2013 WIPocalypse - October Full Moon & IHSW - October Report

Once again the WIPocalypse and IHSW fall at the same time.  This is good because it saves me from having to think up an enticing title for this post.

I'm really pleased with myself over this piece.  This will be a Christmas ornament for my eldest niece and is actually a start and a finish!  I started it on 14 October and finished it on 19 October, which is really good going for me.  He comes from Issue 130 of Cross Stitch Crazy.  Eldest niece actually learns recorder and keyboards, but the closest I could get was a flute playing snowman, who actually looked like he was chewing a stick, so I went for cheerful, happy cymbal snowman.  Littlest niece would like to sing in the school choir so my next piece will be snowman with song book.

Train of Dreams is coming along nicely.  The green book is very nearly finished - just a few stitches remaining in the next block or two.  I'm looking forward to seeing the moon ornament develop as I move down the page.

Nothing to show on Serena this week because on Saturday Mum and I went to a local patchwork exhibition.  The patchwork group holding the exhibition includes some of the members of the group that I belong to, so several of the pieces on show were old friends.  There were some stunning quilts, including a fabulous Chinese dragon, and as usual other pieces that just didn't inspire at all, but everyone has different tastes.  We had a very nice time, meeting several people we knew, but Mum was feeling a bit under the weather so went for a nap when we got home.

However I did promise you stash pictures.  I tried to get it all into one photo, but failed miserably.  Anyway this is the insanity part of my stash purchase - two Teresa Wentzler charts.  I took everything to Patchwork Group the other week and as soon as I showed Peacock Tapestry, one of the other members said that she knew someone who had done it!  I would dearly love to have a look at their finished piece for guidance, but unfortunately they are not very well at the moment.

Next comes the cute part of my stash bonanza.  Two charts by Valerie Pfeiffer of Heritage Crafts.  I do think that the Christmas Chick is by far the nicest of her Chickadee series - there is something about the way the eyes are done on the others that doesn't appeal.  And the Chorus Line is just so sweet - I don't normally do cute, but I just couldn't resist.

Last but not least a Joan Elliott Design Works kit and a Just Nan chart with charm.  These come in the more challenging but not insane category, between Peacock Tapestry and Christmas Chick.  Speaking of Just Nan, I sent her a query about beading Mum's angels, and she replied that she normally beads as she goes along, but that she stitches her angels singly rather than in a row.

So that's stitching and stash - what else can I tell you?  Well I lost another 1lb last week so I'm down to 11 stone 11.5lb, so another 3lb to go before I've lost a stone.  I know that it's slow but I also know that it works and I will get there eventually, so I'm not too worried.  It's school half-term here so work is quite quiet - I'll have two days on my own this week so will hopefully get some backlog cleared. 

Now I really must go and put my tea on, so all the best to you and yours and may the frog steer well clear of your stitching.