TUSAL

I have joined the TUSAL which is run by Daffycat. Basically every month you post a picture of your ORTS. If you want to know more about the TUSAl or even join it follow then more information can be found here, TUSAL or by clicking the link in my sidebar

I have been a member of the TUSAL previously and have kept my ORTS in a jar which sits on my sideboard as a piece of growing artwork. My husband doesn't get it but the jar stays there year in year out.

My ORT Jar

Most of the ORTS in the jar are from previous years the only new ones added so far this year are the green and blue ones.

They come from the few stitches I put into a PIF/Exchange I was working on before my blog got abandoned and the Travelling Stitcher's Pattern that I started yesterday evening.

PIF/Exchange Piece

Love is Best - Travelling Stitcher's Pattern

Goals

Exercise-wise last week should have started out on a good note as on Monday we headed out to Monsal Dale to do a 7 mile walk, but as the ground was so frozen we walked so slowly in terms of my fitness it made no difference what-so-ever. It was a bitterly cold walk but we enjoyed some great views at the start.

Monsal Viaduct

Looking towards Preistcliffe

High Dale

River Wye

The route and  more images can be found on my Peak Walker website which also had an upgrade this week and is now responsive, so it works on mobile phones etc.

Other commitments meant Tuesday and Wednesday were going to be difficult days to fit any exercise in so it was Thursday before I finally got to the gym. In the end although I was a 10 miles short of the total for the previous week I still managed 42 miles and remain on target for reaching the goal I set myself of covering 2018 miles this year. I also found a Facebook Group that comprises of a group of people who are aiming to walk 1000 miles this year, so I've joined that as well just to give me two goals to aim for, my 2018 goal includes time on the bike at the gym and swimming.

I've also been thinking about my stitching and have decided that rather than picking up Celtic Autumn, putting a few stitches in her and not getting any sense of achievement I would start working on some of the small projects I have on the go. On Thursday I put a few stitches in a PIF I was doing for someone and never finished. If  When I get it finished I will have to track them down and send them it. Whilst I was searching through my stash I also found a Travelling Stitching Pattern I appear to have never started, now I know that fell apart because I started my HNC just after my second cataract operation and found I never had time to pick my needle up. I aim to get that started and moving again. Stitching-wise that is properly enough to be going on with for now. Hopefully my next post will contain some stitching pictures, I just have to get back into the habit of taking before and after shots.

Of course the really big goal for this year is to build up my photography portfolio and start working as a freelance photographer which is quite daunting, but nothing ventured nothing gained and the worst I can do is fail.

Lambs

I have heard from Rachael over at Stitchabilities that she has received the PIF that I stitched for her.

It is a freebie design by Nic at Linden Bee Designs on the A Girl As Mad As Birds blog and my first attempt at a biscornu. These always looked so difficult to do but I really enjoyed stitching it up and the finishing was nowhere as near as complicated as I thought it would be. I can see more of them in my future.

I opted not to use a button in the middle as even the tiniest button cut bits of the lambs on the front, which seemed wrong.

I used 28 count 'Angel Blush' cashel linen.

The threads are Belle Soire Silks ‘Icing’ and ‘Blue Heaven’ along with the recommended DMC for the lambs face and legs. I substituted the blue for the green as it reminded me of the colour of bluebells.


I hope Rachael likes it.

A Finish

Yes, OK so it's a bit of a shocker. I know, not only am I doing a post that is stitching related but I also have one of those very rare things, on this blog, a post about a finish.

I have been working on a birthday gift for my sister Debra. I started it back in January and had nearly got it finished when the world went slightly crazy around here. Anyway with yesterday being Mother's Day I treated myself to an hour or so of stitching and finished it off.

Lizzie Kate - Cinderella is Proof
On enclosed fabric using DMC threads

As you might have guessed she likes shoes, a passion I simply don't share or understand. I'm hoping to give it her for her birthday but first I have to get round, very quickly, to stitching something for my other sister, Carol, whose birthday is the day after Debra's. As I want to get both pieces framed I'd better get a move on. Just as well things are seriously calming down around here and I'm actually ahead of the game, for once. It won't last but I'm enjoying it whilst I can.

I also have a late posting for the TUSAL

Not surprisingly there aren't many new threads in the jar but those of you with long memories might notice the new jar, it looks much prettier sat on my living room sideboard than the old jam jar did. Obviously I'm expecting the TUSAL to run for at least a decade as that's how long it will probably be before I fill the jar.

In fact just looked on the TUSAL blog to see I've missed a whole month out. I didn't realise I'd been out of circulation for that long. Note to self:

'Must pay more attention'

I must also show you the lovely PIF that Chris sent me. She sent it me so long ago that she must be thinking I'm the most ungrateful PIF recipient ever, especially after she clearly put so much time and effort into what she sent me.

She has made me a beautiful scissor case, with a beaded fob, my very first beaded fob.

From A Gift of Stitching on 28ct with DMC threads.

The back of the case has my initial on it.

Isn't it it delightful and isn't she so clever to make both the fob and card that go with the scissor case.

Finally, an appeal, if you haven't read the post below, please, please do.

A PIF and an Exchange

Over the last couple of weeks I have heard that my Xmas ornie exchange arrived safely at it's new home with Angela and I received a lovely surprise in the post in the shape of a PIF from Rachael.

Angela had sad that she liked snowmen and Prairie Schooler designs so I stitched her a design from Christmas Trees II.

Design: Christmas Trees II by Prairie Schooler

Fabric: 32 ct Belfast Linen Amsterdam Blue

Threads: DMC

Backing Fabric: Snowmen

Secondly here is the PIF Rachael sent me. It is a personalised Christmas ornie with my initials stitched on it. The design is from the Black Velvet Inscription Sampler.

As you can see it is already on my tree, although this isn't where it is living, I moved it to get better light for the photo. Thank you so much Rachael I love it.

Also thank you for all the replies I received about storing my beads. After reading them all I went into the bead shop which we have in my town and looked at the containers they had. In the end I purchased this bag which has a great set of lockable containers.

When I get a few minutes to spare I will print up some labels and move my beads into it.

Hopefully I will be back early next week with not one but two finishes to show you, both of which are for me and have a Christmas theme. I also need to take a picture of my jar for the TUSAL.

Some Stitching

As I've said in an earlier post there hasn't been a lot of stitching done since I got back from the lakes but I have made some progress with Celtic Autumn.

I have started to work on the letters. For some reason I found them quite frustrating, probably because I'm now having to use my scroll frame and I had them too high up it. I can see a stand for holding the frame being added to my Christmas list. I saw the perfect one late last year but really couldn't justify spending the money on it.

I have also started my Christmas sewing. I know I have plenty of other things to finish but you know what it's like. This will eventually become a Christmas card and having started it I'm wondering how many of them I will actually get stitched this year.

I have also committed myself to a private Christmas Ornament swap with Angela at Hooked on Stitches I must get started on that soon as well. Later today I'm heading out to Alfreton to visit my LNS as I need some supplies but I also want to take the time to have a really good browse around the shop. I hope I don't spend too much!! On the way I shall have to a pass the shop in Heage where I get some of my supplies from. It's really aimed at people who make curtains and clothes but I spotted some lovely Christmas ribbon in there earlier this year so I shall go and purchase some before it sells out.

Finally yesterday a surprise package arrived for me in the post. It contained a cap keeper for my lens cover. Bilbo had read about me losing my wide-angle lens cover when we were at the top of Knock Murton during our holiday. If you want to know why I didn't go back and look for it take a look at the steepness of the hill on my walking website.

Right, time to head out to my LNS.

Don't forget to sign up for my PIF which is two posts down and closes on Tuesday.

PIF

Before I went away on holiday I was lucky enough to be picked to receive a PIF from Chris.

In the spirit of PIF's I am therefore passing the PIF on

If you would like to be entered into the draw to receive a piece of my hand stitched work within the next 12 months then please leave a comment on this post. I will then draw the winners and reveal who they are on Tuesday 6th October. A special date for me as it's the anniversary of my first date with Husband. As is traditional we will be going out for a meal to celebrate.

If you are chosen as one of the winners then you must offer the same on your blog to keep the kindness going.

Good luck.

If you haven't seen it Patricia at Tapestry of Dreams is having a mega giveaway for her third Blogversary. It ends on the 29th September.

I Have a Finishing Pile

Over the last few weeks most of my stitching has been the secret kind. Whilst two of the pieces are now stitched and awaiting finishing one of them was just started late last night. As it will be at least a week before I even have them ready to go to their new homes and even longer before I can show you them in full I thought I'd offer a few snapshots of the different pieces.

Some of you may recognise what I'm actually stitching but please don't let on.

My First PIF

I heard from Kath that she has received the PIF I stitched for her. As it was the first one I've ever done I relieved to hear it had arrived safely and that she likes it.

Lizzie Kate - Friendship Grows

Stitched on linen with DMC threads

It's a Lizzie Kate freebie called Friendship Grows. A quick search of Kath's blog had revealed that she liked Lizzie Kate designs and when I saw this design I thought of the lovely pictures of her garden that she has also posted on her blog. I stitched it on some unidentified linen that I had in my stash and backed it with the Pins and Needles fabric I bought a few weeks go.

You may well observe that there is no bow on the top of the pinkeep. This was only my second attempt at a pinkeep and after spending an hour trying to create a bow I gave up, I hope Kath doesn't mind. Something I will have to work on for any future pinkeeps.

Stitching

I have some stitching to show you.

As promised a picture of Celtic Autumn.

I have started working on the border but now she is on the scroll frame I'm finding it very difficult to work on her. This is the first time I've combined a scroll frame with my magnifying lamp and it isn't working. I need to buy a stand to hold the frame. I've seen the one I want, in fact I nearly bought it last year, but I'll have to wait until finances allow the purchase of it. I suspect progress on her will be slow for a while, we will see.

In the mean time I've picked up St Petersburg again. I was inspired by Jacky who has recently been there.

I'm actually working on part of The Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood. If you follow the link I'm currently doing the blue and green dome on the left of the church. This small bit of stitching is just one of the swirls and represents about 5 hours of stitching. There are an awful lot of sections of two or three stitches in this part.

As you can see I have a long way to go. I have finally sorted out how to handle this amount of fabric. I'm stitching using a hoop and rolling up the rest of the material and pegging it hence the state of the fabric. Whilst this will work for now eventually I'm going to have to find a better solution. Does anyone know where I can buy a massive roller frame?

I had hoped to be able to show you one of the PIFs I was working on, but I haven't heard that it has been received yet. I'm starting to get worried as it was posted on Monday by Husband, although he did send it 2nd class so maybe that explains the delay.

The new boots have been out for a test drive on a local 2 mile walk but it wasn't a great day so although the pictures are on my website I'll not put any on here. I'm hoping to fit a couple more walks in next week as we are going to the Lakes a week on Sunday for my birthday.

Decision Made

Thanks for all the advice.

I've decided that I'm just going to stick with one design and repeat the border on the back. Of course I made that decision after I'd ordered the other LHN pattern, but I already have a potential 'victim' lined up for that one.

Elsewhere I'm sorry to say that although I've been busy stitching I can't show you anything as it's a PIF. I know how I'm finishing this one but may have to order some fabric for finishing it with. I'm going to wait until I've done the border before I make that decision.

I finished another book yesterday Teacher Man by Frank McCourt.

You may recognise him as the author of Angela's Ashes and this book finishes off his life story. It follows on from 'Tis and recounts his experiences as a teacher in New York. As an ex-teacher I found it a totally fascinating read that really does capture how lonely and intimidating it can feel standing at the front of a class, along with those magical moments that make it a wonderful place to be.

Everyone Has Been So Generous

As you may have noticed my blog has been somewhat neglected over the last month but it is for a good reason. After Husband and I attended the sales and marketing course we decided to go for a new image and complete relaunch for his company. Over the last few weeks I have been been doing a lot of research and writing to helping him redesign the website. We have also designed a new logo to go with the new look and just sent the final design for the new flyers off to the printers. The next job is a new company brochure but that will have to wait for a little while.

We launched the new website earlier today so at long last I can catch up with my blog. I might even get time to do some sewing as well, or maybe that's just me getting carried away!!

Well I might have disappeared from the world of blogging for most of this month but I certainly haven't been forgotten. Over the last few weeks so many nice things gave happened to me but before I tell you all about them I must say a massive thank you to everyone involved and apologise for appearing to ignore you.

The first nice thing to happen was when Karen has given me not one, but two awards. Thank you so much Karen for thinking about me and I'm so sorry it has taken me a month to acknowledge them via my blog.


The first award which was given to me on the 26th February says. "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers. When you pass the award along please include these guidelines. I am to choose eight friends to share this with."


The second award which she gave me on the 4th March asks you to list your top 10 blogs. Now I have to be honest I don't have a top 10 set of blogs as I like all the blogs I read equally, some of which are on my blog list and some of which aren't. Each blog appeals to me for different reasons and picking my 10 favourites is a bit like trying to say I like one child more than another, which obviously I don't. Now this isn't a habit I intend to get into but on this occasion as I know if you have commented on my blog or registered as a 'follower' of my blog I visit your blog on a regular basis please consider yourself as one of my favourite blogs.

Next Helen let me know that I'm going to be running the bank in her village that she stitching for the Me Myself and I Round Robin blog. Apparently I got the job because I was the first to apply but I thought it might have been because I promised to lend money to small businesses and not take a big bonus!!

The next treat was when Sally sent me this wonderful biscornu she stitched as a PIF for me.




She knew that I'm developing a passion for Shepherd's Bush designs and so she stitched me Woolpack Sheep and I absolutely love it. It's my first biscornu and my first Shepherd's Bush design. Thank you so much Sally.

When we had finished quizzing on Thursday the landlord of the pub gave me a heather for my garden.


Only the day before I had been thinking that it would be nice to have some more heathers in the front garden and then one appears out of the blue. It will be planted in the front garden next week.

Then yesterday morning the postman knocked on the door with a parcel for me to sign for. I hadn't ordered anything so I had no idea what to expect. It was a free copy of the OFC's Photographic Annual.


Apparently Peter who set up the OFC and a few other OFC members had decided I should have a copy. Now I'm not sure what I did to deserve a free copy, when everyone else had to pay for their copy, but it really made my day. I don't know who the 'others' are and as I only know of one OFC member who reads my blog I'm hoping Peter got my email saying thank you and has passed my thanks on to the relevant people.

So as you can see I have been completely and utterly spoilt over the last month or so and I don't know what I did to deserve it but thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone involved.

One other thing that was shared with me was my father-in-laws cold. We invited him to dinner last week and he had an appalling cold and cough which he has very generously passed onto me. That I'm not so happy about LOL!!

Now I know I've said this before and nothing has happened, but if I whisper it may be it will:

'I'm off to do some sewing'

Don't tell anyone.

A Week Late

It has been one of those weeks. I have struggled to get to the computer, failed to keep up with the blogs I usually visit on a daily basis and not even had time to dream about picking up a needle. The main cause of this chaos has been the fact that Husband's partner has decided to leave the business. This has meant I have had to sort their accounts out and take a more active role in promoting the business. None of which I mind, but it does leave me short on time for doing other things. It also doesn't help that yesterday was the 19th anniversary of the day my first husband was killed and the week between Valentines Day and yesterday is never a good one. Anyway, hopefully the chaos is calming down and a more normal routine will start to develop over the next few weeks.

Last Sunday I was meant to announce the winners of my PIF, as only two people entered they are both winners and I shall pick someone else at random to receive something stitched by myself. The two winners are:

Rachael and Kath

Congratulations ladies please can you send me your snail mail addresses you can email me at angela at hillwalker84 dot fsnet dot co dot uk Please delete the gaps and fill in the dots and at as you would expect.

With everything that has been going on this week I have also been struggling to sleep so it will come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog that I have been reading late into the night and finished another book.

The latest book 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini is set in Kabul and is a stunningly good read.

Through the eyes of the two main characters, Mariam and Laila, you see so many different sides to Afghanistan and watch how it is destroys and then starts to rebuild itself. The story grips you throughout and has twists and turns in it that you simply don't expect. The author, who is probably better known for his book 'The Kite Runner', was new to me and so I wasn't at all sure if I'd like the book or not, but it is a great story that has you living every moment with the two main characters.

Humble Pie

Quite unexpectedly I found myself spending yesterday evening reading Gordon Ramsay's autobiography 'Humble Pie'.

I had absolutely no plans to read this book, in fact, when it was released a couple of years ago I had absolutely no interest in it at all. Yesterday however I visited our local library and took out a few books, of which this is one. I only went looking for an autobiography because the selection of novels was so pathetic. To be fair to the library it is far too small for a town the size of which I live in and is trying to move to bigger accommodation. I guess if I want to read a particular book I'd better reserve it on line first.

Yesterday evening a change of plans meant Husband was cooking dinner and as it was tea in the cricket I picked the book up just to look at it. It was such a good read that, accept for when I did the washing up, it wasn't put down again until I finished it about 6 hours later. The cricket wasn't that exciting anyway so I didn't miss much there!!

Now you might not like Gordon Ramsay as a chef, you might well find his swearing offensive, but read this book and despite that you will be full of admiration for the bloke. Whenever I read an autobiography I'm always a little sceptical about how different events are portrayed, because, obviously, your only getting one side of the story, but this book can't fail to leave you full of admiration for the author. His childhood wasn't great, he worked damn hard to get where he is today and he wasn't afraid to make sacrifices. If he's well off now, make no mistake about it, he deserves it.

As you might have guessed with my nose stuck in books I've not done any stitching this week. I'm really fed up of being stuck in the house and want to get out walking but first of all with my back and now with the snow it's just not happening. However today my exchange arrived from Thread Bear so I now have the Cirque Des Triangles chart, which I will hopefully start later this year when I've finished Love Songs.

I don't want to have too many big projects on the go at once so I shall try to be good and not start it until then. That's quite easy to do at the moment as I need to get the linen and threads first. Under our present financial circumstances they will probably end up being birthday presents which isn't until the end of June. I guess that gives me an incentive for finishing Love Songs by then.

Just in case you've missed the post earlier this week I'm running a PIF, for more details click here.

A PIF & An Award

I have edited this post to add the award given to me on one of the post's earlier comments.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be picked as one of the lucky recipients of the PIF that Sally ran on her blog. As it isn't that long since I ran a PIF on my blog and in an attempt to avoid loads of them running at once Sally agreed to me delaying passing the PIF but now it's time for me to pass the PIF on.

If you would like to receive something handmade by me within the next 365 days, please comment on this post to say that you are interested. If there are more than three takers I will draw three names. If, like the last time I've offered this, there are not enough takers or there are none at all I will pick people at random to receive something made by me. I will do the draw on Sunday 15th February (GMT). If you are one of the chosen three, in return, please post the same offer on your blog.

This PIF is open for everyone!

Chris has given me an award. Thank you so much Chris it's nice to know people like my blog enough to give me an award.

Normally I'd give an award it's own post but I don't want anyone to miss out on the chance to sign up for my PIF so I'm tagging the award onto the PIF post.

As part of the award I have to list 5 of my addictions and pass the award onto 5 other people.

My 5 addictions are:

Hills - I never tire of looking at them, no matter how small they are and always want to know what the view is from the top of them.

Walking - I need to walk, when I don't get out walking I get depressed.

Books - I love the anticipation of opening a new book and the joy of revisiting an old favourite. Husband never worries about me going in clothes/shoe shops, they hold no interest for me, but he knows I can spends hours and a small fortune in a book shop.

My car - It means I have the ability to go and do what I want, when I want and don't have to rely on others.

My computer - It has brought many wonderful people into my life and enables me to stay in touch with those that matter to me.

The recipients of the award are:

Karen

Jennifer

Stephanie

Conny

Sharon

In selecting the blogs I'm passing the award onto I have tried to pick blogs/people who haven't yet received this award in order to spread a little happiness, a little further. If your not on my list please don't be offended, I love all the blogs I follow and comment on.

Letters From America

I arrived back from the swimming pool this morning to find the mat covered in post and two of the letters were from America.

I entered a draw for some floss on Jennifer's site and was lucky enough to win some of her hand-dyed floss.

I haven't decided what I'm going to stitch with it yet but I suspect that it may well end up travelling back across the Atlantic as part of the thread I use for my PIF winner.

At the same time a postcard arrived from Daughter who spent last week in New York and yes her and her friend did plan the trip to coincide with the election. The text message I received at 5a.m. (GMT) last Wednesday from her just after Obama had been declared the President-Elect said that NY was insane. She is of course now home, or rather back at Uni in London, having visited the one place in the world she has always wanted to visit.

No stitching yesterday, Son occupied the living room in the afternoon to watch a film with a friend and then I was too shattered and in too much pain to want to sit and stitch during the evening. I have somehow managed to pull a muscle in my side which meant every time I moved my arm it was agony. I suspect it was caused by a combination of doing a different set of exercises at the gym and hoovering upstairs yesterday afternoon. As it only came on in the afternoon I reckon the hoovering must have aggravated it. Sadly as I managed 60 lengths in the pool this morning I can't use that as an excuse to get out of cleaning downstairs so I'd better get on with it but at least once that's done I have all afternoon and evening to sew.

The PIF Winner Is .........

As Robin Titan was the only one person to sign up for my PIF she will be the recipient of some of my stitching in the next year. Robin has asked if she could pass the PIF forward in the form of e-books as she doesn't sew so it will be interesting to see how that works.

If anyone else wishes to sign up and feels they have missed out because they haven't visited my blog over the last week get in touch as I'd like to honour the PIF and pass on 3 stitched gifts rather than just the one.

PIF Reminder

I was lucky enough to be drawn in Rachael's PIF last week and so now make the same offer on my blog.

The closing date is this Sunday so if you would like to recieve something hand-made by me in the next 365 days please sign up at the link on the 3rd November. The only condition is that you Pay It Forward by making the same offer yourself.

This PIF is open to everyone.

PIF

I have been chosen to be one of the lucky recipients of Rachael's PIF. This is the first time I will have taken part in a PIF and having seen how beautiful Rachael's work is I can't wait to see what she makes for me.

I was a bit nervous about taking part as I have to make the same offer in return on my blog and I've never actually given any of my stitching to anyone outside of my family.

If you would like to receive something handmade by me within the next 365 days, please comment on this post to say that you are interested. I will then draw 3 names out of a hat on Sunday 9th November (GMT). If you are one of the chosen three then in return, please post the same offer on your blog.

This PIF is open for everyone!

I have been working on Celtic Autumn over the last few days although i had to frog two rows last night after I spotted I was a stitch out on one row and found a knot in another row. After I have put a few more stitches in her tonight I plan on taking a photo of my progress and then putting her a way for a few days whilst I work on something else.