Well I got an hour done.

After clearing the day to stitch I fell asleep for four hours!!!! I was just going to nap for a few hours and i just didn't wake up. i was a bit annoyed with myself, but I obviously needed it.

When I got up I had a farewell afternoon tea to go to and when I came home I got an hour of stitching done before the tiredness overcame me again. I had an early night.

Today I was teaching and I never feel much like stitching in the afternoon. But I'm looking forward to the weekend at least.

The Dry Spell is Over!!!!

I made myself sit down to 'Sun' yesterday afternoon, and then of course I remembered what I was missing and I couldn't stop. I did 4 hours.

So my panicking is over.

Hobbies are sometimes like that for me. I don't really want to commit the time to them. And then once I get started I enjoy it so much I just keep going. Perhaps it's the effort of pulling everything out; setting things up?

Well in any case I have most of the day to stitch today. I did everything I needed to earlier in the week to leave today free.

OK, I'm off to go start designing something else now.

So Close, Yet No Go

I have had a learning experience today.
Always, always, always read ALL of the instructions.

Last Monday I drove down town (half an hour) to drop off the money and form for a craft competition. I had finished the stitching, but not made up the project yet. I thought 'I'll do that on the weekend, I have until next Monday to drop off the finished item'.

The weekend came around and luckily I remembered on Sunday night that I needed to finish the item. It was too late to do it then, but I knew I'd be off work on Monday. Plenty of time to do it then run it down.

Then my dog hurt his eye quite badly and I knew I'd need to take him to the vet. Ok, getting a bit of a busy day, but I can handle it right? His aapointment was 10:30. I'll just do some work on the item before I take him and then finish it off when I get home.

At just before 12 noon I finished the item. Yay.

Then the school called, my daughter was sick, could I please come and get her? No problem, I'll pick her up, get her settled and when my son gets home from school I'll drive down so she doesn't get dragged.

I thought I'd just play it safe and check that the stewrd would still be there at 4pm.

DAMN!!! There was my problem. The steward only accepted entried until 12 noon and then judging started. I missed the deadline by an hour and a half!!!

I'm annoyed at myself because if I'd had the item finished earlier I would have run it down first thing in the morning. Or if I'd read the instructions more carefully I would have remembered to get the item done on time.

I've been trying to get myself organised to enter this bloomin competition for a few years. I thought I'd finally done it.

But I'm not goign to dwell on the mistake. There's always next year and it is only a small competition. I'll look around for other competition in the mean time. And I will read the instructions carefully and act in good time.

And at least I can share a photo of the finished item with you lovely readers. It's 'Making Wreaths' sewn into a padded book cover.

Making wreaths is available as a blog special (including instructions to make up the book cover) from my etsy store. Just click on the 'charts' page from the menu at the right.

Motivation slump

I haven't been motivated lately to stitch because I've been so darn tired from work (teaching). If I'm too tired i know i'll make mistakes counting, and then that's it, I don't want to stitch. This year cannot be over fast enough.

Anna, my daughter has also been zapping a lot of my energy with this sudden urge to learn patchwork. Yesterday we started a full size 'sleeping bag' quilt for her. I'm loving it. And I even got out a colour wash quilt I started about 18 months ago to work on myself.

It's just not cross stitching and that's making me feel .... withdrawal. LOL

I think today I'll pick up 'sun' for a few hours. My husband will be using the large tables in our 'playroom' where I usually sew to play table top games with a friend. So I won't be able to patchwork. And that's the perfect push towards that little silver needle and all those lovely coloured threads.

Thankyou so very much to everyone who commented. It makes me feel like people are reading along. XXXX OOOO hugs and kisses

not much stitching still

Ahhhh, so frustgrating.
Saturday we do the house work, then hubby wanted to do some shopping, then I was too tired to do much.
Sunday I got three hours done in the morning and then hubby wanted to do more house work, and then my daughter decided she wanted to learn to patchwork. Well, she isn't in the mood for craft often, so I grabbed the oportunity and we spent the rest of the day sewing a quilted sleeping bag with a nine patch front and back for her baby doll.

While I had the sewing machine out I sewed up an applique piece which I'll finish with some more hand sewn lettering.

So it wasn't all bad news.

But I'm just not getting ahead with that major project.

Once again no time to stitch

sigh ...
Monday I did do a few hours, but Tuesady was a write off with taking my daughter to the hospital for her EEG. Wednesday was no better, she had a concert in the city (recorders at the Opera House, lovely to go and see, a big hassle to get there).

Thursday, I was still trying to recover from the concert (got home at midnight), but still had to go to work.
Today (Friday, I'm exhausted from a massive week.

Tomorrow is a new day though and after the house work, that needle hits the aida once again!!!!

Progress Report

Eight Hours into 'Sun' and I'm thinking 'what have I done to myself?'
It's not that this is a difficult project. And if it was another designers work, I wouldn't hesitate to spend a few months stitching up a lovely creation. I'm merely thinking that for the fee I will earn from this design, I'm making a pittance.

But it's not all about the fee is it?

My husband asked me recently if we came into a lot of money would I still design and stitch cross stitches? I didn't even have to think about the answer. Of course I would.

Unfortunately no large sum of moeny has come my way yet, so I have to think about the fee.

I also know that designing for magazines is good publicity. To get my designs to a larger audience, I need them to be in the magazines, and I want the customers to see my best work.

Also, I 'm enjoying the process, so it can't really be called 'work'.

So what am I worried about? I'll just keep enjoyign the stitching!

Ready to stitch

I've finished the design for 'sun' and tonight I dyed the fabric. So tomorrow I can start stitching as long as I have soem fo the colours I need. I guess I had better have a look in my thread boxes tonight to see which colours I already have.

I'm looking forward to stitching this. It's the largest design of my own I've ever stitched. I wonder how long it will take?