But what else would I be stitching!!!......

Hello my wonderful happy friends :)

I am pleased to say that the brilliant Mii (Ingrid) guessed the correct designer and name of the 'mystery' stitching I was doing...yippppeeeeee!!! Well Done!! 

So yes the designer is Blue Ribbon Designs and the design is called "Five Houses Of Hope"... And some of you know I love ALL Blue Ribbon Designs!  If your not familiar with the designs, in my side bar I have a link to the website :). Go take a peek... Belinda, the designer is awesome, she designs wonderful projects to stitch... Go look!!

So now you know what I am stitching I guess I should show you all what it looks like ..... So you then are aware which part I am stitching and what it will look like when finished.

I should tell you all that this design was created only for a special event.. Belinda actually took part in this too!  Like I say.. An amazing person!!  Belinda designed "Five Houses Of Hope" for a charity event, (which took place last year) where this design was only available to donors.  All proceeds benefit the Susan G Komen 3-Day event.  (www.the3day.org).  Belinda took part in this event, she walked 60 miles over the 3 days!!  She walked to honor the survivors, to support the fighters, in remembrance, to raise awareness, to raise funds and finally she walked for a CURE for breast cancer.  I can tell you all that Belinda did walk with her team mates and raised a lot of money for breast cancer... I am not sure of the exact figure but believe me it was a LOT!!

(Goodness I hope I got all that information correct?  And that Belinda does not mind me mentioning this?). 

As I could not be there to walk with Belinda and her team mates, I supported them by donating to get this exclusive design.  I am now thrilled to be stitching...

So here is what the actual design looks like...

A close up... Sorry I am useless as you all know with taking photo's!!  :(

That is the design... And now what I have done so far....

I am thrilled with my progress and ooooh I love it, I am actually finding it hard to put down!!  I just want to stitch and stitch it!!  

I think the fabric is ok too, which I am thrilled about.  See I hand dyed a piece of 18 count cream Aida... It come out like this..... 

So I decided to use it for this wonderful design :)

Yes I am happy happy happy...stitching this design is making me happy, I think it's the colours?  It's just a joy to stitch.  Sitting in my bed, yes I am still here!! It's helping me pass the time, in a really happy mood!!

I want to say a huge thank you to you all for playing along guessing who the designer was... Thank you it was a lot of fun.  

Hope your all well and happy?

Thank you for popping in on me... You make me smile with the lovely comments you all leave :)

Ok ... I am going now.... See you all tomorrow :)

Smiles :)

Xx

No one guessed yet?....

Ha ha I have never chuckled and giggled so much reading the suggestions of what my 'mystery' new stitch is...

Oooh sorry... Hello wonderful friends :). Thank you all so much for popping in on me again, I love it when you all pop in and leave a comment :)

So yes... Yesterday I mentioned that I would give a little gift to the person who could correctly guess the designer and design of my current 'mystery' stitching project.  Yes this still stands... And I will be more than happy to send/post something to the person with the correct details...BUT.... Ha ha you need to know that I am still house bound..ha ha actually bed bound! And have no idea when I can get to the post office... I am, rather I am looking into this...see the Red Cross said they would help us out now and then.  So I may be able to organize them to go to the post office for me?? Fingers crossed... If not at some point my parcels WILL get posted...hmmm along with other things, you just have to be patient and wait!  :(. I hope that is ok??

So the next up date.....

Yes it's a tree!!

Some of you thought I was stitching with black... Sorry it's my lighting and naff ability to take photo's, it's actually a dark brown... DMC 838 :)

The fabric, this is my creation :). Yes I developed the colour... It's so exciting doing that :). So yes it's my own hand dyed colour on 18 count Aida.

I can give you another clue..

It's a rather large design.

And being a large design, I am hoping with all the stitching I am doing it 'grows' quickly and the picture becomes clearer...

I am thrilled so many of you are so curious as to what I am stitching!  It's so much fun.. Not sure how much longer I can keep it quiet for... I am so terrible at this!!  If not this time, I hope someone guesses it at the next up date!?

How have you all been??

Busy?  Stitching? Creating?

It's Easter soon... I should think about maybe stitching something for Easter?? Are you stitching something special for Easter?

Ok... Must go and stitch more of the 'mystery' design.... 

Smiles... No big huge smiles!!

Xx

Exciting finish and oooh an exciting start....

Wonderful friends... It's me again! Ha ha ha

But of course it's me!  I love writing a post a day... Hmmmm hope you all don't mind?! Eeek! Keeps me busy and out of trouble whilst in my bed! Lol. I did get rather excited earlier!! Oh yes!! I was screaming, oh not in pain! Now that makes a change! Hee hee, I was making a lot of noise, see I popped in on Kim's blog... Only to read that she forgot to party for her blogoversary!! So I think I made up for the lack of 'party' noise! Ha ha it was fun!

So what have you all been up to? Lol since yesterday! Ha ha ......

I have been oh so busy!!! Yup..... Busy me!!

Jon, the wonderful jon, found me a complimenting colour to use of the 'road' for the Prairie Schooler "Tortoise and the Hare" design.  And me being me... Used it and stitched away!  And guess what?? It's now finished!  That is right, I have finished this lovely design :)

I was debating whether to show you the whole stitching journey or just the end bit?.....

Decisions decisions.....

Here is my finished design....

And a few little snaps of the 'bits' I like! ......

Oh there are many many more but you know as well as I do... I am totally useless at taking good pictures.  So stopped!!

Do you like my finished look?? I am ever so pleased with it.

I was all ready to start the wonderful design I have been itching to start when... Oh dear!! I lookeds at my fabric and found I had a lot of creases in it.  The fabric is an 18 count Aida I dyed myself... See for some time I had been looking for a fabric, with an 'orange' tint or look.  I could not find one so had a go at creating the colour myself!

Here are the creases..

The lovely jon, searched the Internet for a solution and then set about to making my Aida look a little less creased.  And I am over the moon with what he has done, he has worked wonders on it... 

Here it is, the full size and no creased look.... It's a fairly large piece of Aida.  I need it large for the 'mystery' design I am about to stitch on it!!

But whilst jon was working wonders on the Aida I got a little bord and started to stitch something...

Yes this is what I started!! Ha ha I was not expecting jon to work as quick as he did!! So only managed to do a little of this...

And I bet your all wondering what this is!!??  Not telling!!  Ha ha this will come out again, after I have stitched the 'mystery' design I am currently stitching.

So do you all want to see my start...

But of course you all do!!

This being the 'mystery' stitch, I am not going to tell you anything about this design for a little while.  I can tell you all its a really lovely design and I have been wanting to stitch it for ages.  Now if your feeling lucky and want to guess the details of the 'mystery' stitch... ie: the designer and the name of the design and you guess correctly, obviously before too much of the design is revealed I will send you a little gift for guessing correctly!  :)

Here is what I have stitched so far...

Any ideas!?? Ha ha ha 

So... Until tomorrow and another up date....

Huge happy smiles to you all :)

 Xx

Well, well, well......

Ha ha ....

Hello wonderful friends, gosh! So so lovely of you to pop in and visit me :). Thank You xx

So now that your here, I bet you want to know what I have been up to!!  

Well... Been stitching! Ha ha 

I mean what else would I be doing whilst stuck in my bed??!!  Erm.... Ha ha silly question as I am sure your all now going to send me some suggestions! OMG!! ha ha this could be rather interesting! Ha ha

Ok..... Yes I have been stitching...

I stitched this....

Then did a little more...

Yes it's almost finished... There is really the smallest of things to do... But I have come a cropper!! Ha ha erm... I think I have rather messed up!!

Well I am stitching on this wonderful beige linen and it's really lovely to use... Just that the colour of it is almost identical to the last colour I need to use to finish off the design!! 

I took a photo of the design off the chart so you can see what I have to do... It's basically the 'track' that runs around the whole design... Looks like a little road..or track..

Can you see it?  It kind of snakes around the whole design...  That is the only thing missing from my design.

Jon... The sweet heart that he is...mis looking at colour charts and comparing what I have stitched and the thread I have to see if he can come up with a solution :). I will let him 'look' at this for a few days... Then see what he comes jump with.  Oh... Knowing all you talented folk out there.... Have you ever done something like this?  Ha ha probably not!  If you have, what did you do?  I think finding an alternative colour that is similar may be the option that will or might work?  Do you agree???

Ok.... Leave that to one side for now!! 

I think I will start my next amazing project... Omg I have been waiting for what seems forever to start this amazing design.  And whilst sat in my bed, not being able to go anywhere... Seems the perfect opertunity to start it!!

So... Ha ha I am not going to tell you anything about this next project... Ha ha it's so much fun when you have to all guess!!

I will start it.... And tomorrow's post I will show you all what I have started with...should be interesting!  I can tell you it's a really beautiful, colourful design and I am so pleased to stitch it.

Ok... Going now as I want to start the 'mystery' stitch!!!

Smiles to you all..

Xx

Who visited me today????

Oh my!! Erm... Hello!! 

Do you wonderful people want to know who actually visited me today?? I could make you all guess?!!! Ha ha that is just mean!  

It was shocking!!

Ok.....

A darn frog!! Herbert the frog!  I gave him that name as he stayed for quite a while!  Thankfully I have sent him packing... So let me know if Herbert pops in on you!!

And now I bet your wondering what on earth have I been frogging? Hmmmm let me tell you all!  Well I was looking at me stitching this morning, thinking oooh not a lot left to do .... When... OMG! I noticed I was half a square out... It was actually only a hole out! But it was still out and knocked the whole design out... So what did I do?? Frogged it all!!

Let me show you...

It's not that clear... That is simply because I useless at taking photo's!

Ok... See where the red cluster of 7 stitches are, I think it's a flower ? To the left side, the light green and dark green.... Just a tiny gap between... Just not right!!

So basically all the lovely turtle had to come out with the platform he was standing on and the long green line along the bottom...

Here is the before...

The OMG! It's wrong!

Then I started to frog....

Ha ha a frogging we shall go.... A frogging we shall go...

It's the invisible turtle! Ha ha 

Then I started to stitch again...

And just carried on stitching...

And more stitching... 

So here is where I stopped this evening... I am very pleased with my progress today, even with my frogging.  And looking at it I really do t have q lot left to do... Eeeeeek!!!

So that was my stitching and erm.... Wonderful visit from Herbert!!

I have to show you my 'bionic' zebra leg... Made me chuckle all day when I look at it!

Hee hee, I know... I am silly right?!

So I had a little treat today... Han made me lunch.. Mmmm it was so nice and really healthy so wanted to share it with you all.  It was so filling, I seriously could not eat it all.  

It's basically mixed salad with cucumber... Topped with spiral pasta (my favourite) mixed with seafood dressing and prawns. Mmmmmmmm thank you Han :) x

So that has pretty much been my day... Ha ha from my bed! Ha ha

Hmmmm if this is your first visit to my blog.. Hmmm "from my bed" does not sound that good really does it??!! Ha ha I will explain ever so quickly... (If you want to know more, scroll back to previous days and all will become clear!). I am stuck in my bed due to having a left knee that just does not want to co-operate! Ha ha so I cannot weight bare or walk right now so making the most of things whilst 'stuck' in my bed!  Getting a lot of stitching done is a bonus!!! Ha ha 

Thank you all so much for popping in, always lovely to see you old timers and new faces... Hee hee

Smiles, no.... Huge big smiles to you all :)

Xx

Loving stitching....

Well I am a happy chick!! 

Ha ha is that a reference to Easter?! Ha ha oooh Easter stitching.... 

Sorry side tracked!!  :(

Ok.... It's lovely to be here, knowing you all pop in and see me!  I am happy because I have been stitching and stitching.... Ooooh and yes you guessed it.... Stitching! 

So do you all want to see the lovely Prairie Schooler design called "Tortoise and the Hare" I have been stitching?  

This is where I am right now...

I am so so pleased with my progress, to be honest there is not that much left to do!  I will have it all finished come the end of this week ... If not earlier!  Then come the weekend I can start the most exciting new project I have been dieing to do!!  And yes I will have you all guessing what that is too!! Ha ha

I hope your all happy stitching or making wonderful things?  I have hopped around some blogs... You might of 'seen' me?

Talking of blogs... OMG!!!

I received my subscription copy of The World Of Cross Stitching magazine, issue 227. 

This magazine...

 I was casually flicking through the pages, as I do when I first get it!  And I come across page 43....eeeeeekkkk!!!  Totally unexpected, I knew nothing of this!!

Look....

I am 'Blogger Of The Month" !!! 

I am so so excited about this..... What do you think???

Something rather silly and funny to share with you all.... My dad dropped off a lovely fresh loaf of uncut bread for us...mmmmmm

Han saw it and well..look for yourself!

No doubt Han will 'shout' at me for putting this photo of her on my blog! Ha ha  I did get 'some' of the bread, she did not actually eat it all!  This is what she wanted to do!! Ha ha and when she pulled the bread away from her face she had actually take a massive bite out of it!! Ha ha... She wanted it to look real! Ha has hound of expected that!

Never a dull moment here!!

If your wondering ... This is the 'new' improved, positive, happy me!  Unless something 'happens' with my knee then I will let you all know... Until then.... It's on with the stitching!!!

Thank you for visiting, hope my blog made you smile today...

Smiles :)

Xx

Who is AWESOME???

Hello my lovely friends... 

I bet your all wondering who is awesome? Ha ha ha

WELL YOU ALL ARE AWESOME!!!!!

I continue to get lovely messages from you all everyday... Get well wishes and general messages to pick me up too, so thank you.

It is hard, every day it's hard, but with all you and your messages... I can get through this!!

I have to tell you all exactly what is wrong with me too.... Some think I have broken my leg, some just think I am ill... So I thought I would explain all...

As the doctor in the hospital said... "it's only knee pain"!!! Ha ha yes this is true... I have not broken my leg, it's been x-rayed so we're fine there!  I know what it is... 

I have osteoarthritis just in my left knee... Now reading this your probably thinking what on earth is all the fuss about then!?  OMG!! Well if you have never experienced severe osteoarthritis pain then don't dismiss this as 'just' pain.  The pain is that bad that I cannot move literally an inch without screaming, and I am talking loud screaming!  I am taking a concoction of different medications, which have just been increased, they are 'dulling' the pain some what... But I still feel some pain when I have to move, it's just not at the screaming level anymore!  I have to wear a leg brace... Or my 'bionic' leg as I affectionately call it now! This gives me the confidence to want to move, yes it still hurts, but I know my knee is secure and cannot move side to side.  I am not sure as to how long I have to keep this on, I wear it 24/7.... I have got used to it now.

Me today!

It's a common osteoarthritis 'flare' up... Just that mine is the more severe kind! :(

I am in bed as I cannot move much right now due to pain, I do have specialist people coming to visit me next week... This is exciting!  All I really want is for my pain to go and for me to be able to walk again.  I have not walked since the 8th January... A long time! I have to be patient and take each day as it comes.  

Ha ha I am anything but patient! The only think keeping sane is my stitching!!

My stitching today...

This is where I was...

That is my stitching....

Hope I have explained a few things, to make it clearer?

I should say... The pain never goes, just gets dull with the medication!

I am wanting to stay happy and positive, thank you for helping me stay happy and positve :)

Smiles :)

Xx

Thankful that I can stitch.....

Hello my wonderful friends...

Whilst sitting/laying here in my bed... Yes I am still here!  Been here since last Saturday!  It seems I was starting to get on my feet, putting a little weight through my leg/foot on my crutches.  This was going good I thought when I left hospital on the 7th February.  Then clearly knocked for six waking up in horrendous pain.... Well thankfully my medications are really helping and it only really hurts if I move!  I have to move a few times through out the day... Oh you know for the loo!  I have learned to time it right... About 30 minutes after I take medication then I am ok to move.... I am able to get to my commode .  Yes... I had a commode delivered whilst I was still in hospital, it's the best thing since sliced bread!! See I would never in a million years be able to get any where near our bathroom...it's just too far.  So I am very grateful for the commode.

Appears I went on a tangent again?!!

It's Saturday today... How are you all?  Do anything exciting?  I ask as well I have no idea as to when I will be able to do anything exciting!  Your guess is as good as mine as to how long I am likely to be like this!??  I miss my independence mostly... The fact that I cannot go anywhere or do much for myself, very frustrating.

Aargh but!!! I can stitch!!!!

And oooh I have been stitching!!!

I want to thank you all firstly for playing along and guessing the design and designer... You will be pleased to know you ALL guessed correctly! Ha ha Yes the designer is Prairie Schooler and the design is "Tortoise and the Hare"... I am stitching it on 28 count tan/beige linen with DMC threads.  I am really enjoying it too!!

So onto my up date...

Ok...my journey so far....

This is where I am right now..... Loving stitching this so much I never want to put my needle down!  Whilst thinking as I do here in my bed...

My first thought is... Thank goodness I am able to stitch!!...

....... I have thought of my next project, oh it's beautiful and really lovely and I cannot wait to stitch it.  The quicker I finish this Tortoise and the Hare the quicker I can start the next stunning project.  And knowing me.... I may tease you all again and make you guess!!! Ha ha 

So I hope your all well, smiles to you all :)

Xx

Curious??......

Ha ha ha .... Hello my wonderful friends :)

I read your comments from my last post and thought maybe I should post another photo!!  Yes an up date!!

I have been stitching all day... The process of me stitching is so much slower than normal.  This is due to me having to take my medication every 4 hours and ha ha not long after taking it I become quite drowsy!  Sometimes I can stitch through the drowsy state, other times I cannot focus so end up either napping or watching the TV for a little while!  So all considered I think what I stitched today is pretty good!! Ha ha a

A reminder...

Well I have decided to stitch a 'mystery' design for you all! Ha ha I know who the designer is and what the design is called... I just wanted to do something different really!!

I may well let you know the detail soon?!

Here is where it started....

And that is where I am right now!!

I did have a chuckle at some of the guesses.... Hee hee 

With what I have stitched now... Hmmmm a few of you may know the design and designer?  Maybe?  If not.... Have a guess??

Well what do we know....

I have said previously that it's a 'large' design... ie it's not just this square!

It's got a rabbit, is that a rabbit?

Is it an Easter design?

And it's in the country... Hence all the green grass and open fields!

Any idea??? Oooh this is fun!!

What can I say... Another up date tomorrow!!! Ha ha aha maybe you will see more of the picture then?

So what have you all been up to??

Smiling and stitching I hope?!  Ok I am going as I need to stitch! Ha ha

Smiles to you all :)

Xx

Oooh a new start.....

Hello wonderful happy friends...

Don't you just love starting a new project?!  I do!!!

So what have I been doing??

I thought about it for a while today, thinking what to stitch.... I mean while I am stuck in bed and not moving much I should do some awesome stitching!!  Well that was my thinking! Ha ha

I missed the GIFTED GORGEOUSNESS day... So this next project I am doing is all thanks to lovely people and I want to Thank You all!!

The chart.... My wonderful husband bought me a while, ok some time ago... Knowing I would eventually get around to it!

The threads.... These were very kindly gifted to me by Gille, I am most grateful for as I knew I really could not afford all the threads to stitch the chart my wonderful husband bought.

The fabric... This also is gifted, by a lovely FaceBook stitching friend from Sweden.

So you see I well and truly qualify for the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL!!

I have started stitching it, whilst laying all comfortable my bed, with the fluffy zebra water bottle on my knee!!  And oooh I am really enjoying this more than I thought I would.  It's watching it appear... It's all so fascinating and I love it!

For now I am not going to show you the chart... I want to keep that a secret for now!  Oh but feel free to guess!!

My stitching journey so far....

So that is where I am right now! Ha ha not an awful lot to show you! Ha ha and only 2 colours!!  I can tell you it's a large stitching project, so do not be fooled by the little square I have just stitched!

I hope you are all well and happy?

Talking of happy... Oh yes! I am happy... Well happier!! Why your wondering? Well my medication has been increased and I am happier due to being in a little less pain!  Stitching is really helping taking my mind off the pain... I need to stitch 24/7! Ha ha

Ok I am going now as I want to stitch more!!

Smiles to you all :)

Xx

Such a terrible blogger......

Oh my!!

So so very sorry for not writing my blog...

Things are well... No better, I am in pain and cannot move out of my bed now!  But hey thinking positive I am stitching! Ha ha

My mum said for me to keep my sense of humour! And boy has it helped me!

I hope your all ok.. I have been doing a little blog hopping but not a lot... In between the naps my medication are forcing me to have!  And yes I am also fitting in stitching too before my medication kicks in and sends me to sleep.

Here I am in my bed earlier today...such a lovely photo! Ha ha as you can see I am stitching, and my 'best' friend is a hot water bottle with a zebra cover!

Here is what I have been stitching.....

It was the lovely Valentine's Day gift from my husband.  A Lizzie Kate design called " Faith Hope Love " I stitched the larger one on 32 count Belfast raw linen using Weeks Dye Works threads.  The smaller design I stitched on 14 count pink Aida using the same threads.

The design to remind you....

My journey...

The smaller one.....

So that is pretty much what I have been up to! 

As I am now bed bound I am finding it hard accessing things... I mean I have no idea as to what I am going to stitch next!?  I have to try to explain to Han... What I fancy stitching!

I hope you never thought I deserted you all?  Oh my please do not think that.... I love blogging and love all the friends I have made.  Pain was the reason I have not blogged daily.  I am trying and if things get too bad again then I will give instructions to Han to blog on my behalf again...ha ha she can have the 'guest' spot again!

All I want to do is be back to normal... Back to how it was before.. I am trying to be patient... Taking one day at a time.  But oh I am so frustrated... It's. My mission now to try to be possitive as I have no idea as to how long I am likely to be like this.  Ooooooh lots of stitching to be done!! Ha ha 

I want to say one thing I a not so happy about.... I feel awful.... I have missed a few of your birthdays, I have things made and put by in my home for some of you.  But getting to the post office is a no go at the moment :(. And we'll I really wanted to make some really special but just have not been well enough to put it together....menace why I feel awful.  But this is not the end... I have noted them and well.... I hope when I am better I will forfill my mission to give out those birthday things.  So hmmmm some of you may well get late gifts :(. But please don't think I have forgotten about you.

Ok enought rambling I think!

On wards and up wards!

One day at a time!

Huge smiles to you all :) xx