First PIF arrives at its destination :o)

I was so pleased to hear that Joke has received her part of the PIF that I took part in! I chose things that had a nice Spring feel - it won't be long before the flowers grow again, and it gets warmer! How much I HATE HATE HATE having to scrape the ice off the car in the mornings!

Both are Mill Hill finishes - the fringes on the cushion were a first for me, but were actually really easy.

Christmas ornie!

At last something that I've stitched that I can put on my blog! Thank you all for the lovely comments about Bridie - poor thing is lying on a bean bag right now, under her duvet, as she has 'flu - and missing her nativity play today too.

Here's my December ornie for the ILCS Ornie SAL - I can't believe that I've actually managed to keep up with something!

Bridie's first Irish Dancing event

Oh dear, no post for so long - I have been stitching (in between working for my exams), but most of my finishes have been for other people, so I can't post details just yet - probably they will all arrive together lol, and there will be several posts on one day!!

However, I thought I'd post some pictures and a couple of video clips of Bridie's first Irish Dancing event - it was just a small show, mostly for parents, and although it had a competitive element, every child came away with medals, so it was lovely for her. She was the youngest there, and got the most 'aaah's on the whole. Some of the older children were fantastic - and a couple of the seniors are actually going to the World Championships in the US next year! Here she is - looking rather nervous!

Six things about me - I've been tagged!

My friend Mare Mare's Fiber Fun tagged me to share 6 things about me.

Here are the rules


1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

For those interested in learning a some obscure non stitchy things about me...

1. Like Mare, I LOVE backgammon, and my family won't play me, lol! At university I was vice-president of the Backgammon Association, and we beat Cambridge!! I'm not particularly skilled to be truthful, but seem to have wicked luck, shaking just the right throw when I need it!
2. For a year or two (again at university) I was on first name terms with Hugh Grant. But now of course I'm far too important to recognise him if ever I bump into him (lol!).
3. I have a complete, ridiculous fear of moths.
4. I love chocolate, love nuts, but HATE chocolate covered nuts.
5. I am studying accounts at college in my 'spare' time.
6. I was an only child, which is probably why I now have five children - always declared I would have no children or lots!

Now to try to find six people not already tagged, lol - most people I know have been tagged already...

I have tagged..

• Janaina The stitcher in the green bikini
• Vickie Reading and Stitching
• Karol Rosebud's Stitching
• Peg The Pegster
• Frishawn The Stitch-Mad Cow
• CJ Tea and Stitches

November ornament finished

I got my November ornament finished for the ILCS SAL - early for once!

Small Finished Exchange for Elaine

I've heard that Elaine received her Small Finished Exchange from me, so now I can post a photo! Her preference was for a design with an owl on it, but I totally failed to find something suitable - it's so hard to get anything unusual here in the UK, or else I'm looking in the wrong places. Luckily her second choice was snowmen, so I could stitch a Mill Hill kit - this one was really fun to stitch!

At last an update on my BoINK - it's coming along quite nicely now, although I'm not sure why I don't seem able to quite finish the blocks off, lol! Precisely three of the bigger blocks are completely finished, along with the three smaller ones. Also, you've probably spotted that a lot of the blocks have very little progress, or are not started, lol!

This photo was taken in quite strong sunlight, so it does look very washed out - the fabric is a much richer colour, and the colours are also much stronger.

I'm sort of trying to keep up with the new releases, the goal is to finish off two blocks for every one released - for the celic swirl that I've just done, I've also done the 'cross' immediately above it. The next release is one of the larger corner ones, so I'll just try to complete one of the ones that are almost there already.

October ornie finished!

I was worried that I wasn't going to get my October ornie done for the ILCS SAL - so did something quick. I don't normally stitch for Hallowe'en, but couldn't resist this, as it's another Mill Hill - I saw it stitched up by someone else, and when I knew that it was using the Kreinik 'glow in the dark' braid, I thought I'd give it a try. The beads are actually called 'rainbow', and are black, with multicolour reflections - as always, the photo just doesn't do them justice.

I have got another finish - also Mill Hill - but as it's part of an exchange, I won't post a picture until I'm sure it gets there.

Progress picture on my Chatelaine!

Thank you Nancy for asking - here's an update on my Chatelaine - I love stitching on it! I wasn't going to sew any beads on until I'd finished, but a few seem to have somehow crept on there...

This is my first Chatelaine, but I'm sure it won't be my last.

Mini Mystery Round Robin

Here's a piece that I've just finished for a mini mystery round robin - I went for a theme of 'exotic' birds - the first piece stitched was like this...

The piece is being stitched onto a teatowel - which I think is a fantastic idea, so that's certainly something I'll be trying in the future! This has taken me a few weeks to get around to stitching - I think I've just been enjoying my Chatelaine too much, lol!

Chatelaine Mini Mandala Mysery II

Well, lol, not a mystery so much now, by the time I started it, all pieces were published!!

I've been inspired by others working on these designs for ages - love the sparkles - but have felt quite daunted by the size of the pieces. So when I saw these 'Mini' Mandalas I decided to have a go - and realised that perhaps I CAN do a Chatelaine. I have a piece of fabric ready for the big Celtic Mystery, and might start it when I get this done. Alternatively I'll do the other Minis first. Here's my WIP so far - the metallic thread is there, but the beads and crystals aren't sewn on yet - will probably leave them until the end. I love the colours in this one, and the next one looks even better, so I've signed up to receive that too.

September SAL ornament

At last something finished, even if it IS small!! I got my ornament finished for the ILCS SAL - just in time. I've not been online much lately - we've got fairly major computer problems, the thing keeps on crashing - I think it is OK if there's only one process going on at once - so if I'm doing a virus scan, I can't do anything else - not great. Unfortunately it's not looking as if we can afford a new pc right now. What I'd like is my own laptop, but I think it's a dream for now!! Still, less online time means I get a little more time for stitching, and I've started on a tiny Chatelaine design - no photos yet, as I'll see how it goes before I update anywhere! Watch this space....

Two parcels received!

I've just received TWO exchange parcels!! The first was yesterday - my Celtic SFE from Vicky - a lovely pinkeep, in my favourite colours too!! The second was a bookmark exchange on CSRR - and Wendy was kind enough to enclose a little extra too! Thanks to both of you ladies!

Update on BoINK

Just an update on my progress on BoINK - I did get quite a lot done on the long car rides to and from The Netherlands - and got some stitching time in in the evenings, as our lodge actually had a dishwasher, lol! (Not a luxury we have at home, and I'm missing it so much!)

The Netherlands 2008

Well, just one week on it seems like a distant memory. Once again we had a wonderful time, staying in Eerbeek, Gelderland. The photo above was the view from outside our lodge - it was a wonderful location, and we have already booked for next year :o). We spent a lot of days just on the site at Landal - lots of playgrounds, lovely pool, and peace and quiet - also lots of squirrels, rabbits and birds. We visited a Water Museum, the Openluchtmuseum, Arnhem, Koningen Juliana Toren - a relatively small 'theme' park.

The strangest trip was a three part trip - starting on a steam train, then on a boat on the canal, then an ordinary service train. Lol, we got to the canal to discover that the boat had come to the end of its season the day before, so we had to spend the day in a small town with no transport, until the steam train returned to make its last run of the day back to our resort!! We got a refund, and in fact had some fun in Dieren, where we found a wonderful park for the children, and met some lovely people who were in the same boat as us - or rather NOT in the same boat as us!!

PIF!

I just signed up for my very 1st PIF!!!

I did it at Janaina's blog and I am so excited.

Now it's my turn to make my official annoucement.. So here we go:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don't know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week... LOL... but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog (or - in your life - if you happen to be blog-less).

Who reads my blog?

This was stolen from Meari. Frequent commentors, and lurkers alike... I'd *love* to hear from you! So who reads my blog??

1. As a comment on this post, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! And if we've never met in real life, leave me a comment of your favorite post I wrote and why it was your favorite.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually really funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Bookmark for Melanie

I know that Melanie has received it, so I can post a picture of the bookmark that I did for her - it's by Textile Heritage, and I enjoyed doing it, even though the backstitch took me ages!

Two parcels received!

Well, today was a bumper day for mail, as I received two lovely parcels - one I collected, as it arrived yesterday, and one was delivered.

The one from yesterday was from Carol in Oregon - what a lovely parcel. It was addressed to Teresa, as it contained a bookmark for her, and some hair bands. Teresa has TWICE been let down in a bookmark for kids swap, and was pretty upset about it. I offered to stitch on a tree skirt for Carol, and in exchange she offered to put together a parcel for Teresa - the bookmark is perfect for cat-loving Teresa, and the angel ornament is for me (part of a group exchange). NOT pictured is a set of US currency for each of my five children - they disappeared into their money boxes within about ten minutes of opening the parcel - with five children they take care of their treasures, lolol!

And now to the second parcel - a fridge magnet from JoAnn (kaghos) as part of a swap. The Bambi ornament is just perfect - we all love it - especially Bridie, my five year old! And there were some lovely threads with it - and last but certainly not least - a lovely little frog, who is now on our mantlepiece to frighten away other frogs. Though last night the children wanted to put him in the bath - they weren't allowed!

End of year presents

This year I made two presents for people at school. The first was for Shavina - the girl in Year Six who was Bridie's buddy. They have this system at our school, where a child in Year Six 'looks after' a new child to the school - sit by them at lunch, look after them in the playground, even sometimes hear them read. When it works, it's great. Bridie has just become such good 'buddies' with Shavina, and was so sad when Shavina left :o(. So I made her this cushion - just slightly adapting a Lizzie Kate design - substituting 'Buddies' for 'Friends'. She was so pleased!

And this is something that I made for the Year Six teacher - although she has never taught any of the children, she has really taken to Bridie, and has looked after her, and even given her little things - I suppose in honesty Bridie has been a 'teacher's pet', lol! She has left to take up a deputy head post in another local school, which is a shame, as she would probably have had Ruairi next year, and we were looking forward to that.

Fridge magnet exchange completed

Yesterday I heard that Kaghos has received the parcel that I sent her, so I can show the fridge magnet that I stitched for her - it's by Textile Heritage, probably my favourite kits for small finishes - they are such lovely quality, and such a good range of designs. This one has a matching keyring to do, that I've got my eye on.

London Duck Tour, August 2008

I decided that it would be a good idea to 'play tourist'. Funny really, but the children have visited London far less than I did as a child - probably because we live so close now (about fifteen miles), so don't bother as much. When I lived some distance away it was a big treat to go to see the sights! Also, in recent years, I've been a bit worried about the dangers of visiting the capital.

But then I saw the 'Duck Tour' advertised - a trip around the sights of London, first of all around the streets, then the amphibious vehicle takes to the water, and you get to see the sights from the river.

It was great fun - we all enjoyed it, even going on the train to and from London was an unusual event. I've taken loads of photos here...http://family.webshots.com/album/565152567uJNlOz

In a lot of them Eoin looks worried/unhappy - he didn't like being on the water at all.

Thought about going on 'The Eye', but the queue was horrendous - we will go back another day when we have got a pre-booked time. LOL, the children thought that the viewing pods didn't rotate, so you would be thrown upside down at the top!!