March Rotation Photos

Scream House

Coeur de Brodeuse

Before:

After:

C is for Cupcake

Lizzie*Kate Boo Club

Before:

After:

Snapperbets

Before:

After:

Grandma's Thread Minder

Before:

After:

Gardening

So we've spent the last two weekends trying to clear the garden a bit more. As an update, here's the back garden as it was when we moved in:

And here's some of the stages it's gone through since then:

So here's what it looks like now. We've spent lots of time trying to get the fence out and all the ivy that was growing next to the patio and clearing it all the way down to the back fence.

We've cleared a lot of the awful bit at the end but we're still left with this:

The pond:

One of the awful stumps

The general awfulness!

And those are the reasons why we're going to have to get professional help! There's just no way that DH and I can clear that lot in any kind of reasonable time. For a start we're busy ever single weekend in April and at least two in May but more importantly we don't know where to start. We spent a lot of time out there last weekend and it's hard to see what we achieved which is soul destroying when we're faced with so much more still to do. I know it's just a matter of plugging away but if we don't get someone in we will lose another summer of being able to enjoy being outside.

All I want is everything that is there now stripped out, a basic fence down the side (just to keep Lia in and to define the boundary) and a rectangle of lawn that Lia can play on. All the planting, veggies, wildlife garden, new patio etc can wait till next year. Lia's desperate to be outside and I hate that I have to watch her every minute and constantly tell her to be careful or no she can't have toys out because it's not safe for her to play.

Anyway, we've almost certainly got somebody to do the work - I have no idea how some tradesmen get on with things as they're so unreliable - my nieces boyfriend who has done this kind of work in the past. It means dipping into our savings (again) but it'll be worth it to see this mess gone and not be depressed every time I look outside. I was even looking at the pics at the beginning of this post and thinking that it looked better in the first one than it does now.

Nevermind that we couldn't actually get into the last 1/4 of it due to the brambles or the ants nests in the lawn etc, at least it was green and flourishing!

Primary School League Tables

Okay, I get that I'm not supposed to undertstand these and that they're basically there so the Government can employ people to spew out meaningless data that attempts to make people think they're acually doing something but, and this is a big but, what the hell does the following explanation of the numbers actually mean?

Quoted from the BBC website:

Guide to the primary school tables

The tables show the published results achieved by schools in the Key Stage 2 national curriculum tests in England in May 2008.

Those are the tests pupils are required to sit in the final year of primary school, at the age of 10 or 11.

The tables use the results published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

They include "contextual value added" scores - produced by the department to show how much a school has improved its pupils' achievements since they took their first set of assessments in 2005.

The figures relate to all local authority-maintained primary and middle schools with pupils eligible for assessment at the time of the tests in English, maths and science in May.

They do not include special schools, pupil referral units, hospital schools or independent schools.

What is in the rankings

The schools are listed within each local authority (LA) in three ways: Alphabetically, ranked on the "contextual value added" score, and ranked on the combined or "aggregate" score achieved in the three tests - the maximum possible being 300.

In the rankings, where more than one school has the same score, they are further ranked on the average points scored by pupils (see below for more on how this is calculated).

In the alphabetical LA lists, after the school's name, the first column of figures shows its value added score, then the aggregate score, then the average number of points achieved by pupils.

The results relate to the percentage of the pupils eligible to take the tests who achieved Level 4 or above - the standard expected for their age.

In the contextual value added ranking (CVA), the bold column shows schools' scores.

A CVA score is worked out for each pupil by comparing their Key Stage 2 performance with the middle performance of other pupils with similar prior attainment at Key Stage 1.

The arithmetic mean of these individual scores gives a score for the whole school. This is converted to a number based around 100.

Note: the resulting rankings need treating with care. Official statisticians say the significance that can be attached to different scores depends on various factors, including the numbers of children involved.

For various reasons complete "before and after" scores are not available for all pupils. Where the data are missing for 50% or more of those eligible to take the tests, the value added score is not published.

In the Aggregate (AGG) ranking, the bold column shows the aggregate score on which it is based.

This is a number out of 300 but is not simply the sum of the percentages of pupils achieving the expected level in each subject.

It is derived from the number of pupils achieving at least the expected level, divided by the number eligible to take the test, for each subject, added together and multiplied by 100.

The letters SS signify a small school - with fewer than 11 pupils eligible to take the tests. They are included in the alphabetical lists for completeness but no results are published for them.

-------------------------------------------------------

Anyone care to try and explain that lot?

April Goals

Stitching Goals
1. Work on Sleigh Ride
2. Work on Heaven's Above
3. Complete Monthly Baubles - March
4. Work on Boo Club - catch up from last month and hopefully complete Pumpkin / Fright (if they arrive in time!)
5. Complete two Snapperbet Letters
6. Work on Cirque des Cercles

Sewing Goals
1. Work on Lia's Quilt
2. Start my Baby Jane quilt blocks which should arrive mid month
3. Make some bags for gifts
4. Finish Lia's curtains

Current Stitching WIP List
1. Lizzie*Kate - Boo! Flip Its
2. Bent Creek - Snapperbets

3. Dimensions - Sleigh Ride
4. Bothy Threads - Row of Christmas Fairies
5. Margaret Sherry - Santa's Journey Afghan
6. Stitchy Kitty - Snowman Trio

7. Shepherd's Bush - Happy Haunting
8. Glendon Place - Murky Manor
9. Just Nan - Scream House
10. Tournicoton - Coeur de Brodeuse
11. The Cat's Whiskers - Birds of a Feather Dilly Bag

12. Just Nan - Four Wishes
13. Michael Powell - Cottage Garden 2
14. Bent Creek - Snapperville Series
15. Ink Circles - Cirque de Cercles
16. Michael Powell - Handmade Houses 4

17. Stoney Creek - Noah's Sub
18. DMC - Wild Ones Alphabet
19. Teresa Wentzler - Tradewinds
20. Dracolair - Dawn Awakening

21. Midsummer Night Designs - Heaven's Above
22. Shepherd's Bush - Be Attitudes Afghan
23. Dragon Dreams - Dragon Virtues Afghan
24. Bothy Threads - Cut Thru Fairy Hill

March Roundup

Stitching Goals
1. Work on Scream House - worked on but no finish
2. Work on Coeur de Brodeuse - worked on but no finish
3. Complete C is for Cupcake - yep
4. Complete Lizzie*Kate Eek and Creepy - Eek done, Creepy started
5. Complete Two Snapperbet Letters - managed to complete four and start a further two
6. Work on Grandma's Thread Minder - yep stitching finished

Stitching New Starts:
C is for Cupcake

Stitching Finishes:
Grandma's Thread Minder
C is for Cupcake

Books Read
Danny the Champion of the World - Roald Dahl
Teatime for the Traditionally Built - Alexander McCall Smith

Quilting Goals
1. Make cushion covers for Lia's room - nope
2. Complete the Inspired by Rugs quilt top - yes
3. Work on the Mariner's Compass quilt top - nope
4. Start Lia's quilt top - nope
5. Complete the Quilter's Friend Sewing Kit - nope

Other Sewing
Lia's curtains - made a good start (thanks to my Mum)
Small bag (test run for several more I want to make as gifts)

New Stash Arrivals
Picture This Plus - FOTM (and a couple of pieces to keep it company en route)

WIPs Retired
Lost in a Blackwork Maze
Spring Lineup
Garden Party

Hmmmmmm, I fell behind a bit this month. I lost a bit of motivation on Couer and then hurting my finger and the great Maple Syrup hunt all took a bite out of my enthusiasm. However, all WIPs got some work and I had a couple of finishes so I'm not moaning, I'm sure most people would still see me as an over-achiever. Next month I'll be sewing and quilting a bit more than stitching I think but I'm hoping to get back on track, specifically getting Boo Club back up to date and chasing along with Snapperbets.

Oh and I'm sure my iPod Touch also had a lot to do with my lack of stitching progress (and it certainly ate into my reading time!) I even downloaded the next version of Virtual Villagers onto our PC (it's not available for the Touch) so I'm wasting time in the evenings playing that.

It's a bag!

I made this yesterday. It's an Amy Butler pattern and it was really simple to put together. This is my test piece as I intend to make several more for gifts - three before Easter (so no pressure then) and another three before July. At least all my friends having little girls makes life simpler when it comes to gifts, I struggling to come up with an Easter gift for my godson...

Anyway, here's the bag - it has a drawstring which meant I did my first ever button holes! It's approx 11" square.

The Great Maple Syrup Hunt

Well I totally failed to find the skein I thought I had, I obviously dreamt it's existence but one of the two skeins posted to me by my lovely stitchy friend was a match so I'm now a happy bunny once more.

I'm sure you'll all sleep better knowing that!

School

Good news, we got the school we wanted!

Mother's Day Quilting

Here's what I made on Mother's Day. It's the finished project from my last quilting course which was called 'Inspired by Rugs' and we learned to make the diamonds and also played around with patterned fabrics.

We've got a monks bench at home that's been handed down to me from my Grandmother via my Mum and my plan is to make this into a rectangular cushion for it as it's getting a bit battered by a certain young lady.

Apologies for the blurred pic and the odd white border on two sides, obviously my photographic and editing skills failed me somewhat!

Weekend

Yesterday was Mother's Day here in the UK so I got spoiled (kinda). Normally at weekends DH and I take turns getting up with Lia so we have one lie in each - he does Saturday and I do Sunday but we swapped this week so I got to have a lie in on Mother's Day.

Did I lie in? No. But I did at least spend some quality time with my Touch instead. My little Villagers are doing very well for themselves and I got quite a lot of Weeks and GAST threads listed in my database.

I then ventured downstairs to find DH lying on the sofa with Lia on top of him watching CBeebies. So much for breakfast in bed...

Lia then gave me a card telling me 'Mummy this is for you because it's your last day...' No idea where that came from but she was insistent that it was my last day - 'it's not your birthday, it's your last day, Daddy said so' - if that's the case I'm kind of glad I didn't get breakfast in case he had anything sinister planned!

Anyway, I spent most of the day quilting or stitching and we watched Enchanted together in the afternoon which we all thoroughly enjoyed (even DH which surprised me). DH ordered my gift from the US and so it's still somewhere in the postal service but that's okay, I know what it is and I don't mind waiting for something so lovely.

It was nice to relax as we ended up doing a serious amount of work in the garden on Saturday. It was such a glorious day that I decided to get started with clearing up a bit and started to seriously attack the ivy growing through from next door. We then started the bonfire that we'd had piled up for around six months and ripped out anything we could that would burn so the garden has much less junk in it now. We took out all the rest of the manky fence that separated us from our neighbour and will replace it with some cheap pvc covered wire fencing for now (eventually I want a low hedge). It's more to keep Lia from wandering over there than anything else because there's nothing stopping her from getting out into the road from next door.

We also spoke to the neighbour about the ivy and she was more than happy for us to rip it out and also get rid of her rotting trellis and stuff that was tied to our fence so we really went to town. We're now just left with a couple of fence boards and the main trunk of the ivy. Poor DH gets contact dermatitis from the ivy and it's so bad today that he's stayed home from work and is going to the Doctors - all of his forearms are red and swollen and he's constantly scratching.

Unfortunately the ivy is all over the side of our patio so if we don't get it out and killed off he'll keep having attacks (he got patches of it all the time last year).

So now we need to get on and clear up the boundary between the two properties and get the fence up which is next weekend's job if the weather is kind to us. It was nice too because Lia spent pretty much the whole weekend in the garden. Admittedly we have to keep an eye on her as there's so much rubbish around still but it's good to know we're working on getting it better and she'll soon be able to run around without us constantly shouting at her to be careful.

We had one quote for the garden that was extortionate! We're waiting to see if the second guy is cheaper. DH really doesn't want to embark on clearing, rotivating and laying the lawn himself with my help and it'd take us most of the rest of the year to clear all the stuff from the end of the garden so I'm hoping we can afford that work at least.

It was nice to get some quilting done yesterday, it's a while since I did anything, and my stitching is coming along. I haven't been quite as productive this month as in the last two but I have managed a fair amount of stitching. I know that my productivity will go down a bit now though as I'm determined to get as much done in the garden as we can so the better the weather and the longer the evenings (clocks change next weekend) the more I'll be outside.

Things are slowly moving with the front garden too. The builders came and assessed on Friday and will put their report and quote in to the insurance company who will then authorise the work. I need to get out the front clearing ivy too as there's a whole load of it out there. Again, it's next door's plant but it's taking over our garden. I know it's not strictly our problem but if they don't cut it back it becomes our issue - the old lady who lives there is 89 and certainly won't be doing the work herself or, I imagine, that able to pay for someone to do the work.

Finally, just to say we hear about Lia's primary school at the end of this week. Fingers and toes crossed it's the one we want!

Still Touching...

Well I did a quick bit of research last night and it seems there is at least one text reader for the Touch - the Kindle iPhone app - and what's more, it's free.

I haven't begun to explore the full range of available apps yet. My main purpose (apart from obsessing about my little village) is to get my contact and calendar information on and then work on getting my stash list on there. When I say stash, what I mean is full lists of GAST, Weeks and DMC with what I have marked. Then minor lists of things I only have small amounts of like Anchor, Kreinik, etc.

Then fabric.

And then an ambitious projects list to show each project I have, what the requirements are and what I have or need

That'll take around six years I'm sure.

I've also noted a downside of my Touch which is that I now listed to my music at work (currently The Monkees) and have started tapping, and occasion dancing. Enough for my co-workers to mention it LOL. Still, as I said to them, there's always time to boogie and I'm sure they'd rather a happy Joy than a miserable one which I would be should anyone try and take my Touch off me.

In other, potentially less boring news, we're finally getting started on Lia's bedroom revamp. Tomorrow the electrician is coming in to move the ceiling light to the centre of the room (it's next to the window), put an extra socket in and move and replace the old sockets and light switch. Easter weekend is the big paint and paper weekend and her carpet is paid for an booked to be laid on 1st May. Oh and DH and I are going shelf and accessory shopping at IKEA the Thursday after Easter (we'll be dropping Lia at nursery on the way).

All that's left after that is for us to buy her bed but that will be done after the carpet is down, there's no rush. Plus we're asking for contributions to the cost for her birthday present and that's 1st June. Oh and I need to get on with all the soft furnishings. The curtains are more than half done and I intend to start on her quilt top this weekend. I'll probably make a start on her cushion covers too.

We've also got the builder coming tomorrow to sort out when they can come and fix up the front garden. The insurance company have appointed the building firm and agreed on the extent of the damage (for example there are two fence panels but the insurance will only replace one and the post because the second is undamaged, just leaning over because of the damage to the post) but we're going to get the builder to do a bit of extra work to complete the front garden as it seems sensible to do it whilst they're already working.

We had a couple of gardeners come round last weekend to give us quotes for clearing the back garden so we're just waiting for those and keeping our finger's crossed we can afford it. We want them to clear the garden completely and lay a lawn but it's a big job - several nasty tree stumps, an old pond to clear out and loads of brambles, rubble and debris everywhere. I have however accepted that if DH and I were to try and do it we'd be looking at the best part of 12 months work and I'd rather pay someone to clear things than have that amount of DH complaining!

ps Re the floss dye lot, a wonderful friend has posted me two skeins of Maple Syrup in the hope that one is a match (apparently they are both quite different) so all fingers are crossed here. Lisa your idea would be a good one if I hadn't completely finished the old skein before looking for the next one...

I'm Touched...

As in I am now the owner of an iPod Touch.

A long time ago DH got me a PDA type thing as I wanted something I could use as an organiser. I used it a bit and then gave up on it because I didn't use it enough and it kept running out of battery completely and deleting my stuff.

Then DH got me an iPod which was great but I used it so infrequently that whenever I needed it there was no battery.

Also, over the years we've had various Nintendo consoles that I've played with a bit but never had serious time to invest in playing games on.

However, I still like to play games, listen to music and organise things so when a mate was telling me about her new toy, an iPod Touch, I was instantly hooked. I got together an awful lot of stuff - DVDs, CDs, the iPod and Organiser mentioned above and a couple of computer games and sold them. Then I emptied my money box where I collect £2 coins and voila, enough money to get me an Ipod Touch too.

And I'm hooked. I've loaded up my music, added a pic of Lia as my wallpaper, downloaded an App that will allow me to build up a database of my stash and started to add my address book in. It's wi-fi enabled so I can check my email without logging onto the PC at home and I can surf the web (okay I haven't yet but the point is I could if I wanted!)

More than that I downloaded a sim game - Virtual Villagers 2 - and have been obsessively looking after them and building up my village.

Finally, I have one item that does everything I could want. I'm so not a gadget freak (I leave that to DH) but this one has really been a revelation for me.

And, even better than all of the above, when DH asked me what I want for my birthday next month I could ask for an iPod docking station! Normally I order some stash and he gives it to me. He doesn't mind so much but I know he'd prefer to be the one choosing and stuff so now he's in seventh heaven, he keeps emailing me asking questions which means he's doing what he does best, researching all the options and comparing the tiny technical details of each one before picking something.

To be honest, I'm not going to be that excited about the present other than I really need a docking station but knowing he's happy about it is the best thing.

Dye Lots

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I swear I had another skein of GAST Maple Syrup somewhere that matched the one I was using for Snapperbets.

Can I find it?

Of course I can't.

Are the two new skeins that arrived today significantly different?

Of course they are.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

And of course it's the border so it will show.

So, my options are:

1. search for the skein I think I had
2. complete the border with the un-matched colour
3. rip out all the border I've already done and use the two new matching skeins
4. shop around to see if I can find a more matching skein

Given I've already stitched almost half the border I think ripping is out of the question, I'd rather have it un-matched! (At least I think I would, the anal retentive in me knows there's a good chance I'd finish it, hate it and rip...)

I think for now, I'll keep hunting round the house - I don't want to buy loads of skeins on the off-chance I find a match and I won't be anywhere near an LNS till June. I can stitch up all the letters and leave the border for now (although it'll take all my will power to then go back and stitch it afterwards).

Oh well, I've learned my lesson, I'll gather all my floss together before embarking on a project like this again!

It's my own fault...

I had to cut some fabric up last night to get it in the post today. I lined it up on the cutting mat, put my hnad on the ruler and let blast with the rotary cutter only to cut a large chunk of skin and nail off my index finger!

Luckily I didn't bleed on the fabric but it took around three hours for it to stop bleeding and I'm now nursing a very sore index finger and discovering that it's very hard to type without it.

See, if I hadn't moaned about stitching on Coeur I'm sure I'd still have a whole finger. I can stitch but Coeur was too small and the frame was bashing my finger so I did a bit on snapperbets instead.

Isn't it weird...

How some things you just don't enjoy stitching on?

As I'm going through my WIPs I'm remembering why some of them got put aside. For example I'm currently stitching on Tournicoton's Couer de Brodeuse and I'm really struggling to get motivated with it. I love the finished piece but the stitching is a real bitch.

Not that I could really tell you why of course, it's nothing spectacular but maybe it's the fact there's a lot of little motifs scattered around so the floss changes are constant plus it switches between over one, over two and speciality stitches all the time.

Whatever it is I am definitely not enjoying this weeks rotation piece! However, the good thing is that the rotation will keep me stitching on it till it's done which never used to happen. I'm pretty sure that I can get on and finish the stitching by the time it's slot is over (Saturday) so if I keep on keeping on I won't have to bother with it again.

I felt a similar thing with Charlie is Born, he's a lovely finish but he wasn't great to stitch - the charts were a bit jumbled and there were lots of half stitches that were easy to miss. It's a shame because there's three more designs in the series that I have to do!

I've also decided to retire a couple of WIPs this month. I've been looking at them all in the light of 'not enjoying stitching on them' and I think the reason that some were put aside was that I just didn't like the fabric / floss choices. Lost in a Blackwork Maze and Spring Lineup have gone and I think I'm going to ditch Garden Party and Cut Thru Fairy Hill too. This leaves two free 'WIP' slots in my rotation so I'm going to have a look at what isn't on the list to get a turn this year and slot a couple of the others in - probably Heavens Above and Be Attitudes.

This is the first time that I'll have given up on stitching something but I think for my sanity it's probably the best thing to do.

A March Finish

So here's my first finish for March, my fifth of the year and the third WIP off my list (sorry it's a bit dark).



I'm hoping to get round to doing some 'making up' of projects in May (I have to slot some time in my rotation) and this is on the list for then.

For Courtney...

My Cirque des Cercles floss choice is Silk n Colors 189 'Aurora's Flame'. I have enough of it (and enough of the black Murano) to do Cirque des Carreaux if I ever get up the courage.

Thanks for the great comments everyone.

February Rotation Photos

Sleigh Ride

Before:

After:

Charlie is Born

Before:

Finished:

B is for Bee

Lizzie*Kate Boo Club

Before:

After:

Snapperbets

Before:

After:

Cirque des Cercles

Before:

After:

Quilting BOM

That's Block of the Month in case you're wondering...

So I've signed up for a BOM quilt. It wasn't my fault, a friend signed up and then pointed it out on a message board I frequent and I fell hopelessly in love with it at first sight.

With what I hear you ask.

With this (you can click the image for a bigger version):

See, I said it was gorgeous.

As a Block of the Month you get 10 blocks a month - there's 225 blocks in total so it's a 2 year project (if I keep up!). There are no repeated fabrics either so I get 225 different fabrics (at least a fat eighth of each) and the finished quilt is 84" square.

It's good I like a challenge!

Luckily the friend also recommended a blog - That Quilt - whose author is currently doing the quilt and who has fantastic instructions for each block. The quilt is actually called Dear Jane and you can buy a book with it all in but the version I'm doing is called Rainbow Jane and the BOM comes with the fabrics and the appropriate sections of the book. Beware if you follow any of those links as they take you to places you can buy and sign up and I take no responsibility for your actions!

Roll on April when the first blocks arrive, I can't wait to get stuck in.

Spot the Difference

So is it me or does the Dog design look wrong? Don't get me wrong, I like it, but I'm a bit confused as to why it's different to the rest.

I'm working on the Cupcakes this month and I'm thinking that I'll skip D and wait and see if any more are the same when they're released. I'm sure I can rechart the dogs heads to fit them into the same style as the others but I don't want to do that and find there's another design later that can't be altered. On the whole I'd rather have them all the same or with several different, not just one different from all the rest.

It offends my sense of order LOL.

March Goals

Stitching Goals
1. Work on Scream House (hopefully finish the stitching)
2. Work on Coeur de Brodeuse (hopefully finish the stitching)
3. Complete C is for Cupcake
4. Complete Lizzie*Kate Eek and Creepy
5. Complete Two Snapperbet Letters
6. Work on Grandma's Thread Minder (hopefully finish the stitching)

Quilting Goals
1. Make cushion covers for Lia's room
2. Complete the Inspired by Rugs quilt top
3. Work on the Mariner's Compass quilt top
4. Start Lia's quilt top
5. Complete the Quilter's Friend Sewing Kit

Current Stitching WIP List
1. Lizzie*Kate - Boo! Flip Its
2. Bent Creek - Snapperbets

3. Dimensions - Sleigh Ride
4. Bothy Threads - Row of Christmas Fairies
5. Margaret Sherry - Santa's Journey Afghan
6. Stitchy Kitty - Snowman Trio

7. Shepherd's Bush - Happy Haunting
8. Glendon Place - Murky Manor
9. Just Nan - Scream House

10. Brightneedle - Garden Party
11. The Trilogy - Spring Lineup

12. Tournicoton - Coeur de Brodeuse
13. The Cat's Whiskers - Birds of a Feather Dilly Bag
14. The Cat's Whiskers - Grandma's Thread Minder

15. Just Nan - Four Wishes
16. Michael Powell - Cottage Garden 2
17. Bent Creek - Snapperville Series
18. Ink Circles - Cirque de Cercles
19. Michael Powell - Handmade Houses 4

20. Stoney Creek - Noah's Sub
21. DMC - Wild Ones Alphabet
22. Teresa Wentzler - Tradewinds
23. Dracolair - Dawn Awakening

24. Midsummer Night Designs - Heaven's Above
25. Shepherd's Bush - Be Attitudes Afghan
26. Stitchin'Spirations - Getting Lost in a Blackwork Maze
27. Dragon Dreams - Dragon Virtues Afghan
28. Bothy Threads - Cut Thru Fairy Hill

February Roundup

Stitching Goals
1. Work on Sleigh Ride - yes a little
2. Work on Charlie is Born - yes and he's completed
3. Complete B is for Bee - yes
4. Lizzie*Kate Boo Club - two more words done
5. Complete two Snapperbets letters - yes, 3 done
6. Work on Cirque des Cercles - yes

Stitching New Starts:
B is for Bee

Stitching Finishes:
B is for Bee
Charlie is Born

Books Read
Winter Holiday - Arthur Ransome
Pigeon Post - Arthur Ransome
The Picts and the Martyrs - Arthur Ransome
Dead Lovely - Helen Fitzgerald

Quilting Goals
1. Start Lia's curtains - nope due to me being ill at the beginning of the month but they will be started tomorrow
2. Work on the Quilter's Friend Sewing Kit - yes, lots done so it should be finished in March

Other Quilting
Quilting class attended - 'Inspired by Rugs'

New Stash Arrivals
SamSarah - Alphabet Baubles D
Picture This Plus - FOTM (and a couple of other pieces to keep it company on the way over!)
Lizzie*Kate ABC Lessons
The Cat's Whiskers - Scissors by Any Other Name

So another successful month. My only regret is that Sleigh Ride didn't get as much attention as I'd have liked but given there was almost a week where I got no stitching done I shouldn't complain, at least I did a teeny bit on it.

I want to get a bit more quilting done in March so my stitching productivity may drop a little but given I'm steaming ahead on most projects I'm not too worried. I just want to get on with Lia's things for her room so the curtains will definitely be done (Mum is going to assist while she's staying this week as I've never made curtains before) and I want to get some cushion covers done too.

No WIP pics for a bit as DH is in Greece with the camera - I'll hopefully get them loaded next weekend.

Spring Cleaning

Something I've never bothered with before but I'm aware that the house hasn't had a seriously serious clean since last summer so I'm in the mood to clean up.

First thing will be the kitchen - a serious clear out and re-organisation as things are still in the cupboards we threw them in when we moved in and I'm sure they can be organised a bit better. Then a total clean up and tidy (it's a real 'dump the junk' area in our house). I'm starting next week when DH is away as it'll be much easier without him moving things around.

After that it's the lounge which will mean a big stash tidy up and (shock horror!) a spring clean of my stash. I've already been through my hand-dyed fabric box and looked out 12 pieces that I know I'll never stitch on, I'm even considering going through my projects and linking fabric to charts in an attempt to clear down my stash a bit but that might be going a bit too far!

The next stop will be Lia's room. Only this morning she was complaining that her top was too small (I swear it wasn't last week) so a clear out of clothes is necessary and a real tidy up of toys as it won't be long before we're redecorating her room. Weve just arranged for the electrician to come in a couple of weeks to do a few jobs in her room so a good tidy up is necessary.

After that who knows? Probably our wardrobe which is a haven for all things that seem to have no other place to go - stash, toys, bags, books, you name it, it's dumped in there. Even a few clothes LOL.

I'm also nagging DH to finish boarding the loft so we can properly sort out up there and finally finish unpacking (yes there are boxes in the garage that we haven't opened since we moved). De-junking will definitely be the theme of the next few months.

ps Day two of no pepsi and chocolate and I'm still coping...

mmmmmmmmmmm pancakes...

Boy do we love pancakes in our house and yesterday, as always in our house on Shrove Tuesday, dinner comprised just of pancakes - savoury followed by sweet.

However, more importantly, this year I've decided for the first time to give up something for Lent. Those who have spent time with me IRL will know that my drink of choice is diet pepsi, it has been for at least 20 years and I drink far too much of it. What they don't know is that I've been cutting down significantly over the last month and now I'm going to give it up completely for Lent.

I have been having the odd one or two - if we're out I'll 'treat' myself and occasionally I'll get a can or two at home but no more, I shall spend 40 days pepsi free and come Easter I may just decide to keep it that way. DH is convinced that I'd lose weight easier if I stopped drinking fizzy drinks and he's probably right so we shall see how it goes.

I'm also going to give up chocolate - again I don't actually eat that much of it so I'm hoping I'll cope. In my head giving things up for Lent means I can start having them again afterwards but I'm hoping that come Easter I'll be so used to not having them I won't bother. Follow that logic? DH says it's girl logic but hey, if it works, why not just go with it.

Please note I'm not planning on giving up stash or anything crazy like that...

Road Trip!

So a good friend has just got engaged and there's a good chance the wedding will be held in Toronto (where the bride is from). DH and I have been talking and we both want to go - the date hasn't been set yet but it won't be this year and given the best man is a teacher it will have to be in a school holiday.

So, IF the wedding is next year, IF it's in the School holiday, IF it's in Toronto and IF there's nothing stopping us we're going on a Road Trip! Yes I know that's a lot of IFs in there but remember I'm a woman whose holidays don't get any more exciting than two weeks stuck in an appartment with her Mother-in-Law.

The thing is that I have a Cousin who lives in Toronto who I haven't seen for years, Cousins who live in Maine and a real desire to see New York. Hence the Road Trip. We'll fly to Toronto, attend the wedding, hopefully catch up with my Cousin, drive into the US via Niagra Falls, head across country to Maine and the other Cousins, head down to Boston then finally to NY for a couple of days before flying home. Obviously depending on the date of the wedding that trip might be reversed (we have to be back in the UK in time for school starting).

And as the one who will plan the route and give directions (DH will do the driving as it's the correct side of the road for him) I imagine we'll be stopping at several stitching and quilt shops along the way.

I'm trying not to get too excited as there's so many things that could stop it happening but we have to start saving now so I can't help but get planning. And if the wedding plans change I can still try and persuade DH we need to do the trip (I won't mention how many quilting shops we're likely to find along the way!)

So anyone out there reading this who knows of any good Stitching / Quilting shops in those areas please let me know so I can collate all my options.

Blah Blah Blah

Well I'm still waiting for the Insurance Company to call about the damage to the front garden, I guess I should be used to things taking so long but it's ridiculous.

We buy our insurance through our bank but it's supplied by an insurance company so I phoned the bank the morning after it happened and gave them all the details - they said they would register the claim and I would get a call within 48 hours. Sure enough I got a call on the Monday but only to tell me that because the claim was complicated (ie we had to claim on someone elses insurance) the bank couldn't deal with it, they would send it on to the insurance company who would get back to me asap.

Fast forward to Thursday afternoon, no call. I called them and they said 'oh, we have the details of your claim but didn't get any notification of it so didn't know to call you'. The woman then said they would need to get a loss adjuster to speak to us and she'd mark it urgent given we'd already been kept waiting. 30 mins later I got a call from the loss adjusters saying I would get another call from them asap (yes I'm not sure I understood that bit either). That was Thursday pm and I'm still waiting.

At least the Council have been pro-active for once and the sign post that was knocked down is now standing and the pavement is fixed.

If I don't hear anything from them today I'll chase again tomorrow but I resent having to pay for phone calls when it's their job to be contacting me.

Rant over for now.

We just had a lovely weekend with friends we hadn't seen for a while. They've got a couple of girls aged 7 and 9 who Lia loves playing with so it was nice for us as they were perfect babysitters whilst we adults had a good old natter and catch up.

DH is off to Greece on Friday for a weeks holiday. My holiday doesn't reset until the end of March so I don't have any days to take to go with him but really it wouldn't be practical because of MILs leg. The good news is that she finally had the metal cage removed from her leg last week (after five months) but she's going to have the leg plastered on Wednesday and that will be on for at least another month. MIL and FIL are due over here in July for a weeks holiday in Devon with us so we're all hoping her recovery continues well.

My Mum is coming to stay again for the week to babysit Lia and I. As last time we'll be at work and nursery but she'll be company in the evenings and it'll be good for her to be out of the flat as she's been feeling a bit low recently. It's a bad time of year as the weather is not great so there' even less motivation for her to get out and do things.

Crafting wise I've done a bit more on my Quilters Friend but it won't be finished this month. There's not too much left though so I'm hoping it'll be done next month. My rotation has gone okay so far but due to me being ill for almost a week Sleigh Ride isn't going to get as much attention as it might have done. Still, it'll get some work done on it which is the main thing, and all my other rotation goals have been achieved again so I can't complain.

I seem to have got back into reading (I've certainly got back into buying books) as I picked up a book last night and had to force myself to put it down after 100 pages as it was far too late for me to still be awake on a work night. I'm hoping that means my mojo is back (it certainly means it's a good book LOL).

My other focus is still the furnishing of Lia's room. I know what bed and dressing table we'll be getting her but I want better storage options so we went to IKEA on Saturday for some inspiration and there were several fantastic items including wall shelves that match her wardrobe and book shelves so DH and I will be going back on a week day so we can get some bits and pieces.

Friday 13th!

Okay so I'm not superstitious at all - I even go out of my way to walk under ladders (although I haven't recently, honest) but last night I was just settling down to watch a DVD and get on with some stitching (DH was on a works night out) when there was a loud bang outside the front of the house.

It wasn't actually loud enough to freak me out but I figured I should have a look so I pulled the blinds back and this is what I saw:

The driver had failed to stop at a t-junction and had clipped another car and smashed into our garden!

We're all okay and I am trying not to think about what would have happened had he been going any faster as he may well have smashed into the house itself and Lia was asleep in the front bedroom upstairs.

Looking on the bright side, we've been wanting to get the front sorted for quite some time and at least now we can do it on somebody elses expense!

Working Hours

Regular readers will have noticed that Lia starts school this year - I might have mentioned it once or twice!

I currently work full time with one day a week working from home but I want that to change because I'm determined that I want to be picking Lia up when school is out, not having a child minder pick her up. I would hate to be picking her up at 5pm, throwing dinner together, bathing her and putting her to bed without time to take a breath - I know it's the reality for some people but I don't want to be that kind of mother.

So my plan is to request a drop down to part time so I work the equivalent of four days a week but spread the hours over five days - four days is 30 hours so over five days that 6 hours a day plus a 30 min lunch break meaning I can do 8am - 2.30pm five days a week.

Legally work has to be flexible for parents so I'm hoping they'll go for the idea. At a push I could maybe do 8.30am - 3pm but that would make it tight for me to get to the school in time (it's about a 20 min drive if there's no traffic).

I'd then have Lia home straight from school, time to do homework with her, cook dinner, play etc before bedtime. Perfect.

The downside of this is that DH would have to do the morning drop off at 8.30am and, given he has a 1hr train journey to work he'd not arrive at the office until 10am. His work would be okay with that as some of the guys there already start at that time but it would mean him not getting home till much later in the evenings which isn't great for him.

However, he's been talking recently about looking for work closer to home so maybe this will be the push he needs to do just that. He could even afford to drop his salary slightly as we'd be saving a huge amount not paying his train fare every month. He's also in the lucky position of being able to be choosy about jobs as he's quite settled where he is so can afford (all going well in this economic climate) to hold out for the perfect job.

Another option might be a morning childminder that will have Lia for an hour, give her breakfast and drop her off to school which wouldn't be perfect but would still be better than having DH lose his evenings.

As for the drop in my salary, it won't be close to the amount we pay for the nursery so we won't be any worse off financially, even if we pay a morning childminder.

Once we get confirmation of which school Lia will be attending (and therefore what the hours will be) I'll make my application to work and see what they say.

I caved...

I've ordered the Just Nan Harmony tin. In my defence I haven't ordered the sampler though LOL.

The Just Nan site now has pictures up of all the upcoming releases and, whilst I like the design of the sampler, I don't like the colours and you can only buy it as a chart with the floss and embellishments for $50.

I have to say that I'm a little bit disillusioned with Just Nan and their decision to make everything limited editions and selling things as kits etc. I know it's my choice to buy or not but $50 is too much for me right now especially when I really don't like the colour choices (or the idea that if I did stitch it there would be exactly 999 identical copies out there LOL). Stitching is a craft and even though we're following a designed pattern it is always nice to be able to put one's own mark on one's work, especially with sampler type designs.

Oh well, I know that they have their reasons but I read quite a number of stitching boards and I know I'm not alone in my feelings.

The only other new release I've seen that I love is 'Scatter Snowflakes' from Shepherd's Bush so that's been added to my wishlist for a future purchase.

On and entirely different note, I've been watching the news of the Australian Bush fires and am heartbroken by the devastation out there. I have a lot of family around the Melbourne area and my thoughts are with everyone out there at this time.

If anyone is looking for a way to help Melly and Me are having an online auction to raise funds for the disaster appeal. They're auctioning off 8 lots between now and Saturday - some cute handmade critters, patterns, etc so go have a look and maybe make a bid or just a donation.

Where did the week go?

Those readers who don't stitch should probably skip the first bit of this blog post as I'm sure you'll find it really dull. For those who do, have you seen the Nashville releases?

I'd pre-ordered the Lizzie*Kate ABC Lessons chart sight unseen as I liked the sound of it and boy am I glad I did as I love it. I intend to slip it into my rotation when Snapperbets is finished.

I also pre-ordered The Cat's Whiskers 'Scissors by Any Other Name' which I intend to do in my own colourway as the charted colours are so not me.

Of the other new releases I like the Quaker Seasons of Friendship (I have no idea why, it's not my usual style at all!), I think I like the new Just Nan tin - I like the tin itself, I'm not too sure about the stitched part. I'm also not sure about the Just Nan Harmony Sampler (matches the tin) but I think it's because the only picture I've seen is the one I've linked to and it's not that clear.

ABC Stitch Therapy have a pretty comprehensive list of the releases if you want to look at more.

I think that unless I fall hopelessly in love the Just Nans when I see better pics of the sampler I'll leave my purchases to just the two I've already ordered. However, I'm sure there's more to see so I reserve the right to change my mind LOL. I am also glad that I'm not head over heals for the new colours from Picture This Plus - a bit too subtle for my tastes!

I'm finally starting to feel better - the only day I managed to get into work last week I ended up heading home early after throwing up. I've been quite woozy ever since - headaches and throwing up - which has meant not much crafting. I have however completed two and a bit letters on Snapperbets and last night put about 20 stitches into my Charlie is Born WIP which is my focus piece this week.

I also did some work on my quilting project - The Quilter's Friend Sewing Kit. I've found a pic of the finished piece to show you -

I bought the full kit at the NEC Festival of Quilts last year so I'm doing it in the colours above. I bought the kit because there was a lot of fiddly bits in it that I wasn't sure about so I thought that I could make it once in this colourway and then, when I'd recovered, make it again in a more 'me' set of colours.

The only change I'm making is that I'm not putting on the Angel on the front panel (top right). I'm going to put the quilt star in but I'm going to applique my name on the front instead of the Angel. I'm still undecided as to whether to put the other Angel in - the one sitting on the cotton reels - but I think I will.

My progress so far is that I've completed the left hand side of the inside (so bottom left section). You can't see from the picture above but it is a zipped pocket (my first zip!) just to the left of the cotton reels, the striped bit is another pocket as are the triangular bits. I've also completed the large pocket in the middle inside section and the little heart needlekeep which is top left above the middle pocket. I've cut out the parts for the picture holder that is next to the needlekeep and hopefully will get that put in this week.

The right section of the inside has another zipped pocket (zip hidden by the ric rac) and two more pockets that need to be made up! It is a really challenging project but I'm enjoying it a lot as I'm learning lots of new techniques - hopefully I'll manage to finish it up this month.

In other news DH finally spoke to the woman who runs the Greek Church near to where we live about Sunday School / Greek School (I've been nagging him for weeks) and he's going to take Lia this Sunday to see. Apparently they usually start children there at the age of four so Lia's a bit young still (she's four in June) but as long as she doesn't disrupt the others she can join in.

It's actually a school for Greek rather than a Sunday School. Language students from the Uni teach the kids right up to GCSE level and they also can sit the exam which is great. I intend to go with Lia so I can work on my Greek too and the plan is that Sundays become Greek day in our house so we all speak it all day. It's about time I learned a bit more!

I tell you my life is more and more like My Big Fat Greek Wedding all the time - I can just hear Lia whining 'I don't want to go to Greek School...' LOL

Snow!

I've been wishing for snow for weeks and weeks and what happens when we finally get some? I'm was in bed suffering from a nasty head cold that was making me throw up.

Poor Lia didn't get a snowman this time although she did have some fun outside but I wasn't in any state to join her, DH was working hard and my Mum is a little old to be risking slipping over outside, so all she really got to do was run around and throw snow about. Still, she had lots of fun which is the main thing.

I'm up and about again, and back to work, and the snow has all but gone with no more forecast in our neck of the woods. I'm kind of disappointed but also a bit relieved as we have a 100 mile drive on Friday to take Mum home where I'll be attending a quilting class on Saturday and then we're visiting friends on the homeward trip on Sunday. I think I'd be more disappointed to miss that lot than not to have more snow.

I have managed a bit of stitching and have almost completed the next two words on the Lizzie*Kate Boo Club - I just have to finish off the little spiders and do a bit more border and I've completed that part of this months rotation. I'm then going to stitch on Snapperbets till the weekend before moving on to my small WIP next week. One disappointment is that Mum and I were supposed to work on the curtains for Lia's room this week but I've not been in any fit state to do so but she's coming back at the end of the month so hopefully we can get them done then.

A piece of good news is that when all the legal stuff is sorted out from my Stepdad's death I will get a bit of money. I kind of knew about it but it's all a bit convoluted due to changes Mum and SD made for inheritance tax purposes etc and I had no idea as to what I would get or when I would get it (it may have passed to Mum first).

It's enough that we can get quite a bit of work done on the house so DH and I are currently making a wish list of everything we'd like to do which we're then going to cost out and prioritise but I think if we're careful we can completely re-do the bathroom, replace the front and back doors, replace our crappy patio doors with french doors, repave the patio and get most of the back breaking garden work done by professionals.

Add to those major jobs some changes in the kitchen, a couple of new internal doors, some new skirting, minor electrical work and some painting and the house will be transformed! Obviously it's a bit of an open ended wait for the money as these things can drag on a bit but half the fun is in the planning and anticipation.

Thanks to all of those who have commented lately with kind words about my stitching and hugs for my moping! Apart from my physical bleugh of the last few days I'm feeling in a much better mood generally and have lots and lots of plans running round in my head for the months to come. Our social diary is filling up at an alarming rate which is always nice and I'm starting to feel the 'spring cleaning' mood which is good as the house is stuffed full of junk and could do with a serious sorting out.

Oh and finally, yes Sheila, Swallows and Amazons are just as good a read as an adult, I re-read them quite regularly and I hope that Lia enjoys them as much as I do when she gets to the right age...

January Rotation Photos

Apologies for the totally crap photos!

Snapperbets Start

Alphabet Bauble A

Boo Club Start

Joyful Summer Before

Joyful Summer Finished

Grandma's Thread Minder Before

Grandma's Thread Minder After

Scream House Before

Scream House After

February Goals

Stitching Goals
1. Work on Sleigh Ride
2. Work on Charlie is Born (hopefully complete)
3. Complete B is for Bee
4. Complete Lizzie*Kate Black Cat (and maybe Spiders)
5. Complete two Snapperbets letters
6. Work on Cirque des Cercles

Quilting Goals
1. Start Lia's curtains
2. Work on the Quilter's Friend Sewing Kit - hopefully complete it but it's very complicated so I'll be taking it slow!

Current Stitching WIP List
1. Lizzie*Kate - Boo! Flip Its
2. Bent Creek - Snapperbets

3. Dimensions - Sleigh Ride
4. Bothy Threads - Row of Christmas Fairies
5. Margaret Sherry - Santa's Journey Afghan
6. Stitchy Kitty - Snowman Trio

7. Shepherd's Bush - Happy Haunting
8. Glendon Place - Murky Manor
9. Just Nan - Scream House

10. Brightneedle - Garden Party
11. Millhouse Designs - Charlie is Born
12. The Trilogy - Spring Lineup

13. Tournicoton - Coeur de Brodeuse
14. The Cat's Whiskers - Birds of a Feather Dilly Bag
15. The Cat's Whiskers - Grandma's Thread Minder

16. Just Nan - Four Wishes
17. Michael Powell - Cottage Garden 2
18. Bent Creek - Snapperville Series

19. Shepherd's Bush - Be Attitudes Afghan
20. DMC - Wild Ones Alphabet
21. Ink Circles - Cirque de Cercles
22. Stitchin'Spirations - Getting Lost in a Blackwork Maze
23. Midsummer Night Designs - Heaven's Above
24. Teresa Wentzler - Tradewinds
25. Dragon Dreams - Dragon Virtues Afghan
26. Michael Powell - Handmade Houses 4
27. Bothy Threads - Cut Thru Fairy Hill
28. Stoney Creek - Noah's Sub
29. Dracolair - Dawn Awakening