Happy dances and hardanger

As you know my favourite past time when I'm sick is cross stitching, and, despite being tired and dizzy I got something done. Actually quite a lot...
Firstly I had a happy dance, but I won't post any information before it has been received (but I can say that it's one of my monochromatic designs stitched in colour and came out cute as a button ^^).

Secondly I started the Hardanger bookmark by Kristine Herber from Dragonfly Stitches.

This is the "first" part. Next thing will be the buttonhole stitches (which I have started, as you can see).
I'm stitching this on 28 count Plum Blossom Jobelan with Needle Necessities #8 perle called Dazzling Red and DMC's 666 perle #12 - and as insane as I am I chose the most difficult one which includes tons of different stitches.

SALs here, SALs there...

Kristine Herber from Dragonfly Stitches is apparently having a hardanger bookmark Stitch-A-Long in her Yahoo group and guess who has expressed her willingess to join?
As it's a design with some (voluntary) cutting in it it would be just the perfect piece to practise my hardanger skills a bit more. (Not that any of us knows how it looks like, but Kristine told us.)

This is also a wonderful reason excuse reason to do some frantic shopping at Sewandso as I need perle and such - I could actually justify new pair of scissors, for cutting, you know. *grin*

'Valentine Exchange' received!

As we were allowed to open our parcels before 14th I opened mine when it arrived. And look what I got from Annette!

Gorgeous little pillow with hardanger and beads and everything so wow! (For reference: The Victoria Sampler's Love Blooms; modified)
Backing fabric is absolutely gorgeous also, burgundy and black. I know I should remember name of that fabric type, but I can't. And I can't get clear picture of it. Unfortunately.

Then to goodies:

   

V. Clayton silks (hand-dyed) Black Poppy and Garnet. (I've never used silks so guess how thrilled I am? Good way to get new stash-related addiction.)
Then she sent me musical heart (little heart made of jingle bells), which is now hanging in my front door window. And decorative hearts - in fact my living room floor is filled with little hearts because I had minor heart attack.
She also sent me sweethearts, but... unfortunately there's corn in them so I've to give them to someone else. But she didn't knew, and now she spreads joy to other people too!

I learned my lesson: Always inform your exchange partners about your allergies.

Stitching Olympics

Even chanda_m's idea of Stitching Olympics was just self-motivational, it was warmly welcomed in Livejournal's cross_stitch community and now we have our own Olympic team - and own newsletter:

Stiching Olympics Gazette, Issue 1

Who said that stitchers are crazy? We're just social - and love our hobby.

Still no sign of Angela's parcel, nor Silkweaver order. Which is interesting as my Valentine Exchange came from States and was sent on 30th of January.
I just have to hope that postal services haven't lost that pattern parcel. It'd be dreadful lost to society.

Soon I begin to doubt that there's some cross stitching postal service worker somewhere....

I'm so proud of myself, part II.

I went to bed anyway and finished it today. Backstitched border is my addition, because I wanted to get something to frame all that whiteness. Then I just need to decide what I'll do out of it.

There was so much of #4 braid that I can use that with my next topiary because I haven't got that Rainbow Gallery's Petite Treasure Braid yet. (I should really email to my LNS....)

I'm so proud of myself, part 1.

I got this kit from Rósa, who was my sender in Fall Secret Pal Exchange (@ EMS BB). It's not finished yet, but this is what I have been doing last two days (Yes, I've abandoned DB again):

My first ever hardanger piece, my first ever lazy daisies (Coming soon to a blog near you! )... There's minor mistake, which is partly chart's fault, as outer cross stitch rows should have been done with Kreinik's #4 braid #002 (metallic gold), but as those stitches are different only in smaller chart I missed it because I use larger (and clearer) chart which has only one kind of cross stitches. Oh, well. It looks good anyway - and will look even better after I've finished it.

I've really been enjoying doing this one and I've already downloaded 'few' hardanger freebies from The Victoria Sampler's website. (I need... more... got... to.... resist.... )

Rósa, if I haven't said it yet (....just few tens of times...): you're an evil temptress.

I also noticed that I do need a magnifying glass sooner or later if I'm seriously going to get into hardanger. Or maybe it's just my problem with white fabrics, as it seems to me that I can't see threads in white fabrics well enough. I usually don't have any problems with coloured fabrics.

Screaming rotation.

It seems to me that I've a rotation, just very screaming based.

Odd thing as I haven't begun a rotation intentionally. I've only been considering it.