Category: Cross Stitch

Finishes

Another ornie stitched

Anne S

I can’t believe it’s been a full week since I’ve done any stitching, but today I was lazy and sat and stitched up another ornament … I don’t have the Mill Hill Treasures, but I figure it looks OK without them 🙂 That means project 18 crossed off the list – down to 32 left woohoo 😀 I also washed and ironed my cream Belfast linen ready to start the Chatelaine Leporello, now I just need to grid it up and start stitching …


Christmas Eve by Elizabeth’s Designs
from JCS 10th Anniversary Collection
stitched on 28ct lambswool linen
with recommended threads and beads

Finishes, Needlerolls, Stitching Smalls

It never rains, it pours … & I’m flooding!

Anne S

Edited to add this positive news:

Tonight I decided to start a new project, being Sapphire Star canvaswork by Laura J Perin … after getting everything out, and making a working copy of the chart, I realised I’d goofed … I thought I had everything aside from the one thread that’s still on back order from months ago, only to find I don’t have any 18″ stretcher bars … doh! Oh well, it’s not as if I don’t have any other projects to choose from …

Instead I frogged the bottom band on my A Stitcher’s Needleroll by Lorri Birmingham … actually I ended up frogging part of it twice! Firstly to fix the error in the chart by removing the extra space between the body of the design and the bottom band (it was bugging me, and I couldn’t just leave it in) … then because I’d thrown all the kit threads out, thinking it was finished at the start of September, I re-kitted using the colour key … the second bit of frogging was due to misprint in the colour key (geez, I love Lorri Birmingham designs, but I seriously HATE all the chart errors!!!) – I ended up dragging my 500 series of threads out and colour matching with the rest of the finished stitching. I also subbed the bright pink ribbon, thinking a nice purple one would blend nicely, and it’s finally finished into an actual needleroll – which means I can finally add it to my 50 Projects tally … the stitching was done just prior to signing up, but it was within the official starting date of the rules – my compromise was that I wouldn’t add it to my tally until it was finish-finished … and now I can woohoo 😀
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
A Stitcher’s Needleroll by Lorri Birmingham
stitched from the kit contents
Photo compliments of Photobucket … bah humbug Blogger!
*********************************
Well, the good times just keep on rollin’ in my neck of the woods! Today I was worried I hadn’t heard from Mum and she said she’d phone today … so I thought I’d give her a quick call, only to find the home phone not working. The phone line is fine, as my PC is working with the internet with no problems … but I can’t get a true dial tone and use my home phone. A quick test using my mobile phone and it’s ringing on my mobile, but not ringing on the home phone … which means it’s likely my home phone needs to be replaced! I just cancelled my ‘messaging’ service on my home phone to save money, so the next phone will have it’s own answerphone … I guess my new phone will be my next ‘essential’ purchase. I could actually do without a home phone if it wasn’t for keeping up to date with Mum, and that’s critically important for me.

Anyway all I can say is “bring it on!!!!” … perhaps you can think of something else to add to the ever-increasing list of crappy events before the holiday season is over … well I’m not caving in!!! OK, that’s my rant for the night … now I’m off to sulk in my stitching corner to focus on all the positive things in my life right now … I refuse to let this latest event get me down! Mind you, with the way my financial situation is going, my 50 Projects Challenge may end up as a 100 Projects Challenge haha … although I’m likely to run out of DMC by then LOL. Right, I’m off to start something new to cheer myself up!

And on another negative note, I can’t believe it, but some thieving scumbag has stolen quilts from Amitie Textiles in Bentleigh … I’m absolutely gobsmacked that someone could do this. Here’s the link to the announcement on their blog … I thought I’d mention it in case any of my Melbourne readers are interested. I’m still shaking my head in disgust!

Now I also have a request from you – do any of you have any wonderful tried-and-tested bread recipes for a breadmaking machine, that don’t use a million different ingredients (or even those that do)? I have used a couple of recipes from the machine’s instruction manual that are good, but I also have a cookbook especially for bread machines, and the three loaves I’ve made so far have been dismal, and the book’s going out in the bin! I’d love to find some good recipes out there for trialling 😀 And another apology to Mum – if you don’t hurry up and get over here for a holiday, there’ll be no beer left … I have another loaf of Wholemeal beer and mustard bread baking … my fave recipe so far – guess who’s having cheese and pickle sandwiches for lunches next week again? haha.

Finishes

Happy Dancing!!

Anne S

And a great big happy dance it is too! Today I put the final stitches into Pacific Pohutukawa … and seeing as the Pohutukawa is the New Zealand Christmas tree, it’s finished at an appropriately festive time of year 😀 I have to say, though, my right thumb is quite tender after dragging the thread through those corner Pohutukawa flowers … and if I don’t see another skein of DMC Rayon or Metallic thread over the next 12 months, it’ll be too soon!! LOL. Actually the scan doesn’t do the colours justice – they’re extremely vibrant! 😀


Pacific Pohutukawa by Jen’s Jems
stitched as charted
with recommended fabric and threads

It also means my stretcher bars are now freed up ready to start my Laura J Perin piece woohoo 🙂 And seeing as Blogger photo uploading is playing nicely today, here are the next two ornies I put the finishing touches into yesterday.


Merry Yule by Erica Michaels Designs
2005 JCS Christmas ornament magazine
stitched on 32ct natural Belfast linen
with recommended threads and embellishments


Christmas Tree by Elizabeth’s Designs
2005 JCS Christmas ornament magazine
stitched on 32ct white Belfast linen
with recommended threads and beads

That means another 3 projects off my 50 Project Challenge … leaving me with 34 left to go, I think – woohoo! 😀

Finishes, RAK Registry

RAK Registry & Ornies

Anne S

Thanks to everyone who has supported the RAK Registry database (for stitching bloggers) to date – this has been a really fun project to coordinate. For those who have asked, there is no deadline to sign up for this, as it’s an ongoing project – you just need to send me an email with your details, and I’ll enter you into the blog database immediately. You can either send me an email requesting the questions, or just copy and paste the following and email your answers straightaway to mailto:shakatak@iinet.net.au :). Then if you want to send someone a RAK just drop me a line and I’ll send you their full contact details. Likewise if there’s someone you’d like to send to, and they’re not in the database, drop me a line with their blog details, and I’ll approach them with a request to sign up, or to get their contact details … then they still don’t know who it’s coming from so there’s still a surprise element attached 🙂

A link to the RAK Registry blog is in my sidebar, if you want to check it out. Thanks again for the support, my fellow stitching pals.

First/screen name:
Blog name/URL:
Fave colour(s):
Fave designer(s):
Fave styles of designs/stitching styles:
Fave thread types/brands:
Fave fabric(s) (eg count/colour/type):
Any dislikes (eg colours, design styles etc):
Pets/children:
Birthday:
Withlist URL:
Any small RAK’s that would be enjoyed (eg tea sachets, stationery, chocolate, fridge magnets, postcards etc):
Favourite holiday(s):
Holiday(s) not celebrated/liked:
Full name and mailing address:

As for me, while I was in ostrich mode with my head in the sand yesterday it left my hands (and mind) free to stitch … I managed to put the finishing touches into an ornie I started during the night shifts (the only reason to love that shift is that I get chance to pick up a needle very now and then inbetween calls ‘cos there’s no management around haha) – I didn’t have the right overdyed threads, so I substituted the WDW Kudzu for NN Grecian Olive, and Crescent Colors Blue Moon with NN Blue is Blue – I also swapped 28ct fabric for 32ct to make it slightly smaller … I think it still turned out OK.

Photobucket - Video and Image HostingWinter’s Eve by Country Cottage Needleworks
from JCS 2006 Christmas Ornament magazine
stitched on 32ct natural Belfast
with thread substitutions
I also managed to put the final stitches into two more ornies as well that have been sitting here just waiting for the embellishments to be added. I haven’t taken any piccies/scans yet, though, so they’ll have to wait until later and I’ll add them in. Hopefully by then Blogger will be playing ball with photos again, as I’ve been having to use Photobucket for the last two posts 😦 Perhaps they’re giving me the un-subtle hint to hurry up and move to Beta haha.

All these ornies are destined for a home elsewhere … unfortunately they won’t be gracing someone else’s tree for this Christmas due to financial constraints, but they will be sent out some time in the New Year ready for next Christmas …

And talking of ornies, Nicki and I are discussing having a Christmas ornie SAL on the 4th weekend of every month, and wonder if you’d be interested in joining us? I’ve cheated and copied most of Nicki’s post to save me being witty and thinking something up … and Nicki’s is perfect already

From the words of Nicki:

“Christmas is nearly here and I’ve realised that trying to do all my Christmas stitching in two weeks isn’t a great idea! So Anne and I are thinking of organising a monthly Christmas ornament SAL for next year.

The idea is to stitch one ornament each month, so at the end of the year we’ll have lots of pretties to give as gifts or put on trees. We’ll stitch on the fourth weekend of each month. (That seems to be what works best for everyone who’s answered so far).

If you’d be interested, let one of us know. You wouldn’t have to stitch each month of course. It’d just be a fun way of getting some Christmas ornaments stitched through the year and relieving the pre-Christmas rush!”

I’ve really missed doing an ornie SAL for the latter half of this year, and hopefully this will motivate me again into stitching every month … I’m actually thinking of making my own personal goal to stitch two every month so I get to keep an odd one or two as well as give them away, but I’ll still be happy with getting one done

Finishes, Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Picture heavy post!

Anne S

I remembered to take a piccie of my wee Christmas tree during the daylight yesterday – even though it’s only tiny (121cm/4ft tall), it really makes my place feel festive 🙂 My dream is to get a bigger tree, though, so perhaps next year I’ll be able to treat myself 😀 I love the LED lights I have on this tree, they really pack a punch at night!

This piccie is very very sad 😉 I bought this half tree last year in the sales when I decided to start making Christmas ornies myself … last year I just made the one, and it looks so lonely on there all by itself! LOL.

I figured the little half tree would be good just especially for my home made ornies, until I can get a bigger tree later (and I figured it would take me quite a while to stitch enough for a bigger tree). But because it looks so sad, I just HAD to put a couple of my ornies together yesterday to give that poor orphan ornie some family to play with! 😉 Not entirely thrilled with my choices of finishing, but they’ll do (I’m going to replace the white cording on the pinkeep one to a dark blue cording instead next year – hence the reason they’re just pinned instead of permanently attached, although I like the pinkeep look!). I’m stitching one each year for myself with the date on it, and this year that’s my Elizabeth’s Designs Christmas tree one.

Actually, these photos make it look like they’re all taken on different furniture! In fact the left one is hanging off my stitching recliner, but the other two are hanging off my lounge suite … the true colour of the suite is midway between the two piccies – I can’t get a true life piccie of that any time I try!

I have to admit, I really really miss our Christmas ornie SAL on the FGBB – it was a great motivator to get something stitched every month. As soon as the BB stopped, so did my ornie stitching 😦 Maybe I need to set myself a weekend every month and get back into it again next year! Hmmm …

The rest of the photos are for Mum’s sake … my little flat is coming apart at the seams – literally! The landlord is aware of the surface cracking, and he reported it to the Body Corporate months ago, but it’s got a lot worse recently, so a call to the landlord is in order again, me thinks. Apparently all those beautiful avenue of elm trees out the window are what’s causing the subsidence … thanks to their far-reaching and huge roots! Mum reckons I’m going to wake up one morning with the roof on my head LOL.

Rightio, back to it … I’m not sure what, but I know I should be doing ‘something’ – I had a shocking nights sleep last night, so I’m feeling a bit aimless today … fingers crossed I’ll be able to nap for an hour or so later on before work 🙂

Gifts TO BE FIXED, RAK Registry, SBQ

SBQ & RAK photo

Anne S

I didn’t want to lose Isabelle’s gorgeous RAK photo among all the other photos yesterday, so waited until today to give it it’s own wee place – finally here is my RAK in all its glory … complete with open box on the choccie haha. Thanks again Isabelle, it’s so so sweet of you {{hugs}}.

And for this week’s SBQ, here goes …

“How do you secure your thread when you begin a new one? Specifically,do you or have you ever used a waste knot?”

Yes, I use waste knots quite regularly when doing specialty stitches, as a lot of times there’s not much to anchor it on the back until you’ve worked a few stitches. Have to say I hate doing it, as it wastes thread and I hate having to cut off the knots and reweave the ends through at the end 😦 Unfortunately, though, it’s sometimes a necessary evil! If I’m using overdyed threads, and I have a solid line to stitch, I’ll put a small knot in the end of the thread, take the needle down into the fabric in the middle of the line, about an inch away from where I’m going to stitch, then back up at the beginning to start stitching – that way I’m stitching over the line and catching the ‘tail’ under my stitching as I go, and I cut the knot off at the back as I get closer and the tail is well anchored. If I’m using plain ol’ DMC I do a ‘loop start’ usually.

The RAK Registry is almost finished (just tidying up of the sidebars etc), and I’ve made a little ‘blinkie’ in my Links sidebar here which takes you straight to the RAK blog. Hopefully more people will join in and fill in those spaces in the alphabet, and this will be a good resource for the days to come. If you think you’d like to see someone’s details on there, either let them know about it, or drop me a line with their blog details and I’ll send them an email saying I’ve had a request to have them join in the fun 🙂 I’ve really enjoyed setting this up for us! 😀

Finishes, RAK Registry

Coffee Menu & RAK’s

Anne S

My feet were tapping in a small happy dance late last night … I managed to put the final stitches into Coffee Menu, which is not bad going seeing as I didn’t start until Sunday (not Friday as I mentioned yesterday – it was Friday to me, as it was the last day of ‘my’ weekend so that was a bit of a Freudian slip haha). I really enjoyed stitching this one.


Coffee Menu by Little House Needleworks
Stitched on hand-dyed 32ct Pipi Belfast linen by Country Stitch
using recommended threads

Next up will hopefully be Sapphire Star canvaswork by Laura J Perin, although I’m not sure it’s worth starting it yet, as the one thread I have on back order seems to be the main thread in both the outside border and the inside … I’ll make a decision later, though, as today is going to be spent tidying the place up and getting more Christmas decorations out to cheer up my little flat.

I got paid this week and just have enough for Mr Taxman if I don’t spend a single cent for the next fornight, but seeing as I have petrol to pay plus a couple of extra essentials for shopping (think female monthly items), he’s going to have to wait an extra fortnight now until next payday. At least I now know I will definitely be able to pay him then, which is a big weight off my shoulders. I’m also spending non-essential money tonight by going out to dinner … this has been planned for at least 3-4 months with girls from work, so I really want to go – I’ve turned down over 4 dinners and social occasions recently, including the big Christmas party next weekend, due to lack of money, but I think I really need this … I just have to choose something cheaper on the menu, and by driving I won’t be drinking – the night out will do me good, I think! 🙂

Thanks for all the positive comments about the ‘RAK Registry’ … if you like, for all those who comment they think it’s a good idea, I’ll pop an email out to you with all the questions, then if you want to have your preferences added you can email it all back to me and I’ll start loading them up next week some time.

Until the next time, enjoy your week 😀

PhotoHunt, SBQ

SBQ & PhotoHunt

Anne S

I’m not really in the blogging mood of late – too much going on in my head, I think. I have a tendency to internally smother my emotions, especially with stress etc … and have been known to make myself physically ill due to it – apparently this has happened ever since I was a child. I’ve been trying to repress all the financial stress, and I’ve been managing OK, but it’s also put me a bit in ‘zombie mode’ because of it this last week. Yesterday, though, my car was looked at and nothing major is wrong, which is a huge relief. Now all I have to do is sit down today and pay all my month’s major bills (including Mr Tax Man hopefully), then I think I’ll settle down a bit emotionally again. I ended up working again last night due to a stuff-up in the roster, and they were desperate for someone to cover “my” shift (I’d taken the day off to go to Sydney), so I offered to help them out again and work. I hate the 6pm-2am shifts, and that probably hasn’t helped my mood over the last few days, as it really affects my sleep patterns. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll perk up in a couple of days time.

“Do you stitch Christmas ornaments? If so, how many do you stitch each year and for whom? If not, why not?”

Actually, it’s only been through blogging that I’ve learnt how beautiful home stitched ornies are – and I made my first ones just in the nick of time for last Christmas. This year it was my hope to make some for gifts, but I’m not doing too well hmmm (plus my financial situation is putting a damper on my plans too, and that’s probably part of the reason I haven’t stitched as many as I’d planned to yet). Perhaps next year I’ll be more organised! I did make and finish one for Mum this year, which will be an ongoing tradition for us now. I still don’t feel very confident at finishing them, so I need to make a few more to get more confident, I think.Now on to this week’s Photo Scavenger Hunt …


|

Today’s theme is “Plush” … this photo taken months ago fits the bill for me this week 🙂

An archival theme was “Cold” … I couldn’t choose between two photos, so here they both are – first J & V (my very best friend in NZ) learning how to snowboard, and second the snowy mountain ranges are compliments of the South Island of New Zealand, I just love that photo! 😀

SBQ, Works in Progress

SBQ and a bit of Bordeaux

Anne S

Thanks for all your wonderful comments about Su’s scissor fob – I’m still blushing from all the lovely words of praise 🙂

Last night I decided I still wasn’t happy to put the needles down for the night, so did a couple of hours on Bordeaux Sampler – seeing as I didn’t do my stitching on it before Friday, I figured a couple of days late would be OK 😉 For the life of me I can never get a good photo of this one – but I just have the bottom band left and the two sides, all of which are a combination of backstitched leaves/vines and Rhodes stitch grapes, then band number two is completely finished. I’ve been looking ahead to the upcoming bands and my heart is sinking already at the sight of all the over-one grapes coming up {heavy sigh} LOL. I’d really like to get this piece finished by the end of 2007, if possible.

It’s finally time to answer the week’s SBQ before the next one comes out! Today’s SBQ was suggested by Jan and is:

“How many different brands of “complete” embroidery floss sets do you own? How do you keep track of it? (ie, spread sheet program, indexcards, palm pilot, etc)”

That’s very easy to answer – the only “complete” collection I have is of DMC. I’m slowly adding to my over-dyed collections as I come across colours I need for projects, but I’ll never bother getting the entire collections, as I simply won’t use them all. I used to keep an up-to-date inventory on my Cross Magic database of my DMC, but since I gave about 80+ skeins to Mum as a gift to start up her own collection, I haven’t updated things … maybe I’ll get around to that again … one day 😉 Other than that all my other threads are catalogued in Cross Magic – it makes it very very handy when kitting up new projects, as I can see at a glance what I have/don’t have.

On a positive front, today is finally pay-day, and I’m sooooo grateful! I’ve only spent $15 on groceries over the last fortnight (and that was only recently seeing as it was close to payday and no more working days left, so I knew I could go without any further spending), and I’m looking forward to getting my car checked out tomorrow, and my tax bill paid, so I know what money (if any) I have left over for the next fortnight. I’m no longer stressing over it – I figure if the tax bill has to be paid in two hits, so be it … it would be really nice to get some fresh food this week, though 🙂

Finishes, Needlerolls

2nd post today …

Anne S

I’ve been on a stitching roll (no pun intended), and managed to both start and finish the stitching of my needleroll for this weekend’s SAL. I stitched Summer Solstice by Eventide Designs. I changed the wording, though, to cover the summer months ‘down under’ – instead of stitching June, July, August, I recharted the wording to be Dec – Jan – Feb (after checking out the Winter Solstice chart online) 😀 I wasn’t too sure what else to put in place of the ‘American’ flag on the top band, and I quite like it anyway, so left it as it was designed. I’ve been really keen to stitch this ever since I bought the chart, so I’m thrilled to finally have it completed. I’ll wait to do the actual finishing when I have a few needlerolls to make up. Anyway, here’s the stitching piccie:


Summer Solstice by Eventide Designs
Stitched on 28ct hand-dyed dried thyme Jobelan
with the recommended threads

That also means finish number 11 off my 50 projects challenge list – only 39 left to go woohoo 😀

Next up is to get a few more stitches into a birthday gift – now my Kreinik braid is here I need to get cracking and get it finished. Then I need to get a few more Christmas ornies stitched. Housework? … What housework??? LOL.