April Recap

I did stitch. On the last day of April... but I did stitch and that is what matters when it comes to my goals. I also managed to update my cross stitch pattern inventory as I happily packed them for future mischief.

I have to say that it was wonderful to fondle all the pretty stash.
There is over 600 patterns... and I still have to inventory books, kits, WIPs and misplaced patterns (which I know I have). *grin* If I'd make a full inventory I think I'd be closer to full value of 10 000 euros (cross stitch stash only). Quite a shocking thought, don't you think? *grin*

But, I put some stitches to my MIP (Most Important Project): Tiny's Lightning McQueen.

Its getting to a phase where it's starting to look like what it should and it makes it nicer to work with.

WIP Pictures: Samplers

I was a bad, BAD person and started "Cirque Des Coeurs" and I must say that I love stitching it.
Even one might no believe it, but it's a multidimensional design which changes its message as you stitch it. And I am happy that I also have the triangle version and use affordable, easily accessible floss as I have had an insane thought to stitch all of them over undefined period and make them a matching set.

When I retire, or so. *grin*

The colours are way off, thanks to taking pictures nighttime under artificial light.
I am using Anchor's variegated cotton for this and it looks just fabulous, but, for understandable reasons it's impossible to take pictures during the day....

But, insane plans aside, I have also stitched some CJC pieces!

"Christmas Sampler" has got quite much attention and looking at it now makes me want to stitch it again, it looks so beautiful!

I have also stitched fair bit of "This Too Shall Pass" which is one of 2013 crazies.

The colours look very mismatched in all the pictures despite looking lovely in real life. I have Avocado and Cherry Wine on (I think) Amsterdam Blue linen.

"For This Child" has also grown bigger!

Even the silk is absolutely beautiful its colour changes are so frequent that stitching with it is slow and taxing if you want to have something that even remotely resembles logic in those colour slides.

Crazy Days 12-15

I had my last two starts at 20th due having been sick, falling asleep with Tiny and so forth, but I have now officially started those fifteen! And have also stitched old projects (few stitches on "For This Child...", but progress nevertheless)!

Day 12

Yet another LHN, this time "Plums". That brown is odd, it looks very variegated on skein, but when stitched (one stitch at a time as I always do with other than regular floss) it doesn't.

Day 13

I found my DMC box (and one box of hand-dyeds *ahem*) which meant starting with Dragon Dreams' designs. First one is their 2013 Holiday Treat - I just lack most of the charted colours so it'll be just sitting in its bag for a while.

Day 14

"Coffee Is Magic", and yet again I have only a few of charted colours. Same actually applies to all my DD projects for now.

Day 15

I am planning to stitch "Evening Dragon" with reds, I just haven't had time to check the combination during those few daylight hours we have at the moment.
Started with knight.

Days 6, 7 & 8

Day 6

On sixth day I started Little House Needleworks' "Hope" (from the scripture series).

I changed the colour used for the flowers as "Hydrangea" was much too white to my liking and "Blooming Crocus" was closer to the preview.
Also the green has some issues, but I think that when all the other colours are stitched it pops out better. One just imagined that green floss would stand up from cobblestone linen as well as it seemed to when I checked the colours against the fabric...

Day 7

And the next day I continued with LHN's scriptures and started "Comfort".

As you see lighter, muted shades of green and cobblestone have certain incompability issues, but I'm sure it'll look fabulous in the end, with all the pinks.

Day 8

Today I started Erica Michaels' "A Winter Nap" and it is stitched with leftover floss on leftover piece of.... cobblestone linen. (There's a theme here...)

I am not sure about the colour I'll use for the writing, but I won't be following the chart key and use three different colours on it. Being lazy I rather just pick a nice variegated hand-dyed for it.

This will be finished as an ornament or decorative pillow as that linen is only wide enough for that - and anyway I rather finish small designs in some other way than framing.
I have a piece of quite nice poinsettia fabric that might look nice with this...

There's also the mandatory mistake in this: my moon is too fat. But you wouldn't have guessed it if I hadn't mentioned it. *grin*

September Weekend Stitch-A-Long

My goal is to put some stitches on Lizzie*Kate's "1st Christmas" ornament.

I bought this design shortly after Tiny was born and my intention has been from the beginning to stitch him an ornament for this Yule.
This is a small and fun project to stitch and I am using leftover silks for it. The fabric is those ones I dyed... 2007 or 2008. I thought it would look nice with the silks I chose (and unfortunately I don't have bright pink fabric, which Tiny would love ).

There is also some stashy content to be blogged about, but I'll do that on better time. I am supposed to clean around a bit...

August Weekend Stitch-A-Long

It has been a LONG time since I have managed to participate any stitching activities... But better late than never!

Beginning...

OOOPS! Wrong WIP picture! Now corrected!

... and the end.

Birth Sampler: Branching Out

Boy and I are vacationing so I have been, much to my surprise, more or less offline last few days.

But, I have managed some stitching during evenings when Boy has been sleeping. (We have a great sleeper in our midst.)

It seems that I may actually get this done before Boy turns 18.

EEEK! Lizzie*Kate's Halloween Mystery Sampler, take one

I have worked EEEK! here and there, during evenings when I have had energy, or when I have stayed up coughing due recent issues with my asthma... But, it makes a progress!

Actually I am a bit more farther advanced, but am too lazy to take a picture. *grin*

I'm loving how this is turning out, even though there is one colour that IMO fades too much into the fabric (that is green in second pumpkin's leaves), but I let it be.

By the way out of two active WIPs I have two WIPs which have owls in them... makes you wonder.

Birth Sampler: Mama Owl

I have shocked myself! Stitching! Finally got started with the birth sampler for Boy!

Last summer, around the time of our first sonogram, 1-2-3 Stitch! had a birth sampler sale and you probably can guess who purchased a few (I think curious stitchers want to know which ones so let me link: this, this and this - and of course the one we are now blogging about), just to have options and so on and this was one of them.

Naturally I sold that piece of aida this came with and went with natural 36 count linen and I am really happy how it's turning out even it still lacks backstitching, but I won't get to that before the sampler is otherwise finished. (I "may" have to purchase this growth chart in near future.)

Otherwise... I have been sick and hence MIA as Boy has taken all my flu ridden energy.

Half a victory?

At least that is how I try to see it. My stitching mojo has been mostly non-existent for a long, long time, but lately my stash shopping mojo has come back and it's almost annoyingly healthy.
Though it has been a good sign previously so I'm crossing my fingers that it would eventually also mean more stitching - and maybe even ability to concentrate on projects I have already started...

Actually, coming to think of it, my mojo just has severe ignition issues as if I start stitching I find it fun and could go on and on, but if I have to stop for any reason it's difficult to get back to it again.
Regardless, there is slight progress in something...



Actually there is slight progress in two more things, but I don't have pics of them on this laptop yet (as I may have mentioned I had to get new one)...

Stitchy Content: Stash & WIP

I've been quite good stash wise lately (we do NOT include Violarium's closeout sale to this *innocent whistling*), but when I saw this at Sewandso's sale bin I had to have it, even it is a kit with aida (as that can always be sold or given away):

I liked the sentiment and fact that it can be stitched bigger(whole thing) or smaller (without border) based on inspiration and frame available.
What I don't understand is that in the picture it has been stitched on green evenweave, but the kit comes with brown aida. First of all those beautiful browns used in this kit won't pop up on brown nearly as well as they do on green (or maybe light blue) and one would assume they provide same colour fabric in the kit as is in the model... apparently assuming stuff, even when it comes to cross stitch kits, is dangerous.

Though one reason for lack of incessant S.E.X.es is lack of my mojo, it has basically vanished during these months of trying to get my thyroid back to balance. It's still out of whack, not much, but enough. But now that I am past worst phase of these issues I have actually had found traces of my mojo and started a new project in hopes that it would kickstart my mojo for good (this is my excuse and I stick with it): Ellen Maurer-Stroh's Zoo Baby Book. I'm stitching the animals on separate pieces of fabric so they can be used for a quilt.
I am lacking some of the colours so I only stitch them partially and will continue each one when I have floss to do so.

I'm enjoying stitching these: designs are actually smaller than I thought, but it's not a bad thing. I got these three to this phase between 24th and 26th of this month and I did cook Yule meal and washed huge pile of laundry and so on during those days so it's not bad progress, even though one always wishes for more.
And they are cute little buggers.

2012 WIPocalypse!

I simply can't remember from whose blog feed I found this from, but I thought it might be fun thing to try.

2012 WIPocalypse! by Measi

And the spiel goes like this:

"For many years, a rumor has been around that the world will end in 2012.  So really – do you want all of your poor WIP and UFO pieces to be left behind, unfinished?  The guilt!  The shame!  Oh, the horror of all of those innocent little stitchy projects never to be completed!

Here are the rules for the 2012 Wipocalypse:

1. To sign up, leave a comment on this post with your blog address. International bloggers are welcome.

2. Sometime shortly before the start of 2012, make a list of the projects you will be focusing on. Add to and adjust this list throughout the year as you desire.  There are no restrictions regarding new starts for this SAL.  If you feel the desire to start a piece in 2012, add it to your list!

3. On each full moon (or thereabouts), post your progress photos to your site – even if your progress was slower than you hoped.  Label that post with “WIPocalypse” to make it easy for me to find.

4. Once you’ve posted, come over to my blog and find my full moon post, and comment that you’ve updated.  I will create a check-in list of URLs each month for easy blog surfing so fellow participants and readers can cheer you on.

Why is it important to post each month even if you’ve made little progress?
You’ll earn one chance, per status post, for a giveaway drawing to be done on New Year’s Day, 2013!  I don’t want to discourage folks who may have issues that prevent them from posting for a month and force them to give up entirely on the SAL, but I also want to reward those who do check in every month.

What will be in the drawing?
Honestly, I’m not sure yet!  That will be determined throughout 2012 as I add to the box during my trips to my local LNS.  If you’d like to contribute to the box, email me (address below) and I’ll send you my address. Clean, unmarked charts (respect copyright – no photocopies!), finished items, new floss skeins, fabric, etc. are all welcome.  If you have other ideas for a contribution, drop me an email to discuss."

I may actually have some more time i my hands coming year so let's think...

1. Loy Krathong by PINN



2. Futurecast by Teresa Wentzler



3. Madonna of the Garden by Mirabilia



4. Rose Sampler by Ellen Maurer-Stroh



5. The Spanish Sampler by Periphaeria Designs (aka. myself)



6. Star Sampler by Periphaeria Designs



I'm not quite sure are these the latest updates of the projects, but those were the last ones I found from my album.

Good grief!

That's it! I have gotten old!

I have celebrated my birthday (32 years, yikes!) stitching "Rose Sampler" and noticed that I simply can NOT count. Or then little stitching gnomes restitch that thing when I am not watching...

There are extra rows between the alphabet (which is easy to fix, the sampler just will be longer) and it seems to me that they are also too close to the left border... AAARGH!

Regardless, progress!

(Previous pictures can be found here.)

Star Sampler WIP

I got stuck in a rut after I started "Star Sampler" (Stitch-A-Long by Periphaeria Designs) and haven't touched it since... before yesterday!

Nice progress I must say even it didn't feel much.

I have been under the weather for few days, mainly because my neck hurts and I am quite tired. GP thinks it's laryngitis, I think it's thyroiditis (in my opinion my thyroid wouldn't hurt if it was laryngitis), but we are none the wiser before Tuesday... which has meant that I haven't been stitching much.
I did stitch one sampler the other day, which I can't show as it's one of my designs, but didn't got much progress in it either. Wanted to stitch one corner tile, but made about half of it... but, hey, I can always share a material toss!

Rose Sampler WIP: Swallows and Stupid Frogs

Despite being sick I have actually stitched! Monday I slept and rest and yesterday I stitched some (it's less painful for me to sit upright). Today I stitched some more (between six and eight, I woke up before five am - after whopping 3½ hours of sleep)!

I had a major stupidity related frog yesterday as I was certain that the brown part of the vine couldn't be GAST's Woodrose as "Woodrose is not that dark". Well, I spend over half an hour frogging those tiny stitches and then stitched that part again... and realised that it had been Woodrose after all! It just looks much darker in small areas (that branch under the birdies is stitched with Woodrose too, as odd as it may sound).
And when I was restitching that brown I realised that I had misplaced some of the leaves on the vine.

Rippit, rippit!

Once again starting point and point just before taking the picture.

At this point I have to admit that my alphabet is off by one thread, luckily it just doesn't show that well over one. And the other swallow is too big. There was some odd miscalculation, but I can't put my finger on it (its tail begins from correct place, but its tail is two rows too tall which also led me to make it a bit heavier than it should be - but if you look at the preview that bird does look bigger and heavier in any case).

Now I am changing project for some time. Maybe just for few hours, but I need some variety.

Stitchy content!

I stitched yesterday... Yes, I have a WIP picture to show you! No, it's not the end of the world yet, at least I hope so.

Beginning and an end (before next day off):

(Direct link to WIP pic in here. Ovi has started to suck big time....)

That vine looks much better colour wise now that I started the alphabet. It's possible that it may eventually become a balanced combination!
I am still undecided about which colour I will use for the dots on the scalloped edge. Maybe I use the one I use for the roses and leave the middle stitch unstitched... not sure, will see later when I have more colours in this to compare.

I did this after finishing one exchange item I had to replace and I forgot about the replacement for a while (*innocent whistling*), I guess I thought I had sent it as it was almost finished.
Though I need to finish finish it still. Was thinking of doing it today, but I am way too tired to focus. Something has been bugging my throat/ neck area last week and I think I am getting sick again... work wasn't busy enough to justify this level of exhaustion.

I think I have found my mojo!

I was stitching something over one the other day on my break and realised how much fun it is and how much I have missed it... and I think I found my mojo there and then!

I want to pick up Rose Sampler again! Never got far along with it, but that just means there's more fun left!

Why? Because I'm doing it over one! (And those yummy overdyeds help, I think. )

The only thing keeping me from stitching the night away is that I have been working like crazy (read: /me really tired) and there is one more early morning tomorrow... Work, gah!

Two months later

Where did the time go? It was November just yesterday!

Anyhow, my minor cross stitch inventory revealed that at that time I had 43 WIPs, 661 skeins of floss. Now that number is far greater on both regards.

(Honestly it wasn't me! It was Lou!)

Wishlist Items

A is for Ark

Oh yes, I seem to have a thing for designs for kids nowadays.
My stash needs to be prepared for miracles, you know. *grin*

Life, stitching and everything

I have been stitching, but have also managed to practise my jewelry making skills and grow my bead stash even more.

Blue ones are for me, their pink twins are for Linda and other pinkish ones are for me.

 

Scissor fob was a giftie for Bea and those red earrings were a surprise for my mom, who so cunningly hinted that she might like to receive some jewelry I have made, some day.

There would be new stash to blog about, but I am tired and my head is on holiday because I managed to find a cold from somewhere - even I have been on a sick leave last week because that blasted tendon got inflamed again; now I am on sick leave for five more days because of that blasted tendon and cold.

So. Fun.