Happy Xmas! Yule Fairy

Happy Xmas!!

After almost 2 years of stitching i finished Yule Fairy but put her away as she is my Mums Xmas present. I found some lovely fabric in my local fabric shop and that very night i sat down to finish sewing the stocking.

It has turned out a lot better then i thought! The toes and heel are still a little boxy- as i have found on the other stockings i made- but nowhere near as bad as i expected. The sewing machine played nice so i managed to finishing sewing it after only 3 attempts at rethreading! Thats a record! I think i am finally getting better at sewing....

I thought i would include a photo of my Mum receiving the stocking Xmas day. Shes just starting to cry....good tears :)

Xmas morning was over so quickly. The kids loved it and was very excited.

Stockings 

 One of Esmai's main presents was a recycled dolls house. This was originally made for my sister almost 15 years ago by a neighbour. My sister has long out grown it so gave it to us for my daughter. It had been pretty beaten up, all solid but the door and windows were hanging off and it had chewing gum inside.
My partner complete redecorated it, white paint, flooring, fixed the doors and windows, wallpaper and the best bit was it was complete free, we brought some dolls and furniture but the actual house and decorating didn't cost a thing!
She has played with it for hours. Making the dolls walk up and down the stair, over and over and over- telling me off when i dont do it right!

 We made a gingerbread house with the kids. It was the first one we have ever made and it was a disaster!! It was from a kit but the damn thing kept falling apaprt

Yule Fairy - FINISHED

After almost 2 long years she is finally finished! 

Just some very quick photos as she hasn't been dried or ironed yet. 

Now the hunt for some backing fabric begins! 

SOOO CLOSE!!!

Only the white left to do then i am finished! In one way im excited  in another kinda sad, this has been a massive part of  my life for almost 2 years, and its almost finished. 

Page finish

How she looks overall 

Yule fairy update

Just a quick pic of progress. This is about half the last page done....not too long now!!

Just 1 more page left!

Last night i finished the 2nd to last page!

The dress part finished

Page finished

My Stitchey stalker. 

More progress then i thought!

I have spent 2 nights working on my sewing, the rest of the time i have been working (the boring kind)

I was surprised at how much i had managed to get done. I didn't realize how much until i looked at my last update. I would hate to jinx myself but *whispers* I think i might have it done in time for Xmas this year!.....Maybe. A year late is better then never ....right?

Yesterday we went down to a local park with my parents. It was the first time in ages they have been able to come down and play with the kids, due to everyone's health problems. My Dad had more fun then the kids and i expect he would have slept well last night as he was charging round the park chasing the kids, who of course loved being chased by the child eating Ogre! 

It feels like ages since i have updated how the Sprogs are getting on:

Connor: Is really enjoying being home Educated. All the nightmares have gone! He is growing in confidence. He never fails to surprise me with his love of learning, which has made a recent reappearance. He is struggling with a bad bout of hay-fever at the moment so is having to take meds daily. Its his birthday in 15 days. He is massively over excited.

Esmai: We have hit the Terrible 2's a little early. She is into climbing everything and anything. She is sleeping better and slowly stopping boobie. She loves anything vaguely baby shaped or furry and has a fascination with her coat and the word "Nooooo" and "Stuck"

This went on for almost a hour!

Partial page finish!

PAGE FINISH!!!

I finished this page a few days ago but had run out of another thread. This is the page finished other then the white.

 And a quick reminder how she looks all together 

Bank Holiday progress!

And i had fun stitching this!! 

I have held off posting this as i hoped i would get a hour or 2 during the week to work on it a bit more, but i didn't have a chance, and it don't look like im going to be able to get much more done on it until Monday. I have run out of 2 threads i need so i will pick them up on Monday when i get paid. 

Page 7 black - Done

Hardly any black on this page at all! 

Finally a page finish!

Fresh off the hoop!

Please excuse the hoop marks, its literally just been taken off as i finished the last stitch while the kiddies were eating lunch!

This feels like it has taken forever. 

The flowers look lovely even through they are a confetti nightmare! 

Now this page is finished there are only 4 partial pages left to do!

Quick progress pic

A new start

Unfortunately not a stitching start.... I got a new job, evening work, 5 nights a week cleaning in a office. I start tonight. Its easily been 6 years since i last worked and im so excited its unbelievable! I have no idea how this will affect my stitching as i wont be finishing till 10-11pm

Progress has been so slow! I am really struggling to keep up the motivation to finish this page. I think once i have finished this one i will start to enjoy the stitching more, it just seem to keep dragging on and feel like i have achieved nothing. I think the next pages will stitch up quickly. I might even be able to finish in time for Xmas this year, if im lucky!!

Another page 6 update

Excuse the blurry photo apparently the camera lens wasn't clean

I think this is possibly the longest i have ever spent working on one page. I finished the draping fabric (the last of it in the pattern) which only leaves the background and the flowers. I did manage to tackle a large portion of the back ground last night, which im really happy about as the background seems to make the rest of the design "pop"

It has been a very long and busy week , we have been out every day other then Wednesday. Various Home Ed meets and social dates. Followed by a  birthday party on Saturday for my now 5 yr year old niece and today is going to be spent sorting the house out ,finishing building furniture for Connors bedroom and a roast dinner-which im going to eat too much of! Followed by a mammoth stitching session tonight, where im hoping to get most of the background finished

Dress on this page fiinished!

Well almost! I ran out of a thread that I will pick up tomorrow and there's a few stitches here and there that I will do while doing the background. Its looking like I need new glasses so I'm struggling to pick out the single stitches that are dotted around to complete the outline. I thought it would be easier and probably quicker to fill in the background then I will be able to see exactly which stitches I need. I'm considering doing the same with the flowers and fill in the bulk of the background first , after I have done the shawl which should stitch up pretty quick!

Dress update :)

Wow the trouble I have had trying to upload these pictures, I started to think Blogger hated me!

I have made - what I feel- is massive progress on her dress. The gaps that are left are pure white which I will be doing when I have finished the whole piece so they don't get dirty. Just the bottom of the dress on this page ( about 9 squares) then I was thinking of finishing the drape and then the flowers, after that I will do the background and the page will be finished!

I have included a overall photo as I actually forgot what she looked like!  

Stitchey update

 

We have been busy busy busy!

Stitching has been going well but slow due to not pressuring myself and also we have hit a very busy 2 weeks in Home schooling.

 

We have been working on the Solar system. I had grand plans to paper mache the solar system. I worked on it solidly every night for almost 2 weeks. Each planet got several coats and when they were finally ready to paint, I called Connor into the kitchen only to find that they had all collapsed. Every sodding one! So we ended up buying polestrine balls from the local craft shop. We had lots of fun making the model and although it still needs some tweaking i am happy to have it done. We are currently working on a floor book of the Solar system. Its like a lapbook but massive. Hopefully it should be finished within a few days,if i find my get up and go, which im afraid has got up and gone. Possibly as we are all full of flu.

 

Please excuse the poor quality photos my camera isnt feeling too well either.

 

Stitching as of last night

Some written work Connor has done on the Solar system

Painting Mars

All painted and drying

Hanging in Connors bedroom

 Esmai has now learnt to use a fork without stabbing herself!

Page 6 black done

I have finished the black on page 6. It stitched up really quickly so last night I made a start on the cream in the dress. Tonight I have a whole night of stitching in peace while my partner beats up Zombies.

Close up

Completed so far
-excuse the camera quality-

A little break

I have no stitching at all to show. Surprisingly im not that bothered by it.

I spent most of last year trying to finish page after page, I kind of lost the love for stitching.

I thought it was just where I had worked on the same project for so long and told myself that when I started something new I would plough straight in and everything would be perfect.

I found I was also comparing myself to other stitchers, how fast i finished a page, how neat my stitches was....

It was just another stress -when my life had became very stressful- that I had to manage and eventaully became not enjoyable. To be honest everything got ontop of me a little.

A break was very much needed. I told myself i would finish the page by Xmas then have a little break and would start a new project in the New Year.

I was hoping to get the threads for one of my Birthday charts but the car went BANG! so I am still waiting for them.

I decieded that a bit of a extended break was needed.

It has been almost a month since i put needle to fabric. I havent looked at any of the stitching on any Facebook groups im on unless it popped up on my newsfeed. I havent read any blogs. I havent even looked at my stitching!

Damn i have been bored!

I think its time for the break to be over. I have found that i dont know what to do with my hands at night while watching TV.

I have started to look forward to sitting down and feeling the thread between my fingers and seeing the progress i have made.

TONIGHT I WILL STITCH !!!



Slowly, and possibly not every night. I dont know when my next update will be. Im going to concentrate on enjoying every stitch, like it should be, not on how much i have accomplished.

Page Finish!!

I finished page 5 last night. It took a lot longer then I expected but I haven't had a chance to sit down and stitch like I normally do. I am thinking of putting this away for a few months and working on other things.

 

The kids are doing good.

Esmai is into climbing everything. She can now climb out of her highchair, pushchair and cot.

Me and Connor have been making salt dough Xmas decorations instead of sending cards to family. They were a lot of fun

 

Connor Wrote and sent his letter to Santa.

"Dear Santa.
  How do you deliver our presents when we haven't got a chimney?
  Why do you use the chimney when the door would be easier?
  Please may I have:

• a big long present
• a football
• a moneycat????
• a bath toy
• a scooter
• a little black top like mummy's
• a TATTOO !!!
• a book
• a pen
• a new cup
• and something I can share with my sister

Thank you very much
Love
Connor xxxx

excuse the mad hair