Tag Archives: nora corbett

WIP Wednesday #211

Posted in cross stitch, friends, goals, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, round robin, stitch from stash by

As per my goals, I’m working away on Ashley’s Roses. I filled in the missing portions around the top garland, her hair & skin then I treated myself to the back stitch (yes, with Mira/Nora this is a treat. It’s how it all comes together). I did change the colour however as the charted is 844 & that’s odd to me! Now I’m working on her skirt bow (just the blend left), then the gaps in her skirt and the last item will be the garland. Then it’s off to Melinda, who will be the last before it returns to Becca.

I can’t wait to see mine back.

2017 WIPocalypse In Review

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

When I look back at my January post, I think “you plonker”. I was far too ambitious!

The rotation plans were loosely worked around the following:

  • StitchMaynia’s monthly SAL e.g. Feb is “fandom” SOMETIMES
  • StitchMaynia’s colour SAL (this is only on the 15th of each month). SOMETIMES
  • The Never Ending Band Sampler. NOPE
  • The Magazine SAL. NOPE
  • The Round Robin piece, whatever it is and whenever it arrives. YEP
  • Focus on a Finish – whatever needs completing from the above or a current WIP that is nearly there. Mermaids of the Deep will be high on that list. UH HUH, REALLY? FOCUS?

Going into 2017, I had the following starts (listed in age!!):

  • TW Tapestry Cat (Dec 2006!) WORKED ON IN 2017
  • Semco Toy Story Sampler (October 2013) STILL RESTING
  • Nora Corbett Arezzo (March 2014) WORKED ON, FROGGED, WORKED SOME MORE, IN TIME OUT
  • Mirabilia Persephone (May 2015) BARELY WORKED ON – JUST A COLOUR DAY
  • Nora Corbett Blitzen (as part of my reindeer parade, Rudolph started in July 2015) FINISHED Blitzen, started Prancer
  • Mirabilia Mermaids of the Deep Blue (December 2015) FINISHED
  • Mirabilia Raven Queen (January 2016) NOPE, RESTED ALL YEAR
  • Tamara Blackwork (September 2016) I THINK I WANT TO FROG THIS ENTIRELY
  • Never Ending Band Sampler NOPE
  • Lavender & Lace Celtic Winter (December 2016) A FEW STITCHES ONLY

While I got some new starts & finishes in 2017, most excitedly the Mirabilia Andromeda, I think that I will work on focus pieces for 2018, and dribble in the odd new start that I have kitted. I’ll ignore the SM & SFS themed SALs except where my focus piece matches the theme e.g. in the FB Teresa Wentzler group (also run by Mel!) January is animals, April is nature & both of those would match Tapestry Cat. I’m taking the two-monthly Jane Austen SAL and I’m going to mix & match different pieces to make a unique sampler of quotes & icons. More on this in the next update!

So my focus pieces for 2018 (given that I want to end in the black for SFS also) are in order of attention:

  • Mirabilia Ashley’s Roses RR section (Dec 2018)
  • Semco Toy Story Sampler (October 2013) – Zac will be 15 soon, & this needs to be done before then! But first I have to hunt it down…
  • Mirabilia Fairy Idyll (September 2017) – Gail has loaned me the chart, & I want to return it in 2018
  • TW Tapestry Cat (Dec 2006!) – because it deserves progress
  • Mirabilia Persephone (May 2015) –because I want to get thru that skirt!
  • Jane Austen SAL (December 2017) –because I want to keep up with the readings

I’m going to throw in a few Small & Medium pieces, along with the Mill Hill Santa kits that I already have (Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Barbados, Trinidad, Venice & Genoa, remembering that I do two of each of these)

  • Lizzie*Kate Don’t Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle
  • Lizzie*Kate Wise Men Still Seek Him
  • Lizzie*Kate Coffee Time – Today’s Good Mood (already started)
  • Fancy letter P (I forget the designer)
  • Little House Needlework’s Bethlehem
  • Plum St Sampler’s Patriotic Freebie

I’m going to try to limit my purchases also. Any planned stuff must come from a local supplier, no more overseas blitzes! I’m also pulling out of an international sales group (most participants wouldn’t post to NZ in any case) & removing myself from mailing lists. Wish me luck!

WIP Wednesday #206, WIPocalypse & SFS

Posted in conversion details, cross stitch, embroidery, family, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

WIPocalypse is a monthly check-in SAL hosted by Mel over at measi(dot)blog – click the icon on the right to be taken to her blog. You can now also find us on FB!

Stitch From Stash is also a monthly check-in, hosted on FB by Stephanie, Ms Oh Sew Crafty on IG, blogland & YouTube.

So let’s get the shite part over with – I am officially well in the hole and very unlikely to get out this year. I *may* be fine in 2018, as I have fabric or kits now for a number of starts I want to do, plus I am in total love with Fairy Idyll. I am definitely more aware of what I am spending and doing a lot to avoid impulse buys, which I guess could be counted as a success.

Oct-17
Allowance $25.00
FB Dreamer/Watergarden -24.96
Hospice – JCS pile -2.00
NO FINISHES  
   
Rollover -$56.97
Total Available Budget -$58.93

 

IMG_20171101_054205_092.jpgThis month’s stitchy focus was Fairy Idyll, altho I also wanted to finish the two Jamaica Santas as my travel pieces. I started beading last night on those, & I’m happy with my progress on FI so far also. Those pinks, while they look like the charted pinks, aren’t. But the lightest colour, a blend of 819/blanc, looked too pale on the Applemint fabric, so I’ve increased the intensity. And I used my stash for that (bonus point, Stephanie? LOL)

I am still waiting to stitch on two of the round robin pieces – which would increase my SFS balance but take away from FI. I should chase those up – I believe they are both in Scotland.

November goals:

  • Leave Fairy Idyll as the focus piece
  • Bead & FFO both Jamaica Santa pieces
  • Bead & FFO Mill Hill Autumn Harvest Honey Pot pieces (started yesterday at work)

Question of the Month – How did you begin stitching? Both my grandmothers were crafty, especially Nana, as she was a farmer’s wife, but a big influence was Auntie Mick. She’s not my “real” aunty, but a great aunt a couple of times removed, but she was huge in the needlework world at the time. Te Papa, our national museum, has some of her work archived. See this post: https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5m51/mills-marjory-hinemoa

Next posting date: November 26, 2017

Topic for next time: What finishing style have you never tried but would love to do?

As an additional blogging question this month, I pose to you:  Do you have any plans or instructions for your stitching projects and stash for after you’re gone? Not really! I don’t have a local stitchy buddy and none of my children are as focused on stitching as I would like. Hopefully the stash will go to the local rest home & the finished pieces will be kept by the kids in memoriam.

#craft31days day sixteen

Posted in Christmas, cross stitch, family, grateful, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, photos, travel by

Not a lot of stitching tonight, maybe 80 stitches in all?

The main reason is that Si is sick, so after swimming lessons I drove back into town so B can go to his Force Fit meet. I walked around Silo Park & the Wynyard Quarter back towards the CBD. #masetheace wasn’t too happy as I only let him use the elevator twice, & forbade him from interupting a yoga class on the most amazing glass viewing platform (there was plenty of room for us anyway) but I enjoyed the fresh air.

And summer is coming! That top left photo? That’s the pohutukawa starting to bud. Its our Christmas tree, as its covered in gorgeous red flowers during December. Old Maori tales say that if the tree flowers early, we’ll get a long, hot summer. Yay!

#craft31days day fourteen

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

Saturday! Saturday! Oh bliss.

I did my volunteer shift collecting money for the Breast Cancer Foundation outside the local supermarket then (more bliss) I WENT SHOPPING BY MYSELF & GOT EVERYTHING ON MY LIST & ONLY THE THINGS ON THE LIST. The key word here obvs is “myself” 😂

This afternoon was lovely & warm; I got three loads of laundry dry on the line, everything unpacked & snack bags made for the week ahead; dinner; cleaned up after the boys (there’s only a little more gib to go up & next week I’ll be painting) & some stitching in while watching Maleficient. I’m a sucker for fairy tale adaptations.

And as I said on IG, it’s like Border Bliss. I worked my way around and the bits ended up in the right spot. Hooray!

#craft31days day ten

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

Wow! We’re almost a third of the way thru the month & I’m pleased to see I’m sticking every day. It’s the little things, but I love the feeling of accomplishment.

#craft31days & going hard… The bathroom is fully done with the tile slate (the Screaming Teen couldn’t be bothered getting out clamps so used #masetheace as a weight on top of my freezer!!!) & half lined in gib.
Second large portion of #fairyidyll is also complete down to the wisper back stitch. Really happy with how this is working up & looking.

#craft31days day nine

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

Back at work, which meant a rest from the bath! The teen’s job today was to nail down the tiling slate & put the insulation in the walls. Partial success.

I walked while he was training then once I hit my step goal, I rewarded myself by stitching. Tonight I’ve got in about 200 stitches & back stitches. The purple is a variegated thread so that’s slower, one stitch at a time. Back stitching with wisper is not my favourite thing to do but I like the effect!