Tag Archives: cross stitch

WIP Wednesday #201 + WIPocalypse

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

whoa – some lovely comments from post #200 & my give-away! This is still running; please click and comment on that post.

20170822_052919

WIPocalypse is hosted by the lovely Measi over on her blog. Please click on the icon to the right; it will take you to her blog. You can check out years worth of submissions! It’s fun (for me) to see the progress fellow stitchers make, & get haul ideas.

Stitching-wise, I am definitely in line with this month’s question:

Question of the Month – How do you get yourself out of a stitching drought?

Yeah. I’m there. I have ALL THE THINGS but ouch! wrist movement since that big BBM morning. I wear a brace to drive & stitching is so minimal. I have too many options too, which is making me pause.

On Nantucket Rose, I am maybe 8-10 thread lengths past where I was last week. It’s so minimal I can’t even be bothered to take a photo.

IMG_20170824_211656_040.jpgAll I have finished (& by finished, I mean up to the “cut out the backing & glue magnets on) are two pairs of Lucie Heaton Designs Chucks from the September Cross Stitcher magazine. Red for Louise, purple for Aliese. At least they will qualify for a Smalls SAL entry!

So stitch-from-stash, I’m still in the black & intend to be there, all going well & if Nora doesn’t release anything amazing between now and when I can legitimately ask for Christmas presents! YTD I am now -$48.40 but will be in the black by October, without any additional spend or finishes. I must look at the group & see if Stephanie (Ms Oh Sew Crafty, check out her blog for some serious stitchy progress!) has the check-in post up.

Stitch From Stash Aug-17
Budget $25.00
Expenses Lynne- Mira Mermaid -30.00
(Sunset Laguna + beads)
Finishes Plastic Canvas Chucks * 2 4.00
Rollover Rollover $57.12
Total Available Budget Total Available Budget $56.12

So August is a bit of a wash really. I spent, but only one piece. Even if I had full movement of my wrist, no way would I get to complete the top leafy portion, but at least I was close to monogamous for the month.

September Plans are to be in-line with Stitch MAYnia SALs, the Mira month & Return to Hogwarts. I plan to pull out either Mia Mermaid, or my Reindeer Parade; and the Clouds Factory Hogwarts banners to start (I have abandoned the initial 36ct start!). There’s also the 19th Pirate day, & I’ll pull out the Mill Hill Jamaica (mon) Santa for that one.

So, if you’re a regular reader, thanks for getting this far! And if you’re a WIPocalypse check-in-er, I look forward to seeing your progress too. Have a lovely month!

WIP Wednesday #200 #passthestash #sprinklestitchykindness CLOSED

Posted in cross stitch, embroidery, freebies, grateful, lavender & lace, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler by

Okay then! Let’s get into this.

So the number is very, very arbitrary & we won’t get into my dodgy calculations to work out how many WIP Wednesday posts I’ve done since moving to WordPress. There are a few, so let’s leave it at that & get to the exciting stuff.

20170823_054202.jpgAfter 10 days or so not stitching, I am back working on Nantucket Rose, altho only 2-3 thread lengths per session. Anything more still hurts! I am about a quarter towards my goal of completing the top canopy. I don’t know if I will continue on her past the end of August or swap to my planned Mira month or Return to Hogwarts which are the Stitch Maynia SALs. If I have the fabric I might just start the Clouds Factory Hogwarts House banner pattern.

So. The Good Stuff. I want to #passthestash and #sprinklestitchykindness on you all in chart form. SO, in the comments, please indicate which piece(s) you would like to go in the draw to win. I will post worldwide, but you will only be eligible to win ONE chart. I will be drawing the charts in the order below, so as an example, if you win #1, and have asked to enter #4, you’ll be automatically ruled out of the later draw. You must also be over the age of 18, and entries prior to midnight NZ time on 09/09 will be considered. Winners announced in the WIP Wednesday scheduled for 13/09. Google random generator will be used to pick the winners 🙂

I’ve chosen my favourite designers or themes here. Hopefully there is something to entice everyone!

  1. Ross Designs White Tiger
  2. Teresa Wentzler’s Summer Carousel Horse
  3. DMC Poppy Field (this one does include the threads)
  4. Country Cottage Needleworks Joy
  5. Nora Corbett Inkberry (kindly donated by Lynne)
  6. Little House Needleworks Gourmet Garden

20170822_052919.jpgRight. Have fun, share this around, do whatever. TTYL!

Sharing Is Caring: Casa Cenina & Italian Rebuilds

Posted in cross stitch, grateful, Nora Corbett by

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ll know that there are some devastating natural disasters around the world. Needlework supplier, Italian-based Casa Cenina, has gathered together some original designs especially to raise funds for the earthquake rebuild fund. Click HERE to choose. from some awesome designs.

  • Bothy Threads
  • Joan Elliot
  • Nora Corbett
  • Hands On Design
  • Little House Needleworks
  • Lizzie*Kate
  • so many more!

No points for guessing what was my first purchase…

All designers and Casa Cenina will donate the whole sale income of these e-patters to the Italian Civil Protection, for the post-disaster reconstruction.

 

 

Review: We Talk Fiber

Posted in cross stitch, music by

fibertalkSo for something a little different, here’s an audio rec. I recently discovered Fiber Talk, a podcast available thru multiple channels, including their website. Gary & Christine are stitchers and knitters so this podcast is all about needles and threads. The first one I listened to was from Nicola Parkman of Hands Across the Sea Samplers (who has revisited the show, and I intend to listen to that one soon) and there are so many more back into January 2017, including Vonna (The Twisted Stitcher), Mary Corbett and her sister Sarah DeBree, ANG Certified Master Teacher Susan Hoekstra & the team from Nordic Needle, who I know a lot of stitchers use for supplies.

I think I’m going to look for a smaller sampler to add to my rotation…which is the whole point, right? Enable the world!

You can listen thru iTunes, their website, Podcast Addict (the android app I enjoy & recommend) & various other sources.

 

WIP Wednesday #199

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

I have done HEAPS this last week and I am so excited! My parcel has been in Miami for the last two days and I want it to HURRY UP but in the meantime I am pretty excited to continue with my two July WIPs.

Number One is the Mill Hill Christmas Island Santa, from their Tropical Santas line (2012 series). I am re-working parts of this as I go. You’ll note that he no longer has a coconut – I have elongated the shape to an oval and stitched it all in 434, which is the colour of the aged pig-skin rugby ball we have at home. Back story is that Santa played for the All Blacks (the national rugby union team) in his youth, & he still loves a bit of beach touch rugby. Today I’ll hopefully get that bird re-charted or stitched as a seagull, which is found on nearly every NZ beach. This pack has already been spoken for, & will be going off to Michelle #sprinklestitchykindness Garette, hopefully next week!

At home I have Andromeda on the lap stand. I finished her arm last night, and all the back stitch is done for the whole piece (both Kreinik & DMC) except her face, as I still have hair to complete in that area first. At this point I will stitch her hair in the charted colours. I am not yet sure what shade of green I will use for the ribbon in her hair but I think I found the perfect beads in my stash last night. I can tell you I’m adding an extra five bucks to the Stitch From Stash tally just for the frogging portion alone. I also decided that my Andromeda wasn’t going to be placidly waiting out the Fates. Eyes open & looking straight ahead. I looked thru my other Mira pile, found the eye I wanted, reversed it and re-charted to fit the 15 stitches high face (Cassiopeia is 18 stitches FYI).

Now, you’ll note that I now have a post count in the header. I’ve been blogging for nearly 10 years, so it took a while to average out the WIP Wednesday posts (I ignore the FB only ones) & I made an executive decision. Next week, being #200, calls for something special. Keep your eye out for #passthestash & a wee competition!

June WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, High Five For Friday, lavender & lace, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, WIPocalypse by

WIPocalypse is a monthly DIY SAL hosted by Melissa over at measi.net This is my third year of formal participation & it’s something I definitely high-light in my planner. Click on the icon on the right to join up, or see links to other participants.

Let’s review June’s goals:

  • Finish Emi, my portion of Julie’s round robin (Stitch From Stash “Finish it Up” SAL) – COMPLETED
  • Finish Andromeda – or at least get the conversion nutted out & rock completed – ACHIEVED! COMPLETED THE CONVERSION DETAIL & ROCK. And as of last night, Baby Got Back.
  • Work at least one day on MH Believe (Stitch Maynia Whine & WIPs SAL) – ACHIEVED
I started 2 over 1 tent
then I hated it so this is “normal”

It’s just as well that I didn’t list “stay in budget” for Stitch From Stash as I’ve blown it. In the last month, too, of Part A, but I should be golden for the whole year. I was out at our Panmure store and just oops! Ribbon Rose was open. All I actually needed was a $3.90 pack of beads for Andromeda (03035, they might not work but they are pretty so I’ll use them somewhere), but I browsed. I never hardly ever get the chance to browse with no-one breathing down my neck or whining that I am spending too long or that they are hungry/thirsty/bored. So I took advantage of that to kit out the Mia Mermaid, the (yucky shop) freebie from the recent Mira meet-up. I had a fairly specific idea about the dyed threads that I wanted to use for the tail, but once I started laying things out I moved from the suggested to other Waterlillies, and then I turned around. A wall of Gentle Arts Sampler Threads (often abbreviated to GAST). Heaven could be a needlework store, right?

Mia-Mermaid-MirabiliaSo here’s my current thought process. Of course I’ll use Kreinik silver instead of the suggested DMC metallic, which goes without saying!

For her hair, sub from the dark DMC 3031 to GAST Dark Chocolate (1170). For the lighter portion, sub from CWL 137 Copper to GAST Toffee (7078).

For her tail, moving from the darker shades to the light:

  • CWL 083 Pine Forrest to GAST Pine (0120)
  • CWL 207 Bermuda Reef to GAST Mistletoe (0113)
  • DMC 958 to GAST Silver Fern (0114)
  • DMC 964 to GAST Evergreen (0150).

I like the subtleness of the dye difference compared to the wilder variations in the Waterlillies. I also won’t be stitching the lettering, but I’m thinking about keeping the year.

I also picked up the Mill Hill/Sandra Cozzolino Renaissance Santa (Florence) with his gorgeous painting but it was $27.90NZD which is a hideous price. At least there are the materials to stitch him at least twice – once for Lou and once for me.

MD151_40284On top of that spend, I purchased some things thru Down Sunshine Lane (www.downsunshinelane.com) who are amazing. They had the 3 new Mill Hill/Sandra Cozzolino Santas for 2017 at a reduced pre-sell, so I ordered those, and a Lizzie Kate Coffee design, and after everything was confirmed, the new Nora mermaid was released so I emailed the team, and they added that one to my package! I am in love with the Renaissance Mermaid. And with the top-notch service. It was so much better than 123, who charged me freight TWICE cause they split an order. I would have preferred an option to cancel as $12USD for a $7USD kit is not really worth it!

So onto July’s goals.

  • No stitchy spend (even framing).
  • Start & complete MH Christmas Island Santa (as that chart & leftovers are going to Michelle #sprinklestitchykindness Garrette, & she’s sending me Hawaii)
  • Finish Andromeda. Before I start Renaissance.
  • Kit up & grid for August start, Nantucket Rose, with Dena (half stitch) & Emily C (eclectic possessions) on Flosstube/IG. Which really means – decide on fabric. Hint of Autumn (mine is lighter than the sample) or blue? Dawn or full daylight?

 

Question of the month: Show us your Stitchy Spot!

So – not a question but the reason I’ve delayed posting this by a week. Si decided that he wanted a new chair, so we went looking. Two weekend’s searching narrowed me down to this: the modern Wingback from Freedom Furniture. High back, short-ish seat (I don’t have long legs and don’t want my feet hanging over!), decent padding and nice feet (that I can change out later if I want). All the frames in the lounge are black so the material will do for now. I’ll likely change it out in a few years tho. Mase helped me put the base on – he’s a natural!

WIP Wednesday edition ????

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

One of these days I will count out how many WIP Wednesday posts I actually have made…I probably should number them as I go, to differentiate, but then again, that would eat into stitch time!

Since I last wrote, I’ve done some stitching. It doesn’t feel like a lot, with the reading I’ve done taking over stitch time, and then there was the (semi-wasted) six hours hunting out the perfect chair for the MOTH. I found mine in the second shop we looked at. At about 1/3 price of the ones he is looking at. I feel that I should get the difference added to my Stitch From Stash fund!

With Believe, which is my Stitch MAYnia “whine” piece (it’s too big to hold comfortably, and paper too) I finished the last 7 stitches in the lettering, and started on the background. I should have stitched this on evenweave. Next time! Andromeda is my home/stitch group piece and I’m slowly working my way up the robes. I still haven’t decided on her skin but am learning towards over-one, despite knowing that I would not finish her until August.

andromed-on-antartic-stormAndromeda is stitched on 28ct lugana by Countrystitch in the colour Antarctic Storm. I asked Catherine to dye it slightly heavier & I’m really pleased with how the colours “pop”.

 

WIP Wednesday

Posted in conversion details, cross stitch, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash by

Well, so much for this year’s flu vaccine. The whole family has been unwell (today is my first day back at the desk since last Thursday morning). We are not hungry. We are all coughing like extras in a plague movie. It is not nice at all. I will be operating on written word and sign language today.

While I had my laptop at home and have kept working, so I don’t have a huge pile of insurmountable crap, I have also done a lot of stitching. This is what you do when you have the cough chorus going on and both sailing and rugby book-ending your TV hours. GO EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND! There was a large amount of frogging, as I worked out the DMC conversion, but I am really happy with the vibrancy of Andromeda’s robes.

I went from here: to here:

I’m still not sure if I will do her skin over one yet. I’ll keep on with the robes while I decide.

SFS – I am well in the black as I sold a Mira I won’t stitch, Fairy Treasures, for more than what I paid for English Roses. Score!

english roses.jpg

WIP (somewhere it’s still) Wednesday…

Posted in conversion details, cross stitch, freebies, grateful, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, work by

I just found this in the drafts – whoops!!

I had a full-on day yesterday, so apologies for not writing. Hubs packed/left for a work trip (solo parenting, oh yay); I had work, I left work early to look after sick MIL & sick child, worked at home, did three loads of washing (did I mention sick child?! I meant, SICK child), stitched a little, forgot to eat lunch, found warm clothes, left Screaming Teen in charge and went to the British & Irish Lions game at Eden Park (thank you adidas crew). If you want a match report, go HERE

As you can see, primo seats, right on the 22 and UNDER COVER. The only wet was from beer spillage when the people in front of me cheered. Unexpectedly, the Auckland Blues won 22-16. Personally, used to rugby league referees, I thought this one sucked when it came to positioning. He appeared to be in the way multiple times so kudos to the players, having to add “don’t pass to the dude in white” to their thoughts every time they passed from the base of the scrum or a ruck.

Stitching-wise, I am nearly completed all the DMC in Andromeda’s rock. I have decided to change out the charted green to a Kreinik to give gloss, like you could expect from wet seaweed/mussels, and eagle-eyed punters will see that I have frogged the lilac in the waves on the left & worked out that I will replace this with 3752, which is in the same depth group.

The image on the right is very true to the colours of the fabric, which is Country Stitch Antarctic Storm on 28ct lugana. Catherine likens it to DMC 800 and that’s pretty much what it is, just slightly darker as I specifically requested.

http://www.countrystitch.com/Handdyed-Fabric/Handdyed-Fabric-Antarctic-Ice

 

May WIPocalypse & Smalls

Posted in cross stitch, embroidery, goals, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, round robin by

Hi everyone!

20170529_145118.jpg

I can’t believe we’re at the month end already. Winter is playing with the senses; the leaves on the trees are hanging on just that little bit longer than last year, and on my drive home they fill up a portion of my emotional bank. I like autumn; I hate winter rain.

Let’s re-visit May’s goals:

  • Disney hoop & needle book for new swap – COMPLETED but modified; I ended up making four little people as plastic canvas magnets for my partner’s fridge. She’s also getting a fox-applique zip wallet pattern & a few other goodies. These are my SMALLS choices this month.
  • Start Julie’s round robin (if I get a finish, I will start Andromeda!) – STARTED but I also started Andromeda. She’s my travel piece as I didn’t feel I could take Julie’s huge piece of fabric around in the car.
  • Finish Mill Hill Believe (about ½ done) – FAILED it’s still in the basket at home. No urge to even do a thread’s worth.

20170530_055537

June’s Goals:

  • Finish Emi, my portion of Julie’s round robin (Stitch From Stash “Finish it Up” SAL) – should be easy, I’ve only got the black DMC and the Kreinik bow body to do
  • Finish Andromeda – or at least get the conversion nutted out & rock completed
  • Work at least one day on MH Believe (Stitch Maynia Whine & WIPs SAL)

CHAT-071-MM-i-Castle-1-white.jpgQuestion of the Month – Which designer’s projects do you absolutely love, but are too intimidated to try?

I’d vote for Chatelaines https://chatelaine.de/  by Martina Rosenberg. I’m thinking I might start with one of her Mini Mystery castles – but the pattern alone is nearly $40 NZD plus then I’d have to buy silks or convert. And the specialty stitches!!! I’d be living at Liz’s and I don’t know if she’d like me anymore after that 🙂  They are a huge investment in time and money & the perfectionist in me has trouble with that right now, especially with three kids still at home.

Perhaps I should just finish those TWs I have instead!