Canvaswork, Cross Stitch, Stash, Wishlist

My 25 Project Challenge is Doomed already!

Anne S

I have barely got a finish under my belt and I’ve broken my vow of chastity stash dieting … but I couldn’t resist!!  And two of them are rarely available for sale, so it was a case of “now or never” … as for the third one, it is just a case of ordering it quickly before I salivated myself to death in a pile of drool 😉

What am I talking about?  Well, to start with I’d already been drooling BIG time seeing the latest Mirabilia mermaid on a few blogs … this one is just to DIE FOR!  I was happy to add it to my wishlist, then The Stitching Post had a pre-order option in today’s email newsletter … my fingers worked to quickly on the keyboard and before I knew it and time to think, the chart was ordered and paid for … oops … LOL.  Now I just have to wait for a while before I can justify getting the MH Treasures and CC Waterlilies threads.  But I’m also thinking if I don’t end up using my Fathom fabric for Enchanted Mermaid, the colouring of this one could be perfect!

Mirabilia0MD98BluebirdsPrincessMirabella1400

As for the other two splurges – Gay Ann Rogers has an e-merchandise week only once a year, and offers some of her previous class projects for sale.  These two projects are ones that I fell in love with a while ago, but figured they’d be forever out of my grasp, but sure enough I was lucky enough to see them up for sale last week (although my credit card is now feeling very UNlucky, and I guess I’ll be on bread and water rations for the next month … I know I’m going to kick myself for buying them, but I just couldn’t resist!).  Anyway, here are the two canvaswork designs that I fell in love with, and with pages and pages of instructions, it’ll be great to stitch these up at some stage … I was borderline about getting the 2nd design, but it was discounted to buy both together, so I figured “in for a penny, in for a pound …” – I’m totally head over heels for the first design, though (probably more so because I love the colourway chosen for this model!).

Glittering Diamonds photo

Mystery with a little bit of Glitz photo

As for actual stitching, I managed to get another 2 hours stitching done last night … 1 of them spent frogging and re-stitching, then the remaining hour getting some new stitches in.  I’m over halfway through the 2nd corner box, so hopefully tomorrow night I’ll get chance to finish that off … no piccies for now though 🙂

And now it’s time to climb into my thermal undies for bed … the temperatures have totally plummeted today and it’s like being back in the middle of winter again (from 30+C to 15C in the space of two days hmmm) … time to bundle up in those winter PJ’s again!!

Cross Stitch, Halloween, Just Nan, Works in Progress

Halloween Frogs

Anne S

Personally I don’t think Frogs should be permitted during Halloween (or any time of the year for that matter) … I noticed last night when I sat and did an hour’s stitching before bed that I’ve miscounted in the border of my Halloween piece by one stitch, so I have to rip all the right-hand side borders out (from the green stitches out) … thankfully I hadn’t managed to stitch too much, so it won’t take long to re-stitch again.  I only noticed last night when stitching the spider and ran out of room for the legs … and when I did notice my face was a really good mimic of the expression on that ghosts face!! LOL.  The photo is dreadful sorry – the colours really ‘pop’ in real life, and are really bright – love it, and just what the doctored ordered, I’m really loving stitching this one! 😀

Just Nan-Frightful 20Oct08

This is what it will look like ‘when it’s all grown up’ 😀

jn150-l

Thanks everyone for helping me out with the mermaid fabric – I have to admit my gut was also leaning towards Waterfall as well … I’ve asked Catherine at Countrystitch to send me a small ‘sample/ornie’ cut of each of the two colours (Waterfall and Ocean Blue) so I can do a true floss toss and see the colours in real life before making the ultimate decision.  I’ll show piccies of the various fabrics when I do so you can see the differences.

Rightio, time to start getting ready for work – it’s been raining cats and dogs so I need to find my umbrella too hmmm.  My intention was to go walking before work this week, but I took one look outside and went “nah” 😉

Cross Stitch, mermaids TO BE FIXED, Mirabilia

Over my head in the ocean

Anne S

Over my head in Ocean fabric, that is!  I’ve got Mirabilia’s Enchanted Mermaid all kitted up ready to go … except I can’t decide on the fabric to use!  I had bought a plain Belfast Smokey Pearl piece especially for it, which is supposedly close to the recommended Wichelt Twilight Blue … but then I spied a piece of “Fathom” by Picture This Plus at the recent Stitches & Craft Show and picked a piece up especially for this Mermaid … however when I lay the flosses out on it, the fabric is more tealy green coloured, so now I can’t decide.  To top things off I’ve just found a couple of Country Stitch fabrics that might work nicely.  As this project has cost an arm and a leg in MH Treasures I want to get this one right (and I want to start stitching it relatively quickly)! 😉

Anyway, I used the online pattern/fabric viewer, and this is what the screen shots are like:

Enchanted Mermaid-Belfast Smokey Pearl Enchanted Mermaid-Picture This Plus Fathom
Belfast Smokey Pearl (left) and Picture This Plus Fathom (right)
(these two fabrics I already have in my stash

Enchanted Mermaid-Country Stitch Waterfall Enchanted Mermaid-Country Stitch Ocean Blue
Country Stitch – Waterfall (left) and Ocean Blue (right)

As a matter of interest, which do you think looks best?  Obviously I’d need to pick up swatches of the actual fabrics before I make the ‘ultimate’ decision, I guess, but I’d be interested in your thoughts 🙂

I’ll do a proper floss toss when I get chance …

Country Cottage Needleworks, Cross Stitch, Finishes

Home Sweet Home

Anne S

One pink house with its little pink roses is now all finished – and I have to admit I really like it!  I’m almost tempted to keep this one! 😀

CCN-Home Sweet Home
“Home Sweet Home” by Country Cottage Needleworks
Stitched on 28ct Ivory Annabelle
with recommended threads

As for what’s next … I’ve had my heart set on stitching a Halloween project before the end of the month, and I’ve got a massive urge to get some of my UFO’s finished after publishing all the photos recently, so I’m going to re-jig my rotation projects short-term … My focus piece will be Frightful by Just Nan, and my Large/BAP project will be Mirabilia’s Winter Queen – once my Halloween piece is finished I’ll move Winter Queen into the focus piece slot until it’s finished … then I’ll start on my CA Wells pieces for next year’s class 🙂

Cross Stitch

Merry Cox class online

Anne S

Just in case anyone’s interested the “Shining Needle Society” is offering an online class with Merry Cox – Here’s some of the information received, but you’ll need to sign up for membership with the Shining Needle Society (membership is free, it’s a Yahoo Group):

“It’s October 15, which means that registration is now open for Shining Needle Society’s first class offering specifically for linen, “Americana Sewing Case” with Merry Cox.

Important class dates are as follows:

October 15 through November 15 — registration open
November 15 — last day for registration
January 1 – February 15 — online class for the stitched portion of the sewing case
Feb. 16 – March 31 — online class on hiatus to allow for completion of the stitching — online “classroom” will still be accessible and open, but teacher availability will be very limited due to other commitments
April 1 – 30 — finishing portion of the online class. Sit back and admire your completed sewing case!

Class details:

“Americana Sewing Case” class description:
This charming patriotic sewing case measures 4″ x 2 3/4″ when closed and features a girl holding the flag, an alphabet, tree, birds, flower band and a verse Merry wrote. Most of the design is stitched ‘over 1’ using overdyed cotton and silk threads. Inside is a place to store scissors, a needle threader, needles and a bodkin. 
Stitches include Montenegrin stitch, satin stitch, small rococo, closed herringbone, tent stitch ‘over 1’ and nun stitch on 32-count sandstone linen.
Kit includes linen, threads, buttons, ribbon, bodkin and all finishing materials.

To see a picture of the completed project, go to: http://www.frommerrysheart.com/
Click on “online class” in the left hand column.

(snipped)

Pricing:

$110 — Includes complete kit, online instruction emails, US domestic mailing and SNS administrative fee. International orders are $8 additional to most global destinations.

$35 — if you have already taken this class from Merry at another venue and thus do not need a second kit. This fee covers Merry’s teaching fee and the SNS administrative fee.

Merry is happy to accept both checks and PayPal.”

 

 

Friends & Family, Photo Hunt, PhotoHunt

Photo Hunt – Family

Anne S

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
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This week’s theme is “Family” so here’s a photo of my own family – Mum and Dad, and my best male friend Frazier in the middle (this was from Dad’s 70th birthday party back home in Auckland … with the lovely backdrop of our lemon tree – geez I miss that lemon tree!):

Dad's 70th (56)

Here is another one of part of my ‘extended’ family – this is Mum with Auntie Margaret, and in the front is (the late) Grandy … this is my best friend’s Grandmother who adopted me as her own granddaughter growing up. Even though I didn’t grow up in the arms of my own flesh and blood down under, we have adopted family that have more than made up for it … thanks to the Seagers and Smiths for being more of a family than we could have wished for! 😀

Grandy Mum and Auntie Margaret_edited-1

This is the ‘other side’ of my family … the loopy side, that thank goodness I don’t take after!! OK, well, maybe sometimes … sorry Mum and Dad, I couldn’t resist it!!!  It’s a good job they don’t know how to upload photos, or they’d have their own ammunition against me, but unfortunately I can’t find any right now LOLOL.

dad the fairy

silly dragon

Cross Stitch, Stash

Darn those migraines!

Anne S

Been chewing Nurofen Migraine tablets today, and have to say they do nothing … will stick to normal Nurofen in the future!  My headache has gradually continued to get worse throughout the day, so I opted to call it a day at 2.45pm while I could still drive OK … not even the arrival of my SB&B stash-fest order could cheer me up ho-hum.  I did, however, manage to hunt through the latest JCS Xmas ornie magazine and work out which ornies I’d like to stitch.  My favourites, along with a couple of ‘maybe’ ornies are as follows:

Pages 10-11:
Definite – Cherished Stitches; The Sweetheart Tree
Maybe – Legacy Designs; Blackbird Designs

Pages 12-13:
Definite – Casey Buonaugurio XS Designs; CCN; Primrose Needleworks

Pages 14-15:
Definite – Prairie Schooler
Maybe – The Victoria Sampler; Julia Lucas Designs

Pages 16-17:
Definite – Full Circle Designs; Cindy Valentine Designs
Maybe – DebBee’s Designs; Glory Bee

Pages 18-19:
Definite – Sue Hillis Designs; The Workbasket
Maybe – Ink Circles

Pages 20-21:
Definite – Wildflower Stitchery & More

Pages 22-23:
Definite – My Mark

Pages 24-25:
Definite – Loopy Lou Designs
Maybe – Patricia Ann Designs; Rosewood Manor

Pages 26-27:
Definite – Charland Designs; Dragon Dreams

Pages 28-29:
Definite – The Cat’s Whiskers Design Studio; Kitty & Me Designs
Maybe – Erica Michaels

Wow, not all that many that have bowled me over and made me ‘itchin to stitch’ … maybe I’ll review the issue again when I’m feeling a bit perkier.

I’ll take a photo of the entire stash-fest later … most of it you’ve already seen, but I had a few MH Treasures and AVAS silks thrown in for good measure … very lovely 🙂

Now it’s time to get off the computer again and rest for the arvo before this migraine settles in for good for the night!  Guess there’s no stitching for me again tonight! 😦

Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Rotation, rotation, rotation

Anne S

I must say I’m quite excited about my rotation starting – I think I’ve been missing having some ‘organisation’ in my stitching … and I’m quite motivated about it, which is good.  I’ve been timing my stitching on Home Sweet Home as my “free choice” project for this rotation … I’ll be so close to getting it finished during the next 4 hours of stitching I’ll probably just keep going if it takes me a bit longer than the allocated 10 hours.

I got a reasonable bit of stitching done on Tuesday, but that was while fighting off a brewing migraine so my stitching was pretty slow, and not as much to show for 6 hours as I would show normally … yesterday, however, not a stitch was done as I woke up to a full-blown migraine that had my flatmate very concerned when she saw me, and myself very fed up when I was heaving up into the toilet bowl … geez I hate migraines that are so bad they make me throw up!  Needless to say I just spent the day snoozing and resting and definitely not stitching or playing on the computer.

Today, though, I’m most surprised to see a little red button at the top of the WordPress dashboard – and when I hover my mouse over it it says “add a poll” … when did that little beauty appear?  That’s been one of my whines about WP vs Blogger … of course I haven’t tested it yet, so I’m just going to have to test it here to see what it looks like! 🙂

Hmmm, somewhat pretty!  I like how you can choose from 19 different layouts … of course I HAD to go with the only blue one!! LOL.

And on that note, it’s time to jump in the shower and head to work … I hate to think what’s waiting there for me after 2 days off ho-hum 😦