Category Archives: Mirabilia

WIP Wednesday #237

Posted in Christmas, conversion details, cross stitch, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, weight loss by

Hello everyone! It’s hump day, hooray.

Life update: I’ve been on antidepressants for three weeks now & had a check up yesterday. A lot of improvement in my overall wellbeing, my blood work was fantastic & I’ve actually lost 1.3kg (side benefit). I’ve got another check in 3 months & will continue with the meds in the meantime. I also went back to bootcamp this week…. mild ouch.

S

titching wise I frogged the initial start on Shakespeare’s Fairies by Mirabilia. Neither hubs nor I liked the fabric, so on Monday I went back to the initial plan of Urewera Mist and restarted. Much happier.

At work, I’ve finished the paper stitched version of Golden Tannenbaum by Mill Hill & started a plastic canvas version. Once that’s stitched, I’ll bead them both. Then onto a Santa!

Hope you all have a lovely week.

2019 & WIPocalypse Restarts

Posted in cross stitch, goals, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

January 6 – Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!

Well. This is my fifth year of WIpocalypse. It’s the most committed I’ve been to any SAL & I put that down to the pressure free, encouraging environment that Melissa hosts. If you’re a crafter, please join up either on your blog or via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers!

If you’ve not read from my blog before, I’m in my mid-40’s, a working mum to four (ranging from 24-9) & partner. I am book-mad, often found stitching & listening to podcasts or audiobooks, and I wouldn’t mind winning Lotto so that I could stay home and stitch (but I’d have to remember to buy tickets first). We own our home near the base of Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges & can often be found working on it or a friends (my partner was an engineer, he’s bloody handy with a tool belt), walking on the beach or in one of the many beautiful parks Auckland boasts. I’ve been hand stitching since before I was 10, can’t knit an even scarf or crochet to save myself and don’t often pull my machine out (altho I brought a 1940’s Singer recently, purely on impulse as I love the look). I’m a whizz at curtains.

Goals for 2019 (I only have 9 WIPs right now & that’s about right for me) :

  • Finish SFS in the black
  • Complete & FFO the remaining monthly Hello There pieces (Mar-Nov)
  • Re-start Shakespeare’s Fairies & complete one fairy
  • Work on Tapestry Cat, Fairy Idyll, Arezzo, Four Season of NZ

Mini January Goals:

  • Finish Jardin Prive’s Eiffel Quaker COMPLETED
  • Mill Hill Golden Tannenbaum for my Small/Christmas All Year Round
  • Hello There March (& FFO)
  • 341 stitches in Shakespeare’s Fairies for the HP SAL
Initial Start of SF
Frog of SF
a finish!

Hopefully with returning to work/school/other crap I will still feel stitchy most nights & achieve all these goals.

December WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, embroidery, goals, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, round robin, Smalls SAL, stash cache app, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

as of this morning

Well. When I said earlier that 2018 wasn’t going to be my busiest stitchy year, I wasn’t wrong.

Goals (bracket date indicates the start month & year):

  • Mirabilia Ashley’s Roses RR section (Dec 2018) COMPLETED
  • Semco Toy Story Sampler (October 2013) – Zac will be 15 soon, & this needs to be done before then! But first I have to hunt it down… DIDN’T TOUCH IT BUT I FOUND IT
  • Mirabilia Fairy Idyll (September 2017) – Gail has loaned me the chart, & I want to return it this year HALF-WAY THRU
  • TW Tapestry Cat (Dec 2006!)  – because it deserves progress DIDN’T TOUCH IT
  • Mirabilia Persephone (May 2015) –because I want to get thru that skirt! COMPLETED
  • Jane Austen SAL (December 2017) –because I want to keep up with the readings FLAGGED

In addition to the above, I did get a few more things completed, & a few starts:

  • LHN Bethlehem (which I forgot to get framed for this Christmas)
  • Melinda’s RR choice,  Gigi
  • Lizzie*Kate’s Be Bold
  • LHN Summer Sampler (I’m FFO’ing that this weekend, finally, as it’s now Summer down here)
  • Mill Hill ornaments – two each of the Beehive, Trinidad Santa, Peridot and one re-worked Santa for Bec
  • Mirabillia’s Portrait of Antique Vines (converted)
  • Mirabilia Renaissance Mermaid for my own RR (& then I beaded it all)
  • Home*Stitch*Ness Remembrance Wreath (FFO)
  • Joy embroidery wreath (FFO)
  • Clouds Factory’s Princess Bride
  • Cathy’s Hello December, January & February (also FFO)

I am very close to my first 2019 finish – a conversion of Jardin Prive’s Eiffel Quaker.

I gave up Stitch From Stash in November. I went stupid from all the stress and on a spending spree. Overall the year finished $126 in “debt” but I plan to be better in 2019. I’ve begun a course of antidepressants and things are so much better – I’m not anxious (or as anxious) as I was so yay for that.

Anyways, Happy New Year & I’ll be back for the Intro & 2019 Goals post next week.

WIP Wednesday #235 & WIPocalypse catchups

Posted in cross stitch, DIY home, family, grateful, growing, house - gardens, me, Mirabilia, Movies, Nora Corbett, photos, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, WIPocalypse by

I could quite easily copy/paste the same info as last time we met.

Still plodding away on the reno at MIL’s (deck done, but the weather isn’t conducive to concreting so Mase & I have been planting like mad things)…he took the photos from this last batch. It’s cool to have a gardening buddy. We knew the tags are unlikely to stay with the plants, so at least we have a rough idea of what we planted in this batch. His fav is the Fireworks.

Still radio silence from the SIL (I’m about ready to tell her not to come up, but that would hurt the MIL & actually, I need a break)…

Still working slowly on Fairy Idyll…mostly hour chunks when I can get control of the TV remote from Mum! We watched The Great NZ Bake Off last night, and the guy in the photo was eliminated. GF sponge cake is hard, y’all.

I did start and finish CloudsFactory’s The Princess Bride, as a tribute to William Goldman. If you haven’t seen the movie, you’re in for a treat. And it’s PG, so family safe. I think I want to add his name and dates to the bottom tho. Appropriately, this is on Cloudburst 28ct Lugana from Countrystitch. 

Now, because the stitchy bug has been gone, or superseded with all the other things, I didn’t post in either the Oct or Nov WIPocalypse pages. I’ve given up on Stitch From Stash, as I have been buying ALL THE THINGS and really gone ridiculous (for me. Maybe not if you’re Katy the Stash Queen). I am daily anticipating the first parcel from 123…and the fabric from Catherine at Countrystitch. I went for Urewera Mist (that mottle one). I’m going to return Gail’s Fairy Idyll chart as I have my working copy & will hunt out an original for myself. I really, really want to work on Shakespeare’s Fairies so I will, once the fabric arrives. Stitching & guilt shouldn’t go together IMO, & I also know that if I do park a Mira for a while, I will always return to it. 

So – here’s the Q&A I missed from the last two episodes.

October 28 – Do you prefer to stitch on a rotation or one project at a time? I’ve tried rotation and it doesn’t work for me. I prefer to leave a project out on the bars rather than pop on or off…& I usually have a car project with me to break up the monotony of being monogamous.

November 25 – What new stitches or techniques did you learn this year? Eh – nothing. I brought back some embroidery (two hoops, whoop-de-woo) & perfected my pin stitch, but that’s about it.

WIP Wednesday #234

Posted in cross stitch, DIY home, family, grateful, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett by

I’m telling myself it’s still Wednesday somewhere…

Not much had been done in the way of stitching this last week. However, Mum’s gardens are cleaned up, re-planted & barked. I need some more filler plants but I need to research a little first. Low pollen is needed, but she wants colour. Right.

We’ve also started the ramp… at the recommended 1:12 fall, it’s going to be over 9 metres. Eep. That’s a lot of timber, folks (yes, we could get a temporary metal ramp, but that wouldn’t tie into the existing decks and it would look very, very ugly). I learnt how to rout timber!

On the bad side of things, the SIL is still in radio silence with everyone but mum. Christmas is going to be interesting.

So. Minimal work on Fairy Idyll, but one strand more of the over one was included in all that.

Hope you all have a lovely Stitchy or yarny but joy filled week.

WIP Wednesday #233

Posted in Christmas, cross stitch, embroidery, family, grateful, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

Hi everyone. We’ve come to the end of a 12 day hospital stay, & I admit my Stitchy bug was very very absent. The MIL was admitted via the ambulance services (scariest morning of my life, finding her so incapacitated & weak) but she’s making as best a recovery as we hoped. For the next few weeks she will be at ours, regathering strength, then she’ll transition back to hers. I’ve met with physio, occupational therapy, health assessors & we’ve got a plan, and help, in place. Yay!

While I was in hospital with mum, I completed the Rememberance Wreath by home❤stitch❤ness (currently in a world of xs mag, but will be on her etsy site in April 2019):

Then the stitching of a Christmas present is about done, but I can’t show that as the person reads this blog. Boo.

I completed an embroidery freebie from cozybluehome (online, etsy, IG) that I just need to #ffo. It’s cute. It’s whipped back stitch, to look like the tangle of your Christmas lights. It really does look like that in real life!

And lastly, a few stitches on Fairy Idyll. I’m not looking forward to the over one that remains to be done, but the rest of it goes quickly enough.

WIP Wednesday #231

Posted in cross stitch, friends, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, work by

This week hasn’t been very Stitchy at all. We’ve cleared out a third of the garage (for some obnoxious reason, Si thinks we should use the garage for storing more than one of the cars) & there’s been work stress I brought home.

I have some progress on Fairy Idyll. That over one skin on her back is about two hours; I wish now I’d gone for tent stitch but it’s too fine to unpick.

And I have a new start! Those is Jenny home❤stitch❤ness Remembrance Wreath from a recent World of Cross Stitch magazine. I think the chart will be on her etsy mid year next year. It’s a fast stitch; I did the first two items in about an hour, & more at stitch group last night.

Hope you have a good week!

WIP Wednesday #229 & September WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, goals, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stash cache app, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, WIPocalypse by

WIPocalypse is hosted by Mel at her blog http://measi.net/measiblog/ ; it’s my favourite SAL, mostly due to the host organisation (which is spot on), the range of topics & the wide variety of stitchers participating. There’s always something to oooh over! Click on the link to the right.

September Focus:

  • Finish Persephone – YAY!
  • Bead the top third of Fairy Idyll – done, despite somehow losing two packs of beads.

October Focus:

  • Complete the wings, Rabbit’s Kreinik ball & face/neck/back over one stitching of FI’s skin – partially done as I completed the wings last night
  • FO the two Mill Hill Peridot ornies – up to beading
  • FO the Celebration Santa gift – found out I ripped the plastic canvas, so it may be a re-start.

SEPTEMBER QUESTION: How do you keep your stitching stash organised?

I have the Stash Cache app on my phone, so as long as I keep that updated, I’m sweet there. Most of my patterns are in clearbooks, except for my Mira & Nora stash – that’s in a basket I can pull out and play with (unless the chart is second hand & without the folder – those are in a clearbook to protect the chart). I have four thread boxes of purely DMC, with speciality threads in another; beads are in a Sistema plastic box. But my SIL found a replica stitching box that will soon become the home for everything! It needs to be pulled apart & re-painted, as that dark stain just won’t work for me, but it’s sturdy enough.

STITCH FROM STASH: This isn’t in as great shape as I had hoped, as twice someone’s pulled out from a purchase, and I still have a second Lady Mira + bead pack for sale. I also hit up every Op Shop between Palmerston North & New Plymouth last month & spent a bit (found an OOP Prairie Schooler that I am really pleased to have tho).

$25.00
Fox Rapunzel, Aphrodite & Bellas -29.43
Spotlight 13 DMC -21.97
Op Shop Finds -31.90
SOLD Biancabella (Shayla) 70.00
Mira Mermaid (round robin) 34.50
Stitchers Notebook 2.55
Persephone (conversion) 54.50
Rollover + Budget -$159.74
Total Available Budget -$81.49

WIP Wednesday #228

Posted in conversion details, cross stitch, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

Hey everyone! After the interruption of #10ThingsToTellYou (which I think I will put in my personal Project Life album) we’re back to stitchy updates. And I have some finishes to share with you!

20180919_144008.jpgThe first is just the little notebook kit that I picked up from an Op Shop sometime last month. There was no chart but it was easy enough to follow the cover photo. It’s FFO’d by craft gluing the first and last pages of the supplied notepaper insert to the back of the covers, and ready to add to someone’s Christmas stash.

And the second is Mirabilia’s Persephone! I am leery of sharing her conversion details as right now, it’s all mine. I am still seething that someone took my colourway AND my re-charting of Andromeda’s face and didn’t credit me, but is all over the FB groups gloating about their blue ribbon win. I have blocked this person from my IG & FB & blog – that’s how peeved I am – and while I am pleased for her that her stitching was up to the high standard it obvs was, it’s not nice to see her take full credit when she was one to message me and ask for more detail…anyway. Moving on.

20180922_130420.jpgThis is on a very openweave 28ct milk chocolate linen, which thankfully had few slubs. It is mostly DMC, altho the Waterlillies in the background border are as charted. There is a mix of GAST and DMC in the hem, which was my biggest headache. If you are kitting her up, I recommend at least two skeins of blanc and the lightest two threads of the (originally) tealish green. While you could fudge a batch colour change, you wouldn’t really want to.

On my big frame right now is Fairy Idyll. The top third was stitched, and now I’m beading so that when I roll it up (protecting the beads with padding!) I know that section is done. There’s a mild colour conversion already as one of the greens was the colour of the fabric, and the pale pink/white blend was lost so my pinks are a bit more intense than charted, but otherwise so far the look and feel is as per the original. I don’t think I will change her gown either – that yellow looks like it might have been a flower before it became a dress – but never say never! This is on a pale green hand-dyed lugana from Countrystitch.

WIP Wednesday #227

Posted in cross stitch, family, goals, grateful, Journal, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, photos, Project Life, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

Hey everyone! I’m half-way thru my week of solo parenting and am pleased to report no casualties as yet. Not even a ding on the ute – as Si took my car away, I’m driving his brute to & fro, mostly work. I have done a heap of “one little things” around the house and spent a good portion of Sunday working on building a personal album – July-now is completed. There is a small volume of personal writing which is hidden from initial view and that’s just the way I want it. Mase is likely to pick it up from my side table to look at the pictures (I need to wean him from this habit) but he does know not to pull the tabs.

Reading wise, I ended up returning Mythos. It just wasn’t right for me. Instead I’m re-reading (as not much effort is required) the Chesapeake Shores series by Sherryl Woods (try these Elizabeth!) and listening to the 47th (??!!) In Death book, Leverage.

20180911_212120.jpgAnd stitching – some progress on the Peridots during work breaks, a wee bit on Fairy Idyll as I wait for Bran’s physio appointments, and I FOUND THE BOTTOM OF THE DESIGN in Persephone. That’s a huge finish motivator – altho I note that there’s about 3 days stitching the hem, plus 3-4 days on the confetti heavy flower trail that’s on the left plus another 3 days on the beading, but I will finish this month even if I get distracted by something else.