I won!

Not a brilliant picture but this is my Beatrix Potter Quaker sampler showing off its two first prizes and a cup from the St Clears YFC show. It won 1st in the Cross Stitch - Open class and was also the Best Craftwork Exhibit! Whooppee!

OK, so the St Clears show isn't the largest in the country (or even the county!) but I was born and bred in St Clears so it's my "home" show and I was chuffed to bits to win :-)

I really need to get into the habit

of posting more often! I always start the year full of good intentions but they fade within a few months... At least I have something to post - a finish and a restart!

Beatrix is done - I thoroughly enjoyed stitching this design and very proud of the finished piece:

Now to get it framed...

Next on the list is another UFO - the Spanish Sampler. Here's where I left it last year (or was it 2009?!) and I've already finished the part-done block and about half of the next section. I'd love to finish this by Christmas - not a major problem if not, but it's a deadline to aim for:



I've also started three little designs for bookmarks/cards to sell for MT. I'm aiming to get a few things done for a craft fayre in October - let's hope they sell!

Just finished an absolutely brilliant book - The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It's written as a series of letters from a writer to people who had lived under the German Occupation - it's funny, sad and hopeful and one of the best books I've ever read.

Hallelujah!

At long last I've done some stitching on Beatrix. With only two large, one medium and four small motifs left to do there's hope that I'll get it done this year! Next on the list is to finish the Spanish Sampler but I'm definitely finishing this first!

Crikey!

This is the 5th post in one month - unheard of from me!

Anyway, here's my progress on Beatrix:

I want to get this brushstroke butterfly UFO done as well. I started it last year but I think that doing the pink one has reminded me how much I enjoy stitching this design. I'm definitely going to do more and I did like the one made in all different shades of pink so I'm tempted to do more like that in blues, oranges and purples. That's the plan, anyway...

Both these pictured here are on my Up 4 a Challenge list so hopefully I'll get two done and dusted in the next couple of months.

First progress of 2011!

I very rarely make new year's resolutions (and if I do, I never stick to them) but this year I do hope to update this blog more often. So, hoping to start as I go on... here's my latest photo of Beatrix, taken at the end of December and I have stitched a bit more on her.

I also took a photo of the Spanish Sampler which I haven't worked on for a while but hope to finish this year:

My last finish of 2010 was a square for Love Quilts UK, for a little girl called Laura.

I really enjoyed stitching this, even though there are large blocks of one colour. It was a good one to stitch while watching TV.

Oh dear...

If I say that I've been far too busy to post, would you believe me? No? No, me either... :-)

Mind you, I have been a little bit busy recently, what with trying to stitch Christmas squares for Granny's Quilts and some to make up into cards for MT's craft fayre next week. I'm also baking like crazy for the fayre and I've been stitching on BPQS and a new square for Love Quilts. Hmmm... maybe I have been busier than normal...

Good news that Mam's now settled in the home, though she's starting to forget me a little bit. I'm more concerned that she's contented in Argel, to be honest. She's chatting away to the staff and seeing as they're around her 24/7 and I visit once a week, I'm happy about that.

Right, on to the pictures. Stupidly, I didn't take any of the cards before I sent them off (and I know that two of them have already sold!) but here's Beatrix as she was about an hour ago...

I'm not too sure about that brighter blue but I'm not frogging it and I'll try to limit its use. Still really enjoying stitching on this, I'm glad to say :-)

Another update

I'm quite surprised at myself at how much I'm managing to stitch on this piece - shows how much I'm enjoying it!

I'm currently watching Joanna Lumley's program about travelling down the line and I can feel myself getting itchy feet! I haven't been away on holiday since 2005 and wouldn't mind just a few days away to somewhere like Malta or Guernsey, though my dream holiday is an Alaskan cruise. Ah well, maybe when my mortgage is paid in 2014...

Oops!

I completely forgot about TUSAL so I'll post both March and April here. Wonder if you can see any difference!?

I've done a bit more on the Beatrix Potter sampler, too. Still thoroughly enjoying working on this!

I've actually finished the motif that's part-started on this photo and I've almost finished another. Feeling quite satisfied with myself, even though I'm not stitching half as much as I'd like...