Feather Stitching

A teensy bit of stash

12 January, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

Today I spent a wonderful few hours browsing and chatting with Karen at Dragonfly Dreams (soon to be renamed as The Stitching Post) in the Blue Mountains. As always, I feel as though we’ve known each other for years, and feel really comfortable in their company. I managed to come home with a few guilt-free goodies … guilt-free ‘cos I’ve finished the 50 project challenge! I haven’t taken photos, as I can’t be bothered trying to find the camera right now and uploading the photos … I might update this post tomorrow with piccies if I get time … maybe 😛

Anyway, following are the goodies that followed me home today:

* The Cat’s Whiskers – Grandma’s Cushions Boxtop and Thread-minder Wallet
* By the Bay Needleart – 13th Colony Bay Part #1
* The Prairie Schooler – In The Woods
* Elizabeth’s Designs – The Garden of My Heart
* Little House Needleworks – Gourmet Garden
* Country Cottage Needleworks – Little Ballerinas

I’m really excited at the prospect of stitching again – since my last finishes I haven’t lifted a needle at all … while I’m here in Glenwood I usually only have the time and energy to put a few stitches in on Sunday nights. By the time I do my 5 x 12-13 hour days, I’m ready to collapse in a heap on Friday night, and I’m sure if I did stitch, I’d just have to rip out all the errors again on Saturday, so I avoid it big-time!

In less than a week, though, I’ll be sat merrily stitching away until my hands are ready to drop off, and I really can’t wait – I’m so incredibly excited at the prospect of all the projects that I really really want to start (and also those that I want to finish). I’ve even taken an extra day off work just so I can sit around all day and stitch for one day … I’ll have no furniture in the flat at that point, but I intend propping myself up against the wall, while sitting on my duvet inner and blow-up mattress, listening to DVD’s and/or talking books on the laptop, and celebrating the fact that I am no longer having to commute a million miles every week … I’m feeling all dreamy now just thinking about it! As for the furniture truck, it can take its merry time to arrive, as then I’ll be flat out unpacking instead of stitching haha.

I’m looking forward to meeting a few more stitchers in Sydney in 2008 as well – and over the last couple of weeks I have been considering opening my flat up for a stitching day … I just have to work out how many people we can fit it as it’s such a small flat – it might not end up being an option, but it’s worth considering anyway. It would be lovely to meet a few more stitchers up here – spending time in Karen’s company, surrounded by those wonderful goodies in the shop, makes me realise how much I adore being in contact with other stitchers. I have been missing my good friends Tannia and Sharon very much over the last few weeks for that reason (although I’d love them if they weren’t actually stitchers!).

Rightio, time to head off and kit up a couple of ornies for our ornment SAL challenge on one of the Yahoo groups – I’m hoping to get one of the ornies stitched tomorrow night (or close to being stitched anyway), but it takes me forever to kit it up then start stitching, so much better to get organised in advance! Plus I also want to kit up Ladybug, Ladybug (Little House Needleworks) – I’m itching to start the Sampler Lady by LHN, but I’m still waiting for the threads to arrive from back order … then once my Ladybug, Ladybug piece is finished I need to start some serious stitching on my CA Wells piece – so far I’ve managed a whole 2 flower heads, because I’m having to stitch in hand (need my sewing machine to sew on some side strips so it will go in the Qsnaps), and I detest stitching in hand. That’ll be a much better project to start concentrating on when I settle into the new place.

Rightio, time to get cracking ‘cos I’m starting to get heavy-eyed … time to move the body … and maybe time to get a chilled glass of Chardonnay to help with resuscitation haha.

PhotoHunt

PhotoHunt – Skinny

12 January, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

PhotoHunt | PhotoHunt

Here is a photo of a skinny sculpture at Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens, Mornington Peninsula.

Also, here is one seriously skinny Christmas Tree – Frazier’s best friend was too tight to buy a proper Christmas tree from the retailers, and decided in his usual illegal fashion to steal one from a farmer’s property … and almost got bitten by a brown snake for his trouble. Would have served him right, too, for stealing!! Anyway, I nicknamed the tree “Jenny”, after the Jenny Craig diet regime … ‘cos I thought it looked liked a poor starved wee thing 😉

PhotoHunt

Photo Hunt – Delicious

5 January, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

PhotoHunt | PhotoHunt

Here is a photo you’ve seen before on my blog – a delicious Devonshire Tea at Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens, Mornington Peninsula. Every time I see this photo it makes me drool and want some more! 😉

Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Happy dancing (but no stitching) – and 2008 goals

3 January, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

I can’t believe what a simple phone call can do to make a person feel so ecstatically happy as a phone call did for me today! We heard from our new real estate agent that the tenants in Ramsgate Beach are vacating earlier than expected, and we have the option to move in ahead of the scheduled time … after a few extra phone calls to the removal company and my new flatmate, I’ve decided to accept a week’s rent on my own, and to take up the offer of picking up the keys a week early! We were already going to sign the lease and pay the money up front (bond plus advance rent) on 15 January as Lisa is here in Sydney for the day for work, so I’m going to pick up the keys now on the same day and have a full week there on my own before she arrives.

The furniture won’t be arriving until 19 January, so I thought I’d pop in and spray the place with surface spray in the unit and garage (those of you who know me well know my abysmal spider phobia, so this is an absolutely essential routine for me to move into a new place!!) on the 15th, then I’m taking Thu 17/Fri 18 Jan off work to actually drive over from Nigel and Brenda’s in the morning on the 17th – that means there’s plenty of time to do the unpacking of what few items I have with me, as well as any cleaning that is outstanding, and the property condition report. Then I just have to sleep on a blow-up mattress for two nights until the rest of the furniture turns up – at last by then the surface spray smell will have disappeared 😉

I have to say I’m really surprised at how thrilled and ecstatic that phone call made me – I’m incredibly excited to be moving into my own place again … I’ve truly surprised myself at how relieved it made me feel today. I have a tendency to push my feelings and emotions below the surface, but it’s amazing how quickly the good feelings surface again 😀

And one of the best things is … Very very soon I’ll be driving 9.5km each way to work, instead of 53km each way – WOOHOO!!!!!

Aside from that, all I keep thinking about is that I will finally have a stitching corner back again, I will be able to spend those wasted 3 hours commuting by walking up the beach and stitching, and … the biggest of all … I will soon be able to sleep in my very own bed again – I have missed that the most of any of my belongings, like you just wouldn’t believe!

So, that now means it’s 12 more sleeps left before I pick up the keys, and 14 more sleeps before I physically start moving in … YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!! That also means getting back into a stitching rotation again … well, quite frankly, just stitching regularly again will suit me for a wee while, seeing as I can’t come up with a rotation that works just yet. I’ve been trying to plan a new rotation for the new year, and there are just way too many projects I want to start – I’m like an alcoholic craving a drink, I just want to grab everything at once and take a long drink! 😛

On the other hand, I do have a couple of resolutions/goals that I want to meet this year:

Increase my fitness level by exercising 4-6 days a week … be it walking on the beach, doing yoga/pilates, or using the rowing machine, but at least 10 minutes every day, with the preference being at least 1/2 an hour each day
Eat more regularly and healthily … with the goal of losing at least 10kg during the year
Be more socially active … I can be quite a shy recluse, so I need to make an effort to get to know people here in Sydney and get out of my comfort zone – I already have tickets to see the Sound of Music and Michael Buble in concert with Brenda, Nigel and friends, and two work colleagues from Melbourne are hoping to come visit at the end of February, plus I want to meet some more fellow stitchers here
Stitching goals are easy – after such a horrendous year in 2007, I just want to relax, have fun, and enjoy the simple pleasure of just sitting and doing my stitching … to that end I’ve decided not to set specific goals, aside from completing at least 2 of my current UFO’s or WISP’s
And finally, to keep in touch with my friends, both online and in real life, more regularly … something I’m often very guilty of neglecting!

So that’s it, in a nutshell … pretty simple goals for a simple life in 2008! I’m looking forward to a year of no stress, no dramas, and no catastrophes … just simple pleasures and a simple carefree life …

Cross Stitch

Happy New Year!!!

1 January, 200825 February, 2012 Anne S

Here’s hoping 2008 is a wonderful year for all of us – filled with everything our hearts desire 😀

As it’s now 2008 ‘down under’ in Australia, I’ll finish the year with a photo of the Sydney fireworks over the harbour last New Year – compliments of the online Sydney Morning Herald. Unfortunately I’m not out at the harbour seeing the fireworks first hand (that’s the plan for next year though!) – I’m seeing the New Year in with Mark and Leisa and some of their friends at home … where I’ve been happily supping Jim Beam and L&P all night after finding a small asian supermarket near work that sells L&P … I’m a happy girl 😉

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Not only that, though – I’d also like to offer something, in way of thanks to everyone who has been supportive and a regular reader of my blog throughout the last two years, especially when I haven’t had chance to reciprocate with regular reading and support of my own. I am going to hold a prize draw for something stitched by me … I can’t guarantee it will be received by the winner this side of February, but I would like to give something back in thanks for the friendship I’ve received, especially during my most stressful times in 2007!

So, if you’d like to go into the draw for something stitched by me, please leave a comment in this post – I’ll leave the draw open until the end of January, when I’ll draw a name out of the proverbial hat, complements of random.org 😀

Finishes, Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Another happy dance

29 December, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

Yippee, I’m so happy to announce yet another happy dance – housesitting has been so good for getting some stitching done, it’s wonderful to get back into the swing of things again, even if it’s shortlived. I’ll be moving back into Brenda and Nigel’s again on 6 Jan for another three weeks, so it’ll be back into the “work-sleep-work” mode again … but after 24 Jan I’ll have a personal life back again during the week, and I can’t wait to make better use of my evening hours rather than spending it all travelling from work. Even if it takes me 1/2 an hour to drive to and from work, it will still give me back another 2 to 2 1/2 hours private home time, ah heaven!!

Next week I’ll finalise the removal truck details (which is costing between $1500-$2000 yikes!!!) , and I have to fly down to Melbourne for a few hours to tidy up the last bit of the storage unit into boxes (we just threw some things into it the last time we were there), then let the removalists into the unit. Then hopefully I can organise for them to arrive Fri 25 Jan, which will give me the whole weekend to unpack things and try to make everything fit. After that, the sofa bed is available for anyone who wants to pop over to visit 😀

Anyway, back to the important stuff … here is my happy dance for the weekend … although in fact it’s three separate happy dances – firstly, there are two happy dances for the two projects I’ve just finished – as well as getting the Necessities Sampler finished, I also sneaked in a new start/finish which is the Geranium House sampler.

Necessities Sampler by Little House Needleworks
Stitched on 32ct hand-dyed Merino linen by Country Stitch
with recommended threads

Geranium House by Country Cottage Needleworks
Stitched on 32ct Light Mocha linen
with recommended threads

The biggest happy dance, though, is that I have now – FINALLY – finished the 50 Project Challenge!! Yippee!!! I have to admit, I didn’t complete the challenge properly in that I did buy a few charts during the year, and I was originally going to stitch a new project for every new chart bought, but to be honest I’m a bit ‘over it’ and want to take the pressure off myself, so I’m not going to bother stitching to make up for the slight splurges. I really want to start off the New Year with no stitching commitments or pressures, aside from my CA Wells class pieces – after such a crappy year in 2007, I’m looking forward to smooth sailing in 2008. And after having precious stitching time over the last few months, I really want to enjoy my stitching again by stitching what I want when I want, and buying new charts on a whim whenever I feel like it as well 😀

One of the first things I’ll be doing in the New Year is fixing up my heap of crap car! I’m still having problems with it, and now it’s starting unlocking itself during the day – it’s like the damned thing is possessed!!! (Maybe I should start calling it “Christine”!) So my first job will be to take it to an auto electrician and have the entire car re-wired, I guess – which means my dashboard light will work again so I can see how fast I’m driving at night … my windows will all actually open again, not just the drivers side window, which is really helpful in this summer heat … my locks will actually stay locked when my back is turned … and the car will stop cutting out on me – then at the end of 2009 I’m hoping I’ll be in a better position to replace that heap of crap with something I actually enjoy driving … Mazda here I come !!!!!!!!

Rightio, enough prattling on … time to do get the housework done before Mark and Leisa return home tonight … then my job this week will be to catch up on a few blogs and outstanding emails, and finally finish the book I started a couple of weeks ago when I was catching the train!! Peace and quiet is shattered out here, as the neighbours are having a party it seems (this is such a noisy neighbourhood, I’m so glad I don’t live here permanently!).

Home & Family TO BE FIXED, PhotoHunt

PhotoHunt – Messy (& a snake)

29 December, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

PhotoHunt | PhotoHunt

Here is a photo of Frankston beach – it’s a bit messy due to strong winds, and general rubbish that people have thrown away … litterbugs annoy me! Gotta feel sorry for that poor seagull too 😦

And now to freak my Mum out even further, here’s a photo of our infamous visitor on 23 December – he wanted to come join the party, but we were happy to give him the whole house to himself until the snake catcher appeared on the scene! Nigel took this photo as the snake catcher was disturbing it to get a good grip on him to pick him up. Welcome to the only red-bellied black snake I hope to ever see this close … ever! In fact, add all other venomous snakes into that mix as well !!! I’ve actually had nightmares during the night a couple of times dreaming of snakes slithering over me while I’m sleeping, which certainly makes a change from spider nightmares – I hadn’t realised it’d freaked me out so much, but obviously my subconscious was freaked out big time!! 😮

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

A bit of Christmas stitching

26 December, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas Day – here in Sydney I spent a lovely day with Brenda & Nigel, and Brenda’s sisters, nieces and cousin. As always Nigel did an awesome job with the food, and we all ate like Kings. The rest of the day was spent, in my case, stitching in front of the TV while we watched Scrooged and the final episodes of the Vicar of Dibley. I’m glad I went prepared and took a wee LHN design to start – it gave me something to do while everyone else was snoozing at odd times during the afternoon. And if I’d got all the DMC threads to hand, I would have almost finished it!! My needles were definitely smoking yesterday (and until 3am when I got back ‘home’ as I still couldn’t put it down). Here’s my progress so far – I just need to buy some more DMC (3371, 739 and 3011) then I can get it finished. Unfortunately I took a drive out to the shops today, forgetting that everything is still closed for Boxing Day, so it will be sitting unfinished for a wee while now as I’m back to work tomorrow.

Necessities Sampler by Little House Needleworks

Seeing as I can’t finish my LHN piece, I have no choice but to start one of my CA Wells pieces … which means I have to start concentrating on my stitching again yikes!!

On Christmas Eve I managed to finally put the finishing touches to a couple of ornies that were stitched during the first part of last year. I really really need to get back into my stitching routine so I can stitch a few more for next year! Anyway, here are the latest ornies in their finished state (I forgot to take a photo of one, which I gave to Kerrie at the weekend).

And here are two that Mum stitched for me, that I’ve also finally finished into ornies:

I’ll finish this post with photos of my friendly flatmates right now – they’re both so incredibly friendly and cuddly … the photos were taken from their visit onto my bed this morning 🙂

Finishes

At last … a Happy Dance!!

24 December, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

I can’t believe it’s taken me nearly two months just to stitch two whole blocks of Snapperville! I happened to spy a Spotlight sign on the way home from work today (they let us finish 2 hours early, yippee), so I ducked in and picked up a skein of DMC 434 so I could get Snapperville finished tonight. And here’s the finished product … sorry it’s a bad photo as it’s getting dark outside and I couldn’t get a decent crisp photo of it. I’m not bothering to put the little snaps around the border (mainly because I don’t have any) – I have to say I have really REALLY enjoyed stitching this project. Thanks so much Cathy for your generosity in sending me the charts and fabric, it’s been a real joy to stitch 😀

Snapperville by Bent Creek
Stitched on 32ct natural linen
with recommended threads except for DMC 434 instead of WDW Hazelnut

Next up should be my CA Wells project pieces, but instead I’m going to kit up a smallish LHN design to start stitching tomorrow at Nigel and Brenda’s place for Christmas Day. I can’t guarantee I’ll have another happy dance this side of 2008, but I’ll at least make a start on a new fun piece, and I still have one more selfish stitching day (Boxing Day) before my housesitting people return home and I’m back at work and no stitching again 🙂

Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Round Robins, Works in Progress

Christmas with a Bite!

23 December, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

My mail has finally started arriving in Sydney, after having a detour into Melbourne first – which means my Quaker Friendship Sampler has arrived home at last. I have to admit, I prefer other choices of colours after stitching on everyone else’s samplers, but I do still love this one … with its bright cheery colour! I’ll have to wait to post a piccie, because I’ve left it at Brenda & Nigel’s. Actually, I might pop over to the SAL blog and see if I can snaffle a piccie that Becky took of the finished sampler (cool, thanks Becky for post that piccie so I can borrow it!!):

Which also brings me to another job that is way, way overdue … believe it or not, I haven’t forgotten that I have promised to give away my original chart, and I made a quick list of all the people who originally put their hands up to go into the draw. Well I can finally advise that Judith is the lucky recipient of this chart, and in the New Year I’ll get it into the post for you (it’s currently packed up, so just as soon as I can get to it, it’ll be on its way to you).

Thanks for your patience everyone who put their hands up to go into the draw!

Which brings me to the next one … after finishing It’s Halloween by The Drawn Thread, I’m putting that chart up for grabs now as well. It has slight creases in the chart, but the chart is totally legible – it is just showing the strain of all that travelling between house sitting jobs in Melbourne!! Anyway, please leave a comment that you’d like to put your name in the draw, I’ll pull another name out of the hat (or via the list generator, anyway), in a couple of weeks time.

Yesterday I spent the entire day in my PJ’s and managed to get loads stitched on Snapperville … and I have to say it was the most amazing comforting feeling to be stitching again. I have really REALLY missed my stitching, and it helped to bring back a feeling of normality to my day. Uunfortunately I don’t have any Weeks Dye Works Hazelnut thread, or DMC 434, here with me, so I can’t put the finishing touches to this piece. Boohoo. I may have to take it with me on Christmas Day to Brenda and Nigel’s where one of my other kitted up projects is holding DMC 434 so I can get it finished. Right now, though, I just have the door left to be stitched in the final block, along with the final part of the border (a few swirls and one more tree). Fingers crossed this will get finished before the end of 2007!

Today no stitching was done, but instead we had a very social occasion out at Kerry’s place (Brenda’s best friend). Now, Mum, please do NOT read any more of this paragraph, as you’ll have nightmares for days!!! Nicely fed on a lovely BBQ, a couple of us were still sitting outside chatting about our previous European travels, while the rest of the group were inside the house … all of a sudden the guy opposite me says “oh my goodness, there’s a snake!” – I turned around in my chair, and sure enough there was a bloody great snake slithering over the porch, and it disappeared straight through the door into the kitchen! Thankfully no-one inside startled it, and no-one got hurt, but all of a sudden here was a mass exit of bodies coming back outside the doors carrying out all pets. Next thing Chris (the husband) put his steel-capped boots on and armed with a spade went back inside to keep an eye on it, along with Nigel who was armed with his camera to help keep guard (I’ll put some photos up just as soon as I can get hold of copies). A phone call was made for help, and eventually (about 3/4 hour later) the snake man arrived to remove the unwanted red-bellied black snake, who was about 5 feet long, and a very decent size in width. It’s the first snake I’ve seen in the ‘wild’ since moving to Australia, and hopefully the last one!!! It’s the first one Kerry’s ever seen, either, which makes me feel better that it’s not ‘normal’. Anyway, it was rather exciting and gave us something to chat about for ages afterwards … not to mention the humour when I nearly peed myself as Nigel dangled a rubber snake in front of my nose shortly after – payback is going to be a bitch for him one day!! 😉

Anyway, after seeing a bit too much of Sydney’s nature, it was time to head back home to chill out and relax … and in case I don’t get chance before the “big day”, I wanted to make a very quick post to say ………

ALL THE BEST TO ALL MY ONLINE FRIENDS, AND YOUR FAMILIES, FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON – MAY YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR, AND I WISH YOU EVERY HAPPINESS FOR 2008. IT’S BEEN A PLEASURE MEETING YOU ALL, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR RELATIONSHIPS NEXT YEAR. WITH HUGE HUGS AND LOVE, xxx