Tag Archives: hands on design

January 2023 WIPocalypse Update

Posted in cross stitch, goals, me, stitch from stash, WIPocalypse by

Hey everyone! I hope you have had some sun wherever you are – it was late arriving for the “summer” holidays here in Aotearoa, so late that I was joking we missed it in the lead up to Christmas. Unfortunately January has also brought in some pain, as B farewelled a school friend (very hard to do at 22) and a family friend drowned and another has passed due to cancer. Please, please – take care of yourselves and your loved ones. The city has also lost four people in the horrific flooding that’s taken us over.

Right. Stitchy stuff.

I have completed one goal in my annual list!

  • FO Seas the Day (Hands on Design)
Seas the Day, Hands On Design, GAST – Weeks conversion.

Seas the Day was completed on January third, while we were travelling State Highway 35 around the East Coast of the North Island.  I have found a frame too and just need to re-colour it.

Other pieces that have been worked on this month include

  • A Stitch in Time (825 or 41.86%)
  • The Letter P Fairy (429 or 9.09%)
  • Rogue Dragon (757, now 70.06%)
  • Seasonal Trilogy Autumn (400, now 10.49%)
  • Strawberry Fields Forever (2623, now 49.67%)
  • Tournee du Chat Noir (4559, now 15.79%)
  • Jim Shore’s 12 Days (474, now 29.43%)

Strawberry Fields has become my go-to stitch, as it’s mostly GAST and Weeks, which I love, and there’s a bit of repetition. Perfect for binge watching – we’ve done Wrexham and all the Broadchurch this month, and there’s been a lot of cricket. I’ve also put most things into Pattern Keeper to make it easier on myself, but that 12 Day’s number refers to only days 3 & 4. That’s all I’ve re-charted right now. Days 1 & 2 were completed prior to March 2021. In total I hit 11038 stitches, well over target.

April WIPocalypse

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

Hello everyone! 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.  If you’re a crafter, please join up either on your blog or via the Facebook group – we welcome all enablers!

April was a mixed bag for me; I have gone well outside the SFS budget, especially as I found all the things (this particular book is on an airplane as I write, and I totally concur with Mary Corbet’s view of it being gorgeous –

https://www.needlenthread.com/2020/10/a-sea-to-stitch-and-its-gorgeous.html ) I finished stitching Winter Bear from Nora Corbett (he still needs a few beads that I am waiting on), did a little on my Chatelaine, a little on the Faby Reilly fox biscornu, a little on a Mill Hill ornament, a little on Mirabilia’s Fairy Tales – you get the picture. I did get one finish but that’s technically a May one – Merry Berry from Hands On Design/Squareology was finished in a temporary hoop, as I don’t have any 4” ones as yet.

Yesterday was my birthday, so I treated myself to a new start – Princess Elliana by Mirabilia. I plan to convert a lot of her dress to shades of blues but keeping the hair/skin/flower tones as is. This is on Countrystitch’s Urewera Mist, the same fabric that I used for Shakespeare’s Fairies.

April 25 – Have you found yourself to be more or less productive in your stitching during the Covid-19 pandemic? Given we only had a relatively short lockdown and of that, I only had a week off work, I’m actually finding myself quite burnt out now. Life here in NZ is still quite “normal” in most areas, except Tourism, and I find myself impatient with those countries that haven’t seemed to have caught on that this pandemic is horrific, unforgiving and needed to have shutdowns to effectively close if off before we can vaccinate. I was a lot more productive last year when working from home as I kept something by my desk to keep myself calm, but can’t do that in the office sadly! I do manage about half an hour a day at work during my breaks but most is at home, squeezed into my weekend.

WIP Wednesday #283

Posted in cross stitch, Smalls SAL, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

Top o the morning to ye… happy St Patricks Day to all my fellow Irish descendants out there (clearly, there’s more than a few at Google)! I am about to relax for the rest of my day, the last of my “sick leave” before I have to go back into the office. I’ve worked thru from home and I’m stuffed. There will have to be a conversation with the boss about this, as the office “manager” won’t allocate someone  to even part of my role while I am on leave or sick, unless it’s Christmas. My pay is great but condition wise this sucks eggs.

Because I am so tired, I’m really not stitching. This week I have not even started the prompts; I’ve FFO’d one of the Hands On pieces and that is that. It is pretty gorgeous tho! I also scored some stuff from Hospice shop, two boxes of threads for $30. One half is pretty much Anchor thread, but I can use that for little things or embroidery so all good there.

Anyways, have a lovely week.

WIP Wednesday #282

Posted in Christmas, cross stitch, me, Smalls SAL, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler by

Hey everyone – sorry for the long delay in writing. We are into another lockdown, and this household is actually in isolation at home, due to sickness. I am hoping to get the covid swab results today for the three of us that had tests yesterday; and also hoping that Mase actually “just” has strep throat and nothing too serious.

I have been stitching away at the #magicalstitches prompts and getting in some finishes! I am ready to FFO both parts of the Hands On Design Stitching by the Sea, the pincushion and basket; and last night finished beading the Jim Shore Christmas Spirit Santa – he just needs felt glued to the back to FFO him. I think he’s super cute, very vibrant colours! Up to this point I have 18930 stitches for the year and am feeling quite productive!

Jim Shores Christmas Spirit Santa

I also started the next Hands On Design piece last night, Oh Say Can You Sea. I have altered the colours and am doing it on the same piece of coffee/tea dyed fabric that I did the other two on, as I plan to put them to work in the same area of my home. I will have to work on something else this week too, as it fits 6 of the 10 prompts and even if I have to stitch penalty stitches (which is on Tapestry Cat) I would still like to keep up with this weekly challenge. At least I am not bored!

WIP Wednesday #281

Posted in cross stitch by

Hey everyone! It’s a grey, humid Wednesday here in Auckland and I’m doing my best to be focused. I’m kind-of over work, from the POV it’s repetitive but then again, that helps with the anxiety side! There is a lot of noise as people return from holidays (we had two long weekends in a row) and of course, the issues that slow production and even slower shipping have in all retail businesses these days.

Stitching wise I am hitting the weekly #magicalstitches goals with even a little playtime mixed in. I didn’t stitch Friday/Saturday this last week as I had a migraine; but my week started with a small finish and #FFO so all is good!

My wee finish is an etsy seller’s adaptation of van Gogh’s Starry Night. This is one Mase actually chose for himself, and now I’m kitting it up to use as a teaching aid for a workmate who also wants to learn to stitch. I’ve purchased a copy of the Great Wave from this seller also – I might end up with a museum gallery on my work wall!

Last week’s challenges revolved around the first chapters of the book Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief. There was a beach scene, a WIP containing stockings, a WIP that is blue, a WIP that has an animal AND a human, a WIP that has a dessert and a WIP that has an activity I would do at camp. I chose new starts for all the options – Hands On Design’s Stitching by the Sea pincushion for the beach (350 stitches and super cute seagulls), Jim Shore’s Christmas Spirit Santa for stockings (320 stitches), and Mirabilia’s Athena (1249 stitches) for the remaining tasks.

Book one, Week one

This week’s challenge is a little less intense, with 1200 stitches divided between a WIP that’s plumbing related, a WIP that contains a flag and a WIP that has something I could give up. I’m already done with one set and half-way thru the second…

WIP Wednesday #281

Posted in Christmas, cross stitch, family by

Hey everyone! I’ve not had much brain space for stitching as we gear up into fiscal year end/Christmas/oh dear me in Retail land; plus home life isn’t slowing down. I have missed 3 of the last 7 days, but have the middle Summer hoop stitched and a start on the third and last hoop; and some back stitch done on the biscornu. My 123Stitch order arrived and was promptly “hidden” from me (FYI fam, a large yellow envelope down the side of your bed isn’t hidden).

Merry Christmas to you and yours – I wish for you health & happiness.

WIP Wednesday #280

Posted in books, Christmas, cross stitch, embroidery, family, Smalls SAL, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

Hello lovelies. I’m writing today from my lovely home desk; looking out at the pruned lavender and roses – that was a Sunday job, in the hope more bloom will be out for Christmas Day. I’m watching Bridgerton promos, hoping these turn out at least half as good as the books. At the very least they seem to be educating a few on the Georgian court/clothing/colours. And I’m mildly celebrating the Electoral College confirming Joe Biden as the next POTUS.

There hasn’t been anything exotic this last week, unless you consider only having to cook a couple of nights as exotic! Not only did we eat out twice (once for work do, once with a very dear friend) but the boys decided not to clean up the kitchen. If there isn’t workspace, I don’t cook! No travel, no adventure – I’m needing to hunker down for a bit until Christmas is done. Irrespective of it being our Saviour’s birth, it can be a very stressful time.

Stitching wise I am slowly moving along with both the middle Summer hoop of Hands on Design’s Well Rounded, but I’ve completed the stitching portion of the top side of the Faby Reilly biscornu. There is a LOT of back stitch in my future…

Stay well – stay home, wear a mask, support your local retailers where you can. x

WIP Wednesday #279

Posted in Christmas, cross stitch, embroidery, family, goals, grateful, me, Smalls SAL, stitch from stash by

Hello lovelies. I’m going to start today’s post with a bit from the wonderful, gentle soul that is Kristen Strong. Long time readers might remember me talking about her books Girl Meets Change or Back Roads to Belonging. I really do go back to these books, and Change in particular. I am NOT good at change.

Kristen has one passage today that really spoke to me. “This Christmas season may be the most difficult one you’ve experienced to date. If that’s true, then I’m so sorry. Like the people of Israel who didn’t receive what they expected but needed, I pray the Lord shows you today, even this hour, a glimpse of His Light telling the dark corners of your heart  exactly what it needs to know.”

If you want to read the whole blog entry, or see more from Kristen (who is also part of (in)courage) check her out HERE https://kristenstrong.com/letting-go-of-expectations-and-letting-in-the-light/

On Sunday Si & I went back up to Omaha and competed in the half marathon/10K distances. Both of us finished, both slightly slower than Devonport despite the fact the track was flatter as it was HOT! I ended up needing medical attention as (for the first time in my life) my blood pressure dropped like a stone. I don’t know why as I drank heaps during the walk; I can only put it down to eating breakfast which I wouldn’t normally do prior to exercise. I shan’t make that mistake again, as I’m still a little shady.

A sculpture I walked past about half way…

I am planning on scheduling in training times, adding in a few bootcamps, getting proper orthotics for my plantar (on-the-shelf product isn’t working as well as I would hope) and maybe doing a virtual event between now and Valentine’s Day, which is the next event on the calendar.

Stitching wise, I had a thread finish on the Barbados Santas but I didn’t want to take beading away with me, so I took the Hands On Design (Cathy Habermann) Well Rounded summer stitching away with me. I have completed the smaller design of the three and started the middle, which has the beautiful use of negative space that I like. I think I will hoop finish these then put Velcro on the back, so I can hang each season vertically down a wide ribbon.

The first Summer circle is stitched

I am still trying to think about 2021. Do I want to float from project to project as the wind or whim takes me, or be focused via the Magical Stitches list? Or simply pick 21 projects for 2021? That at the least might help reduce my WIP or stash pile, which has grown by a huge chunk (and is about to grow more, as I spent a ton on 123Stitch’s Pre-Christmas sale).  I wanted to stitch a stocking or two this year, but didn’t even start one. I have all those lovely charts that I picked up from Tina’s clearance, and most of the threads, so that would be inexpensive to roll out… decisions decisions!

WIP Wednesday #275

Posted in Christmas, conversion details, cross stitch, goals, me, Smalls SAL, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

Hey everyone! Look at this, a post with stitching on a Wednesday. Wow.

This week I’ve only dawdled on Fairy Idyll, severely unmotivated as I was worried about the event last Sunday. I have finished around with adapting Cathy Habermann’s Year in Chalk December chart to fit a specific frame, so here it is:

The original, available from 123Stitch
My version, in GAST chalk on Jade PTP Belfast

As for the event, it was my first competitive 10k, based on the Devonport Half Marathon. Si completed the half, just outside the time limit, and I completed the 10k just inside that limit at 1:51. My plantar didn’t give me too much grief (it did hurt at times, and I did cry when the site physio manipulated it after the event) but I’ve pulled up okay. Roll on Omaha in December!

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.