Cross Stitch – Page 41 – Feather Stitching

Starting to feel a bit brighter

21 April, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

It seems I may have picked up a bit of a bug after Perth, which helps to explain why I’ve been feeling so blue … I’ve struggled with exhaustion this week, and finally succumbed to it yesterday and lay dozing on the couch for two hours – I woke up just before 5pm with chronic stomach pains, very reminiscent of my gallstone days, which didn’t ease off until about 9.30pm … after that I got a new lease on life and even picked up my stitching for 2 hours before hitting the hay at 11.30pm and getting almost a full 8 hours sleep, only waking up once during the night. I feel so much brighter today … and seeing as today is my only ‘free day’ during the weekend, I’m about to go pick up my needle again and finish a small freebie I started during the week … the reason I only have a one-day weekend? I have 4 hours overtime tomorrow – yippee!! Fingers crossed I’ll also get a couple of hours during the next week. While I’m not particularly keen to do the extra hours, the cash will come in very handy so it’s a small sacrifice to be made for the better good 🙂

While I felt miserable last night I ploughed my way through about 600+ unread feeds in my newsreader … I haven’t been leaving comments, even when I really wanted to, just so I can get through them all and not miss out on anything exciting, and I have to admit it felt good to do it that way rather than marking all as read. Once I get back to ‘zero’ I’ll get back to commenting and blogging like the good ol’ days again 🙂

In the meantime, though, shame on you out there for enabling … I’ve also found some new designs that of course I’ve fallen in love with … so what to do when you’re still on the 50 Project Challenge? Why, keep adding to your wishlist, of course! 😉

Here are the latest additions … I think these are all just wonderful!

AMAP’s Victoria’s Quaker
(I just adore the colours in this one!)

LHN’s Cherry Tree Inn

LHN’s Ladybug, Ladybug

LHN’s The Sampler Lady
(not my usual style, so I suprised myself by liking this one)

Plus of course the latest two collaboration thread packs in the fruit series by CC/LHN, Strawberries and Plums:

As for my stitching, I hope to have a small finish I can share soon, as I’m off to pick up a needle and hope to have a small happy dance in a couple of hours when I get this freebie finished 😀

Test post for piccie purposes

11 April, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

I’ve recently been playing with my Webshots albums and using their links for posting piccies in this blog … I have to say I’ve been really impressed with them, in that it’s really quite quick to upload the piccies to the album, and resizing the piccie is an absolute breeze! I’m thinking of using them instead of Photobucket (which I originally created solely for the purposes of blog posting). It makes so much more sense to have everything in one place, especially as I pay for my annual Webshots membership so I can keep scores of piccies online. Anyway, I just want to test how to post a clickable piccie using Webshots, to see if it works … here goes … (unfortunately the largest size is nowhere as big as Photobucket, but for everyday stitching piccies, I think it’s probably OK).

OK, that worked pretty well considering … hmmm …

The thing that takes so much time in Photobucket is that I’ve been uploading the piccies twice, once at each size required, and the upload takes forever … with Webshots you just upload the photo once (which is heaps quicker in comparison anyway), and select which size photo you’d like the URL for, then you can just reselect another size and within a second the new URL is right in front of you … I love it! 😀 This is going to save sooooo much time online when uploading WIP and finish piccies yippee 😀

Cross Stitch, Works in Progress

Peacock needlecase happy dance

9 April, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

Aside from the satin/buttonhole stitches for the scissor sheath (which gets done last after the stiffening is ironed on), the stitching for the Peacock Needlecase for the CA Wells class is all done – yippee! 😀

I had a slight distraction by a phone call this arvo, which took me a while to get back into stitching mode afterwards, but I managed to squeak in with the stitching just before midnight 😀

Sorry about the poor photography, but I can’t be bothered playing with my editing software much more tonight. At least now I have enough stitched of both projects to at least get some of the finishing done during the class next weekend).

Cross Stitch, Works in Progress

CA Wells update

8 April, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

Not a great deal of stitching done today, but at least I almost finished part 3 of the Peacock needlecase – I just have the chain stitch outline to do … and then just one part left to complete the whole of the stitching – I should be able to do that before I head to Perth next week (finances willing).

Cross Stitch

Charts for sale/trade

7 April, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

I’m slowly working through my piles of charts that I know I’ll never stitch in this lifetime, so I’ll be gradually adding them to my list for sale or trade. I’ve set up a new page on this blog here (you can also see the new tab at the top of the screen), where I’ll be adding new items as I come to them. I’m also adding them to my Webshots for sale/trade album as well, where you can see a full piccie of the chart.

I’d prefer to trade for items off my wishlist, or happy to trade for DMC/Mill Hill beads, fat quarters of fabric (either stitching or quilting fabrics). If you prefer to buy anything, I’d be asking 1/2 of what the normal retail price is – just drop me a line and we can work something out. Depending on the item, I may also request coverage of the postage costs as well, particularly if the item is not being traded for another chart (for example the E&XS and Inspirations magazines are costly to post, so I’d need to factor that in for any sales).

Rightio, now that’s given me chance to wake up, it’s time to get back to some stitching … 😉

Cross Stitch, Finishes, Gifts TO BE FIXED, Round Robins

Peaks and troughs (aka highs and lows)

6 April, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

It’s been a week of differing emotions – and challenges – but also also of some extreme highs.

First up I had an emotional low dealing with public transport for my night shifts … it wasn’t much fun leaving home at 7.15pm for a 9pm start (I’d usually leave just before 8.30pm in my car), and sitting around the ‘transfer’ train station for 20 minutes in the cold and dark … crikey, it’s only been a couple of days, and I miss my car dearly already! It actually wouldn’t normally be too bad, but the shifts I’m on at the moment make it a pain in the a***. Thankfully I managed to get a lift to work and home and again for last night’s shift, which was a blessing.

I arrived at work on Wednesday night feeling very flat (the first full day without my car) … but I arrived 1/2 hour early for work, so I walked down to the PO Box to check the mail. There’s a ‘parcel slip’ in there, but I can’t get that until Tuesday when I will be back at work during their opening hours, so I just have to sit patiently until then when I can find out what’s hiding in there. There was, however, a wonderful surprise sitting in there, and the contents put a huge smile on my face all the way back to work!

Virpi very kindly sent me some feathered friends through the mail, along with some stationery items, in thanks for a chart I sent her as a RAK last month. Talk about arriving at the perfect time! I sat the wee ducks on my desk and they kept my spirits up throughout the whole night 🙂 Aren’t they the cutest things? I just adore them! Thank you so much Virpi for a wonderful gift … they’re definitely in a loving home, and they seem to be getting on very well with all their extended family 😉

Unfortunately after that shift I had a crappy complaint call before I left work, and it was almost 8am before I got to sleep … that was really bad timing as I’d agreed to meet up with Tessa, so the poor thing had to put up with me looking like Frankenstein’s bride after only getting about 5 hours sleep before meeting. I have to say, though, after a coffee and some wonderful conversation I felt fantastic … and it was a real pleasure to meet up – I certainly hope it won’t be the last time, as Tessa is a gorgeous person and wonderful to spend time with. It’s always a good sign when the time passes so quickly, and there was never a lull in the conversation. Unfortunately I’d had a minor catastrophe with part of Tessa’s gift – the stitching had been finished ready to be made into a pinkeep, but on coming home from Sydney I realised I didn’t have any pins that actually matched in colour … no problem, I think to myself, I can pick some up during the day while I’m on overnight shifts … hmmm, that was good in theory, but of course then my car broke down and I wasn’t able to pick any up – so my gift will now have to be posted … I did, however, take it to show Tessa a quick sneak peek.

My gift, though, totally pales in comparison to the treasures that Tessa gave me … I was absolutely floored by Tessa’s generosity, and the amazing gifts. First of all I received some beautiful lilies (which I haven’t taken a photo of yet – I’ll try to remember to take one when they’re all open), and some Haig’s choccies … I’d only tried Haig’s chocolate once before when Mum and I visited Adelaide two years ago, and it’s totally divine! Then there was a box wrapped in the most scrummy blue and white fabric – what a fantastic wrapping idea, and the fabric is just awesome! As Tessa said, it’s very “me” 🙂 The piece de la resistance, though, was the amazing bourse Tessa stitched for me … my jaw nearly hit the floor when I opened the box and saw what was inside – I absolutely adore it! I had to have a lesson how to re-close it, though, as I’d never seen one before in real life … isn’t it amazing? I just love and treasure everything – you have spoilt me rotten Tessa, and I truly love it all – they’re very special gifts 😀 Neither of us brought a camera, so we’ve taken photos on our phones … unfortunately, though, I have no idea how to upload it to my PC, but once I find my cable and work it out, I’ll post a piccie of the two of us 😀

I have to say that I’ve been really amazed how comfortable I’ve felt meeting up with my fellow bloggers. Usually I’m incredibly shy, and hardly say a word around strangers (especially in large group settings), but when I meet my fellow bloggers I can’t shut up! haha. Perhaps it’s having the common thread of stitching to chat about, or the fact that we’ve already started to get to know each other through our blogs, I’m not sure … but I must say blogging for me really is making the world a smaller, kinder and warmer place 😀

During the night shift this week I forced myself to pick up a needle and put a few stitches into a freebie – something quick that I didn’t have to think too much about. I chose the Quaker Hedgehog freebie from The Workbasket – in hindsight I wish I’d used a different thread, as this one turned out quite streaky, but it did the trick and got me stitching again.

I continued with my stitching trend last night at work and started Becky’s part of our Friendship Quaker Round Robin – I got almost all of one motif stitched last night, then sat all day today in my PJ’s and finished the rest (mind you, I got a pretty good sleep today … I was in bed at 6.30am, and after waking up occasionally I finally woke up enough to actually get out of bed at 2.30pm – woohoo!! – that sounds really lazy, but actually it just meant I managed to get 8 hours sleep for a change).

I’m not sure what’s on the cards for tomorrow – I need to work on my Peacock Needlecase, though, so I think that’ll be my priority. Until then, I’m just happy I’ve managed to get a few stitches into ‘something’ this week after a couple of weeks of no stitching 🙂

Cross Stitch, Stitch-alongs, Works in Progress

Back on the wine … Bordeaux, that is!

3 April, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

I feel as though my stitching mojo has disappeared … I think I got so burnt out just focusing on the CA Wells projects and ignoring everything else that it’s affected my motivation on the whole where stitching’s concerned. This week I’m on overnight shifts, and the first night is always the worst as you’ve almost been up for 24 hours by the time you get home. To make things worse I only slept for 5 hours today as well, so my energy levels are pretty minimal today.

What to do with myself? I know I should have been working on my CA Wells pieces, but to be honest my heart just wasn’t in it … instead I dragged out my Bordeaux Sampler and put a few stitches into it, so I’m almost at the same place as Carol – I’ve really missed stitching this over the last few weeks, and it felt really good to sit down and work on it again for a few hours. Just a few more over-one grapes left to go and I’m finished with this band … but I think I’ll start the next band and do a few grapes at the start of each session so I don’t get too fed up with it. And I think it’s important for me to get back into stitching on this each week … to make me feel more ‘normal’.

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

A quick update before I fly out

25 March, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

It’s been an interesting week in many ways – after the stresses of last week Mum and I cleared the air on Friday morning and went shopping … I found a top to wear to the eXcel function at Target of all places for a very cheap price, meaning I also didn’t have to undertake the lengthy drive to Dandenong. We then had lunch with Fraze in the city before heading to Myer department store where I found a pair of black shoes for my outfit … I feel so much better now! I’ll take photos later of the whole outfit if I get chance 🙂 It was a really lovely last day for Mum, and one that we enjoyed immensely.

Unfortunately the flight loadings weren’t looking too fantastic, so Mum had to be dropped off at the airport before work on Saturday – I could’ve cried when the alarm clock went off at 5.30am, and I have to say it was the longest shift in history to get through to my 5pm finish time … but poor Mum was sat at the airport for 4 hours before her flight – I’m not sure which was worse!! Eventually, though, she got home OK … and I have to admit the flat felt very empty when I got home that evening – but I got busy and cooked up a beef in red wine casserole, did a load of laundry washing, and some parcelling up of RAK’s, and it helped to fill in the time.

Talking of RAK’s, I was glad to hear over the last week or so that my last lot of post I sent to people have now all been received … I’ve been scouring wishlists and sending off charts from my “I no longer love it” pile and sending them off to someone else that will give it a more loving home 🙂 Some of the recipients have been on the blog-circuit, but others are from The Wagon BB – TW’s Lily Maiden and Spring Faerie are now being loved, as is HIH’s Steeple Sampler, and Barbara & Cheryl’s City Collection, plus Marbek’s Regency Angel … and there is a small pile of the next round ready to be posted out to new homes … plus a few others that yet have to be parcelled up. I was originally thinking of putting them on Ebay or Trademe, but to be honest I can’t be bothered with the hassle of either (although the money would have been nice LOL) – it feels so much nicer to give them as a small RAK knowing that it will be well received 😀 Here’s the latest round ready to go … will one be coming to YOUR door? 😀

I’ll finish with a quick update piccie of my Peacock Needlecase … still nowhere near being finished, and unfortunately my hissy dramas over the evening outfit threw all my plans out the window, and I’m now waaaay behind schedule with this project as I haven’t touched a needle in just over a week. But I still have two weeks to go before the class, and miracles do still happen … right? … OK, maybe not 😉 (sorry for the crappy photo … and for those of you with eagle eyes, yes I still have one row of chain stitches on the bottom right-hand side yet to complete)

Only one more day before I fly out to Sydney, then I’ll be out of blogging/email action until at least next weekend. Tonight I had a phone call from the best friend in NZ – which was a wonderful pick-me-up, and definitely what the doctor ordered … and in two short days I’ll be living it up with her brother and beautiful SIL in Sydney – yippee!! 😀

Hope everyone is healthy and happy … I hope to get back to reading what you’ve all been up to when I get home 😀

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

Squishy mail & lovely visits

14 March, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

Well, tonight I ended up having a reprieve from work … we had a wonderful visit out today, but driving home it took us over 1 1/2 hrs to get home from Eltham, and by the time I got home I was feeling decidedly squiffy again, so I called in work and said I’d be staying home for the night 😦 We even had to stop off at a local Dairy (stop giggling my fellow Aussies, that’s our Kiwi equivalent of your Milk Bar … I still can’t get used to calling it a Milk Bar – for you Brits out there, it’s the equivalent of the ‘corner shop’) so I could buy some ginger drink to try to quell the queasiness. Anyway, that’s enough of me moaning … on to the brighter moments of the day 🙂

Before I do that, though, I just realised I haven’t written anything about our weekend social night out with Sharon and Pete … We went round there for dinner on Saturday night, and had the most wonderful time – dinner was divine and the company excellent. I took my stitching with me but we were enjoying ourselves so much it came out briefly for a show-and-tell, but not a single stitch was done. I also received a wonderful birthday gift voucher for Bustle & Bows from Sharon, and very touched with that generous gift … unfortunately the gift I gave Sharon wasn’t quite as good … unfortunately I’d chosen a chart I knew she loved, but she’d just bought it for herself as a kit … oops 😦 I already know what I’m doing next time, and think I’ll be safe with that choice 😉 Before we knew it it was almost midnight, and I felt like we’d just arrived – as always a definite pleasure and both Mum and I enjoyed ourselves immensely 😀

Back to today – we caught up with another fellow blogger and Melbournian for a beautiful lunch and stash drooling. We drove over to visit Gina today, albeit half an hour later than we planned due to a visit from the real estate agent (which I’ll talk about soon), and then because I took a wrong turn and had to consult the Melways … because of supposedly going to work for 6pm we had to cut short the visit, as we knew the drive would take a while to get home – we would have loved to have stayed longer … next time we definitely have to choose a non-working day so we can have more time 🙂 Thank you again Gina for a lovely day out – it was great to finally visit and see that infamous collection of linens … and see your Indian first-hand 😀 Mind you, if I’d known I’d start feeling sick again on the way home, we wouldn’t have had to hurry off 😉

The other highlight of the day was the wonderful mail I received – firstly Becky’s piece for the Quaker Friendship RR … it looks gorgeous in real life, and I’m looking forward to adding my little bits to it in round 2 of this RR 🙂

Next up was my order from One Star’s Light – my Cat’s Whiskers charts and 17″ Q-snaps … and I have to agree with everyone else that Jenna’s extra attention to detail is lovely with everything individually wrapped in beautiful tissue paper and wax seals … even Mum’s drooling over the Alyssum scissor keeper, and I can see her extra birthday gift being something stitched this year (she already has the main part of her gift in some Gingher scissors etc).

Last, but certainly not least, is a wonderful RAK from Linda … she very generously sent me her copy of Just Nan’s Dragonfly Scissor Purse, and I’m just over the moon about that – I was seriously drooling over Linda’s blog every time she put a progress piccie up, and I’m thrilled that I now get chance to stitch one of these beauties! That was enough on it’s own to have me grinning from ear to ear, but she also sent another chart from my wishlist, M Designs’ Snow Wonderful – I fell in love with this after seeing this on another blog, and yet again Mum’s eyeing it up too because of the snowmen and snowflake! Linda also sent another chart which I hadn’t seen before – Winter Getaway, and I just love the little cabin scene, so it will definitely be stitched up as well. Thanks again, Linda, I truly adore everything 😀

On a different note, we had a visit from the new real estate Property Manager, and she was dumb-founded by the cracks … I’m really impressed by her attitude – she took loads of photos and said she was calling the landlord immediately as the cracks were very serious. As I said to her, I’m happy someone from the agency is finally taking me seriously, as my previous chasing phone calls were doing nothing at all. Within an hour we had a phone call from her saying the landlord wants to visit tomorrow morning, and she’s trying to get someone from the Body Corporate out here immediately as well, because it’s that serious! Hallelujah!!! It will be interesting to hear what they have to say tomorrow! 😀

And to finish this very lengthy post, here’s the progress to date of my CA Wells’ Peacock Needlecase … not too much to show, but I’m not touching any other stitching until this one is finished in its entirety. I’m feeling a bit brighter than when I first got home, so I just might be able to get a thread or two into this tonight … fingers crossed 🙂 Which is exactly where I’m heading now … off to watch House and Medium with Mum … aside from the squiffy tummy, it doesn’t get much better than this 😉

Cross Stitch, Gifts TO BE FIXED, Works in Progress

Bye-bye Etui for a while

10 March, 200725 February, 2012 Anne S

Yes, I’ve reached the milestone where I can comfortably put the Pyramid Etui away for a short while – thanks to some kind soul who left a comment that as long as you have the smaller pyramid, base, and one large set of triangles/diamond completed for the class, it will be fine, as that gives you an opportunity to try all the finishing techniques out. My apologies to the kind soul who said that, as I can’t find the comment again now, but it definitely did put my mind at rest regarding my deadlines for getting the stitching all finished! I just have 3 more of the larger triangles/diamonds left to go. Thanks to everyone who’s left hints and tips for me with this project – it’s been really really helpful! 😀 Here are all the pieces laid out together for now:

Next up is the stitching on my CA Wells Peacock needle/scissor case – I love the colours in this one, and looking forward to making a start on it today. We’re off to dinner tonight with a close blogging buddy, and my new start will be joining us – I’m sure Sharon won’t mind, although I can’t guarantee there’ll be any stitching done on it, as we’re usually too busy chatting … but best to be prepared ‘just in case’ ;P

Now I have a huge thank you to a couple of fellow bloggers who have been sending me some treats through the mail. I’ve been off work for the last couple of days (I took an extra few RDO’s – rostered days off – as I still had plenty up my sleeve, and work wanted me to use them up … such hardship LOL), so haven’t been near my PO Box at all as it’s near work – we made a special trip out yesterday to clear the mail, and there was an unexpected parcel sitting in there for me!

Tracy sent me a RAK parcel brimming with goodies – she stitched me a gorgeous pillow roll in blues (I forgot to take a piccie of the backing fabric, but it’s really scrummy – and I just love the little kitty cat at the bottom) … isn’t it gorgeous? But that’s not all … she also send a packet of Kiwi Snifters yummo (and it got cracked open as a chaser to my morning Weet-bix this morning haha), and the most divine beaded scissor fob ever! I can’t stop playing with it … the colours and the beads keep attracting my attention and I have to keep touching it! It’s already sitting on the scissors that I’m currently using, and I’m looking forward to having an excuse to keep fondling it during my stitching session today 😀 Thanks again Tracy – as I said in my email, you’ve made my week! 😀

Next up is some extra pretties that Nicki sent me earlier, and I just realised I’d forgotten to take a piccie – Nicki and I did a trade for a chart (A Cherished Box by Cherished Stitches), plus she sent me a partial skein of TTG Silk ‘n’ Colors for my Etui, so I knew they were on their way … but I got a surprise when I opened the envelope as my goodies had some extra company – I also received some divine Dinky Dyes silks and the most scrummy ribbons (yep, I have to say turquoise is pretty much my favourite of all the bright blues!) … that was a wonderful surprise, and I love everything! 😀

Lastly I’ll finish by saying, yet again, that I love WordPress … this time it’s to do with my Photo Hunt post – sometimes lately I struggle with online time (at the moment it’s more to do with having Mum here, but other times it’s to do with my shifts), and I’m pressed to get my Photo Hunt post done each Saturday. From memory with Blogger you can publish a ‘forward’ post, but I’m pretty sure it just posts straightaway with that date on it … anyway with WordPress you can write your post, set a future date for posting, and the post publishes at the exact date and time you set. I tried doing it for this week’s Photo Hunt post and it worked perfectly – I’d actually found the photos during this last week, and I already have next week’s post done this way as well while I was in ‘photo hunt mode’ … yep, luv ya WordPress! 😀