Sneak Preview

I was taking some shots of something that I will be putting in the post later today. Hopefully I will be showing you that soon but whilst I had the camera out I also took a couple of close-ups of my first design.

Hopefully you will get to see the finished piece and pattern over the weekend. In the meantime here are the close-ups.

As you might have guessed the first design has a wildlife theme.

Silver Lining

One or two people have been kind enough to ask how I'm getting on, so a quickish update.

After finishing the week's course of tablets and taking a week off from doing any housework I thought I was fine. However 24 hours later the pain was back and so a return trip to the doctors resulted in more tablets and an appointment with the physio, which is later this week, i.e nearly a fortnight after my second doctor's appointment.

After weeks of virtual inactivity, as my husband despite being busy with his own business, wouldn't let me do any housework or much else until the doctor said I could I have:

a. Put on loads of weight
and
b Seem to be fine.

Following the doctor's instructions I have come off the tablets a few days before the appointment with the physio and appear to be totally pain free. I'm still keeping the appointment in the hope they may be able to point me in the right direction to getting rid of my recurring back problems but other than that, after nearly a month and a half, I'm pain free. Yippee and fingers crossed it stays that way.

Needless to say there has been no progress in the garden, banned from doing it and so hopefully my seeds will (time permitting) finally get planted this week. A bit late for some of them but I'll cross my fingers and hope. Banned from washing up meant I couldn't clean the greenhouse and the required pots.

I have to admit, as great as my husband was, I was by the end of the first week desperate to be able to wash up, so I could bake, and hoover, as the house was definitely missing a woman's touch.

I'm hoping that next week I'll be able to get back out walking in the Peak District, as I hate the enforced inactivity but I haven't exactly been wasting my time. As the proverb goes, every cloud has a silver lining.

As some of you may recall I have hopes of doing some designing, of the cross-stitch variety, and so with all my spare time I started playing around with pencils and graph paper and came up with the outlines of a design. I then spent an evening trialing PCStitch Pro and eventually purchased it. I amazed myself by not only designing but also purchasing the required materials and stitching the design in 5 days time. Naturally I haven't actually got it into a finished piece yet but as soon as I have I will post it on the blog along with the pattern.

Since then I've got two more designs that I'm working on and I'm having so much fun. I'm so desperate to find time to carry on with this that I'm trying to get up earlier. By moving the alarm clock back in 15 minute stages I'm hoping I can add an extra hour or so to my day.

My Sort of Doctor

Just returned from a visit to the Doctor as I have been suffering from a bad attack of arthritis for the past three weeks. It seems to clear up but then returns.

Anyway, besides the pills she has given me she has also instructed me that I'm to do:

No Ironing
No Washing Up
No Hoovering

Shame I did them all before I went to the doctors, which probably explains why I've had another flare-up.

As you can imagine there are howls of disbelief from my Husband, Daughter and Son, knew I should have got it in writing.

As for me that's my sort of diagnosis, I'll be visiting her again!!

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.

Thank You Seems Inadequate

A short while ago Becky emailed me and said she'd like to send me a collection of finishing materials in response to a comment I made on her blog. Last week the postman handed my husband a rather large package with my name on it, which promptly brought about the comment 'What have you been spending my money on now?' He was, of course, joking but didn't believe me when I said I haven't spent any money.

To say I was somewhat amazed and delighted with what Becky has sent me is a massive understatement. The words 'Thank You' seem so inadequate. Becky you truly are an amazingly generous and kind person.

What Becky has sent me is the most amazing collection of finishing materials I could have ever imagined and they will certainly give me plenty of scope for finishing off my stitching with some wonderful materials.

In my next post I should be able to share some stitching with you as I actually have something in the post. Once I have heard that it has arrived I will be able to show you it.

A Question

Does anyone know where 'The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pattern' has got to? I've lost track of her.

I have been stitching this month but sadly nowhere as near as much as I hoped. No pictures as it's all secret stitching.

The fact that I've not done much stitching is actually a good think as I've been busy with work as people keep asking me for samples of my quizzes for next season. Hopefully they will come back and ask me to set for them as well so I'm not complaining. I'm also busy organising the redesign of my Quizwise website, which naturally is being overseen by my husband at Foxxweb Design.

I have also been walking and reading, although my reading list is out of date and needs updating.

Below are some pictures from my latest walks, there are more pictures from them on my Peak Walker website.

This is from my walk yesterday over the dramatic ridges of Parkhouse Hill and Chrome Hill which is known locally as the Dragon's Back. This view is looking across to the moors of Axe Edge from the top of the Dragon's Back.

This is my lunchtime view form a walk around the Manifold Valley. I'm sat on Ossoms Hill looking across the Manifold Valley at Sugarloaf and Wetton Hill.

Finally is a walk I did in mid April to my favourite place in the whole world, Bleaklow. Not many people like it but I love its desolate and wild nature. This is Bleaklow Head, the highest point on Bleaklow.

School's Out

At long last the quiz league season has come to an end which means that intensity of constant and numerous weekly deadlines, that have to be met no matter what, has also come to an end. On Thursday I definitely had the it's the start of the summer holidays feeling that I used to get as both a pupil and teacher. Don't get me wrong the work hasn't ended, in many ways it is just starting but the pressure is off, until next October.

To celebrate on Friday I went on a long walk around Lathkill Dale and yesterday I had my usual, you can relax now, migraine.

My favourite spot in Lathkill Dale.

Where I always sit and enjoy the sound of the water.

The limestone cliffs at the head of Lathkill Dale.


Not sure why I have the school's out feeling as actually I have a mountain of stuff to catch up on but as I promised myself a weeks holiday once the league season was over I'm trying to ignore that as much as possible. Luckily for me the weather seems to be co-operating as we have a dry forecast for the next week so hopefully I'll get some more walking and possibly even some gardening done during my week off. No chance of actually going away, Husband's far too busy.

One idea that I've seen on other blogs is the idea of collecting via email snail mail addresses for RAK's an idea that I love as I'm the world's worst at meeting stitching deadlines, probably because of the constant deadlines with my job. However I love stitching RAK's but know from experience how difficult it can be to surprise someone. When I did Jennifer's RAK I had to let her in on the surprise in order to get her address. So if you think that sometime in the future you might like an RAK to drop through your door from me than please email me. You can find do this by sending your address via the contact me buttons on either my Peakwalker or Quizwise websites. Please put RAK in the title and let me know which is your blog so as that I can get some idea of your tastes if I decide to send you an RAK. There are no guarantees that you will get something or how soon it will be but please do join in.