*!~# Blooming Cottage !#~*....

I have officially hung up my hard hat and refuse to do anymore construction work!!! The air was blue here on Monday night as I tried to get the blooming roof on my cottage. The instructions said to lace around the plastic canvas like the side walls.... all well and good, but then you have to bend the roof piece to fit on the cottage walls. But when you do that the lacing becomes slack and hangs down!? So I thought I'll just try to stitch it anyway..... couldn't hold it straight, couldn't work out how to stitch it, nearly threw it out the window!! So eventually I stuck some felt over the laced back then glued it to the walls, left it over night then glued the base on too. And in the end it looks ok...... You can see the felt overhanging the roof a little but never mind. I love the bugle beads I bought to put on the edges. I don't think I'll be making another.... well not yet anyway!!

I only did a bit of stitching last night, some of the rose (nearly done) and some of a new little heart ornament that was in the latest Cross stitcher magazine... pictures to follow.

Tonight was our Stitching Club's Christmas meal out. We went to a local pub for a lovely carvery, there were 13 of us all together and we had a good laugh and a very nice time. I wore my new pink coat I bought last week, Stuart took a few photos of me and here is one of the half decent ones!!

I am really tired now though so no stitching just off to bed soon. Stuart has a meal out tomorrow with his teaching friends so I will hopefully get some stitching done then.

Ginnie x

Ornaments on my tree.

I thought I would show you some of the things I have hanging on my tree that I have stitched over the years.

I think the Robin one needs something around the edge, I may put a gold bead border around it.

The next 2 are angels, one is stitched and one is with beads.

I managed to get some stitching done at the weekend. Firstly I have completed the stitching on the roof for my cottage, tonight I will lace it around the plastic canvas and attach to the walls!! This looks the trickest bit as the roof has to overhang so attaching it will be awkward. I will hopefully show the end result on my next posting.

I also worked on Mom's rose and that is almost done, just a bit more around the leaves, again I'll show this next time.

What I did finally finish stitching is the individual placecards for Christmas dinner! I just have to back them on cards now. I want to do the table runner and napkins for next year..... but not just yet! I used a red varigated thread which I think looks nice.

This week I will work on what I feel like..... I think Lest We Forget may come out again and Dusky Dreams.... who knows.

Ginnie x

Busy week..... little stitching!

I have done very little sewing so far this week as I have been very busy!!! Monday night was our Parent Support group meeting at school, when we got back I managed just a small bit of cottage stitching. Tuesday night was Christmas Tree sorting and decorating, which took a while so again just a little bit of roof was done later in the evening. Here are some tree pictures... very difficult to capture on a photo but it does look pretty. Need to hurry up with the cottage I have picked a spot for it to go near the top.... will aim to finish it this weekend!

Wednesday night I met up with my friend Stacey and we had a drink and a good gossip, so no stitching what so ever.

Thursday night I went Christmas shopping again as M&S had a 20% off day and I wanted a new coat/jacket I had seen there. It is lovely - bright pink..... will have to take a picture when I wear it! The queues were bad so it took longer than expected, when I returned I did some of mom's gift stitching. Here is the progress on this -

It is a pretty red rose to go in a compact mirror.... I must work hard on this but I am finding it slow going as it is on very small count material! Again I aim to finish over the weekend!

We were supposed to be back at the school tonight to help with the production set painting... but I am so tired of not being at home this week.... and I have been very busy at work that we have decided to give it a miss. Also Becky is unwell, she has the cold that Laura had last week. I do feel gulity about not going to help as they rely on us as so few others get involved.... but we can only do so much. So instead I want to have a nice "stitching in front of my new TV night".

I am abandoning my rota for December also and will just stitch on whatever I feel like....... I may even start Pirates Creed. Stuart has ordered me some stuff for Christmas from Sewandso...... how exciting... can't wait to see what he picked (I did give him a rough idea of what I may like!!!)

Well now I better go and feed Marshall he is hanging around wondering when his tea is coming.

Have a happy stitching weekend....

Ginnie x

Here's Henry.

Here is my update picture of Henry. I spent a lot of time on him last night, I was really enjoying working on him. I still think his head looks small but it is like that on the picture. His right shoulder and arm are complete, and his 3rd wife, Jane Seymour, is just emerging in the green and blue at the edge of his arm.

Yesterday afternoon we went TV shopping as our TV was playing up and we've had it a long time. We have had a new 32" flat screen Samsung TV and a new stand. It looks really nice.

Tonight I have a meeting at school, then I am out on Wednesday with friends and Thursday evening going shopping with the girls, so stitching will have to be slotted in between. I want to finish off my placecards (never did any of the last one this week), finish mom's gift (slow progress) and complete the roof on the cottage.

Many thanks for all your wonderful comments as usual, they make me feel very honoured that my stitching is appreciated!

Ginnie x

Building in progress

Who would have thought building a little cottage would be so time consuming!! I have spent all afternoon on my little construction.... the lacing of the sides around the plastic canvas took the longest. I have just finished stitching all the sides together and I have had enough for today! I am very pleased with the results, I don't think I have ever stitched any thing like this, but it is turning out ok. I have to finish stitching the roof next, then I can attach that. The base is just red felt (again laced around the plastic canvas) and then I have to attach the long bugle beads at the sides and a hanger on the top!

Here are the 2 side views -

I realised on Wednesday night though that I had made a big mistake on it.... and I blame the poor light at my house. The green back stitch lines were actually dark blue on the chart... which stood for the silver not the green.... so it should be more sparkly than it is... but I like it any way!

Otherwise I have been working on Henry still, he now has a complete head and half a hat!! Mind you I think his head looks tiny in comparison to his body, but it probably was - he was a big chap!!

I am working on his right shoulder now and aim to work towards stitching some of a wife for him next!!!!

No pictures until Sunday/Monday of him I'm afraid.... you'll just have to wait.

It is very cold here today, I went into town with mom this morning and we caught the bus!! I was frozen when I got home. Managed to get some wrapping paper and cards so can get some presents wrapped soon and start on my Christmas card writing next week!

Stuart brought a bread maker with some of his birthday money and he is cooking his first loaf now.... urm it smells nice, good job it is nearly dinner time as the smell is making me very hungry.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Ginnie x

Santa knitting.

No I haven't been knitting this is my mom's work.... but he is staying at my house this Christmas!! He is a lovely cute Santa that Mom has just completed from a pattern in a knitting magazine. She intended to do two, one for me and one for herself..... but she didn't enjoy the stitching together part. So I get this one and she may do another for herself next year.

Laura got on well at her orthodontist appointment on Monday. She will need a lot of "brace" work but he seemed confident that they could get her teeth sorted. She will be called back around February time where they will start on her bottom teeth, take 2 out due to over crowding and then fit a brace. Then they'll work on her top teeth. Her bottom lip at the moment sits behind her top teeth so it doesn't help the problem, they hope it will fall back into it's proper place when her top teeth move back! Long job and she is nervous but she really wants to sort her teeth. She is having a tough week, she went down with a sore throat on Monday too, she has battled on at school then today she had her Grade 3 piano exam, which she was also very nervous for. Now she thinks she messed it up and has failed!!!

Mom and I had a nice Christmas shopping trip on Monday, I think I have most presents sorted now... just the wrapping to do!!

No stitching pictures I'm afraid, Stuart has nicked my camera for school.... blooming cheek!! I have told him I want it back tomorrow..... Henry now has a bit of face to go with his beard and some more of his blue tunic is finished. I have also finished another placecard, just one more to do now.

Ginnie x

Back in the land of blogging.

I am finally back with a posting, it has been a busy week and I am very tried tonight but just had to get something on my blog! We didn't go to the cinema in the end on Thursday night as we realised we would have trouble parking as the cinema is at the shopping centre and Peter Andre was there that night switching on the Christmas lights!! so we gave it a miss!! I spent ALL DAY Friday cleaning, dusting, sorting, hoovering every little space etc...by the evening I ached all over, would have been an easier day at work!!! Saturday was lovely, it is nice to have a get together and see everyone you don't get to see that often. I was worried we would run out of space if everyone came at the same time but people came in spread out intervals!! Our last 2 friends left at 10pm and I went to bed not long after!!! Here's a picture of the birthday boy and his daughters!!!

This afternoon we finally made it to the cinema to see the Bond film. It was ok but too much fighting and shooting for me.... but of course that's what Bond is like I'm just not a big fan. Stuart enjoyed it though and it was his birthday treat... so that's ok.

As for any stitching I managed some on Friday night. I suddenly realised I needed to get a card done for my Auntie whose Birthday is this Thursday, I was going to do a Decoupage one but really wasn't in the mood. So I found a small All Our Yesterday's girl I had started and forgotten about and spent the rest of the evening finishing that. Here it is.

She has been feeling very down this week, she starts her radiotherapy on 1st Dec and has to go every day for treatment until Christmas Eve. She rang my mom to say she hadn't had chance to Christmas shop and would send us the money instead. I think we all just want her to concentrate on getting well again.

I also have 3 sides of the cottage done, here is a side wall and the other gable end..... one more side and the roof then I get to start the "putting together"!!!

Next week I will work on Henry again and carry on with my mom's gift (I have only done a tiny bit!) and try to do the last side of the cottage.

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with blog reading I'll try to catch up next week. Tomorrow I am taking Laura for her first Orthodontic appointment at the hospital then Mom and I are off Christmas shopping, I go back to work on Tuesday.

Ginnie x