2011 summary

This year has not been a very successful blogging year, but I can see that I'm not alone in this.

I am still a dedicated stitcher, with not ever enough time, a shocking serial starter, an unrepentant stash buyer, and a constant reader of blogs and and online shop updates.

I keep an old fashioned stitching journal- with pen and paper! - and so I am able to summarize my stitching achievements for this year.

2011 starts:

Madre Terra by Alessandra Adelaide.

High Hopes, 3Violets Humbug, Barnabee's Quest all by Just Nan.

Summer by Blackbird Designs(part 1 of 3)

Autumn Leaves and Sunflower Seeds Pinkeep by Blue Ribbon Designs

the Owl block from Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow(Carriage House Samplings)

Fox by Beth Russell (needlepoint)

2011 finishes:

Sense and Sensibility by Sampler Girl

Part 1 of Barnabee's Quest

Brownbird Sampler by Bent Creek

2011 framing:

Bent Creek "Redbird Sampler", "Bluebird Sampler" , "Brownbird Sampler" and "Blackbird Sampler"

Blackbird Designs "Their Song"

Sampler Girl Sense and Sensibility"

2011 purchases:

Mentioning them all would be boring, so the chart purchase that excite me the most are:

SB "Peter's Patch" and "Brett 's Stocking"(with all the threads and charms!)

Blackbird Designs "A Stitcher's Journey","Anniversaries of the Heart "parts 1-12,Loose Feathers "Summer" and "Autumn"

Drawn Thread "The Menagerie"

the Ultimate Joan Elliot Cross Stitch Collection.

My WIP list is WAY too long to mention here.(There are currently 35 wips and many are large)and I'm not going to make resolutions as I never keep them.I'll stitch whatever calls to me at the time,and try to keep my stash from expanding outside its current space. I DO want to meet with stitching friends more often.

2011 saw a few months with no stitching at all, as I dealt with my daughter's ongoing illness and the fallout from that, a shocking accident which saw her lose the sight in one eye, and continual dental and lower back issues which took up my time and energy.

2012 IS going to be better on every front. Soon I will post pics of my recently framed items. Just thought I'd better get something in writing before the end of the year.Love and good luck for the new year to all my stitching friends and acquaintances.I look forward to reading more of your wonderful blogs.

Susan.

January stitching

January has not been at all bad in the stitching department.

I have made reasonable progress on "Madre Terra", but have not included a pic, because it looks like a strange series of blobs at the moment, and not at all tree-like. A little more progress and I will add a pic.

I went off to Sydney for 5 days early in January, to visit my daughter, who moved there from Melbourne late last year. She VERY kindly took me to the Crewel Gobelin and I had the BEST time there.Such a lovely shop. I added to my stash significantly and picked up some bargains as well. I purchased JCS Halloween issue for $2.00 and "Shores of Hawk Run Hollow" for $10.00!. I bought two fat quarters of linen, 28ct flax and 32ct flax, which are actually different shades in the different counts.But I love the colour-goes with almost anything. I bought SB "Peter's Patch" kit and SB "Brett's Stocking, at the urging of my daughter.

Now, I already have 5 SB stocking charts, which I had planned to make for the family. However the children were appalled that the old quilted stockings I had made them in their infancy were to be replaced, and so I never finished even one, resigning myself to doing them for grandchildren, (eventually!). I would be very surprised if I had 5 grandchildren, but Kate insisted we buy Brett's Stocking because she wants that one for any future child(There is absolutely NO indication that she would have children any time soon, by the way. She is currently partnerless for a start!) But clearly she likes to plan ahead.

Anyway, the real joy for me in making the chart purchase, was that I could buy at the same time ALL the requirements- fabric, charms, CC and WDW perle, which is a real treat. Having Kate to enable me, I also lashed out and made a purchase I have been thinking about for years. I bought a Beth Russell needlepoint kit- "The Fox", one of the William Morris inspired patterns for a cushion. I have started it, it's slow going at the moment- the hardest thing being I have no chart to follow- I'm not used to following colours, there are decisions to be made, but I'll get used to it.It's a bit hard on my hands, but if I do little bits at a time I should be ok.

The other great thing about January was the GTG at Colours Downunder on Friday night last week. Diane and I drove up together had a delightful evening with Cathy Kelso, Marilyn, Janine, 2 new ladies we hadn't met before, and also Kathy Condo who we have met before as a stitcher, but is now the new owner of Colours Downunder. We heard all about Janine's "tree change" and hopefully we'll have the opportunity to catch up a few more times before she leaves to go "down south".

I made a single purchase- Blue Ribbon Designs' "Autumn Leaves and Sunflower Seeds, and I am making the pin keep.

What inspired me to buy this was my success with the making of the needlebook from their "Schoolgirl Samplings" chart. I finished this in October, and it was such a fun stitch, I did it all in one go.

A couple of days ago I finished "Sense and Sensibility". I have really enjoyed this as well. I do like working on Vintage fabric.

Yesterday I picked up a long term WIP, "The Sanctuary. I had forgotten how lovely it is to work with Needlepoint Silks. I have fallen in love with this again, and hopefully I will make some significant progress before I feel the need to move on.

Anyway, that is all from me this month. I start work tomorrow, but I aim to catch up more often with the stitching ladies here and perhaps I will be inspired by them to keep up the pace!

Happy February stitching everyone,

Susan.

2011

So here it is 2011 already. I'm amazed my blog still exists, given that my first post for 2010 was also my last. For a lot of reasons 2010 was a horrible year, and I would like to forget it.

As always, my stitching progress reflects my state of mind and body, and the general character of my days. I keep a written stitching diary, and there are a number of months when I recorded no stitching at all. I was either too busy, too sick, too tired or too distracted. I do realise though,(from past experience), that the actual action of sitting and stitching is a balm for the body and soul, and had I been able to convince myself to just start stitching on some of those desolate days, I may have been able to deal with 2010 better.

So, I have started the New Year with a new start- Allessandra Adelaide's " Madre Terra", which my daughter chose for me to stitch for her some time last year when visiting Colours Downunder. I am using Caron Waterlillies"Kelp", one strand, on 32 ct hand dyed fabric. I can't manage photos today. I know it will be a disaster- so just words today, pics another time!

Last year I did have some small finishes.

The Cat's Whisker's "What a Hoot"- my daughter finished it into the scissor keep/needlebook.

Blue Ribbon Designs "Schoolgirl Samplings" Needlebook

Just Nan's "Hootzi Humbug", currently hanging on display at Colours Downunder

Blackbird Designs"Blue Bird", stitching completed but not "finished"

Sampler Girl "Sense and Sensibility" is all but done

I did quite a lot of purchasing it seems to me. I actually bought in bursts- as I could only visit Janine's shop in the school holidays or at Craft fairs, and would buy up all the charts and the supplies for them that I could. I now have a lovely stash of fabric and threads- it has taken me until now to get to the point where I can start almost anything in my stash, and not have to visit a shop to do so, so I guess by everyone else's standards I am a conservative purchaser, considering I have been stitching the better part of 30 years. I am pleased however, that my stash is still confined to one cupboard, although I have a sizeable stitching desk in a dedicated stitching room. I need it to all be in one place so I don't get overwhelmed!

Anyway, I'm not one to set goals,preferring to go with the flow, so I haven't thought about stitching plans for 2011. As always, I have some gorgeous large wip's waiting to be finished, and quite a few pieces waiting to be framed. I should make them my priority. I have been looking forward to the school holidays so I can visit Janine and do some stitching/ purchasing and general catching up. However I am off to Sydney on Thursday to visit my eldest daughter and I plan to visit The Crewel Gobelin as a little treat for myself. I'm only going for 5 days so I will probably get to Janine's next week.

I will keep visiting the wonderful blogs- some of ladies I know(Alison, Amanda, Cathy) and some of those I have never met, and I'll try to actually respond to your posts, because they are wonderful inspiration.

I wish everyone a fabulous 2011- hoping you all stay healthy and happy and productive!

Susan.

First Post for 2010

Well here we are in 2010, and I must post before March comes or I'll feel REALLY ashamed of myself. Working the school year means I have lots of weeks off over the summer, and should be doing lots of stitching. It took me most of the holidays to "get into it", after having some rather dry months, stitching wise, and then it was time to go back to work! However, I think about my stitching a lot, and enjoy it immensely when I finally get into the stitching room. It has helped that I have some great music on my ipod. Currently Sting's "If on a Winter's Night" accompanies my stitching.

I have actually made a couple of finishes already, so perhaps 2010 is looking good after all.

I stitched one of the Blackbird Designs stockings for January, "Auld Lang Syne", and have selected the backing fabric, just need to make it up.(DD will do that).

My oldest DD visited Janine at Colours Down Under with me in January, and we had a great, rather long visit. Of course there was purchasing- and Kate was the worst of all. She saw the Cat's Whiskers "What a Hoot" model in the shop, and declared she had to have it- meaning of course that I had to stitch it! Not only that, she chose all sorts of colours for it, which scared me- I don't do that myself. Anyway,I DID stitch it up straight away, it looks lovely, and very vibrant, and Kate has almost completed the finishing. We have the scissors for it too.(He looks better with the scissors). He's stitched on an opalescent, and I'm sorry the greens, reds and purples don't show very well at all in my photo.

At Janine's I saw a shop model of the Sampler Girl's "Sense and Sensibility". Had to have that too- plus all the required threads(WDW and GAST) and Janine cut me a piece of 28ct Vintage linen. Anyway, this is what it looks like so far. I'm really enjoying it, and trying to remain guilt free over the WIP's calling me from the stitching cupboard.

Having tried to pretend I was not interested for a couple of months, I also succumbed to Just Nan's birdie- that is, "Noella" and all her bits and pices. She watches over my stitching with Bella Bee.

That's all for now. I am enjoying looking at all the new charts coming out at the moment.

Happy stitching!

Susan.

Over the last few months stitching has taken a back seat- right down the very back of the bus kind of back seat!

I do have some progress from earlier times to share, just so there are pics of some sort. I have been travelling- 3 weeks in Europe in Sept/Oct, and a weekend in Sydney a couple of weeks ago for a family wedding.

Having overcome most of the problems associated with the earlier slipped disc, I managed to fall rather dramatically in France(on our boat from a height) and sustained a serious injury in the same place. Thankfully, no fractures anywhere but some of the most exciting bruising ever seen by my physio, in the nether regions, which required another 4 weeks of intense physio to help the haematoma that had developed to move on, so that I would not go through life with a lumpy backside.(Well, not any more lumpy than it already is!)

Needless to say, sitting was once again difficult, sleeping also, and all my energies went into getting to work. Hence, hardly any stitching.

However earlier in the year I did finish Drawn Thread's Spot of Autumn, and in August finished and made up the February stocking from Blackbird Designs("Be Mine").

I have finished all the stitching on Petal Fairy, and she is awaiting the completion of the beading around rthe skirt.

In France in October, I was feeling sore and sorry after the fall, and needed some rest. As we were cruising the canals of Brittany, there was plenty of time for stitching, but I had decided not to take any with me. Luckliy, in a tiny town called Blain, I came across"La Mercerie"(my friend was shopping for leather shoes and handbags, but I was stopped dead by the cross stitched alphabet in the window of this shop and my lovely hubby, knowing how desperate I was becoming, encouraged me inside.) In this part of rural France we often found no English spoken, and I have pitifully little French. But the language of fellow cross stitchers is universal it would seem, and once I had got across that I had no stitching to do, the lovely lady trotted about and found me DMC, a chart, the right sized needles amd linen.We "talked "about the design size and worked everything out,and I left blissfiully happy.

What I am stitching is a memento of the Brittany canals- the design reminds me of the lock houses, and the trees and acorns of the autumn days we enjoyed so much. I am going to add a couple of bands and some wording-"Bretagne" and I will post again when I am done. I did this stitching in a day or two on the boat but haven't picked it up since. It gave me great pleasure at the time.

Anyway, must actually get this posted before another month is up. I have the exciting news this afternoon that my friend Janine of Colours Downunder is going "bricks and mortar" so I can't wait to hear all the goss about that. I hope to stitch a couple of ornamants before Christmas, but won't be holding my own breath so I wouldn't advise anyone else to either!

Finishing Petal Fairy would be a good thing for this year. Let's hope. I finish work on the 18th December, so maybe then.

Bye for now,

Love reading all the blogs!

Susan.

What happened to 2009?

It is a little, no a lot, embarrassing to find I have not blogged in so long.

I have tried, but Blogger would not recognise my password and messed me about so much I gave up. Today I did battle with them again, and have persisted.

I have been stitching. A little every week. Not nearly at the rate I used to stitch before I started work. That figures. I am more frustrated at the amount of pieces I would like to finish or start, and the inability to make any headway. I keep a written stitching journal, and that has not been added to in months either, which is a first for 9 years or so.

So, I'm still a committed stitcher, not in a slump, but not getting anything done. Grrrrr. Hmmpphhh!

I love keeping up with everyone else's blogs, and seeing the beautiful work.

I have worked on Mourning Doves(Crossed Wing),Needle in a Garden(JN),The Castle(TW)(significant progress!!!yay!),and in May I finished "Spot of Autumn(Drawn Thread), yet to be made up into a little pillow, but I have the backing fabric.

Also I have completely reorganised my stitching cupboard, now all my wips and finishes are hanging on skirt hangers, and ALL my DMC is bobbinned and boxed,my beads are re stored into watchmaker cases and labelled, and a set of 'current projects' are all kitted up and ready to go, should I choose to work on them.

I have finally recovered from the slipped disc that did slow down my stitching earlier in the year(I couldn't sit!).That was 4 months of pain and constant physio appts. I have also had a couple of juicy colds such as happen when you work with little dribbly children. But I am looking forward to a spectacular last4 months of the year, stitching wise.

I will try and finish Petal Fairy for DD's birthday at the end of August. And I plan to frame a couple of finished pieces ASAP.

Here are some pics from the last GTG at Janine's in April, of me, Janine, Cathy and Diane with our stitching.And of course a pic of Diane's Medieval Town Mandala which I believe is now complete.

'Til next time, thanks for looking and happy stitching.

Susan.

February Stitching

Well, February has come and gone. Time to review any stitching progress.

As I started my new full time job in the first week of February, not much happened on the stitching front in the next couple of weeks. I know I went to a GTG at Janine's on the 15th, and at that point that I had written nothing in my stitching diary for February except a nice underlined heading!

Things have progressed a little since then.

I enjoyed the GTG, of course, and actually stitched on "Live Each Season"(Blackbird Designs) and made significant progress.

I bought another skein of WDW "Caper" from Janine for this pattern as I can tell that I will run out before finishing. I have had this happen before on a Blackbird Designs piece, even though they don't specify that any more than one skein is required. Luckily, I purchased the original skein from Janine, and in the same dyelot.

I also stocked up on my favourite Piecemaker's 28's, and picked up my 12 skeins of Dinky Dyes "Emerald", my chosen colour for "Quaker Christmas"(ByGone Stitches). I have yet to choose the fabric- I need to compare Cream and Antique White in both Belfast and 32ct Lugana. Then I will choose the red and gold colours, which are a small part of the design.

I love the new Blackbird Designs stockings, and have asked Janine to put one of each of the three charts now available aside for me. Cathy will be getting these as well. I'm not the best finisher, but I am very motivated to stitch these little gems, and I'm sure the 'girls' will help me.

Since the GTG I have stitched on Petal Fairy(Mirabilia). She is a delight to work on because I love the fabric so much(Colours Down Under 27ct Linda-"Cloudy Days). I am close to finishing, so I plan to continue work on her. My DD1 wants her, and also Bliss Fairy. Luckily I have another piece of the fabric. (Sorry about the creases)

DH is going away later this week, and for those of you who don't know, this means a new start. It is a long standing tradition of mine to start a new project as consolation for his not being here. Although he will only be away for a few days, and I now have grown up children and a job to occupy me, I see no reason to cancel what has been a most satisfactory arrangement! I am looking forward to it, but have no idea yet what I will start. I shall report at a later time.

Until then,

Happy Stitching,

Susan.