So many projects, so little time!

The last 3 weeks have flown past.... How have I not found time to write a blog post? To be fair, I was travelling a lot for one of the weeks (7 nights, 6 different hotels/flats/houses...), making it up to Orkney, to Stirling Castle, home, then south to Nottingham and London. So to be fair I didn't stitch or blog much that week, but the other two? I expect when I had spare time I was picking up a needle rather than the laptop!

I've had itchy stitchy fingers of late, finding it hard to settle to one project. Possibly because I've been working so much on Gaelic Banner. It's not that I've fallen out of love with Gaelic Banner, but I think I just needed a change! This is where I've got up to:

Ed and I have taken a fortnight off work - we're now half way through. Very much a staycation. We did go to London last weekend for a party (so happy it was before the Olympics, don't think I could be bothered with the crowds), then my sister came to stay for two days, so we went to Skipton and to Hollingworth Lake - both lovely days out. We might make it to Harlow Carr next week, and Margaret is coming to stay next weekend, but for the most part we are just pottering at home.

Yesterday I finished the Amish Star quilt top. I popped out and bought backing fabric, binding fabric (plain black) and batting, but I've run out of black sewing thread.... So I'll pop out again today. Anyway, here is a photo:

Last night, while watching the Olympics opening ceremony (fabulous and bonkers and VERY British), I started Blackbird Designs' Summer Iris. It's a bit wonky and washed out in the photo though:

Finally, I never shared this happy dance - the final heart of the four Heartstruck Quakers designs. It looks a little washed out here:

Right, it's time for lunch, and there's a needle shouting at me from the arm of the sofa (my 'pin cushion'). Happy stitching folks!

Sleepy fairy

Last weekend we stayed in Nottingham, which meant I spent a lovely Saturday shopping with my mum, and the time vegged in front of the TV stitching on Maria von Scharenburg's 'night'. Soooooo pretty!!

Late TUSAL...

Argh, missed the TUSAL again! Here is a photo, plus a progress pic for Gaelic Banner:

A few happy dances and some progress

I was looking over my blog and realised I've missed a couple of recent happy dances. How did that happen?

Anyway, here are the pics:

This is the second Heartstruck friends, which I started on my flight out to Oregon. I finished it AGES ago!

This one is the completed Quaker Pin Cushions by Milady's Needle. Still not sure how I'll finish them - the wooden pin cushion bases are really expensive!

It's been really gloomy and rainy here. Not like summer at all. This weekend I've mostly stitched. Yesterday we had friends over for dinner, so between stitching in front of Boardwalk Empire we went food shopping and cooked a Morroccan feast. Today we did a few DIY jobs, and (because the sun finally came out) pottered in the garden - but we couldn't do too much, as the soil was so wet. Clay soil = not great when it rains a lot :(. The plus side is that I've made more progress with Gaelic Banner, I've finished the left side of the current page (2 of 6). So that's 3/12ths done... There are a couple of symbols I have to finish, but I won't need much thread, so I'll stitch them when I get to the same level on the other side.

Right, I have a hot date with Gaelic Banner and a DVD - probably Batman Begins, unless something else jumps off the shelf at me. Happy stitching.

A week in stitches...

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last post - I was so delighted to win :). I've not had much time for lace making - it just takes a bit too much effort to pick up of an evening, and isn't worth it unless I have a good couple of hours to spare. I'm hoping to see Louise this week - we usually make lace on a Wednesday, but the last few weeks one of us has been busy - I think it's a month since we last caught up!

This week I've made some progress with Gaelic banner:

But to be honest, I really fancied a bit of a change, and a quick stitch. So on Sunday night I started one of the Heartstruck Quakers by Midnight Stitching. I finished it this morning, and after a quick press, it's ready for sharing:

Happy stitching everyone!

Best butterfly

A few weeks ago I went to the working day and AGM for Sheffield Lace Makers. Each year, we have a competition. Any piece of lace completed in the last 12 months can be entered, so I put in my Bedfordshire butterfly, and the Bedfordshire leaf motif that I finished the other month. All of the lace on display was beautiful, some pieces were huge, some pieces quite simple, yet beautifully done with amazing use of colour. Some was modern, some tradition. Some was highly complex, others quite simple in terms of the stitches. What I did NOT expect was to win the Norma Munday Prize!! Norma described my lace as 'exquisite', which I really can't believe. This tells me that the classes I'm taking each May with Christine Springett have really, really improved my technique. Anyway, here are a couple of pics:

I'm still working pretty much exclusively on gaelic banner - I'll post another photo of it soon!

Happy stitching x

Long weekend stitching

Hmmm, I'm getting bad at this blogging malarkey. I blame my hectic job, and desire to sit and stitch rather than surf the web of an evening!! The last few weeks were especially busy - lots and lots of deadlines, a sudden, and especially nasty throat infection, followed by a week-long conference in Belgium. We got back Friday night, after a week of networking, presenting, drinking beer and eating frites, just in time to enjoy the Jubilee four-day weekend. Mostly I sat on the sofa and stitched. Nuff said. So, what has been holding my attention for the last few weeks? It's Dracolair's Gaelic Banner. I love the beautiful blends in the leaves, and the swirling tendrils of the vines. And, importantly for this weekend, the simple border that I can stitch while watching TV with subtitles :) We finally finished watching the Bridge, possibly two of the best characters on TV for ages. Anyway, this is where I am up to:

I also managed to miss a TUSAL a few weeks back, so here's a catch up photo. Guess where all that green comes from ;)

Happy stitching everyone xx