Stash & Books

As promised a picture of what the postman brought yesterday from Thread Bear.

There are 3 fat quarters of fabric for the backing of projects. I was actually just looking for something for one particular project but I couldn't resist the blue one or the pins one. Having seen them all now I'm not sure I'll use my original choice for the project I had in mind. I hope to get that project finished this week and once it has reached its new home you'll be able to see what I decided to do.

The DMC and Krenik threads are to enable me to get on with two other projects, one for Daughter and one of my PIFs.

The linen is a pure extravagance on my part. As soon as I saw the colour on the site I had to have it. No idea what or when I will use it but hey isn't that what stash is all about. I'm considering it an early birthday present to myself.

I've not done much reading over the last few weeks but before then I finished a couple of books.

I have now read the final book in the Martin Edwards series set in the Lake District.

I have to say I thought this was the best one by a long way. A really great plot which had me enthralled from start to finish.

I have also tried out a new author Sophie Kinsella. It seems that most of her books are about a shopaholic which given my aversion to shopping absolutely don't interest me at all.

When I started this book I didn't think I was going to like it all but I have to say once it got going, which took a while, it was a great read. It kept me up until 2:30 a.m. and then I had a quick 30 minutes of reading before I got up the next morning in order to finish it. Can't see me ever reading her Shopaholic books but any others by her will probably get picked up.

Finally I have a gift from an Aunt. She was clearing out her house and found this cross stitch book which she has given to me.


It has some nice projects in it and I think I'll stitch her up something from it as a thank you.

A quick thank you to everyone who posted such encouraging comments on my previous post.I'm not giving up on the exercise, in part because I have a more immediate goal than just losing 3 stone this year. I'd like to be able to get into and look good in a certain skirt for Daughter's Graduation ceremony .

A Celebration and A Moan

The celebration first.

Today is officially my Daughter's last day as a student and so yesterday two big cars went down and brought all her stuff back from her halls of residence in London. She is actually coming back home on Tuesday. None of us can believe the 3 years are over, it still seems like only yesterday we went down to visit Roehampton University with her when she was still doing her A levels.

On the way back from London we got a phone call to say she got her results, she had passed all her exams and has got a 2:2. She hasn't had the best of luck this year, getting stuff stolen at Christmas and also being dumped by her boyfriend on Boxing Day followed on from a friend dieing in October so this has effected her grade but Husband, Son and I are so very proud of her. So on the 24th July we will be back down in London attending her graduation ceremony.

Now the moan.

Now what is it the Governments current TV ads say:

Move More Eat Less to get fitter and loose weight.

So this week:

120 lengths/3 km swimming, one 8 mile walk, one 30 minute aerobic session and several walks of about an hour

surely qualifies as moving more

Not one chocolate biscuit, no snacks and generally cutting down

surely qualifies as eating less

Result

I've put 1kg or 2lbs on

My weight has actually gone up not down.

I'm incredibly pi**ed off.

Just been interrupted by the postman

Now I'm a bit happier my parcel from Thread Bear has arrived so a stash picture on the next posting .

An Old Finish

As I haven't done any sewing that I can share with you for a while now I thought I'd share with you something I stitched years ago.

When I was training as a teacher we were set a task of designing and making a fabric container as part of the Design & Technology course. This was a great excuse for me to spend some time cross stitching, but as we only had a week it had to be something small. I came up with a needlecase stitched on a scrap of aida that I had lying around and used DMC threads.

It was definately the smallest fabric container produced in my group as it only measures 3 cms by 5 cms. I think the patterns for the scissors and thread came from one of the many copies of Cross Stitcher that I had lying around.

It still makes me smile whenever I see it in my sewing box.

I Ache...........

............ but I really don't mind as today I swam 60 lengths which seems much more like it to me. The 10 minute walk home from the pool was a very slow one and I'll certainly sleep tonight but at least I'm starting to see the benefits of the past weeks activity.

Perhaps I should point out that as a teenager I did train fairly seriously as a swimmer getting up early and swimming before and after school, hence the ability to do what to others seems like a silly number of lengths. Yes that does mean most of them are front crawl, with head in water and tumble turns at each end ,which explains why my arms are aching like crazy at the moment. However the words of my swimming coach are ringing in my ears:

"You only get out of the water what you put into the water."

I could also apply that to walking as yesterday I went for a walk in Lathkill Dale. I knew I was moving fairly fast but it was only when I got home and worked out that the route was 8 miles that I realised how fast I was moving, I did it in just over 3 hours.

Lathkill Dale

Limestone in Lathkill Dale from Cales Dale

Last Friday Husband and I did a 10 mile walk that included two climbs, one to Shutlingsloe and then a climb up to Shining Tor right at the end of the walk.

Shutlingsloe

The last climb to Shining Tor was a real effort for me and I was really struggling as my legs really didn't want to go up, on the flat they were fine but lifting them uphill wasn't good.

That last climb to Shining Tor

The lack of hill walking was showing, time to get the Rosemary Conley DVD out. I find doing the exercises tedious but I have to admit the programme is great at building up not only stamina but also the leg and thigh muscles that are essential for saving knees going up and down hills. It seems that the combination of the DVD and some easier daily walks around my local streets is already paying dividends. Now lets just hope that the weight starts to disappear as well.

A few weeks ago Son finally removed his train track from the lofts floor and so I was able to get to my jigsaw box which I haven't been able to reach for the last few years. So last week I enjoyed an old hobby and did my Charles Dickens jigsaw.

I'd forgotten how addictive they can be and found myself suddenly having spent an hour doing it when I was only going to put one piece in. Sorry Bilbo put your definitely taking the blame for this, posting pictures of your completed jigsaws on your blog started me off on this jigsaw. I daren't start another until I've got a few jobs out of the way.

I have been sewing but I can't show it as it will be a gift for someone who reads this blog, I just haven't decided who yet.

Fitness, Neighbours and Some Stitching

Considering I planned on losing about 3 stones this year I can safely say I am nowhere near to achieving it. Injuring my back at the start of the year certainly knocked me back two months but for the last two months I have been seriously lacking in the motivation required to get out of bed and down to the pool or gym first thing most mornings. I've also found that I'm even lacking the inspiration to hit the hills which has meant I have kept going in a downward spiral.

Two weeks ago I finally dragged myself down to the pool and just about made my way through 40 lengths or 1 km. Given that 50 lengths is my normal easy swim this is not good, even worse I ached all over the next day. As the first step is always the hardest last week I made it down to the pool twice and managed 50 lengths each time but I can definitely say it's going to be a long haul before I'm back to where I was this time last year.

When I'm getting over a back injury I also try to make a walk part of my daily routine. As I live in a hilly part of town I can make this easy or hard by varying the route to include as many hills as I want. Today I finally managed to get myself out for a walk so that's another step in the right direction. Two months later than it should of been but I'll let myself off that one as I have been doing a lot of walking anyway delivering flyers for Husband. Once I've got my swim up to a decent distance I'll head back to the gym which is the real test for my back and level of fitness.

I thought I'd share with you these roses, which aren't from Husband put a thank you from one of my neighbours.

I spent 5 hours on Saturday painting/staining the fence at the side of her house. As we share part of the fence with her I felt it was only right that we painted our part of the fence. As she didn't like the first colour she had already put on half of the fence I actually ended up doing all of the fence and not just the bit we shared with her but as it was a glorious day I didn't mind and I certainly wasn't expecting anything for it.

I have started a new stitching project, but I can't show you it as its a gift for a reader of my blog.

As promised here is a picture of Celtic Autumn which is the major cause of my lack of sewing this month.

She now needs to go onto a scroll frame but I just can't bring myself to do it even though I know I must if I don't want to end up crushing the metallic threads.

I've also made one small addition to my stash. Its a new Lizzie Kate design which I just had to get as nearly everyone of them is made for my shopaholic, shoe, bag, clothes and make-up loving Daughter. My idea of hell her idea of a great time.

Be Glad Your Not Here

Firstly yes I'm still alive (just) and although there's not been much sewing going on I have been out walking a fair bit, whilst also catching up on weeding and reading. However since 18th April there has been no hope of any sewing being done, or much else for that matter, as the World Snooker Championships are on. The red button has been very active, unlike me, but snooker and sewing don't go together so the sewing is being neglected. It's no coincidence that this post comes on the day the semi-finals start, as there is no morning session.

Last Thursday saw husband and I heading to Sheffield, not for the snooker but to see The Specials who were on at the O2 Academy, opposite The Crucible. The tickets were a Christmas present from me to husband and whilst we both enjoyed the gig the after-effects we're not so keen on. As it was a sellout the place was packed and boiling hot. On Monday evening we both started to feel somewhat unwell, with sore throats, coughs, and aching muscles. We have concluded that we must have both caught something off someone at the gig. The last few days have seen us both suffering with flu-like symptoms. Not what you want when the news is dominated by talk of a flu pandemic!! As we are both on the road to recovery I'm assuming its not the dreaded Swine Flu. If it is then a good chunk of the UK must be contaminated by now as we can't be the only ones who left the gig having caught it.

Since my last post I have fitted in three walks, although one of them still needs to be posted on my website. Husband and I enjoyed a walk along Derwent Edge on a lovely summer-like day and both ended up sun burnt.

Ladybower from Whinstone Lee Tor

The next two walks were done for the magazine I write for, one was a local walk to Alport Heights and the second was an unusual route above Dove Dale.

Dove Dale from Bunster Hill

Alport Stone at Alport Heights

Once I have finished writing up the Dove Dale walk I will be 4 months away from needing to submit my next walk, which will give me an opportunity to get on with the walks for next years editions. This feels incredibly organised for me.

Sadly the walk in Dove Dale also saw the stitching on the sides of my walking boots give up and split properly. On average a pair of walking boots lasts me a year so it's no surprise they have started to go but it's an expense I really could do without at the moment. Thankfully our local cobbler can restitch them and at the very reasonable cost of £2.50 it works out much cheaper than a new pair of walking boots. It does, of course, remain to be seen if the stitching holds, but as my birthday is relatively soon if it doesn't a new pair of walking boots will be my birthday present. I really hope the stitching does hold as they are by far and away the best boots I have had for a good few years now.

Sewing wise I have done some more work on Celtic Autumn but I can no longer avoid transferring her to a scroll frame so I want to give her a quick iron and take one last picture of her before she goes onto the scroll frame.

For anyone who is into beads a store just selling beads opened up in Belper a few months ago and I finally remembered to go and have a look in it the other day. It has an excellent selection of beads that will suit both stitchers and jewellery makers, although I don't think I'll be buying any of the Swarovski Crystals that they keep locked away in a display cabinet. A new craft shop has also opened up further up the road but when I called in it really didn't have any stock or anything of great interest for me.

I have also finished three books over the last few weeks. The first was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, if you've not read it do.

It wasn't at all what I expected and acts as a reminder that there is suffering and loss on both sides of any war.

I then read a very short Maeve Binchy book called The Builders. As with all of her books it was very enjoyable but so short it only took me one hour.

Having been told that The Cipher Garden by Martin Edwards was no longer in print I reserved it at my local library and have now read it.


I have to admit I didn't find it as compelling as the first book in the series but it wasn't bad enough to put me off reserving the next book in the series from the library, which I plan on picking up tomorrow along with my boots.

Right off to catch up on some housework, assuming the shakes and sweats hold off.

Prepare For A Shock

Well it has finally happened, yes, I have actually been stitching. Your shocked aren't you. You thought I was never going to stitch again but you were wrong. Well you weren't alone, I was beginning to wonder myself.

I didn't get to do any stitching on Saturday as I hoped. Sunday saw a family member admitted to hospital so a trip to the QMC to help out meant no stitching but on Monday I started stitching and have done some everyday this week. As usual Celtic Autumn jumped into my hands and I have now finished all the swirls on one side of her dress.

I'd got to a really fiddly bit whereby doing 4 or more stitches in one colour in one go felt like a long row of stitches. Having stuck with it I'm now looking forward to doing some of the bigger blocks of colour although I suspect that by the time I've finished the first lot I'll be sick to death of ecru.

Today is our wedding anniversary and we are treating ourselves to a meal out tonight and I have just been given a lovely bunch of flowers by Husband. He wasn't meant to be getting me flowers as we had bought the new U2 album as an anniversary present to each other. I'll let him off as he also combined it with a sales pitch on a website for the flower shop LOL.