September 2012 – Feather Stitching

Cross Stitch, Finishes, Valerie Pfeiffer

Freesias by Valerie Pfeiffer

29 September, 201229 September, 2012 Anne S

I’ve been meaning to stitch this for my Mum for quite a number of years now, and other projects keep getting pushed in front of it. I had planned on including it in my 2013 stitching challenge, but then all of a sudden was in-between projects and started feeling a sudden urge to get it finished so Mum could enjoy it sooner. I managed to put the final stitches into it this morning, and it just needs to be framed now so I can give it to her when she comes to visit in 2 weeks’ time. I’ve been blessed with 3 visits from Mum now this year – first to head to France and the UK, then to help me at home with cleaning out the apartment, and now to attend a Baroque concert we’ve had tickets booked for since the beginning of the year – I’m feeling very spoilt with so many visits, and loving every single minute of every one!

“Freesias’ by Valerie Pfeiffer
stitched on 28ct white Cashel linen
with recommended DMC threads

I’m working some mental hours at work yet again, but trying to get a couple of days off during Mum’s visit … not sure if it’ll pan out, but we’ll see … either way we’ll have 2 weekends together, if nothing else 🙂

Exchanges, Finishes, pincushions, Stitching Smalls, The Floss Box

Biscornu exchange and other bits

20 September, 201220 September, 2012 Anne S

I’m working some really mental hours at work at the moment with a project not going so well that I’m supposed to be helping with the testing phase, plus another high profile project that’s just materialised where I’ve been asked to be the project lead, another two projects already underway for early next year, an entire overhaul of our main computer system we use (meaning training etc required along with the testing), and my main work colleague off on annual leave (who never provides a handover document) … my brain cells are in overdrive, but on the whole I’m loving it, even though I could quite easily leave the long hours for someone else. So I apologise in advance for the crappy grammar etc that I’m sure you’re going to find in this post, but I’m about to fall in a heap and get some well-needed Zzzzzzzzz……

I don’t think I ever showed the finished version of my French design purchased on holiday earlier in the year. Mum helped me by stuffing it with polyfil on her last visit, and I stitched up the seam to put the finishing touches into it. I need to get a little basket to have it on display with some of my other favourite items in my bedroom. I think I also need to stitch this one again in traditional red threads.

“Citation de brodeuse no.8” by Brin par Brin

Next up is the biscornu I sent to my partner in the Oz Cross Stitchers biscornu exchange (a Facebook group):

“Free Biscornu #30” by The Floss Box
stitched on 28ct white Cashel linen
with recommended DMC threads, with Mill Hill beads in the whip-stitched border

And here is the exchange I received from my partner:

Beading, Chatelaine, Christmas Ornaments, Finishes, Freebies, Lizzie Kate, Paw Printings, Stash, Stitch-alongs, The Floss Box

Some more pre-biscornu finishes & some stash

15 September, 20126 April, 2014 Anne S

Thanks to a little bonus from work, I spoilt myself with some stash as a treat before putting the rest on bills … here is the result of my latest mail run – Quaker Christmas II ready for a SAL starting on 1 November, along with a couple of potential silk threads for it (In the Burgundy by Silk n’ Colors/Threadgatherer, and Warratah by Dinky Dyes). I also picked up a big piece of 28ct Lugana for my first HAED start, some 35ct Parchment WDW linen, 38ct Cream Bellazia linen, and a few replacement threads and beads I needed. Then finally there is some 30ct Tin Roof WDW linen for my Lizzie*Kate Mystery Sampler which Mum has gifted me for Christmas (and the final instalment is here in this pile too).

As for stitching, I can show the previous biscornu finishes, although they’re still waiting to be turned into actual biscornus … I can’t show the final one, as that’s still waiting to be received by my exchange recipient.

“Violets” by Chatelaine
stitched on 28ct white Cashel linen
with recommended threads, Kreinik braid and beads

“Free Biscornu #34” by The Floss Box
stitched on 28ct white Cashel linen
with recommended DMC threads

And lucky last, I recently put the final touch to my Christmas ornaments by Paw Printings, by adding the little red beads.

“Golden Garland ornaments” by Paw Printings (from 2005 JCS Christmas Ornie issue)
stitched on 28ct mushroom Lugana
with recommended threads and beads

No more stitching done this week, due to some long working hours, but I did manage to be entirely lazy this morning and start putting some more Mill Hill beads into new containers … one more big batch yet to be done, but I need to get some more little containers before then (they’re hopefully due to arrive very soon).

Mill-Hill-Beads

Not much else to write about this week, really, so I guess I’ll leave it at that for now 🙂

Cross Stitch, Finishes, Halloween, Lizzie Kate

Halloween is just around the corner

9 September, 20129 September, 2012 Anne S

Even though I don’t celebrate it as such, I absolutely ADORE Halloween stitching, and I’ve managed to itch my Halloween urge over the weekend with a new start on Friday night – an entire day of solid stitching later, and it was finished late Saturday night. I just had enough WDW Bluebonnet to complete the wording, with about 3 inches left over! Unfortunately I only had enough WDW Terracotta for the stripes on the stockings, but after scrambling through my other variegated threads I managed to find a skein of Crescent Colours in Fallen Leaves that seemed a perfect replacement without having to resort to DMC subbing … and it worked out pretty well in the top section border – I bet if I hadn’t told you, you’d never have known! 😉

“Happy Haunting” by Lizzie*Kate (from Fall Crazy leaflet)
on a mystery Wichelt-type linen (ie stiff)
with recommended GAST/WDW threads with the exception of Terracotta (after running out midway through)

Not entirely sure what is next on the stitching to-do-list – I want to start one of Nora Corbett’s “Letters”, but I’m waiting for some hand-dyed fabric to arrive for it, which might be quite a way away yet. I’m keen to start another new start that would be quick to finish, but then again the other side of me is feeling a little overwhelmed with all the existing WIPs/UFOs sitting around, so I’m starting to feel a strong urge to at least start putting a few more stitches into those projects and reminding them they’re still loved. Perhaps I should start a rotation once again, just to work through a few of those older projects until the 2013 challenge starts? Oh decisions, decisions … and while I’m deciding I’d better go finish off the biscornu that’s due to be posted this week for an exchange – the stitching is finished, I just need to do the actual finishing …

2012 WIPocalypse, Christmas Ornaments, Finishes, Stash, Stitch-alongs, Works in Progress

August WIPocalypse update – part 2

3 September, 20126 April, 2014 Anne S

Not much stitching taking place throughout August on my WIPs where a finish was the result … although I did almost manage a finish of some ornaments that have been sitting around for months, and months, and well many more months – the first one below got put to one side ‘cos I wasn’t enjoying stitching with the threads … I decided to finally suck it up on 26 August and get them finished, until I realised I didn’t have the Mill Hill beads I needed to finish them! Stitchy friends to the rescue, though, and some will be winging their way to me soon so I can get them finished next month 🙂 (Thanks again Amanda, you rock!!)

The “before” shot as they stood at the beginning of the year and start of the challenge …

The “after” shot as they both stand now … just waiting for the beads to be added now 😀 Was hoping they’d be finished during the week last week, but I was working mental hours so too tired when I got home, then I was house-sitting the weekend just gone with an active border collie and 3 kitties, and decided not to chance beading!

I did manage to finish one other WIP, though, which was another small Christmas ornament – I don’t know why I put this to one side for so long … once I put my mind to it it didn’t take too long at all to add it to the “finished” pile on 20 August. I really like the colours in this one.

“Christmas Tree Quilt Ornament” by Handblessings
stitched on 32ct antique white Belfast linen
with recommended Needle Necessities/Threadworx threads

Another WIP I worked on a little bit is a Sweetheart Tree scissor fob … another one where I’m missing some beads, but hopefully they’ll arrive in a few weeks and I can finish this one off before the next update is due 🙂 Once again I’ve put the before and after photos here 🙂

The last piece of stitching for the month was actually a new start … it only took a few hours and this one was put into the finishing pile – I just love it, it’s so sparkly in real life! 😀

“Ice Blue Snowflake”, Tiny Treasured Diamonds kit by Mill Hill
Stitched on kit fabric, with MH beads and DMC

And when I wasn’t stitching over the last month I was labeling beads, using what have now become my favourite bead storage units … so much so I’ve had to try and track down some more so I can finish the job 😀

And the other hobby over the last couple of weeks is increasing my XS stash (well, that of myself and Mum to be exact) … which is sadly a hobby that is short-lived and I’m back on a no-stash diet (although I still have a few things yet to arrive, such as those wonderful bead storage units) 😀