Spoiler Alert...This Blog Contains More Moaning!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! That's how I feel about this bleeping BAP! Seriously, from now on when I'm searching for potential charts to stitch, I will make a concerted effort to check for fractional stitches. If there's a SINGLE one, I'm not stitching it! This rocking horse has driven (or should I say rocked?) me to the edge. It's so frustrating stitching a few crosses here, a few crosses there. I seem to be threading my needle hundreds of times a day. Also, because the colours are so similar I can only stitch in daylight. I can't wait until this BAP is finished. OK, rant over!



I promised Valerie that I would post a photo of the Mirabilia 'Fairy Moon' that I stitched 'some time ago' (eagle-eyed readers will spot the date - 2001 *yikes*) Apologies for the terrible photograph Valerie. The fabric looks horrid here, but it's a lovely rich amber in reality. I have stitched this fairy THREE times over the years, I love it so much. I still haven't stitched the wand in this one. I'm still deciding (11 years later!) what thread to use as I hate stitching with the metallic thread that's recommended.


Fairy Moon
by Mirabilia

The next couple of photographs are of stash that I treated myself to recently. After sorting out my stash box last week I have decided not to purchase any more charts for a while...really, I should be ashamed of myself! The problem is (and this a sad admission!) I often enjoy just sorting through my charts. Because I have so many (I won't give an exact number because I think my DH reads this blog...) I forget what I own, so it's a bit like Christmas morning! lol.





Finally, our great nation seems to be gripped with patriotic fervour at the moment with the impending Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics. Shops are filled to the brim with British memorabilia. This is good news for me as I've decided to go with a London theme for Isaac's bedroom - I wouldn't want him to forget his roots now that he's living up north! I've managed to narrow it down to two fabrics for his roman blind. Help? Which one do I choose?!



Until next time,

Christina

BAP Progress & a Bit of 'This & That'!

Pinch and a punch for the first of the month! Seriously, can you believe it's March already?? Is it a sign of old age when the days/months/years whizz by? I hope not.
Time for a BAP update. When I first posted my intention to stitch 'Santa's List' as my BAP, I heard gasps being drawn around Blogland! 'I wonder why?' I thought to myself?? Yes, it's on the large side, but it all seems pretty straight forward...Oh dear. If only I'd known. Would I have ploughed ahead with it? I'm not so sure! The chart is littered with half stitch, quarter stitch (I'm not even sure I know how to tackle quarter stitch!) and worst of all, back stitch - yuck. What doesn't help is the key. (what's that saying? A good stitcher never blames her tools?!) But, in my defense, have a look at the key here;



Take a look at the symbols for 498 and 3328. Practically the same, right? Well, that's what I thought and so I ended up with salmon coloured holly berries. :0( Not good. And also (but this isn't visible on the photo here) the symbol for 964 Aqua and 321 Christmas red are EXACTLY the same! Good job I checked that one! However, whining aside, below is my progress on 'Santa's List' as of this morning (minus the frogged berries!)



I also managed to finish Bent Creek's 'Uber Jack'. Well, I thought I had. I've just noticed on closer inspection of the photograph that the cat seems to be eye-less. Oops.


Uber Jack' by Bent Creek
32ct Natural Permin Linen

In other non-stitchy news, we had a lovely few days down in London last weekend. We attended the Christening of my friend's little girl on Saturday. I was very honoured to take the role of Godmother (or Fairy Godmother as Iris kept telling people). It was a nice service delivered by a very chilled-out, child-friendly priest. Celebrations afterwards were at a lovely local pub, where we spent much of the afternoon in the garden...in February? Go figure, there'll be snow in July next! Below are the favours that we nibbled on after lunch, although they were almost too good to eat!



Saturday evening saw me baking furiously for a friend's 30th birthday. We were staying at my Mother-in-Law's house for the weekend and she insisted on watching me as I baked! She was very good and just left me to my own devices. Below is the fruit of my labour. I'm pleased to say that my friend liked the cakes, but loved the cake tins - that I put them in - more!



I'd better leave it there, it's getting very late and no doubt my two 'alarm clocks' will be ringing bright and early in the morning. ;0)

Regards,

Christina