Category Archives: Mirabilia

WIP Wednesday & Smalls SAL

Posted in conversion details, Mirabilia, round robin, stitching patterns by

Yay, Wednesday already! Work finished the fiscal month (oddly) early, rather than rolling it over into a 5 week month, so I’m like the duck – serene on top, paddling furiously underneath. It makes for a long, long eight hours! Luckily the children are just as tired so last night, they took themselves off for reading time just after seven. Bliss! A quiet house!

sunday's progress. primrose urn

sunday’s progress. primrose urn

WIP-wise I have put a few more threads into Persephone but mostly I’m forcing myself to work on the next NZXS RR. It’s just not my cup of java at all, from the aida cloth to the flower urns – I am reminding myself that THIS is why I said I’d organise a round robin or two! Once I had added the leaves (all the yellow and green was done last night, the urn on Sunday) I did like it more. It’s a very quick little piece. I do like the bird.

tuesday's progress

tuesday’s progress

I also finished Summer Queen, my contribution to Rachel’s RR. I converted some beads and of course the metallic DMC, as I loathe that stuff. Kreinik all the way! Look Zeb! I’m using my birthday notebook!

Summer Queen

Summer Queen

paula's summer queen bead conversion

paula’s summer queen bead conversion

Fabric Dye Fails issue one

Posted in DIY home, Mirabilia, stitching patterns by

So I thought I’d dye myself a piece that would be (depending on the tonal depth) be for either Mirabilia’s Raven Queen or Rose of Sharon.

I picked up some plain white 32ct linen from Spotlight – they had it marked at $13.99 pm rather than per 10cm! – cut off a section and paired it with Dylon Elephant Gray. Which is clearly not that gray.

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Almost a complete fail. I was going for a 415 tone, not part way thru 341 & 3747! But at least it’s even, no blotchy bits!
I think I’ll list it in the up cycle group and try again.

WIP Wednesday

Posted in me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, round robin, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler by

I’m getting back on track! I’ve stitched every night from Sunday thru to Tuesday and feel like I’ve achieved a level of nirvana.

TC has gone away again. There is just so much exciting stuff on the telly that I found I was constantly frogging as I want paying attention. However I did get over 1000 stitches in a very short space of time. Roll on summer and the cricket!

While I’m waiting on the next Mira RR piece to arrive, I’m working on Persephone. This is where I started again on Monday:

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And this is last night:

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Lots of counting and recounting (waterlillies are so expensive here) but I can stitch and watch New Zealand beat Australia AND Jamaica at the netball with minimal frogging!

I’m also now on instagram. Follow @paulainauckland if you want to see daily updates or those little bits of my life! X

WIP Wednesday – is it really a day off?

Posted in Christmas, conversion details, family, grateful, House, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitching patterns, work by

I got asked by a couple of people what I plan to do on my day off. Apparently one in particular is under the impression that I will sit around all day. Hmm.

This is one text:
Day off today so menu planning/grocery shop. Vacuum/wash floors. Laundry. Some stitching on my latest project. Mase has a party (I find it odd that the Muslim boy’s party is at Macca’s). Potting up some herb cuttings, planting more seed. And painting mirror frames black so they match my picture frames. It would be more restful at work, except Si took Bran to the Navy league tournament today!

Apart from the party it’s a very normal Mum’s Day Off, isn’t it? Chores are a never ending circle, most of us like to do something to improve our homes, but some of us don’t attack the day with a plan. 90% of what I intend to do will take a half hour chunk and I get satisfaction from crossing stuff of the list.

I’m in between pieces so I picked up my Reindeer parade. Rudolph was stitched a while ago, and I’m now adding Blitzen. The ribbons will eventually connect them.

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This is at the three hour mark. I’m planning on beading and doing the snow swirls/trees later on. And I’m not doing the “glow” part of Rudolph’s nose. I like him as is. Plenty of thread conversion too which I will post later on as I’m still working on some.

WIP Wednesday & June Goals Revisited

Posted in Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitching patterns by

Not much progress at all, what with family drama and commitments 😦

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If I could have a solid few hours stitching just to get the leaves complete I’d be happy, but posting deadline is Friday. I’ll need to put the threads aside to finish when this one comes back.

So the June goals were:

  • Complete Ali’s April & May prompts for One Little Word FAIL
  • Print out the last 10 days before Christmas & journal to complete my December Daily for 2014 FAIL
  • Complete my portion on Debbie’s RR (mermaids!) which will probably also double as my Small COMPLETED!
  • Complete the hair portion of Persephone (it’s a lot of confetti, more than I anticipated) COMPLETED!
  • Layout & complete my portion for the new New Zealand FB XS group RR (only four to a group, fast) PARTIAL
  • Complete Med Mermaid’s tail beading FAIL – but only because Mason wasn’t in hospital this month – so potentially a win!

July Goals will be fairly even:

  • Complete Angela’s RR portion (are you smiling still A?)
  • Complete Ali’s April, May & June prompts for One Little Word
  • Print out the last 10 days before Christmas & journal to complete my December Daily for 2014 (only five months before this starts again!)
  • Complete the skin portion of Persephone
  • Plan Mason’s SIXTH birthday

I’m not expecting the International RR parcel to arrive until early August now so a bit of a gap there – phew! I need to carve out some time to just journal & get the OLW album up to date and that DD album finished.

Yay, it’s Monday

Posted in family, grateful, league, Mirabilia by

As in, this weekend was a killer! I’ve come back to work for a holiday 🙂

On Saturday Zac was injured in his league game. The person tackling him bent his fingers back, and the result is a broken 5th proximal phalanx – or the first bone of his right little finger. He’s casted just to protect him from knocking it around but as it’s the championship series already, this is probably the end of his league season both for the club and for school. Neither of us are impressed, but it’s an accident. I can let you know that the White Cross A&E has a better selection of kids’ reading at St Lukes, with better magazines at Henderson. Should have had my eReader with me!

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On Sunday we went out to Pakuranga league club for the delayed Under 6 Gala. We only had the minimum number of players but I had a ball. These six are a great group of kids, and the family groups are funny & genuine. A big change from last year! We didn’t win the Best & Fairest trophy but I think they gained a lot of confidence & I was proud of how they played.

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So as a result, not one stitch in any WIP, which is a worry as I have to post my NZ RR this Friday. I can see some late nights in my future! And rather stupidly, I have TWO copies of a Mira on the way, as I thought one online shop had forgotten my order…so if anyone wants a copy of Mermaids of the Deep, please email me. Sale or Swap for one I don’t have is fine 🙂

Also for fellow stitchers, Chiara raises some interesting points: https://thegreytail.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/real-stitchers-dont-steal/

WIP Wednesday

Posted in family, me, Mirabilia, round robin, Smalls SAL by

So I screwed myself over when I said I’d possibly have a finish by now. The whole family has had one bug after another (I’m hoping that B’s vomiting last night is due to something he and he alone ate!) and I didn’t pick this up for three days. Still hoping to have a finish by next Wed, the Smalls check in date.

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I also fell in love with the new Mira release, the Raven Queen. She’s on order now.

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I did Mase’s reading with him last night (he usually does this with Grandma). He’s reading early chapter & nonfiction already!

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WIP Wednesday

Posted in grateful, league, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, round robin, stitching patterns by

I’ve had to frog a bit (missed two lines of one colour) but Persephone is marching along nicely now that I’ve finished the confetti that makes up her hair. This is after six stitching nights:

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The other piece is Debbie’s RR, with Jacqui’s addition being the Moonlight Laguna mermaid. I am thinking I’ll stitch a portion of Mediterranean Mermaid, as I have that kitted up as my hospital WIP.

I also joined in another FB group today – surely I must be hitting some kind of threshold soon! This one is for the Christmas Couriers (my Sleigh belongs to that group of patterns). Hopefully some inspiration to get more reindeer done! Or… Maybe I use them as the theme for my NZ RR?

Lastly here’s Mase at training tonight. He’s thriving in this group. And I laugh so much on Wednesday nights. It’s a great bunch of kids.

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