My sisters Birthday surprise present FINISHED!!!!

Today is my sisters birthday, which means i can show you what i have been working on. She is really into "My Little Pony" at the moment. She thought this was great and was over the moon. Connor had great fun helping me make this. It has turnt out alot better then i thought, as the last time i tried to make a pillow it turnt out horribly wrong and is still sat in the cuboard. Pattern found here.

Hellooooo

A new baby is as finished as I can get it for the moment. Tuesday I am going round to my great aunt Ann who is going to show me how to backstitch, no matter how I try it ends up looking boxy.

I started gridding strength last night and that’s almost ready to stitch.

I have major rotation problems. I have a over whelming urge to start all the new patterns I have brought but not finish any of the ones I have already started, bad bad me.

My next post should include a pic of the giveaway prizes I’m just waiting for one last item to turn up then it’s all go go go. I’m so excited about this as it will be my first giveaway. So if anyone has any hints or tips to make it go smoothly please enlighten me.



A new baby





My partner with a little birdie i rescued from 2 of our cats



After my rather dodgy start the other day I have made progress. All in one night. I was like a stitching machine!

So here it is a new pic of Hidden spirits.



I’ve found working on a dark canvas is bloody hard. Her hair is finished and you can make out her arm. Im planning to work on her face later tonight but theres a stitch i don’t know how to do.

In non stitchey news i just wanted to tell you i have the world’s best partner. His absolutely amazing. I was sedated yesterday for some dentist work. Wow he looked after me, he has all weekend. His brilliant!!! Its slightly annoying that i cant even go to the dentist without coming out covered in bruises

Gridding.

I was thinking the other morning, you know how it is when your partners snoring at 4am, and I came to wonder what the hype about gridding is. For me I find it’s the only way I can keep track of where I am. But on the other hand I am constantly doubting weather I have counted right. I know on elegant kimono I made a basic mistake when gridding and I have struggled to “work around it” as I couldn’t be arsed to start the whole thing over again. I think I have cracked it, when I get near to the wrong bit I make it up as I go along. I know, I know naughty me.

If you do grid do you find that using different colours help? I find I use several different colours for gridding the same design. Also very bright colours help me for the darker or busier areas such as neon’s and reds.  I found a fantastic bright blue at my local 99p store which is great for gridding as I got four of them for 99p.

I also like that I can work around on different parts. I always start in the middle of the design and as you can see from pics I tend to wonder off and do other parts like the bottom of the dress or all the flowers. I doubt I would be able to without gridding as I don’t think I would have the confidence to count it out and just start from there.

I don’t know if gridding would work for samplers though as I have never tried.

I love finishing for the night and realising that I have completed a square a full 100 stitches, and setting a goal for the next night of finishing 3 squares.

What do you think of gridding does it help or do you prefer to “go it alone”

Do you grid with thread or do you draw it on. Which do you find is better?