I’ve added a new PAGE to my site & I’m starting now to add the Stash Cache files. If you are using the app and want a particular file, please let me know – if I have it, I’ll share and if I don’t, I’ll create or help you create. Cheers!
Category Archives: cross stitch
Sharing is Caring – the homestitchness edition
And here I go, sharing the “new to me” designer homestitchness. Jenny’s one of the Instagram peeps that I follow as her designs are oh-so-kiwi. I’m adding her “noel” & “joy” freebies as one slot in my 16-in-2016 page.
Aren’t these gorgeous? Charts are on her Freebies tab.
November Goals Revised
Just to recap, the November goals were:
- Complete my portion on Lenna’s RR (which hasn’t even arrived as yet) STARTED
- Stitch the Austen bookmark for Jenna COMPLETED
- Stitch the Mysteries bookmark for Kerry COMPLETED
- Finish the arms of Persephone and back-stitch from the face down PARTIALLY COMPLETED – I side-tracked and completed all the wallpaper to the right-hand side
- Stitch a couple of Christmas ornaments including a “do not open” for my office door NOPE Just the one finish, which was technically December
- Make Mase a couple of pairs of boxers for summer jammie pants NOPE
- Send off the overseas Christmas cards – already addressed most so just have to write notes! COMPLETED!
I don’t have many goals for December. This month just gets hectic, so I like to allow myself some breathing space.
- Set up planner for 2016 with monthly layout for stitching goals & rotation notes, and Week-to-View for the normal stuff, including blog planning COMPLETED
- Work out what WIPs I am taking into “16 in 2016” COMPLETED – I only have 8 including one I need to start, so this could be pathetic!
- Stitch Lenna’s RR portion – Moonlight Laguna mermaid
- Keep up with December Daily. I’m opting to use a Heidi Swapp album in a different format from normal, and a Project Life kit that isn’t Christmas-y at all, but I thought better suited for our Summer. I’m also printing the photos on our printer here at work daily & I’ll re-print on proper photo paper later on. Better to have everything recorded than to stop like I did last year as it got too much.
- Start Mermaids of the Deep Blue so it’s a WIP to take into “16 in 2016” – technically a bit of a cheat, but there you go.
Here’s the kit image – you can see it’s not a normal December Daily at all! The designer is Cathy Z, who used to edit Simple Scrapbooks. I like her clean style.
WIP Wednesday
Hump day again! Well, technically, I reached the hump when I left yesterday, as I have Friday off to spend with Mase on his school trip to Bethells Lagoon. Can’t wait!
Last night I finished a small ornie for my twitter-based NZ Secret Santa. She doesn’t follow me here or on Twitter so it’s safe to share:
Very simple finish, blanket stitched felt on the back, used some sparklie thread to create the loop and added the star button to hide the threads.
I’m also working on Lenna’s mermaid tail still: Laguna will have a change in the flowers, so they match the ones used by Lenna in the centre of the whole piece. I’m on the third colour thread, and it’s working up reasonably quickly.
I do like her fabric choice! It works with a wide range of tail colours.
Finishes!
Yay! Both Jenna’s and KerryCan’s bookmarks are ready to post!
And for David, here’s my artsy shot of the week. Taken looking West while filing up the car at six this morning:
November Smalls
Smalls SAL is a monthly stitch-along hosted by Heather @ Stitching Lotus. This months’ post is here
My Small really is a small, but a big achievement for me. Mr Darcy only took 3 hours, from re-charting a Cloudsfactory (I changed the shape a little and definitely the dimensions) to picking threads to stitching. And thanks to the stand from Andrea, NO PAIN.
Dear Darcy will be heading off to Jenna next week!
November WIPocalypse
November 25 – Topic: Which designer has inspired you to stitch the greatest number of designs and why do you think that is? (via Hazel, who I follow on Instagram!)
There’s a few designers that I collect/hoard/stash. I have a lot of Theresa Wentzler’s, altho I only have two finishes and two WIPs & one more kitted up; I went thru an Alma Lynne phase and I have one finish but another 10-15 charts; obviously a Winnie-the-Pooh phase when Lou was younger (those three finishes are currently hanging in Mase’s bedroom, and will likely move along to first grandchild). I have probably 20 BHG Christmas magazines that I pick stuff out of, & some Ink Circles gifted to me by Lynne, and 8 Lavender & Lace (MLI was Nora’s mum) but in the last year my stitching revival is mostly Nora Corbett. I would have 40+ charts stashed away and four current WIPs:
- Persephone
- Arezzo (over one)
- Roses of Provence (I’m re-thinking my decision to frog the current fabric, it might be easier now I have a portable stand)
- Reindeer Parade (my mish-mash with Rudolph complete except for beads, and Blitzen partially done)
I have quite a few finishes for only 20 months too:
- Stargazer
- Mediterranean Mermaid
- Santa’s Sleigh
- Shimmering Mermaid’s compass (I don’t like this mermaid, but I had to do the compass)
- Audubon St Yellow Figbird
- Audubon St Scarlet Tanager
- Audubon St Blue Monarch Flycatcher
- Fairy Letter L (click on the Conversion tab for deets)
- Fairy Letter C (again, click on Conversion for details)
And I’ve stitched on 5 of the seven Mira Round Robins too which has been fun!
I’m trying not to hoard too much. I have far more than I will ever stitch in my lifetime and while Z and M have fleeting phases of wanting to stitch it isn’t the norm by any means! However I think I will encourage it over the heat of the summer months. With seven weeks away from school there is only so much TV and Wii a boy can deal with!
Here’s last night’s bit of stitching. I played with the stand & while Lenna’s Mermaid Tails RR is far too big to fit on any scroll, my little bookmark fitted perfectly on the smallest set:
Isn’t he cute? I re-worked the CloudsFactory design as I wanted a slightly round but not as round as their characters Poirot. This morning I sat down for 30 mins and I have the beginnings of Mr Darcy (Jenna’s bookmark). He should work up nice and fast!
WIP Wednesday
I’m still managing small portions of Persephone most days. She has an “armbow” and last night I found the edge of page one. Yay!
Today I was totally spoilt by a stitching friend, Andrea. This box arrived (to scale, that teddy I made sits 30cm high):
And inside are the bits to make this!
It’s a lap/desk stand. I’m so grateful and can’t wait to put it together.
Test
There’s an awful lot of chatter about the new editor, so I thought I’d try to post as my (android) app updated yesterday too.
So far, so good.
On the stitching side, I’m going with my thoughts of changing out Persephone’s dress. I’m not an aqua/teal person, I’ll have to change out the brown bugles (oh darn) but here’s my initial floss toss.
Top row is charted.
Middle row is probable.
Bottom row is the possible. It’s always good to have a set of options!
Have fun this rainy weekend, folks. I’m prepping to get soaked at the concert tonight but hey! FLEETWOOD MAC BABY!
WIP Wednesday
I’ve managed to complete a little more of Persephone. Much of it while Z was surfing sport channels; it was too hot much of the weekend to spend time outside from 11-3 & I’d rather they didn’t risk sunburn so it’s easy to say yes to TV, board games and so on. I’ve gotten up and worked on her a little each morning (around 20-25 min) and I’m up to the second “jellyfish” as Mase calls them.
She’s going to come off the stand for a few weeks as Lenna’s piece arrived yesterday. She’s big and beautiful! I need to take a decent photo. My options are Siren’s Song, Undine or Moonlight Laguna. I’m not sure which one I’ll choose!
sewscrapmuse 