Category: Cross Stitch

Blogging Memes, SBQ

SBQ’s and a Meme

Anne S

I’m soooo behind with the SBQ’s so here goes, with everything all at once! Most recent is first …

15 February – Today’s SBQ was suggested by Heather and is:

“Comment on your comments (giving and recieving): Do you love comments or hate them? Do you check them every day, never check them, or find them helpful? And finally, are you convinced no one is reading your blog if you don’t get any?”

I love this question, and it’s one that’s very easy to answer … I LOVE getting comments. That’s the way I’ve found some more wonderful blogs to read that I wasn’t already aware of. When I first started blogging last year I clicked on other peoples links and found new blogs that way, but when people started leaving comments I didn’t do it that way anymore (or rarely) – I always pop over to a new commenter’s blog to read it, and most of the time have found some real treasures that way. In fact, I know there are people out there who read my blog but don’t comment – I’d really love it if you left a quick comment – even just to say who/where you are – so I can return the favour 🙂 I’d love to know who reads it, and where you’re located!

I feel guilty at the moment because I haven’t been reading blogs much, and now have 410 unread posts, but I don’t want to miss anything and will still go back and read every single one, even if I don’t comment on each post (in fact I’m allocating 3 hours of today to get through at least some of them). I think leaving comments shows you care/support the other stitcher, and I like to give back the support and love that I’ve been given. If nobody comments on my post, I don’t feel as though no-one is reading, just that it’s not a post that generates a response – sometimes I’ll read a post and enjoy it, but it doesn’t drive me to respond because I have nothing to contribute, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t enjoyed reading it.

As for reading them, I have it set up that I receive all my comments via email, and it automatically gets sent to a separate folder in my inbox – I read everything else, and leave my comments folder until last … ‘cos it always leaves me feeling positive at the end. So yeah, I love ’em!

8 February – today’s SBQ was suggested by Nancy and is:

“Describe your “perfect” project. (Include the designer or specific pattern, the fabric, the floss, and anything else that would make that project “perfect” for you.)”

OK, the ‘perfect’ design would be a stitching ‘small’ of some sort, incorporating bright turquoise and cobalt blue silk threads (Gloriana would have to be the ultimate brand), stitched on 32ct linen. In the ultimate fantasy, it’d be stitched on a balcony somewhere on a balmy day where the sun is just bright enough to give the perfect light, without being hot, and your fingers never getting ‘sticky’ – rainbow lorikeets would be chattering in full view, and ducks swimming around in the pond below the balcony. My floss wouldn’t tangle, and frogs would be non-existent …

Alternatively, I would be sat in a comfy recliner, with my favourite DVD’s on, and a daylight bulb giving the perfect light, and stitching whatever was on my scroll bar at the time – oh, hang on, that’s what I usually do … hmmm, maybe my normal stitching area isn’t too far from my own version of ‘perfect’ after all 🙂

1 February – Today’s SBQ was inspired by Renee’s visit with Dawn and is:

“With the exception of your online stitching friends, do you have any other stitching buddies?”

I’ve never had stitching buddies in real life – none of the people I know stitch, and the only way I’ve had interaction with other stitchers in the past is to sign up for classes. Since I’ve started blogging, though, I’ve met some amazingly talented and generous/kind natured stitchers online, and more recently met two of those face-to-face in my own fair city, so hopefully in the future I’ll be able to give a different answer as relationships get forged 🙂

18 January – Today’s SBQ is:

“Have you had a happy dance yet this year? If so, tell us about it! (Or just point to the entry that talks about it.) If not, when do you predict it will be?”

Yep, I had my first happy dance quite quickly … in fact I’ve had speedy needles for the early part of the year, but more recently had a bit of a stitching slump (just starting to make up for it again, though). My first happy dance was here – it was the Love needleroll ornament by Jeannette Douglas Designs, in the 2005 JCS Christmas Ornament issue.

* * * * * * * * * *

Also, I got the following from Jenna’s blog, which started in Melissa’s blog, and it seemed like a fun thing to do … so anyone who reads it, count yourself as being tagged 🙂 You have to list 5 things that make you happy, right at this moment.

Five things that make me happy today
1. Looking at my birthday scrapbook from Vicki, with the sentiments and colours – it’s giving me warm fuzzies.
2. Knowing I’m now living in a relatively stress-free environment after 2 1/2 years of mentally ‘surviving’ – I can do what I want, when I want, and enjoy doing it. I’m happy just enjoying the silence.
3. Sat at my computer watching the birds fly past outside my window, and having a dedicated stitching chair/area where I can stitch whenever I feel like it – I’m happy about where I live.
4. Happy about all the birthday well wishes I’ve had from near and far (mostly from afar).
5. And like Jenna, I’m happy about all the wonderful friends I’ve made online – it’s teaching me to open my heart again and be the ‘giving’ and happy person I always used to be.
All-in-all, today I just feel “happy”! 🙂

Food, Gifts TO BE FIXED, Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Stash

Gob-smacked again – I LOVE the 40’s :)

Anne S

Today was another good day in ‘my world’ … I’ll get to the part that had me gob-smacked earlier today right until the end … but I won’t keep you too long before you can get there (unless the curiosity has got the better of you already, and you’ve left me here on my own, and already jumped to the bottom! LOL). I’m pretty tired tonight, so my apologies if I’m not too coherent. Anyway, back to business …

Yesterday was a wonderful mail day in general – in addition to Barbara’s gorgeous gift, I also received an Ebay win in the post. I have to admit that after my huge financial blow-out last year, I’ve been avoiding Ebay like the plague so I’m not tempted, but Sharon and Gina told me there was a XS book called Allura’s Australia in XS at a reasonable price – after seeing Sharon’s copy first-hand, I decided I definitely had to check this one out … so I did, and managed to win it for a sum total of AU$2.24 – daylight robbery on my part, is all I can say! I can’t believe a hardback book of 192 pages and oodles of charts could go for such a paltry sum!! I honestly do feel as though I’ve robbed the seller – with postage included it came to a total of AU$10.64 – crikey!!! Am I grinning? You betcha! Thumbs Up

The other wonderful thing to arrive is my black aida … finally!! It was supposed to arrive last week after being on backorder – but the supplier stuffed up and missed it off the back-ordered shipment, but it finally turned up yesterday. I was about to email off to the US organisers taking up an offer for them to send me some, as my Aussie supplier had fallen off the rails, but luckily it came through … and that means I can finally stitch up my block for the World Trade Center charity quilt … Cheerleader

So, that was my wonderful mail yesterday all sorted out … The other good news I had today is that I had an exam at work for another permanent Hotline role – it was supposed to be next week, but the Supervisor running it has finally got a surgery date to get her gallbladder out, in two weeks time, right when she was planning interviews … so we’ve been getting pulled in really quickly to sit the exam. And I passed, which means I’m at least over the first hurdle – 17 have applied for the job again, but I don’t know how many have got to the interview stage … but I’m now trying hard not to think about the outcome of the interview, as I’m appalling at interviews, and I wanted it too badly last time … this time I’m going to try to ‘go with the flow’ and not end up with a couple of weeks off with cluster migraines over the whole situation … what will be, will be!

OK, I’ve prattled on for long enough … on to the great mail day for today … oooh, no, before I do that, let me say I finally made the infamous Mars Bar slice today to take into work, and it went down a treat, with yet another two people wanting the recipe. Anyway, I figure it’s always such a winner with people, I’d share it here as well … if you decide to make it, your arteries will hate you for life, but your family, friends and loved ones that you share it with will love you for eternity LOL:

MARS BAR SLICE
Base:
3 x Mars Bars (approx 60g-65g each)
90g butter
3 cups rice bubbles
Topping:
200g milk chocolate
30g butter

Yup, that’s all there is in it – do you see why I said your arteries would hate you? haha.

Base: Melt together the Mars Bars and butter in a saucepan over a low heat, making sure not to let it burn – keep mixing until it’s a smooth creamy mixture (can take quite a bit of time). Mix in rice bubbles until they’re all coated, then press down into the base of a greased 19cm x 29cm lamington pan (or equivalent dish – I usually add baking paper as well, as it can be a pain to get out!). Spread with the topping, and devour! (I usually pop it in the fridge to set properly, especially when it’s roasting hot weather!)
Topping: Melt together the butter and milk chocolate over a pan of hot water (ie using a double-boiler).

Frazier heard I was making Mars Bar slice today and he put his orders in straightaway for me to save him some!

OK, now on to the best bit … you see, you always have to leave the best bits until last … Today I got an additional surprise in my PO Box (I really love my PO at the moment – they’ve left some wonderful surprises in that box!) – today I received a parcel from my very best friend of all time, Vicki, in New Zealand. Vicki and I have been best friends since we were 10 years old, so exactly 3/4 of my living days to date. Anyway, she is the most creative soul I’ve ever met – everything she touches creatively, she turns to gold … she works in the scientific realm for her work, and comes home and does all sorts of crafts … and every craft she has tried, she does it to perfection! If I didn’t adore her so much, I’d hate her for being so bl**dy perfect haha. She seriously is amazing, and I’m very very blessed to count her as my best friend. I would most definitely give her both my kidneys if she ever needed them! And she really out-did herself with this little creation!!

So, what did this gorgeous creature do for my birthday? She created the most amazing tribute to our friendship – she has gotten into scrapbooking in a big way I think, and has put together a concertina book with photos from our growing up years and memorable occasions … I’ll photograph and scan the images so I can share it with you …

Above is a photo of the other gifts as well, and I adore them all – another duck for my ever-growing collection (but I’ll never ever have enough LOL) (the little duck was chosen by little Orion – boy, did he choose well!), and a lovely hand-bound book by a bookmaker (Rhonda Niven) in Motueka, Nelson. For those of you who are non-Kiwis, that’s a fantail on the cover … and of course everything is in my absolutely favourite colours (yep, turquoise is definitely my all-time favourite of all the blues). OK, on to the details of the concertina book Vicki made me … here is a scan of the cover:
And the four inside ‘pages’:

And inside each of these ‘pages’ there is a little page that pulls out – this is the most amazing part of it … I just love the contents of these!

I did say, though, that I’m glad I went to my PO Box before work and opened the gifts at work, ‘cos if I’d done it at home I would have bawled my eyes out, I am so touched and honoured by this wonderful gift. The sentiment behind this gift makes it a treasure beyond compare, and it’s something I’ll continue to treasure throughout my lifetime … Vicki, I love this gift with all my heart and then some … if someone today offered me a million dollars for it, I would turn them down. I’ve always longed to own something that Vicki’s created, and this exceeds all expectations … yep, definitely “gob-smacked” and feeling well and truly blessed! As stitchers we all know how much time and effort goes into making something, so this is truly a labour of love … and worth more than gold itself to me!

Finishes

Happy dance

Anne S

Thankfully the full-on migraine only lasted 24 hours … I picked up my needle at about 9.30pm last night, and stitched my little heart out for a few hours, finally putting everything down at 1am – just stitching for a short while helped me feel a bit more relaxed. And today I put the last stitches into my Thistle Treasure Bag by M Designs – not very often I get to finish an entire design in 24 hours, but the last few days has seen two done! My thistle just has to have it’s little bee charm attached to the top right of the thistle head, and then made up into a bag … but I think I’ll leave that until a bit later 🙂 Thanks Tobie for a project that was real fun to stitch! 😀

Image hosting by Photobucket

I’m finding that even just a short time spent on the computer today is straining my head a bit, so I’m keeping my PC time very very short to try and keep the migraine at bay a bit longer. Not sure what I’ll attack next …

Charity Stitching, Finishes, Home & Family TO BE FIXED

A day of mixed blessings

Anne S

Today started off quite sadly – by saying goodbye to Mum at the airport. I felt fine until she said goodbye at the departure gate, and I was teary-eyed all the way home. As much as it’s nice to get back to my routines, the flat feels very very quiet after having her company here for 2 months. Love you loads, Ma – and miss you already! Miss You

I was originally going to attend the Guild’s general meeting today after going to the airport, but I didn’t feel in the mood. Instead I came home and finished my second quilt block for Quilts4Kids – this is my second block for wee Emily T, stitched in its recommended colours, except I replaced the gold metallic thread with a plain yellow DMC … the next one will be the Batman theme for Jordan B.

I also finally managed to put together (well, it’s almost finished anyway) my first ever scrapbook page for Doreen (my best friend’s Mum). I don’t think it turned out too badly, but I still have one more page to complete. I cut up 3 different colours of paper to make up an alpine setting reminiscent of the Desert Road and Mt Ruapehu in the North Island of NZ – I have so many happy memories of our skiing days there, so I thought that would be an appropriate theme for me. I just need to add some words to the page, which I’m going to add along the snowline at the top of the ‘mountain’.

Hopefully I’ll be able to catch up on blogs this weekend – last time I looked I had over 200 unread posts again … you guys have been busy!! LOL. Look forward to seeing what you’ve all been up to while I’ve been ‘away’ :))

Charity Stitching, Finishes

First charity square finished!

Anne S


I was quite surprised how quickly this one stitched up last night, but I settled in front of Sleepless in Seattle and S.W.A.T. (nothing like a bit of variety LOL) last night on DVD and stitched my little heart out … the end result was to finish my first quilt square for little Emily T. I’ll send a separate email to the organisers and hopefully generate some response that way (thanks Barbara for the heads-up on that one!). Excuse the basting thread – but I wasn’t sure how big the piece would be, and left them in just in case I needed to add a border of some sort …

This morning I’ve been looking at spending more money again (yikes) – but once again it’s for a good cause. I signed up a couple of days ago to stitch a block for the World Trade Center quilt – I have my list of names all charted up in my software program, and just have to wait for my black aida to arrive (hence the online spending) … and in the meantime I’ve just signed up for another quilt block for Jordan B on Quilts4Kids who has a superhero theme. As charts are few and far between for these, I found a Batman logo (one of Jordan’s favourites) online and thought I’d try charting it up myself.

So much for my rotation continuing this year … it’s been out the window since Christmas, but it feels good to be doing something for others at the moment. I’m sure I’ll get back into a more regular routine again soon 🙂

Thanks for all your comments – greatly appreciated. And funnily enough, Nicki, I was just commenting to Mum on the drive home yesterday that I was wondering if I should try and catch up with some Auckland stitchers in May … you read my mind! 🙂 I’ll let you know closer to the time what days I’ll be over there, but Mum’s birthday is the 25th so it will either be the week before or the week after 🙂

Charity Stitching

Charity stitching

Anne S

OK, I finally bit the bullet today, after seeing a post a wee while ago by Barbara about charity stitching. I followed her link to Quilts4Kids, and realised they’re based here in Australia, and thought I’d try hard to get some charity squares stitched this year. I have to admit to having no real maternal instinct, and not being greatly ‘kid-orientated’ (although in saying that I enjoy time spent with the kids of my close friends), but the stories of what these poor wee mites have gone through in such a short life-span is heart wrenching. So, it’s time to finally put my needles to good use – my first charity squares (if they’re accepted) will be for wee Emily T, who loves butterflies. I’ve chosen to stitch two different flowers and butterflies from the World of XSing magazine, and will change one of the flower colours to purples as Emily loves pinks and purples. The squares are due by 15 April, so I should have plenty of time to get them stitched up and posted out. Then I hope to continue stitching one square a month, or at the least every 2 months. Unfortunately a lot of my stash that would be useful for this sort of stitching is still sitting at my parents home in Auckland, so Mum’s task when she gets home is to plough through all the folders to pick out some that would be useful, and see how much it would be to post some over (otherwise my suitcase will be getting jammed full of stitching charts when I go over for her 70th birthday in May!).

Aside from that, yet another non-stitching day … still hideously hot, and I have no real desire to pick up a needle – hence all the stitching planning instead 😉 It’s ‘Friday’ for me today, and I have the next two days off, and very very grateful – people on the phone were extremely cranky and outrageous with their demands today … I think the heat’s getting to everyone! With any luck, though, the temperatures are due to drop a bit next week, and I’ll get back into my stitching routine 🙂

Hope everyone’s been enjoying their weekends. Thanks for all your supportive comments as always – they’re wonderful to come home to 🙂

Stash, Works in Progress

Good mail day!

Anne S

It was a semi-decent stitching day for me today – the temperature dropped to about 25C during the day and was fantastic for sleeping last night. I actually woke up feeling human today, and couldn’t wait to pick up a needle again! I managed to catch up with assignment 3 of the Apricot Elegance SAL from the Stitching Smalls Yahoo group … I was surprised, though, with the colour of the pearl cotton I’m using – on the skein it looks quite turquoisey, but when you stitch it up on that fabric the mint/pale green shows up more. I had my heart set on using a brightish turquoise for my filling stitches etc, but now I’m a bit stumped, as the colours just won’t go! Oh well, it means we’re off to the LNS tomorrow to try to find a colour that will substitute. Even though it wasn’t my ‘perfect’ choice of colour, I have to admit that I really like it … it now reminds me of Monet’s waterlily paintings, which I adore 🙂 It just means I might not be able to finish this week’s assignment yet, until I decide on colours.

Usually on my days off, I don’t go anywhere near my PO Box, as it’s a 1/2 hour drive away … but I knew I was expecting some parcels, so curiosity got the better of me today and we took a trip out for a couple of hours to grocery shop and collect mail. And what a wonderful lot of surprises were awaiting me! I had some fabric from Country Stitch from their sales, as Linda is selling off all her plain colour linens etc and will just be selling hand-dyeds from now on – the two stash expenses I haven’t given up yet have been my FOTM clubs with both Country Stitch and Silkweaver. Anyway, my last FOTM of plain linens arrived from Linda late last week, but my mail today was ‘extra’. I also received my December FOTM from Silkweaver last week, a lovely colour called “Desert Sky” – a very nice neutral colour 🙂

The other exciting mail was some fabric from Dawn, that she dyed herself – and it is the most scrummy colour turquoise … serious drool material! Thanks Dawn, for a fantastic trade – Dawn got a Mirabilia chart, and I got the fabric … me thinks I got the better deal! LOL. Thanks again Dawn! 😀 And then last, but certainly not least, I received a chart from Karen – Quaker Huswif by Sampler Cove, that was on my wishlist … Karen, you’re a sweetheart – thanks again so much! I won’t be starting this one for a while yet, so I have plenty of time to drool over it in the meantime – and there are week-by-week SAL instructions on the Legacy BB, which will come in mighty handy when I do start it 🙂

I forgot to mention that I also had a nice surprise at work about two weeks ago – one of the guys that I’ve only just recently started working with on the Hotline, was watching me XS at work on the late shifts a couple of times, and mentioned that his Mum had left some stitching ‘bits and pieces’ after she’d passed away, and he’d try and find them for me. So, a few days later he trotted into work and gave me a few packets of needles and DMC threads, plus a piece of natural linen, and some beige/tan aida and hardanger fabric. Also a magnetic chart holder, and two charts – one of them is a chart full of alphabets, which is going t0 be oh so useful – how wonderful! I have to admit that I probably won’t use the beige/tan aida as it is, but I’m thinking of practising my dyeing on it. I felt very very touched that he thought of me – as he said, he’d rather it went to someone who would appreciate it, than just throwing it out … thanks Craig! 🙂

Rightio, off to watch the some more of my mail … “The Notebook” on DVD from Homescreen – what a dreadful night we have instore for us again … a bottle of chilled Marsanne wine, stitching and DVD’s – just awful! 😀

Cross Stitch, Gifts TO BE FIXED, Works in Progress

There is an Angel out there …

Anne S

… and her name is Tobie!! I hope Tobie doesn’t mind, but I have to share something that happened to me today … Work today has been exceptionally difficult, in that I started at 4am – that means the alarm went off at 3am … and I’ve really really struggled to get through my day until 2pm this afternoon. They were needing people for overtime from 4am-7am to help with handling ex-London calls … deciding I really need the money for my birthday dinner, I put my hand up … never, ever again will I do that! My rostered 5am starts are bad enough, 4am is just WRONG! LOL.

So, today I left work like a rat up a drainpipe as soon as the clock hit 2pm … I felt like death warmed up, and probably looked it too! Anyway, my PO Box is a short 5 minute walk from work (I figured that was a more stable address than my home living situation when I first moved here, so that made more sense having one near work … but I digress …) – I made my daily pilgrimage to post my mail, and pick up the day’s bills … only to get the surprise of my life – sitting in that little PO Box was a parcel … thinking it was my Silkweaver FOTM finally arriving, I thought ‘that’s nice’ and wandered out the PO again. Then I started looking at the envelope thinking it was quite large for SW – then I looked more closely … it was NOT from SW – it was from an angel in the name of Tobie. Now I have to admit I knew a gift was coming from Tobie … which you can see from the following piccies:


Before (my current snippet ‘bag’)

After (my new, beautiful snippet bag!)
However, that envelope seemed awfully large for a little snippet bag (and if you haven’t seen these on Tobie’s blog beforehand, you’re really missing out!) … Sure enough, Tobie didn’t stop there – inside that envelope/parcel was a little stitcher’s treasure trove, and my jaw hasn’t been removed from the floor ever since I opened it! Inside was the snippet bag (in a beautiful blue, of course!), along with a kit of the Thistle Bag from M Designs (which was on my wishlist) – not only that, but also the fabric that is suggested on the chart (a lovely Lakeside linen) … but she didn’t even stop there – tucked inside the snippet bag was the most adorable hand-dyed threads by an Oklahoma designer called Windy Hill Designs … WOW!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t know what I did to deserve all that spoiling, but I feel very very blessed. Thanks again, Tobie, from the bottom of my heart! You’re a real sweetheart!! {{hugs}}


I did manage to pick my jaw up for 1 1/2 hours tonight, though, to take me 1/4 of the way through my 10 hour rotation slot for a new piece – Le Jardin Silk Sampler from some 1998 JCS magazines … just to prove it, here’s the progress piccie – not too much to show for it though – I think I was so boggle-eyed with tiredness tonight, I was stitching at about half speed haha. And I’m an hour late getting to bed, so I’ll be moaning again tomorrow when the alarm goes off at 4am … {groan}

Finishes

I met the challenge!

Anne S


I was a bit slow off the mark, but today I took part in a 24-hour stitching challenge on the FGBB – we had from 7pm last night to 7pm tonight to stitch something small … I was so exhausted last night I didn’t even choose a project never mind stitch on it – so today I started a bit late at 2pm … and finished 5 minutes late at 7pm – I’m pretty amazed I actually met the deadline (well, pretty darned close anyway!). I decided to do my Xmas ornie that is due to be stitched ready for posting 16 Feb, so it was a good excuse to get a ‘commitment stitching’ project out of the way early I stitched “Merry Yule” by Erica Michaels designs from the 2005 JCS ornie magazine. As part of the same group, I’m committing to stitching one Xmas ornie every month, and we’ve allocated a different designer each month to give us a bit of flexibility of stitching designs for the SAL – the designs I’ve chosen for the year are as follows (all from JCS ornie issues):

  • Feb – With My Needle – Star of Wonder (2002)
  • Mar – Prairie Schooler – Herald Angels (2003)
  • Apr – Homespun Elegance – Holly Noel (2005)
  • May – Full Circle Designs – Perfect Gifts (2004)
  • Jun – The Workbasket – Quaker Christmas Bulb (2003)
  • Jul – Jeannette Douglas Designs – one of her needlerolls
  • Aug – Threads Through Time – Reindeer Garden (2000)
  • Sep – The Sweetheart Tree – Merry Christmas Bellpull (2004)
Finishes

And Many More …

Anne S


Yippee, I put the final stitches into my Any Many More needlecase – an exclusive kit for Silver Needle by Just Nan. As you can see from the initial in the centre of the ‘back’, I’ve decided to give this to Mum so it carries her first initial of “J”. Don’t know if I’ll get the actual finishing done before she goes back home to NZ, but I’ll give it a shot 😉

The back is shown upside down, but of course when it gets folded up, it will all be the right way round 🙂