Inquisitive Kitten

This freebie from Cross Stitcher has been in the stash for about 2 years I think - one of the few cover kits I've kept rather than passing on via the forum or to friends. Quite fiddly to do as the fabric was too small for a hoop and I'm too lazy to tack it onto another piece of fabric :-). Not sure what I'll do with it yet as I'm not doing cards this year. Head start on 2009 maybe!

Have started the large bag today - decided on a cute baby penguin from the David & Charles Polar Bears and Penguins book. Will need to add a border, maybe snowflakes or something like that.

Latest finish - Love Bug

Completed the Love Bug bag and backed the stitching with interfacing so anything in it doesn't catch on the stitching. Haven't started the bigger bag as I'm waiting for inspiration for a design (perhaps a knitting motif for my mum or a cat for the MIL? Or a penguin for me :-) ) so I've been occupying what time I can find with cover kits. Currently working on a Margaret Sherry one from Cross Stitcher a couple of years ago called Inquisitive Kitten, of a ginger kitten hanging on a wreath.

Love Bug update

Haven't got much done in the last week as Tove has been putting on a growth spurt - every time I picked up my stitching she demanded food! I have managed to finish the stitching on the Love Bug bag, only the back stitch to go. Trying to decide whether to do the same design on the bigger bag or whether to look for something else that will fit the larger panel better.

Been shopping

Hit the stash sites this week and treated myself to the 'Love Bug' ready-to-stitch bag from Wimble Bees and the Humphrey's Corner 'Angel Sampler' from sewandso. as well as some fraycheck and an emery for my needles (what a great thing!). Everything arrived today so I've made a start on the bag instead of a free kit.

I think the bag may get appropriated by my elder daughter so I may have to get the big version as well....any excuse :-)

Cul-Purr-It - finished!

Finished Cul-Purr-It last night, BS took most of the day. Here's the completed pic and a close-up of the face.

Think I'll do a couple of little cover kits as 'portable' projects next, easily pick-up-and-put-downable. I give most of these away ot various people as I know I'll never do them, but I do keep the Margaret Sherry ones and some Christmassy ones.

Back!

Finally managed to pick up my stitching after 12 days - nothing ambitious like the BS on Maggie, just finishing the 'ground' on Cul-Purr-It and starting the white infill on the cat, but I have missed it! Think Maggie will be on hold again until we settle back into a routine - my plan to finish her before the baby came went out of the window when she arrived 5 days early.

Someone wise once said that man makes plans so God can laugh....

A finished WIP!

...Tove Bliss, arrived 11am on 22 October 2008.

Time to dot the 't's and cross the 'i's...

Finished stitching Maggie last night - now for the back stitch, which I really enjoy. The detail in this kit is amazing, but there are none of the dreaded metallics after all (hurray!), although there are a variety of colours and flosses used....here she is before I start!

Lazy day? Lazy weekend!

Only on the stitching front! On Thursday I went to the theatre in Southend as a belated birthday treat - we saw David Essex's musical All the Fun of the Fair, which was much better than we expected and definitely worth a trip if it comes to your local theatre. Check it out here http://www.allthefunofthefairmusical.com/ for more details - the man might be grey these days but he's still twinkly! I also hit Bluewater (now there's a place crying out for a decent stitching shop) on Friday to do some last minute baby shopping, and after a reasonably quiet day on Saturday Daisy had a birthday party to go to on Sunday. She had a great time playing with other people's toys and when we got home she used lots of parcel tape and paper to 'make Daddy's present'.

This all left very little time for stitching, but I did fill in some of the gaps on Maggie and am only left with a few small areas to do before I start the mammoth BS task. It looks so cold and windy outside today that if Daisy has a nap I might indulge this afternoon.

Lazy day today

Suffering with a sore throat and late pregnancy niggles so haven't felt like working on the big project in the last couple of days - have been working on Cul-Purr-It instead as I can curl up on the sofa and feel sorry for myself! Most of the main cat is done, only the ears and the white left on the body, then there's the flower and the BS to do. I love the BS on these cats.

A visit from the frogs last week meant unpicking the top of the head. Then the eyes were in the wrong place....etc etc etc. Fortunately I noticed it before doing too much of the infill. I hate those frogs!

On a whole different note - I saw Coleford (small town in Gloucestershire where I had my first date) on the 6 o' clock news today as it already has it's Christmas lights up. 71 days to go...how depressing!