Here is the welcome sampler. It's by Helen Philipps, another of my favorite designers. I like the way that much of it is outlined with backstitch, but there are flowers in the background which are not. I would definitely change the colours - those aren't me at all, particularly the black and white border. I think the dilemma is that for me, that is big. It would take me months, as I can only spend an hour or so most evenings, and a little more on a Sunday. I certainly don't have time to do it at the moment, as I need to start the wedding sampler (if the fabric ever arrives) and I don't want my country houses to become a UFO, as I've done so well with them. And do I like it enough to include it in a rotation next year, which I'm thinking of doing. If I did, I would probably be really sure. But it might just be the colours - that mauve with that green!! And I have got an Elizabeth Designs welcome band sampler chart to stitch (leaving present from my last job) that I have earmarked for the hall, and they won't look good displayed together. Except the welcome sampler could go in the lounge.... But how many welcome samplers can you have in one house?

I'll contemplate for a bit longer. Perhaps I need to decide what else is going into my rotation. I was thinking of rotating 3 pieces; 1 almost finished UFO, 1 halfway through UFO and 1 completely new thing. That should give me one fairly quick finish, hopefully, but I'm not sure whether I would then start another UFO (probably) or another new piece (tempting!).

Here she is stitched! I wasn't sure about the colours, but now I think they're OK. Will look nice with the fabric I've chosen. The trousers are actually blue, but the photo makes them look more lavender.

I've had an email to say my order has been despatched, so with a bit of luck it should arrive today and I can start the other wedding sampler tonight. Otherwise I may just have to start the "welcome" one ..........

It was really lovely weather here yesterday - hot and sunny. Hopefully it will be as good today; it's shaping up well already with blue sky and bits of fluffy cloud and it's only 8.20 am. So I posted this pic of "Seaside Sampler" which I think was a Fleur De Lys design. It's one of the first kits I ever bought at a stitching exhibition about 4/5 years ago. I only completed the stitching last year and it's in my unmade up drawer. Originally it was to go in the bathroom of the house we no longer live in. When I began to stitch it, I didn't get on with it at all as there are quite a few colour changes. Eventually I came to realise that it was too difficult for me at that time, but when I came round to completing it last year, I had no problem. Presumably this means I've improved, and I also now have a thread organiser which helps loads.

My BOTD lady will be completed tonight, hurray! So I'll try to post a pic. Then I'm going to stitch a tiny New Home card for a work colleague. I want to start the other wedding sampler but I've ordered some hand dyed fabric and it hasn't arrived yet - grr! The August country house has been published today, but I'm afraid that if I start that instead, the sampler won't be finished for the wedding which is September 22nd.

   I finished this last year. The design is by Lesley Teare - one of my favorite designers. I love her designs because:
1. They're very country style
2. They're very English
3. She has a distinctive style
4. I love the colours she uses - they look  "clean"

I guess you either love these or you don't. They'd look great framed together. There is another one which Lesley Teare designed for Bothy Treads, in a blue and white striped dress, which I love too. I think that I would like to stitch them, but the first one took me such a long time. Actually when I started it,  she was rather difficult for me. I've improved loads since then. Probably the other 3 would take me less time than the first one. Maybe I'll consider making this my project for next year. Although would I get fed up just stitching Lesley Teare ladies? This years main project is Maryse's country cottage SAL, which I also love and have been really enjoying. But I haven't done July's yet; I gave myself a break. I found I was a bit fed up with cottages. I plan to stitch July and August when we're away on holiday at the end of August.

I stitched this design last year as a gift for a friend when we left London. I've posted the pic here as it's the one I'm stitching again as a present for DS's friend. It's actually half a design - she's got her chap with her in the real thing. I changed the colours from the original, and I'm changing them again this time. I've found some fabric which is a medium strawberry pink with dusty blue, mauve and a littel creamy yellow, so I've gone for those colours. I'm still doing the outline so far - with a bit of a push I may finish it tonight. Quite nice after that as I won't need to follow a pattern, just fill in the blanks, like a colouring book! I swithered a bit about using more pastel colours with the black outline (if I'd thought more, I could have softened it to a deep grey), but now I think it will be OK. That's the only thing I'm not as fussed for with those Bang On The Door designs - the rather harsh colours. But I always change them anyway, so hey!

This  is turning into a Sunday Bog. It's the day I do the most stitching (usually) and about the only day I get to the computer as well. Everyone is watching television at the moment (even the cat) so it's all mine!!

I finished the wedding sampler last night. I need to add names and dates but I'm leaving it for a bit (in case they get cold feet). Well, not really. I need an air erasable pen to help me with the names. I'm pleased to have finished it, and OK with the result. It would be better on nicer fabric, and I think it's supposed to be .... well, not too perfect. So I keep telling myself, anyway!

This afternoon I did this: It's since been made into a coaster for a colleague who's leaving tomorrow to go on a 6 month secondment. He breeds guniea pigs, so hopefully it'll amuse him. I enjoyed stitching it -I like to do some quick finishes occasionally, although I never make anything exactly huge. I think I'm quite a slow stitcher, but then I always stitch when I'm tired at the end of the day, except on Sundays.

My 2 sons (aged 10 and 11) have been invited to a disco party of twin girls who will be 11 in August. I already have this from several years ago:

It's one of those pieces I stitched when they first came out and were "all the rage" then wondered who on earth I'd stitched it for! It's sat in my drawer since then, waiting to be claimed. I have some retro 60s groovy fabric, to make it into a bell pull. I'm going to sttich another Bang on the Door gal (different design, different colourway) and make them up as bellpulls for the birthday girls, then add some suitable shower gel or somethingto complete their gifts. Fortunately it's not needed until August 11th - I do so like plenty of warning!!

The other thing I enjoyed about stitching my guninea pig was that I  used my patent thread filing system for the first time and it worked a treat. I could see what I had, and what I didn't, and access it really quickly. So it was worth the effort it took to set up. Perhaps I'll post progress pics of my groovy girl, hopefully before next Sunday - especially as I'm going to be away then, in London, visiting my mum and dad.

Haven't posted here for a while, as I've had a really busy fortnight. I had a job interview last week, and I had to do a presentation. I decided to do it using Powerpoint, which I hadn't used before, and we only have at home on my son's laptop. Preparing this presentation took me a whole week - it was like it had taken over my life! Then last week I was preparing for the interview itself. I didn't pick up a needle, or go near the computer for anything other than work related, until this weekend.

I'll post a picture when the stitching is finished, which I hope will be soon. I need to buy an air-erasable pen to put their names and the date on; hopefully I can get out to my local quilt shop from work tomorrow, although looking at my diary for this week, I wouldn't count on it!

Just finished it this evening. There is a heart right at the top but I couldn't fit it all under my scanner.  I might unpick the heart anyway - not sure whether the colours fit with  the rest of it. I'll add the lettering when the baby is born (due in September, I think). Probably in dark blue if it's a boy, and maybe red for a girl. Although if it is a girl I may just stitch something utterly girly and keep this one in the present drawer. I will make it up into a wall hanging by backing it with a suitable fabric. I have a lovely one called "Pardon my garden". I'll have to see if I can scan some of it in. I'm getting quite practised at scanning now.

My next job is to sort the threads out for the July house from Maryse's stitchalong. I'll add the other months gradually, and point out what I've changed and why. I'm one of those stitchers that starts off really well, and ends up changing things more and more as they go along. I'm sure if I was the designer, I'd find me really irritating. My excuse is that this is art (needle art) and it's about expressing your personality and creativity. Well, it's a great theory, anyway!

I have tried several times to keep a stitching journal, and likewise a blog; I have singularly failed at both. I've decided to combine the two - hopefully it will be more successful. Or not, depending.
Anyway, it also gives me loads of pretty photos to upload (although I've had difficulties doing that). Above is the baby sampler I'm stitching for DS2's teacher. The end result does not look much like the above. With luck, I'll post a picture of the real thing tomorrow - sans baby's name and the date as it isn't here yet.