MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

To my followers and those who just happen to stumble on this blog,

I won't be blogging for a little while because I am going on holidays, but I will still be stitching.

When I get back I'll post an update of 'Sweethearts Gate' so that you can see my progress. I'll have some extra stitching time since I won't be at work for nearly 3 weeks.

So to all, Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.

This is how much I've done so far on 'Sweetheart's Gate'. I took this photo yesterday, but I have done a little more since.

I love it how you can already see parts of it coming together, like seeing the top of one of the gate posts.

For those who are interested, on my camera I have a setting for photographing documents. I've found this is best for taking cross stitch photos.

"Old" Crafts

There are some crafts that are popular today and some that seem to be very unpopular.

So, I was just wondering if anyone still does some of them.


I saw Macrame mentioned in the comments on a blog. I thought that went out in the 70s (or at least the early 80s).


Everyone knows that scrapbooking is in - BIG TIME! There are stores everywhere, thousands of websites, blogs and magazines dedicated to this craft.


Knitting has made a comeback with those bars offering knitting clubs (I heard of one in Sydney a while back) and guys are taking it up too.


I see cross stitch mentioned a few times (ok, so that's my thing and what this blog is mostly about), but you can't get that as much as when I started stitching 16 years ago.


Quilting is another popular one - magazines, quilting groups etc.


So, are there some crafts that you do that may not be so popular right now, or are you doing the popular ones?

I'd put a pol in this post, but I don't know how.

Starting new projects

I love starting new projects.

I hate starting new projects.

Starting a new project means I have finished the last one (usually) and am ready to move on to something else. It's a good thing. I love sorting the colours before I start, the feel of the threads as they run through my hand as I separate each colour from the others.

But I hate starting new projects because the centre of a counted cross stitch always seems to have about five different colours in the vicinity and each one only has a few stitches in that area. It makes it very hard to decide which colour to do, but the thing that bugs me the most is how to start and finish the thread for that section. Starting is ok if an even number of strands is used (ie. 2, 4, 6 - yes my current project uses 6 strands at once in some places), but when you have an odd number it can be very difficult if you aren't working in a straight line for several stitches.

Sweetheart's Gate is like this. Yet another Dimensions kit that I am doing. I love their pictures, but the stitching can be a challenge with their half crosses (easy to do, but you have to remember which way to stitch them), combined colours, and the use of different numbers of strands. In this one some colours need 1 strand, others 2, then some need 3, 4, 5 and 6. Six strands is a lot, even on 14 count aida cloth.

I'm not really complaining, because these pictures have so much depth, and really I think I have more Dimensions kits in my TBS (To Be Stitched) pile than any other brand.

But regardless of the company that the kit comes from, starting new projects can be a hassel.

Soluble Waste Canvas

Have you ever used waste canvas?

If you have you will know that for stitching it's great, but when it comes to removing it after stitching it almost takes as long to remove the waste canvas as it did to stitch the project (depending on the size, of course).



Today I received an email from one of the cross stitch shops that I occasionally purchase from, and there at the top of the list of new products was this Soluble Waste Canvas from DMC.

The next project I do needing waste canvas I will definately give it a try if I can find some to buy.

Way to go DMC!!!

Fancy Shoes

You probably don't know this, but I am one of the leaders of our weekly children's minstry on a Wednesday night at church. I have the pleasure (mostly) of working with our Grade 2 & 3 kids. At the start of this year we had a "launch" for the year's theme of 'Walking Like Jesus' and introducing our main Bible verse - "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:6 (NIV).

Each of the leaders wore their favorite 'shoes' - some wore slippers, others wore flippers, each was different.

The photos above are the shoes I wore. No, they aren't my favorites, but they are a lot of fun.

I bought a pair of plain white shoes and decorated them with fabric paint, flowers and beads. Each thing on them represents something I love. The flowers, butterflies, and the hearts on the back because I love the kids. (Ok, so there were some squiggles and spirals and things too, but that was for colour and fun.)

So there you have it. Another non-cross sitch project.

Girl Reading

And there it is 'Girl Reading' (or 'Reading Girl' depending on who you ask) completed.

I chose this one originally because reading is something I do a lot of and this was a perfect way to combine two of my passions - cross stitch and reading.

Completion News

I'm very excited!

Last night I completed 'Girl Reading'!!

I was tired but only had a really small bit to go and just had to finish it. I started this on the 4th November 2007 and completed it on 26th October 2008. Just 9 days short of a year working on it.

Yahoo!!!

Now, like most of my other projects I have to get it framed.

Picture to come soon.

I have also decided that my next project will be a small one, and have chosen 'Beach Tranquility'. This one I can easily frame myself because the framing materials were included in the kit.

I just couldn't help myself!

I've wanted to do a Thomas Kincade counted cross stitch for sooooo long, but no one has had them in stock for ages.

Then today I got an email from VicStitch and they had 25% off everything in stock, but not only that, the email also said new in stock Thomas Kincade cross stitch and needlepoint kits.

Well, that was that. I clicked on the link straight away and there is was, Thomas Kincade - Lamplight Bridge - Counted Cross Stitch Kit. This was exactly the one that I wanted to do if I ever got the chance.

I told myself after the last cross stitch order that that was it for the year. No more until you finish a few more. But how could I resist? This was a dream come true. With the discount I paid less than the normal cost even after adding the postage charge.

I probably have enough kits to last me for the next 20 years at the rate that I currently do them. Every time I buy more I tell myself that this may be my only chance to get this kit and if I don't get it now I may never be able to.

I guess I really do have something to be thankful for when I think about still being single - I don't have to justify to someone else where I spend my money.

Stitching world ...

... I have not forgotten you.

I know, I didn't give any updates for the whole month of September, but my camera has not been seeing the light of day, even though I have thought of a few photos I could take.

Yes, I am still stitching "Girl Reading" or "Reading Girl" depending on who you ask. The progress bar has moved, just not as much as I would have liked.

Nothing done for a week though. I haven't felt like stitching. Actually I haven't felt like doing much of anything. Bronchitis is to blame for that. It's been coming on for a while, I think, but it really hit me last week. So much so that bed seemed like the best place to be most of the time, or on the couch, doing absolutely nothing, except dozing.

I just have the wisteria at the top of "Girl Reading" to go, plus the tiny bit of back stitch for her eye brows, and then I'm done.
I've nearly been stitching her for a year. Next month will mark the year since I started. Of course, I have started and finished other projects within that time.

Just so you know, my cousin loved the project I did for her son!

Happy Day

Another project Completed!

This one is in the Suzy's Zoo series.

It's really cute.

I started it on my holiday in July and finished it on Friday night (22nd August).

So now it's back to doing "Girl Reading"

Birthday Card for Amy

This is the birthday card that I made for Amy's 18th birthday.

I did promise that this blog wouldn't just be about cross stitch and so here is my first non-cross stitch post.

For this card I've used rub-ons, stickers, ink stamping. No brads, but it looks like I have for puting on the 'Birthday Wishes' tag.

Inside the card I also used my Brother P-Touch for a 'Happy Birthday'.

I hope she likes it.

Bear with Rattle & Rocking Horse

This is the "Bear with Rattle" that I have done for my cousin's second child. It is so cute.




And this is the "Rocking Horse" that I did for a friend. Also very cute. Ok, so I guess you're wondering why there is no date on this one. Well, that's because I couldn't fit it under the name and it didn't look right anywhere else. The pattern didn't actually have a specific spot for a name - that was my addition to it.


Both are now wrapped and ready to give when I see them.

Baby Gifts

I now have a person to give the Rocking Horse to.
A friend of mine had a little girl last week (1st girl after 4 boys).
So, I will complete the name on it and get it ready for her.

I also really have to finish the other baby gift, as I will be visiting the family in a couple of weeks.

Don't worry, I will take photos and put them up of the framed, finished gifts. (Not until I've given them though.)

Update on Girl Reading

As promised here's a picture of my progress on this project.
I've actually done more since this photo was taken (26th April 2008), but it gives you an idea of how much I've done.

In case you are wondering ...

Yes, I am still stitching.

I completed the stitching of the baby gift, but I haven't framed it yet (too busy doing other things).

I'm still working on Girl Reading and it's going quite well. I'm not getting quite as much time on it as I would like, but I'm at a point where I keep having to changed colours and figure out which section to do next, so it's slow going.

I now have a nice new digital camera, so I will try to remember to take some progress photos so that you can see how much I've done.

Until next time ...
Happy stitching!

Found something for the Baby

Well, I couldn't find a kit that I liked, but I did find a cute book and decided to do one of the things from that.
When I went to Spotlight on Friday night the only baby kit that I could find looked even more girly than the rocking horse. So I looked through the little cross stitch chart books and found some really cute teddy bears doing baby things. There were groups of baby bears and single ones doing things like blowing bubbles.

The one is chose is a bear holding a rattle. It looks like it's about to fall over, but is very cute.

Once I decided what I was going to do, I went through the colour list and bought all the colours I would need (even though I knew Mum would probably have most of them at home anyway), the aida cloth (funny story there - I thought I got 14 count, but ended up with 16 count), and the framing bits and pieces.

I started it over the weekend. Check the new progress bar to see how I'm doing.

Baby gift

Ahhhhh!! The baby is a boy!!

Ok, so that really is good news ...

... except that the Rocking Horse cross stitch is a bit to girly to give to a boy. The picture itself would be fine, but the colours are all wrong for a boy.

So now I have to find another cross stitch to do, and do it in a hurry.

HELP!!

Does anyone know how to get pencil marks off aida cloth without having to take it off the scroll frame to wash it???

As I stitch, I mark off each square on my pattern with greylead pencil. The problem is that my scroll frame rested on the "coloured" in squares and I know have some of the pencil marks rubbed off onto my aida cloth.

I really don't want to take the work off the scroll frame because I would have to sew it back on, but I do have to get the stains out before I continue stitching on that part of it, because it would be visible in the finished areas.

I really hope someone reads this and has some answers for me.

In case you are wondering I have tried using an eraser designed for use on fabric, but that has left rubber residue and did not really work, in some spots it smudged it further.

Working on it

Just an update on how I'm stitching.

Girl Reading is coming along well. I got some extra done while I was on holiday from work over Christmas. Not quite as much as I may have wanted to do, but there's always a lot going on at that time of year.

I would really like to finish it this year (2008), but we'll see.

No news on the baby yet, but I wouldn't expect that for another couple of weeks, maybe a month. Of course if the baby is born in exactly one month, we will share a birthday!

That's all for now, but keep checking the progress bar for this and you'll see how I'm going. Wish I had a digital camera, then I could take pictures of the progress and post them easily (I'm still using film).