One thing I didn't get right

on our recent holiday was the fact that I did not have the time to sort out what craft stuff I wanted to take.  I also did not have time to retrieve my crafting lamp to take with us and also my magnetic chart board.  I was a bit lost without both as I started a cross stitch kit and ended up stitching and then pulling undone because the ruler I was using kept slipping.  So next holiday these two will most definitely be going.  The project I have started is a picture of a thatched cottage, a dream house as it were, which was one of the last presents that my Nan gave me the money for - which was quite a few years ago so it would be nice to get this done and out of the way with.  Because I kept going wrong I have not worked much, but I am determined to get this one out of the way and put to bed as it were.  Will show you once a little more progress has been made.

I also looked at a second hand kit that I had bought part worked. Whoever has worked this so far has made a lovely job of it and everything was nicely sorted out.  It is a shame that they were unable to complete it, but their loss is my gain. It is a pre-printed cross stitch kit of flowers.  Of course, I chose the only colour there was not much of to work with and I needed more thread which I believe I have in my embroidery thread stash.  I did work a couple of stitches but then realised and popped it back down.  It is a pretty picture.

I will be very pleased to get this one out of the way with as well.  It is a pale mustardy gold colour that have run out of.

I am therefore intent on taking these two kits back with me, with the various missing pieces I need as well as a Needlepoint kit.  I managed to take the wool with me but not the canvas (which I had forgotten I had recently strung onto a frame for working) i thought the canvas was in the tote it came in!  Needlepoint is something that I can work relatively quickly when I start.

I also want to take some crochet to pick up and put down and that should give me a bit to go at whilst away next time.  I have a blanket to finish off and I know my step-daughter is keen on learning how to crochet so I may well set her off as well to keep her doing something in quiet moments at the van or indeed when she gets home.  

I don't want to take too much with me and am intent on actually completing items, but equally I have to have something to pick up and put down when time is short i.e. the crochet.    Once these are done then I can move on to the next project.  There are quite a few UFOs that need dealing with in this respect and it would be nice to get these done and put up.

Another time, I might take my sewing machine and sew a pile of items that I have either into their finished cushion panels or make up other items or indeed do some patchwork. Will see how I get on with the projects I have picked out then make up my mind.  If it is just machining that needs doing, I can get through this relatively quickly.  If I do a lot of the prep at home beforehand in order to complete the items it will mean that quite a few items will get made up.  I have some vintage embroidered cushion covers that need re-sewing and I also have some vintage fabrics to recycle into something else.  So there are lots of options.

I love chill time when I can get it and I chill when I can focus on doing something I want to.  I am an all or nothing kind of person.  Tiz my nature.  I have so many things that I want to get done and hopefully these trips will help me accomplish that.  I appreciate that it is early days at the van  yet, but if I can get the time I so desperately need to do these projects then all the better.  Crafting helps me relax.

OH had also recently bought me some hand embroidery pdfs.  I was hoping to take these with me however unfortunately I was not able to print out the patterns prior to leaving for holiday as the ink had run out on the printer.  This will happen very shortly.  The pdfs purchased are these ones from Diana Vingert (who I believe I have mentioned before).  She has a shop on Etsy called Vingert.  The link is here:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/VINGERT?ref=shop_sugg

These are the three pdfs I have purchased.

I have some ideas of what I would like to do with these in the long run but I need to get started on these reasonably soon although I believe from the tutorials that I have seen that these work up pretty quickly.  I am hoping to get the printer ink cartridges replaced soon as these would be ideal for taking to the caravan.

I also hope to try my hand at other crafts and projects.  Some of them will not be able to take to the van as it concerns paint and furniture neither of which I am fully au fait with so this will be a steep learning curve but something I want to have a go at.  I wish I could paint pictures as well but I am absolutely no good with painting or drawing at all.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x