March 2020 WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, goals, grateful, lavender & lace, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, WIPocalypse, work by paulainauckland

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!

March Goals were:

Finish the third panel in 12 Days – NAH
Start a Chatelaine – OH YEAH

I barely stitched any on 12 Days – we went into lockdown early (Mase is asthmatic & Grandma was seriously ill, as regular readers know, and then she passed very early on in official lockdown week). I didn’t get a photocopy of the chart prior to going into lockdown, doh, and my head simply didn’t follow the design very well, especially as I have made so many conversions.

Instead I worked on Mermaid of Atlantis as my one-a-day piece. It was much easier as it was a simple random number generator, and I was only filling in the gaps with beads. There’s still a few errors, especially in the last week, but she’s finished.

In April, I intend to be very simple and just work on something every day. I would like a finish on Antique Celtic Sampler (this is very close. I stitched a dog butt yesterday, not often you get to say that!) and maybe some progress on Shakespeare’s Fairies or Nantucket Rose.

Obviously I didn’t get to attend my first Guild meeting but there was work on the Chatelaine. I stopped as I couldn’t focus even with a copy of the chart, but now that my brain is getting back online with work mode (damn internet) I’m sure I will be able to pick that up too.

Have you ever adopted a piece from someone else or gave up a piece to someone else? Which piece and why? I have inherited a few pieces when stitchers’ family members have passed them onto me but not really passed anything along. It’s rare that I will start something and not finish it (quiet over there in the cheap seats please!) but I am seriously considering passing along Mirabillia’s Raven Queen. I am not enjoying her much at all, and she’s been in virtual quarantine for close on a year now, more if you consider that I only pulled her out once I think for Magical Stitches.

Stitch From Stash oh boy, do we have to go there?

Bernina DMC 80C sale	-52.00
Ribbon Rose	-28.40
Stitch NZ	-46.30
Sassy Pouch	-98.12

Mermaid of Atlantis	40.22

Rollover + Budget	$78.28
Total Available Budget	-$106.32

18Mar2020

WIP Wednesday #270

Posted in cross stitch, grateful, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by paulainauckland

Hey everyone! I hope that you are well, have enough TP, & feel peace in your hearts. I’m going to assume that Market oh-I-want-that feels, we all have plenty of projects on hand. I may have ordered a few things anyway!

Stitching wise, I had no progress on the Chatelaine. Given my monthly goal was to get it started, I’m more than okay with this.

Mermaid of Atlantis has had attention every day, and I guess I’m about halfway on the beading now. I’ve also started 3 French Hens for my monthly piece. That was more frog than stitch as part way thru the first letter, I had a brain fart…Take care of yourselves, inside & out.

11Mar2020

WIP Wednesday #269

Posted in cross stitch by paulainauckland

Hey everyone! I am recovering from a flu bug (the same one that knocked #masetheace out for a week) so it was really quiet at ours.
I did try to work on the Chatelaine but after learning some new stitches (nailed the Rhodes!) I decided to drop following the chart & just focused on my #wipocalypse one-a-day project, beading Mermaid of Atlantis. As you can see I’ve managed slightly more than one a day, and I’m about a third in. I might get this done this month & be able to bank the stitch from stash credit before my next order comes in…

2Oct2019

August & September WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, stash cache app, stitch from stash, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by paulainauckland

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.

August Goals:

Complete the Year 5 Extra Credit homework (4/11 to go) LEFT ONE TASK INCOMPLETE
Complete Mermaid of Atlantis stitching (seriously possible if the weekly homework goes my way) NOT QUITE – BUT USED WHERE POSSIBLE
No Spend! NOPE – SPENT $10.40

September Goals:

Complete four EC NOPE, just two
Complete Mermaid of Atlantis (lined up for a few of the monthly Extra Credit) NOPE
Bead & FFO some Mill Hill ornies NOPE

All up, in August I didn’t stitch as much as in July. We finished the car & I spent a lot of time walking & listening to audio books rather than on my butt. Still happy with what I got done tho.

Fairy Idyll 231
Mermaid of Atlantis 435
Shakespeare’s Fairies 1957
Tapestry Cat 202
Stitchrovia Austen Quote 404
Coffee Quaker 1024
Jeanette Douglas 2012 Peace 417
Four Seasons in NZ 247
The Guardian 565
Erica Tui (new start) 506
MH Santa’s Sleighs 500
Un Ricarmo Per Rinascere 509
Reindeer Parade 213

That’s over 7410 stitches for the month.

In September I slowed right down (lots of reading & more time with Mum) and got in just over 6000 stitches.

Fairy Idyll 1353
Mermaid of Atlantis 868 (just beading to go now)
Fairy Tales, a new start 3141
Un Ricarmo Per Rinascere 321
Sampler House, a new start from Blackbird Designs 607

SFS: In August, I didn’t manage a no spend month (again) but it was just a few DMC & two charts at the Hospice shop. Turned out the person I picked them up for already had them, so if you’re into Paula Vaughan they are up on my @pauladestash IG account. I have ordered the new Mirabilia, Garden Prelude, but the bill hasn’t arrived yet so I can’t count it. With the ornie finish, I’m 30.85 in the black.

And then September turned to custard! I was given some money so went wild – $110.10 in 20 minutes at Ribbon Rose. Oops. Luckily I also sold Lady of the Flag for a reasonable (not eBay enormous) amount to a fellow stitcher, so that kept me in the black, at 26.92.

August Question: What do you have on your stitching bucket list? (for example, specific projects, designers, fibers, etc) I have two Chatelaine designs in my stash – but with a few large Mira’s on my WIP list either is a way away from starting.

September Question: What finishing style have you never tried but would love to do? More hand-finishing – Mase wants this Blackbird Designs stocking ASAP – so that’s on the list to knock off. Plus I’d like to take a framing course next year.

See you next week (hopefully!) or at the least, for the October WIPoclaypse.

11Sep2019

WIP Wednesday #258

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

Hello everyone! Sorry for not posting last week – Wednesday got away from me.

The last calendar week of August had two sets of Magical Stitches homework – 6 days completed Year Five, and we’ve started Year Six, the Half Blood Prince. There were three potential parts of Y5W9 – we had to post 5 WIPs before the Sunday; then from the Monday stitch 500 on whichever was picked (for Gryffindor it was WIP 4, which for me was Un Ricarmo per Rinascere). The last part was bonus; do 200 on each of the other four WIPs to get a total of 13 points. I managed them all – chose all Nora/Mirabilia so that I’d be fully engaged.

Y6 day1 was simple – 100 stitches for 1 point on our latest start. Unfortunately I didn’t pick up a needle during that 24 hour period (it has to start at midnight CST time, which is 5pm my time). Too much going on getting the house ready for the week ahead.

Y6W1 had three parts: 400 stitches in something we’ve made a Vow or promise about (for me, this was Mermaid of Atlantis as I wanted to finish her this year); 300 stitches in a design that starts with a letter in DURSLEY (I did 321 stitches in Un Ricarmo Per Rinascere) & lastly 300 stitches in something that gives us FOMO (the fear of missing out) to note Professor Slughorn’s return to teaching (I did 310 stitches in Fairy Idyll, a design I was so determined to have).

I’m now at the bead stage with MoA!

We’re now in Y6W2, and have to choose which path we will take – Light or Dark? We have to write an explanation, do 600 stitches in our chosen path and 400 in the other. There’s a bonus of 200 stitches in our most blingiest project (which for me would be Mermaid of Atlantis, with her Kreinik & beads) but as we are travelling this weekend, I’m going to use my new start & focus on the week tasks and some monthly EC tasks.

21Aug2019

WIP Wednesday #256

Posted in Christmas, cross stitch, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, stash cache app, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler by paulainauckland

Hello everyone! Apologies for not posting last week – we had a lot going on at home. By the time I remembered about the WIP it was Friday… this week we have a Japanese billet with us for the week so it’s been an adventure! Sho is lovely, coming out of his shell & has a good sense of humour. We will miss him on Sunday when we put him on the plane home to his family.

Week 6 involved Professor Umbridge coming into power and we had to stitch on something that we really wanted to quit, like the students wanted to quit Hogwarts. I wanted to quit Coffee Quaker, as I simply got tired of the over-one. In the end, taking it everywhere, I managed 1024 stitches. I didn’t stitch on anything else this week tho.

Week 7 was O.W.L.S exam week – ick! We had a choice of going for E (exceeds expectations) with 100 stitched on each of the 7 Core/3 Elective subjects for 2pts, or O (outstanding) with 200 stitches giving 5pts. I went overboard again, ignoring the monthly tasks that I hadn’t completed, and worked on getting all O levels. Luckily we had done some “subject” things earlier in the year, so it wasn’t so hard to match up WIPs and subjects.

I picked a Jeannette Douglas design to cover both Astronomy (the quaker star) and History of Magic (words) and got a start & finish with Peace. This is in the 2012 JCS Christmas edition (available on the CD at 123Stitch & other retailers).

Using the Emma Congdon Austen quote, I covered Herbology (growing Hellebore roses) and Potions (Hellebore is an ingredient in several potions) – not a finish, but over halfway now.

I used Mirabillia Shakespeare’s Fairies for two other Core subjects – Charms (they summoned fireflies to light their way), & Defence Against the Dark Arts (one wears a diadem, like what Voldemort used as a horcrux).

The last Core was transfiguration, and as Professor McGonnigal is shown in both her forms in the first chapter of book one, the obvious choice was Tapestry Cat.

Electives – I ignored Arithmancy (would have had to use Coffee Quaker) and Divination (I’m with Hermione, that subject sucks) and chose Ancient Runes (completed all the lettering in Home*Stitch*Ness Four Seasons), Care of Magical Creatures (Mirabilia Mermaid of Atlantis) and Muggle Studies (I stitched the Mary Rose, the Tudor ship that’s in Mermaid of Atlantis as I’d been watching a doco about it while stitching Care).

Hope you all have a lovely week – I’ll be back for next week then it’s WIPoclaypse.

10Jul2019

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 paulainauckland

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:

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.
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.
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.

Have a good week!

1Jul2019

WIPocalypse June 2019

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

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.

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!

26Jun2019

WIP Wednesday #249

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

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.

Harry & Cedric touch the Cup at the same time – 200 on items that are touching. Shakespeare’s Fairies are holding hands…
Voldemort attacks – 200 in grey or black. SF#2’s dress is grey…
Cedric dies – 100 on a tombstone or graveyard scene. I have nothing here!
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…
Mad Eye Moody & deceit – 200 on an ingredient in Polyjuice potion. SF again, as I used this in the Polyjuice task back in February.
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.

19Jun2019

WIP Wednesday #248

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

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.