I stitched….oh yes I did…

I had a lovely visit with Marg (who still doesn’t have a blog)  and Barb yesterday, nice bit of lunch, some drooling over stitching and lovely conversation!  There just aren’t two nicer people in the whole world! I’m so glad they visited.

All three of us have fallen in love with this little fella from The Workbasket!

I started him yesterday, Cobblestone 28 count jobelan ( I think as I bought this piece of fabric some years ago and there is no colour on the pack) and Kaalund natural silk that I picked up in an odds and ends basket one day and was wondering what I’d do with it.

 I think he looks a little like Hedwig  although I am making a great assumption that ‘he’ is actually a ‘he’.

The Workbasket - QUaker Owl on 28cnt Cobblestone Jobelan - Kaalund natural silk.

I think Barb was ‘scrounging for fabric” last night so she could start him too!

I’ve stumbled a bit with my stitching lately – just haven’t had the inclination but I was really enjoying this project last night – so much so I am going to go sit with him for abit longer today;)

Read Full Post »

It’s done :)

Just in time for the last of the year, Faith , Hope and Love is done.  This is a design by The Workbasket, stitchedon Bay Rum 32 Count evenweave (not sure which) with plain black DMC.  I really love this one and it was a great train project to stitch!  I started it on the 19th August 2007.

I will take a better picture tomorrow- but I wanted to prove that it actually WAS complete today

Read Full Post »

Faith, Hope and Love – The Workbasket

I mentioned the frogging…well I frogged what was required, have spent two days solidly stitching and last night completed the “Love” section.  One more small section to go and I am done.  Two days left of the year….do you think I will make it?

No pics now till it is complete.

Now, A question for my blogging friends.  Has anyone seen a replacement for Needle Necessities 153 (Razzle Dazzle Red) from Threadworx yet and if so…is it comparable? 

I have a plan formulating……..

Read Full Post »

Progress pics.

Even though I haven’t been posting – I HAVE been stitching.

I concentrated a little bit on Lettres a mon Chat (see earlier post) before Christmas so I could get it done as a gift – but I also made some progress on Victoria’s Quaker.   This picture shows the colour of the fabric quite well.  I am using Needlepoint Inc Silks and I really enjoy stitching with them.

 

I also started Paradigm Lost (Long Dog) as part of the Snowbirds SAL.  Funny thing is I’m not really a snowbird as it’s summer here in Aus – but I can dream.  I’ve never actually seen snow.  I’m using Cafe Au Lait 34 count Heritage Linen and Vicki Claytons’ OMG Red 1153 premium silk which was a lovely gift from my good friend Marg (who STILL doesn’t have a blog).  This is a wonderful design to stitch and VERY hard to put down when you start!  The linen is gorgeous in the hand too.  I’m not really sure about the VC silk though – I am finding it’s fluffing, knotting and tangling quite easily.  I am going to try slightly shorter lengths and see if that helps.

 

On the down side, I have to do quite a bit of frogging on The Workbasket’s Faith, Hope, Love.  I have to frog all the progress i had made on the “Love” section as I missed out an entire column!    Not to worry – I will get that done today and I hope to make this one my last finish for 2007. 

I am hoping that VQ follows in January!

I am really pleased with what I have accomplished this year craft wise.  I’ve made a lot of jewelry and other things for gifts and they’ve all been well received. 

It’s been a good stitching year!

Read Full Post »

Pictures and Posting

Victoria’s Quaker is coming along nicely – I just love this peacock (who originally I thought may have been a turkey!)  I can’t wait to finish him this week.  I am also hoping some more NPI 935 arrives tomorrow so I can finish off the large motif…I don’t really like it when I have to leave a motif unfinished.  Silly really?

I just have a little bit of backstitch to do on the “Hope” section of this one.  Doesn’t it look great?  I am really enjoying this one too – it’s easy to stitch on the train (and YES I do check my bag very carefully before I get off the train these days!)

I apologise for the awful piccies – but you get the idea

I’m stitching and making gifts today

I spent the better part of this morning getting hte feeds in my bloglines down to a much more respectable…….ZERO!  Yay me!  It was hovering around 300.  I feel so much better to have finally caught up on what everyone has been up to.  I’m sorry I didn’t leave comments on every post but the work I’ve seen has been amazing and I congratulate everyone. 

I trust all my American friends have had a great Thanksgiving weekend too!

Read Full Post »

A Long Overdue Update

I’ve been flat out, working, being mum, partner, manager, commuter, painter and decorator, cricket supporter, grocery shopper, chef, laundry maid, etc, etc, etc…

I have more than 300 unread posts in my blog reader and a host of unanswered emails for which I apologise profusely! 

Stash wise I’ve managed to find the last three issues of Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly that I needed to complete my set and that has made me one happy woman!  This magazine is one of the best – I just love every issue!

That said I’ve done a bit of stitching.  Victoria’s Quaker is coming along nicely although I’ve almost run out of the dark red (Needlepoint Inc Gothic Red – the darkest one).  I am almost down to the big motif that Carol says seemed to take a long time.  The top of that motif is around half way I think.  This is the only stitching that I am making a real effort to do during the week – tired or not I spend ‘some’ time with VQ each Tuesday!  That swan is a finished bird this week if nothing else!

I’ve done a little more on The Workbasket Faith Hope and Love – this is so much fun to stitch and I think it’s looking great in plain old black DMC.  Sometimes the simpler things….

My M Designs Initials are almost done – I need to frog a bit of a train-travelling-boo-boo but I should have those done this week and will wait to post a picture till then.

I’ve managed to complete a biscornu for an exchange so you can’t see that until it’s received by its recipient…perhaps next week.  I tried something different with this one and I’m not ‘quite’ sure if it was successful or not – I look forward to your comments on that one!

Rosemarkie has been given a little attention…but so I can get the M Designs piece finished quickly I’ve been taking that on the train this past week – Rosemarkie will be back traveling with me when that is done!

It’s a four day weekend here this weekend and while I’ve been busy the first two days, the next two are filled with stitching, stitching and more stitching – I am looking forward to it!

Oh and my knitting (shawl and Irish Hiking Scarf) are both coming along nicely – I did knit at cricket but then it started to rain and I had to stop!  Bugger!

Had a quick visit from Mel today with Niamh and Finn (gorgeous kiddies) and I was also lucky enough to see Anne before she toddles off to that place a little north of here (Sydney – ppppfffft!) and finally I got to meet Sharon   Always nice to meet in person!  I’ve not had a ‘bad’ meeting yet!

I had a lovely visit with Marg yesterday and saw her completed French Alphabet Sampler – absolutely stunning!  Marg is the queen of BAPs and her next is Long Dog’s Moulin Rouge in black silk – lovingly referred to as Moulin Noir

The carpet is not in yet so no piccies of the almost finished living area yet!  We did however take delivery of the BEST red rug ever – it’s a lovely long shag-pile rug in a dark red colour and it’s wonderful under foot!  Banjo has taken ownership and is guarding it like nothing else! 

Thanks for all the nice compliments on our choice of colour scheme – I can say that Mother of Mine (MoM) isn’t quite as complimentary!  Hmmmmm.

Read Full Post »

Back to work…

Yesterday I returned to work after my prolonged sick leave!  After the hour-thirty on the train and the tram ride up St Kilda Road, I was exhausted by the time I got there!!! I stayed until 3.00 pm or so then left for the long trip home again. 

I did knit a little on the way to work – another 3 pattern repeats on my Irish Hiking Scarf but the train was too crowded to do anything on the way home…schoolkids!

Rosemarkie got a little attention on the way to work this morning and I think I can stitch on the way to work and knit on the way home – this should work!  Here is the small amount I have achieved since last time I posted a picture.  It should grow a bit faster now I am back to work!

Next is Saturday’s progress on Faith Hope Love!  This is moving along quite quickly!  I am really enjoying this one and it’s such a relaxing project to stitch in front of the telly or when the kids are around!

Unfortunately I didn’t stitch last night on the red piece – I was just too tired.   I was tucked up in my little bed very early last night!

Tonight is “Victoria’s Quaker” night and I am feeling not quite as tired as yesterday so I will be able to achieve a little this evening – this is an enjoyable project too

As an aside, I am slowly building my set of Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly – another two ebay issues arrived today and I think that I only have about 7 issues to go now to have the complete set. 

One of the issues I received today has the first part of a sampler I dearly want to do!  It’s Sharon Cohen’s Millenium cutwork sampler!  If you’re perhaps interested in doing a very leisurely stitch along on this project – leave me a comment!  I wont be able to start till the new year perhaps so you have a while to think about it.  I thought abotu writing to Sharon to see if she could provide a chart for the number 7 or 8 or 9 (depending on when I finish it LOL)..I’ll let you know how it goes!

Now, it’s off to spend some time with Victoria!

Read Full Post »

Good morning…

It’s been a glorious weekend but very busy.  I am back to work tomorrow after quite a long time off and I am both dreading and looking forward to it.  However, I have so much to do to be ready to get my 6.55 train in the morning!  Ugh!  I’ve decided my train piece will be Rosemarkie on the way to work and I will knit on the way home   I’ve almost finished my Irish Hiking scarf!

Last night LHM had a couple of mates over and they stayed up very late watching Japan being trounced by Australia at the world cup…who knows what time they went to sleep!  They were really good – not noisy at all.

I made excellent progress on Faith, Hope, Love and will post piccies later.

Wednesday’s An Open Heart progress was very minor – lots of frogs,  Those woven cross type motifs are very tricky – but I think I’ve finally got them!  Also there were frogs on Thursday when I realised that I had stitched the outside border of the needlepoint piece in the wrong place and had to tear it out and start it again…I’m almost done with that again now though.

Friday I started a gift.

Progress pics in one batch a little later   Sorry

Read Full Post »

Saturday’s Faith, Hope, Love

Faith, Hope, Love by The Workbasket after Saturday’s stitching   This is a fun one to stitch!  The photo doesn’t really show the colour of the fabric really well.

Yesterday I had a lovely day meeting up with some fellow stitchers at the home of Bernadette in ,e almost rural/suburban Melbourne!  For once, I actually did some stitching   This is a very unusual occurrence!  Also there were Pat, Marg, Carol, Golda,  Joanne and Marita We drooled over each other’s projects and stash, chatted, laughed, ate and drank coffee and thoroughly enjoyed our day.

Oh and just so you don’t think I have reneged on my rotation in week 1 – here is Desert Star with a ‘little’ more progress.  I might actually pick this up again today (my day off).  It’s so close to being done.  I can smell a finish

 

Desert Star – Nancy’s Needle

Later in the day Junette came by to visit and brought with her a HUGE stack of finishes for me to go ga-ga over.  WOW!  What an incredible box of goodies!  Junette is a fan of Jeanette Douglas and until now I can’t say I’ve ever noticed many of her designs, but the large number that Junette has completed are absolutely beautiful.  Hmmmmm I can see my wishlist growing!  Junette was also knitting some pretty socks! 

Socks will be next on my knitting list I think! 

 

Read Full Post »

Faith, Hope, Love – The Workbasket – day 1 progress

Day 1 of my ‘rotation’ seemed to go ok.  I am going to try to live up to Carol‘s impressive blogging standard and blog my progress after each session…Carol always blogs so regularly and I LOVE visiting her blog each day, so perhaps I can give you all something to look at as well.  It only takes 30 days to form a new habit they say…

Here is my progress on Faith, Hope, Love by The Workbasket.  I am using 32 count linen in ‘Bay Rum’ and plain old black DMC (2 strands over 2).  I love the look of it – it reminds me of those velvety flocked wallpapers often seen in stately homes and castles!  Sorry for the crooked and washed out photo which doesn’t show the colour of the fabric nicely at all!

Read Full Post »

A plan…

 OK.  I am going to have a go at a new rotation of sorts.  There are a few things I want to get finished and a few I want to start so in order to make progress on them I hereby endeavour to stitch on the following items on the following days:

• Monday – M Designs Piece – hearts and monograms (one more monogram left)
• Tuesday – Victoria Quaker SAL with Carol and Karen (starting this Tuesday)
• Wednesday – An Open Heart – DT (about halfway – a previously failed SAL – *gulp* sorry)
• Thursday – Needlepoint – Nancy’s Needle – Desert Star (about 90% complete)
• Friday -
• Saturday – Faith, Hope, Love – The Workbasket (started tonight)
• Sunday -

I don’t think I have set myself anything too hard, and rotations seem to work for others and I’ve never really seriously given it a go…honestly – I’ve said I would try but it never really gets going,  I figure if I start small, I might have more chance of success.   I will try and add something from the UFO pile (Dad’s Sampler perhaps) every second time I finish something and start something new occasionaly too!

I’ve left a couple of free days Friday (because I generally sing that night) and Sunday, so on those days I will just stitch somethign that screams at me, or gifts, or smalls or bead or something.  I will still knit on the train to and from work when I return so I will still get a knitting fix.

All in all – I think this may work. 

Read Full Post »

The promised pictures…

 This is the beginnings of the Candle Flame Shawl in 50% wool 37% mohair and some other stuff thrown in for good measure.  I am enjoying it – it’s quite a simple knit and the pattern is easy to remember

Just for good measure – here is a detail of the pattern for your viewing pleasure!

 

The Mead Scarf – same yarn as the shawl – different colour of course

 The Irish Hiking Scarf well over halfway

And just to prove that I do stitch still….if you look really closely you can see some progress on the last initial   I picked this up tonight as I’d like to finish something and this will probably stitch up in a few days

I got a parcel from Dragonflydreams today – it contained Victoria’s Quaker from AMAP (and the needlepoint silks to complete it), Faith, Hope, Love from The Workbasket and the latest issue of Sampler and Anqtique Needlework Quarterly, which I will save for my hospital trip on the 29th August (finally!)  I have decided to start both of these.  I have a lovely piece of R&R Reproductions in Apple Brown Bindy the perfect size for Victoria’s Quaker, and some Jobelan in Caramel for Faith Hope and Love.  I think I will just stitch this in plain black.

Read Full Post »

Some new books, a finish and a work in progress

I ordered a book from Amazon.com (as you do) and just to make the delivery worthwhile I picked up a couple of needlework books also.  I bought the Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless for the LHM and the Little Princess (Marita – it’s a bit old for a three or four year old, but perfect for my 8 and 11!)

I picked up two Victorian needlework books and the Needlework of Mary Queen of Scots (in softcover).

 

As mentioned yesterday – Junette commented she liked the green yarn and the feather and fan…so here it is a green, feather and fan scarf!!  It does look lovely!  The pattern is from WendyKnits.

 

And here is my latest start.  It is the Mead Scarf by Elizabeth Morrison, a freebie which can be found here.   Of course I am using the wrong yarn, the wrong needles, but I think it looks nice anyhow.  I am using a mohair blend in a deep pink colour.  This is for another good pal Melza!

I am also going to start something that is NOT a scarf or wrap – it’s a freebie pattern also.  I can’t post a link or a pic because I think the eventual recipient may visit here sometimes

I also got a great package in the mail from DragonflyDreams yesterday a heap of charts by The Workbasket (a new favourite!)  I received Quaker Odds AND Evens, Humble Home, Woodlands, Old McMary’s and Village!  Those of you participating in Neighbourhood RRs should probably take a look at these – lots of lovely ideas

Sorry no kitty pictures today…perhaps tomorrow.

Read Full Post »

Another Quaker Critter

Isn’t this just the cutest ?  I saw Anne’s and I just had to stitch him too   He’s a Workbasket freebie – the same designer who is responsible for my Quaker Kitty!  Herbie is stitched over one on a scrap of fabric left over from said kitty (28 count Murano Tea) in Weeks Dye Works – Chrysanthemum.

A nice relaxing way to spend my afternoon while the boys went surfing at the beach pictured in my banner image   That’s Kilcunda Beach :)

Read Full Post »

A Gorgeous Quaker Kitty!

Here he is…finished at last I’m not sure how I am going to ‘finish’ him yet but I’m leaning towards a stand up type ornament? I’m really not sure. Another idea was to frame him, stitch the mouse over one and make it into a little pillow to hang from the frame. *sigh* so many decisions….

Quaker Cat, stitched on 28 count Murano “Tea” in Needle Necessities 128.

Read Full Post »