Our lives are about to change.

For the past five years I have been a SAHM. When I finished work before DS J was born, I applied for a 'career break' for the sole purpose of being able to stay at home with him for longer that 12 months, which is what was allowed for maternity leave. So that meant that all up I was to have four year holiday from my job. Which, by the way is a customer service officer with one of the major Australian banks.
While I was still strictly on maternity leave I discover that I am pregnant again, this time with DD C. So when my four years was up and I was due to return to work, I asked for an additional year in lieu of the maternity leave that I would have received for DD, which the bank very kindly approved.
So after having five years away from work, I start work again for the bank on Monday. At this stage they have been able to fit my hours around pre-school hours, as they have to re-train me as all of their systems have changes. So I am going to be working on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9-30 until 3-00. This arrangement will last until I am conversant with changes and until they have a more permanent position for me.
I am largely looking forward to it, as it is a break from the kids. I love them dearly but having 3 kids, 2 under five, can be trying at times.
As for stitching, I have been working on And A Forest Grew. I am really enjoying this and will post a WIP picture in the next few day. Next in my rotation is a new start, a HAED, Bubbles, will also post a link when I do the picture for And A Forest Grew.

Stash

You might remember that last week the kids and I went to Bendigo so that DS aged 12 could buy a new game for his game boy, and that I might be able to visit a LNS. Well I went to two. One that I have known about for a while, and the other one, I just happened to see on our way home from our holiday.

The one that I have known about for a while is called Attic Crafts (no affiliation). Unfortunately they do not have a web site, so no link. They mainly deal with patchwork products, but they do stock some fabrics, linen and evenweave, quite a nice variety of different threads, and some patterns. This is what I was able to get from them. Some 25ct white evenweave, and two Shepherd's Bush charts; A Mother's Garden and Heart Blooms.

The shop that I spotted on the way home from holidays is called Rajmahal (again no affiliation). Here is a link http://www.rajmahal.com.au/ It is not a shop but a distribution outlet, but I was able to buy a few things. I loved the satin covered boxes. The lid inserts are removeable. Adding a stitched piece should be pretty easy. I was also able to get some braid which I thought would come in handy for finishing. One caught my interest (pictured bottom right). It is made of copper wire and is formed like springs, so as you lay it you can stretch it out or just lay it as it comes. Beware; if you stretch it, it won't "spring" back to shape. Here is a close up
Well that is all from me at the moment. School holidays have now finished for us, so things might be able to get back to normal now. Bye for now and happy stitching.

Wip Pic and Stash

Thank you to everyone who has visited my blog and left comments, it is wonderful to know that I can share my stitching with so many others.

This is a wip picture of Gypsy Rose. It is the bottom left of the design, which is where I prefer to begin stitching from. I am enjoying working on her and this is the first time that I have stitched 1 over 1. I finished my rotation with her on Sunday night, and have now moved onto And A Forest Grew. If you would like to see what she will look like when finished here is a link; http://www.heavenandearthdesigns.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=637

Some WIP Pics

This is There's No Place Like Home by Drawn Thread. Sorry about the blurred picture. This is where I left it the last time I stitched on it.

This is where I finished up at the end of its rotation. Hopefully the next time I pick this up, it will be finished. I am enjoying this one though, love the colors.






The next to be stitched on, And A Forest Grew. I loved this the first time I saw it and still do. I love green, but even so there can still be 'too much', and just when I get to think this, you change colors, and the change is just enough to give the WOW factor.

Alas the time on this was short. You see I went to an LNS while on holidays and I swear I was only going to purchase the fabric and the threads I didn't have already for HAED Gypsy Rose. I got home and put threads on bobbins and I just had to put in a few stitches (first time stitching 1 over 1), and I just kept going, and I am still going.

So I have decided to keep stitching Gypsy Rose until the end of its' rotation which is Sunday night. Then I will go back to And A Forest Grew for a week and so on.

Thank you to everyone who has read my blog and left comments. We had a lovely time away and the Easter Bunny was quite generous this year. My two younger children had quite a feast on Easter Sunday morning before we went to church. During the children's address the minister had a hard time trying to talk over DS aged five, who would just keep on talking and talking. Hubby and I could not stop laughing. Eventually the minister whispered something in his ear, we don't know what he said but DS was quiet after that. We blamed his behaviour on all of the chocolate that he had consumed, and promised to take a gag with us the next time we visited this church.

As for stitching, well I did some, and will have to share photos and more details later on. Right now the kids and I are getting ready to go to Bendigo so that DS aged 12 can get a new game for his game boy, and I might even get to a cross stitch shop.

Bye for now, WIP pics to follow soon.

Rotation

Now that I have done some stitching on DH's stocking next on the WIP list is Drawn Thread's There's No Place Like Home. I will stitch on this until Sunday night and then change to And A Forest Grew.

I won't be able to post any WIP pictures until about the 17th of April as we are going on a holiday. We leave on Thursday and we are going to the coast near Geelong in southern Victoria.

Well I hope that anyone that reads this has a wonderful easter, and don't eat too much chocolate.

Reed's Stocking Update

Here is where I left Shepherd's Bush Reed's Stocking yesterday. I didn't get to stitch on it last night as we had an impromptu dinner at a friends house last night. Went to drop off a DVD for them to watch and they offered for us to stay and have pizza with them. An easy decision compared with going home and trying to decide what to cook.