What a week

This week I have mainly been trying to crochet. I have never done it before but I thought it would be a good idea to learn as I could then crochet the hats for the girls for Christmas. I have decided to give it up as a bad job though lol here are the more recognisable attempts at it.

 

 

As you can see not great, I am struggling to get the tension right. 

Don't get me wrong I won't give up trying to do it but I just don't think that I have time to master it and get everything done for Christmas. Maybe next year crochet gifts will feature heavily...but then maybe not lol.

In other news, I have been suffering this week with migraines and so haven't done much else.

In cross stitch I have finished Santa,

Day 2

 Day 3

 Before the magic of back stitch

 With the magic of back stitch

I have also had some help with my Christmas stitching from my other half, 

 However, I can't use it bless him as he has not kept the stitches in the right way :(

But I think you can agree, that he did a fantastic job for a beginner.

I have started a Boofle piece that I got with a copy of World of Cross Stitch magazine. Here he is,

Though I forgot to buy the ecru colour I need for the piece so will work around it until I need to buy some new threads. As I'm sure I have said before I refuse to but a single thread as it costs too much lol.

I have also completes Kerry's scarf for Christmas,

This looks great. but it took longer to do hers than the other two put together. It is a basic garter stitch scarf so I can't understand why. It also used up a full ball of yarn where the other two only used up half. How strange.

Anyway, off to try get some more bits made, speak soon.

Double update

I haven't done much on 'The Wedding' over the last two days as  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  and Jade have been doing 'their bit'. It almost killed me letting them take over, I was not a happy bunny lol. Here they are giving it a go.

Thing is  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  really got into it and continued for a couple of hours, while I sat twiddling my thumbs.

Here is the result at the end of Friday

And this is it at the end of Saturday

As you can see, there is more of the white at the top done (that's all I would trust  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  to do without supervision lol.  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  managed around 150 stitches in 2 and 1/2 hours)

We took the girls to the cinema on Saturday to see Top Cat, they do a family special film where it costs just £1 per person (of course if you are like me you will sign up on line and get yourself a further 10% discount)

The younger girls loved it, Jade not so much and I fell asleep half way through.  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  was my pillow lol.

When we got home from the cinema we were greeted by these

Jessica liked the yellow one Emily liked the orange one. We made flags with them here are the girls doing just that.

 

 In other news Kerry has finished her cross stitch. She is very proud of it and I must say for her first one she has done very well. 

Can't wait for her to give it to Jade as she is so excited about it. 

I have also joined a group that takes photos of their waste jars, so you will see the label TUSAL and a picture like this.

For more information about what this is about then go here to read up more about it.

Anyway off now to cook a Sunday dinner! woohoo getting excited about it how sad am I?

Speak soon x

Family cross stitch day

The girls and I have been working together again today on our cross stitches, I love how my hobby has sparked their interest too.

Here they are ready for bed still stitching away. In fact they were so excited to get back to their stitching that bath time was a breeze they wanted to be in and out as fast as they could.

Jessica is 'finishing' a project started 3 years ago by our former lodger. I won't be finishing it off and so I gave it to Jess. She wants to get up early in the morning to finish it off.

Emily is putting colours on in her own style. You can see at the top in the green she is getting the hang of doing the actual crosses to make up a stitch. Once she understands this part I can move her on to an actual chart so she ends up with a finished 'proper' picture.

And last but not least, Kerry is doing a butterfly as a gift for Jade, who is coming over on Wednesday. She is really wanting to get it completed in time for the big arrival.

In fact all the girls  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  are excited to see Jade again. It's strange not to see her everyday. 

As for me, my stitching had had to take a back seat, as I have been helping the girls with theirs. Though Kerry is now getting really good at threading her own needle, I still have to help her occasionally. Jessica however, needs her needle rethreading after virtually every stitch lol. Emily just needs hers doing at each colour change.

Here is how 'The Wedding' is coming along.

This is a closer version of the one on the right.

I still haven't had any guesses for the 'prize stitch' here it is again for guessing. Just put your guess in the comments box!

Jessica is going to my Mum's for a couple of nights tomorrow, wonder what we will end up doing without her. The way it's going they will just want to stitch all day lol. Speak soon xx

Another Sunday another family bike ride

As it is Sunday, we all went to MIL's for our dinner. Once again we rode our bikes, we started off as a family but soon became two parties as Emily's front tyre got a flat.  (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH)  took Emily home and sorted out her tyre. They arrived 15 full minutes after us, ha ha slow coaches. At least we got the ride home all together.

I was looking through some of my stitchy stash that had been squirrelled away. I found some great stuff, and am excited to get going with it again. Here is what I found.

I also found some finished stitches that I had forgotten about have a look at these.

I can't remember who I did these for originally, so I will have to think of someone to give them to and get them cleaned and framed up.

Nice when you have a find like this, don't ya think??

Once I found my stitchy stash, I got started straight away on this one.

First person to tell me what this will be when it is finished gets to have it!!!

Get guessing in the comments box!

No update on 'The Wedding' as I was busy with the prize stitch, I will do some more on it tomorrow though I promise lol.

Off to bed now for me, speak soon x

Play and problems.

We had Harvey come to visit us again today, so we made more play dough (see earlier post for how to do it) they spent hours playing with it. Here they are enjoying making rabbits and biscuits etc, 

You also get two updates of 'The Wedding' cross stitch, I missed an update yesterday with it and so I am doubling up today as I got quite a lot done over the last two nights. On the left, is last nights update where there is around 1000 stitches, and on the right is tonight's with just over 2500.

Told you I'd managed to get quite a lot done, tomorrows update might not have as much done as Saturdays is my cleaning day, and I generally end up with just an hour or two to stitch at the end of it lol.

It may be just me, that I have been looking at it so long that I see things that aren't there, but I can see the brides hair and neck Her face is yet to be completed, but I am not sure which way to go with the pattern, Page 1 of the chart is now almost complete. So, my question to you is should I go across the image, which would complete both the bride and grooms heads, or do I go down, and start work on the flowers and the dress??

If I go down I will feel as though I have gotten more of the picture completed as there is a lot of block colour on both the background and the dress, with a little colour alteration for the flowers. If I go across, it will take me longer to get a 'result'. I know that I will have to do the exact same stitches to complete the full piece, but do I do all the colour changes and detail now and get it over with but feel I'm making slow progress, or do I save it up to do at the end when I am getting ready for the piece to be finished, and then maybe getting frustrated as it is taking too long to do the final bits. Does this make sense to you?? Any advice will be appreciated :D

Anyway, to bed with me now and speak to you all soon. I will be waiting for the emails to come through about which direction I should take lol. Signing off now xxx.

Not so lazy Sunday

We went to my MIL's again today for our Sunday dinner. The girls and I rode our bikes again. (this section has been removed as it mentions my OH) This is them working on it together.

Kerry wanted to help out but Jessica..... well she wanted to sing and dance.

The finished truck looked like this.

Emily so far has not stopped playing with it.

While they were doing this I was getting on with my cross stitch, I am quite pleased with myself as it is now nearly done woohoo.

I just have a day left of stitching the white of the polar bears bodies and then a day or so of backstitching and it is then done. Here it is...

The only problem is, with all the rest being white you won't really be able to tell when I have done it :( I will still post it just in case, well I know how riveting it is to read this trying to keep up to date with what I'm doing lol.

The first week of school holidays is now over and so far we have spent a grand total of £0.50 on entertaining the kids. Everything we have done has either been free or we have already had the stuff in the house to do it with. I am a firm believer in not spending on your kids but instead spending time with them. This week my girls have learnt a great deal (even though they didn't notice as they were having so much fun doing it.)

For example, they have been measuring ingredients for the play dough, they have let their creative side out making the ball game, they have been practising with their hand eye co ordination by playing the games we made, patience, counting, hand eye co ordination and using their fine motor skills with the cross stitch. They even got plenty of exercise playing on the park.

I would much rather be doing this with my kids than allowing them unlimited electronics time. Don't get me wrong, they love to play on the computer, watch T.V and listen to music. I just make sure they have plenty of other stuff to keep them busy and their minds engaged.

Sorry, that sounds a bit preachy, but I am very happy with my lot.

Any way time for bed again speak to you soon xx