Could not wait to post this!!

Avarice has a face! Well, the top half LOL

Her eyes just sort of... appeared. I was stitching away and I could see features forming but then I put down my needle and looked and there they were.. and her nose too. I am working on the jeweled hair decoration on the side of her head. hoping to have this page finished in a couple of days.

I managed to tweak the camera settings on my phone so its a bit of a raw image, but it means you can see the confetti stitches properly and just how many colours have made up the gems. I have been constantly surprised by the palette. You would think that it is all browns and golds but there are a fair few purples and plums and amethyst shades as you can see from the left side of her face. It also looks wonky because I had to de frame the piece and use an 8" hoop instead.

xx

My Biscornu arrived!

My Autumn themed Biscornu that I made has arrived with its recipient so I can now share it with you all.

I chose not to do the usual Biscornu with a repeating pattern and I used Keats poem To Autumn as inspiration.

Hope you like it.

Here is the original poem: (courtesy Wikipedia )

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;

To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?

Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find

Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,

Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;

Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,

Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook

Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:

And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep

Steady thy laden head across a brook;

Or by a cider-press, with patient look,

Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?

Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,-

While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,

And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;

Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn

Among the river sallows, borne aloft

Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;

And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;

Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft

The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;

And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

 

xx

Weekend progress

I managed to spend a fair bit of time on Avarice this weekend. This page is about halfway through. Dosen't look like it but there's a fair bit of confetti stitching. The dark part is not just black - its several shades of black and dark brown.

So, I  kept my promise - I did some!!

xx

A Busy Week! And not a STITCH!!

I have been super busy this week. Hallowe'en Monday, one child in school, 2 at  home for Monday and Tuesday then hubs was home from work,
I really did make it crack though when he was home - Wednesday we were off to the supermarket and getting gifts for a 1st birthday and a 21st birthday. We took the kids out for tea later.
Thursday I met my lovely sis and had a cuppa with her and a school friend before coming home and cracking on clearing out our garden with hubby and a couple of friends.

I actually don't feel as though my feet have touched the floor all week.

I haven't done a stitch. Inbetween filling our skip, caring for the children and doing the jobs I have done I am so tired I have been sleeping at every opportunity.

I really want to stitch this weekend so I am going to. No ice hockey fixture so I am getting on with Avarice :-))

xx

Happy Hallowe'en everyone!

Here is a seasonal pic for you - Lauren and her punky. Bless her she can't manage to say Pumpkin!

Oh where do I start??

So much has happened since I updated this blog. I am so naughty not doing it but I am sure you will understand why.

I have  been having a really tough time with my MH. I went off my meds for a while and didn't cope too well. It was a silly thing to do. But I am back on now and sorted. I think the pressure of the move got too much and rather stupidly I thought I could cope better without my little pill.

I have been quite ill too. I had tonsilitis which I recovered from after about 2 weeks then another cold hit me. I feel like I am about to come down with something again so I am fighting it. I know why. I am run down .. See next paragraph.

The move. Well. Nothing is happening. Still. I have done nothing but be on at my Solicitor and try and get things going but to no avail. Our sellers seller has managed to produce contracts so we are at enquiry stage.

I should explain that the UK house purchase system is IMO old and antiquated and the wheels move slowly. For a straightforward purchase of a new build property its usually around 6 weeks but when you are buying an existing property that can increase to around 8 weeks. Of course when there are people buying from you or selling to your seller then it can take exponentially longer..The timings allow for searches to see what services go to the property, the ground it stands on, the surrounding area, to check for relevant planning permissions to be in place etc etc. Also you obv have to get a mortgage secured too. Its such a long slow process that conveyancing solicitors really know how to make their money. Anyway.

This move is affecting my physical and mental wellbeing. It needs to happen soon. otherwise I will be cared off to the funny farm in one of those white coat thingys.

Stitchy news. Not done much. I made a Biscornu for a forum exchange, pic to follow once the recipient has it. I am hoping to get stuck back into Avarice at some point this weekend. The girls are off for Half Term at the moment so I am savouring time with them. Of course I have been packing stuff too so  while not stitching I have kept myself busy.

Avarice as I left her:

Today's agenda is to sort out their pit of a bedroom. I left it tidy at the start of Half Term and now it looks like someone dropped a grenade in it and wandered off. They are all going to help.

I think I have about covered things. I have kept up with other blogs on my lost over there --->

I missed IHSW this month as I was just too busy/stressed/ill. But next month... I will be baaaaaaaaaaaack!

Till next update (hopefully not as long!)

xx

Did it again..

Long time no post.

Long time no stitch either

Have completely lost my mojo at the moment. Been  busy with house stuff and am absolutely shattered. Last thing I think about is stitching.

The house:

2 problems have arisen there, firstly our seller is buying and their seller has not informed their solicitor yet! So it looks as though its going to be a good few weeks yet.

The conservatory is built on a sewer. Necessary permits were not obtained and so it has to have indemnity insurance on it now which our sellers will have to pay for. Another delay.

The move:

I am a good way packed and sorted at home. Hubby had a few days off this week so I got him stuck into the man areas of the house so I actually feel as though I have made progress.

Hubs:

Its  his birthday today. (1st Oct) and what did we do? Had a bloomin fight :( Sorted now, but I feel awful about allowing it to escalate so far that we were fighting.

Kids:

All being pain in the bums. I am sure they are as affected by this move as we are although I have tried my best to keep things on a constant for them. Hannah,. my eldest, took herself off to the park the other day and I was so cross with her. She was meant to be popping to our local shop for some vegetables for me and another neighbour called me to tell me where she was. Very irresponsible of her so the trust I had built with her has been damaged somewhat.
Victoria has been getting herself into a tangle about her new school. She hasn't even seen the place yet and is already saying she dosen't like it. They have a full programme of after school activities and all sorts to keep her going.
Lauren - well. Her speech is coming on so good you can't shut her up! :D

Stitching:

Not a damn thing done!! I need to get my bum in gear and make a put but I am just so blah at the mo. Tiredness taking its toll.

Oh well. Thats it for this mammoth post. Off to the Ice Hockey tonight with the kids. Maybe after that I will feel like picking up my needle...

xx