I don't believe it, I haven't put a single stitch in this week! Where on earth did the last week go???
Meh, Truth be told, I went back to work this week and the kids are back at school after two weeks off for the July/Winter school holidays... I get heaps of stitching done in the holidays and have plenty of time for blog updates but once we get back into it, time doesn't just fly, it hurtles by! Such is the life of a full time Mama/Teacher.
Tonight, I'll put in a few stitches whilst indulging in my other passion - motor racing! Yes, yes, strange I know but I love fast cars and racing bikes... This weekend is a big one too - The Formula 1 is on late tonight and the MotoGP is on early tomorrow morning. There's an Aussie; Mark Webber for Red Bull Racing, on Pole for the F1 and another Aussie; Casey Stoner, for Repsol Honda, is fighting to defend his lead in the world championship in the MotoGP. All this and the end of the Tour de France (no motors involved there of course) tonight too - An Aussie proudly wearing the yellow jumper into Paris carrying the pride of an entire nation with him.
We were up late last night watching the qualifiers for the F1, up early this morning for the GP quali's... Love it!
Before I go any further, I'll make it clear I am not an Australian. I live here - have done for over a third of my life now, I have Aussie blood in my veins and a genuine transported convict in the family tree but I am not an Australian. It is important to make the distinction that I am a New Zealander. Born and bread, a proud Kiwi, a One-Eyed-Cantabrian. My heart and soul are in Christchurch with my family but for what it's worth, I've fallen in love with this country and that also spills over to its' sports, as long as there are no Kiwi's involved! LOL...
So tonight, while I'm yelling my head off for the Aussies, I'll try to rev up the stitching mojo! I've just signed up for the about.com Christmas exchange, so I've got to get the scissor case finished for the current exchange!
Right, I'm off, I've got to head out for rehearsal in a bit, we've got a gig Wednesday night - got to be on time so I get home in time for the racing!
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Friday, 22 July 2011
A Summer Giveaway!
Hop on over to Measi's blog "Measi's Musings: Ramblings of a Geeky Witch" and check out her summer giveaway - she's got some lovely bits there and her blog is a great read :)
Here's what she has to say about the giveaway:
Here's what she has to say about the giveaway:
So… I’m excited to open entries for my Summer Fun Giveaway! The winner will receive:
- Summer at the Shore by Country Cottage Needleworks
- Cape Cod Summer by Pickle Barrel Designs
- Six skeins of Gentle Arts hand-dyed threads in colors themed to summer (including Thundercloud, labeled as a limited edition color).
All of these items are brand new – bought just two weeks ago. They’ll be coming from a smoke-free, but not pet-free home (I have cats… keeping these items in a protective bag, but you never know!).
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
HAED "30% Off" Sale, Ends at Midnight!
*Looking furtively over my shoulder*
Don't tell anyone but I just bought myself an early birthday present.
Train of Dreams by Randal Spangler for Heaven and Earth Designs. It's WAY smaller than Queenie - Like 307 000 stitches less... only 10 000 odd stitches instead of 317 500. I think I'll be able to knock it off over the course of next year.
Jacob wants me to stitch this one for him so it's on my 12 in 2012 list... which reminds me, I must update my 11 in 11 list...
The 11 in 11 have expanded somewhat, so the list is now more like 15 in 2011 but I'm doing ok with actually getting some finishes under my belt. I had intended this year to be the "year of the finished UFO's/WIP's" and to a point, I'm achieving that goal. I wasn't supposed to start anything new (except Queenie) but then I hadn't planned on joining three exchanges, finding the perfect sampler for Mum or discovering a new friend and being invited to her three year old's birthday party!
LOL, now come on, don't tell me you don't know exactly what I'm talking about!
I have come to the conclusion though, that at heart, I really am a OAAT girl. The idea of a rotation works perfectly in my head but in reality, I only manage to work on one at a time. I had to get the cube finished before I could get anything else going and now I'm on the fob and scissor case, I have no desire to pick up anything else. (I desperately want to post photos of the above, because I'm very proud of my efforts so far but as some of you, dear readers, are also involved in said exchange, I don't want to give the game away!)
Anyways... if any of you are hankering after a particular HAED, I suggest you pop off and take advantage of the 30% off - it ends at midnight tonight (July 18) - go on, do it! I know you want to!
Just don't tell anyone I told you!
LOL!
xxx
K
Don't tell anyone but I just bought myself an early birthday present.
Train of Dreams by Randal Spangler for Heaven and Earth Designs. It's WAY smaller than Queenie - Like 307 000 stitches less... only 10 000 odd stitches instead of 317 500. I think I'll be able to knock it off over the course of next year.
Jacob wants me to stitch this one for him so it's on my 12 in 2012 list... which reminds me, I must update my 11 in 11 list...
The 11 in 11 have expanded somewhat, so the list is now more like 15 in 2011 but I'm doing ok with actually getting some finishes under my belt. I had intended this year to be the "year of the finished UFO's/WIP's" and to a point, I'm achieving that goal. I wasn't supposed to start anything new (except Queenie) but then I hadn't planned on joining three exchanges, finding the perfect sampler for Mum or discovering a new friend and being invited to her three year old's birthday party!
LOL, now come on, don't tell me you don't know exactly what I'm talking about!
I have come to the conclusion though, that at heart, I really am a OAAT girl. The idea of a rotation works perfectly in my head but in reality, I only manage to work on one at a time. I had to get the cube finished before I could get anything else going and now I'm on the fob and scissor case, I have no desire to pick up anything else. (I desperately want to post photos of the above, because I'm very proud of my efforts so far but as some of you, dear readers, are also involved in said exchange, I don't want to give the game away!)
Anyways... if any of you are hankering after a particular HAED, I suggest you pop off and take advantage of the 30% off - it ends at midnight tonight (July 18) - go on, do it! I know you want to!
Just don't tell anyone I told you!
LOL!
xxx
K
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
IHSW
Enough with these acronyms already!
LOL...
The SWAT week at about.com is halfway through and I feel like I've achieved some significant results... a finish for the cube, two figures done for my advent calendar and a goodly amount on my scissor fob for the upcoming exchange, also at the about.com forum. Sorry, no fob photo, it's a secret exchange.
I've just returned home from my morning wanderings around the stitchy blogosphere and this morning I happened to stumble upon a post titled: "IHSW"... acronyms intrigue me, so of course I had to stop to read!
So... hop on over to Random Ramblings and sign up for the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend
"IHSW takes place every 3rd weekend of each month, for us to squirrel some time away for ourselves and "Hermit and Stitch." You can stitch as much or as little as your time permits, on anything you like, and on Monday of the following week, we post a progress picture and check out each others' blogs"
As this is coincides with the end of the SWAT, I've signed up to give myself that extra bit of motivation - more stitchers to meet and of course more beautiful pieces of stitching to drool over...
Go on, if you've got a blog, sign up, there's lots of fun to be had.
Happy Stitchin', my fellow addicts!
xxx
K
LOL...
The SWAT week at about.com is halfway through and I feel like I've achieved some significant results... a finish for the cube, two figures done for my advent calendar and a goodly amount on my scissor fob for the upcoming exchange, also at the about.com forum. Sorry, no fob photo, it's a secret exchange.
I've just returned home from my morning wanderings around the stitchy blogosphere and this morning I happened to stumble upon a post titled: "IHSW"... acronyms intrigue me, so of course I had to stop to read!
So... hop on over to Random Ramblings and sign up for the International Hermit and Stitch Weekend
"IHSW takes place every 3rd weekend of each month, for us to squirrel some time away for ourselves and "Hermit and Stitch." You can stitch as much or as little as your time permits, on anything you like, and on Monday of the following week, we post a progress picture and check out each others' blogs"
As this is coincides with the end of the SWAT, I've signed up to give myself that extra bit of motivation - more stitchers to meet and of course more beautiful pieces of stitching to drool over...
Go on, if you've got a blog, sign up, there's lots of fun to be had.
Happy Stitchin', my fellow addicts!
xxx
K
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
A Mid-Winter Happy Dance!
The cube is FINISHED!!!
Finally. It only ended up taking five and a half months in total. Actual stitching hours: approx 65.
It's got a rattle on the inside which I thought was rather clever. It's one of those little cat toys - a rolling, rattly ball... I'd quite like to keep it for myself, LOL!
So, the nitty, gritty details:
Stitched on 16ct white aida. DMC floss. Chart from "The World of Cross Stitching" magazine, issue 168.
Saturday, 9 July 2011
It's SWAT Time...
SWAT? What's a SWAT? I hear you ask.
Every few months, the crew over at the about.com cross stitch forum have an intensive, week long, stitch-a-thon, therefore, we have dubbed it a "Stitch-Week-A-Thon." The aim of the SWAT is to stitch as much as you can every day for a whole week. You might only have time for a half-dozen stitches but as we all know, every stitch counts! The Saturday at either end of the SWAT week is included as a whole day SAT (stitch-a-thon). If you are super keen or have plenty of time up your sleeve, you can SAT on both Saturdays.
It's lots of fun, we often have lurkers who come out of the woodwork to join us for the week. There are always plenty of photo updates posted - drool cloths are essential.
So, on behalf of all the stitchers at about.com, please come join us - we'd love to have you! Everyone is super friendly. We love to chat - and not just about cross stitch. There are plenty of experienced stitchers always ready to help out or give advice and just as many not so experience stitchers. Everyone is welcome, no piece of stitching to big or too small and no question is ever "too silly."
Oh, and while your there, check out our Forum Guide, Connie's, page. There are plenty of freebie charts, photos, advice and blog entries for the addicts we all are!
I'm planning on finishing Zach's cube in the first part of the week.
Here's my starting point:
So do drop by, come and say "Hi", we'd love to see you!
xxx K
Every few months, the crew over at the about.com cross stitch forum have an intensive, week long, stitch-a-thon, therefore, we have dubbed it a "Stitch-Week-A-Thon." The aim of the SWAT is to stitch as much as you can every day for a whole week. You might only have time for a half-dozen stitches but as we all know, every stitch counts! The Saturday at either end of the SWAT week is included as a whole day SAT (stitch-a-thon). If you are super keen or have plenty of time up your sleeve, you can SAT on both Saturdays.
It's lots of fun, we often have lurkers who come out of the woodwork to join us for the week. There are always plenty of photo updates posted - drool cloths are essential.
So, on behalf of all the stitchers at about.com, please come join us - we'd love to have you! Everyone is super friendly. We love to chat - and not just about cross stitch. There are plenty of experienced stitchers always ready to help out or give advice and just as many not so experience stitchers. Everyone is welcome, no piece of stitching to big or too small and no question is ever "too silly."
Oh, and while your there, check out our Forum Guide, Connie's, page. There are plenty of freebie charts, photos, advice and blog entries for the addicts we all are!
I'm planning on finishing Zach's cube in the first part of the week.
Here's my starting point:So do drop by, come and say "Hi", we'd love to see you!
xxx K
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Latest Aquisitions...(or the ones I'll own up to at least...)
LOL...
I posted a while back that Guy went through my 123stitch wishlist and chose some bits and pieces for my Mother's Day present. The package duly arrived and I was rather impressed with his choices although because he picked at random, I have to admit I haven't got the foggiest clue just which charts the threads and beads belong to. I can narrow it down to the threads most likely being Nora Corbett designs as they are all Crescent Colours but the beads... well, who knows! They sure look pretty in my boxes though. *grin*
I also managed to get my hands on a copy of the limited edition "Ultimate Joan Elliot Collection." I didn't think I'd manage to get a copy - we don't often get the special edition stuff here in Australia and if we do, it costs a bomb! Anyway, I found a reasonably priced copy on e-bay and bought it, yay. I've since heard on the grapevine of a fellow stitcher in Oz who has picked one up in her local newsagent but all I know is, I haven't seen it in mine and I'm happy I bought the copy I've got, when I did.
Hmmm what else should I confess... ok...whilst "wandering around" on e-bay, I found a seller who was auctioning off a "deceased estate" including a pile of Mirabilia charts. She had them on "best
offer" so I got cheeky and offered $3.50 each for four Mira's and two Lavender and Lace...she accepted. Postage was minimal so I aquired six brand new, unopened charts (albeit with a faint miasma of cigarette smoke) for $25USD. Many of you will have heard me rattle on about the excellent exchange rate currently from USD to AUD, so this cost me $21.56AUD... Keep in mind that just one Mira chart alone cost around $22 here in Oz... SCORE!!!
A few weeks ago I was blessed very unexpectedly, with a $50 pre-paid mastercard. I've been working voluntarily with the bands at one of the primary (elementary) schools that a large number of my music students attend. The band master and committee decided I deserved some recognition and gave me a thank you card that made me cry, lol, and the pre-paid card. I, of course, hopped straight onto my 123 wish list and started working out how I could get the most for my money...
I ended up with:
Here Comes Treble and First Bass, from Ink Circles and all the Crescent Colours for them too.
Lavender Luminescence from the Sweetheart Tree plus the one colour of Mill Hill beads and Weeks Dye Works floss I didn't have.
Believe from Stoney Creek...
I felt very spoilt :)
Lastly, I "accidently" ended up at the (not so local) LNS again just last week... they had that pesky bowl on the counter again - you know, the one with all the "I need to be bought by YOU" floss in it - I came home with another pile of Gloriana silks for a dollar each, Caron Soie Cristales for two dollars each, Crescent Silks for two dollars and finally four Crescent overdyes for fifty cents each... oh yeah, and one Gloriana Silk Ribbon for a dollar that will go perfectly on another piece I have stashed away...
Oops!
Oh man... I'm in trouble aren't I...
I posted a while back that Guy went through my 123stitch wishlist and chose some bits and pieces for my Mother's Day present. The package duly arrived and I was rather impressed with his choices although because he picked at random, I have to admit I haven't got the foggiest clue just which charts the threads and beads belong to. I can narrow it down to the threads most likely being Nora Corbett designs as they are all Crescent Colours but the beads... well, who knows! They sure look pretty in my boxes though. *grin* 
I also managed to get my hands on a copy of the limited edition "Ultimate Joan Elliot Collection." I didn't think I'd manage to get a copy - we don't often get the special edition stuff here in Australia and if we do, it costs a bomb! Anyway, I found a reasonably priced copy on e-bay and bought it, yay. I've since heard on the grapevine of a fellow stitcher in Oz who has picked one up in her local newsagent but all I know is, I haven't seen it in mine and I'm happy I bought the copy I've got, when I did. 
Hmmm what else should I confess... ok...whilst "wandering around" on e-bay, I found a seller who was auctioning off a "deceased estate" including a pile of Mirabilia charts. She had them on "best
offer" so I got cheeky and offered $3.50 each for four Mira's and two Lavender and Lace...she accepted. Postage was minimal so I aquired six brand new, unopened charts (albeit with a faint miasma of cigarette smoke) for $25USD. Many of you will have heard me rattle on about the excellent exchange rate currently from USD to AUD, so this cost me $21.56AUD... Keep in mind that just one Mira chart alone cost around $22 here in Oz... SCORE!!!
A few weeks ago I was blessed very unexpectedly, with a $50 pre-paid mastercard. I've been working voluntarily with the bands at one of the primary (elementary) schools that a large number of my music students attend. The band master and committee decided I deserved some recognition and gave me a thank you card that made me cry, lol, and the pre-paid card. I, of course, hopped straight onto my 123 wish list and started working out how I could get the most for my money...
I ended up with:
Here Comes Treble and First Bass, from Ink Circles and all the Crescent Colours for them too.
Lavender Luminescence from the Sweetheart Tree plus the one colour of Mill Hill beads and Weeks Dye Works floss I didn't have.
Believe from Stoney Creek...
I felt very spoilt :)
Lastly, I "accidently" ended up at the (not so local) LNS again just last week... they had that pesky bowl on the counter again - you know, the one with all the "I need to be bought by YOU" floss in it - I came home with another pile of Gloriana silks for a dollar each, Caron Soie Cristales for two dollars each, Crescent Silks for two dollars and finally four Crescent overdyes for fifty cents each... oh yeah, and one Gloriana Silk Ribbon for a dollar that will go perfectly on another piece I have stashed away...
Oops!
Oh man... I'm in trouble aren't I...
Monday, 4 July 2011
Nearly done...
Wow, you know how it is... you pick up a "small project" and think for sure it'll be done in a month at the most... well, somehow, this one has turned into a six month plus marathon. LOL!
All that's left now is the backstitch on the parrot, then assembly. I figure if I post, then I'll stay accountable and actually finish the thing before the end of the month!
When finished, this will be a toy cube for a cute little man who's going on eight months old.
I'm planning on whip stitching the sides together as you do with a biscornu... sounds simple! If I can manage a "15" surely I can make a cube...
Wish me luck! I'll finish the backstitch tonight I hope.
HAPPY 4th of JULY wishes from Australia to those of you in the USA! Safe travels if you're out and about :)
xxx K
All that's left now is the backstitch on the parrot, then assembly. I figure if I post, then I'll stay accountable and actually finish the thing before the end of the month!When finished, this will be a toy cube for a cute little man who's going on eight months old.
I'm planning on whip stitching the sides together as you do with a biscornu... sounds simple! If I can manage a "15" surely I can make a cube...
Wish me luck! I'll finish the backstitch tonight I hope.
HAPPY 4th of JULY wishes from Australia to those of you in the USA! Safe travels if you're out and about :)
xxx K
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Ten Valid Reasons for Adding to your Stash...
(I can claim no credit for the cleverness of this list. It was posted on the about.com cross stitch forum this morning and made me laugh. Thanks Maureen for sharing this with your fellow addicts!)
1.It insulates the cupboard where it is kept.
2. It keeps the economy moving. It is my duty to support cross stitch shops.
3. It is less expensive and more fun than psychiatric care.
4. I'm participating in a contest - the one who dies with the most cross stitch wins.
5. It keeps without refrigeration, you don't have to cook it to enjoy it, you never have to feed it, change it, wipe it's nose or walk it.
6. Because I'm worth it.
7. Like dust, it's good for protecting previously unprotected spaces in the house; like the dining room table.
8. It not immoral, illegal or fattening. It calms the nerves, soothes the soul and makes me feel good.
9. Because it is on sale... Because that is such a beautiful design...I've never seen it before...I must have it.
10. Buy it now, before your husband retires and goes with you on all your shopping expeditions.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
I AM Stitching!
Just haven't had a chance to blog about it. Work's been hectic so have had to curb computer time.
We got invited to the third birthday party of a young lady of our aquaintance. Of course, as addicted stitchers tend to do, I decided (only five days prior to the party) to stitch up something pretty for the birthday girl.
Rather than hunt through the several bazillion suitable charts I have languishing here at home, I ended up searching through the myriad of freebies at Cross Stitcher's Club and chose a fairy alphabet that looked like it would come together in short order. It would have too, if I hadn't done my usual and added some sparkles here, some beads over there, a bit of variegated floss for that bit and oh, what the heck, why don't I just stitch the skin over one?
LOL, totally worth it. Had fun stitching. Found a frame to fit on the morning of the party and as the party was starting, DH and I were sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor trying to frame the thing!
Here it is:
Happy Birthday Sarah, thanks for sharing your day with us. xxx
Design stitched on 28ct White Monaco.
Variegated pink for the lettering - stitched one whole stitch at a time to capture the full effect of the variegation. Butterfly stitched in DMC Metallic and Light Effects. Butterfly flight path also in Light Effects.
Butterfly net one strand of DMC floss, one strand of Light Effects and one strand of Kreinik pearl blending filament. Butterfly wings in DMC Light Effects, backstitched in DMC Silver Metallic.
Skin stitched one over one (full crosses). Star: Light Effects and Gold Metallic, yellow Czech Glass beads (attached with YLI invisible thread)
I wasn't altogether happy with the frame. I'd have liked it to be narrower but as it was a last minute frame job, I had to make do.
Sarah is apparently thrilled with it and it's now hanging on her bedroom wall.
We got invited to the third birthday party of a young lady of our aquaintance. Of course, as addicted stitchers tend to do, I decided (only five days prior to the party) to stitch up something pretty for the birthday girl.
Rather than hunt through the several bazillion suitable charts I have languishing here at home, I ended up searching through the myriad of freebies at Cross Stitcher's Club and chose a fairy alphabet that looked like it would come together in short order. It would have too, if I hadn't done my usual and added some sparkles here, some beads over there, a bit of variegated floss for that bit and oh, what the heck, why don't I just stitch the skin over one?
LOL, totally worth it. Had fun stitching. Found a frame to fit on the morning of the party and as the party was starting, DH and I were sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor trying to frame the thing!
Here it is:
Happy Birthday Sarah, thanks for sharing your day with us. xxx
Design stitched on 28ct White Monaco.
Variegated pink for the lettering - stitched one whole stitch at a time to capture the full effect of the variegation. Butterfly stitched in DMC Metallic and Light Effects. Butterfly flight path also in Light Effects.
Butterfly net one strand of DMC floss, one strand of Light Effects and one strand of Kreinik pearl blending filament. Butterfly wings in DMC Light Effects, backstitched in DMC Silver Metallic.
Skin stitched one over one (full crosses). Star: Light Effects and Gold Metallic, yellow Czech Glass beads (attached with YLI invisible thread)
The Framed Piece
I wasn't altogether happy with the frame. I'd have liked it to be narrower but as it was a last minute frame job, I had to make do.
Sarah is apparently thrilled with it and it's now hanging on her bedroom wall.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Show and Tell
I thought it was time for a "Stash" post.
I've just been reading Jo from Serendipitous Stitching's latest blog post and it got me thinking about just how many charts, magazines, books and kits I've got hanging around.
I'm a lover of Fantasy Fiction and my stitching tastes often tend in the same directions as my reading tastes. I'm yet to stitch any of her designs but Teresa Wentzler has long been one of my favorite designers.
One of my earliest chart purchases was the beautiful pair of English Samplers - the English Garden Sampler and the English Cottage Sampler. They begged me to buy them even though, at the time, I was nowhere near skilled enough to even consider tackling them. I admit to being scared of them for a long time, although, that fear in no way stopped me from buy more TW charts!
Next up, I fell in love with the Four Seasons Carousel Horses and the Four Seasons Fairies. They are simply stunning. The incredibly intricate work in the borders alone was enough to compel me to spend money once again on something that would languish for many a year in my "one day" pile.
Somewhere along the line, I discovered the wealth of on-line cross stitch freebies. This set me off on a search for any freebie TW's that might be out there... if you're a Teresa Wentzler fan, you would, I'm certain, know of her TWdesignworks website and the long list of complimentary charts she has posted there for her loyal fans.
Sadly, as of a couple of years ago, Ms Wentzler is no longer designing. She has generously left her freebies available for those who wish them and many of her charts are now available at Patterns Online.
One day, browsing in my (not so local) LNS, I stumbled upon The Fortunate Traveller and it was love at first sight! I love the text in this one. It will most likely be my first TW stitch...I hope one day in the not too distant future - I'll definitely be putting a TW on my 2012 "to do" list.
Lastly, I have two of the four collections: Christmas Collection and Fantasy Collection.
Given the amount of work in just one of these charts, how likely is it that I will complete them all? Slim chance, I'd have to say, but oh how lovely they are to look at! Would any of you begrudge your fellow addict the pleasure of these "pretties"?
No, I didn't think so.
Hmm, I've just remembered I've also got the set of six Rocking Horses waiting in my shopping cart at Patterns Online... They are very pretty and much smaller that most of these other pieces... Now see, I can control my addiction when I want to! Those Rocking Horses have been in my shopping cart for a good two years now!
LOL.
So... Confession time, my fellow addicts! Who's your favourite designer? What have you got stashed away - awaiting that elusive "one day"?
I've just been reading Jo from Serendipitous Stitching's latest blog post and it got me thinking about just how many charts, magazines, books and kits I've got hanging around.
I'm a lover of Fantasy Fiction and my stitching tastes often tend in the same directions as my reading tastes. I'm yet to stitch any of her designs but Teresa Wentzler has long been one of my favorite designers.
One of my earliest chart purchases was the beautiful pair of English Samplers - the English Garden Sampler and the English Cottage Sampler. They begged me to buy them even though, at the time, I was nowhere near skilled enough to even consider tackling them. I admit to being scared of them for a long time, although, that fear in no way stopped me from buy more TW charts!
Next up, I fell in love with the Four Seasons Carousel Horses and the Four Seasons Fairies. They are simply stunning. The incredibly intricate work in the borders alone was enough to compel me to spend money once again on something that would languish for many a year in my "one day" pile.Somewhere along the line, I discovered the wealth of on-line cross stitch freebies. This set me off on a search for any freebie TW's that might be out there... if you're a Teresa Wentzler fan, you would, I'm certain, know of her TWdesignworks website and the long list of complimentary charts she has posted there for her loyal fans.
Sadly, as of a couple of years ago, Ms Wentzler is no longer designing. She has generously left her freebies available for those who wish them and many of her charts are now available at Patterns Online.
Lastly, I have two of the four collections: Christmas Collection and Fantasy Collection.Given the amount of work in just one of these charts, how likely is it that I will complete them all? Slim chance, I'd have to say, but oh how lovely they are to look at! Would any of you begrudge your fellow addict the pleasure of these "pretties"?
No, I didn't think so.
Hmm, I've just remembered I've also got the set of six Rocking Horses waiting in my shopping cart at Patterns Online... They are very pretty and much smaller that most of these other pieces... Now see, I can control my addiction when I want to! Those Rocking Horses have been in my shopping cart for a good two years now!
LOL.
So... Confession time, my fellow addicts! Who's your favourite designer? What have you got stashed away - awaiting that elusive "one day"?
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Seriously, It's May Already?
Time got away from me in the last couple of weeks. Haven't picked up my needle since the "OMG, it's 3am" post.
I had every intention of finishing both the L and the June sampler by the end of this week but as the saying goes: The best laid plans of mice and men...
I finally got some stitching in today and finished my cheeky little monkey...
He's number four of a set of six. I'm planning on turning them into a cube for a friends baby boy. Only two to go - a bright blue parrot and a cute yellow snake.
It's Mothers Day in Australia tomorrow. DH raided my wishlist at 123stitch and ordered a pile of beads and threads that I had on the list! I think he picked a new chart too. They should arrive by the end of the coming week - exciting! Probably worthy of a blog photo, 'cause after all, how many of us don't love admiring a pile of sparkly bits being added to the stash!
I had every intention of finishing both the L and the June sampler by the end of this week but as the saying goes: The best laid plans of mice and men...
I finally got some stitching in today and finished my cheeky little monkey...
He's number four of a set of six. I'm planning on turning them into a cube for a friends baby boy. Only two to go - a bright blue parrot and a cute yellow snake.
It's Mothers Day in Australia tomorrow. DH raided my wishlist at 123stitch and ordered a pile of beads and threads that I had on the list! I think he picked a new chart too. They should arrive by the end of the coming week - exciting! Probably worthy of a blog photo, 'cause after all, how many of us don't love admiring a pile of sparkly bits being added to the stash!
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
You Know You're an Addict when...
you look at the clock and realise it's 3:06am and you're still stitching...
Whoops...
Goodnight!
Whoops...
Goodnight!
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Two of My Favourites and a Couple More Besides...
I love to stitch for my kids and the cool thing is, that for the moment, they love my stitching too.
They're both learning - I'll show you their stitches one day, doting mama that I am, I think they're pretty awesome.
But, the point of this post, is to show you the four pieces that hang in pride of place in my children's bedrooms.
This is Jacob's birth record. I started it before he was born. We knew he was a he and so I picked this well in advance. Hit a bit of a bump in the road when I slipped down a flight of steps eight weeks before he was born. Broke my arm. Basically put the stoppers on any form of stitching for a while there. I finally ended up finishing it in time for his first birthday.
This chart came from my all time favourite cross stitch magazine, Quick and Easy Cross Stitch, which sadly, has now been discontinued. It was a British mag but they changed it when scrapbooking and cardmaking suddenly exploded onto the craft scene.
It's stitched 2 over 2 on 32 ct linen. The hedgehog's prickles used several different blends. The background took ages. Thank goodness it was all half stitch or I would have ripped all my hair out before it was done!
I've shown you Lily's "Dreamer" in an earlier post but I love it and I'll show it off again, just because I can! I was nowhere near as efficient in getting her birth record done. It was finished not long after her fourth birthday but because of the delay in starting, it's a piece that really reflects her personality.
I stitched these little bears during the time we were trying to get pregnant with Jacob. He's our little miracle. It wasn't looking likely that things would happen without intervention and then all of a sudden...bingo!
So these are also hanging on Jacob's wall. He's getting a little old for teddies I suppose but he hasn't complained, so they'll stay as long as he wants them. Then we'll put them away for his firstborn... sometime in the far distant future... LOL.
Lily was our surprise baby. She wasn't planned but was a very, very welcome surprise when she did pop along. Whilst expecting her - and knowing she was a girl - I stitched some more teddies. This time, my favourite little bear: Newton. He's just adorable and I couldn't resist stitching him several times over.
They're growing up, my babies. Jacob would like me to stitch "Train of Dreams" from HAED. I guess that'll replace the teddy bears... If I get started now, I might finish in time for his tenth birthday. Train's a whole lot smaller than Queenie, after all...
LOL
xxx
K
ETA: BTW, I cheated on Newton's white spots - I couldn't do French Knots back then, so I used white beads...
They're both learning - I'll show you their stitches one day, doting mama that I am, I think they're pretty awesome.
But, the point of this post, is to show you the four pieces that hang in pride of place in my children's bedrooms.
This is Jacob's birth record. I started it before he was born. We knew he was a he and so I picked this well in advance. Hit a bit of a bump in the road when I slipped down a flight of steps eight weeks before he was born. Broke my arm. Basically put the stoppers on any form of stitching for a while there. I finally ended up finishing it in time for his first birthday.
This chart came from my all time favourite cross stitch magazine, Quick and Easy Cross Stitch, which sadly, has now been discontinued. It was a British mag but they changed it when scrapbooking and cardmaking suddenly exploded onto the craft scene.
It's stitched 2 over 2 on 32 ct linen. The hedgehog's prickles used several different blends. The background took ages. Thank goodness it was all half stitch or I would have ripped all my hair out before it was done!
I've shown you Lily's "Dreamer" in an earlier post but I love it and I'll show it off again, just because I can! I was nowhere near as efficient in getting her birth record done. It was finished not long after her fourth birthday but because of the delay in starting, it's a piece that really reflects her personality.
I stitched these little bears during the time we were trying to get pregnant with Jacob. He's our little miracle. It wasn't looking likely that things would happen without intervention and then all of a sudden...bingo!
So these are also hanging on Jacob's wall. He's getting a little old for teddies I suppose but he hasn't complained, so they'll stay as long as he wants them. Then we'll put them away for his firstborn... sometime in the far distant future... LOL.
Lily was our surprise baby. She wasn't planned but was a very, very welcome surprise when she did pop along. Whilst expecting her - and knowing she was a girl - I stitched some more teddies. This time, my favourite little bear: Newton. He's just adorable and I couldn't resist stitching him several times over.
They're growing up, my babies. Jacob would like me to stitch "Train of Dreams" from HAED. I guess that'll replace the teddy bears... If I get started now, I might finish in time for his tenth birthday. Train's a whole lot smaller than Queenie, after all...
LOL
xxx
K
ETA: BTW, I cheated on Newton's white spots - I couldn't do French Knots back then, so I used white beads...
Monday, 25 April 2011
Happy Easter and More Progress
A Happy Easter to you all! We spent Sunday with dear friends doing very little. The kids had an egg hunt in the back yard, we took them to the park and that was about it. Loved it.
Saturday night, I made headway on the sampler. More frogging - aargh! - but it's worth it. I'm very happy with it so far. I decided to add all the beads to the top half. They're such pretty colours that I couldn't resist playing with them.
The chart calls for them to be attached with DMC 822. I've changed this out for Ecru but decided to attach the beads with YLI invisible thread.
This is all well and good - looks great but have you ever tried to thread a super fine beading needle eye with two strand of invisible thread? There's a reason this stuff is called invisible thread. It's invisible!!! Well d'uh!
I first used this on the beading for the Letter T so luckily, this time, I knew what I was letting myself in for! LOL. I recommend you use the loop method to get started. It's way too hard to keep track of your tails for tacking down on the back - remember, this stuff is invisible! - The bonus is; it's invisible! You don't need to worry about carrying the thread too far and it being seen through from the back! I attached all those beads with just two pieces of thread! Yay me.
Oh, and as for how to thread the needle? Well, it's all in the way you hold your tongue!
Saturday night, I made headway on the sampler. More frogging - aargh! - but it's worth it. I'm very happy with it so far. I decided to add all the beads to the top half. They're such pretty colours that I couldn't resist playing with them.
The chart calls for them to be attached with DMC 822. I've changed this out for Ecru but decided to attach the beads with YLI invisible thread.
This is all well and good - looks great but have you ever tried to thread a super fine beading needle eye with two strand of invisible thread? There's a reason this stuff is called invisible thread. It's invisible!!! Well d'uh!
I first used this on the beading for the Letter T so luckily, this time, I knew what I was letting myself in for! LOL. I recommend you use the loop method to get started. It's way too hard to keep track of your tails for tacking down on the back - remember, this stuff is invisible! - The bonus is; it's invisible! You don't need to worry about carrying the thread too far and it being seen through from the back! I attached all those beads with just two pieces of thread! Yay me.
Oh, and as for how to thread the needle? Well, it's all in the way you hold your tongue!
Friday, 22 April 2011
Who Let the Frogs Out?
I hate frogging.
Let me say this, right from the outset: I don't frog.
Well, that's not strictly true. I don't frog unless I ab-so-lute-ly have no. Other. Option.
Last night, I had no other option. Couldn't stitch over the top, couldn't add another stitch in. It was just plain wrong. I realised when I got to the bottom of the left hand side, that I'd done something wrong on the right hand side.... aaargh!
I really, really tried to figure out how to get around it but in the end, gave in to the inevitable "rip-it, rip-it, rip-it" of those dang frogs.
Lucky for me this is not a big design. It is loaded with quarter stitches though and they are a pain-in-the-patootie to frog. Lucky too, for me that I'd decided to do the left before continuing down the right or I would have been a real cranky-pants sometime in the not too distant future.
The final deciding factor in the "to frog or not to frog" decision: This is for my Mum. I want her to have my best work not my "get it over and done with" work.
So here is my Thursday night *SAL effort on Mum's Pearl and Roses sampler:
You can see both sides are lovely and even now. Both ending in the same spot. Yay. I have to say i love the effect of the Corner Stitch. There are four of these . . . one for each corner. Fancy that.
Hey, by the way; A big "Thank you" to all of you who have joined me as followers. I wish you all a blessed and safe Easter.
. . . and lots of yummy Hot Cross Buns and chocolate Easter Eggs!
MM-mm.
xxx
K
ETA: * SAL = Stitch-a-long. This particular one being the about.com cross stitch forum SAL, "Come Stitch With Us." We stitch Tuesday/Thursday night each week and then post our progress on the forum. No rules other than: have fun, post photos, don't forget your drool cloths. We love visitors and anyone else who loves to stitch. So why don't you "Come stitch with us?"
Let me say this, right from the outset: I don't frog.
Well, that's not strictly true. I don't frog unless I ab-so-lute-ly have no. Other. Option.
Last night, I had no other option. Couldn't stitch over the top, couldn't add another stitch in. It was just plain wrong. I realised when I got to the bottom of the left hand side, that I'd done something wrong on the right hand side.... aaargh!
I really, really tried to figure out how to get around it but in the end, gave in to the inevitable "rip-it, rip-it, rip-it" of those dang frogs.
Lucky for me this is not a big design. It is loaded with quarter stitches though and they are a pain-in-the-patootie to frog. Lucky too, for me that I'd decided to do the left before continuing down the right or I would have been a real cranky-pants sometime in the not too distant future.
The final deciding factor in the "to frog or not to frog" decision: This is for my Mum. I want her to have my best work not my "get it over and done with" work.
So here is my Thursday night *SAL effort on Mum's Pearl and Roses sampler:
You can see both sides are lovely and even now. Both ending in the same spot. Yay. I have to say i love the effect of the Corner Stitch. There are four of these . . . one for each corner. Fancy that.Hey, by the way; A big "Thank you" to all of you who have joined me as followers. I wish you all a blessed and safe Easter.
. . . and lots of yummy Hot Cross Buns and chocolate Easter Eggs!
MM-mm.
xxx
K
ETA: * SAL = Stitch-a-long. This particular one being the about.com cross stitch forum SAL, "Come Stitch With Us." We stitch Tuesday/Thursday night each week and then post our progress on the forum. No rules other than: have fun, post photos, don't forget your drool cloths. We love visitors and anyone else who loves to stitch. So why don't you "Come stitch with us?"
Thursday, 21 April 2011
New Start.
Oops.
I'm not supposed to be starting anything new until the UFO's and WiPs are done but this one is an exception . . .
It's for my Mum. That's a good enough excuse.
I'm in Australia. My family are in Christchurch. Yes. Christchurch. The city that's experienced something like 6000 earthquakes since September last year and now has swallowed up the entire world's supply of chemical toilets and "port-a-loos." (BTW - that's completely true, no joke.)
My parents are coming to visit me in 7 weeks time. Right in time for my Mum's birthday. So as most years I am complete rubbish at getting her anything, this year I decided something special is definitely in order.
I've just started the June, Pearl and Roses Sampler from The Sweetheart Tree.
My progress thus far, looks something like this:
The process of getting started gave me a little bit of a headache. When I ordered my supplies from 123, they were all out of Platinum Cashel. So, I got a little adventurous (for me) and ordered a piece of Vintage Bittersweet Cashel by Lakeside Linens. It duly arrived and is beautiful. A stunning piece of fabric.
I got all my bits out. Chucked them all down for a floss toss and thought - blah. It just looked blah. Very upset. I just wanted to get started. So, boring as it may seem, I finally ended up using a piece of antique white Belfast from my stash. I've changed out the 822 pearle and floss for ecru and suddenly it's not blah any more :)
The design has plenty of beads for bling and a yummy Threadworx variegated "shortcake" that I'm looking forward to using. So I'll save my Vintage Bittersweet for something else equally special. Don't know what. Something will come up - doesn't it always?
LOL
xxx
K
PS: I'm sorry my photos are not great. Camera's not happy and phone doesn't take the best shots... need to get it sorted asap.
I'm not supposed to be starting anything new until the UFO's and WiPs are done but this one is an exception . . .
It's for my Mum. That's a good enough excuse.
I'm in Australia. My family are in Christchurch. Yes. Christchurch. The city that's experienced something like 6000 earthquakes since September last year and now has swallowed up the entire world's supply of chemical toilets and "port-a-loos." (BTW - that's completely true, no joke.)
My parents are coming to visit me in 7 weeks time. Right in time for my Mum's birthday. So as most years I am complete rubbish at getting her anything, this year I decided something special is definitely in order.
I've just started the June, Pearl and Roses Sampler from The Sweetheart Tree.
My progress thus far, looks something like this: The process of getting started gave me a little bit of a headache. When I ordered my supplies from 123, they were all out of Platinum Cashel. So, I got a little adventurous (for me) and ordered a piece of Vintage Bittersweet Cashel by Lakeside Linens. It duly arrived and is beautiful. A stunning piece of fabric.
I got all my bits out. Chucked them all down for a floss toss and thought - blah. It just looked blah. Very upset. I just wanted to get started. So, boring as it may seem, I finally ended up using a piece of antique white Belfast from my stash. I've changed out the 822 pearle and floss for ecru and suddenly it's not blah any more :)
The design has plenty of beads for bling and a yummy Threadworx variegated "shortcake" that I'm looking forward to using. So I'll save my Vintage Bittersweet for something else equally special. Don't know what. Something will come up - doesn't it always?
LOL
xxx
K
PS: I'm sorry my photos are not great. Camera's not happy and phone doesn't take the best shots... need to get it sorted asap.
Sunday, 17 April 2011
This Week...
I hit the 3000 stitch mark on Queenie. Sounds like a lot but there's such a long, long way to go yet. I've got another thousand stitches before I even make it to halfway through the first page...
Don't get me wrong though. I'm really enoying working on Queenie. The whole monochromatic thing is a new experience for me though. So far this is all Black 310, and Purple 154. There's a smattering of "Back Stitch Brown" 3371 and five, yes, count them if you can, five stitches in... oh rats, another colour that has just escaped my brain.
My last two major finishes were both Stoney Creek pieces. The first was my daughter's birth record. For such a small design it had huge number of colours. More than Queenie by a long shot! I think it was 72 different colours, 28 were different shades of green! Can we say CONFETTI to the MAX! Here it is:
Beads, Kreinik BF's, a bazillion quarter stitches... I loved every stitch... although, I do admit to getting a bit bogged down when I was doing the confetti at the bottom.
I finished Beautiful Dreamer in 2010.
Early this year, I hauled out an ancient UFO. I've made a resolution not to start anything new until I've finished all my WIP's and UFO's. I think I need to amend that to "don't start any new MAJOR project" as I've already started some new bits and pieces. (I guess I've just found the topic for my next blog post)
So this ancient UFO. Well, I started it back last century - really ancient, LOL. 1996 to be exact. My flatmate at the time chose it. It was supposed to be for her 21st but somewhere along the way, she disappeared off the radar so I put it away. It was never a favourite of mine back then but in finishing, I discovered a love for it so I'm quite happy that I get to keep it!
I intend to get it framed and hang it in my music room.
Again, it's a Stoney Creek. 50-odd colours, heaps of confetti, quarter stitches, back stitching, BF's and Gold Cord.
This means that my venture into the world of HAED is only daunting because of the sheer size of the undertaking. The stitching itself is easier than even my very first cross stitch. It had quarter and three-quarter stitches on aida! No-one told me to start on something small, LOL.
xxx
K
 |
| Queen of Hearts. 3000 stitches. |
My last two major finishes were both Stoney Creek pieces. The first was my daughter's birth record. For such a small design it had huge number of colours. More than Queenie by a long shot! I think it was 72 different colours, 28 were different shades of green! Can we say CONFETTI to the MAX! Here it is:
|
| Stitched on Antique White Belfast. |
Beads, Kreinik BF's, a bazillion quarter stitches... I loved every stitch... although, I do admit to getting a bit bogged down when I was doing the confetti at the bottom.
I finished Beautiful Dreamer in 2010.
Early this year, I hauled out an ancient UFO. I've made a resolution not to start anything new until I've finished all my WIP's and UFO's. I think I need to amend that to "don't start any new MAJOR project" as I've already started some new bits and pieces. (I guess I've just found the topic for my next blog post)
So this ancient UFO. Well, I started it back last century - really ancient, LOL. 1996 to be exact. My flatmate at the time chose it. It was supposed to be for her 21st but somewhere along the way, she disappeared off the radar so I put it away. It was never a favourite of mine back then but in finishing, I discovered a love for it so I'm quite happy that I get to keep it!
I intend to get it framed and hang it in my music room.
This means that my venture into the world of HAED is only daunting because of the sheer size of the undertaking. The stitching itself is easier than even my very first cross stitch. It had quarter and three-quarter stitches on aida! No-one told me to start on something small, LOL.
xxx
K
Friday, 15 April 2011
Naughty Me!
The Lilybug and I went to my (not-so-local) LNS today, on a whim. Everything there is ridiculously expensive, you'll find this to be my pet whinge about cross stitching supplies in Oz and NZ. The Crewel Gobelin is a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL, store but as a general rule I won't even consider buying anything.
Today, I wanted to look at linen colours IRL. Every computer monitor gives a different impression of the colour and I didn't want to buy something on-line and then find out it was not at all what I wanted.
Today, I wanted to look at linen colours IRL. Every computer monitor gives a different impression of the colour and I didn't want to buy something on-line and then find out it was not at all what I wanted.
Well, I found the linen colour I want. Happy me. DH will probably get it from 123 for me for Mother's Day. I made the "mistake" of looking in the off-cuts bin for fabric. Came away with two stunning pieces of Blue Whisper Belfast linen, they have a gorgeous subtle mottled dye to it, one piece more so than the other, both 18" x 27" (Woo Hoo - Mira, L&L and PR designs standard size) and a piece of 25ct lugana that will fit "Train of Dreams" perfectly. Not that I'm planning on starting Train in the near future. Haven't even bought the chart yet, but Jaba has requested Train and I haven't stitched anything for him since he was a baby.
Anyways... as I was paying for the fabric I happened to notice the Gloriana Silks were half price... still pricey for me but so beautiful to look at. Shop Lady points out the bowl on the counter at this point "Have you seen these?" Well, no, I hadn't, but now we're in trouble! A bowl full of silks... beautiful Caron silks... for only $2 each. They'd normally be selling for at least four times that here and double in the US. There were also some Gloriana silks and some of Crescent Colours used in Nora Corbett's alphabet fairies for only $1. ONE dollar???!!! NO WAY was I leaving them behind. So I took the lot...
Ooops.
Ummmm...
I did exercise SOME self restraint - the other half of the bowls' contents: gloriana silk ribbons. SO pretty. I left them behind.
So tonight, I'm on a silken thread high... Now what can I do with them...
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