Hello! Week three of the lockdown & I’m starting to get wound up. Back on Twitter, which may be a mistake; it’s raining, altho Easter weekend itself was amazing weather; and I’ve lost all desire to cook. The hubs is looking at rentals (what the actual?) but on the positive side, school started back today. Remote & online, but it’s back.
Since I last posted, I finished both the Genoa Santa pieces from Mill Hill/Sandra Cozzolino, and got a huge chunk done on Shakespeare’s Fairies. I’ve had to order beads from 123Stitch but I don’t know when those might be sent.
Hope you all have a great week.
Category Archives: cross stitch
WIP Wednesday #272
Hello everyone! Today marks halfway thru the mandated national quarantine program. My personal opinion is that lockdown will extend further, but we’ll see what happens. Good bless the media, they ask the stupidest questions in the daily updates from the PM (can we vote her in for life?) & are looking for holes. I’m over negativity.
This week, I’ve finished both Antique Celtic Sampler and the Hands On Design #bewellandstitch freebie that is featured on Cathy’s blog. My thread choices are shown in the photo.
I’m now working on beading the two Genoa Santa’s from the Mill Hill & Sandra Cozzolino team. I’m mowing thru my WIPs and that makes me happy.
Hope you are all doing okay. Talk to you Friday or next Wed.
March 2020 WIPocalypse
Hello everyone! WIPocalypse is the monthly check-in SAL hosted by Measi on her blog, and via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers! Click on the icon to the right to learn more. If you’re a crafter, please join up either on your blog or via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers!
March Goals were:
- Finish the third panel in 12 Days – NAH
- Start a Chatelaine – OH YEAH
I barely stitched any on 12 Days – we went into lockdown early (Mase is asthmatic & Grandma was seriously ill, as regular readers know, and then she passed very early on in official lockdown week). I didn’t get a photocopy of the chart prior to going into lockdown, doh, and my head simply didn’t follow the design very well, especially as I have made so many conversions.
Instead I worked on Mermaid of Atlantis as my one-a-day piece. It was much easier as it was a simple random number generator, and I was only filling in the gaps with beads. There’s still a few errors, especially in the last week, but she’s finished.
In April, I intend to be very simple and just work on something every day. I would like a finish on Antique Celtic Sampler (this is very close. I stitched a dog butt yesterday, not often you get to say that!) and maybe some progress on Shakespeare’s Fairies or Nantucket Rose.
Obviously I didn’t get to attend my first Guild meeting but there was work on the Chatelaine. I stopped as I couldn’t focus even with a copy of the chart, but now that my brain is getting back online with work mode (damn internet) I’m sure I will be able to pick that up too.
Have you ever adopted a piece from someone else or gave up a piece to someone else? Which piece and why? I have inherited a few pieces when stitchers’ family members have passed them onto me but not really passed anything along. It’s rare that I will start something and not finish it (quiet over there in the cheap seats please!) but I am seriously considering passing along Mirabillia’s Raven Queen. I am not enjoying her much at all, and she’s been in virtual quarantine for close on a year now, more if you consider that I only pulled her out once I think for Magical Stitches.
Stitch From Stash oh boy, do we have to go there?
| Bernina DMC 80C sale | -52.00 |
| Ribbon Rose | -28.40 |
| Stitch NZ | -46.30 |
| Sassy Pouch | -98.12 |
| Mermaid of Atlantis | 40.22 |
| Rollover + Budget | $78.28 |
| Total Available Budget | -$106.32 |
WIP Wednesday #271 & whatever
Hey blog buddies! I hope you are all doing well, and have everything you need. Here in NZ, we’re about to go onto a State of Emergency and as of midnight tonight, everything non-essential will be shut. For our family, it’s kind of odd…
On Monday, my much loved mother in law Carol passed away in the early hours. She had fought her illness for so long & was physically ready to leave, but not mentally until this last week. Because of the situation we can’t have a funeral, so at this stage, we’re looking at church on June 19th, on what would have been her 74th birthday. I miss her already.
Stitching wise, plans are out the window. Work on what makes me happy is now my priority, so first up I finished Mermaid of Atlantis this morning. The fabric is Cook Strait lugana from Countrystitch.
There’s a number of changes:- The Kreinik 060 is completely omitted. In the border, I used DMC 3371 & Mill Hill 16609. In the tail, I used Mill Hill 00332. In the fish, I used 011HL.
- In the garland, I used MH 00525 instead of 10036.
- Skin bs is as always DMC 356.
- The fish has a mix of DMC 2141, 2142 & 2144.
Anyway, time to go. Please keep well, keep in touch, keep on praying.
WIP Wednesday #270
Hey everyone! I hope that you are well, have enough TP, & feel peace in your hearts. I’m going to assume that Market oh-I-want-that feels, we all have plenty of projects on hand. I may have ordered a few things anyway!
Stitching wise, I had no progress on the Chatelaine. Given my monthly goal was to get it started, I’m more than okay with this.
Mermaid of Atlantis has had attention every day, and I guess I’m about halfway on the beading now. I’ve also started 3 French Hens for my monthly piece. That was more frog than stitch as part way thru the first letter, I had a brain fart…
Take care of yourselves, inside & out.
“Ain’t No Mountain(or wall)High Enough” — Saved By Words
Sadly for the last four years the leader of the United States has been obsessed with keeping people from crossing our southern border. He has asked for billions of dollars to construct a fence such as the section pictured above. Money has come from many sources, and that has left many designated projects unfunded. But […]
via “Ain’t No Mountain(or wall)High Enough” — Saved By Words
WIP Wednesday #269
Hey everyone! I am recovering from a flu bug (the same one that knocked #masetheace out for a week) so it was really quiet at ours.
I did try to work on the Chatelaine but after learning some new stitches (nailed the Rhodes!) I decided to drop following the chart & just focused on my #wipocalypse one-a-day project, beading Mermaid of Atlantis. 
As you can see I’ve managed slightly more than one a day, and I’m about a third in. I might get this done this month & be able to bank the stitch from stash credit before my next order comes in…
Forgiveness
I’m coming to the conclusion that out of mind, out of sight is one of my key tactics when it comes to forgiveness. Not allowing the other person opportunity to strike again, by removing myself from situations.
Brene Brown has a couple of quotes that I use as daily reminders to be more thoughtful about how I take in my day. I’m not so good at saying no, so her conversations around choosing a few moments of discomfort over hours of resentment are ones I am trying to focus on. 
In the interests of looking after my own wellbeing, I’ll say it here. Zeb, I do not condone your lies or actions. You hurt me, deeply. I have previously blocked you from all my social etc, and somehow you’re back. I don’t want you back. I’m going thru the process of blocking you again, but I’d also like it if you could take those steps back also.
Thank you.
WIP Wednesday #268
Hello everyone! This weeks been a bit slow, apart from Saturday progress on my new start, Chatelaine Design mini castle I #071. That new start buzz got me thru most of the first two sections quite quickly, even tho I’ve not stitched on it today. Today I’ve mostly napped! Doctors visit tomorrow, when I expect to be told it’s the flu & to rest & get fluids. After all, that was Mase a week or so ago…
I’ve even learnt a new to me stitch, Sheaf. That’s only my first go, and it’s with Kreinik too, so I’m pretty happy with that.
February WIPocalypse
Hello everyone! WIPocalypse is the monthly check-in SAL hosted by Measi on her blog, and via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers! Click on the icon to the right to learn more. If you’re a crafter, please join up either on your blog or via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers!
February Goals were:
- Finish the second panel in 12 Days – just scraped in
- Finish the second panel in Celtic Sampler – done & moved well past
- 200 over one in Fairy Idyll – nope, maybe I should rename her Fairly Idyll 🙂
- Walk every day I don’t bootcamp – mmm, most days I hit goal. Just the one rest day each week, and I am noticing a lot of changes.
I also completed another of the Cloudsfactory Disney minis that I am doing for Aurora’s Christmas present – Belle is done now too. So that’s Ursula, Rapunzel, Lady T, Eric, Oscar, Belle, and half a Dopey and a bit of Mulan.
Celtic was my work (yay, aircon) and travel project. It got a bit of time in hospital, doctor’s surgery, waiting for dawn etc as it’s much, much smaller than 12 Days (and a different fabric too).
It was sooo hot (most days it was well over 27/28/29 degrees Celsius, and a muggy hot too, and I didn’t want a lap quilt worth of floba anywhere near me! Some days I barely managed one thread length on the 12 Days, other days were a little better.
March Goals:
- Finish the third panel in 12 Days
- Start a Chatelaine – see below.
- Late Edit: add March is the first one-a-day SAL, I’ll be working on the beading of Atlantis. Copying Measi & getting the wheel to decide how many beads.
In honour of “Leap Year,” tell the story of a time you had to make some sort of a “leap” in stitching – taking the chance on a new style of stitching, attending a meet up or class, etc. I’m not very good at leaping – hence the growing collection of Chatelaines in my basket! I’ve made it a goal for this month to at least start one of the banners (I have three of the Mini Mystery Castle range) and master some of those embroidery stitches. After all, I’ve attended a class or two AND I’m not that stupid. I will be using mostly DMC rather than the original silks tho. My budget simply won’t stretch that far! And due to the expected intensity of this project, I’m not committing to much this month. I have looked into joining the local chapter of the Embroidery Guild, thanks to Anne’s advice & experience, and I’m attending my first meet up next week.
Stitch From Stash: I ended up finishing January in the red, mostly due to a fabric purchase. I’ve pulled that back in Feb, as I sold the spare Lady Mirabilia chart/bead pack that I had (broke even too) and had a couple of small finishes. However I’ve ordered the Duchess of Rouen (companion piece to The Baker’s Wife, both by Nora Corbett/Mirabilia) and the Hands on Design Nashville release, Well Rounded (expecting both in late March, early April). I also brought a kit by Tis The Season, a new-to-me business that I found in Whitianga, a coastal resort town here in New Zealand.
sewscrapmuse 