Country Cottage Needleworks – Feather Stitching

Christmas Ornaments, Country Cottage Needleworks, Finishes, Uncategorized

CCN Blue and Silver ornie

30 January, 201730 January, 2017 Anne S

My latest finish for the month was a new start for me – it’s been kitted up and carried over to NZ and back twice in readiness for starting, but it’s taken me about 15 months to finally put the first stitch in! I decided to just choose a blue thread that I liked when I was out shopping in Auckland kitting this one up, as I didn’t have the chart with me at that point – as it turns out, I’m thrilled with the result! This is a gift for a family member, that was promised a year ago … hey, we don’t want to rush these things! 😛

16299616_10154250889933148_3283487827615483622_o

“Blue and Silver” ornament by Country Cottage Needleworks
(from the 2008 Jul/Aug? JCS ornie preview issue)
Stitched on 32ct Light Mocha Belfast linen
with my choice of threads:
Kreinik #4 braid in 001
GAST in Dungarees
DMC Blanc
DMC 3362 (as recommended)
DMC 938 I think (couldn’t find my 869)

Christmas Ornaments, Country Cottage Needleworks, Finishes, Heartstrings, Mum's stitching

Feathered Friends Santa

9 December, 20129 December, 2012 Anne S

I finally managed to get this ornie finished today – it’s only taken me pretty much an entire month to stitch this one … I was supposed to work this afternoon, after spending a few hours at a work colleague’s home for pre-Christmas festivities, but I was feeling a bit “over it” and decided to give work a wide berth for the night … I might regret that decision tomorrow, but it’s something I needed I think.

Anyway, here’s the finished product:

“Feathered Friends Santa” by HeartStrings/The Artists Collection
Stitched on 28ct Vintage Wichelt linen
with recommended GAST, DMC and Kreinik threads, except for 009HL which I subbed with 009

Last month I also finally put the finishing touches into one of Mum’s stitched ornies – I just had to add the mouths and the French knots, and it’s all done now ready to go back home to Mum once again.

“Season of Love by Country Cottage Needleworks
Stitched by my Mum
(from JCS Christmas Preview issue 2010)

And on that note I’ll call it a night … I might blog more often again soon, as Mum has got her PC up and running again, so my main audience member is back online – and perhaps doing that will keep me off of Facebook more, which is my biggest time waster these days!

Christmas Ornaments, Country Cottage Needleworks, Crazy January 2011 Challenge, Cross Stitch, Finishes, Works in Progress

January Challenge – Day 10

11 January, 201125 February, 2012 Anne S

Today saw me undertaking a number of housekeeping tasks, including packing away all the Christmas decorations, cleaning half of the bathroom, vacuuming and even a little bit of dusting (shock, horror, I hear Mum utter) – after the vacuuming I decided I’d had enough of the rivers of sweat pouring down my back and opted to sit for the rest of the afternoon in front of the electric fan and watching Criminal Minds on DVD – which also meant plenty of stitching time today for Day 10 of the Crazy January Challenge, and some brown blobs that will eventually look like little teddy bears once a bucket-load of backstitching is added.

I’m absolutely loving doing this challenge, and like a few other people I’ve seen, I could continue all month doing these new starts, it’s very invigorating. I will, however, need to think of a potential substitute for Prairie Moon’s Christmas chart if my fabric doesn’t arrive over the next couple of days – oh such hardship, having to find another project to start!! I’m thinking perhaps Jardin Prive’s Eiffel Quaker … or JBW Designs’ Christmas Pudding … or … or … or … well, a number of other projects waiting in the wings to be started really … 😉

After completing two bears, I decided enough was enough of the revolting Lugana I was stitching on, and I picked up my previously started Christmas ornie and finished it. I stitched this one a few years ago when I didn’t have the recommended Blue Moon by Crescent Colours, and this time I used the correct blue seeing as I now have that thread in my stash (I did, however, still continue to substitute WDW Kudzu with NN Olive Grove). This completes one ornie for my monthly goal – but I’d still really like to finish one more, which I have kitted up ready to go (along with two more kitted up ready for next month). I love, love, love this ornie, and the colours are just stunning … this is possibly one of my favourite ornies EVER! But that’s a no-brainer really, ‘cos it’s BLUE! 😀

“Winter’s Eve” by Country Cottage Needleworks
from 2006 JCS Christmas ornie magazine
stitched on 32ct natural Belfast linen
with mix of DMC, Needle Necessities and Crescent Colours threads

And on that note I’d better hit the hay, ‘cos it’s now 1am and I need to be up and at ’em early tomorrow to make the most of my final day off 🙂

Country Cottage Needleworks, Cross Stitch, Friends & Family, Photo Hunt, PhotoHunt, skiing, snow, Wishlist

New to the wishlist & Photo Hunt

19 June, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

Oh boy, I just browsed a blog or two while I was waking up, and found the latest design by Country Cottage Needleworks … I sooooo HAVE to have this one!!! Hmmm, I wonder if they’ll let me add it to my order from NIAH?? 😀

PhotoHunt | PhotoHunt

This week’s theme is ”Six” and following on from yesterday’s theme, here are six of us braving the elements on Tukino skifield once again. Dunno why, but I just love this photo – it’s quite candid, and I love the ‘whiteout’ effect from the falling snow 😀 (I’m the one in the blue jacket in the middle … I adored that jacket, but alas so did the thieves that broke into our home one day boohoo.)

Bent Creek, Country Cottage Needleworks, Cross Stitch, Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Little House Needleworks, picture framing, samplers, Stash, The Drawn Thread, With My Needle

Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone…

28 February, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

…but my trip off The Wagon seems to be continuing haha. We drove up to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains today so I could pick up my finished stitching from The Stitching Post, and two designs from my wishlist fell into my shopping bag … oops! I’ve been drooling over Mrs Wadelow’s Hussif since I first saw it on Ellen’s blog, and as fate had it Karen had it in stock already … well, I figured it was right there on the counter, so it just HAD to come home with me! haha. The other design was LHN’s Fa La La from the latest ornament series. Going by what many others have said, these ornies are rather on the large side, so I think I’ll be stitching them with one thread on a 40ct fabric (as opposed to the other option of stitching them over-one on normal fabric … yucky!).

Anyway, aside from a number of designs on loan that Karen never got around to framing for display, I now have these four little beauties back at home again in their lovely framed state 🙂

It’s been a very tiring – although very awesome – weekend … Katie and I went to the movies yesterday and saw two movies back-to-back (Valentine’s Day and Wolfman) – then we finished off the evening with a trip to G.P.K. (Gourmet Pizza Kitchen) for pizza before heading home to retire in front of the TV for a couple of hours watching The Hangover. Of course then today we head over to the Blue Mountains for the day, so all-in-all I’m ready to curl up and not move for a couple of hours before we have to go to sleep before work tomorrow … ready for 5 days of work before we head out to the Sing-along Sound of Music on Friday 😛

And now I’m heading off to find some fabric to start my exchange stitching on, so we can blob out in front of the gogglebox with Jethro and the gang of NCIS 😀

Christmas Ornaments, Country Cottage Needleworks, Cross Stitch, Finishes

March ornie finish

23 March, 200925 February, 2012 Anne S

Here’s my latest small finish … which has taken me the last two weeks to stitch …

“Let It Snow” by Country Cottage Needleworks
Stitched on 32ct Natural Belfast Linen
with DMC and Kreinik #4 metallic braid
(from 2008 JCS Christmas Ornie magazine)

Country Cottage Needleworks, Cross Stitch, Finishes, Works in Progress

Quick Drive-By

29 January, 200925 February, 2012 Anne S

Life is downright hectic at the moment – the weekend was taken up with moving and cleaning, and yesterday I did a 14 hour day at work … and no sign of that letting up for a while. We’re down to two staff members in our team (with one new start, but she’s not trained up yet), with our Supervisor now on annual leave for two weeks – we’re so flat out with our day-to-day work and operational actions that our project work is struggling to get completed (hence the late hours) … even my poor stitching has been suffering, although I have managed to get a couple of stitches in over the weekend … (so much for my New Year’s goals though hmmm)

On Saturday night Katie and I sat in front of the TV in the lounge and watched a few episodes of Supernatural (we’re both massive fans), while I sat and stitched in my recliner. I’ve been stitching while sitting up in bed over the last few months, so it was really nice to get my stitching station set up again in the lounge. The night I managed to get the last stitches put into Cottage Garden, so I have one more finish under my belt. (Sorry about the dark photo.)

“Cottage Garden” by Country Cottage Needleworks
stitched on 32ct cream linen
with recommended threads

Then on Monday night I picked up Winter Queen again and put her back on the floor stand – if you can work out the differences between the last time I left her in May 2008 and now, with the minimal amount of stitches I managed on Monday night, you’re doing fantastic … ‘cos there’s very little to show for my efforts haha. But every stitch is better than none, right? (And if you give up, they’re on the left hand side LOL) 🙂

Before:

After:

Anyway, time to jump in the shower and head off to work – I’m having a slightly later start today ‘cos of my late finish (we’ve been leaving home just after 7am this week) … Roll on 5pm is all I can say, ‘cos I’m off to the Chiropractor and I can’t stay late (yippee!!).

Country Cottage Needleworks, Cross Stitch, Finishes

Home Sweet Home

19 October, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

One pink house with its little pink roses is now all finished – and I have to admit I really like it! I’m almost tempted to keep this one! 😀

“Home Sweet Home” by Country Cottage Needleworks
Stitched on 28ct Ivory Annabelle
with recommended threads

As for what’s next … I’ve had my heart set on stitching a Halloween project before the end of the month, and I’ve got a massive urge to get some of my UFO’s finished after publishing all the photos recently, so I’m going to re-jig my rotation projects short-term … My focus piece will be Frightful by Just Nan, and my Large/BAP project will be Mirabilia’s Winter Queen – once my Halloween piece is finished I’ll move Winter Queen into the focus piece slot until it’s finished … then I’ll start on my CA Wells pieces for next year’s class 🙂

Country Cottage Needleworks, Cross Stitch, Stash, Works in Progress

Quick stash post

10 October, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

Just a really quick post before I head off to work – and holiday tonight – to show the stash that arrived this week. First up is my stash haul from Colours Down Under … I won a $15 gift voucher from Janine for my August Xmas ornie, and figured I might as well add some extras to the prize to make the most of the postage, and this is what I got (compliments of their 15% off sale which is still on until the end of October, I think). I still have one more blue Periwinkle Promises Accent kit that is on back-order, but I’m really REALLY impressed with the speed and service from Janine!!

Here’s a close-up of the blue threads – I’ve been trying to decide what thread to use for an upcoming RR of With My Needle’s “Ackworth Friendship Book“. The thread in the middle is CC’s Milady’s Teal, which is what the original is stitched in, but it looks really wishy-washy and pale, so don’t think I’m going to use that – I think my ultimate favourite is Gloriana’s Slate Blue … in fact I think that has to be one of the scrummiest blues I’ve ever seen in threads, and it may just be my favourite silk of all-time at the moment … and that’s likely to be my choice for this project, I think (if not many more!). I think I’m going to have to order a few more skeins ready for our RR to start after Christmas.

Next up is some scissors and tassels I picked up from an Ebay seller in France (thanks to Staci for mentioning her details) – again I only wanted to buy the antique reproduction scissors in the very bottom photo, but chucked these in to balance out the postage. I chose the tassels ‘just because’ (and they’re scrumptious colours!), and the scissors I thought were very ‘spring-like’, just right for our current season. Have to admit I don’t like these scissors as much as I expected to, but I’ll make a little spring fob to dress them up a bit. (Talking of scissors, have you seen the latest ones from Ginghers? Oh my, they’re to die for!!! – beautiful in turquoise and browns.)

And lucky last, this is the sum stitching I’ve managed this week … woohoo, two plant stalks!! I’ve taken a photo anyway just to show the fabric that I bought especially for this piece for the pillow and covered buttons – hopefully it will look OK when finished … and of course here are the infamous scissors that I fell in love with from the French Ebay seller (sorry, don’t have time to find the details and links – if I remember next week I’ll add them if anyone wants them …).

And on that note it’s time to finish packing and get off to work … See you some time next week 🙂

Christmas Ornaments, Country Cottage Needleworks, Cross Stitch, Finishes, Friends & Family, Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Travel - Fiji

A bit of a rant!

27 June, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

After posting a piccie of my stitching finish “Picanini Can Can”, someone ‘kindly’ left a link to Wikipedia in my comments area which essentially states the term “Pickaninny” is offensive and racist. Am I to interpret that link to insinuate either my stitching or myself is offensive and racist?? Who knows, as the person who left the link has not responded to my personal email to her. All I can say is, seriously, GET A GRIP!!!!!

Quite frankly it’s picking on one of the least racist ‘white chicks’ you can meet – I used to tell Fraze off all the time for his racist comments and actions against Asian races … and I have always had friends ‘of colour’ – Asian, Indian, Maori and Fijian … not to mention I was apparently the only kid in the street growing up in England who used to play with the ‘coloured children’ (the term I was taught to use growing up) – as far as I was concerned there was no colour difference … as someone once said, “we are the same people in different packaging – we all bleed the same blood”.

I’ll end with a photo of the last relationship I was in … racist? I think not! (by the way, it’s the guy on the right)

Mutter mutter mutter … 😦

I can only say one thing, in the form of my latest stitching finish – my Christmas ornie for June … “PEACE”!!! 🙂

“Peace” ornament by Country Cottage Needleworks
from 2007 JCS Christmas Ornament magazine
Stitched on 28ct Water Lily Jobelan
with recommended DMC (except substitute plain white for DMC 3865 which was AWOL)

Yet another crappy photo that doesn’t show the colours up too well – the fabric is a lovely soft green! Like others before me, I think this is way too big to be an ornie, so I’m keen to finish it as a flanged pillow … with a pastel pink fabric for the flange … yeah, I know, ME … PINK!!!!! 😛

PEACE !!!