Category Archives: cross stitch

April Smalls SAL

Posted in Christmas, cross stitch, Smalls SAL by

This SAL is a free choice SAL hosted by Heather over at Stitching Lotus. You can click on the button in my sidebar and it’ll take you there.

I didn’t have a Small for March & tho I said at the time this didn’t bother me, it turns out that it did. So I made sure that I had a finish for this month, even tho it meant I sat down for 2+ hours on Tuesday, watching end-to-end flosstube to get it done. I definitely didn’t like stitching on this dark fabric, so much so that last night I went and brought a new floor lamp. Yay for teenagers who like to assemble things! I’ll be able to work on Persephone while in the lounge with the rest of the fam this winter. Bonus.

This month’s Small is Plenty, by Hands On Design. Their Year in Chalk was really big last year (deservedly so, bang on trend & cute too) but this one is from the 2015 Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments Issue. Yes, I changed it up a little. I do this a lot. The recommended fabric was 30ct gunmetal linen from Weeks Dye Works; I used a 26ct navy Elixar from my stash, and I omitted the top antler. IMO it looked weird with 3 antlers.

If you want to check out more by Cathy, she blogs HERE

Plenty – Hands On Design
Gentle Arts DMC
Sampler 0180 772
Simply Shaker 7052 304
Simply Shaker 7054 3865
Simply Shaker 7085 841

April WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, family, grateful, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, WIPocalypse by

Another full moon – now that I am in the habit of looking for the moon I’m much more aware of the way the seasons are turning and the effect it is having on the world around me. My driveway is bordered with liriope (see this post) and the lilac flower stems have finally gone. There’s little colour left in my garden except the rosy red apples – I must go pick those tonight.

Oh, and after we dropped Lou at her flat last night, we paused in our drive to look at the stars. Yesterday was ANZAC Day so it was perfect to see the Southern Cross in all its glory, and think of the sacrifice made by men and boys half a world away a century ago. Humbling. Grateful. Relieved. Patriotic. All those feels. So happy the flag did not change.

Anyhoo, WIPocalypse. This is a full-moon check-in hosted by Melissa over at her blog, Measi’s Musings (you can link to it anytime with the image on my sidebar). I haven’t had much stitching time this month, but I do have some progress on my major pieces. I still won’t have a Small for this month tho unless I pull finger, but I’d forgotten how eye-straining it can be to stitch on darker fabrics (in this case, a 28ct Elixar Navy).  Second Mermaid has some more hair, and Persephone has most of the beading done in the top half. Last night I worked on her arm – I stitch right to left and I didn’t want to risk getting oils on her white dress portions if I lean over to do that arm, so it’s nearly done. I did run out of the Nymo thread – that bobbin didn’t last long enough so I’ll have to get some more.

This months’ question: What do you listen to while stitching? (via Jo)  I have a mix of things. Easy, non-thinking TV or movies (my darling brought me a case which is fixed to my lap stand, so I can mount my phone in the perfect spot when streaming), podcasts or even the radio. I don’t often listen to audio books unless it’s something I’ve read, like Harry Potter, Roald Dahl or Winnie the Pooh (I often have company while stitching).

Podcasts include (I use Podcast Addict, an android app that takes from iTunes and RSS feeds, and can include video subscriptions):

  • Around the Table
  • Elise Gets Crafty
  • Hope*Writers (I liked the earlier variant of this podcast, it remains to be seen if I continue to subscribe)
  • No Such Thing as a Fish (the QI researchers, funny but not suitable for under 13’s)
  • Sorta Awesome
  • The Charged Life (a new rec, I haven’t started listening)
  • The Simple Show (freaking awesome)
  • What Should I Read Next (the modern mrs darcy out loud).

I also watch FlossTube (stitch vids on YouTube). Currently loving:

  • Ms OhSewCrafty
  • Carolyn Mazzeo
  • Eclectic Possesions
  • Donna Murray
  • Pyrex Stitcher
  • lindystitches (funny)
  • CoffeeStitcher
  • Stitching Mae
  • Teresa Little Stitcher
  • The Evergreen Needle
  • The Queen of Starts (hello Kate)
  • The Stash Queen (hello Katy)
  • and many, many more

What do you do? Do you have any podcast or Netflix recs for me?

Sharing is Caring: A Free ANZAC Poppy Chart… — homestitchness

Posted in cross stitch, freebies, grateful by

With ANZAC Day drawing near in both Australia and New Zealand, I have a free chart I’d like to share with you all… A free ANZAC Poppy cross stitch patternLast year I stitched up this little red poppy for ANZAC Day and shared it on my Facebook page and Instagram. One of my lovely cousins (who…

via A Free ANZAC Poppy Chart… — homestitchness

WIP Wednesday

Posted in cross stitch, grateful, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stash cache app by

Dear Diary,

It’s been a while since I last wrote. This is not because I’ve been busy (altho I have) but more because I am simply too tired. Which isn’t really an excuse as I generally update WordPress from work. And it’s on my phone, so this changes the reason to because I’m lazy.

I haven’t stitched much at all this last fortnight. I have about half of my Small to go, and I’ve added a few beads to Persephone so that I can roll her up on the scroll and start that humungous skirt of hers. I’ve changed out the bronze/brown bugle beads to a smaller gold for her necklace, & I love how they look against the blue. So much better that the original. And there’s a little more work on MotDB but that’s about all, folks.

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I won a USD20 voucher from @donnamurray86 (her IG account) through a giveaway she hosted on her flosstube channel, so I grabbed The Silver Dragonfly (I hear it’s nearly OOS) and a more recent release, The Snow Queen. Postage took over half the voucher, so as I was going to have to top up any purchase I made, I made it worth my while. I also won a Trademe auction for Santa’s Magic, a very early Mira. All three are now added to the Stash Cache file page, if you’re using those.

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We gained a digital Freeview tuner and I hooked that up Monday night to our TV – while the TVs have built-in Freeview, they don’t have a series-link capable recording capacity. By adding a 1T USB to the tuner, I’m hoping that I will have some of our favourites recording so I can binge-watch as I want. I hardly stay up to TV past about 8.30 at night, and most of the good stuff starts then. Neil Oliver’s Coast New Zealand started last night – I love his BBC series – & I think it will be interesting to see what he made of our shores. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11623166

Sharing is Caring: Snowflower Diaries May edition

Posted in cross stitch, freebies by

My dear stitchers,How are you doing? I spend most of my free time in the garden. I had been to Italy last month on a needlework show, Fili Senza Tempo, I will publish a post about it, I still arranging the thousand picture I took traveling in Bologna and Modena.As for today, please welcome the…

via JOYFUL WORLD – MAY PATTERN — The Snowflower Diaries

WIP Wednesday

Posted in cross stitch, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett by

The problem with a short week is that Wednesday is supposed to be “hump” day. You know, by lunchtime you can start to anticipate the weekend? Yeah, nah. In a short week I don’t get that until I’m heading home in the evenings. Perhaps it’s not getting enough sleep, trying to cram in heaps of things, or that general “I didn’t get my list done” crap. Not sure, really – how are you feeling?

This month it’s been all about the mid to larger pieces. I realised last week that I hadn’t done a Small this month but on Saturday I realised I didn’t really mind. I got several done in Feb and still none are FFO’s. That’s what I should mind.

Instead I’ve spent time on 3 larger pieces – Afternoon in London, Mermaids of the Deep Blue (I could stitch on the smaller stand while at G’s orchard in between customers) and at home, Persephone ruled the roost. Working out the colour conversion and seeing it all fly together has been really motivating. As of 9.30pm last night, all the stitching & back-stitching on page 1 is completed, and I only have to bead! I have the chart here at work today to make a working copy of the next page. Working copies are essential when doing conversions or stitching while parenting, IMO.

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I’ve also brought Stargazer to work. I’ve decided that her hands need to be re-done, and I’m pulling out the Kreinik I used instead of one level of beads and popping in Mill Hill 00557. I’m glad now that I didn’t frame her as I would hate walking past what I now see as errors every day. My internal debate is frogging all her skin (there’s not a lot, honestly) and doing it over one.

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Have you ever done anything like that? Sat on something that borders the line of being OK/a mistake, then deciding you need a do-over? How did you decide what to do next?

March WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, WIPocalypse by

I haven’t had as much stitching time this month as I would have liked – it’s the 24th here in NZ and I’ve had ten days so far without anything done. We opened two new stores (one of each brand) at Westgate, with the first trading day yesterday, which was tiring but fun; & I’ve had two migraines to top it off.

London stopped being fun, so it went away just shy of the half-way point (I did finish Buckingham Palace & the tree leaves first, but I forgot to take the photo):

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and then instead of Mermaids, which was next in my rotation, I thought I’d get Persephone’s jellyfish done. I’ve actually moved much, much further along than that & I’m really pleased with how the conversion is working out!

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The question for the month is: Do you use hoops, stretcher bars, lap stands or Q snap frames and why? (viaCathieJ) Well I don’t use hoops anymore (but that’s OK as Mase does). I was stitching in hand but with the issues last year I need to use a two-hand method to get stuff done, so I now have two stands. One is a huge stretcher bar stand, which currently has Persephone; and the other is the lap/table stand Andie gave me, which has whatever other project on it. Persephone’s about 3 inches too wide for the lap stand bars that were supplied, but I think I’ll order some longer bars as it can take them without modifications. I supposed the good thing about the bigger stand is that it displays a far bigger working space than the lap stand, but it’s not very portable at all!

WIP Thursday

Posted in cross stitch, me, Mirabilia by

This is becoming a habit! I intended to post yesterday, but a migraine got in the way. I gave myself permission to doze the day away and not feel guilt about letting the little things go – & we ended up with Chinese takeout for dinner too. Today I feel much, much better.

Instagram followers will know that I pulled Persephone out of isolation this week. I’ve gone from this to that, nearly completed the annoying jellyfish on the LHS. After those suckers I will get onto the dress conversion:

and adding to my feeling of wellbeing, I quit facebook. On my phone at least, which means that I can only get to the stupid thing if I log on with my personal laptop. Which I use maybe once a month now, so I’m freeeeeeee!

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