Cross Stitch, Finishes, Quaker, Round Robin, Round Robins, Stitch-alongs, With My Needle

Final round of Quaker Round Robin

Anne S

Today saw me glued to the TV set just for a change – I’ve been stitching pretty much every hour of the day since yesterday afternoon inbetween looking up at seasons 6 and 7 of Buffy … I haven’t wept so much over a damned TV show in a long, long time, but I’ve been totally sucked into the characters (in particular Spike), and the last few days has been an emotional rollercoaster watching those DVD’s. In some ways I’m glad I haven’t seen any of the series before, as it’s been a real treasure watching one season after another, without worrying about viewing schedules or adverts! And it’s been super-conducive to my stitching, that’s for sure, particularly during my recuperation 🙂

And here’s the final piece of stitching that I’ll probably get done for a day or three – here’s the final round of our Friendship Quaker Round Robin, belonging to Katrina. I’m quite surprised at the colour of Milady’s Teal, as its a lot more grey than I would have imagined – but it looks really quite classy stitched up 🙂

Katrina's Quaker RR part 1

Katrina's Quaker RR part 2

Of course I now have to start putting all my pieces together now, but I think a trip to the fabric/ribbon store will be needed before I can start getting to work.

Before I started stitching this morning I finally got around to trying to tea-dye some linen fabric – this wee piece is for Just Nan’s Winter in the Square. The original linen (the same as I used for Autumn in the Square) was too pale, I felt, to really show up the white floss, so I opted to tea-dye it slightly. I didn’t want a particularly splotchy look, so I tried to move the fabric around a reasonable amount in the saucepan while it was stewing – the only sign of the original fabric is the odd splotch or two on the bottom edge, which is great as it’ll be hidden by the frame eventually. So that means that that will probably by my next project in my “small-medium projects” rotation slot, which I still have about 7 hours left of 🙂

Tea-dyed linen

Cross Stitch, Finishes, Lizzie Kate

One gift finished

Anne S

I decided to use a few of my rotation hours for small-medium projects (my next/current rotation slot) to slay one of the gifts that has been outstanding for quite some time.  I have had major problems getting the fabric from the US (the supplier will remain nameless at this time), but after having it on order for MONTHS, it finally arrived a wee while ago, and I’ve finally pulled my finger out and got it stitched up.  Sorry, but at 1.30am the photography is appalling for a change, and doesn’t show up the lovely Graziano checked linen…  This is a gift for my Chiropractor’s first child – all I have to do now is to frame it 😀

LizzieKate-Welcome Baby
“Welcome Baby” by Lizzie*Kate
Stitched with a mix of WDW/GAST as recommended &
DMC for the two threads I didn’t have
on 28ct pale blue and white checked Graziano linen

The next gifts I need to stitch will take considerably more time to complete, but I think I’ll make a start on those next as both birthdays are next month yikes!  There’s a good chance of getting one finished, but I’m not entirely sure about the second one…

Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward

Anne S

Pay It Forward copy

I’ve been a looooong time signing up for any of the rounds of Pay It Forward (PIF) due to personal circumstances … but I came across Ronel’s PIF round at the perfect time, and I’m feeling really keen to start joining in and getting some little gifties off to people over the next 12 months.

I think everyone knows how it works by now, but if not, here goes – I will send a stitched gift to three people some time over the next 365 days.  Those three people then need to commit to offering the same on their own blog … and so the goodness and caring continues 😀

The closing date for entries is 31 October – if there are only three people wishing to sign up, then all three will be the confirmed winners – if more than three people want to sign up, then I will draw three names out of the proverbial hat 🙂

Please remember to leave an email address, and also your blog details.

I’m really looking forward to choosing something for each person 😀

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In the meantime I’ve been doing a bit of my own version of Paying It Forward, and sending a number of little RAK’s (Random Acts of Kindness) around the world – I’ve heard that another few have been received in the UK, Melbourne (Australia), New Zealand, the Netherlands and Singapore.  If you want, you can click on each link to the relevant blog post that the recipients have made … as I don’t think I took any photos myself! 🙂

There is still a pile of padded envelopes waiting to be posted out, but the last lot cost nearly AU$80 in postage, so I thought I’d stagger the postings a bit 🙂

Beading, Boo Club, Cross Stitch, Lizzie Kate, Works in Progress

Another round of Boo Club

Anne S

My little needles have been turbo-charged over the last couple of days – and today is the first day that I’ve woken up and actually thought through all the housework that needs to be done etc … signs of this blasted bug finally getting out of my system.  While I’m still quite wheezy and trundling through the tissues, I feel much brighter within myself, and ready to start getting out of my stitching chair for more than 5 minutes at a time – yippee 😀

In the meantime I’ll leave you with a latest photo of my progress on Lizzie*Kate’s Boo Club – here are parts 1-4, which leaves me with just 9-12 to go (although in honesty I’ve almost finished part 9, with the exception of the broom handle).

LizzieKate-Boo Club 1-4

Time to put my rotation to one side briefly, though, as the final round of our Friendship Quaker RR has arrived on my doorstep so I really need to get cracking and get that one finished soon!  Mind you, I also have two little gifts that are well overdue being stitched, so those will have to be slotted in as well – oh so many things to stitch, so little time 😛

I’ll finish up with photos of a beaded fish that I made once at a class in Melbourne. I’ve never been able to take a good photo of it, but now my Panasonic Lumix has a fantastic macro setting, I thought I’d give it another shot while it was just sitting there! You probably can’t tell, but it’s hollow all the way through to the tail – I just adore this little fella …

Beaded Fish 1

Beaded Fish 2

Beaded Fish 3

I really need to get the instructions out again and brush up my beading skills so I can get these little guys out of the ‘filleted’ stage and into the finished stage, which will knock off another two UFOs! (UnFinished Objects for those of you who are searching for actual UFOs in this post) In this photo you can clearly see how the little fishies are constructed … I only hope I can work out how to do the beaded stitch once again, as it’s been quite some time since I took the class! 😀

Beaded Fish WIPs

Animals & Insects, Photo Hunt, PhotoHunt

Photo Hunt – Free Week

Anne S

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
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This week’s theme is ”Free Week” which means we can choose any photo we want – my choice this week is one that I recently re-found again in my pile of print photos, which I’ve been scanning into digital copies. I absolutely adore this shot – it’s almost as if it’s following the stages of the little giraffe’s life span from childhood, to teenship, to adulthood. I know it’s actually three different giraffes walking together, but the symmetry has always struck me … and there goes my choice for the week. I think it’s actually harder to choose “anything” than an actual theme!

VIC-Melbourne Zoo, giraffes_0005

Cross Stitch, Finishes, JBW Designs, Needlerolls, Sweetheart Tree

Anne, the UFO Slayer

Anne S

Thanks to my dearest flatmate leaving me her entire collection of Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVD’s to watch, my eyes are now square, and I think I have almost OD’ed on Buffy over the last few days (I’m now up to Season 5 – not bad going in two weeks!).  For someone who’s lasted 40+ years without having Buffy in her life, I have to say I’ve rather enjoyed it! I’ve shed tears over the ‘Angel-thing’, and laughed out loud at poor old Spike, and slobbered a bit at good ol’ Giles (who I’ve always adored as the Prime Minister in Little Britain – had I known he was in Buffy, I would have started watching years ago haha). Anyway, watching all this slaying has been good for the soul, and good for the stitching – I’ve been doing a bit of slaying of my own today, and managed to finish two old UFO’s – I’m not quite feeling up to tackling the sewing machine just yet, so the needleroll will get finish-finished later.

Sweetheart Tree-Wildflower Needleroll
“Wildflower Needleroll” by The Sweetheart Tree
stitched on 32ct Lambswool linen by Wichelt
using recommended DMC threads and Mill Hill beads

This really, really old one just needed to have one heart bead attached for it to be finished (after unpicking and restitching some of the beads in the outer border), so within 1/2 an hour today this one is also finished.  Unfortunately it’s really hard to get a good photo of it, as it’s all pretty much monochrome.  I’m going to attempt to frame this one myself, I think 😀

JBW Designs-Love & Affection 1
“Love and Affection” by JBW Designs
stitched on 32ct antique white Lugana (I think)
using recommended threads and beads

JBW Designs-Love & Affection 2

JBW Designs-Love & Affection 3

JBW Designs-Love & Affection 4

JBW Designs-Love & Affection 5

This “rotation” business is really helping me to keep focused on my stitching goals – no more dithering between stitching sessions, I know exactly what I need to be stitching next … although right now I can’t decide whether to tackle the start of yet another UFO, as I have a few hours of my rotation left, or whether to just move on to my next slot, which is my Boo Club focus piece … ah, decisions decisions … 😀

Still not feeling 100% today, I asked my boss if I could reinstate the two days leave I’d just cancelled last week, so I have the next few days off to recuperate more fully … which means more stitching, yippee 😀

Cross Stitch, Works in Progress

A lot of illness and not much stitching…

Anne S

Unfortunately when I was finishing off my Acorn Needlebook on Saturday, I was also fighting off a viral infection/flu-bug that had been kicking me for a couple of days last week.  On Sunday it hit me full force on the side of the head, and I spent 3 full days in bed either in my bedroom or on the sofabed in the lounge – a high fever and blinding headaches as well as a beautifully phlegmy chest and nasal congestion have put paid to any major stitching on my days off work … I hate being so sick you can’t even stitch! 😦

Today, though, I finally managed to stay upright all day, albeit in my stitching chair and not wandering around.  Still feel pretty grotty, but certainly not as bad as I have over the last few days.  I did, however, manage to get a little bit of stitching in today.  I forgot to take an ‘in progress’ photo of this piece that I started weeks ago, so you can’t see the minimal stitching I’ve actually managed, but I’ve now stitched as far as I can until a skein of Crescent Colours Cocoa Bean turns up … sorry, but the photography is really bad as I had my stitching light directly over it and it’s washed the colours out really badly.

LHN-Home of a Needleworker

Then I started on my next rotation slot (WIPs/UFOs), and picked up an old UFO and added a few beads, as well as doing a spot of unstitching of the satin stitch band ‘cos I’d miscounted the last time I touched it – 1 3/4 years ago sitting on the floor of my empty flat here while I was waiting for the removalists from hell to deliver my furniture days later than planned.  This is the “before” picture, but I won’t bother taking the “after” picture yet as there’s really not much to show aside from a few beads – with luck it won’t be long before you see the finished product – the way I’m feeling, I think I won’t be doing a great deal over the weekend, just taking it easy and continuing to recuperate and recharge the batteries again …  Hopefully then I can get a better photo!

Sweetheart Tree-Wildflowers Needleroll UFO

Cross Stitch, Finishes, Finishing, Stitching Smalls

Acorn Needlebook all finished

Anne S

A very big happy dance today as I not only put the final stitches into my Acorn Needlebook, but I also spent the entire day curled up in my stitching chair doing the actual finishing – not 100% perfect by any stretch of the imagination, as this is my first attempt at this style of finishing, but I’m pretty pleased with the end result 😀

So, without any further ado, here is my Acorn Needlebook by Periwinkle Promises…

Periwinkle Promises-Acorn Needlebook 1

Periwinkle Promises-Acorn Needlebook 2

Periwinkle Promises-Acorn Needlebook 3

Periwinkle Promises-Acorn Needlebook 4

Periwinkle Promises-Acorn Needlebook 5

Periwinkle Promises-Acorn Needlebook 6

Blogging Memes, Home & Family TO BE FIXED

I am Castiel :D

Anne S

Yay baby 😀

And double YUM!!!!! 

If I’m technically Dean, then that means I have the hots for myself!!! 😛
And there endeth a great night – started with a flying visit from my lovely flatmate and close friend Katie on her way between travelling destinations … a girly night in with a bottle of Jansz bubbly, an exquisite Angus Steak pizza from Crust pizzeria, the first episode of Amazing Race, followed by the latest downloaded episode of Supernatural – not to mention Season 4 of Supernatural arriving on the doorstop compliments of the Bay of Evil …
Life just doesn’t get much better than this … 😀