I've been stitching like a demon these last few days...we've been having internet troubles so I haven't been online very much. Amazing how much stitching you get done when you don't spend half your time on the 'puter! LOL

As you can see April has come on in leaps and bounds. I'm going to have to order another reel of Kreinik for this one...annoying as there's nowhere within a reasonable driving distance (especially with petrol prices being the way they are!!) that sells Kreinik and I really don't need to be buying anything else right now just to justify the postage. It's quite hard to tell from the photo but she's really quite sparkly - and I haven't even put any beads on her yet! For a long time I didn't really care for any of the Birthstone Fairies, but seeing a couple of them stitched up in real life turned my opinion right round....they are very pretty when you see them for real. The terrible Mirabilia chart photo strikes again!

I think I'm going to put her down for a while now though and get back to Thriller. Red and black as a break from white and blue!

Back to square one then...

Well, I'm back. Blogger may have more bugs than an Indiana Jones movie (never let it be said this blog isn't topical! lol) but at least I know how things work here!

I made a new start last night. After finishing my Mirabilia RR (which I'll show you at a later date) I was in the mood to stitch a Mira...but the only Mira WIP in the pile was ComaGirl, AKA The Dreamer, and I'm not feeling motivated to stitch on her at the moment (hence the nickname! lol). So - introducing April's Blue Diamond Fairy. Not much to look at yet - just a white blob right now. I'm stitching her on SW Charisma lugana. I spent ages going through my fabrics trying to decide what to stitch her on - I didn't want to spend $$ I can't really spare on a new piece for her but I was amazed at how few fabrics I have that she would work on considering how many fabrics I actually have!



I also wanted to show you this little needlebook I made for Carol - you might have already seen it on her blog, but just in case you haven't I'm posting it here too. This is from a little freebie design from Casey Buonaugurio - there's a little waterlily (?) on the back of the needlebook too. All the little froggy toes are done with french knots!

Hi all, just letting you know that Chewed Away has moved to Wordpress! I got tired of fighting with Blogger all the time so finally decided to jump. Don't forget to update your blogroll!

'On wicked wings she rides'...

Hooray! I've finished the verse! There are still 3 pattern bands beneath this but I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I'm approximately two thirds done.

Judging from the cover photo I wasn't 100% convinced the blackwork band worked, but now I've stitched it I'm sold.

Here's a closeup so you can see...

Compared to the band before it this one seemed to stitch up really quickly!

And now...stashy yumminess! Lookee what showed up yesterday -

I got Ink Circles 'Hanky Pysanky' and 'Quackworth', Examplar Dames 'Forgiveness' and I also managed to pick up the magazine with the Happy Home Sampler in it from my local Borders. It always seems a bit 'hit and miss' with this magazine in there, but it might be that they get limited copies so you have to get in quickly or you miss out. I was obviously lucky! Yay me!! LOL

You know, looking at this photo, it doesn't look like a whole heap of progress since my last update. This band seemed to just go on and on and on. Each day I would think "I'll finish this today" and then I wouldn't. I think partly it's because the Bursitis in my shoulder has been particularly bad so I haven't stitched as much as usual, and partly because I've also been stitching on a small gift that - for obvious reasons - I can't show you yet. That's in the mail now so I can concentrate on Thriller again. I just wish my shoulder would settle down again. I really should go back to see the doctor about it again, it's just a case of getting a round tuit....

It's finished - WooHoo! Unfortunately the white doesn't show up very well in the photo - I'll try to get a better shot tomorrow in daylight.

I got lots done on Geranium House...just the border and a few letters to go. I should get this finished today. I might have had it finished already, except at one point I was frogging nearly as much as I was stitching. It felt that way anyway. That'll teach me not to stitch when I'm tired. I love that little robin on the flowerpot, don't you?


Forgive a 'proud mum' moment but I just have to share - Louise came home yesterday with a certificate for coming top of her year in a science exam!! I'm so proud of her!

No Thriller today. Since the puds haven't made an appearance on da blog for a while, you'll have to make do with a photo of them instead. Big lads now, aren't they? It's hard to believe they were such tiny fluffy kittens only..er..yesterday? It can't have been over a year..surely?

I succumbed to another new start. Naughty I know, but I am unashamed... It's only a little one after all...

This is my start on CCN Geranium House...I love CCN & LHN charts, they give me nice 'new start' fix when I'm stitching large projects and don't take long to finish. I'm doing this one on a piece of Lemon Meringue belfast which was a limited edition from Kiwi Illusions, I got it in one of the Dyers Collaboration packs. I can't get a decent shot of the colour though - this is the closest I could manage. This design only calls for one skein of Crescent Colours (Pomegranate), but I've subbed it with one of the DMC Colour Variations that I already had (4200 - Wildfire). I think it works pretty well as a substitute...


And just in case you're not fed up to the back teeth with Thriller - a little more progress..