Category Archives: Nora Corbett

WIP (Wednesday was a migraine) #252

Posted in cross stitch, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, travel by

HI everyone. Hope you’ve had a good week, especially if it’s coming up to your summer. I’m very very jealous! I’m not a fan of winter, and the current family focus (read: everybody but me) of going playing in the snow is making me cold even before we get there. Yay for Icebreaker merino socks.Last week’s #magicalstitches homework was around 12 Grimmauld Place. We could either work on WIP #12 or a combo of one & two – and as #12 is Guardian by Teresa Wentzler, lots of confetti and blends and changes, and I knew I was going to be time poor, I chose the combo. WIP #1 on my list is Fairy Idyll, which I already had out from starting the monthly Extra Credits, and the bonus is it’s fewer colours & some blocks.WIP #2 is, as Murphy could have predicted, my other TW, Tapestry Cat. Thankfully there is still some of the cat to stitch, so it’s sort of blockish. Sort of. Just as well I make working copies, as this is one I have to check constantly to make sure I am actually in the right spot.It was super easy to knock out the Fairy Idyll portion, but not so much with TC. I didn’t take him on the four-day work/play trip, opting for Mermaid of Atlantis (my one-a-day choice) so by the time we left, I had only about 50 stitches in and was thinking I’d be opting out of those points.

The weather turned to custard however on Sunday, so we left half-a-day early & arrived at home before the thunder started – phew! As I worked away on unpacking, cleaning (why oh why did we trust the Screaming Teen at home by himself?!) & stitching, the gutters overflowed and the other two snuggled into their bedrooms & enjoyed some quiet time. Without the “muuuum! Z did XYZ” and “muuuuuuuuum! M did ABC!” moments that graced the last few days, I got heaps done. And hallelujah, filled in enough gaps on TC to hit 536 stitches. Woot!This current week is all about our (not) favourite professor, Umbridge. Pink & kittens & tea & fluffy stuff. It’s been interesting trying to find WIPs to match the prompts.

WIP Wednesday #251 & bonus book mini-review

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

Morning everyone! This time last week I was absorbing the fantastic Becoming by Michelle Obama (audible version, which has the bonus of being in her voice and so with her intonations and emphasis). It was great, for work and playtime and transit time. The only obvious problem is of course the book hangover that results from a great read. Regardless of your colour, creed, race, status or whatever – this one will have some lesson to take onboard, even if it’s just that what’s on someone’s surface isn’t necessarily true. Look to their actions, and be empathetic. Remember that person next to you in the supermarket queue also has problems and prejudices, and work to minimise yours in such a way that others are enabled. Or at least, not inconvenienced or damaged.

Right. Onto the lighter stuff. Last week was the first relating to The Order of the Phoenix. I worked on the actual challenge points:

  1. Boring neighbour – 300 on something that can get boring – I used Mermaid of Atlantis’ borders and you’d think that would be straight forward. EHHHH no. Not when you look at the chart and count the BS line as where a ten block finishes…and it actually doesn’t! I had to frog 70-odd silk stitches (carefully!) and their corresponding BS line as I was two rows out. I’ve now started on the filigree corner for an Extra Credit task.
  2. Unapproved Magic – 300 on a project that’s been suspended for 5 months or your oldest WIP – Teresa Wentzler’s Tapestry Cat certainly qualified, as I started this in Christmas 2006! I worked in the Greek key sections on that top right corner and got in 600 back stitches. Boring but necessary.
  3. Dementor Attack – 300 on a project that has no faces –a new start, the Mill Hill Princess Carriage. As per, I’m making one for me and one for Ms Lou. I managed to get in all the stitching to be at the beading point – 758 stitches at work/training/travel.

This week’s challenge is around the address of 12 Grimmauld Place, the Black house that lies semi-hidden in London & is the home of the Order of the Phoenix. The options were either 500 stitches on WIPs 1 & 2, or 1000 on WIP 12. I’ve gone for the first option so there will be another session on Fairy Idyll and Tapestry Cat, as I just couldn’t face Guardian. I may or may not get this out – we’re leaving on a combo work/play trip tomorrow and neither of these WIPs is something I can take with me, FI being on the floor stand and TC being a complicated blend of multiple threads (plus white evenweave, eep!). At least there are large blocks of colour on the Mirabilia.

Bonus shot is of a mural we found in Point Chevalier, another suburb of Auckland. Not sure who the men are, perhaps the composers? But I liked it anyway.

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Have a good week!

WIP Wednesday #250

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

Morning everyone! Look at that, 250 posts in this series! I think that’s about the longest I’ve ever stuck with anything I didn’t give birth to, lol (excepting Si, of course).

Last week’s #magicalstitches homework was:

  1. Harry & Cedric touch the Cup at the same time – 200 on items that are touching. Shakespeare’s Fairies are holding hands… 204 STITCHES
  2. Voldemort attacks – 200 in grey or black. SF#2’s dress is grey… 206 STITCHES
  3. Cedric dies – 100 on a tombstone or graveyard scene. I have nothing here!
  4. Harry parents appear to help him – 200 on a piece you’ve had help with. Again, SF as I needed help to find the OOP chart… 225 STITCHES
  5. Mad Eye Moody & deceit – 200 on an ingredient in Polyjuice potion. SF again, as I used this in the Polyjuice task back in February. 207 STITCHES
  6. Harry donated his winnings to Fred & George for their joke shop – 100 on something that makes you laugh…think I’ll use Cloudsfactory Labyrinth… 113 STITCHES

The odd counts are because I tend not to leave a thread hanging, unless it leads to another page. That’s the half way mark on Shakespeare’s Fairies & I’m pretty excited about that. There is still a lot of Kreinik in the wings and the torso of fairy #2, but as I fold the fabric (when not working on the piece) I’m not going to stitch the sparklies until I’ve finished with the DMC. I’ve learnt my lesson there.

This week sees us move into Year Five – The Order of the Phoenix. Hooray! I’ve been looking forward to this book. It will be interesting to see how the weekly challenges match the book (the monthly are pretty spot on). This week I am working on the actual challenge, rather than the default.

  1. Boring neighbour – 300 on something that can get boring – I’m using Mermaid of Atlantis’ borders
  2. Unapproved Magic – 300 on a project that’s been suspended for 5 months or your oldest WIP – Teresa Wentzler’s Tapestry Cat certainly qualifies, as I started this in Christmas 2006!
  3. Dementor Attack – 300 on a project that has no faces – I thought I could do Four Seasons in NZ then suddenly realised the little sheep have one black stitch each for their head, so that won’t count. So it’s a new start, the Mill Hill Princess Carriage.

Hope you all have a good week!

WIPocalypse June 2019

Posted in cross stitch, embroidery, goals, grateful, lavender & lace, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

Hello everyone! I hope you’re well. 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.

In June, I’ve completed the following stitch numbers – which would be a lot more, if it wasn’t for the Toy Car project taking up a lot of evenings:

  • Coffee Quaker 106
  • Celtic Winter 519
  • The Guardian 1291
  • Mermaid of Atlantis 3773 (two more Ultimate #magicalstitches completed & I am well into the bottom half of the design)
  • Shakespeare’s Fairies 1064 (that’s the half way mark appearing!)
  • Labyrinth 113 (Sir Didymus is about to appear)

Wowzers, this is 6886 stitches for the month. That’s more than last month, how did I fit that in?

I also have an FFO – my Cloudsfactory We’re All Mad Here biscornu! My first attempt, and it’s a bit lumpy & in retrospect, understuffed, but if I ever make one again, I know what to do.

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June Goals:

  • WIPocalypse One-A-Day with Coffee Quaker (also one of my remaining EC tasks of 500 stitches on a geometric) FAIL – I picked it up 3 times. Just did not have the feels for this piece at all.
  • Hello May & Hello June FAIL
  • Celtic Winter (the last EC task of 500 stitches) FAIL – got half way tho, so at least I did pick it up!
  • Don’t spend! ACHIEVED!

July Goals:

  • WIPocalypse One-A-Day with a twist – just stitch every day
  • Hello May
  • Don’t spend!

Question of the Month: How are you doing with your goals so far this year?

Goals for 2019:

  • Finish SFS in the black – HALFWAY MARK ACHIEVED
  • Complete & FFO the remaining monthly Hello There pieces (Mar-Nov) HMMM
  • Re-start Shakespeare’s Fairies & complete one fairy ACHIEVED
  • Work on Tapestry Cat, Fairy Idyll, Arezzo, Four Seasons of NZ ACHIEVED WITH A FINISH

Overall, I’m pretty happy with my progress for this year. My stress levels are well below where they could be, thanks mostly to Si’s understanding, help & affection; a bit of medication & a daily bit of “me” time. I’ve worked on every WIP that I had started, have got several finishes including Arezzo and some framing.

SFS: The one monthly goal I did achieve! No spend, no finishes but I am $17.80 in the black. Woot!

WIP Wednesday #249

Posted in cross stitch, family, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, Toy Car Restoration by

Morning everyone!

Well, best laid plans and all that… to repeat from last week “This week’s challenge is two fold, and I am picking option one. You have to stitch 200 in the following categories: Air/Yellow, Water/Blue, Earth/Green, Fire/Red & Wood/Brown. I’m going to complete 1000 stitches (hopefully!) in The Guardian, as all the elements are present in this design.”

Famous last words. I did end up using Guardian for the Air portion, but that was stone cold last on my list. I started the portion I’d set aside and because it was a mix of the same threads for both full and half stitches, I simply couldn’t get my head around it early in the week. I ended up completing this on Sunday, when the house was empty of everyone but Zac & I.

In a move that probably surprises no-one, I pulled out Mermaid of Atlantis. I completed 225 stitches in the Waterlillies Umbria & Espresso threads, the 212 stitches in her fins for water; then 226 stitches in DMC 470/avocado green for that option.

For Fire/Red, all I could think of is one of the globes in Shakespeare’s Fairies, so I did 222 stitches in one of those. Found an error in the grey, boo hoo, so I did waste a bit of time trying to re-work so I didn’t have to frog. That was a fail, as it was much easier to pull out those 12 stitches!

This week is the last week that the stitch challenge applies to Goblet of Fire. I am picking Option one, as I can see pieces that fit into most of these.

  1. Harry & Cedric touch the Cup at the same time – 200 on items that are touching. Shakespeare’s Fairies are holding hands…
  2. Voldemort attacks – 200 in grey or black. SF#2’s dress is grey…
  3. Cedric dies – 100 on a tombstone or graveyard scene. I have nothing here!
  4. Harry parents appear to help him – 200 on a piece you’ve had help with. Again, SF as I needed help to find the OOP chart…
  5. Mad Eye Moody & deceit – 200 on an ingredient in Polyjuice potion. SF again, as I used this in the Polyjuice task back in February.
  6. Harry donated his winnings to Fred & George for their joke shop – 100 on something that makes you laugh…think I’ll use Cloudsfactory Labyrinth

Bonus shot of Mase the Ace – he’s fully into the Toy Car restoration. If you’re wondering, he’s cleaning the rear grill with a damp blush brush. Works a treat.

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WIP Wednesday #248

Posted in cross stitch, goals, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Toy Car Restoration by

Morning everyone! Outside of stitching, this week has been fairly busy, with time spent learning to restore the Toy Car – I have the carpets looking like new, & the vinyl looks pretty sweet too. The carpet is just elbow grease – a good vacuum, then I used liquid laundry cleaner in my pet shampoo Bissell and went to town. Takes about an hour all up for each piece but worth it. I did that on the kitchen floor, easy to clean after! Currently half the lounge floor is covered in a fugly blanket & the interior trim parts – one wash & two applications of the vinyl restoration liquid, applied in circles with a blush brush. Don’t mock, I saw it on a YouTube video about restoring a MR2 & it works. I didn’t buy the cheapest brush but then again I’m not having to re-do the work after picking out nylon bristles either. Tonight I’ll be attacking the parts of the dash that remained in the car and the door interior cards. Then we’re up to installing the new sound-proofing and speakers etc. These photos have posted in reverse order, whoops.

All that, plus normal house/work/kid stuff meant I only just scraped in my stitch homework. Until Sunday afternoon I thought I’d only get about 400 stitches in, but I kept plugging away with two particular colours and while I was waiting on a report to download Monday morning, I finished. Woot! Now to knock out the last 470-odd for the Ultimate stitch I was working on.

This week’s challenge is two fold, and I am picking option one. You have to stitch 200 in the following categories: Air/Yellow, Water/Blue, Earth/Green, Fire/Red & Wood/Brown. I’m going to complete 1000 stitches (hopefully!) in The Guardian, as all the elements are present in this design.

Have a good week!

05/06 WIP (short weeks confuse me) #247

Posted in cross stitch, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash by

Morning everyone! Its post a three-day-weekend (Happy Birthday Your Majesty) and I didn’t get as much stitching done as I would have hoped – we spent most of the weekend cleaning my MIL’s old house and prepping it for sale – with my SIL conspicuously absent. With over three quarters of the house and outside done, our little family is walking away. Done with the frustration around the no-show, and demands, and oh-I’m-a-victim mentality. It’s very, very toxic.

Onto the good stuff – most of us are well. Now that we can focus on our house, I’m sure the environment will improve (it’s hard to be positive and rest when all you can see is things left undone). M & Z are doing well at school; B actually went to his course for a couple of days (motivation is lacking in this one) but picked up an extra day of work) & L is looking to move back home (eep! But at least she cooks).

20190603_152052.jpgSo over Friday/Saturday/Sunday, I would have been lucky to put in 100 stitches on Mermaid of Atlantis. I had knocked out the 300 for the penalty homework but was also hoping to complete another Ultimate challenge but I only achieved that binge-watching Midsomer Murders yesterday afternoon. I ended up frogging the GAST that I had intended to carry over to her tail and am going back to the charted colours. It was just too bright, and too hard to control the light-over-scales effect.

This week’s challenge is to collect the dragon egg (the first task in Goblet). We could choose any piece, as long as we could make up a story about how it ties in. Mine is super simple! I’m using The Guardian, by Theresa Wentzler, which has a golden dragon guarding a castle. Because as any Anne McCaffrey reader knows, before you get a dragon egg, you need a golden dragon queen! Don’t even think of the chicken/egg question Elizabeth!! There’s a point for every 100 stitches, up to 10 points. I intend to get them all.

May WIPocalypse

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

Hello everyone! I hope you’re well. 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.

May Goals:

  • Stitch Hello April AND Hello May AND Hello June APRIL DONE
  • Continue working on Coffee Quaker daily NOPE
  • Finish the second fairy in Shakespeare’s Fairies NOPE
  • Knock off a couple more “ultimate” stitch challenges NOPE

Thru May, with the upheaval at home (and having to tell Mase what is happening with Grandma) I have been very narrow-focussed on #magicalstitches work. Because of this, most of the extra credit Year 4 work is completed (9 of the 11 at the time of writing), every weekly task has been knocked off & I’m working on some Ultimate goals – thanks to my housemates, there’s at least 3 in Mermaid of Atlantis alone.

In May, I’ve completed the following stitch numbers (honestly, these are helping me go wow, look what I can do!)

  • Floral Cat (stitching finish) 442 stitches
  • We’re All Mad biscornu (also a stitching finish) 831 stitches
  • Hello April (also a stitching finish) 511 stitches
  • Mermaid of Atlantis (new start) 2640 stitches
  • Four Seasons of NZ 659 stitches
  • The Guardian (new start!) 524 stitches
  • Shakespeare’s Fairies 130 stitches
  • Fairy Idyll 431 stitches
  • Raven Queen 371 stitches (& I hated them all)

At the time of posting, this is 6539 stitches for the month.

June Goals:

  • WIPocalypse One-A-Day with Coffee Quaker (also one of my remaining EC tasks of 500 stitches on a geometric)
  • Hello May & Hello June
  • Celtic Winter (the last EC task of 500 stitches)
  • Don’t spend!

Question of the Month: Where do you love to shop for stash? I facetiously answered this on FB as anywhere the staff are skilled at diverting my partner/children’s attention from my shopping. This is mostly true, however! Or I time it to visit Ribbon Rose when I have to go to our Panmure branches.

SFS is about to roll over once June is done. Currently I am $7.20 in the red; however by simply not buying anything in June I’ll finish in the positive! I do actually have enough calling to me in any case.

WIP Wednesday #245

Posted in cross stitch, family, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

Morning! Has it really been only a week? It feels sooo much longer, but that is what being sick does to you. I have a cold, so can’t go around mum for a few days. Plodding along at work. Seriously disappointed in this last season of Thrones. Really enjoyed binge watching the ITV series, The Bay, with Louise. Cleaning thru 40+ years of stuff the MIL has kept (business records from 1984, anyone?). Telling Mase what is happening with Grandma, then having a stroppy child as his aunt told him I’m exaggerating. What? Not helpful. And this is why she’s not the testamentary guardian, Lou is.

Last week’s #magicalstitches challenge was completed on Sunday, my time. It was hard to get thru Raven Queen, much easier on Fairy Idyll (32ct linen vs 28ct Lugana), & then I used Fairy Idyll for the pop-up challenge, so there’s 400 stitches in her, not 350.

This week’s challenge has gone in my “too hard” basket so I am stitching the penalty – 400 stitches on a WIP of my choice. I’ve gone super-simple, and chosen my friend Jenny (home*stitch*ness on Etsy, FB, IG and featured in multiple World of Cross Stitching magazines) & her Four Seasons in New Zealand. There are companion pieces for the UK, Australia, Canada & the States. Super cute. Progress shots next week!

WIP Wednesday #244

Posted in books, cross stitch, family, goals, grateful, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Week in the Life by

20190513_134524Morning! Our week has been pretty good – MIL is back home (on oxygen permanently) but is more able to participate in family life, is great with her friends and we had a lovely Mother’s Day dinner (I cooked, but I left the cleaning J). Ms Louise chose flowers for both of us & did a lovely, slightly unconventional, job of it.

20190510_081046Mase had Book Week and on Friday, dressed as Calvin and Tiggr “dressed” as Hobbes. Yep, we’re all about the classics in our house! On the redeeming front, Zac is chosing to read & study To Kill a Mockingbird.

On stitching, I finished the second part of the biscornu but haven’t FFO’d it (insert chicken noises here). I did start another Mirabilia – Mermaid of Atlantis – and am planning to use this for most of the #magicalstitches extra credit challenges for the Goblet of Fire May/June months. I started with #2, as the shell chandelier/light was approved as something that might be at a fancy ball AND it was the middle of the top; now I’m working on task #1 (500 on something that could be found in the lake) with the fish, and I’m about 70 stitches off completing that challenge (I need to take an update photo), and combined with task #10 (200 stitches on a piece that has something that lays eggs) I’m working on the border, on the theory that fish lay eggs. That’s not quite at the half-way mark. Like a lot of people, I’m very motivated at the start of a piece!

This week’s challenge is WIP list based again – and as I have less than 20 WIPS, I’m allocated to option 2, 350 stitches each on WIP #1 & #7. Seven is actually the biscornu, so I have approval to jump the line to #8, which just so happens to be Raven Queen. Progress shots next week!