Finishes

Yet another happy dance!

Anne S


Yippee, I put the final stitches into another festive piece today – I did about 2/3 of the stitching during Thursday, but didn’t get to finish it until today as I had a visitor to stay. Originally I stitched this to try out a flat-fold finish – but I’m not sure whether the dimensions might be too big for that style of finish … if so, I’ll try a quilted wallhanging instead. The dimensions are 14cm x 20cm – if anyone has had experience with these methods of finishing, I’d really love some advice before I start … This piece has been sitting in my stash for years, so it’s nice to finally drag it out and stitch it up – I think the red thread is a bit ‘odd’ … I used the recommended threads, but my skein is a very stark difference between the bright red and plum/burgundy colour, with no subtle graduations – I wouldn’t mind stitching it again with a different red thread, but in the meantime it will be good to practice my finishing on. The chart is called “Merry Christmas” by Bent Creek, and it’s stitched on Platinum Belfast linen. I love the tree – but I’m also wondering what it would look like all stitched over-one … hmmm …

As for my visitor – I was thrilled to have the company of my best male mate Fraggle (his nickname … and considering he now knows about my blog, I’m sure he’ll be thrilled for me to use his nickname here, as he loves it so much LOL). He came over after work and stayed the night … it was a very relaxing night of a couple of vodkas (for me) and beers (for him) with pizza and a comedy DVD. It was lovely to catch up properly, as we haven’t had chance to do that ever since I moved out of our flat 4 months ago. And don’t worry Mum, I’ll make sure you still have beers in the fridge for your arrival next week haha. Fraggle said he was going to tell our old flatmate he’s decided to move in with me instead … it really was a nice relaxing night. We have the sort of friendship where you feel comfortable to ‘bare all’ and talk about anything under the sun, and just feel comfortable to hang out … he never fails to make me laugh – that’s the main thing I’ve missed since moving out … his wacky sense of humour. He’s also the only person I know who can talk my head off in the mornings without me wanting to shoot him haha (nope, NOT a morning person). Anyway, Fraggle, thanks for a great night … you’re welcome back any time 🙂

Well, my rotation has gone out the window the last few days … it’s time for the Dratteds to return, but I’m putting it off until next weekend, when I’m using them for a Stitch-a-Thon – plus I’ve been putting off a job of frogging for weeks and weeks … I was so disheartened in a gift I was stitching for someone that I stuffed up, that it got put aside until I could face it again. Well, now I’ve decided there are no more excuses, I just have to bite the bullet and get the damned thing done! Unfortunately it was stitched when I was feeling very sick with my month of headaches etc … I finally managed to finish the stitching, after a real struggle, but it looked pretty nice … then ironed it before it was finished … with a hot setting … right over the top of the blending filament … doh! Serious blonde moment!! So, all that lovely twinkly stuff that looked so gorgeous just happened to disappear almost entirely – there is still a tiny bit of sparkle left, but I was so disheartened I found I couldn’t bring myself to still finish it off and send it … and it’s been sitting on the kitchen table mocking me ever since!! So, my challenge for the next two days is to unpick 2/3 of the stitching (ie all the blending filament and backstitching) and get it into a state fit for posting next week … I’m not religious, but I’ll be praying this time I do it right!! OK, here goes … wish me luck! 🙂

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No stitching today

Anne S

Crikey, my fingers feel as though my arms have been cut off … they haven’t touched a needle … or needlework … all day! In an attempt to find my rotary cutter to cut the fabric strips etc for my ornaments, I ended up unpacking all the yet-unpacked bags and boxes in my bedroom … 3 wine boxes and about 6 various sized bags – yikes! And after all that, I still hadn’t found my cutter … but boy, oh boy, my bedroom looks a bit better for it – you can actually walk round BOTH sides of the bed now LOL. As for the cutter, I had a brainwave while I was unpacking – and lo and behold, when I looked into one of the big unpacked boxes in the spare bedroom, there it was …

I also found some quilting things that I really must add to my UFO list too hmmm – a wallhanging quilt of golliwogs that I did as my beginners introduction to quilting – but I hate the design, so it doesn’t enthral me too much to get it finished … but it only needs the binding to be done, and it’s finished – maybe I’ll give it to a charity or something … As for the others, one was a patchwork quilt for my best friend’s son – and the other is a quilting bag for my mat boards etc … it would be nice to get that finished – maybe I’ll enlist Mum’s help with that one while she’s here, as she’s the sewing guru, and that’s all that’s left to be done with it, I think.

I also finally managed to remember today to put a money order I’ve had sitting around for a while actually into an envelope, to send to Lauren Sauer at Forget-Me-Nots In Stitches – I fell in love with her design “Never Enough Berries” in the Fine Lines magazine, then found it had only the pindisk in that issue, and that the magazine is no longer being made … b*gger! The good news is that I decided to contact Lauren directly, and she’s making the chart in all four parts available for sale directly from her – so I’m finally going to the Post Office tomorrow/Friday to post it off to her (as well as check my mail – you never know, miracles may have happened over the last few days since I’ve not been at work – my Stitching Bits & Bobs backorder may have arrived!! … yeah, OK, that might be pushing things a little bit haha). Anyway, here’s the Never Enough Berries chart, seeing as I have nothing else to offer today in the way of stitching progress:

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Sorry, but I gave up trying to upload the photo using Blogger today – I’ve used Photobucket instead, but that means you can’t click and enlarge sorry 😦

The night is still young, though – so I may still get chance to pick up a needle yet 😉

Finishes

Belated happy dances!!

Anne S

Well, today has been the most perfect stitching day … almost like a winter’s day it’s been bucketing down so hard you can hardly see out the windows – and the thunder has been rolling for a while … what better way than to stay indoors curled up with your stitching 🙂

I started my ‘finishing’ rotation slot this evening with finally putting together two things that have been sitting unfinished for many many years – first of all my “Ancient Thistle Needlecase” by Textile Heritage Collection – and secondly my “Pins and Needles” scissor keeper by Forget-Me-nots In Stitches … both stitched way back in 1999 (gulp!!). But they’ve both been given a new lease of life and can now become functional items in my needlework basket – yippee!!! I actually have a silk cord made up from the original threads, which I made a the same time as stitching the scissor fob, but I couldn’t lay my hands on it – so I opted to use a variegated perle cotton by Anchor and a satin ribbon instead … doesn’t look too bad 🙂

Rightio, what else can I do tomorrow? I have a list of items to choose from … the question is, which one will win out?

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Semi happy dance…

Anne S


Well, I’ve had a fantastic stitching night/morning – and managed to almost complete another Christmas ornament … thinking I had all the buttons etc on hand, I figured I might as well get this one stitched before I start my first ever ornamentifying session … well, that was the plan! As you can see from the piccie, there is just one thing missing – the snowman’s carrot nose!! The one that turned up is too small, so now I’m not sure what to do – I can either place an order locally and hope to heck it turns up before Christmas … or satin stitch something instead (but I think I’d prefer to use a button) … or I could try buying some Fimo and make my own … has anyone tried to do this? Oh well, it still looks pretty good – it’s the first time I’ve changed the threads around to use what was in my stash … instead of using Crescent Colours (of which I don’t own any), I used Gentle Art Sampler Threads that I already had … instead of CC Apple Fritter I used GAST Cherry Wine, instead of CC Sassy Brass I used GAST Summer Meadow, and instead of CC Toasted Marshmallow I used GAST Oatmeal. The rest of the threads were as listed. It is a design by SamSarah Design Studio from the 2005 JCS Christmas Ornament issue. It was stitched on a small ‘Kiwi Pearls’ – a hand-dyed linen from Country Stitch. I’m pretty pleased with it all-in-all … just wished I could’ve finished it today …

Another great reason to have Mum come over for a holiday is that she’s bringing me black canvas for an upcoming project in the New Year – two canvaswork pieces by Jen’s Jems, a NZ designer … here’s a scan of the main threads being used – yup, they sure are bright!!! Hurry up and come over Mum, I’m dying to get starting on one of them!! 😉

Thanks for everyone’s comments about Mum’s tree – I’ll post one of my little baby one once it’s finished … I feel great today, so I might try and get a bit more done tomorrow – I had the Christmas tree lights on last night in the lounge while watching DVD’s … it was lovely 🙂 In fact I was enjoying myself so much, I nearly died when I looked up from my stitching and saw it was 2am!!! As for my migraine, thankfully it’s disappeared in its entirety – I’m not that good, Carol … I only stitched when my migraine was at its calming down stage – I started stitching which is what sent it over the top … so I just lay down and slept for a few hours, then tried again at night 🙂

It’s been a great relaxing couple of days – with a very eclectic mix of DVD’s to listen to while stitching … League of Gentlemen (very sick English comedy series – hilarious but twisted sense of humour!), Tears of the Sun, Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Men in Black 1 and 2 … yep, a woman of variation, that’s me 😉

Hope everyone is having a good week …

(Edited to add Christmas tree piccie)
Well, here it is – I decided to just bite the bullet and get it finished so I can get the box of ornaments off the sofa … here’s my baby version of Mum’s – kinda like a ‘mother and daughter’ set of trees haha. It’s a bit dark ‘cos I tried to get the lights showing up – looks quite cute in the corner of the room 🙂 I guess it must nearly be Christmas – it’s starting to really feel like it! 😉

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Slow day today

Anne S


I’ve been plagued with another migraine last night/today so that’s put the brakes on getting much stitching done – I did manage to get a couple of hours done, though, and did the stitching on a Mill Hill Christmas ornament – just need to do the beaded tassel and finish it off … another one of the finishing pile for later in the week 🙂 Instead today I’ve done exciting things like tidying the kitchen up and doing the dishes … and something a bit more fun, like getting the Christmas tree half-finished. It’s only a small one, so didn’t take very long at all … lights are on, and so is the tinsel and angel … just the Christmas balls and it’s finished. It’s only 4ft in height, so my soon-to-be-finished Christmas ornies won’t fit on it until I can afford a bigger tree – so they’re going to be hung from the window sill, from a ‘teddy chain’. It’s definitely feeling more festive now there’s a bit of decoration in the flat – even though I’m living on my own now, I was still determined to put my tree up … I adore Christmas trees – and I always swore my Mum’s tree was the best in the world … I used to start nagging for her to put it up as soon as 1 December came – and Dad used to love sitting in the dark, with just the tree lights on … one of my fave Christmas memories :))

Here’s Mum’s tree – that puts mine to shame …

Finishes

Stitching album template & Happy Dance

Anne S


Seeing as there has been a bit of interest generated, I’ve scanned one of my album pages to give you an example of what I do – excuse the photo on it, one of my ink cartridges needs changing, so it’s a bit pale. Anyway, hopefully it’ll come through OK … The box at the top is the same size as a ‘normal’ printed photo, so if I wanted to I could just paste in an actual photo, instead of scanning it – and I have one template page with a vertical photo format as well, then just type in the details at the relevant points. If anyone wants a copy of the actual Word document, I’m more than happy to send it to you – it’s very very simplistic, though, so you might want to play with it a bit … just drop me an email to shakatak at iinet dot net dot au and your wish will be granted 🙂

Rightio, back to my stitching, as I’m not far off my happy dance for Summer Into Autumn – I’ve finished all the actual stitching now, and just need to add the beads, so I’ll have a piccie to post before the end of the day. Then I just have to wait for the MH treasure to arrive, before working out how the heck to finish it into a bellpull … another new finishing technique for the new year 🙂


(edited to add the following Happy Dance)
Well, as promised, here’s the finished version of Summer into Autumn by The Drawn Thread – I have to admit the ‘softer’ look of the single thread suits it well. It’s not my usual style of stitching, but I really enjoyed stitching it for the variety of stitches involved, plus such a short and quick project to stitch – it took me a sum total of 9 stitching hours!

SBQ

Still no stitching…

Anne S

Well, after such a stunningly beautiful 33 degrees Celsius day in Melbourne yesterday, today the heavens have opened and it’s bucketing with rain … which strange as it seems, I’m really enjoying … Didn’t get to sleep until 4am after work, as I was creating a new ‘stitching diary’ for 2006 in Microsoft Word – that’s the only problem I have with shift work, I find it harder to get to sleep as the shifts get on. The first night finishing at 1am I’m shattered, and fall asleep almost immediately … but a few days later I’m acclimatising to the change in times, and find it harder to wind down. I still woke up at 8am though (yikes!!) but refused to get up, and managed to doze off again for another couple of hours … so, no stitching today.

My diary is just a one-page sheet per month, that has a calendar down the left-hand side of the page, with reminders on certain days for BB things, like posting UFO reports, posting of ornament deadlines etc – then on the right-hand side I’ve got separate little sections for SAL’s for the month, my rotation completions, and any general stitching plans (BB forums etc), plus a general ‘to-do’ list, like “organise supplies for next month’s SAL”. Hopefully it will be a worthwhile project to keep me organised, as I find when I come home from work my brain goes into non-functioning mode! LOL. If nothing else, it was fun to create it 🙂

From the comments I’ve been receiving about hardanger projects, I’m seriously contemplating adding a hardanger slot into my rotation once Dolphins Domain is finished (if not sooner) – I have loads of projects that include hardanger, and it’d be nice to learn a bit more. I have to admit, Jenna, I saw the Janice Love books at Spotlight a few weeks back, and was seriously tempted to buy them again … but I’ve got the basic and advanced ones by Nordic Needle, plus another soft-cover hardanger book by Jill Carter, so hopefully I’ll muddle my way through with the help of them. I originally bought the Janice Love ones because everyone seemed to think they were the ‘ultimate’ hardanger reference books – I never managed to read them before they were ‘stolen’, although what I did read looked really good!

Got some good news at work yesterday … we’re allowed to wear casual clothes from 12 Dec to 15 Jan – if you thought they were thunderclaps last night all round the world, it was just the sound of my heavy feet happy dancing! 😉

Anyway, nearly time to go to work again – just enough time to post this:

Image hosted by Photobucket.com Today’s Stitching Blogger’s Question was suggested by AngelSan and is:

“Do you have any rules in the way you stitch? (ie Do you start in the middle? Do you determine which blocks to stitch first? Do you always start from the top or the bottom? Do you have special paths to prevent wasting thread?)”

Hmmm, pretty much 99% of the time I start in the middle … mainly because I’m hopeless at counting and don’t trust myself to start elsewhere – that being said, though, there are certain projects that I prefer to stitch from the top down, such as band samplers. I’ve also just started stitching Mirabilia’s Winter Queen, and for the first time have started stitching from the top, which is unusual for me! As far as choosing which blocks to stitch first, again it depends on the design – I usually just finish one area first, moving from one colour to another. I always stitch my stitches the same way, and prefer to start from the left and stitch to the right /// and return \\\ for the top stitch, with my needle coming up from the bottom of the stitch – but if the block demands it, I’ll stitch from right to left, with my needle coming up at the top of the stitch (that’s probably as clear as mud!!).

Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Melbourne

No stitching progress today

Anne S

Today I feel a bit battle weary from work, so I’m taking a day off stitching and just blobbing out in front of the PC for a while catching up on blogs, and emails and paying bills etc. Then I intend to get out and have a walk on the beach before heading off to work again … managed to get a dose of ‘acoustic shock’ last night, and ended up being taken off the phones due to the fact that my right ear especially was burning/aching 😦 Our headsets are really sensitive, and one call dropped in where their baby/toddler had just hit its head – right next to the telephone receiver … next thing you know I had huge feedback coming down the phone from the ear-piercing shriek coming from the kid … OUCH!!! Anyway, today my right ear is still a bit achey, but hopefully I’ll be OK to take calls tonight … Anyway, it’s yet another gloriously sunny day in Melbourne, with just enough breeze to keep the heat down – would be mad not to make the most of it and go for a wander.

On that note, though, it reminds me of something I thought about the other day … I live in a predominantly jewish area of Melbourne – I apologise for my ignorance in advance … there are many orthodox jews walking the streets, and it fascinates the heck out of me! Coming from a mainly Asian community where I last lived, it’s a huge cultural difference in this suburb. I love to see them out walking in their traditional clothes and outfits … but what made me think of them today is, how the heck do they survive in the high heat of summer?? I saw an older gentleman the other day in his full black outfit, complete with coat and fur hat – on the hottest day we’ve had so far – sat on a garden wall in the street … first thing that crossed my mind, “no wonder you’re sat down on that wall, you must be bl**dy roasting!!” (not meant to cause offence to anyone). I have to say, I admire these people for being so steadfast in their religion and culture, and not being swayed by outside influences – but I also think it’s easy for someone to target them for being ‘different’. When I moved here, ex-flatmates said “ooh, you’re moving to a very Jewish area”, as if it was a dreadful thing to do … I just see other people like me, that are just in different packaging … anyway, just something I was thinking right now …

Before I go on my walk, though, a quick response to some comments (and back to stitching-related talk) …

Von, now you can understand why I couldn’t stop from looking at that chart all night – Close at Heart chart is just beautiful! I’m going to stitch it in the purple colourway, seeing as I’m not much of a pink chick (although I still think the pink is very dainty and pretty) … unless I can work out some blues that I can use instead from my stash (that’d be a surprise for me, wouldn’t it, changing something to be blue!! LOL). As it is, I’m going to try to find colours in my stash that would work, as I can’t afford to buy more threads for a while. Let me know if you’re going to stitch it next year, and I’ll join in with you and squeeze it in among my other million stitching projects 🙂

And Jenna – on the same note, I just went to your photo site to check out the Close at Heart piccies … just stunning! I really love this piece done on the green fabric – awesome!! Hadn’t thought of changing the fabric colour, so now I’m going to have a play in my stash and look at other options aside from just white … especially if I change the colours to blue 😉 As for the hardanger squares at the bottom – when I saw the chart I nearly choked LOL. I’ve only ever attempted doves eyes in hardanger, so that’s really going to be a huge challenge … will definitely have to do a ‘dummy run’ on a scrap piece of fabric, I think. Oh well, if nothing else, it will challenge me to do something different. Maybe I should come to you for a holiday for some hardanger lessons 😉 haha. In fact I’ve had Walk the Gentle Path by Cross ‘n Patch for years, and the hardanger part at the bottom is what’s stopped me from stitching it … I think if I just bit the bullet and give it a go, I’ll be fine. I actually bought the Janice Love books to help me, but loaned them to a supposed friend at work in NZ, and never got them back (which is a right royal pain considering I’d ordered them specially from the US – she ended up running off with over $200 worth of my books boohoo). Maybe 2006 is my year for finally shaking off and trying to conquer my fears …

Rightio, off for my hour’s walk … especially for Lynn, here are photos of where I live (and where I’m about to go walking) … in the first photo, where the end of the path is (where it veers off to the right), there is a canal – you just follow the canal for about 4 blocks, and you’re practically at my front door 🙂 The photos are taken either side from a hill at which there is a viewing point – I usually continue my walk to the grey concrete wharf you can just see in the distance (in the second photo), then turn around and come back. Last time I kept walking round to the next bay and nearly killed myself! 🙂 I think I need to buy a bike!!! Of course that’s the city skyline of Melbourne in the background …

Stash

Stash report & WIP

Anne S

OK, here’s the stash report from my Nordic Needle haul … have to admit, I wasn’t as thrilled as I thought I’d be when I opened it – I think I’ve just been waiting so long for it to arrive, it almost feels like an anti-climax … weird, I know – I’m such a strange creature! 😉 The one piece that kept taking my eye all night, though, was Thea’s “Close at Heart” chart – too beautiful!! Anyway, here’s the piccie, as well as a list of the charts:

  • Onyx – Blackwork Beginnings Series by Paw Printings
  • Orca Whales – Peter Underhill’s Marine Creatures
  • Butterfly Garden Sampler by The Victoria Sampler
  • Close At Heart by The Victoria Sampler
  • Bruce (the Spruce) & Friends by Full Circle Designs
  • Sapphire Star (canvaswork) by Laura J Perin Designs
  • Spring Needle Roll kit by Lorri Birmingham
  • Butterflies & Hearts Needle Roll kit by Lorri Birmingham
  • Teddy Bear Santa mini stocking kit by Lorri Birmingham
  • 18ct mono canvas in eggshell for Sapphire Star
  • Piecemaker tapestry needles (2 x #26; 1 x #28)

And here’s today’s progress piccie for Summer into Autumn – thanks for everyone’s lovely comments on my progress so far … greatly appreciated :)) I had to frog stitch one strand of the overdyed silk due to a blonde stitching moment from reading the chart wrong … and I’m also thinking of unpicking the tree foliage, as I think I’d prefer to confetti stitch it, so it doesn’t have the really distinct lines. I’m a bit annoyed that the kit contents stated the MH glass treasure in the shape of a maple leaf was supposed to be included … it’s not to be seen! I mentioned this as soon as I received it to Stitching Bits & Bobs, and they’re going to send me one as part of my back-order when it comes in.