Category Archives: Nora Corbett

Jacqui’s RR is done!

Posted in Nora Corbett, round robin, Smalls SAL, stitching patterns by

And three weeks before deadline. I’m so pleased as I can now focus on other stuff without feeling any guilt.

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It was stitchers choice of the Nora pixies; I chose Daisy. I’ve not stitched her before but she went fairly quickly in about 16 hours tops (from choosing the chart to beading). I did scoff at Jacqui’s note about not being able to count, so she is 30 * 72. Whoops. But I am going to count her as my Small for May.

Here is the piece as it will leave me next month:

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Now to focus on finishing Stargazer’s beading before Debra’s piece arrives!

WIP Wednesday is a finish!

Posted in conversion details, Nora Corbett, stitching patterns by

Yay! Yes, if you’re familiar with this pattern you’ll see that I chose not to stitch some portions of the design (like the background) & I’ve converted all the Crescent Colours to DMC, and then changed out the Mill Hill beads. But that is my usual M.O.!
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I also only half – stitched the wings, and only in the bottom direction. That’s to give it texture. I was going to stitch the top arm in Kreinik #4 032 for a shiny look but it didn’t look quite right.

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This is off to the framer on Thursday. Should be back in time for the MIL’s birthday in June!

EDITED TO INCLUDE CONVERSION:

Letters from Nora – C conversion
Crescent Colours/Classic Colorworks DMC
Cobbled Peach 819
La Tierra 840
Cloud blanc
Vintage Violet 553/793
Hickory Sticks 898
Whatley Woodlands 420
Deep Fennel 3817
Heatherleigh 3756
Eves Leaves 745
Bejewelled 502
Ye Old Gold 680
Old Blue Jeans 3799
Lettuce Leaf 3813
WING Cloud B5200
Backstitch skin (1 strand) 3031
Backstitch other (1 strand) 3799

WIP Wednesday

Posted in family, Nora Corbett, stitching patterns by

Wow, winning! I’m back on schedule.

Currently I’m waiting on receiving Jacqui’s parcel with her RR in it, so I’ve started the fairy letter for the MIL. Conversion is not going as swimmingly as the L I did for Louise last year.

This is after about six/seven hours. At least you can’t see my frog lines!

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I went a little bit mad…

Posted in grateful, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitching patterns by

One of the ladies in our group decided to de-stash. I only brought one piece of fabric but….

PersephoneMirabilia Persephone kit: Like the lotus flowers behind her, with their blooms growing up from the darkness, Persephone emerges from the underworld once a year to return to her mother Demeter and herald the beginning of spring. Surrounded by cranes, symbols of happiness, good fortune, and longevity, she embraces the beauty of the Victorian era in her aquamarine gown while she contemplates the luscious pomegranate and the coming harvest.

md130lgMirabilia Biancabella kit: In honor of her mother who stitched in the palace orchard, Biancabella visits the place where her mother once pricked her finger and made a wish. Her heart’s desire was to be granted a lovely daughter with skin as white as the fragrant snowdrops at her feet, hair as black as the friendly raven who perched above, and lips as red as the crisp apples that hung from the branches around her. She holds the last apple of the season aloft, admiring its succulent scent, wondering if it possesses the power to bring her a true love in spring. I have a mirror shaped frame, I think her face/hand/apple will be perfect but I’ll have to stitch over 1 or on 40000 count to fit it in!

md111lgPeony Garden: Exuberant double blossom peonies create a purple haze at twilight. With names like “Cup of shining night”, “Story Enchantress” and “Red embroidered needles ball”, it is no wonder that the peony tree is the center of every spring imperial garden. I’m going to reverse this one so she faces Damask Roses.

md1Damask Roses (v excited, this one has just been discontinued and Wichelt do not ever, ever re-print or load as digital): A Grecian beauty clasps a bouquet of pink roses to her heart, her gold-banded teal gown draped in serene folds about her as she dreams of days last spent with her one true love in this very topiary garden. There are no beads on this design– the textural interplay of carved stone, shimmering silk and soft rose petals is embellishment enough.

md6Christmas Elegance (again, I think this is now discontinued): Glorious gifts await on the lap of the emerald-gowned heiress who sits beneath the softly falling snow on a starry Christmas Eve. Who would guess from her beaded and bejeweled opulence that she waits each year at this time to spread lavish holiday cheer among those less fortunate?

md69Cinderella: “She made her escape as lightly as a deer. The Prince followed, but could not catch her. Only she dropped one of her glass slippers, which he picked up and treasured. Romantic quote taken from: Quiller-Couch, Sir Arthur. The Sleeping Beauty and Other Tales From the Old French. Edmund Dulac, illustrator. New York: Hodder & Stoughton, 1910. I needed a second copy of this one. The one I have is tatty, being about 5th hand and not cared for at all.

mermaid l mermaid a mermaid d

And the mermaid letters A, D (I shall extend this into the P as this still hasn’t been released) and L. I’ll convert anything red into “traditional” mermaid colours and use lots and lots of Kreinik, as you do.

That’s 9 charts. Oh. It’s a very good thing I am not participating in “stitch from stash” & that both my birthday & mother’s day are coming up soon. Told Si & the kids that they don’t need to buy me anything, i’m so very happy with this haul!

Most of the text above was taken directly from www.mirabilia.com – usually there’s a little tale with every design. I wish there was a noracorbett.com with the same!

WIP Wednesday & Smalls SAL check in

Posted in freebies, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, stitching patterns by

Hello!
I’ve been very busy, in between painting the house, refereeing the brats, work and the cricket world cup (& amazing laugh filed brunch with stitching girlfriends) but I’ve completed my Small this month.

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This is a Joan Elliot design from the same book as the Orient piece. Much nicer to stitch! This is on a simple 6*8 frame for Sarah, one of my work mates who has a gorgeous garden. It’s her birthday on Sunday and I wanted to give her something special.

I’ve decided to stitch the rest of the bead stars on Stargazer. I’ll pick up some invisible thread to do that with. In the meantime I started one of the free cherubs from the Mirabilia site.

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I’ve changed the background colour from 310 to 823. So far I hate the hair colour but let’s see how adding more colours changes it. I’ve already frogged a section due to cricket excitement so that’s not a problem anymore.

I’ve also tentatively decided what to stitch for the Round Robin. I’m very lucky as Zeb is lending me some of her charts to snip some small portions from. As of today, this is how I look:

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What do you think? I am short one section still…

WIP Wednesday

Posted in Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitching patterns by

2004freeWell, I did get some progress done on Jug, but forgot to take the photo this morning *facepalm*

My work piece is the 2004 Mirabilia cherub. I’ve opted to use DMC 823 instead of black in the background, & I’m sure that won’t be my only conversion.

If you want to stitch along, visit http://www.mirabilia.com/category/free-graphs/ to download or view any of the other free charts.

and in SQUEEEE! news, I have been accepted in a Mirabilia/Nora Corbett Round Robin (RR) group for this year. Really excited – now I need to chose parts of 7 pieces to have stitched, plus choose a fabby, plus choose & stitch the border…pressure’s on! but so much fun.

I’m thinking my theme will be small things – as sometimes it is the small things that really grab me in a chart. Like the arch in Rose of Sharon. The White Rabbit in Fairy Idyll. That sort of thing. Feel free to chime in with suggestions!

Annnnd the Saturday stress has started

Posted in league, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, sport, stitching patterns by

Today’s post comes from Northall Park – yeah I didn’t know it existed either! Simon is in the middle for a pre-season Glenora v Glenora game, Bran is running one side line and the rest of us are settled in for a hot 40 minutes.

I’ve found myself a shady spot right next to the school playground. Mase is making friends (that’s my mum. She’s going to give me a new brother. I am? News to me, kid) & Zac is thinking about his creative writing prompt. Bats v Spidy. Who is the best a fighting crime? He thinks Bats. I’m undecided.

I think I’ll make pancakes when I get home.

WIP Wednesday

Posted in grateful, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL by

Does anyone want to welcome me back? Four days of migraine & I feel like it was four weeks. I had no end of FB notifications, emails etc – if you sent me something, send it again as it’s a big blur. However yesterday I sort-of felt human again & was up and about. I completely regret missing Z’s 12th birthday party but I can tell you that cricket balls against your window are not conducive to a fast recovery.

I finished the stitching part of my Small for the month (reveal is set for the 25th; if I showed you something now I’d have to get something else done before then!) and the beading on Stargazer’s dress. I did the large star but I’m not 100% sure if I want to do more, to be honest. Right now I am living with her in daily view so I can make a decision later. There’s no rush; she is for me so I don’t really care if that portion of the design is done or not. I am keeping the chart tho (I normally swap so I can a) keep my stash manageable & b) stitch something else I want to do cheaper) as I plan to do her again in 10 years or so!

Med at March 9, 2015

Because DD still hasn’t arrived in the mail I pulled out a WIP last night. My “hospital” piece, the Mediterranean Mermaid. Last night was some confetti, the backstitch around the urn/hands (yes, that bead is not as charted) and a bit of working out where I was up to/where I want to go next. I sort-of have to finish her in the next block; the pattern’s already promised to a friend & they have been patient! Far more patient than I am 🙂 I love how the BS around the skin suddenly made it pop. Sorry about the spooky eye tho. Promise I’ll get onto that this week.

So a quick trip to Spotlight for a couple of DMC threads (I’m in a hurry and annoyed that I don’t have them to hand) and another order to Elizabeth at http://www.stitchnz.co.nz as I have changed the beads charted – again! The perils of not using the original fabric – something’s usually got to give.

WIP Wednesday

Posted in grateful, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, stitching patterns by

I decided not to pick up Orient during my wait for more Stargazer supplies (impatient much?!), and decided even more not to start another bigger project. Instead I started my March small. Three evenings in and here it is:

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Sorry for the angle; at 2030 last night I wasn’t exactly thinking straight. This is the Joan Elliot design Joy of Gardening that was in the same book as Orient. I altered the “he” to “she”, because the intended recipient is also female & I know for a fact the other half is the designated hole digger/path maker. Anyways, it’s a quick design and you can’t tell where my count went out by a square. I think this one will be a finish this weekend, once the birthday parties are over and done with. Threads as charted except for the onions (the other colour didn’t stand out on my beige Lugana) and over 2 on 25ct. I was tempted to change the robins to tuis but I don’t know if they are in the recipients garden. Maybe next time – this is one I will stitch again. Even the border looks good – simple but effective. I’ll use that on something else too.

I’m seriously thinking that after Stargazer I might try one of the freebie Mirabilia designs in a tent stitch, 2 over 1. I also think I might be nuts. But I do know I don’t want to do a full cross over 1 again, as Arezzo languishes in the drawer unfinished. I was going to pull her out over the “summer” but then I put her straight back again. I really should just sit down with her while the cricket is on the telly.

What are you working on today?