Sunflowers galore!!!

I’ve had a lazy day sat in front of the goggle box today - no Christmas ornies completed, but I do have one other very happy dance!  I’ve managed to finish off my Sunflower Sampler - I was surprised how long it’s taken me to get the final bands finished, but finally it’s off the scroll bars … that block roll will have a new resident for a while

Unfortunately the photos are grotty again, as it’s early evening and I can never get a good shot at night

“Sunflower Sampler” by The Drawn Thread
stitched on 32ct Lambswool linen by Wichelt
using recommended threads (DMC and WDW)

Here are a few closer photos of the individual bands:

I think this very last ‘triangular’ band is my absolute favourite of the whole piece … followed by the house and birds.

I just love the beading accents on this piece, it really brings it to life a bit more

Now is the big decision what to stitch next … I have no major urges to start anything in particular, so goodness knows what I’ll come up with …  I’d offer a poll to help make a decision, but WordPress won’t allow polls (one of the very few things that is annoying about WP - everything else I much prefer over Blogger).  Never mind, I’m sure I’ll come up with something to stitch over the next week!

It’s no wonder the weather has changed!

I’ve been little Miss Homemaker on my time off … up early this morning (although still in my PJ’s now at lunchtime haha) I yanked the shower curtain off the rail and chopped about 3″ off the bottom, then turned up and stitched a new hem on the machine.  Our shower curtain has needed a trim since we moved in in January, but 6 months later it is finally done.  That means once Lisa and I have had our showers today it can go in the washing machine, and for once we won’t be tripping up on it in the bottom of the bath!

After finishing the shower curtain, I was all set to put a beef and red wine casserole mix into the slow cooker, but alas the meat still hasn’t defrosted yet, so a change in dinner plans tonight, I guess.  What I did manage to get done, though, is my first ever flanged pillow - I think it’s WAY too over-stuffed, but I guess I’ll know better next time.  All the same, I still think it turned out cute.  If you’re interested in knowing what the design is, you’ll have to look back through previous posts - for obvious reasons I’m not re-posting that information now.  I think I’ll have to re-do the girls’ hair ribbons, though, as they got a bit mutilated while I was turning the pillow inside-out.

I also managed to take some clearer shots of the Block Roll, including one of it opened up - half a dozen projects are now comfortably residing in the rolls, ready to have some more playmates once my needles get back into action again.  (I’ll go back and replace the photos in the previous post as well.)

Updated to add:  Thanks for the question, Joanne - the centre of the roll is a pool noodle cut into an 18″ length.  I think I might make another longer one so that it’ll cater for my Mirabilia finishes (once I have done!).  The white fabric is actually felt, which grips like glue onto whatever you place on it … not entirely sure how much I like that, but at least they won’t slip and slide while rolling it up!  Each pool noodle will give you enough length for 3 block rolls, so it’s likely you’ll see another one or two popping up on the blog at some stage … especially as the noodles came in a pack of 3 as well!

As for ‘what now?’ … I’m not entirely sure what I feel like doing - I know I have a whole bunch of ornies to be finish-finished, but I think I may have a break from finishing today and do a tiny bit of stitching on my Sunflower Sampler - hmmmm, perhaps I should have my shower and get dressed then decide … I really do need to get those ornies finished … hmmm …

Sunflowers are AWOL

So much for spending my day off today stitching my little heart out … I managed to stitch for just over an hour when I first woke up and almost finished the ‘wording’ band of the Sunflower Sampler - but I haven’t bothered taking a photo of it.  I did, however, have a relatively productive day in other ways.

My day was made special by having an electrician finally turn up after a month of having no kitchen light - we’ve been surviving by using a bedside lamp on the kitchen bench, and swinging my Ott-Lite into the kitchen doorway for an extra special bit of a light.  Now, however, we have a beautiful white glowing bulb that seems bright enough to light up the entire neighbourhood.  That also means that I’ve been able to use the sewing machine after 5pm, as it’s getting dark by then (the dining table is in the kitchen, and that’s the only place available to set up the machine).

Anyway, today (after a trip to Spotlight to pick up some felt) I finally managed to put together a Block Roll - I’ve been wanting to make one of these for what seems like forever, and after receiving one from Katrina as a gift I’ve been in dire need of a larger one … poor Katrina’s one is almost bursting at the seams from all the stitching I have crowded inside it - so now I can split out my ornies etc from the larger pieces. It’s literally taken me all day to make this - partly ‘cos I kept having to find all the supplies, and partly because I’ve hardly touched my sewing machine since buying it last year, and I’m still not comfortable with using it. I’m pretty pleased with the overall result, though - I didn’t take a photo of the whole roll unravelled, but it’s really quite long (about 35″ in length).

The pattern is called “Block Roll” from That Raggedy One (by Kate Hampson, Australia).  Unfortunately taking the photo at night means the colours/photos aren’t fantastic …

I remembered after finishing the stitching that I’d actually bought that butterfly fabric to make some summer pyjama pants … oops, I guess that won’t be happening now!

I was originally going to finish my ‘infamous’ piece of stitching from a couple of weeks back into a pillow today, and got my fabric all ironed and ready, but ran out of time … instead, I took a photo of the fabric along with the other items of stash I bought from Berrima when Mum was over visiting last month.  I was thrilled to find the quilt hangers, and even though I didn’t need it, I just couldn’t resist that little duckie tape measure!

And ‘just for the sake of it’ I took a photo of my fabric stash … quite pitiful compared to many people’s, I’m sure, and it never seems to hold that ‘exact’ shade of fabric that I need, and invariably a trip to Spotlight is needed … (which of course always has a truly pitiful selection of fabrics anyway)

Anyway, it’s time to go clean up the kitchen table from all the fabric scraps before Lisa comes home in the morning (not that she’ll really care!) and then hit the hay for the night - seeing as I only have two whole words left to stitch on the Sunflower Sampler, I may make that my mission before I curl up in bed, and given my electric blanket time to take the chill off of the sheets 

Exhausted … but still here!

I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay away for long … although the last two weeks have really taken it out of me energy-wise.  Aside from working both days last weekend for various times, I’ve managed to have my working days this week range from 12 hours to 17 hours … today was my final 13 hour day for the week, and my intention for the entire weekend is to sit around in my PJ’s, watch DVD’s and stitch to my heart’s content.  I don’t give a monkeys about housework chores (aside from a bit of laundry that I’ll need for next week) or cooking gourmet meals … it’s all about being bone idle and not having to think about anything for a second longer than absolutely necessary.

The product launch went pretty well (my 17 hour day was from flying to Hobart for the day - leaving home at 4.45am and getting home at 10.30pm … not fun!), although it’s been a rush of ongoing work since then due to some problems with the software that has caused some extra workload for my area … but I’m hoping that today will see the last of the long shifts, and next week things will return to normality once again.  I have to admit that tonight arriving home I sang a little ditty to myself and did a bit of a dance coming into my bedroom … so I guess I’m excited that I survived the week and that it’s now the weekend!

Inbetween work last weekend I did manage to fit in a tiny bit of stitching and got one project completed - eagle eyes may have spotted it sitting in my “finished” Flickr display in the sidebar here after last weekend, but I can now unveil it officially.

“Fish Collage” from Sea Life booklet by Lanarte
stitched on 32ct white Belfast linen with DMC

I also have something else to ’show and tell’, as I received a wonderful, wonderful gift yesterday from Susan.  Unfortunately, though, I haven’t taken a photo yet, so that will have to wait until I do that this weekend.  In the meantime if you want to see it more quickly you can have a peep over at Susan’s blog.  I absolutely ADORE it, and you’ll understand exactly why when you see it!!

One thing I did do, though, while cleaning up my photo files for half an hour the other night, is find another few designs that had to be put officially onto my wishlist, and I thought I’d share ‘just for the sake of it’ while they’re on the Webshots screen:

Golden Lotus by Art-Stitch

Home by the Sea by Designs by Pamela

I love, love LOVE these fellas!!!!!
Victorian Santas by Charlette’s Collectibles

With thread in hand by Lavender Wings

Rightio, it’s now 10.30pm, and I’m still sitting in my raincoat after just walking in the door, so time to undress and get into those PJ’s I’m gonna be wearing all weekend … I think tonight I’ll fall into bed and be asleep before my head hits the pillow.  It’s such a good feeling to know “it’s all over” (well, the biggest part anyway).

Thanks, too, by the way for all the positive support from the incident last weekend, it was really appreciated - I’ve now moved on and decided not to address the issue further.  It has still left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth, for want of a better description, but it will not stop me from blogging or stitching … after all, that’s part of who I am!  Thanks again for the support everyone {{hugs}}.

Rightio, it’s really time to hit the hay now, as my eyes are starting to close of their own volition haha.

A bit of a rant!

After posting a piccie of my stitching finish “Picanini Can Can”, someone ‘kindly’ left a link to Wikipedia in my comments area which essentially states the term “Pickaninny” is offensive and racist.  Am I to interpret that link to insinuate either my stitching or myself is offensive and racist??  Who knows, as the person who left the link has not responded to my personal email to her.  All I can say is, seriously, GET A GRIP!!!!!

Quite frankly it’s picking on one of the least racist ‘white chicks’ you can meet - I used to tell Fraze off all the time for his racist comments and actions against Asian races … and I have always had friends ‘of colour’ - Asian, Indian, Maori and Fijian … not to mention I was apparently the only kid in the street growing up in England who used to play with the ‘coloured children’ (the term I was taught to use growing up) - as far as I was concerned there was no colour difference … as someone once said, “we are the same people in different packaging - we all bleed the same blood”.

I’ll end with a photo of the last relationship I was in … racist?  I think not! (by the way, it’s the guy on the right) 

Mutter mutter mutter …

I can only say one thing, in the form of my latest stitching finish - my Christmas ornie for June … “PEACE”!!!

“Peace” ornament by Country Cottage Needleworks
from 2007 JCS Christmas Ornament magazine
Stitched on 28ct Water Lily Jobelan
with recommended DMC (except substitute plain white for DMC 3865 which was AWOL)

Yet another crappy photo that doesn’t show the colours up too well - the fabric is a lovely soft green!  Like others before me, I think this is way too big to be an ornie, so I’m keen to finish it as a flanged pillow … with a pastel pink fabric for the flange … yeah, I know, ME … PINK!!!!!

PEACE !!!

Stitching and Frogging

I don’t have too much stitching left on my June Christmas ornie now … I would have finished it by now, but I’ve had to frog stitch almost all of the border, followed by now having to frog almost half of the plant leaves due to being one stitch out on both … ho-hum.  Hopefully there will be a finish piccie by the end of the week anyway (although work this week is going to be hell, so may not …).

Another stitching stuff-up on my part saw me almost run out of fabric on the following wee piece that I stitched up last night and this morning … when I was kitting all of my stitching up before putting everything into storage last year, it seems I misjudged the fabric size and basically cut it to the stitching size plus about one inch on the left and right margins … that was compounded when I managed to also start the stitching off-centre as well last night, leaving me with a scant 1 1/2 cm border on the left hand side.  Thankfully I’m thinking of finishing this as a small pillow, so I just have enough margin to attach the quilting fabric.  Anyway, here’s the finished piccie - once again a very poor photo as my battery still wasn’t charged up when I took it this morning, and my SLR doesn’t get the nice crisp details that my point and shoot Lumix does …

Not my ‘normal stitching style’, but I had fun stitching this one - I especially love the beads and little pigtails on the girls:

“Picanini Can Can” by Pauline’s Needlecraft, NZ
Stitched on 28ct white Cashel linen
with DMC threads & Mill Hill beads

Unfortunately I believe Pauline’s (a LNS in Auckland, NZ) has now closed down, so the design is probably no longer available - it is just printed on blue paper, but if anyone would like it, I’m happy to send the chart off to a new home … just leave me a comment here for it.  If more than one person is interested in it, I’ll have a draw to pick a winner at the end of the month.  (Updated to advise this chart now has a new home, thanks for the interest - those who went into the draw have been advised separately by email)

As for me, it’s now time to hit the hay and hopefully not dream all night about frogs!

Finally a stitching post …

I’ve been stitching all day but have very litte to show for it … first up is a wee freebie finish:

Freebie by www.romyeale.blogspot.com
Stitched on 28ct antique white Lugana
with Caron Collection Waterlilies in Pine Forest

Here is the wee beastie that has taken most of the day to stitch … I had to change almost all of the colours as I didn’t have the recommended threads in my stash, but I think it turned out OK - not perfect, but I still like it.  It was quite fun doing some different stitches for a change, especially doing the whipped backstitch.  The sand is a mix of cross stitch and Smyrna crosses, but you can’t see that in this photo.  This will eventually be a tin topper … after trying to find another design in the Gift of Stitching magazines, I came across this one and remembered I fell in love with it when I first received the issue.  Well I then made up my mind to stitch a new piece rather than turn my Prairie Schooler Duck into a tin just yet.  Fingers crossed the finishing will go OK for my first tin attempt! Apologies for the poor photo, but my battery just died so I can’t take another clearer one just yet …

“Waves” by Melissa Dunajski
from Gift of Stitching Magazine, Issue 17 June 2007
Stitched on 32ct Ice Blue hand-dyed Belfast by Countrystitch
using the following substitution threads:
GAST Flax = used recommended thread GAST Flax
WDW Angel Hair = substituted DMC 677
WDW Aqua = substituted DMC Variations 4020
GAST Cornflower = substituted DMC Variations 4230
GAST Oatmeal = used GAST Oatmeal
NN Bali Hai = substituted Carrie’s Threads Dillon’s Sea

Not entirely sure what to stitch next … although I guess I “should” stitch my Christmas ornie for June as I’m nearly running out of time (just for a change!) - but I really want to start something new, something like Drawn Thread’s Autumn Arbor or Sunflower Sampler … oh decisions, decisions … Or perhaps I should just put the needles away for a day and concentrate on doing some finishing … hmmmm …

Stitching Leporello … part 8

I managed to get part 8 of Chatelaine’s Stitching Leporello finished today (the pincushion) - I’ve been a little hermit all weekend, and loved every minute of it.  I’m all caught up with Supernatural season one, and now part-way through listening to The Kite Runner on audiobook … ah bliss

I really should try to take a better photo in daylight as this one doesn’t show the colours very accurately at all …

 

Lazy day stitching

It was a perfect Saturday - sitting up on my bed all day stitching my little heart out.  I started stitching The Prairie Schooler’s “Duck” last night, and put the final stitches into it today - I just love this little fella!!  It’s intended to turn him into a tin topper, but I think he’d look nice in so many different finishes I’m now undecided!

After my Duck finish, I also polished off part 3 of Chatelaine’s Stitching Leporello - this was just a small design, but it still took me a wee while to stitch.  Thank goodness for Season 1 of Supernatural to keep me company all day (thanks to Katie at work for loaning it to me).  I must say I think the colour choices for this one are quite “strange” … hmmm.

I also put a couple of stitches into part 8 of the Leporello, which will eventually be the pincushion - I might even get that one finished tomorrow, as it’s quite a small piece to stitch.

Part 2 of Stitching Leporello finished

Mum and I spent the day out yesterday enjoying the sights of Mittagong, Bowral and Berrima, and had a great day out!  Unfortunately it’s getting down to the last couple of days of Mum’s visit … it’ll be really quiet round here after she’s gone!!  I haven’t had time to sort out our photos from yesterday yet, and seeing as it’s now just after midnight here I might leave those until a later time … I will, however, share the photos of my latest stitching finish …

Here is part 2 of Chatelaine’s Stitching Leporello … I had a sneak look at the finishing instructions today and nearly had a heart attack … luckily I don’t have to think about it too much for a while yet as there is still loads of stitching to be done, and I only intend to stitch these inbetween other stitching such as Winter Queen.  I must say, though, that I really love this block, and in particular those little flower urns!