February 2013 TUSAL

Love is in the air!!  

Happy Valentines everyone.... albeit a day late

Hello everyone!  Yes, I know I have been missing in action for a month.... my last post was my January TUSAL post... goodness me the days continue to fly by...   Not only haven't I been playing on my blog, but I also haven't been spending much time on catching up on my blog reading or emails.  Work has been so full on since Christmas/New Year - normally at night when I get home the last thing I want to do is get on the laptop... instead I play on my iPad! We have found a new game that has been a little bit all consuming... but I have now made a big decision... no more gaming at night - stitching and posting is what I should be doing...  Lets see if I can keep that promise :o)

ORT Report

Late as usual....
This month's little ORT's have come from two secret stitchings and also my little MS Summer Cat that is slowing limping along...

One secret stitching is currently on its way half way around the world and the other is almost ready to go on it's journey.... destination unknown as yet ;o)  Once they arrive I will do the full show and tell.

February 2013 TUSAL

Well dear readers, that's it for another ORT report.  If you are interested in keeping in touch with what is going on with the 2013 TUSAL pop on over to Daffycat's blog and join in the fun.  The next new moon is on 11 March so let's see how many more ORT's drop into the jar between now and then.

Now for some stitching updates....

MS SAL Updates
SAL #3 Cool Cats - well as mentioned previously, Summer cat is slowly limping along.  I will get this finished eventually!!

MS Cool Cat - Summer as of 15.02.13

SAL #4 Puppy Love - oops, not started yet....  I did have every intention of starting my puppies before the start of February... but instead I stitched a secret gift and started my MS exchange stitching instead.

So you think you might need an excuse to stitch this weekend.... no, probably not, but let's pretend that we do need an excuse... it's that time of the month again!

IHSW 15-17 February 2013
Woo hoo, here we are again... another IHSW.  I wonder if I will manage to actually get some serious stitching done this weekend.  So what will I be stitching?

Hopefully I will be able to tackle the following:

• Finish off the exchange piece and box it up ready to send
• Start Puppy Love
• Stitch a bit more on Summer kitty

If you would like to join in the stitching weekend, pop on over to Joyce's blog, say hello and sign up.

Til the next new moon in March 2013, happy stitching and may your collection of ORT's keep on growing!

Now before I go, who wants to see a picture of our puppy love - Mitzi?

A few weeks ago Mitzi had a play date with your Mum, brother and sister. They had the best of times!  It took Mitzi a little while to get into play time with the other three, but towards the end she was having the best of times.  They will be all getting together again soon - I bet Mitzi can't wait :o)

Mitzi with her brother and sister
(L-R Marley, Milly and Mitzi)

Mitzi has taught herself a new trick.... or rather she has started copying Felix - jumping on the kitchen chairs.  Luckily she hasn't graduated to the table yet!!  She so thinks she is a cat sometimes...

Where's my dinner?

Well, that's about it for this little update....  Have a wonderful weekend everyone, see you again soon!

New Moons - 2013

11 March
10 April
10 May
8 June
8 July
6 August
5 September
5 October
3 November
3 December

January 2013 TUSAL

Hello!  It's that time of the month again... actually that time of the month was a week ago and I am so very late getting my ORT report out.....  but I'm here now!

January 2013 TUSAL

I am using the same jar again this year.... Mr Frog is still here doing his best to keep away the other nastier versions of his species :o)

There appears to be a lot of threads in that jar for the first ORT report but most of them are the green threads from when I was doing some beading around one of my secret stitchings in December.... three needles and lots of broken metallic Madeira thread later and the beading was done....  I am so glad that I kept on with the beading as at the end of the day the finished ornament looks lovely - I hope you agree - here she is....

Seraphina (DMC)
Cross Stitcher, Christmas 1998

I stitched this lovely little Christmas mouse for Valerie from Fee le point. Valerie adores mice... so when I was thinking about what to stitch as a little Christmas gift for Valerie I remembered that I had this adorable Seraphina card/kit in my must stitch stash.  As you will notice I have had this little mouse in my stash for a very long time.... since 1998!  She was just waiting for the right person to come along to be stitched for.

Seraphina was a very quick stitch, and she was so lovely to stitch.  Love the greens of her coat.  After raiding hubby's fabric stash I found this lovely green holly fabric to back the ornament with, and then beaded the edges, added the bells, charms, bows and hanger.  I am so pleased with how this little Christmas ornament turned out.... Seraphina arrived safe and sound in France and Valerie adores her.

My other secret stitching went to Nia from Caixinha de Pirlimpimpim.

Kokeshi doll - designer Lucie Heaton
Cross Stitcher,  Issue 223, March 2010

Isn't this little lady just adorable?  Stitching this little Kokeshi was such a delight.  The colours are so bright and cheery and the design was a very quick and easy stitch. I just love the colours and I so had to make some little beaded pins to put in her hair!  Again I raided hubby's fabric boxes and found this piece of gorgeous fabric that he used when he made his "Window into Egypt" wall hanging.  Nia adores Kokeshi dolls so this design was the perfect thing to stitch for her.  Little Kokeshi arrived safe and sound in Portugal and Nia loves her.

So besides the threads from these two delightful little secret gifts what other threads are in the ORT jar?

Well, also in the jar there are some threads from the MS Cool Cat - Summer.  I started "Summer" a couple of weeks ago but he is a bit slow going - its all the white....  I don't know why it is but my white stitches never look nice...  Does anyone else have that problem?  "Summer" is the last Cool Cat in the MS Lovers Blog SAL #3.

Progress photo - Cool Cat - Summer
Designer: Margaret Sherry

As the white has been annoying me I have been alternating "Summer" with a small freebie "Lickle Ted" kit.  This one has some white in it but not enough to annoy me too much...

Progress photo - Lickle Ted Freebie
Cross Stitch Crazy

Once "Summer" is finished it will be time to start on the next MS Lovers Blog SAL.  For this one we will be stitching Margaret Sherry's "Puppy Love".

If you are interested in joining in the fun then drop on over to the MS Blog and have a look at the post explaining all the details.  This SAL will last the whole year with monthly check ins at the beginning of each month starting February.

As well as the new SAL for 2013 Nia has also posted the Exchange calendar for the year.  The first one is for Easter and I think I have already found the perfect design.  But I still need to think about how to "finish" it....


Well dear readers, that's it for another ORT report.  See you all again next year... Pop on over to Daffycat's blog if you are interested in keeping in touch with what is going on with the 2013 TUSAL.

Til the next new moon in February 2013, happy stitching and may your collection of ORT's keep on growing!

New Moons - 2013

10 February
11 March
10 April
10 May
8 June
8 July
6 August
5 September
5 October
3 November
3 December

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope that 2013 is a good one for you all.  

I wish you health, wealth and happiness and lots of fabulous stitching!

As 2013 starts I have been thinking back over 2012.  We had a real up and down year.... the highs were our trip to Hong Kong and getting Mitzi, but the real low of the year was losing Daisy.

Stitching wise I managed to stitch more than I did the year before... just!!  I didn't quite get all my stitching goals completed, but that's ok I just moved them onto the 2013 list....

So what did I manage to stitch in 2012?  All of these gorgeous designs... As you will no doubt notice most of  the designs that I stitched last year were Margaret Sherry designs or kitty designs!!

In 2012 I managed to stitch 29 designs.  I put the final stitches into my MS Santa on New Year's Eve!  Most of my stitching in 2012 I made into cards and some I even managed to make up into pillows or ornaments, but some are still waiting to be "finished".

I do have three more finishes to show you... but two haven't as yet arrived at their destinations so I will leave them and my MS Santa for another post.

One final piece of stitching that I was hoping to get finished by the end of 2012 was the last of the Margaret Sherry Cool Cats Summer - but I didn't quite get there.  That will be my first goal for 2013.  Once I have stitched that one I will then "finish" Winter, Spring and Summer into pillows.

So what are my stitching goals for 2013....

1. Stitch more than I did in 2012
2. Start another Chatelaine (and hopefully finish it!)
3. Finish Bonsai and Buddha - this has been a UFO/WIP for at least 12 months.....
4. Stitch a Halloween design - I have never stitched one and I absolutely love them especially the Lizzie Kate designs
5. Stitch either Christmas cards or ornaments for 2013

No doubt this list will change over the year... like life my To Do Lists are very fluid!!

I will leave you with a couple of photos of our little Mitzi.  She is now 6 months old and was recently sterilised... trying to keep her quiet after the operation was not exactly easy... She has recovered really well and is back to normal - getting into puppy mischief!!

Mitzi on Christmas Day

Mitzi emptying her toy box!!

Til next time, happy stitching and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Faith makes all things possible

Hope makes all things work

Love makes all things beautiful

May you have all three for this Christmas

Merry Christmas to all

Merry Christmas **  Feliz Natal **  Joyeux Noel

Buone Feste Natalizie  **  Feliz Navidad

Wishing you peace, love and joy this Christmas season

Winter Exchange - Part 2

I'm back again... two posts in two days.... think that is probably a bit of a record for me!

Yesterday I told you about the exchange ornament and package that I sent to Rita as part of the MS Lovers Blog Winter Exchange.

Today I will show you what arrived in my mail box on Friday all the way from Francesca in Florence, Italy.

I am totally blown away by what I received from Francesca.  I am still in shock by what was in the big box that arrived.... I have been completely and utterly spoilt.

Package of goodies from Italy

Isn't this just amazing....  Francesca stitched the "Trimming the Tree" tree skirt for me.... One of my favourite designs and the full design of what I stitched for my exchange.  You can see the little hedgehog at the end that I stitched for Rita.... Think there must have been some sort of intergalactic telepathy going on here!!

I just love this tree skirt!  I love the way that Francesca has finished it off the little ties and the Christmas ribbon across the top.  Just gorgeous!!!

"Trimming the Tree" tree skirt from Francesca

Francesca also included some other lovely ornaments, a calendar and a little stocking full of goodies....

More goodies....
Francesca said in her note that the little stitched heart is a thank you
for the pixie gift I sent her a few months ago...

Also in the packages Francesca included some red and green fabric and some lovely red and green thread....  and in the stocking there were these gorgeous buttons and charms...

Aren't these just the cutest buttons & charms....
The snowman paper clip was attached to one of the packages

And then to top it all off... there was also this lovely Lizzie Kate chart and a reindeer pot holder....

Adorable.....

I am completely lost for words to receive this most amazing and beautiful exchange package from Francesca.  I can't begin to express how I felt when I saw what was inside the box.  I have to admit that I had tears in my eyes when I was opening the packages....  Francesca, you have spoilt me rotten.. and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your friendship and for this most wonderful gift.

I have displayed all these wonderful gifts on the desk with the other Christmas stuff that we have out at the moment.  You will notice that I now have an ornament tree on the desk... Hubby and I saw this when we were out on Friday... and I thought that I must have it to display the lovely ornaments that I received.

Our Christmas display for 2012

Time to go again.... with today being Christmas Eve it won't be long til the man in the red suit comes sliding down chimneys and leaves package for all the little children.

Til the next time we meet Merry Christmas to all