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Tuesday 19 June 2012

TUSAL, IHSW and 11 More Things!

First things first - TUSAL:



This month my TUSAL jar is posing with the Queen and the usual calendar.  The goodies surrounding the magazine are a prize from Jenny of One Stitch Closer to Nirvana's 100 Followers' Giveaway.  Look at the sweet rabbit thread-holder and the daisy scissors!  The little bag contains "Made with Love" hearts to attach to my projects.  There are two charts - the April Word Play plus M Designs I and J which are a little extra because I sent Jenny a bird chart as a RAK a while back and she's been wanting to repay it!

For IHSW I worked on Papillon's Around the World in 80 Stitches, Part 2.  Which is good, because Part 3 is now out!!  I'm doing the Speciality Stitch version sans cutwork!


I'm stitching on 28count white evenweave with my choice of pinks, purples and one yellow DMC.  I've changed some of the stitches.  I couldn't get on with the lazy daisies in the Hearts, I tried one strand, I tried two, they just looked untidy so I weeded them out and did a circular ray stitch.  In the Tulip I've stitched them as a four sided parallogram.  I also passed on the Mordvinian Stitch because I did one and it looked lumpy, so I stitched some more Kloster Blocks instead.  I finally chose my metallic - DMC light effects 155 and I'm filling in the left hand heart now.

I need to decide on beads, I want two from pink, purple and silver.  The question is - which two?
1. pink and purple
2. pink and silver
3. purple and silver.


I also got tagged again for the 11 Things Thing (as Julie cleverly called it!).  This time Chiara Grey Tail tagged me.  I won't do 11 more things or tag anyone else but I will answer her 11 questions because they are good ones!

1. how long is it since you’ve last played, sat on the floor, with a kid?
About 30 seconds at any given time.  Also the same answer for "how long since a kid attached itself to your head while you try to read a blog/type an email etc".
2. your favourite school trip?
Not the one where I had an asthma attack in the middle of the night and ending up sleeping in the teacher's room so she could make sure I didn't die and freak the other kids out.  I can still "see" her multi-coloured hand knitted cardigan now!
3. when you go to sleep, do you wake up in the same position, or do you find blankets and pillows all over the place?
I find a small boy all over the place LOL.  But only when it's my turn to co-sleep with him.  The rest of the time I wake up curled in a ball regardless of how I went to sleep.
4. shades, hat or both?
Summer - Shades, with prescription lenses.  Great for "no-make-up mornings" even when it's not that sunny.
Winter - Hat, for "hair is a mess" days.
5. was there a time you thought “I wish I was born there!”, if so when/where was it?
I do love staying with friends who live in cities but it doesn't bother me that I wasn't born there as I could always move there if I really wanted.  Time-wise this is the best era for women so far (which isn't saying much!) so if I was going to be born in an earlier century I'd choose to be a wealthy man!
6. do you know how to make candy corn? could you tell me? I’ve never tried it! :D (if candy corn is not traditional in your country, could you tell me how to make something you’re thinking is way better than candy corn :D )
Cowpat cake - melt some cooking chocolate, take the tiny bits of cornflakes that settle in the bottom of the box and stir them in, pour into a pie dish, pop in fridge.  It looks like a cowpat but tastes better (I guess as I've never tried cowpat LOL).
7. how many years have you been stitching? did you learn by yourself or did someone help you along the way to the stitching madness it’s nowadays?
Since 1993 so nearly 20 years.  It's a special anniversary year next year!  I taught myself but did have a couple of work friends who were also keen. 
8. the perfect sandwich: what is in it?
For a hangover nothing beats a bacon butty!  I do like shop-bought sarnies best, Boots do a Chinese Duck Wrap which is lovely.  When we came back from France the CdG airport food was hideous, expensive and primarily cheese-based which I can't eat.  The wrap I bought as soon as we landed on UK soil was heaven on earth! 
9. honestly, do you think ironing our clothes is really necessary? how do you deal with the dullest house work ever?
Ironing is the only chore I actually like!  You can listen to music and it's strangely therapeutic making a nice neat pile of folded clothes.  My favourite thing to iron is the Small Boy's body vests (the ones that popper under his nappy).  
10. you reckon there’re even duller things than ironing? what is it?! ;D
Vacuum cleaning, dusting, scrubbing baths, toilets etc.
11. is there a TV commercial you like? (makes you laugh, takes you back to old times, reminds you of someone you know, ..)
I'm not a fan of commercial TV, the boys mainly watch the BBC for that reason (see I'm really Middle-Class LOL).  But we do like anything with a cat in it - Krusha milk shake mix and the Cravendale cats with opposable thumbs spring to mind.

Finally, don't forget my Summer Postcard Blog Hop!

16 comments:

Vickie said...

Your around the world stitching is beautiful. Loved reading and learning more about you. :) http://astitchersstory.blogspot.com/

dulcinella said...

Lovely Papillon SAL and great progress. I enjoyed reading your answers, makes a person emerge from the cross stitch and the blog:-) as for the beads: i would go for purple and pink.

tintocktap said...

Now I know why I don't read blogs while my kids are around! My girls favourite thing these days is to stick their heads up inside whatever top I'm wearing and try to go for a walk!

I've been stitching nearly 20 years too - I have my first sampler dated 1994, although I think I did one or two things before that. And I did have a break of about 5 years at one point. It was wonderful discovering the online side when I came back to it - life beyond Mirabilia and Lavender & Lace!

Christine said...

The SAL looks gorgeous, I'd go purple and silver with the beads.
Got to love those Cravendale cats, really glad mine don't have thumbs though ;D

Giovanna said...

Purple and pink! It's looking great, and I like it that you find a way to work around the problem stitches :-)

Mouse said...

ooo well done on the sal ... need to start mine now :)
I've been tagged by loads of peeps eeekk ..lol
and love your answers eheheh :) love mouse xxxx

Sandie said...

Hi Jo
just found you via Kiwi gets crafty! Noticed you said about working in libraries - guess what I did too! (retired in 2007). Love the work on display and have signed up to follow you! Mind you I'm intimidated by that long list of finishes!

Anonymous said...

loved your answers.. thank you for taking this again! :D
I'll try the cow pat cake as soon as I find some chocolate I won't even need to melt, it's frying hot these days here! :D

Minnie said...

It's very interesting how you are making changes to the mystery SAL they sound great. I was also tagged by Chiara and yourself, I intend on answering both of you it's just taking longer than I thought.

The Crafty Princess said...

Hey Jo, amazing stitching as usual. I would pick the pink and silver but really would I pick anything else?? LOL! Love your answers I'm so glad you have the energy to answer them as you are very witty and your answers always make me smile. Thanx for tagging me but I'm battling a really bad flu atm and it's just fog in there. I entered your name in my giveaway as a token of my gratitude for picking me. Good luck stunner xox Alicia

Dani - tkdchick said...

How fun to set your TUSAL up with your win!!!

Around the world is looking fantastic!

Susan said...

The SAL is beautiful. Beads? Definitely silver. It's a toss-up on the second but I'm leaning towards purple. Very nice give-away win. So glad I don't have to deal with small people anymore but I'm not sure the cats are any better.

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

Lovely fabric and congrats on your winning tip.
Your Papillon Sal is very pretty. I know exactly where you are coming from with the Lazy Daisy stitch,but Iam getting there,can't have another stitch I never master that honour goes to French Knots,they are my nightmare..still

Bea said...

Love the colour choices for the SAL - it's so lovely. It was fun to read your answers.

Valentina said...

I love the Papillon SAL, I'm seriosuly thinking of starting it too!

Julie said...

PAP SAL is looking lovely, nice colour choices.