Enjoying a sense of peace one stitch at a time
This week’s theme is ”Framed” – this is the view through a ‘window’ in the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour, Sydney, providing a natural framed view.
And here are some Framed photos that are stitching-related, from my very first attempt at making my own frames and framing my own work.
Yesterday I felt as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders – my feral and miserable mood finally disappeared, plus I had reconnected with my one and only “regret” in life overnight.
I had lost contact with a dear friend (who was, in all honesty, the one true love in my life from those early days – and most definitely the one that got away, or at least that I pushed away – he was the only guys I’ve ever thought I could have married … oh how I wish I had the strength of character and wise mind back then that I do now!) – anyhoo, I got a Facebook request from an old school chum from when I was about 11/12 years old, along with links to some old school class photos, and it brought all those childhood memories flooding back, and that old regret came bubbling back up to the surface … as well as the romantic regret, more so the regret that I had lost a rare and special friendship all those years ago.
Well, I did a quick Google search and found Glen surprisingly easily. He has his own animal dermatology business in Florida, where he lives with his wife and two kids. I received an email back from him on Saturday morning touching base and telling me a little about his life since leaving home. So perhaps that has been the biggest contributor to the weight being lifted from my shoulders, or perhaps it was just coincidence … but I do know it was lovely to share a couple of childhood stories and touch base once again. Mum always thought of him as the son she never had – I’m really glad to hear he’s OK and happy, and knowing that he’s happy may just let me move on too 🙂
Anyway, for the first time in ages my mood gave me a jolt of mental energy – I had an urge to stitch something ‘new’, and put my hand into the kitted up drawers to find something … that “something” ended up being a stumpwork correspondence course from the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. I’d forgotten just how long it takes to stitch one little item in stumpwork (at least it does for me!!) – even with chunky Brazilian embroidery threads being used, it took me the entire afternoon just to stitch 1 1/2 leaves! But I have to say I really enjoyed it, and am about to go and finish off that 2nd leaf.
Here you can see the entire design – called “Gracie”, it’s a big chunky goldfish when it’s finished. The colours are eye-popping vibrant oranges/reds. The leaves are outlined with stem stitch (there is LOTS of stem stitch in this project), padded with chain stitch, then covered with sloping satin stitches. It was quite hard to stitch last night in the poor lighting, so hopefully it will be easier this morning with the natural daylight coming in as well … fingers crossed I’ll get that 2nd leaf finished by lunchtime, to give me time to do some baking (see, I told you I had energy all of a sudden! haha).
This week’s theme is ”Numerical” – here are some numerical signs outside a shop in Berrima.
And in trying to tie-in some stitching into my photo meme themes, here are a few stitched numbers:
Here’s my latest stitching finish that I’ve been working on during this week – I put the final stitches into it last night while Katie and I watched the last episodes of Dark Angel (great series, shame it got axed at that point after the 2nd season). This design is supposed to have all the white stitches overlaid with a half-cross of blending filament … I managed to do the snow beneath the penguin’s feet, then got totally fed up with it (I truly detest BF), so I didn’t bother doing the BF in the border – I think it still looks alright to me that way 🙂 (The fabric looks kinda grey in this photo, but it is a lovely light blue in real life.)
“Penguin Hugs” by Paw Printings
from 2004 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue
stitched on 32ct hand-dyed Lugana
with recommended DMC
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This week’s theme is ”Colourful”.
I have absolutely nothing to show stitching WIP-wise this week, as I’ve been clocking some mental hours at work, with a few 12 hour days. My new all-time record was a 16 1/2 hour day yesterday – 12 of them in the office, then I came home and did the remainder at home, finishing at 1.30am this morning. I still have enough work to keep me going for one more entire day, but I thought I’d take a break for a bit – although I have a major deadline looming, so I have to do it over the weekend to get it finished in time for review on Tuesday morning (it’s a long weekend here in Sydney this weekend).
Seeing as I don’t have any WIP updates, I thought I’d go ahead and post the exchange I posted off last week. I haven’t heard that it’s arrived, but it should be there by now 🙂
You will remember that I shared the ‘back sides” last week, well here are the fronts. I was very sad to see these ones leave home … I think I just may have to repeat this exchange all for myself – love, love, love the colours – I just hope my recipient likes it too!
Freebie from My Aunt’s Attic
Stitched on 32ct white Belfast linen
with DMC 4030 thread
(homemade tassel & cord also in DMC 4030 thread)
Freebie by Le Petit Monde de Vavi
Stitched on 32ct white Belfast linen
with DMC 4030 thread
And seeing as I have nothing else to share today, I’ll end with this week’s Photo Hunt, as I ran out of pre-published posts last week and have to think of this one from scratch. Alas, no future themes are out yet either, so I guess next week’s will be from scratch too…
This week’s theme is ”Public” and I went with the following dictionary definition:
“Definition:Open to common or general use; as, a public road; a public house.”
In saying that, here are my choices for this week … Here I am waiting for a bus at the public bus depot in Nadi … during a flood (and no, I have no expectation that a bus will really arrive!).
Or perhaps a public road at Edfu markets, Egypt…
I flew down to Melbourne with work on Wednesday, which meant a 4.30am wake-up call and being on the road at 5.00am … getting home a 7.30pm … yikes. Being absolutely shattered, and on the first day of my ‘cycle’, I thought it would be best for all concerned at work if I took yesterday off as an RDO as my mood would be FAR from perky yesterday morning 😛
Anyway, on Thursday I came home from work and was in bed by 6.30pm as Katie flew home that night … and I curled up with book 2 of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series (Lover Eternal – Rhage’s story). I didn’t put the book down again until I’d consumed the very last sentence – I’m now starting book 3 (Lover Awakened – Zsadist’s story), which I’ve been told is possibly the best book of the series to date.
I’ve tried to ignore the new book calling to me, though, and yesterday spent the entire day in my PJs sat in my stitching chair watching DVDs (Hart’s War with Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell, and disc 3 of season one of The Unit) and clearing the DVR of TV shows that Katie doesn’t watch. That meant a relatively big chunk of stitching time on Halloween Fairy – I’m almost at the point where I can’t stitch anymore until my two missing metallic threads turn up (they’re on back order), and I need to run to Spotlight to pick up one pack of Mill Hill beads that I apparently don’t have in my stash. Here is the updated piccie in the meantime – I probably won’t take another piccie until I receive my threads and beads and manage to finish her off. Oops, just noticed the photo isn’t quite in focus … I took it in the not-too-well-lit lounge with no lights on … ah well, you can kind of see the fabric better this way, though – it’s being stitched on 28ct Desert Sky hand-dyed linen by Silkweaver. I was originally a bit worried it would be a bit pale for the stitching, but actually I really like it!
Today I’ve been relatively busy after having a lazy day yesterday – the morning has been spent attacking the bathroom tiles with Exit Mould and scrubbing the grouting with a toothbrush. Then I popped a load of washing into the machine before heading across the road to grab a bit of grocery shopping so I can bake some muffins – and picked up a large skim cappuccino as an afternoon treat. Now I’m awaiting the next load of laundry to finish it’s cycle so I can throw the final one in for the night. Then I’m thinking of dragging an old UFO out of the ‘bin’ to work on in the lounge while I’m waiting for my Halloween Fairy supplies to turn up … I woke up thinking about this piece, so perhaps it’s only right that I finish it off.
Then I need to kit up my final two PIFs, along with two exchanges that need to be stitched over the next couple of weeks – that could keep me out of trouble for a while! Plus I have a couple of picture frames that I still haven’t put together, although I may save those until next weekend.
I’ll finish off my saga for the day by doing this week’s Photo Hunt …
This week’s theme is ”Purple” – and this week I’ve chosen a spot of purple from Robyn Drayton’s winery in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
Oh boy, I just browsed a blog or two while I was waking up, and found the latest design by Country Cottage Needleworks … I sooooo HAVE to have this one!!! Hmmm, I wonder if they’ll let me add it to my order from NIAH?? 😀
This week’s theme is ”Six” and following on from yesterday’s theme, here are six of us braving the elements on Tukino skifield once again. Dunno why, but I just love this photo – it’s quite candid, and I love the ‘whiteout’ effect from the falling snow 😀 (I’m the one in the blue jacket in the middle … I adored that jacket, but alas so did the thieves that broke into our home one day boohoo.)
PhotoHunt
Feather Stitching 