Tag Archives: WIPocalypse

August WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, grateful, Mirabilia, WIPocalypse by

WIPocalypse is a monthly-ish blog hop hosted by Measi.  This moon’s task was to choose a WIP and tell the story.

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This is Mediterranean Mermaid. Long time followers will know all about her; but for everyone else, this is why she’s still a WIP.

Our youngest, Mase, often has asthma flareups. Bad ones. End up on nebuliser ones. It’s long hours, often alone as there are other children at home, so I had to have a project that was permanently packed & could go anywhere with me. Lynne suggested Jug (as in, she carries an amphorae).

But so far in 2015, and with winter nearly over, we’ve kept Mase under control. Small flares, nothing major. Poor Jug hasn’t been worked on for nearly a year (I even brought the beads earlier this year in preparation),

It’s hard to feel for her tho!

July WIPocalypse #1 & You Can Quote Me

Posted in WIPocalypse, You Can Quote ME by

Not only is it a new moon, there was also another thing in the sky to look out for.

It’s not as if two worlds will collide tonight — Venus and Jupiter are only converging into a small area of the Earth’s sky. NASA says the two bright planets will be “a jaw-dropping one-third of a degree apart.”

That distance is smaller than the width of a full moon, as seen from Earth’s surface.

“You’ll be able to hide the pair not just behind the palm of your outstretched hand, but behind your little pinky finger,” NASA says.

And unlike some other astronomical phenomena, this convergence should be easily visible: Just look to the west around sunset. That’s where you’ll find Venus and Jupiter, if the sky is relatively clear.

“Conjunctions between Venus and Jupiter are far from rare events,” notes Space.com. But the site adds that tonight’s “unusually close” conjunction is worth seeing — and it adds that this is both the closest and the last pairing between the two planets in the current 24-year cycle.

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From our little patch in West Auckland I got a great view, in between the rushing clouds. No photos as I only had the phone so this one’s from Stuff (a local news website). It’s from someone who works at the Observatory at Mt St John near Tekapo:

VJ above Mt St John Tekapo on June 30
July 2 – Topic: Reality or Fantasy. Which do you prefer to stitch? Figures or Abstract? (via Jo)

Today is also the first of the July WIPocalypses. It’s a Blue Moon month as there will be two full moons. I thought about Jo’s question overnight and came to the conclusion that there’s a degree of Fantasy in most of the stitching I do, even if only snow on a Christmas piece (there isn’t usually snow in NZ in December). I haven’t done many Reality pieces unless you can count Mira’s as partial reality – maybe the birds? Sorry Jo, not much of an answer there.

See? Reality with Fantasy.

See? Reality with Fantasy.

But I would much rather stitch or view Figures over Abstract. I read “abstract” and my brain stops at Picasso.

focusAnd last for today, here’s my YCQM. As usual, this ties into my One Little Word, Serenity.  It’s a reminder not to take people’s opinion of me to heart, especially when they read “Christian” and assume “bigot” or “small-minded”. For you it will be something else – that’s the beauty of God’s work. We’re all unique.

June WIPocalypse and WIP Wednesday

Wow, WIPocalypse already! Time just seems to be flowing by. Sometimes I feel like I barely have time to breathe before diving into the next thing & I wish it would all just slow down a little.

Since the last WIPocalypse check-in, I’ve had some wins. Now seems like a good time to go over the May goals:

Nice to do’s:

  • Finish the stitching & beading on Mediterranean Mermaid DIDN’T PICK HER UP AT ALL
  • Sort out what my next big Mira will be STARTED THEN FROGGED ROSE OF SHARON; STARTED PERSEPHONE

So the June goals are:

  • Complete Ali’s April & May prompts for One Little Word
  • Print out the last 10 days before Christmas & journal to complete my December Daily for 2014
  • Complete my portion on Debbie’s RR (mermaids!) which will probably also double as my Small
  • Complete the hair portion of Persephone (it’s a lot of confetti, more than I anticipated)
  • Layout & complete my portion for the new New Zealand FB XS group RR (only four to a group, fast)
  • Complete Med Mermaid’s tail beading

Do you find yourself more productive with stitching in summer or winter? I’m about equal. In the summer I spend more time outdoors doing family stuff but I offset that against stitching while on the road (Si is one of those men, it’s my job to pack lunch/snacks and book the accommodation & find highlights on our route). In the winter there are always at least two nights a week that I don’t even think to pick up a needle due to exhaustion or mucking around with the kids’ training or a really good book. I binge watch recorded TV twice a week (my binges are pitiful, they amount to 2-3 episodes of whatever I’m loving right now) and stitch while watching.

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Today is also WIP Wednesday for me. Here’s my new start, Mirabilia’s Persephone. I had started Rose of Sharon, then frogged when I realised that the fabbie wasn’t going to be big enough. It will do for the NZ RR which I’m playing around with now. Thinking Mira (surprise!) with a horizontal layout, four heads divided with a peony tree in the centre. Or four reindeer, but I am stitching these anyway…oh, I don’t know! What do you think?

WIPocalypse Check In

Posted in stitching patterns, WIPocalypse by

WIPocalypseThis month’s set of posts was delayed, thanks to Gremlins getting into Measi’s site. Blah. Sucks that you can’t throw water on electronics (showing my eighties upbringing).

The topic for this month was: I would like to know if you look for LNS’s when you travel. What is the favorite shop you’ve ever found?

I do look for LNS (local needlework store). In fact, I had the GPS going when we came back from Newcastle to Sydney, and a list of five stores. In my defence, we had a list of 24 wreckers to find the bits for the Rodeo.

On Saturday I bribed the tweens I was transporting from their game with Wendy’s just so I could pop into Ribbon Rose in Mt Wellington. I only brought a bobbin of Nymo but it was the best 10 minutes of me time. I had taken in Stargazer & the beads I intend to use, and the sales assistant even stitched a few on the fabbie to show that the thread was hidden. Brilliant service. So if you’re in Auckland, that’s where I recommend you go.

March WIPocalypse & You Can Quote Me

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March 5  – Topic: If money – and time – were not limiters, what projects would be on your stitching bucket list?

I’d own a LNS. Seriously. I love walking into a well-stocked store, smelling the fabric, looking at row upon row of patterns, threads, beads. Samples lying around, a farmhouse table where people could meet, framed examples on the walls. Knowledgeable sharing people on staff (and me, of course) and a really good back-of-house system where sales & inventory meet. Fantastic non-whinging customers with open wallets, so I can keep on buying and trading.

Taking a step back, I’d be plowing thru more Mirabilia, and maybe a HAED or another BAP. Finishing some Teresa Wenztlers, playing with dyeing my own fabric. I’d have a craft room that had bolts of fabric and hook after hook of thread & beads so that when I wanted to change something out I could see the possibilities. Space for my home office setup and space for another person (or 2) to craft with me.

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I’d also hire a cleaning service. I’d probably have to pay them double to deal with the boy’s bathroom, but it would be worth it.

And for this week’s quote: no pretty picture, just words. Don’t argue with an idiot. Bystanders can’t tell the difference.

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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January WIPocalypse

Posted in Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, OLW, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

January 5- Topic: Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!

Introduce Myself. Hmm. Right. I’m Paula, and I live in Auckland, New Zealand. My avatar name is pure panic/laziness, as I needed a personal email the one time I had to go job hunting and that was all I could think of. Paula, in Auckland. I am a mum to four, who range from 20 to 5. I am a partner/fiancé of nearly 19 years now. I work as a vendor performance manager for a major retail group, and I have my fingers in quite a few pies. I also do volunteer work during the league season – in 8 years I’ve only taken the one season off. I’m seriously considering being a sideline mum this year. I don’t use my degree at all, unlike Si, my partner, who uses at least two of his in the day-to-day role he has. I am overweight & not really looking to fix this in a hurry because I have no desire to run even Round the Bays. I’d rather walk it. Or swim.

Personality wise I am friendly, altho don’t lie to me. I will drop you like a hot potato. I like to make people smile or laugh, and it was only after a massive issue at my then employer in 2012 that I learnt to say “no” when asked to do something. A very valuable skill to have. I like to support people and find solutions to help make them happy. Happy friends = happy me.

I read A LOT. Like, two to three books a week. Anything from suspense to biography to contemps to historical. I don’t read horror, or misery memoir. I did read M&B (bath books!) but it’s more than a little stupid to use your Sony in the bath. I’ve been reading since I was 4 & I love to escape into a world that someone else has created. Pretty much everything I read is now digital. Forget diamonds – eReaders are this girl’s best friend. I do occasionally buy physical books – for the pretty pictures or the travel guides.

I dabble in scrapbooking – mostly Project Life, December Daily and this year I’m taking Ali Edwards’ One Little Word. The idea is to take one word that really speaks to you, and make it your focus. You can read about my choice here: https://sewscrapmuse.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/one-little-word-2015/ and more about Ali’s course here: https://aliedwards.com/projects/one-little-word

I took a surface embroidery class in 2014 and enjoyed it. Not enough that it has taken over my main hobby, which is cross stitch, but enough that I can see where I want to incorporate it into pieces (Mirabilia Sleeping Beauty’s blankets seem to be a cool spot) & I have some confidence to do so.

I made Teddy Bears – proper old fashioned ones – in the past. One sits on my console here at work & is regularly picked up and examined. Others have been gifts for newborns and friends going thru hard times. Others have sold, which was amazing to me at the time. I still have the tools and a banana box of stash/patterns but I haven’t made a bear in years.

2014 saw a revival of sorts for me, stitching wise. It went from a chore & an ignore to a woo-hoo! & I got lots more completed than I thought I would do so. I filled my TUSAL jar. An attempt at rotation (let’s blame my wanting to grow up to be Anne for this) failed as I got the “must finish it now” bug. I got a Nora Corbett bug & brought heaps of patterns, altho I cleaned out boxes and boxes of stash.

This year’s WIPs are:

  • Nora Corbett Reindeer (I started with Rudolph). I only have five charts more to go…six to buy!
  • Nora Corbett Mediterranean Mermaid
  • Mirabilia Stargazer
  • Teresa Wentzler’s Tapestry Cat

Planned new starts:

  • Nora Corbett Letter C
  • Nora Corbett Letter P
  • Mirabilia Rose of Sharon

 

I am still collating my list of Smalls for the SAL this year, as I like to be a little flexible (I was regimented about the 12 TW smalls for last year and finished with 3. Dismal fail). I sort-of think the NC letters are small, as I tended to finish them in only a fortnight, but the rules state they are not.

  •  Travelling Bunny (he came from Wisher in November, & he needs to move on)
  • A biscornu
  • A Just Nan special finish
  • a “not my circus, not my monkeys” piece I saw on Pintrest. It fits nicely with my OLW for this year too.

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And that’s it. A shorter list than I anticipated! #mustworkharder