Jo’s Journal

Been a long time since I blogged!! Will find a few pics of bits and pieces I’ve worked on the past few months later, and maybe update the theme too, no longer (if it was ever) summer, think we’ve moved straight into winter without the lovely autumn weather and colours…!!

Hope everyone out there in Blogland is keeping well

Edited to add: Decided I liked this theme – not seasonal, just fun, looking outside it’s so grey and dull, need something bright and cheery!!

Now that we finally left wintery-spring behind here in the UK, if felt like time for a change of theme…..I wish we had more to choose from here on WordPress (I may have to go for an upgrade ), but I thought this one looked a little more like summer with the blue-sky-like background. The image is a picture of a lake back ‘home’ in Somerset.

Just realised I still didn’t post a picture of my progress on this beautiful design…..on the other hand, it does mean you will actally be able to see what it is If you haven’t heard me go on (and on) about this chart in previous blog entries, it is the recent Superchart from CrossStitcher.

Rachael is further along than I am if you would like to see more – she also has some other very beautiful projects on the go, I don’t know how she keeps up with them all!!

I am so in love with this design, and so far I just don’t want to put it down for any other stitching. I have more Egyptian charts lined up to stitch after this one, and one day I really must get back to my beloved ‘Boy King’ that sees so few stitches each year…

Whilst looking through my magazines to find some Christmassy designs to stitch for Granny’s Quilts (we are making about 28 for the kids so wanted to start early!!) – I came across a little reindeer design that I had started last year. As it was UFO Tuesday, I decided to kill 2 birds with 1 stone, and finished him off:

Of course, in this beautiful summery weather most of us have been enjoying lately, I didn’t want him to feel too out of place, so I stitched a little elf to keep him company:

And now it is back to Tut’ – I picked up all of the threads I was missing for this design…had to get Anchor not DMC, hope it won’t matter too much. WIll get a progress pic some time at the weekend when he starts to take a little more shape.

Well – as good as

I haven’t decided how I will finish the border yet, but for now, I am calling this done! Really enjoyed it, but also glad to be finished and on to something new….which is, of course, Tut’!! I am finding this a really pleasant piece to work on so far, and I love the marbled aida. I will get a snap when I have more to show

Pat of Granny’s Quilts kindly allowed me to share this picture of the quilt she made up using the set of dinosaur squares I recently stitched:

Didn’t she do a beautiful job assembling it? This, along with others will be donated to a child at Pat’s local hospital.

This little fella joins his colourful pals below, on his way to Granny’s Quilts – these squares were so much fun to stitch, there are a further 15 in the set that I plan to stitch later on….when I am caught up on a few other projects!!

Been A.W.O.L from blog-land recently….do have a little stitchy progress to report though.

I finished this bookmark for my partner in the summer-themed swap – I thought these beach huts looked great fun!

UFO Tuesday saw a little progress on an old favourite – Oriental Beauty:

BEFORE:   AFTER:

And finally – I finished 2 more squares for the Granny’s Quilts group:

I am stitching one more of these (a fish) before I mail them, then it’s back to my Fruit Smoothie Still waiting on my order for the fabric for Tut’, so at least that’s one temptation out of the way!! LOL

Makes Jack a dull boy, says my Quaker Gameboard – at least, I hope it will by tonight I decided to give this one an airing for UFO Tuesday, as I really am very close to finishing.

BEFORE:  AFTER:

I really enjoyed working on this again, and plan to stitch for a couple of hours each evening now until it is done.

My latest Ebay purchase arrived this morning….as a big fan of Harry Potter I have been tempted by this book in the past but it was always a little pricey due to popular demand. Worth waiting, I got it for £3.90

Well, so in awe am I of Rachael’s gorgeous progress on Tutankhamum, I decided to go ahead and order the supplies….a couple of the items (including the fabric) could take up 28 days for delivery, which is kind of a good thing, will stop me giving into temptation, and may even give me time to finish the Smoothie. I love Egyptian designs, especially Tutankhamun…I am hoping this might motivate me to get back to the equally beautiful ‘Boy King’ that I have had in very slow progress for about 10 years….