WIPS list

I just want to thank everyone who has left comments on the giveaway post so far. I haven't had the chance to email everyone individually (for some reason although I can access the Internet my email and bloglines are both playing up and I can't get on all the time). Anyway you are all in the draw :)

The only thing I have stitching wise to share today is my work in progress/to do list. On the work table this week are

• 20-30 mins a day on Siberian Gold
• Make progress on the hearts cushion
• Start cutting fabric for my row robin blocks
• Start set of postcards - theme cats :)
• Do some work in Steam sketchbook
• Continue Hang in there cross stitch UFO

Phew! I think that is more than enough to be getting on with. And just because I don't like posting without a picture here is a shot of Hector with his 'are you really pointing that thing at me again' face!

Silent Vigil begins

You can probably already guess from the lack of blog postings this week that there has been a serious lack of creativity going on at Angelcat Manor. I'm working on a new project at work which requires a lot of computer time and is really leaving me tired at the end of the day and over the weekend we had such great weather that I had to get out and tidy the garden.

Consequently the only thing that got done on my To Do List this week was that I started work on the cross stitch. I know a lot of people poo poo cross stitch and tapestry or any type of kit as not being too creative but when you don't have much time it's easy to pick up and add a few stitches too.

This one is not going to be quite so easy to chart the progress of as there is no gathering of kitties, lol. So here are before and after pictures of last weeks progress.
I've finished the planet to the left of the Tiger and added some stars to the background too. I'm starting to think that finishing Mum's projects is not always going to be straight forward.

• For starters I'm convinced that there must be part of the pattern pack missing, there is quite a lot of back stitching on the pattern but no indication as to colours on the key on the chart so I'm making it up based on the colour picture on the front of the kit.
• Also I'm really concerned that there are a few colours which will run out before I've finished the required stitching with them. This kit is called Silent Vigil and it's by Dimensions. They haven't given any colour reference numbers for any of the common brand floss just their own colour descriptions so I may have to try some blind colour matching.
• In this particular kit Mum seems to have used some poetic licence. There are no beads listed on the kit contents and no mention of them on the pattern. In fact the stars appear to be some sort of french knot (again they are not listed on the part of the chart that I have so again this leads me to believe I have something missing). Anyway for whatever reason Mum seems to have decided to add some beads. Actually I think they look pretty good, they add some extra texture and interest, and I've never combined cross stitch and beading before so it makes things a bit more interesting for me.

As for my To Do list well I completed two things which were to finish the kitty cross stitch and start on this one, everything else rolls over to this coming week with the addition of

• Start on mermaid project
• Continue with cross stitch

I've also decided that as the reason I keep going back to the cross stitch is that it is in handy kit form that I will this evening try and gather, as far as I can, the things on my to do list into little kits ready to be picked up and worked on at anytime, hopefully this will encourage me to do something different.

Only one more

Well here we are at the end of a pretty quiet weekend and trying not to get too depressed at the thought of a whole week at work ahead before the next weekend!


Still as each day passes I'm sliding back toward my pre-op routine which is good. I'm still working on catching up on the blog reading and have even made the decision to try and cut back on the number of blogs I have in bloglines which will hopefully give me more time to be creating things of my own.

Speaking of which yes you've probably already guessed from the title another kitty has been born.
I'm excited and sad all at the same time to think there is only one more left to do. Now I feel ready to start tackling the mammoth job of completing Mum's projects I'm anxious to get started so I don't think it will take me too long to get over the loss of not having this one to work on. I know there is at least one kitty kit to look forward to in Mum's stash too.


I have decided as part of the process of getting back into a proper routine I'm ready to resurrect my weekly to do lists. So without further ado here is my list for the coming week.

• Finish Kitty Cross stitch
• Finish ATC for Anna's washer challenge (this is way behind deadline)
• Work on Something Beginning with O (again way past deadline)
• Start work on Mum's Tiger cross stitch.
• Quilt one block of the red cats quilt

Well it's getting to be late evening here and I'm feeling pretty relaxed after sinking a bottle of Perry. I don't drink very often and everything is starting to look a little fuzzy round the edges, like this so I think it's time to call it a night. Hope you all had a great weekend.

Talking with Stitchers

Honestly I really do not know where the time is going to at the moment, even though the evenings are getting lighter the days seem to be getting shorter! Another week has gone by and I don't have much progress to show for it.

I have, though, spent a wonderful few hours today and yesterday in the company of other stitchers, so talking stitch has made up for my lack of progress on anything.

Yesterday I met up for the first time with Threadspider a blogger who also lives in Chippenham (isn't it funny how the blogging world connects us with people both near and far!). We had a lovely lunch and a good chat about our interests and the projects we are working on and I am very much looking forward to meeting up again next week. Here is a quick snap of the beautiful bunch of tulips that were gifted to me.

And here is a quick shot of the one bit of stitching that I did manage to complete this week an ATC, I made for Threadspider inspired by her recent visit to Cricklade's North Meadow here.

Today was a meeting of the Great Western Embroiderers which is always a lot of fun. We had Louise Watson as our guest speaker who was talking to us about sketchbooks. I've always been a big admirer of people who can work this way but my lack of drawing ability and fear of the blank page have always prevented me for having a go. Louise will be leading a sketchbooks workshop for us this weekend so hopefully this will give me a bit more confidence to start using them.

I just had to share a picture of the great badge that Shirley stitched for all of us committee members to wear. My machine is not one designed for embroidery so it always fascinates me to see things made from digitising designs.

As for my to do list for the week well I managed to only complete one thing which was the kitty added to the cross stitch. A few of the other things are in progress but nothing worth sharing a picture of yet. Here is my list for the coming week lets hope I get somethings ticked off this time!

• Finish N postcards
• Start O postcards
• Start April bag
• Make ATC for Anna's challenge

There are a few more things I'd like to add to the list but Saturday will be all day at the workshop so Sunday will probably be and out and about photography day with dh, so again I'm not really sure how much I will be able to get done.

Monday Mumblings

I don't have anything new to share with you today. Mondays is never a good evening, first day back at work blues combined with the clock change this weekend have left me feeling pretty tired.

As I have not a lot else to do today I thought I'd post my to do list for the week (yes I have gotten over last weeks huff and am going back to the list!)

• Make Something Beginning with N postcards
• Make ATC for Anna's washer challenge
• Start BQL April bag
• Start April TIF (I'm hoping to get started on this one straight away this month to make sure it gets done)
• Add another kitty to the cross stitch (I've been neglecting this for a few weeks and need to get back on it before it ends up in the UFO pile again!)
• Work on secret project two.

Yes as you can see I'm thinking big again this week, I know I will probably only get about half of these done but you have to reach for the stars right!??!

Weekly Mutterings

I had hoped to be posting today or yesterday with my completed postcard for CyberFyber but when i was planning my to do list last week I totally forgot that yesterday was the Swindon Embroiderers Guild meeting and I wouldn't have Monday as a stitching night. Oh well we had a wonderful talk by Annette Emms (you might have seen her fairy shoe article in Stitch magazine not so long ago). Last night she spoke all about her series of work based on images from different parish churches around the country very inspirational.

So here is my progress report

• Make CyberFyber postcard - It's not quite done but nearly there so I'm not shouting at myself this week, lol. Here is a sneak peek


• Finish March Bag - Done
• Start Something Beginning with M Cards - These are most definately started but are going to take sometime so I won't share any pics yet
• Start March TIF piece - I have drafted a pattern for the doll form but that is as far as I've got but I will tick this as it is a start right?
• Work on Steam sketchbook - I decided to scratch this one from the list. GWE have a sketchbook workshop coming up so I've decided not to do anymore work in my sketchbook until then.
• Work on Secret project One - This one is definitely achieved if I hadn't run out of thread I think I would be well on my way to finishing this one.

So we have an extra long weekend coming up with Easter and although we are planning to go away for a couple of days I am going to be super ambitious with my list this week just to try and give myself an extra push so here goes.

• Finish CyberFyber postcard
• Finish Something Beginning with M postcards
• Make good progress on March TIF
• Make mysekf a pencil roll use Kate's great tutorial here.
• Start on Fabric Page One
• Finish Secret Project One (if I can get to the shop to get more thread)
• Start on Secret Project Two
• Make an ATC for Anna's challenge

If that little lot doesn't keep me busy I don't know what will!

Weekly Mutterings

Well here I am a day late again with my to do list confession. I have decided that Monday is not a good day as I am usually very crabby after the first day back at work after the weekend and don't want to sit at my computer in the evenings so I think I am going to permanently switch my confession day to a Tuesday.


So here we go, please bless me as I have yet again failed to complete my to do list, it's been one week since my last confession, lol.

• Make CyberFyber postcard - Failed. I did start to make a card but the idea was not working and I got totally frustrated, I then got hooked on making those mini log cabins and didn't start another card as I had planned.
• Continue L cards - Continued and done as per last post :)
• Start stitching March Challenge bag - yes that is underway too. Here is the proof

• Think about March TIF - I finally have my idea for it and will post some more detail probably tomorrow.

This weeks list goes something like this;

• MAKE CYBERFYBER CARD (yes I am shouting at myself!)
• Finish March Challenge Bag
• Start Something Beginning with M cards
• Start March TIF piece
• Work on my Steam Sketchbook
• Work on secret project one

Who knows maybe this will be the week when my list actually gets completed (though I won't be holding my breath!)

Much TO DO About Nothing

I'm a day later than usual with my report on the to do list. After a long day at work yesterday I just didn't really want to spend too much time on the computer yesterday evening.

Anyway here is my confession as to how I got on with last weeks list

• Finish TIF project - Well you know by now the doll is done. I'm still trying to choose a name from the fabulous suggestions so watch this space ...
• Add another kitty to the cross stitch - yep I can check this off the list too
• Cut fabric for march bag - another tick on the list
• Work on secret project one - oops this was a bit fat failure I didn't pick up a needle on this one.
• Make CyberFyber postcard - again a no-no
• Start Something Beginning with L postcards. - A start has been made but a very slow one. I don't often give away what is happening with my postcards before they are done but as I don't have any other pictures to share for this post I will make an exception. I have decided L is for log cabin

Although this looks rather big here this log cabin is actually only 2 inches (and it's not as wonky as it looks on the scan honest!). I think I must be going made as I need 6 of these to make one postcard top so these will probably be slow to progress but they will be my hand stitching project this week.

So onto my list for this week

• Make postcards for CyberFyber (this is going to be my priority as it's been on the list twice already and I still haven't gotten anywhere.
• Continue with Something Beginning with L cards
• Start stitching together March challenge bag
• Start thinking about March TIF

That lot should keep me going for a while, well at least until this time next week ;)

I hate work

Yuck here we are at the end of another Monday. I hate real life I want to roll back the clock a couple of weeks to my wonderful week off full of walking and stitching why can't every week be like that? Work was so depressing today I just couldn't control myself and went and booked another week off. I have to wait until the end of April but that's not so far away right just 9 little weeks the countdown begins here :-)

So it's that time of the week that I have to 'fess up on how I did with my to do list.

• Finish Something Beginning with K cards - Check. See yesterdays post
• Make a good start on TIF - A start has been made but not a particularly good one I will have my work cut out to get this one finished by the end of the week. Pictures soon.
• Add another kitty - Check. And here is the evidence.
  I managed to stitch this new kitty in totally the wrong colour greys. The pattern you have to work from is very small and some of the symbols are very similar, but I'm not worried I have plenty of floss and he looks just fine.

I have quite a few things that I would like to work on this coming week but I know that TIF has to be my priority. Here is my list....

• Finish TIF project
• Add another kitty
• Start Something Beginning with L cards
• Work on secret project one
• Make postcard for CyberFyber
• Cut some fabric for the March BQL challenge bag (as I managed to finish my Feb bag early I've been able to take a sneaky peek at the next bag and have been given some of the fabric requirements to start preparing)

So I know this list is probably a bit ambitious but I am starting to learn that the fewer things I have on the list the less I seem to get done. If I have more I always seem to work that little bit harder and waste less time trying to achieve as many as I can.

I also want to make it my goal to blog more this week. When I'm at work I seem to settle into this pattern of posting on Monday and at weekends. I know I won't have a finished project to blog about each day but I'm sure I'll find somethings to waffle about.

Domestic Goddesses look away now .....

Today was the first day back at work, ick. Nevermind I got through it and the countdown to the weekend has started :-)

I have to admit to total failure when it comes to my last to do list I really have been procrastinating these last few days. Apart from finishing the bag the only other thing that I managed to tick on the list was getting the next kitty on the cross stitch started.

So my to do list for this week (yes now I'm back at work it will have to be weekly rather than daily, daily was so much more fun, hopefully it will be my turn to win the lotto soon!).

• Finish next kitty
• Make a good start on Feb TIF (not many days left and I haven't even started yet)
• Finish Something Beginning with K cards

I don't have a crafty picture to share but as I don't like posting without a picture here is one I thought I'd share with you. Domestic Goddesses look away now.With all the stitching that was going on last week the housework got neglected. This is what happens if you leave the dregs of some cherryade, and some orange squash sitting in the glasses too long, but I loved how the colours merged when I was tipping the evidence down the sink. See art inspiration can be found in the least expected places (or maybe I'm just plain crazy and am the only one who sees something other than sugary liquid and mould!)

Sometimes I am such an Airhead .......

After yesterdays teaser I was planning on sharing my January TIF doll today, but silly me managed to delete all the pictures I took without saving them anywhere and now daylight is gone and I can't get any good ones so now that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Instead I will switch planned posts around and have my to do list update today rather than tomorrow.

Last Weeks list.

• Post picks of TIF doll - Coming tomorrow I promise
• Start Planning for Feb TIF challenge - Yes I have made a start but will do one big TIF post tomorrow.
• Pick fabrics for Feb BQL bag - This is done pictures later in the week.
• Finish Shaker postcards - Totally failed on this one
• Add another Kitty to the cross stitch - Done. See below for the proof :)
  As I have the whole week off and more time for stitching I am going to have a daily to do list this week rather than goals for the whole week. Here are my aims for tomorrow.
  
• Finish Shaker postcards
• Start work on Feb BQL bag
• Start next kitty on the cross stitch

That little lot should be more than enough to keep me going for the day.

On a non stitchy note, we had another beautiful day here today and have a big chunk of it out walking, we tackled a 6 mile walk around a couple of local villages and the fields in between. Being the super unfit beast that I am my legs are now killing no doubt I will be as stiff as a board tomorrow.

The skies were a beautiful blue with a few wispy clouds. I see an elephant shooting water from it's trunk what do you see? (click on pics for larger image).We crossed over pretty stiles at the edges of fields and woodland paths.
And discovered long abandoned icons from an earlier age. And I spent time indulging in one of my favourite outdoor pursuits, photographing the photographer.

The way back to the car wasn't quite as idyllic. My boots were made for walking not wading through the mud....... I guess I need to add boot cleaning to my To Do list for tomorrow ;)

TIF progress

This week I think I have been the queen of procrastination. So ok I had a busy week with a couple of late ones at work and a couple of days out but really I could have squeezed in a few more stitching hours if I'd really gotten my finger (or should I say needle?) out.

I only had two things on my to do list last week.

• Progress on TIF challenge
• Finish BQL January

Still I only managed one, which was to work on my TIF doll. I know this sounds odd but I think the fact that I only had 2 things on the list really didn't give me enough incentive to push and get things done. So I have decided from now on to have more things in the list than I think I can achieve that way I may just push myself into doing more than I had hoped. Does that make any sort of sense?

Anyway here is the progress I made on my TIF doll. Here is my doll form stuffed and stitched together. I'm not sure if I mentioned before that I am using a doll pattern from this book by Patti Culea. Apart from a couple of pin dolls I've not really attempted dolls before so I've started with the basic pattern. I'm not too happy with the way the arms are attached but it's ok for my first attempt.

You might remember that my initial inspiration was to use the colour palette to make a peacock inspired doll. I know that peacocks are more in the blue range than purple but they were the first thing I thought of when I saw the colours and I just couldn't shake the idea out of my head.

I'm bringing the greens in on her outfit. Sorry about the pictures I had to take them with flash so they don't really pick the colours out exactly. The top at the moment is just pinned and the skirt is not very well arranged in this pic, I just grabbed the poor thing and took a quick photo to share today. I still have a little way to go with her but hopefully she will get done.

January is drawing to a close so in typical 'me' fashion I will be trying to finish everything last minute as I now only have a couple of days to get my doll and my bag done. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

My To do list for this coming week....

• Finish TIF January Challenge
• Finish BQL bag
• Start shaker postcards
• Start Something Beginning with J postcards
• Add another Kitty to the neglected cross stitch UFO.

Well that lot should keep me more than busy.

Just to finish here is a picture that I took on my walk yesterday. I've been pretty good and have managed to stick to my walk a day routine with the exception of a couple of days when I was ill, but as a lot of the walking is in the evening in the dark I haven't been able to post a picture everyday. Yesterday was almost spring like and there was even some blue sky to enjoy.