What's in your bag?

Hello friends.... Thought I would share something that is important to me when I am stitching.... Probably to you too? 

So the title of this post is "What's in your bag"? Curious? No ha ha I am not going to be showing you the contents of my handbag! But I dare say that may be rather funny, see I have some odd things in there that you would probably not expect! Ha ha 

I want to show you what's in my sewing bag... Well my most current project bag...

I keep my sewing in a nice big bag, so it's kept all together and clean, this bag, incidentally Han bought it for me for my birthday this year 😊

It's long enough and wide enough to hold a large frame if I decide to use one... Also has a zip top, essential for me as its added security knowing nothing will fall out! 

Onto the frame... Now I have tried many over the years and the one I keep going back to is the q snap or R&r frame as they are known here in England. I have all the sizes and switch between them regularly. I know a lot of Stitchers use the millennium frames, oooooh yes! I would like to try one, to see if I like using it.  The q snap is my favourite because it's light weight, not sure how heavy the millennium frame is? 

Here is my tiny frame I like to use when stitching small motifs...

Oooooh and look what's behind!?  It's thelittle project bag I use to keep small essentials in!  It's a wonderful Blue Ribbon Designs project bag... I adore it 😊😊😊 I like things that help me in what I am doing, they also need to be comfortable too. I use clip on magnifiers, who ever invented these, amazing! When stitching on 40 count linen they are a must!! Oooooh scissors... Well for years and years I used the gold stork ones everyone is familiar with.  Then I was introduced to sajou scissors.... Oooooh! They are beautiful, I only and I mean only use them for cutting threads and silks.  They cut like a knife sliding through butter... And the little square book like thing at the front is a little needle case... Lol we all need needles! 

Talking of needles, now I still after all these years stitching have no clue on what needle to use for what fabric.  I just don't understand the sizing of them all.... So what do I use or do I bet your wondering? I use what fits for me! I don't like using thick needls, I test them on the fabric I am using, if it makes the whole bigger it's not right.  The needle I am currently using is loved! Not sure what I would do if I lost it? Not sure where I would get a replacement from as I have no clue what size it is!! Here it is...

Yes!! The out of shape one on the right! I assure you it did start off its life straight! I guess with my "smoking hot fingers" ha ha it's bent?! Ha ha oh no wait, see I am useless,,,, it's smoking hot needle isn't it? Ho hum?! Anyway you get the picture! Ha ha 

And threads... Currently I am using Avas silk threads.  I keep them all organises in little bags, with a card in each one with the key off the chart that corresponds with each troll colour.

That is pretty much what I keep in my bag! Well there is also the chart and stitching but I cannot show you either of those as its the stitching I am doing for Hands Across The Sea Samplers! Soon!! I would love to know what you keep on your project bags...

Ooooooh yes!! My otter box for my iPad turned up... It's very safe! I shall get Han to take some photos for my next update.

Happy smiles to you all 😊😊😊

Yipppppeeeee!

Eeeeekkk! My poor iPad.

Omg! After the distress of my iPad smashing I then had to deal with our home insurance fiasco.... Now we have pretty good home insurance and personal cover so I thought everything would be alright sorting out the technicalities regarding my iPad.  Hmmmmm appears that yes it was covered, awesome! We had an excess to pay.... Pretty standard no issues there.  I was so frustrated when told we had a further excess due to the item being an iPad! Really??? Hmmm here is the break down....

My original cost of iPad. ....... £420.00

Excess on policy....................£100.00-

iPad special excess...............£100.00-

Cost of new iPad...................£349.00

Money to me.........................£149.00!

The cost of the new iPad is what an iPad Air costs currently in the apple shop.... So the replacement cost. Taking off my horrendous excess I am only owed £149.00 to buy a new iPad! I was not happy let me tell you!! 

I bet your wondering what I did as I am back on line!? After distressing myself further wondering what to do....jon came up with a solution.  My pc got plugged back in! Yes I have a rather large touch screen pc, it's brilliant but currently have no where to put it or use it.  It did in fact get set up, I was online shortly, enough for Han to recover all the passwords I needed for everywhere I frequent online! Thank you Han!! I was only going to use my pc as a temporary measure as I literally forgot how to use it! Sounds silly even crazy right? But with my splds I find things easier the more times I do it over and over.... iPad goo! PC, not good! Lol 

It just was not feasible right now for me to go out and buy a new iPad.... Oh I would love one!! Just not in the budget now! So after me half heartedly coming to terms with not having an iPad Han came up with the most amazing idea! Go Han!! 

When I bought my iPad I bought Han one too, only hers was white and mine was black! For hans birthday in my you may recall we bought Han the iPad Pro with the pencil she wanted....oh and she loves it! I don't think I have seen a single day that she has not been on it drawing! No I don't have her iPad Pro! Lol she said I could have her small pad (same as my smashed one!) due to it technically actually being mine since I bought it! Awesome! So Han wiped all her things off it, thankfully she could transfer all my things on my smashed iPad via iTunes and voila! I am back!! 

I use my iPad for everything, and I become quite attached to things...when it smashed I literally cried.  All is well now as I am happy again using another iPad.  And to prevent a further smashed episode jon bought me an otter box to protect my iPad! I love otter box, I have one on my iPhone.... Lol my brick as its affectionately known! I have a 3GS iPhone I will not change as I know it and it does fine! It's protected with an otter box and has years of life in it! Safe as houses! 

Yeah! I will show you all my new case and 'iPad' when it arrives.... Lol Han will have to take that photo! 

As you all know I have not been doing so well health wise, I am so very fed up with being ill, frustrated in how slow things are not getting done too.  Jon and I changed Drs as the last one I feel basically gave up on me... Having changed to a new Drs now I am feeling optimistic and hoping things will finally get sorted? 

With the little food I can eat I have been trying to eat new things to get protein in me.  It's hard, and it's actually crazy how many foods make me I'll and poorly.  But I tried tuna last night... In a nice salad.  Han found me this interesting pasta, it's high in protein, better than the normal pasta. Here is a photo...it's very colourful, I put mushrooms in it too! tasted good too!

It was fine to eat, too much so ate it slowly over a bit of time.  It frustrates me no end being so restricted with what I eat, I just want to eat how I used to... Gosh even that feels so long ago! 

It's crazy checking and looking at every bit of packaging what I eat... Here is the list of things I can't have...it's shocking and quite long...

ALL dairy products

Soya

Egg

Meat

Celery

Oil

Fish (tuna is ok for now!)

Yeast (currently under investigation with wheat.... A seeded bread with nothing in it made me really poorly recently so we are looking at this now) 

I have reacted one way or another from everything on this list.... Since watching what I eat now the nausea I felt day in day out has gone! Bonus!! But literally even a hint of something on that list makes me ill or brings me out in a rash all over my neck and face and if bad actually starts to affect my wind pipe! It's very scary.  I still cannot believe when looking at packaging how much dairy is in things, if not dairy then it's soya... And egg! I physically cannot eat enough protein, it's my biggest problem.  The lady that comes to weigh me regular (yes my weight is going down all the time... I will let you know how much on her next visit) says because of the nutrients and vitamins i am lacking I am malnourished ... Crazy I know! So if anyone out there knows of a product/bar anything I can eat... (Checking the list of doom) I will buy it!! Even if I have to ship it from timbucktoo! Lol

Well enough about me! Not mush stitching shown on here lately .... Sorry! See I am doing a rather large project for Hands AcrossThe Sea Samplers. (Link in border) it's so pretty and I am loving stitching it, it's really helped me though the tough ill days, it's my ray of happiness! I will very very soon be able to share it with you all as I have alsmost finished it...honest! 

Until I next pop in, keep smiling 😊😊😊

Oops!!!

Hello lovely people, it's Hannah! 

No no mum isn't in hospital, everything is fine, apart from her iPad... Oh dear. 

She's asked me to write a post up about what happened to her iPad.

She picked it up to come into the living room this morning and it slid out of the case, screen first onto the floor, we have carpet but it's not padded at all, so very little protection there.

I have no idea how she managed to crack it this much but it's definitely shattered!

The bottom half of the screen doesn't work so typing is a pain, her regular blog post will resume when she remembers her password!

All laughs after a few tears, everything's good. 

Thanks from mum and I for tuning in, she will be back soon! 

Hannah :)