Category Archives: Smalls SAL

A very belated WIP Wednesday

Posted in Smalls SAL, stitching patterns by

So you know how I said I didn’t stitch all weekend? The three day weekend?

Well last night I got the guilts and stitched likea mad thing. Finished France and it doesn’t fit the chosen frame! By about 30mm. Gutted. Plan B for the birthday present. Hold on. There is no plan B! And it’s too late to submit to a framer, so it will go into my box for now. At least it qualifies as a Small.

I also got a couple of lines done on Orient, & tonight I finished the verse and started on a frame and the first fan (it is this week’s target). Getting there. I hate doing lettering on light fabric. You have to be very careful to not leave shadows on the back.

Right now I just want to get back into Stargazer. Hopefully when I finish a couple of panels I’ll return to being excited. Hoping.

WIP Wednesday & WIPocalypse for February

Posted in freebies, Mirabilia, Smalls SAL, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

February 4 – Topic: How do you overcome that feeling that you’re in a rut with a particular project?

Right. Onto the hard stuff already, Melissa? Meanie.

In all honesty, I don’t do rut treatments very well. In the past, they’ve just gone into the UFO pile (altho there is actually only four pieces in that pile). I tend to fad about a piece and LOVE IT SOOO MUCH that it has to be finished, right then & there. Mostly, my 2014 choices reflect that. I got a heap of stuff completed & only left two major starts unfinished. One, because it’s my “hospital” piece – Mirabilia’s Mediterranean Mermaid – & I only work on it when Mase is hospitalised. The other – for some reason I got discouraged with Stargazer. I think it’s her hands – they look so awkward.

However, for all that gloating, I didn’t touch Teresa Wentzler’s Tapestry Cat. At All. Not even to get it out of the storage container it lives in. I think it must be the perceived difficulty & fiddly bits – I love the image and the colours and the work I’ve done so far. I know that if I just pull it out, and start stitching, I’ll fall back in love with it – after all, that’s worked with Stargazer. She languished for about four months until I packed her, and only her, as my “entertainment” for our family holiday early in January. Since then, I’ve worked almost exclusively on her. I guess forcing myself on something makes me appreciate it. Like doing the dishes – a clean kitchen is a beautiful thing. Or laundry – folded piles & clothes on hangers almost make it worth the repetition.

Anyway. Regular blog readers (hey!!) have seen a few other things & today I have two more to share. First is Blackbird Designs freebie Souvenir de France. I had planned to stitch this for Si’s birthday (whenever he sees a shot of the Tower he comments “been there”. It’s very annoying sometimes) but now it’s intended for someone else. I need to finish it this weekend – this is at about 6 hours stitching so even with variegated thread (one stitch at a time) it’s a quick stitch. 25ct natural Lugana & DMC 99, in case you care. I’m thinking of maybe washing it in cold tea to age it a little – what do you think? Link to get the chart is here: http://blackbird-designs.blogspot.co.nz/2009/05/souvenir-de-france.html

Second is about three hours of lettering – I am not in love with lettering at the best of times – of the Joan Elliot SAL (26ct cream Linen, lettering changed to DMC 311 as black looks too harsh). I also need to have this done over the weekend. Then I need to suss something out for Si. Perhaps something English? Help!

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Orient SAL

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From today I will be joining in with the Polstitches SAL for the Joan Elliot piece “Spirit of the Orient”. This is a design my friend Lynne loves and she hooked me in (it wasn’t hard; there are some aspects of the design I really like and was planning to “lift” for Smalls). I also have some gorgeous beads that I want to incorporate. Being late I don’t have any of the Polstitches fabric so will just be using plain Lugana. However I personally think this design is detailed & will pop better on plain fabbies anyway. I haven’t yet gone over to the dark side of dying fabrics – with the noteable exceptions of Stargazer (she had to be at late Twilight) and Mermaids of the Deep – which is a chart I still have to get my hands on but am already planning for a very similar colour to Stargazer.

Hope you approve, Jennie! x

 

WIP Wednesday & the Smalls SAL update AND the new hotel for Travelling Bunny

Posted in Mirabilia, Smalls SAL, stitching patterns by

Is that a contender for longest blog title ever?

I am rocking along with Stargazer. Last night’s progress wasn’t as much as hoped as I tried a couple of different beads for the swag (froggy came a courting) then settled on Kreinik #4 002. It’s more subtle than I wanted but gold beads are too much, and neither 00150 or 03050 or 03014 looked right. The front (white/lilac) part of the skirt is still to be beaded (I will likely use 03044 here) but I had to move onto the threads again as was watching NCIS season 12 kick off here. It’s the first time I’ve pulled that show apart while watching and I hope my love affair with it isn’t waning.

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For Smalls (hosted by Stitching Lotus, link here:  http://stitchinglotus.ca/2015-sal/  ) I managed not one, but TWO pieces. First was of course, Travelling Bunny. I used Anne’s finishing technique to complete him, and I’m really happy with how he turned out.

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Second was a colour conversion of Not My Circus, which is on my filing cabinet here at work. It isn’t properly laced as I am looking for that perfect Monkey or Circus button or brad to add to it but it serves the purpose as a reminder not to get caught up with other people’s dramas here at work, no matter how entertaining they might be. If you want a copy of my stitching notes, including colours, please flick me an email at paulainauckland at gmail dot com & I’ll get it out to you. I’m really happy with the tones that progress down the word Circus. REALLY happy.

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Next month’s Small should be the Lizzie*Kate Stitching Forever piece, as I picked up the chart on a quick visit to Ribbon Rose last week. I’m planning on incorporating some of the jewel threads that Gladrider sent me this month to illuminate it. Yummy!

Now, the last thing is to announce where Travelling Bunny is heading off to! I got lots of lovely comments – awesome to have contact with people who have stitched him in the past and are still following him – and seven entries. Drumroll please…Bunny is heading off to Stephanie42! You’ll be able to catch up with him here: https://stephanie42.wordpress.com/

Congrats Stephanie – check your email later on today!

Feeling – what?

Posted in music, OLW, Saturday Share, Smalls SAL, Uncategorized by

Monday morning & I’m feeling a little off. Today is the day R came back to work & according to the boss, she’s a little unhappy that I am still here & have taken some of her roll. But then the work focus has changed, and it’s def more than one person can handle. A lot more. I’ve just seen her and she seems OK – so maybe I allowed myself to be caught in someone else’s drama. Bad, bad Paula. Don’t think I’ll include that little bit in my first card to my new OLW penpal – I haven’t had an old-fashioned snail mail penpal in how long? – I must stop fluffing around with blogging and working and WRITE. I’m on a deadline – it’s nearly time for my lunchtime walk with Sarah. Yay for having stamps in my folder.

Yesterday was so slow in the household & not what I expected it to be. My rhythm & routine disappeared right from that moment I slept in & I didn’t get my groove back until late afternoon. Finished another ornie (will share on Saturday) and got rid of the mending pile that B created. So domestic. Then to blow out the cobwebs I went for a drive up to the SIL’s to drop her back off at hers with the toy car’s top down & on the way back, blasting music. Sorry Swanson peeps. Hope you liked some Ministry of Sound. If not, well, at least it wasn’t One Direction, right?

Tonight I plan a binge watch of Nashville & some stitching. Or maybe a swim and an early night. I don’t know about you, but I am more than ready for the school term routine to start. Only two more weeks to go! That noise you just heard? My wonderful MIL sighing in relief.

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Ooh look

Posted in Smalls SAL, stitching patterns by

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Blah. I’d love to share my second finish for 2015 but just remembered it’s my Smalls finish too. Hope you can wait a fortnight! M says if I had green thread and brown beads this could be a Christmas tree…

 

Do please share my Travelling Bunny post. I’d love to see a few more entries! Thanks!

EDIT: It would possibly help if I posted the Travelling Bunny link again, right?

https://sewscrapmuse.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/travelling-bunny-a-finish-a-giveaway/

 

Travelling Bunny – a finish & a giveaway

Posted in Smalls SAL, stitching patterns by

If you’ve been following for a while you might remember that I was SOOOOOO excited to win the opportunity to host The Travelling Bunny in his world circumnavigation. Bunny waited patiently until January first – and he’s my first stitching piece of 2015.
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Me being me, I did convert a few things. Fabric was the natural/taupe 25ct Lugana. His coat is 3790, his tummy & tail in 613, the background is 3865. His eyes are Mill Hill 02014 and the stamens are 02002 added with 677. The flower and the greens are as per the chart. I need to rummage for some fabric to stitch him into an ornie – but I have until the last Wed of the month before check-in so I’m good.

Bunny now needs to move on – he didn’t get residency and he’s packing his bags. He’s been travelling since May 2011 – yes, that long! check out Chiara’s blog category – http://thegreytail.wordpress.com/category/travelling-pattern/ – along with a rotating bag of goodies.

So – if you have a blog, and you want to participate, COMMENT on this post by January 27th, New Zealand time. I’ll announce the next host when I post my Smalls SAL post on the 28th. It’ll be cool to see where in the world he ends up next!