Cross Stitch, Finishes, Victoria Sampler

Mini Happy Dance

Anne S

One more small finish for me for the year – I really enjoyed stitching this one … I was craving some ‘specialty stitches’ and this fit the bill in a small way. Unfortunately they were stitches I’ve already done before, so I didn’t really learn anything new, but it made a nice change to doing all cross stitch! And I just LOVE the colours on this one. It took longer than expected to stitch the top part, but I did manage to put the final stitches into it before midnight last night, so the entire thing was stitched in one day 🙂

VS-Lavender Bag
“Lavender Bag” by The Victoria Sampler
Stitched using kit fabric, threads and beads

VS-Lavender Bag 4

VS-Lavender Bag 2

I’m thinking of trying to finally get acquainted with my new sewing machine later this afternoon if I get time, or on my return from my visit home, so I’m looking forward to finally getting some actual ‘finishing’ done (including the quilted wallhanging of Just Nan’s Evening Star, so it can go to its new loving home).

Now I’m off into the office for an hour or two to check my emails, and make a quick phone call to Tucson and Los Angeles if I need to … fingers crossed, though, they’ve got things sorted in my absence now the Manager is back in the office!

Christmas Ornaments, Cross Stitch, Finishes, Threads Through Time, Works in Progress

Joy to the World

Anne S

I managed to put the final stitches into my Christmas ornie last night:

Threads Through Time-Joy to the World
“Joy to the World” by Threads Through Time
from 2001 Just Cross Stitch ornie magazine
Stitched on 32ct white Lugana
using recommended DMC

And today started a new quick project – Lavender Bag by The Victoria Sampler (sorry, it’s a bad photo!):

VS-Lavender Bag WIP 03Apr09

Hopefully I’ll get chance to finish off the stitching tonight, as there isn’t a great deal more left to stitch, and no more bands with loads of colour changes 🙂

Christmas Ornaments, Cross Stitch, Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Stash, Works in Progress

Yay, I have a car that locks!

Anne S

What a relief that is to finally have a car with locking functionality once again – my heart’s been skipping a beat every time I walk out of the apartment block and the work carpark to see if my car is still there!

Anyhoo, a bit of tweaking with the electrics, a major service overhaul with 2 new ‘belts’ and a CV cover, and 4 brand spanking new tyres … and $1100 later … and my car is like a new model all over again.  I still think it’s a heap of scrap metal, but at least it’s more pleasurable to drive now! LOL.

The joy of being stuck at the mechanics 1 1/2 hours away from home, and being in the middle of an industrial area, means nothing to do but sit on a chair in the corner of a wee office, listen to an audiobook until the iPod battery runs out, and do a teensy bit of stitching … doesn’t get much better than that really (OK, if we’re to be totally truthful, I guess sitting in my own stitching recliner in front of Supernatural on TV with a glass of vino to help keep down the internal humidity would be better … but hey, beggars can’t be choosers!).

I managed to quickly dive into the Craft Depot at Pennant Hills seeing as I wasn’t very far away on the way home, and picked up a couple of fabrics … and lo and behold the weather may change tomorrow, so expect snow and blizzards … I came out with a couple of finishing fabrics and not a single ONE was blue!!!  {{swoon}}

Fabric stash 02Apr09

Anyway, enough waffling … time to go sit in front of the TV and catch up on this week’s programmes with that well-earned glass of vino … I’ll leave you with today’s tiny bit of stitching effort (sorry, I forgot to use the flash, so it’s a crappy dark photo that even the editing software doesn’t want to play with!). 

Joy to the World WIP 02Apr09

In fact, before I sit in front of the TV I think I’ll drag out my EGA Correspondence class booklets – I’m getting a serious urge to start something that is “new” and that will teach me something … or perhaps I should drag out one of my old WIP’s with challenging stitches on them … hmmm, decisions, decisions … 😉

Home & Family TO BE FIXED

I’m officially on holiday now …

Anne S

I walked in the door at 11.30pm tonight from work … I won’t get started with the story of that … let’s just say I’ve been taking on a lot more of the project I’ve been working on due to the absence of the Manager, and I’ll say no more than that! 

Anyway, I’m now officially on annual leave (although I’ve said to one of the big, big managers during a 10pm phone call tonight (!!) that I’ll go in for a couple of hours on Saturday to deal with some outstanding issues from the USA) … 

I may/may not be online after the weekend, as I’ll be leaving my flatmate to cope without me as I’ll be heading offshore for a week or so in sunny Auckland, New Zealand …

Right now, I’d better head off to bed as it’s after midnight now, and I have to be up at 6am to drive my car 1 1/2 hours away to my mechanic to spend some more money on that heap of scrap metal … ho-hum 😦

I just have to keep reminding myself, I’M ON HOLIDAY … WOOHOO!!! 😀

Ackworth Friendship Book, Cross Stitch, Food, Quaker, Round Robin, Round Robins, With My Needle, Works in Progress

A bit of Quaker

Anne S

I finally managed to put the final stitches into Part 2 of my Quaker RR:

Quaker RR Part 2

And here’s a comparison of mine and Nickis pieces hanging out together this evening – this photo is quite deceiving, as Nicki’s piece is quite a bit smaller than mine, I should take a photo of them side by side properly so you can see the difference, it’s awesome!:

Quaker RR twins

Then I started part 3, which is part 1 of 2 that I’m stitching on Nicki’s RR.  I have to admit I struggled a bit stitching this tonight, as the fabric’s high count is really hard to see … thank goodness for my Ott-Lite, or I don’t think I would be attempting it!  It will look really pretty once it’s stitched, though … it just might take me a bit longer than normal to stitch it! 😉

Nicki's Quaker RR 1

The highlight for me this weekend was having my ex-flatmate up to stay for the night in Sydney.  She flew off overseas this morning, but before she went we managed to have a great day out yesterday.  We drove out to Bondi Junction, which is a first for me – the Westfield shopping centre out there is awesome!  I totally fell in love with Norton St Grocers, and filled my basket up with wonderful fresh and healthy produce … thankfully my basket was too full by the time we came across the deli section, so I couldn’t stock up on non-healthy options … but, I’ll be back LOL.

Tonight I really enjoyed the fresh figs I’d bought yesterday … I can’t believe the difference between dried and fresh figs – fresh figs rock!!! 😀

Fresh figs

Cross Stitch, Stash, Wishlist

Stash arriving any day now …

Anne S

I received my receipt in the mail today from Needlecraft Corner, which means my parcel should be arriving any day now!  Sorry Mum it was too late to add some Floss-away bags for you 😦

Here’s the list of goodies coming to Australia very very soon from my personal birthday splurge (from left to right, top to bottom):

  1. January Box & finishing Kit – Cherished Stitches
  2. Cirque des Carreaux – Ink Circles
  3. Scissors By Any Other Name – The Cat’s Whiskers
  4. Victorian Memories Chaise Lounge – The Cat’s Whiskers
  5. Rhapsody in Red part 3 – Sampler Cove
  6. Rhapsody in Red part 4 – Sampler Cove
  7. Rhapsody in Red part 2 – Sampler Cove
  8. Quaker Motif Sewing Kit – Fancy Work

Cherished Stitches-January Box Ink Circles-cirque des carreaux The Cat's Whiskers-Scissors by any other name The Cats Whiskers-Victorian Memories Chaise Lounge sampler cove-rhapsody in red part 3 Sampler Cove-Rhapsody in Red 4 Sampler Cove-Rhapsody in Red 2 Fancy Work-Quaker_Motif_Sewing_Kit 

Along with the charts, I also have the following on their way:

  1. 1 skein of Gloriana silk (Grannie Smith Green)
  2. 1 spool of Kreinik #4 Braid (684)
  3. 8 packets of Mill Hill beads
  4. 3 packets of Mill Hill treasures
  5. Juniper WDW Felt (for WMN’s Quaker Turtles)
  6. 1 skein of WDW #5 perle cotton
    Phew!! 😀

Of course there’s still plenty more still on the wishlist – and just to prove a stitcher can never truly have enough stash, I’ve recently added the following beauties to the list.  Thank goodness there wasn’t too much to tempt me at Nashville this year!!  And those things that did tempt me are already on their way here (The Cat’s Whiskers and Cherished Stitches pieces above) … although I wish I’d known about the latest two LHN designs below when I’d placed my order, or they would have been smack bang on the order list too! … oh well, the year is young ;P

Once again from left to right, top to bottom, the details are:

  1. Travelling Stitcher – LHN
  2. Sunflower Inn – LHN (I ADORE this one!)
  3. It’s Cold Outside – Blue Ribbon Designs
  4. She Sells Seashells – CCN
  5. Lavender Blossoms Biscornu – Sweetheart Tree
  6. Lavender Blossoms Fob – Sweetheart Tree
  7. Cupcakes Glorious Cupcakes – The Cat’s Whiskers
  8. Simply Christmas Tree – Whispered by the Wind
  9. Beach Cottage – CCN
  10. Bayside Bungalows – CCN
  11. Fruits of the Harvest – The Cat’s Whiskers

LHN-Traveling Stitcher LHN-Sunflower Inn Blue Ribbon Designs-It's Cold Outside CCN-She Sells Seashells Sweetheart Tree-Lavender Blossoms Biscornu Sweetheart Tree-Lavender Blossoms Fob The Cats Whiskers-Cupcakes Glorious Cupcakes Whispered by the Wind-Simply Christmas Tree CCN-Beach Cottage CCN-Bayside Bungalows The Cat's Whiskers-Fruits of the Harvest

Yep, there’s no hope for me!! 😛

And seeing as I have no new stitching to show off yet (although I’m about halfway through my March ornie for the Xmas ornie challenge), I thought you might enjoy the eye candy as much as I did 😀