January finish

Bent Creek's Wedding Row - 32ct skyblue evenweave, with Weeks Dye Works.

This was one of my 2muchXS 2009 Jan 1 Challenge pieces. It was a fun stitch, if rather hounded by the frogs.

Ready to be framed, and hung for our 13th wedding anniversary in April. Go us!

First 2009 finish

Unlike the previous two years, it's not a Margaret Sherry design. However, it is a character I've done a couple of times before.

Say hello to Eeyore - a Semco Disney kit entitled "Why Hello There".

I took part, for the 5th year now, in the annual Jan 1 Challenge held by the Yahoo Group 2muchXS. Basically, it challenges group members to start something brand new anytime on Jan 1 each year - at a second past midnight even, should you be up. And you can start more than one piece too. This year I challenged myself and started two.

The point of this challenge is to encourage some of the group to actually start things (some are notorious for hating kitting up and taking that first stitch). Finishing the piece during the year is optional (although I try to pick pieces I will finish else my UFO pile gets ridiculous).

For those of us who have no problems at all starting things, 2muchXS also have the annual UFO Challenge to encourage us to actually finish all the things we start. It was the support of this group and their UFO challenge that enabled me to finish Penguins on Ice (you may recall that piece took me 12 years to do). It's now helping me get The Abbey done.

A belated Happy New Year, everyone!

UFO update

As promised - WIP pics of one of my big UFO's that I did some work on during 2008.Marty Bell's The Abbey, as it was at 31 Aug 2007 (on the left) and as it is now (on the right):

So I've now done 3 corners.
That lower right corner was a pain with a gazillion colour changes - but the effect is worth it.
It will be so awesome when it's finished.

Justin Knickers...

...as my mum would say when something got done "just in the nick of time".

They were mostly small, but I have reached my goal of 12 finishes for the year - woohoo.

This one is O for Owl from the UK Cross Stitcher's Margaret Sherry designed alphabet.

Maybe next year I'll get more.

What I didn't achieve this year was a UFO finish, but I did make some good progress on one of them (Marty Bell's The Abbey - pic to follow soon).

Happy Holidays

Best Wishes for the Season, with illustration courtesy of one of my fav websites...

Small Finish

I haven't been stitching much at all still. Which is why this small thing took 11 calendar days to finish. It actually only took about 3 stitching sessions. Nevermind, it's done, and done before Christmas.

Dimensions' Princess Alphabet, without the bead crown embellishment, done over one on navy 25ct lugana with a Dyepot perle 12 backstitched with a DMC light effects.

Please send vibes so that I can finish one more small piece before 31 Dec (25 Dec preferably!).

KTHNXBAI

Y6 Leaving Assembly

It's Jessica's last year at primary school, and she can't wait to start intermediate next year. She will be attending the all girls Marist College in Mt Albert along with her bff and several gym friends.
Today was the annual Year 6 Leaving Assembly at Mangere Bridge School, where all the Y6s have to say some words and prizes are given out.
Bad momma stayed at work, but had arranged for deputies to attend (Nana, G'ma, Grandad and DH) and my spies on the spot have just reported in.
Jess, along with her very bright friend Brittany, jointly won the Academic Award.
I'm stoked. Jess has worked very hard on bringing her maths up to standard, and had started beating Britney in some recent English tests. I'm so pleased her hard work has been rewarded this way.
She had also been nominated for the Citizenship Award - this one the kids decide who should be nominated (2 from each class = 6 nominees) and then it goes to a vote. They are encouraged to vote for the person who they feel is responsible, fair, helpful, basically a role model. She didn't get it, but that's ok - just to be nominated is pretty damn great in my opinion.

Way to go Jessica!