Cross stitch rose keyring

Well it's taken me a while, but I am finally please to present my finished cross stitch keyring!

If you've not seen it before it was a free kit that came with Cross Stitcher issue #264 and instagram seemed alive with a frenzy of people stitching it the week the magazine dropped on everyone's doormats.

I can't be doing with seeing the messy side of things, although the back of my work is usually fairly good, so I decided to stitch a circle of felt onto the back to tidy things up and add a personalised touch.

I'd heard a lot of people were short changed when it came to the blue thread so I stitched the background in 3 strands instead of the suggested 4, and I've got loads left! So if you're reading this and were one of the ones who came up short leave me comment and I'll happily post what I've got left to you.

It's a new project

I've been getting itchy fingers to make something recently and with an awful lot of uni work looming ahead of me I felt a real need to start a project I could use to relax and regain my sanity from time to time. And so on Easter Saturday a new project began...

...and grew fairly quickly...

I saw the design in cross stitcher 261 and thought it would look great in the wall of hoop art that I am planning for my room.

I'm quite liking the monochrome look, but once I've finished filling in the frame it will be time to add some colour.

I don't usually go for things with words or phrases because I find them a bit cheesy, but this seemed kind of apt at the moment as I finish my degree.

Plus every time I look at it I seem to find myself singing "It's a new dawn, it's a new day, a new liiiiife ... fo-or-or meeeeee! ... bum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum" etc etc, and who doesn't need a little Nina Simone (or indeed Michael Buble) in their life from time to time?

Instagram round up: December 2012

At long last the mid-year assessment period is over, the essay has been handed in and the exams sat. Few, glad that's over! At long last after a Christmas spent revising and writing essays I can have a couple of days break at home with my parents before heading back to Uni for a new term and new modules (snow permitting!!).

So, now that I have a little bit of time on my hands, I thought that it was about time I got December's Instagram round up up here for all of you to see. Here we go...

Top: I indulged in a bit of Christmas cross stitching with my little reindeer. He's still being used as my bookmark at the moment actually - must remember to swap him over for something else! I also spent a couple of train journeys cross stitching on my travels between Sussex and Dorset. You can see the finished stars garland in this post.

Middle: I finished my job at a well-known high street fashion and home store. I was really sad to leave and am missing the lovely girlies who work there already. They spoilt me rotten and gave me this teacup Pandora charm to remember them by, seeming as they get through so many cups of tea a day! Church set up a stable in the quiet room for local schoolchildren to come and see and we decorated the dog's bed for Christmas. Hector ate the fairy lights about half an hour later.

Bottom: I made my mutant iPhone case that never quite got there and enjoyed our Christmas decorations.

Top: More Christmas decoration admiration and watching Hector rip open his Christmas Present. I started crocheting myself new, slightly more slimline iphone case, which I then posted about here.

Middle: I also started a cross stitched case using felt and waste canvas, although I haven't got all that far, and appealed to Instagram for help in choosing a button fr my crocheted case. I also crocheted a chunky hat for my cousin's beautiful new baby boy and met him for the first time.

Bottom: Finally to round of 2012 I had a Daddy daughter evening with Dad and played a rather lengthy game of Monopoly (Brighton & Hove edition!), Gloria did some posing, and I accidentally cut our Christmas cake into heart shaped pieces! 

As you can see I had a reasonably busy month which was surprisingly productive actually, considering I also did so much Uni work. I wonder what next Christmas will be like? Will it be quiet and filled with all the crafty things I wished I'd had time to do this year, or will I have a new job by then and be rushed off my feet?

aLittleBlonde

The iPhone case that wasn't

A couple of weeks ago I got a nice new shiny iPhone 5. I absolutely love it, and what an improvement it is on my old 3gs! The only problem is I am absolutely terrified of scratching it. It's so shiny and new and I want to keep it that way, so up until Christmas I was carrying it around in a sock. Yes, quite literally a sock. Well that obviously wouldn't do, so I set about making myself a cute wintry case from a pattern in cross stitcher magazine. It feels more like a chore than relaxation though, as it's stitched on felt using waste canvas and it appears that me and waste canvas really don't get on!

Anyway, my cross stitched case is progressing so slowly that just before christmas I decided to have a rummage around in my room looking for some suitable wool to crochet myself a case. It was all coming along nicely and choosing such chunky wool meant it crocheted up incredibly quickly in just one evening. I even got as far as choosing a button to keep my phone nice and safe. Thankyou to those of you on facebook and instagram that gave me your opinions vis a vis which button to pick by the way, it was much appreciated!

I checked the size before crocheting the sides together and it looked good, I was on a role! I crocheted it all together and then came to the horrible realisation about just how chunky my chunky crochet was. What's more it appeared to have grown sideways when I crocheted both sides together. Apologies for the poor quality photo, it's somewhat problematic to take a photo of your phone when your main camera is, well... your phone.

As you can see, it's not one of my more successful crochet projects! I'm undecided whether to frog the lot and make in ipad case instead or not. The wool was a bit splitty so might not take too well to being completely frogged, but it's nice and easy to work with, so we'll see. It's made in Sirdar Big Softie which I've since developed a bit of a soft spot for, as you may have seen on instagram, but I'm saving that reveal for another day.

Anyway, the failed case has been hidden in shame somewhere in my bedroom and I have since successfully made myself a new case which I'm off to photograph for you now. Until next time...

Happy Friday,

aLittleBlonde

Christmas Decorations 2012

Time managed to slip away from me this year in the run up to Christmas and there's lots I didn't manage to get done or tell you about. I've saved a lot of my ideas in my head and on Pinterest ready for next year when I shall hopefully have the time and the money to put them into action, but for now I'd like to give you just a little glimpse of a couple of our Christmas decorations this year.

Decorating the Bassets for Christmas - Hector ate
the fairy lights 30 mins later

Our porch on Christmas eve

My bauble, bought last Christmas

Our baby potted Christmas tree

My finished cross stitched garland
hanging in my room

They missed a real trick with those cross stitched star garlands. It came free with Cross Stitcher issue 257 and was so popular that loads of people wanted to buy additional kits with the punched paper stars. They released a tutorial on how to make your own, but it's not quite the same. I know I for one would have bought a pack them if they had they sold them.

Anyway, apologies if you've seen some of these photos before or they get repeated in my December month in pictures, but I hope you've enjoyed having a little look at a few of our decorations this year.

Happy Wednesday, 

aLittleBlonde

A month in pictures: October and November

Now, don't judge me, but I am aware that I haven't actually posted last months Instagram mosaic yet, so here we have a two in one post - both October and November's month in pictures. So what did I get up to in October? Well...

I celebrated my 21st birthday, bought bread from the Lewes farmer's market, did a bit of autumnal cooking with a mushroom risotto, had a little package through the post from my Mum, made a Monday morning much more bearable with a Cath Kidston mug and moomin spoon, got going on a new cross stitch project for someone's Christmas present, baked a chocolate and banana loaf...

...and then wrapped it up in brown paper and string (whilst loudly singing songs from the sound of music), ate said chocolate-banan loaf in the staffroom at work, did yet more cross stitch preparation and watched the stormy skies from my bedroom window.

And in November...

I went to london with Mum and had the long anticipated paella in Covent Garden, we started singing new Christmas music at choir, Mum bought me a marzipan piglet from Harrods, I had my first gingerbread latte of the year, did a bit of christmas cross stitch on the train, practically lived in this lecture theatre for a day, burnt the first christmas scented candle of he year, did more chrstmas singing at choir, had an extended weekend in Dorset to celebrate Mum's birthday and had snuggles with this dozy lump of fluff...

...made marble cupcakes for Mum's birthday (and then forgot to take photos of the finished product), had more snuggles with Hector, saw the Christmas tree go up on campus and finally treated myself to a couple of cute Christmas decorations.

Sorry for such a long, picture laden post. I had a feeling that if I didn't do it now I never would and we most certainly can't have a gap in the month in pictures series now can we?

Happy Friday,

aLittleBlonde xx

PS You can find me on instagram as @aLittleBlonde or you can see my online profile here

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The Christmas ban is lifted!

I've been such a good girl and managed to hold off from mentioning the c-word for so long now, but now that's it's November I can finally say it. Yes, Christmas is coming! Christmas, Christmas, Christmas! As you may have guessed, I am quite excited that it is now only 29 sleeps away!

Despite having kept quiet about all things chrimbo on here it has gradually been seeping into my life over the past few weeks. What with various blogs I read starting to talk about making things for Christmas or writing about how they refuse to talk about Christmas yet, the general invasion of Christmas features in the various magazines I read and, probably most influentially, the fact that I've been surrounded by and selling Christmas items at work since the beginning of September. Personally I think I've been quite restrained until now! And yes, you heard it right, they did indeed have me sticking a display of Christmas items (mostly sweeties!!!) on the first of September. September, I ask you! Even for me that's a bit early!

Anyway, I have gradually started making a few Christmassy items and as well as planning and purchasing gifts. Want to have a peak at what I've been making? Well, I've started 3 different new projects for Christmas to date - two decorative and one present. I don't want to overload you with too much Christmas in one go, so I'll disperse my new projects over the next few days.

If you've been reading my blog recently you'll already have seen the beginnings of this little guy I've been stitching on the train, who's nearly finished already. I imagine he will be finished in the next couple of days, if not on the train journey to Sussex later.

If you follow my instagram you will also see that I've begun getting into the Christmas mood lately as well - I really am a sucker for a gingerbread latte!

Happy Monday,

aLittleBlonde xx

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Busy, busy, busy!

I apologize again for it being so long since I last dropped by. Whichever part of me thought it would be easy to balance the final year of a Psychology degree, a weekend job, write a blog and have some free time for craft was obviously just a little deranged! So what have I been up to since we last spoke? Well...

Mum came to visit a and I was a bit rubbish with remembering to take photos, we had a quick shopping trip to Brighton, including an expensive trip to Cath Kidston (thank heavens for student discount!), we paid a visit to the land of the blue and yellow flags, spent too much money yet again, ate meatballs, went on an adventure to London, had paella in Covent Garden, went to Harrods, was overwhelmed by how the other half live - they even sell puppies. Puppies I tell you! And, the main reason for Mum's visit - we went to the Hollywood Costume Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum. It was a great exhibition and I thoroughly recommend a visit, regardless of what era film you're into. Particular highlights for me where the LBD from Breakfast at Tiffany's, Eliza Dolittle's flower seller outfit from My Fair Lady, Elle Woods' pink outfit complete with pillbox hat and bag for Bruiser from Legally Blonde and of course the classics - the blue gingham dress and red sparkly shoes from the Wizard of Oz and Marilyn Monroe's white dress - you know the one!

Image source: V&A Museum Website

It was a truly brilliant exhibition, if a little crowded, despite entry being ticketed within specific time slots. I also completely understand why strictly no photography was allowed, however I think they missed a real trick in not selling a programme with a few photographs and some information about the exhibition and some of the costumes. They sold a book with lots of photos and a guide through the exhibition, but with a £25 price tag it was a bit out of my range! The Hollywood inspired gifts and pieces of costume jewellery available in the shop were a nice touch though.

Image source: V&A Museum Website

Since then I've generally spent my time catching up on work, completing coursework and beginning the long and laborious process of seeking ethics approval for my planned project that will hopefully become my dissertation. I've also been back for a whirlwind trip to Dorset (all 49 hours of it!) to watch WOW Youth Musical Theatre's production of Oliver on Wednesday and then help out backstage on Thursday. In fact, I was in Dorset when I started this post, but I dare say I'll be back in East Sussex by the time I've finished!

However, despite all the rushing about I have had the chance to do a little bit of stitching, mostly on the train I have to admit. When I first started stitching on the train when travelling between East Sussex and Dorset over the summer I noticed the odd funny look from people on the train. However this week I was a girl on a mission. No amount of funny looks or snatched overheard conversation was going to put me off! Needless to say this little guy is nearing completion already

I am also aware I haven't managed to post October's month in pictures yet. What can I say? I'm sorry, it's a work in progress. I've also written 4 more posts that will be published automatically over the next couple of days, seeming as according to my rules I am now officially allowed to start using the C-word!

So, so long fare thee well, pip pip cheerio, we'll be back soon! (spot the naff reference to Oliver)

Happy Saturday, 

aLittleBlonde

That Friday Feeling

Apologies, yet again this failed to post when it should have. What gives blogger? Anyway...

Yep, you've got it, today I've got that Friday feeling. Just where exactly has this week gone? I remember selected highlights from my day off on Monday and my high-speed shopping trip on Wednesday, but aside from that its all just blurred into one. In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if it turned out this week was actually only 3 days long! My dad has a theory about extending and condensing time, maybe I'll tell you about it some time. After all he is one of life's great pontificators!

It's scary to think that next week will be week 7 for Sussex students. That's half way through the autumn term of my final year! Although scary, I'm reaching the point now where I just want to get on with it and speeding through this year is absolutely fine by me! Bring. It. On.

I have so many little snatches of things to tell you and no time to do so before I find more to talk about over the next two weeks (there are exciting things afoot!). So, it appears we are heading for a bit of a Friday mashup - are you ready?

The C word.
I am desperately trying to be a good girl and not mention the C word until at least after bonfire (it's a big deal where I live - just do a google image search for Lewes bonfire), but trust me I am finding it really, really hard. I've got craftiness and new projects a plenty to be telling you about, but I'm being very strict with myself and holding off until November, at which point I shall probably explode like a veritable festive glitter ball. Although to be fair, there'll be so much going on here between now and the beginning of November that I doubt I'd have time to show you an awful lot of what I've been up to c-word wise anyway!

Although I will give you a couple of sneaky peaks of preparations...

Aren't the evenings beginning to get really dark now? I've been trying really hard recently to plan out stuff I need to get done and work efficiently through the day so I can get a bit of time off in the evenings. That's all well and good, but that often means that by the time I eventually get round to blogging its too dark to take decent photos and when it's light enough I'm inevitably busy! I fear more organisation is in order. Either that or a non-energy saving lightbulb.

As I've already alluded to, the next 2 weeks are going to be busy. I've got my dissertation project to finishing planning, an ethics form to submit, bonfire and my mother is coming to stay. There are also several over-ripe bananas languishing in the fruit bowl that need making into something. It's either going to be very quiet around here or you won't be able to get rid of be because I've got so much to say!

I had thought I'd tell you about my little speed-shopping trip on Wednesday  but I think I've kind of said enough for one day. Instead I shall write that up and schedule it to post automatically over the weekend. Ooh get me. Let's see how that one turns out!

Happy Friday, 

aLittleBlonde

Ta Dah! Mini mystery stitch #1

Here we have one of the many posts I wrote over the summer that for one reason or another never quite made it to publishing. Instead it has been sat languishing in the notes app on my ipad, written but picture-less for several weeks months. So if you can, forget the rain beating on the window outside and cast your mind back to the summer...

At last, a little ta dah - my mini mystery stitch that I've been working on whilst travelling between Dorset and Sussex every week (I last wrote about it in this post here) No one guessed what it was, so I am proud to reveal that it was this little guy... Mr Bumble.

I'm not a massive fan of backstitching on such small designs as the spider's web of lines on the chart can often be quite hard to translate into real stitches. But, despite a few little corners (copied from the chart I swear!) I was actually pretty pleased with my backstitching efforts - especially the stripes. Three stitches on each side of each stripe. Of course it was a happy accident entirely intentional on my part and planned in advance (ahem).

It's also the first time I've attempted french knots. I'd heard so much dislike for them that I was a little apprehensive, having always opted for the seed bead option instead. But, after two failed and unravelled attempts I got the hang of it. They came out a little bigger than intended, but I think it gives him a rather cute boggle-eyed look which adds to his character.

He's from the free stitch kit that came with issue 252 of Cross Stitcher magazine and belongs in the same set as my poor incomplete strawberry...

...except the poor incomplete strawberry is incomplete no more!

I couldn't face unpicking the whole thing to start again with a different red and didn't want to throw my work away, so I decided to buy a skein of anchor in the shade specified in the key. I was resigned to the fact that it would be blatantly obvious I had switched threads, but as the birthday I had intended to make it for had already passed in the meantime I decided to go with it and just keep it for myself.

As you can see it wasn't actually that bad a match though! If you look closely and you know what you're looking for then you can see it - the anchor is slightly brighter, has a bit more of a sheen and is much nicer to work with, but apart from that its similar enough. I'd never give it away to anyone because I'm a perfectionist, but I'm sure I can find some use for it somewhere. At the moment it's acting as bookmark in my philosophy of psychology textbook!

Happy Wednesday,

aLittleBlonde xx

 

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Returning to Cross Stitch

Today I'm starting off a new cross stitch project, but I'm afraid that's about all that I can tell you! You see it's a present for someone who could potentially end up reading this post, so I need to keep it under wraps a bit until it's all finished and has been given to the person in question.

It's been a little while since I did any cross stitch as I've mostly been crocheting recently and my current crochet project isn't exactly the most portable. In the grand scheme of things I've been cross stitching for much longer than I've been crocheting (years as opposed to months) and I did a lot of the little Mouseloft cross stitch kits last summer and a couple of the Christmas ones, not that I've ever done anything with the completed kits. I've started myself a camp blanket which I will tell you about at a later date which has various cloth badges stitched onto it, so until I can find a good home for the mini stitches or untill I get any more cloth badges maybe they'll find a home on there.

Anyway, I'm excited to be starting this new project today after a quick trip up to Pauline's Patchwork up at Poundbury to get these to get me started.

Love these colours!

I hadn't realised quite how much I've missed cross stitching until I started again a few days ago by attempting to stitch this little Strawberry kit that came free with a magazine. Sadly it didn't come with enough red thread to finish it, which I didn't realise until I got halfway through. A bit annoying I have to say! So for now this is as far as I can get with it until I work out what on earth to do. I wonder how close a match the suggested thread colours are with those provided in the kit? Not close enough I'm guessing, but we'll see.

I also started this after lunch as something small I can work on when the person in question who is receiving the big project is around. Not that it will keep me working for long given it's size!

Can you tell what it is yet? I'm afraid you'll have to guess. There may even be a small prize for the first to work it out...

Happy Friday, aLittleBlonde x