etc.

Have a good week.

Ginnie x

Not much stitching progress

Well I would have posted last night but I was so tired I did hardly anything! I had a lovely Birthday on Sunday and a greal meal out with my Aunt and Uncle for their Golden Wedding Anniversary.... but it all caught up with me yesterday. I didn't even attempt any stitching so I must have been tired!

Anyway here is a Birthday photo of me and my lovely girls all dressed up and ready to go out. My top was a present of my mom and dad!! I can't believe they are nearly as tall as me!!

And here is the framed All Our Yesterday's piece I made for the Golden Wedding Anniversary. My Aunt and Uncle really liked it.

We had our last ever School Parent's Evening last Thursday and the girls had a fabulous report as normal. Laura is doing exceptionally well in History (this is the subject she wishes to focus on in college). She was top of her year in their recent mock exams and we were really pleased to hear her teacher say she thought Laura had the ability to go to Oxford University to study History. We were very impressed!! It is now only 17 days until she hears about her place at King Eds...... I am getting more nervous as I hear of more pupils also trying to get a place. I know Laura will be broken hearted if she is not accepted.... but she should be, her grades are very good.

As to any stitching last week, well I was out quite a bit so my stitching suffered. Here is what I have to show for the Christmas Window........ not much more than last time. At least you can see the cute dog emerging now! I really think this will be a 2011 Christmas finish as this rate!

Back to the Family Tree this week, if I ever stop feeling tired.... it is being a year older.... I need more sleep now I am 43!!!

Until next time.

Ginnie xx

Christmas Window started

Well I started my Christmas Window piece but there isn't a lot to show yet! I think it is going take me more than 12 months for this one.... so maybe 2011 it'll be done!! You may be able to make out the bottom of the man's coat, some brown window frame and a red toy bus! Several people asked where the chart was from, I think I got back to you personally but if not it is from The World of Cross Stitching magazine issue 156.

I have also been working on a Somebunny square for my Charity, he is nearly finished. I have enjoyed working on him, he is so cute.

This week I have my Family Tree on the rota again but I also started an All our Yesterdays piece at Stitch club and want to finish it for the end of the month for my Aunt and Uncle's Golden wedding.

Stuart's job interview went well and although he didn't get the Co-ordinater's job he may still move there as a standard English teacher, so good news in the long run!

Becki finally had her acceptance letter from Halesowen College, and they had another open day on Saturday.... so we went around again and had a good chat to the dance teacher etc. Sadly some of the bullying has flaired up again..... I suppose it was wishful thinking that it should just go away. It is mainly only one girl now and Becki is trying to ignore it but I know she is counting down the days now until she leaves school, especailly as she has her college place sorted.

Stuart has flu at the moment, so I have had to nurse him over the weekend! I just hope I don't get it next!

Until next time, happy stitching.

Ginnie xx