Enjoying a sense of peace one stitch at a time
Birthday treats for me … from me 😀 Wagon? What wagon???
And all because I needed one thread! (although admittedly two were separate downloads that I just couldn’t resist any longer – Eiffel Quaker and Beatrix Potter Quaker) 😛
Gotta love a good sale – and gotta make the most of that postage!! 😛
Thank you to those of you who have left birthday wishes on Facebook this morning – that’s the only thing that has reminded me it’s the ‘big day’ today. Unfortunately, due to being unwell the last three days (and I have to say I’m still not 100% today), my full weekend of ‘big plans’ didn’t eventuate, which also included not baking myself a birthday cake to take in to work 😦
I am up and showered, though, and ready to try tackling work today – not entirely sure whether I’ll last the whole day or not, but we’ll just have to wait and see. I definitely can say, though, that we won’t be going to the movies tonight, which was going to be my birthday treat. That doesn’t really matter, though … I just hope I’m OK to be flying tomorrow night 🙂
In between sleeping over the last few days I did manage to get a little bit of stitching in – this is something I’d started earlier, and managed to finish … one pair of initials has been removed, however, as this is winging its way eventually to someone who reads my blog, so it will remain anonymous until they receive it.
“Pins & Needles Tokens & Trifles” by Blackbird Designs
Stitched on 32ct Lugana hand-dyed sample by Countrystitch
with recommended Crescent Colours threads
Then late last night I started a new project – one of Periwinkle Promises Sampler Accent kits that has been sitting around waiting to be started for what seems like forever. This one might just end up being taken to NZ as my stitching companion. I’m only there for a couple of nights for Erin’s service, so no need to take anything bigger, I think – and with all the specialty stitches it’s a lot slower to stitch than with just plain ol’ XS.
Other than that, I’ve got my Pin Pillow Exchange piece finally chosen, and the thread all worked out – now I just have to sort out the fabric then I can start on that as soon as I get home again. I was struggling to decide between two different ideas for finishing – and still may change my mind closer to the time – so I may end up doing both ideas and then deciding once they’re finished 🙂
And on that note, I guess I really should finish getting ready to get into that car … and make a new hair appointment … and arrange another day to go pick up my stitching from the Stitching Post (aka Dragonfly Dreams) … and more importantly think about packing! … Just as soon as I get through today, that is! Fingers crossed food doesn’t continue to rocket straight through my system as it has been … a birthday lunch would still be quite nice today if I can manage it! 🙂
I managed to put the final stitches into Random Hearts just before midnight last night – the only thing I changed is to replace one tiny heart with one little red heart button. I have to say I really enjoyed stitching this one, and absolutely love it now it’s finished! 😀
“Random Hearts” by Erica Michaels
stitched on 32ct Lambswool linen
with Carrie’s Creations thread “Scarlet”
Unfortunately overnight I got attacked by a virus that left me with a touch of vertigo this morning, so I’ve been laid up in bed ever since – while I’m not quite 100% at the moment, I’m OK enough to sit up so I thought I’d jump online for a few minutes while I can. Not entirely sure if I’ll risk doing any stitching … I’ll probably just put the goggle box on with a DVD and jump back into bed again – so much for those wonderful finishing plans I had for the day (plus I had to cancel my haircut this morning which is reaaaaaallllllly overdue – I was going nowhere near a car in that state earlier). Fingers crossed it’s a short-term bug, ‘cos I need to be right by Wednesday night to get on a plane for Erin’s service!!
Rightio, time to go find a DVD that’s really long and means I don’t have to keep getting up …
This week’s theme is ”Broken” and the first thing that came to mind was my many broken things from my move to Sydney – here are a handful of photos compliments of Dodgey Bros R Us … aka Greater (mutter) Hunter (mutter) Removals (bloody mutter!!). All I can say is DO NOT TOUCH WITH A BARGE POLE unless you want belongings in tatters and a truck driver demanding a couple of grand in cash before he will hand over your belongings. Yes, two whole years later, and it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth … although this time you actually get the company name so you know who caused us such heartache and stress. Don’t you just love the two-legged table and what looks like a hatchet job in the back of my (albeit cheap) bookcase! Bah humbug!! 😦
A quick note to thank everyone that bought fobs from my original request to donate the proceeds of sales to wee baby Timothy – I managed to send almost US$90 over to Coral towards his medical costs, so I thank you for enabling me to do that for them 🙂
And the final group of fobs today are brought to you by the colours Brown, Wine and Purple (unfortunately these ones didn’t photograph as true to the colours, so I think I’ll have to re-do them before I upload to ArtFire).
And to finish off the post for tonight, here’s my new start for the evening while Katie and I caught up on a tiny bit of TV with Criminal Minds, Biggest Loser and Bones … alas I had a frog attack on the left hand side group of hearts and bottom border, but I quickly frogged the stitches and redid them, and I’m back on track once again. If I don’t manage to get this piece finished tomorrow night, I should definitely see another wee finish on Saturday morning 🙂
“Random Hearts” by Erica Michaels
being stitched on 32ct Lambswool linen in
Carrie’s Creations thread “Scarlet”
I’m still blushing from Barbara’s and Sue’s lovely comments on my fobs – thanks so much ladies for the support! 😀
Which brings me to today’s fobs … which are brought to you by the colours Blue (yum) and Green …
First up is the tiny wee finish I completed tonight – I started this on Sunday night, and did a bit more stitching tonight, putting the final stitches in about 1/2 an hour ago. As per normal at this late hour of the night, without being taken under a daylight bulb, the photo is appalling … but it’s a finish all the same 🙂
“Love February” old freebie by Mosey ‘n Me
It’s also my very first EVER Valentine’s finish … and also the first finish from the pile that I kitted up over the weekend 😀 I almost swapped the cream inner border with the pale pink from the rose, but then decided last minute to leave it … in hindsight the cream really does blend into the background of the fabric, so the pink would have been much much better … but I don’t love it enough to bother unpicking it all. Not entirely sure how I’ll end up finishing this one – perhaps I’ll just add a ribbon hanger and turn it into a hanging ornament … maybe … 🙂
Next up is a bunch of scissor fobs that I put together weeks ago, but never showed. Eventually most of these will be going into my ArtFire shop for sale … when I get the time to upload them all and type up descriptions etc – but that is unlikely to happen for another couple of weeks thanks to my impending trip home. As there are quite a few new fobs, I’ll just upload a few tonight, and add some more over the next few days.
Tonight’s fobs are brought to you by the colours Red and Pink …
Other than that, nothing much happening out here really … I’m heading out to the Blue Mountains this Sunday to pick up all my stitching I’ve had out there on loan for the last couple of years. There are personal reasons for my doing this, which I won’t share on my blog – but I must say I’m really looking forward to having them home again … and those that are still unframed will be framed by me some time over the coming year as finances allow … so watch this space 😛
First of all, thanks so much for your offers of getting the thread I need for Sapphire Star, it’s greatly appreciated. I have decided, however, to make a small order with Stitching Bits & Bobs as they are showing the thread in stock (or at least they sell it, can’t say it’s actually in stock really). As I have a couple of Rainbow Gallery threads that I need, I thought I’d order the others that SB&B stock plus a few bead kits while the Superbowl sale is still on (at least I hope it’s still on!) … and I just might have to fall off The Wagon for this little beauty, compliments of Nashville new releases … OMG, I’m drooling all over my keyboard!!!
This is Snow Queens Slipper with Accessories by Carolina House Designs … {{sigh}}
I’ve decided that seeing as I’m not really celebrating my birthday this year (although I may decide last minute to go to the movies on my birthday night) I thought I’d make myself a little birthday gift of this little beauty … well, I have to make the postage cost worthwhile right? LOL. Then it’s back on the stash wagon once again (there really is no hope for me, is there?) 😉
Thanks also for your comments about my fabric cutting experience over the weekend – I had a blast, and have started stitching one of the little freebies already. With luck I should get it finished in time for Sunday … maybe … I should show you a list of the other projects that have had their fabric cut up for a while now (when everything went into storage 2 1/2 years ago) – there are some stunning projects in there, and over the last two years with a small number of exceptions that’s what I’ve been pulling my stitching from. There are still loads in there yet (um, probably twice the number of the list I added over the weekend), but some of the projects are quite huge and time-consuming. There are also loads of needlerolls, so I really should get back into gear and start stitching some of those up – I have the fabric cut up for pretty much all the Sweetheart Tree needlerolls, and they’d look so pretty in a basket with my others … ah, so much stitching, so little time …
And on that note, I’d better jump in the shower so I can go do that thing that makes an occasional stitching stash enhancement possible … work!
I now have two piles of new projects that have their fabrics all cut out ready for stitching … I have to admit I really enjoyed the process of getting all the fabrics out of the drawers, picking out a ‘few’ charts, and attacking everything with the scissors. Of course it’ll take me forever to stitch everything, and I already have a few drawers of projects semi-kitted up from when my stash was all in storage … but now there are even more yummy projects to choose from, including some sweet little freebies.
The projects that have now joined the semi-kitted pile are:
Plus a few online freebies and one chart for a gift 🙂
Of course I haven’t put a single stitch into fabric all weekend, but I had an absolute ball, and it was just what the doctor ordered 🙂
One other thing I managed this afternoon was to set up my old TV in my bedroom with a DVR – my old DVR in the lounge died about 6 months ago, and I replaced it a few months ago … the only problem is that it’s the same brand as my DVD player in the lounge and every time we switch on the DVD player the DVR switches on as well, and when we pause a DVD it switches to the other player and it takes forever to go back again … I’ve been wanting something in my room to record those shows that Katie doesn’t watch, so I can watch while I’m stitching in bed, and now it’s all set up and a few shows are ready for taping … The Mentalist, Cold Case, Medium, House, and So You Think You Can Dance – I’ve missed loads of The Mentalist since we didn’t have enough recording options when my last DVR died (and I had no TV in my room), so now I can start watching those old favourites again – yippee!! 😀
And now I’m off into the kitchen to sew on a couple of muslin strips to my little bits of fabric, then dig out the necessary threads, and then I’m ready to start stitching a couple of seasonal pieces of my new semi-kitted stash 😀
It’s been a while since I participated in any Exchanges, but I decided to join Becky and her group of followers in a Pin Pillow exchange, mailing date 1 April. I just received my recipient’s name this morning, and the first thing I did was to check out her blog to see what sort of designs she likes and if I could find her favourite colour – anything to help me choose something that he/she is more likely to appreciate.
Anyway, this got me thinking about anyone who doesn’t know me who has my name in an exchange – it would be difficult for them to find the same information in my blog … especially as these days that I’m not stitching as prolifically. So, I decided to uplift some of the information from my RAK Registry post, and tweak it a bit, and have now added that as an extra page here – my “Likes” page. Hopefully this will help any future exchange partners to find the information they need! 🙂
And now I’m off to continue cutting up some more fabrics for the two dozen or so new projects that I dragged out of the stash pile last night … I won’t kit them up with their DMC etc yet, or I might find myself in trouble, but at least the fabric will be cut up ready, as that’s my usual drawback when I’m starting something new … of course it will take me the entire year and beyond to stitch them all, but at the moment for me the fun is in the planning 😉
PhotoHunt
Feather Stitching 