Time Flies... (Pic Heavy)

when you're having fun - 'specially when it's of the stitchy kind!

For those of you who might have wondered if I did squeak in that final finish for 2012... I did it!  I put in the final beads for the "L" as the fireworks went off over Sydney at midnight.  I was also correct that the first thing out of the Lilybug's mouth in the morning, was, "Did you finish my L, Mama?"  Needless to say, I had a very excited little bubble New Years day.

New Years Day, I started my 15 day rotation of the remaining five pieces from the 2012 Crazy January Challenge.

Day One, I picked up "Woodland Enchantress."  I had done some work on her during the year but she is a big piece.  Wall to wall stitching - not an HAED by any means but still a hefty 43 008 stitches.  I'm at least an eighth of the way through it now and managed 600-odd stitches on New Years Day.

This is where I started Tuesday morning:

 



and by Tuesday night, this is how it looked:

Wednesday morning, day two.  I revisited "Train of Dreams."  Now this one IS an HAED.  I haven't touched it since last January but it was calling to me big time over these last few weeks.  Wednesday, I answered that call and put in about 400 stitches.  Mainly black but there is some navy blue in there too. 

Wednesday starting point:

 

Wednesday, after:



 

Day Three, Thursday.

 

I pulled out the afghan I'm stitching the EMS Garden Alphabet onto.  I completed the A earlier in the year and had almost finished B.  Thursday, I finished the B - wasn't much to do but Thursday was a busy day.  We went swimming at Manly Dam and had a picnic lunch.  Ended up spending most of the day there - this holiday business really seems to eat into precious stitchy time!  LOL.



Finished B, with backstitching done.

 

and the A and B together...



 

Friday, day four.  Back to "O Holy Night."  I love, love, love the shading in the Stoney Creek designs.  The confetti this automatically creates drives me insane but in the long run, it's worth every single stitch.  I hadn't touched this since that first day last year but last night, I got to spend a decent amount of time on this.  The colours are just stunning!

 

Before:



After:



 

Tonight, I'm back on Woodland Enchantress.  Yes, I know this is only four, not five.  I'm going to do three days on each of these four and then the final three days of the fifteen, I'm going to do solidly on my Celtic Christmas conversion.  When I pick her up, she's very hard to put down and she needs a lot more thought than these four.  With these, follow the chart and you can't go wrong.  With the conversion, I feel like I've been thrown in the deep end, well and truly!  I may need someone to call the lifeguard around the 14th of January. LOL!

 

Phew!  I hope I haven't exhausted you with my photos.  I'm off to do some more stitching.

 

See you all 'round :)

 

xxx

K

Super-Duper Happy Dance!

I'm pretty simple to please, really. (My DH might disagree...)  It doesn't take much to keep me happy.  The thing I've most wanted of late, is time.  Just time.  Time to myself.  Time to stand in the shower without having to rush so that I can't enjoy the hot water.  Time to move leisurely 'round the supermarket and not have to dash in, dash out. Time to do stuff without having to yell at the kids to "Hurry up, Mummy's got to go to work!"  Most of all I've wanted time to stitch...

Amazingly, time is exactly what I have had over the past week! 

You all know I finished "Hope" a few days ago.  Well, last night (actually 12:50am, this morning) I finished "Imagine".

Wooooooo Hoooooo!!!

I didn't think I'd get a chance to do any more to Imagine this year, let alone actually finish it!

Remarkably, against all odds,  here it is:  Joan Elliott's "Imagine" on 32ct Blue Whisper linen.  DMC floss, Kreinik 032 BF added for a little sparkle in the starbursts (I did that for all four words - I do love sparkles!) and Mill Hill beads attached with YLI invisible thread.

 

All four words on the one piece of fabric...

 



 

 

 Like I said, it doesn't take much to make me happy...

 

LOL!

 

xxx K

 



Happy Dancing!

'member how I wished for more stitching time for Christmas??? 

Well, guess what Santa brought me? 

Woo Hoo!

I actually had time Christmas Eve, Christmas Night and then again this morning to sit down and stitch.  I've finished "Hope!"

I didn't think I'd be done before the weekend but not only have I finished my Crazy No 9 but I've got a recognisable unicorn appearing on No 10!

Thank you Santa.

"Hope"  Joan Elliott's Inspirational Words
Crazy January Challenge 2012
Finish number Nine
32 ct Antique Blue Whisper Linen

Here's "Imagine".  We're going away for the next two days.  I don't expect to get much stitching done but I didn't think I'd get my stitchy Christmas either.  I'd like to finish this one at the weekend... Fingers crossed... or maybe not fingers, that would make it difficult to stitch!  I'll cross my legs instead. *wink*

 

 

Finally, here's the three completed words, all together.

 



I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas.  I'm looking forward to re-connecting with all my stitching friends here in the blogosphere.  I have missed you in the past few crazy months.

xxx K

All I want for Christmas...

...is some extra stitching time! It's not going to happen but a girl can wish, can't she?

I'm very close to the final Happy Dance of the year. I really wanted to finish the final two Inspirational Words but finishing three of the four words this year is a reasonable achievement.

 At least it is in my very humble opinion, LOL.

I stitched and frogged (and stitched and frogged and stitched and frogged) and finally stitched again and finished the left hand dove on "Hope"

 

 

aaand then I realised that the dove's back looked really weird.  *sigh*

 

I really didn't want to frog again, so I stitched the right hand dove, then went back and fixed the poor deformed bird. No, I didn't re-frog.  I bluffed.  I clipped a couple of backstitches, put them in the right spot and voila, looks okay. *wink*

 



 



Last night, I made some headway on the starbursts and I'm hoping to finish them tonight - if hubby will help with wrapping pressies then I'll definitely get them done.  That will only leave the beading, which I'll get done at the weekend.

 

 

Final pic... Believe hidden on the scroll, Dream finished, Hope nearly done and Imagine to come...

 

 



IHSW and Finish number Eight!

Woah, hold me up!  Two blog posts in a row!

So, I just realised that I've come back just in time for the last hermitting weekend of the year - yay!

I stitched for several hours both nights of the weekend and as a result have now completed crazy number eight.

Here is "Holly and Ivy" from Shepherd's Bush.  It came in kit form with gorgeous silks and linen provided.  I've never used such a beautiful piece of linen.  It's so soft - it's a 30ct R&R, I believe and I think I will be saving my pennies to invest in a few pieces.  It's hot off the hoop, please excuse the "un-ironed-ness."



 

 

The words are stitched one over one.  The crosses in the top part are one over two...except for the moment I realised I had stitched the centre motif using two threads!  Aaargh!  It was a moment of panic and then a realisation that my stinginess with thread really is a blessing in cases like these!  I had plenty of silk to spare and am already planning on using these leftovers to substitute in a LHN piece next year...

Time Flies...

...when you're having fun - and also when you're so ridiculously busy that you don't have time for the fun stuff!

I cannot believe it's this close to Christmas.  I also cannot believe I kept my blog for a whole year, hit my first blogoversary and then promptly disappeared from the blogosphere!

For those of you who have stayed on my list of followers, thank you! 

I've had a very, very busy year and although my opening sentence was a whinge about no time for fun stuff, there actually has been some very cool fun stuff in among the exhausting work schedule.

You all know I joined the Crazy January 15 challenge.  Well, I've managed a few finishes. Seven actually.  I'll finish the eighth tonight.  So there'll be a happy dance here around midnight.

(I will post photo's, promise.  Just thought I'd get something at least on the blog before we see December out.)

I joined the WiPocalypse and although I haven't managed to make the required posts, I have managed to stitch on all of my WiPs at some point during the year.

So - the fun stuff... well, aside from stitchy fun (eg the aquisition of OoP Mira TTAS) I got to go home to New Zealand for a week, my sister came over from NZ to visit us in Sydney and we had a family trip to Melbourne to go to the Phillip Island MotoGP.

Ok... so, photos...

These are the seven finishes of the fifteen starts.

#1

Ink Circles
"First Bass"

 

 

#2

Ink Circles
"Alto Gether Now"

 

#3

Ink Circles
"Here Comes Treble"

 

#4

Joan Elliott
"Believe"

 

#5

Joan Elliott
"Dream"

 

#6

Nora Corbett
"Lilly Pixie"

 

#7

Mirabilia
"Christmas Elf Fairy"

A Little Bit of Progress and an Award!

Wow!  Wow!

Adrienne from Trylla Craft has awarded me the "Liebster" blogger award! 

Liebster is a German word, meaning favorite, dearest or beloved, and the Liebster is awarded by bloggers to other, newer bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers, to spread the word and help the new(er)bies gain wider recognition.

Thank you so much.  Such a surprise - I feel truly honoured. 

I'm now required to post some previously unknown facts about myself and also pass the award on to four other bloggers... I'm going to take some time to think this through carefully so watch out for my next post or two...

...and it seems that plodding along really does make progress! 
I've finished all the stitching on the Christmas Elf Fairy.  The final crosses were in Rainbow Gallery White Wisper.  I've never used Wisper before and really didn't know what to expect.  I've read many different opinions and find I'm still somewhat undecided myself.  I'm yet to try "fluffing" the Wisper, figuring I'll wait until I finish beading, to get the final "fur cuff" effect. 

I love the Kreinik #4 braid in the Christmas tree.  Mixed in with the Crescent Colours variegated green, it has a lovely effect.

I've only just started the beading and I was a little worried that they might disappear on the white opal lugana but so far, I think I really like the subtle bling...



If I can stay focussed, I plan to finish the beading on this in the next night or two, then onward to Crazies five through eight!  I need to order some beads though... 123stitch, here I come!

Have a fabulous stitchy weekend everybody!

xxx

K

Here Comes Treble!

I finished my Crazy #3 this morning!

Here Comes Treble

Ink Circles "Here Comes Treble"
32ct antique white lugana
Crescent Colours overdyed floss

All three, ready for framing!

(Sorry, not the best photo.  Looks a bit washed out.)

You Enabler You! (and a Happy Dance)

Thank you so much for all the replies encouraging me to have a go at a Chatelaine.

I will be saving up my pennies to get the chart and supplies for Evening in the Park.

Now for opinions on fabric - 28ct or 32?  I prefer 32ct but have no experience with Delica beads or Swarovski crystals - how closely embellished does Martina design these? 

Ooo, now, just 'cause I feel the need to justify to myself that it's ok to add another new start to this year's list, I finished "Alto Gether Now" last night!

Alto Gether Now



Ink Circles "Alto Gether Now"
32ct antique white lugana.
Crescent Colours overdyed threads.

First Bass and Alto Gether Now

Here Comes Treble is on the same piece of fabric, off to the right...
I wasn't happy with the ends of the stave lines.  The chart has them
all uneven lengths.  I re-did the lines on First bass and changed them
on Alto, so they are all even and square off the designs.  Much
happier with the look now.  It didn't look finished to me before.  Now it does.

 I also made a little more progress on Here Comes Treble, so I'm anticipating another finish before the end of the month. 

Uh-huh, uh-huh, see, I can do enough to be allowed a Chat!

LOL

Happy Stitching

Kirstin

IHSW Sunday

and the end of SWAT too.

It was really hard to get the mojo revving yesterday.  I'm feeling the fatigue.  I've stitched every single day since Christmas Day - including Christmas Day - and I was stitching almost daily in the run up to Christmas.

The thought of achieving another Happy Dance before the end of the month is spurring me on, however, so I summed up my stitchy courage and got cracking on "Alto Gether Now."

This was my CJC day two start and it really does stitch up quickly. 

I love the Crescent Colours floss and I'm pretty happy with the 32ct lugana.  I did spend a little time wondering if perhaps I should have gone with linen after all but I like the heavier look of the lugana with the pieces.  If the clefs were delicate and lacy then linen would have been the right choice.  These remind me of  old Illuminated letters.  I think the lugana echoes the heavy parchment pages of those old books and scrolls...

I'm over half way with Alto... if I can get the mojo bubbling again, I might get close to finished.  I have a rehearsal tonight, so definitely not as much time today but enough to get close...

Alto Gether Now

Ink Circles "Alto Gether Now"
32 ct antique white lugana
Crescent Colours Cotton

I hope you have all had a thoroughly successful IHSW.  I'll head off and start stalking blogs from the list soon!

Have a fabulous stitchy day!

xxx

K

First Bass.

I said I was going to make it to a HD this week and by golly, for once I actually did it!

LOL!

Appropriately, my first finish for the year and first finish from my crazy 15, is the aptly named "First Bass" from Ink Circles!

32ct antique white lugana. 2/2 with Crescent Colours floss.

*Happy Dancing! Happy Dancing*

First Bass
CJC #1 start and #1 finish!



Ink Circles "First Bass"
32ct antique white lugana
2/2 Crescent Colours overdyed cotton floss



Celtic Christmas

Oh my!  I've gathered some new followers in the past week or so! 

Welcome, welcome!  It's lovely to have you here.  I try to keep track of everyone's blog, so if I'm not following you yet, please leave me a message and a link to your blog so I can become a follower asap :)

SWAT days five and six - I'm really seeing some shape starting to happen.  I understand now how some of you have been able to stitch multiple Celtic Ladies - she comes together fairly quickly!

I had a moment yesterday - I freaked Guy out, when I woke up, the first thing in my head and out of my mouth  was "It's all wrong, I've chosen the wrong red.  I'm ripping it all out and starting over."  Poor DH just rolled over and looked at me with a "WTH" expression as I flounced out of bed and down the stairs.

By the time I got to really looking at it in the light of day, I calmed down somewhat and eventually decided to keep going.  I think I'm ok now, the frogs have been banished for a while longer.

LOL

Madness.

Anyway, here she is:

IHSW starts tomorrow - I want to finish First Bass. Are you all signed up?  If not, head over to Joyce's blog via the Hermie linkie in my sidebar and you'll find the Hermit sign-up sheet.

Happy Stitching

Kirstin

Fourteen and Fifteen!!!

These last two days have been the most stressful starts!

I had intended to start a Sweetheart Tree piece for day 14 but just could not decide on the fabric.  I know if I'd just settled for whatever I already had, I'd regret it.  So I set it aside until I find the right piece.

Whilst rummaging through my fabric I had a sudden lightning bolt moment and realised I have a piece of fabric that will look great for another piece I've got kitted up, minus fabric, 'cause again, I couldn't decide. I pulled out the chart and bits and bobs, found the fabby - checked the measurements, LOL, and then started pulling bobbins from my boxes!

It's another Stoney Creek.  If I get it done this year, that will be three SC finishes, three years in a row.  The amount of confetti and the sheer number of flosses in an SC is enough to rival an HAED - imho anyway.

Day Fourteen

O Holy Night: Stoney Creek
32ct Antique Ivory Belfast Linen
DMC floss

And now, for number 15....

The beginnings of my L&L Celtic Christmas Conversion...

Day Fifteen

Celtic Christmas (Conversion)
Lavender and Lace
32 ct Black Belfast
DMC floss

Stitching the fifteen has been a whole lot of fun.  I've stitched more in the past few weeks than I had in ages.  I think I'll spend some focus time on Celtic Christmas and rotate back through the 15 in short bursts for a while.

The fifteen now become part of my WiPocalypse, along with the L*K alphabet, the Advent Calendar, Queenie and JE's Little Summer Fairy...  My goal is to finish "Twelve in '12."  I made it past the "Eleven in '11" goal, so I should be able to get pretty darn close I think :)

In other news, it's SWAT time at about.com - come on over and join us if you're keen to get some focussed stitching time this week and if I'm not mistaken, we're about to hit the first IHSW of the year too! Click the little "Hermie" linkie over there -----> if you need more info!

Happy stitching everyone.  I'm all stitched out for tonight.

I'm off to bed to dream about rainbows of little crosses!

xxx

K

Number 13!

Nora's Lilly :)

She was going to happen back on day five but I was missing ecru (and several other colours as it happened!)  Lucky for me, my order from 123stitch arrived (Courtesy of Sharine's Gift Card, THANK YOU!) so I had everything I needed to start tonight.

I had to work today and take the kids to swimming and then Miss Lily to a picnic/playdate at the park.  Started stitching around 9pm I think.

Lilly was so easy after last night's crazy confetti.  A big block of ecru to start - so refreshing.  LOL.

The linen I'm using is a lovely buttery coloured, "ivory" Belfast from Permin.

Day Thirteen

Lilly Pixie.  Nora Corbett.
32ct Ivory linen (Permin)
DMC Floss

Two days to go!  Two choices for tomorrow... What shall I do?!?!?!

Night all, I'm off to bed.  

xxx

K

CJC Days 11 and 12

Just a quick fly by tonight.  Must go to bed.  I have a brand new clarinet student in the morning and it wouldn't do to appear hung-over in her very first lesson would it!

Yesterday, Day 11, I started work on Woodland Enchantress by Ruth Sanderson for Dimensions Gold Collection.

I love it!  I haven't worked on aida in yonks - this is 16 count, really stiff (feels like stitching on cardboard!)  I'm using a huge needle and the thread strand count varies between three and five!  One lot of tweeding so far combining two strands each of two different colours. All the background is done in half crosses.  It was a fun piece to get started on and difficult to put down!

I strongly suggest you stand back to look at this one - the percieved effect of distance in the picture is fantastic.  The dark strip on the right is a tree trunk.  The blue/grey on the left is a tree in the far distance!

Day Eleven

Woodland Enchantress.
Ruth Sanderson/Dimensions Gold Kit
16ct Cove Grey Aida.
Currently working only in half stitches.

Day Twelve.  Today, I started a piece that has been hanging out in the wings for years.  I bought a Charles Craft Baby Afghan before Jacob was born.  I never found just the right pattern to stitch on it and now, obviously, my babies though they still are to me, in reality they are big kids now and don't need a baby blanket anymore.  

One day a couple of years ago now, I discovered Ellen Maurer-Stroh's gorgeous (freebie) Garden Alphabet and that was that.  So now it's finally underway!  Yay!
Photo makes the flower look blue - it's actually the 300's shades of purples (333, 340, 341...)

Day Twelve

Garden Alphabet: Ellen Maurer-Stroh
Stitching 3 over 2 on18ct Afghan Cloth. 

Only three days left of the crazy 15... nearly there!  Oh my goodness...  Tomorrow, hmmm... stay tuned :)

xxx

K

Arriving on Platform Ten: Train of Dreams

Thank you so much everyone for your comments on my Crazy 15 so far and on my Wipocalypse too.

Gabi, you asked about The Basket so I thought I'd better explain for my followers that haven't heard about my sad case of Basketitis.


I am one of the unlucky Southern Hemisphere stitchers doomed to pay outrageously expensive prices for everything related to our addiction art but I am lucky enough to have a gorgeous (not so local) LNS that stocks many of the things that make our addicted arty little hearts so happy.  Now and then on my very rare free Monday mornings, I'll take a little drive just to experience the sheer joy that only you my fellow "floss fondlers" can possibly understand.

The only problem with this wonderful little shop - The Crewel Gobelin - is *cue drum roll* The Basket.

This is the account of what happened when I inadvertantly stumbled across said woven object back in April last year.

Now the last time I trundled off to have a little looksie, I ended up coming home with ten of the twelve Blackbird Designs: Anniversaries of the Heart charts!  Now seriously, I had NO intention of spending money that day.  But they were in very close proximity to The Basket (They're too big to fit in there, so they were in a bin close by...) and they were SO cheap!

*sigh*

I'd love to take a jaunt out there right now but it's currently our school summer holidays.  This translates as  "No $$$ to spend on anything that isn't rent or food."  I'm really, really looking forward to February and regular income... which translates as spending a whole lot of $$$ on stash once all the bills and kids school fees are caught up!  Yay!

Actually, I'm pretty thrifty.  The majority of my stash purchases come from 123stitch.  It's much cheaper to buy from the US, particularly with the AUD so strong against the USD.  Means I often get double or even triple the amount of floss or fabric that I would get at any store in Australia.  I try to support the LNS's here but it's hard when typically a Mirabilia chart that is say $13 at 123 could be anywhere between $22 and $40.  My Titania chart cost $35.00 - she was my first Mira purchase long before I discovered the joys of on-line shopping overseas.

Ooops... I've really wandered off on a tangent tonight!  Sorry about that folks.  We will now return to our regular programming!

Day Ten heralded the arrival of Randal Spangler's "Train of Dreams" from HAED.  I've put in a couple of hours during the day and a lot of hours tonight.  I think I stitched a total of six hours on this one and managed to get in just over 700 stitches... that's a lot really...

The thing is, it doesn't look like anywhere near that amount of work and typically, you can't see the colour changes yet, 'cause there's not enough of it done.

Day Ten

Randal Spangler: Train of Dreams
HAED
1 over 1 on 25ct antique white Jobelan
DMC floss

Yes, that really is 700-odd stitches.  Doesn't look like it though.

I thought I'd show you a snapshot of my chart - just to prove it.  LOL.

Night night all.  It's way past my bedtime... see you all tomorrow.

xxx

K

Nutty Nine and the WiPocalypse Begins!

I started my first ever Shepherd's Bush sampler today.

I'm in love.

I fell in love with the SB designs mid last year.  I was extremely lucky to pick up several kits, ummm... five...yes, five... at an utterly ridiculous price at my (not so local) LNS - you know, the one with The Basket that has trapped me more than once this past year... They were discounted down to $10. Uh-huh, yes, I said $10, each, for the chart, fabric, silk and embellishments. Actually, one of them may have been $30 but it's original price was $55.  One just cannot leave that sort of thing in The Basket now, can one?

So today I decided to start "Holly and Ivy."

It is the loveliest piece to work on.  The fabric is soft, the silks even softer! They are a mixture of Gloriana, Belle Soie, Thread Gatherer and another that escapes me right now.  The chart is so much fun - one over two on 30ct linen for the crosses.  I also got to do some Rhodes stitches for the holly berries.

The frogs came to visit yet again but I think they're getting the message (finally) that they are not welcome here.

Day Nine

Shepherd's Bush "Holly and Ivy"
30ct Parchment Linen, Mixed Silks.

Ok, so now I'm checking in for the WiPocalypse:

Before I got stuck into the 15, I managed to stitch bit on my Lizzie Kate ABC.  I really love this piece and I'm hoping to have it finished by the middle of the year.  It stitches up fast and is one I'm able to take to work.  It's surprising how much I can get done in the odd three minute window three or four  times a day.

January WiPocalypse

Lizzie Kate 

Progress from the Tent

Lizzie*Kate "ABC for Parents"
28ct linen.  Crescent Colours floss.

I'll head over to Measi's Blog now to post my check in - if you haven't signed up for the WiPocalypse yet or somehow you've completely missed what WiPocalypse is all about, then I strongly suggest you hit that link I just added and scoot over there yourself!

Even if it's just to drool over all the WiP's people are checking in!

LOL

Happy Stitching!

xxx

K

CJC 7 & 8

I can't believe it's already the ninth of January.  This crazy stitching caper is helping to make the days fly by!

Day Seven was pretty much a write off.  I think I managed maybe an hour, hour and a half perhaps.  We took the kids to see Cars 2 at the twilight cinema at Sydney Olympic Park.  Great fun.  If you've never seen Cars 2, it's well worth watching.  Only problem, most of my stitching is achieved at night after the kids go to bed and we didn't actually come home to put the kids to bed.  We all had a "sleepover" at the house of the friends we went to the movies with.  They live on the other side of the city and it just made more sense for us all to crash there.

Ok, here we go..

Day Seven

Joan Elliott "Hope"
Vintage Blue Whisper Belfast Linen
DMC floss

Day Eight

Joan Elliott "Imagine"

Vintage Blue Whisper Belfast Linen

DMC floss

Days Seven and Eight 

Hope and Imagine are vertically below
Believe and Dream on the same piece of
fabric.

Hmmm, now on to Day Nine... I'm feeling spoilt for choice today.  Should I start a Shepherd's Bush sampler or a Nora Corbett pixie?  Maybe I could be brave and jump into Train of Dreams?  I need to find a piece of fabric for my Sweetheart Tree "Dragonfly Dreams" or I could finish sorting the thread for the Enchantress.  Oh what to do? *insert dramatic Scarlett O'Hara swoon* LOL

I'm taking my little fishies to their swimming lesson this morning.  They've had three weeks off over Christmas and New Year and now it's time to get them back in the water.  I'll decide what today's stitchiness will be before we go, then if I'm lucky, I'll put a few stitches in during the day as well as tonight.

Happy Stitching Everyone - I'll be back to make my first WiPocalypse check-in some time today too!  How exciting!

LOL

xxx

K