Giveaway

I am giving away the chart set for Lizzie Kate's Living with Charm.

This is only for the charts.  Fabric, thread and charms are NOT included.
Please leave a comment below stating if you wish to be included in the draw.  Don't forget your email address.

I will draw a name on April 16th (Australia time).   It is our 15th wedding anniversary.  DH and I were married on Easter Sunday 1995.

April Update

Living with Charm Framed

I haven't been able to do much stitching lately but here is a picture of Living with Charm framed.

I can't decide where to hang this so it is leaning against the wall near the TV for a bit.

I'll post an update on my other stitching after Easter.


Non-stitching Stuff

The kids are on holidays until the 13th.  DS has a rugby union (football) camp for a few days next week. 

DH has gone car racing at Bathurst over Easter.  He left this morning and has just arrived - 12 hours towing a car trailer to get down there.  He will be driving back on Wednesday. 
This is a picture of his toy - it is a GT40 replica he built from a kit.

We have all survived the first term of school.  DD has been officially diagnosed with a peanut allergy and has to carry an epipen.  Her allergy is moderate but all nut allergys are treated as life threatening.  

DS had a trip to hospital for x-rays after a cricket game 2 weeks ago.  I thought he might have broken his hand but the x-ray was clear.  It took a week for the swelling to go down so he could move his fingers and wrist easily.

DH had a work trip os for 2 weeks - mostly in Vancouver.  He got back the day DS was hurt. 

I was called up for jury duty AGAIN - I did it last year.  I had to be available for 2 weeks but I ended up only having to go in on the first day and I wasn't required for any trials.  The worst part was that I couldn't plan anything because I didn't find out until after 5PM whether I was needed for the next day. 

I'm having a holiday at home while there is no school.

A Finish and 2 WIPS

It has been very hot and humid here in Brisbane for the last few weeks and I haven't picked up my stitching.  We don't have air-conditioning and I am resisting getting it.  The weather is only nasty and unbearable for a few weeks a year, although it feels like forever after the last few weeks.

I am updating my blog today because it is COOLER and WET today.  I am going to stitch all afternoon and hopefully some evenings this coming week.  Here is where I was at before the hot weather.


Living with Charm Finished

I finished this a few weeks ago and have just taken a photo.

It was done on 28ct Laguna opalescent with WDW and GAST threads. 

Rose Garden Mandala

Here is my progress until mid January.  I love working with the silk threads that came in this kit.    I am using Q-snaps to hold this piece as I am doing it.  The pattern is from The Gift of Stitching online magazine (Issue 44) and it is stitched on 32 count white linen.

 

Hypnotic

I have started my leopard, but I am still on the black as you can see.  I have gridded this with sewing thread so I am removing it before I get to it.  I am doing this on scroll rods on my floor frame.  It is the biggest piece I have ever started and is for my son. 

Living with Charm

I'm almost finished this but I've run out of one of the threads in the kit. 
There is meant to be a pink circle behind the start of the word create.

I've ordered more thread and some other things from a shop in the US.  It should be here in a few weeks.

Now I can put this away for a bit and work on my 2010 projects.


I've updated my webshots albums with photos of old finishes.  Take a look if you like.

Stitching progress

Living with Charm

Here is a picture of my Living with Charm so far this week. I couldn't get the camera to download so I've had to use the scanner on the printer.
I've been able to stitch for an hour or two every night this week. Heaven after the last two weeks of school/ballet when I had something to go to almost every night.
I can only stitch at night because it is too hot during the day - up to 34C this week.


An artist in the family

My dd entered a competition a few weeks ago run by the local shopping centre to design a christmas banner. She was awarded a highly commended and won $50! I'm going to take her to the bigger shopping centre where she can spend up at the smiggle shop. She's 8.

Weekend away

DH and I went to Lennox Head in northern NSW last weekend. It was for a Christmas party for the car club we belong to. The theme was Pirates and Wenches! Everyone had a great time and it was nice to get away without kids (with 40+ other car club members) We had to cancel our holiday in September when DH had to go to the USA for a work meeting.

Everything happening except stitching

Here is a picture of my latest progress with Living with charm. I haven't done as much stitching as I'd like recently but I've been busy with other things.

My dd has her 2 ballet concerts this Saturday and has had lots of extra practices the last 2 Saturdays and every afternoon this week except today. Tomorrow(Friday) she has a full dress rehersal at the theatre from 4 - 9pm. I have to get her and ds out of school early so I have time to get dd's hair and makeup ready and get into the city.
Ds is also going on a Scout camp from Friday night until Sunday afternoon. He'll have to pack this afternoon.

I had to take a relative to the emergency department on Saturday night. She had some IV antibiotics and is fine now. There was also a problem with low sodium levels but salt tablets for a few days has fixed that. Her doctor told her to drink lots of water on Tuesday, but he didn't ask how much she usually drank!

My children finish school next week. They start again at the end of January. My son is finishing Yr 7 and goes to a new school for Yr 8 -12. Next week he has lots of graduation celebrations at school.

I had lots of early starts last week. My cat kept waking me up at 4.30am when it got light and wanting to go outside. I was going back to bed until 5am then getting up and doing some ironing before it got too hot. This week the cat is sleeping in so I don't get up until 5.30am when our alarm goes off.

I'm so excited. I ordered a Kindle from Amazon on Monday afternoon. It arrived this afternoon. 3 days from ordering to arriving on my doorstep in Brisbane. I'm impressed! Now to find the time to play with my new toy.

Living with Charm progress

Here is my Lizzie Kate Living with Charm cross stitch so far.

I purchased the kit from Stitches and Spice.

http://www.stitchesandspice.com.au/

It is being stitched on Lugana 28ct Opalescent.

This is my first time stitching on something other than aida.

I had to redo half of remember because I was out by 1ct.

Other than that, I'm enjoying working with this lovely soft fabric.