Crafts – Needlework – Page 17

Cross Stitch, Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Stash, Sydney, The Drawn Thread, Works in Progress

Boo!

16 March, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

Boo! Scissors Purse and Fob by The Drawn Thread is my current Work In Progress – so far I’ve managed to get almost halfway down the scissors purse, and about 1/4 of the scissor fob stitched. I’m still really tired in the evenings, so my stitching is going r…e…a…l…l…y s…l…o…w…l…y. Here’s my progress to date – once again, very washed out under the daylight bulb and even Photoshop Elements is struggling to get the colours right with a ton of manipulation! I started this one in about the middle of last year, but hated the feel of one strand of silk, and just never found a rhythm … I stopped halfway through completing the little pumpkin on the ‘flap’, and it’s only this last week that I’ve pulled it from the depths of my WIP basket and decided to give it a little bit of love again. And before you ask, yes, the “Boo” part at the top is supposed to be upside down … you see, it’ll fold over and then be the right way up again 😀

On Sunday I had a really lovely day out with my favourite Sydney ladies – Alison and Amanda … as always it was a riot, and much laughing and chattering was to be had. We went to the new craft show that was held out at Homebush at Sydney Olympic Park. I was on a stricter budget than normal, and there wasn’t too much to tempt me this time, but I still managed to come home with some great wee treasures … more in the shape of BIG floss rings for my threads (which are like hens teeth to find here!) and some more scissors (hey, a girl can NEVER have too many!!). I also bought a strand of beads that I think will be awesome as a scissor fob for the Gingher Roberta scissors … plus some necklace ‘thongs’ to put together some chunky style necklaces for myself and Katie. Hmmm, sorry about the green shopping bag that was used for the photography … not the best choice as a background to show off stitching scrummies! LOL.

And just LOOK at my favourite splurge of the day … I’ve been drooling over these Eiffel Tower scissors for the looooongest time, and that was my parting gesture to the show … and without doubt my very FAVOURITE purchase – I love, love, LOVE them, and don’t begrudge the AUD25.00 it took to procure them! 😀

Saturday was spent doing a bunch of tidying up in my pigsty of a bedroom, and tidying up my threads and stitching things – I finally grabbed a few of my kitted up projects that actually have DMC in the bags and entered all those threads into an Excel spreadsheet. It seems that these days I’m constantly putting projects on hold part-way through stitching ‘cos I’m one or two threads short, so hopefully this will help me know where to start rummaging when I’m hunting for an elusive thread! One other GREAT thing about tidying up my thread inventory is that I found the teeny tiny bag of embellishment beads for my January Accent Sampler by Periwinkle Promises … which also means I now have no excuse not to get it finished. All I need to do is to add the little beads, and my initials/year, and stitch the back-stitch border on the backing linen, and I’m all set to do the finishing … not much, right? … well, let’s just say it’ll get done some time soon either before or after I finish Boo! 😛

I’m hoping to take Friday off this week so I can run a couple of errands like FINALLY picking up a bookcase from Officeworks that I bought late last year (they didn’t tell me it had arrived then shipped it back to their warehouse again … bless them!) … which also then means I get to play DIY with my power drill (LOVE that thing!), and I also just might FINALLY finish unpacking those final boxes in my bedroom that are full of embroidery books etc … which will then perhaps FINALLY lead me to putting a bunch of my books I no longer want on Ebay … perhaps 😛

Work has been ‘challenging’ over the last couple of weeks – just for a change LOL. I’ve had it hinted from my boss that there could be a sort of new opportunity on the horizon that I should put my hand up for as it could be good for my career (and builds on the good relationship I already have with this group) … not really any different to what I’m doing now, just more focused on one area … time will tell if it actually pans out and goes ahead, and if so whether I get it or not, as there are obviously no guarantees. I have already stated openly to him, though, that I would be interested if it went ahead.

Anyway, talking of work, I guess I should hurry up and post this and get into beddy-byes … an extra half hour of sleep just could make all the difference for me tomorrow 😉

The next finish you see will hopefully be my Pin Pillow exchange piece, which is hurrying across the oceans as we speak, and hopefully won’t be too far away from its destination … 😀

Cross Stitch, Elizabeth's Designs, Finishes, Needlebook, pinkeeps, Stitching Smalls

Gifties received

9 March, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

I heard from Becky today that the Postman worked overtime over the weekend, and my little gifties arrived safe and sound. I’ve had the stitching done on these for 3 whole years (!!!) – the pinkeep has been sitting around finished ever since then, waiting for it’s companion needlebook to be finished. As soon as they became a matching pair officially (finally!!!), they were parcelled up and sent over to the US to their new Mum. Becky has a lovely photo on her blog, but here are a couple more from before they were made up into their finished versions (and these show the colours much more accurately):

As you can see, I had all intentions of getting them both finished the year they were stitched, so they still have 2007 stitched on the ‘backsides’ 😉 I have to agree I really love the little backstitched bees, but for the life of me I can’t remember which design I borrowed them from! And here’s the finished duo together all finished, just before packaging them up:

Christmas Ornaments, Cross Stitch, Exchanges, Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Works in Progress

Quick catch-up

8 March, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

It was a busy weekend – started by Friday night’s shenanigans being dressed up as a nun for the Sound of Music Sing-a-long. I only managed to get one paltry photo taken without the flash, while in the office, so it’s incredibly unflattering (like most photos of me) … anyway, it gives you an idea of how I wandered around Sydney train stations and streets for the evening. We had a blast, and really enjoyed our meal at Retro Cafe next door to the theatre before the show.

Saturday I went with Katie to my hairdressers for a MUCH needed haircut!! I had to cancel a couple of weeks ago due to my vertigo/virus. I am now thrilled to be sporting a fringe once again, along with a couple of inches off the length … woohoo!!! 😀

While we were there we also decided to go the whole hog and had a beauty session while the other person was having a haircut. I got my eyebrows shaped and had my … shock, horror … first EVER pedicure!!! Oh boy, was it lovely – I enjoyed every minute of the pampering. I’ve been a tad stressed at work fairly recently, so it was really good to chill out and do nothing for the morning. Unfortunately, though, I was so exhausted afterwards (thanks to an early morning start) I ended up having a nana nap in the early evening … which didn’t help with the evening sleeping ritual … I ended up getting back up at 10pm and continued stitching my pin pillow exchange piece!

Sunday saw me getting up relatively late, but the entire day was spent in front of the gogglebox clearing up the hard-drive and watching Medium, Ghost Whisperer, Fringe and Good News Week episodes … but I DID manage to get the final stitches into my pin pillow exchange, and made it up in the little pillow … now it’s sitting in its padded envelope waiting for a visit to the Post Office during the week 😀

After finishing my exchange piece, I started a new Christmas ornament from an old JCS issue that I’d already got kitted up from a couple of years ago – I made an OK start into that one while watching TV last night … and I’ll put a few more stitches into it tonight.

Tomorrow I’m heading off to my GP to check a few things checked out – my lightheadedness continues, unfortunately, so I’m going to ask to get my blood pressure checked out. I’ve also had really bad acid reflux over the last few months, so that’s also on the list … better to be safe than sorry, I guess! And on that note, it’s time to go get some soup for dinner and settle in front of the TV for an hour or two 🙂

Cross Stitch, Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Stash, Works in Progress

Nunning and … What, more stash????

4 March, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

The parcels have been coming in thick and fast this week … from orders that were placed right after Christmas but finally arriving – these are all from big sales held from two separate stores … and I’m still awaiting for my recent order from SB&B with my missing thread so I can continue with Sapphire Star (gotta make the most of that postage – although I have already braced myself for a looooong wait!!!). Let’s just say that these orders are what prompted me to declare I’m going on a stash diet … ‘cos when I have a splurge I don’t do it by halves (although I don’t have one that often these days, so perhaps it does me good to have a big blow-out once a year)!!!

Back row: Heart in Hand-Snow; Imaginating-Seashell Silhouette; The Cat’s Whiskers-Queen Anne’s Lace; Laura J Perin-Halloween; M Designs-Miss Mary Mac’s Pins & Needles Pincushion
Centre row: Heart in Hand-Wee Santa 2008; Erica Michaels-Random Thoughts of Spring; Cross-Stitch & Needlework Nov 07 & Jan 10; JABC button packs-Christmas wreath & lights, SB’s Be Attitudes, Bent Creek’s Autumn Snapperland
Bottom row: Heart in Hand-Birds; LHN-Loving & Faithful; LHN-Gentle & Kind; LHN-Queen Bee; LHN-Pear Tree

Prairie Moon-Merry Xmas; Laura J Perin-Mallard Duck Collage; Shepherd’s Bush-Baby Bug Ball; Milady’s Needle-Peacocks Rule (and the ruler needed for it); GAST-Brethren Blue; JABC button pack-Waxing Moon’s Halloween Stack; WDW 30ct Guacamole linen; Shepherd’s Bush-Mummy button

The Prairie Moon design is for my friend/flatmate’s Christmas gift – she’s not quite a ‘goth’, but she loves Green Day and a LOT heavier music than I do, and she loves skulls and goth type stuff … and she joked that she really really wants to have a white Christmas tree with black ornaments on it, with a skull instead of a fairy/star on top of the tree … well, as soon as I saw the Merry Xmas chart, I just HAD to get it for her!!! Hopefully she’ll like it 😀

One of the orders above, I placed it just so I could receive the Bent Creek snapperland border accessories (ie snaps and JABC buttons for both Summer and Winter Snapperlands) – these were ordered the same night I finished stitching Summer Snapperland … alas the order just arrived this week … withOUT the borders packs – they hadn’t been ordered right from the start, even though I’d sent clarifying emails with the product code etc … hmmm, oops 😦

I picked the second of these orders up a couple of days ago, and haven’t managed to get back to the PO Box since … I’ll now have to wait until Monday before I can go back there again, as Katie and I are taking a cab into work tomorrow … ‘cos it’s Sound of Music night tomorrow night!!! … and I’ll be dressing up as a Nun and getting a little bit tipsy (I wonder if I could hide a hipflask under those voluminous skirts?? LOL). I’ll get Katie to take a photo tomorrow so I can share it with you all. Alas Katie didn’t want to come to the store to try on the outfits tonight so I had to try it on and send her photos via the mobile camera – unfortunately she tried hers on tonight when we got home and she hates it, so she’s a bit unhappy about it. I feel bad that she’s lost her $50 hire fee for nothing … but I’m really happy with my nun’s outfit (I had my heart set on going this year dressed as a nun, even if it meant getting dressed up on my own), and I’m looking forward to the night out 😀

We’ve been really tired this week, so haven’t really been online much at all – sorry Mum, I haven’t obviously uploaded the photo memes this week either – maybe over the next week I’ll load up a few advance ones so I won’t have to keep missing out 🙂

I have managed to get 2/3 of my exchange stitching completed this week, though, and hopefully should see the rest finished by the end of the weekend. Alas I can’t share until it’s finished and the recipient receives it – fingers crossed she likes it … here’s a teeny tiny sneak peak … really teeny tiny! LOL 😉

And on that note, it’s time to hit the mattress, as my alarm will now be going off earlier than normal and it’s gonna be a really busy day …

Christmas Ornaments, Cross Stitch, Finishing

A spot of Christmas ornie finishing

25 February, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

At least I managed to stitch up 7 ornie sides before my sewing machine packed up … here are 6 I managed to fully complete last night – the last remaining one is for my tutorial, and I prefer to wait until the weekend when I’ll have better daylight for the photos … now I’m off to sit in front of the goggle box for an hour or two to chill out – TGIF tomorrow! 😀

PS: I should add that this isn’t all my handiwork – only the top left and top right ornaments were stitched by my own fair hand … the other four beauties were stitched by my Mum 😀

Elizabeth's Designs, Finishing, Needlebook, Stash

Needlebook finish … finally!

23 February, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

This has been sitting around since 2007 for it to be turned into a needlebook – how do I know? ‘cos I dated the back!! I was panicking about doing the finishing, and as you can see from the below photos attaching the lining is FAR from perfect, and well it just doesn’t sit as nicely as I had hoped … but it’s done now, which feels awesome! I haven’t touched much of my finishing pile since everything got put into storage 2 1/2 years ago, but eventually now I’d like to start building up my finishing confidence once again and get back into the saddle …

I also started doing a quick cushion finish of a few Christmas ornies yesterday, and have been using one of them for a tutorial – that should be completed over the next few days, depending on what time I get home from work this week!

I also started doing a quilted wallhanging of Mum’s Prairie Schooler Santas, but a spool of thread I’d had sitting on the machine fell into the bobbin spooler while I was loading up a new bobbin on the top of the machine, and all of a sudden it started jamming and the entire bobbin spooler popper up … now my machine is just jamming all the time, which is a real bugger … so off to the repair shop it goes, and my quilted wallhanging and all those other finishing jobs that need the machine are once again put on hold, ho-hum.

Oh well, to brighten the day I did unpack my teeny tiny stash splurge from The Ribbon Rose – as you can see I didn’t buy much, just a couple of ribbons, some beads, some size 22 needles (for my canvaswork) and some red fabric for my finishing of Random Hearts into a little cushion – and some hand-dyed pearl cotton for hardanger class I’d like to start this year (for a cushion). Next time I go I’ll be armed with my wishlist 😉

Cross Stitch, Periwinkle Promises, Works in Progress

Pinkeep received and latest WIP

22 February, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

Sharon let me know that my angel pinkeep reached its destination safely – and that she likes it, yay 😀 Sharon has a wee angel collection as she loves angels, and as soon as I found that out years ago that little angel ornament became Sharon’s in my heart … it’s just taken me a few years to finally stitch up the personalisation on the back and decide to finish it into a pinkeep. Sharon re-wrote in her blog post about how we first came to meet – that story always makes me smile! 😀

As for me, I only did a teeny bit of stitching while I was in NZ – I didn’t take my lapframe with me, so had to hold my Qsnap in hand, which apart from slowing my stitching down, it also makes my left hand cramp up. Mum had a good suggestion to buy another one and leave one there, so that she can use it day-to-day, and I can borrow it when I come over to visit … great thinking, Mum!! I now have until October to get cracking and get one ordered from Artisan Design (the Elan lapframe).

At least I managed to put a couple of small bands into the piece, though, and last night I finished the stitching on the zig-zag band of Mosaic stitch. Now I just have a row of snowmen to stitch on the bottom, and two more rows of long-armed cross stitch, then it’s ready for finish-finishing into a wee pillow. Sorry for the crappy photo – I’ll take a better one with close-ups of the stitches once it’s all finished … in the meantime this’ll make do 😉

“January Sampler Accent” by Periwinkle Promises (kit)

The kit came with two pieces of linen – one plain one for the back. As I have a few more of these charts on loan from a friend that aren’t obviously kits, I’m tossing up whether to save the backing linen for those designs instead, and just using the sewing machine to sew a fabric backing on – while it won’t be finished as ‘neatly’ as hand-sewing using a whipstitched back stitch, it might make better use of the fabric???

Today I have a HUGE list of things that need to be done, so I’d better get off the computer and start making headway through it. First things first, stripping my bed and getting my washing started, then I can come back upstairs and start finishing a couple of items off ready to be parcelled up and posted. Although I’m also tempted to sit and finish this project first so I can finish that on the machine as well … oh, so many things to do, so little time … LOL. Perhaps I should just content myself with my gift finishing first, and then do the Periwinkle Promises piece tonight in front of the gogglebox … but then again, I’m very bad at doing things I ‘should’ be doing LOL.

Cross Stitch, Finishes, Works in Progress

Small Finish and a Birthday

16 February, 20106 April, 2014 Anne S

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! 🙂

Beading, Cross Stitch, Erica Michaels, scissor fobs, Works in Progress

Final fobs, Thanks, and a New Start

11 February, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

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”

Canvaswork, Laura J Perin, Sapphire Star, Works in Progress

Sapphire Star Update

6 February, 201025 February, 2012 Anne S

Alas, I probably won’t get too much further once I finish the outside border until my missing thread is ordered and arrives. The only other blocks I can probably complete at this stage are ones that have long-ish satin stitches, and I’d rather leave those until the very last to make sure I don’t snag them. In the meantime, though, I still have a wee bit of border left to go yet, so that’s OK. Here’s the progress as I left it last night:

I must say, though, I have got a SERIOUS case of startitis … I have a major urge to start many different designs at the moment, all relatively small ones though – I’m quite honestly thinking of giving myself the rest of the month to just pick and choose and start what the heck I like … I’ve opted to have a low-key birthday this year and not celebrate (to be honest, my mind is more on the sadness of the memorial service and not my birthday beforehand) … so perhaps this can be my birthday treat to myself – and on that note, I just may spend the rest of the weekend throwing fabric and threads together and kitting a few things up 😀

In the meantime, though, I have to now hit the road and drive my elderly neighbour to a travel agent … long story, but this is certainly the better option than the alternative 😉

I also haven’t decided yet whether to bother doing the Photo Hunt today … the theme of “average” leaves me feeling … well … “Average” 😛