Archive for the 'Finished' Category
The Blogger’s block continues. But I have been stitching. A few secret things - more on those later. And, surprise, surprise, I dragged something out from beneath the mountain of unfinished-finished-things:
I stitched this Teresa Wentzler freebie bookmark back in 2004. Finally, I actually made it into a bookmark! And used it, what’s more:
I used this stuff to fuse the fabric together:
I don’t know how kosher that is with regards to longevity of the stitching, but watch me not care. Also not caring about the lumpy seam up the back of the bookmark. The front looks good, and it does what it should, and that’s all that matters 
Also in the interim since my last post, I spent a lovely afternoon meeting some fellow Melburnian stitchers - Junette, Anne and I descended on Tannia’s house where she plied us with food and wine, and we whiled a few hours away chatting and getting in some quality kitty time. Niamh came along, and made short work of befriending all and sundry, except perhaps Banjo, who remained unconvinced. It was lovely, and I hope we do it again sooner rather than later.
Then, we spent this weekend just past away for a couple of days with Dermot’s (large) family. Annually, on the weekend following Queen’s Birthday, we hire a school-camp facility (dorm rooms, communal showers and kitchen - you know the kind of thing) and spend two days eating, drinking and being generally merry, all in celebration of his grandmother’s birthday. She was 87 this year, and we all had a wonderful weekend. Here’s to many more like it 
June 19 2007 | Counted Stitchwork and Family and Finished | 9 Comments »
I’m finding myself struggling with the idea of blogging lately. So pictures, not words, today. A finish from Amaryllis Artworks - Tranquil Sky.
I like it, it’s pretty, but… 164 frelling eyelets? What was I thinking?!
Funny that I would stitch something ‘tranquil’, when I’ve been feeling anything but.
Niamh’s birthday on Sunday. Will report back with photos, hopefully.
May 30 2007 | Counted Stitchwork and Finished | 15 Comments »
Be wary - the little people, they strike when you are least prepared. And nick off with your latest finish!
Haha. Moments after this shot, Niamh was ‘posing’ the ornament up against the wall, just like Mummy 
I have photos of that too, but they’re just too blurry, and besides, this one captures that glint in her eye just perfectly!
So here then is my latest finish - Scissors Keeper (only it isn’t) from the book ‘Hardanger Embroidery’ by Jill Carter. It’s stitched with one of my hand dyed #8 perle cottons and a couple of DMC pinks which I don’t think were perfect choices, really. I just grabbed whatever I could find because I was itching to start this. Both sides are identical, and it’s finished this as a pillow-style Christmas ornament instead of a fob.
Can you spot the suspended beads in the Dove’s eyes? How about now:
Good trick, no? I like this a lot, and I’m planning to do another in a different colourway, and with larger beads (again, I just grabbed what came easily to hand). There are a couple of other pieces in this book that I’d like to stitch, too. Next up - the Pincushion, I think.
May 16 2007 | Counted Stitchwork and Family and Finished and The Kids | 12 Comments »
Wheeeee! I’m happy dancing again - and this finish comes complete with sparkles and dragonflies. Allow me to present Dragonfly Jewels by The Cat’s Whiskers Design Studio:
So, so, so, so pretty. Technically not a complete finish, of course - the complete design requires four flaps to be stitched which are then attached so as to hide the message until they are untied. While I am fascinated by the 3-D finishing method, I just can’t see myself shelling out the $60 for the box to mount this in just yet, so it will have to wait. Also, I really love the design as is, so perhaps I’ll end up just framing it instead.
There is nothing I don’t love in this - the colours, the silks, the over-one words - and those dragonflies. The eyes! The legs! Look at them! They’re just so damn cute and sparkly, I love them to bits! This may well just be my favourite finish to date
These last few posts may have you believing that I have my stitching groove back on. I’m thinking it’s probably just a temporary thing, myself. There’s so much on the burner at the moment. Home improvement-y things we have to do; sewing I’d like to fit in; school selection/enrolment blahblah for Finn; a thirtieth birthday weekend to plan for OtherHalf and a FIRST birthday celebration for the littlest one. So I’m pretty sure the stitching is going to take a back seat again for a little while. But I have finally made myself a goal for 2007 (me - goal making - the horror!). I’d like to have at least 12 finishes - one per month. Small, medium or large, doesn’t matter. So far, I’m on track… we’ll see how the rest of the year goes.
And now… ahem. I am up really really late, and so there’s no one but myself to blame tonight for too little sleep. So g’night.
April 29 2007 | Counted Stitchwork and Finished | 22 Comments »
With good intentions, I sat down after my last finish to work on an existing WIP - the Wee Beasties dragonfly. I think I managed about three hours or so before I gave in to the temptation to start something new instead To be honest, that dragonfly is not fun stitching. It’s full of finicky little fractional stitches and lots of blending filament. I need more concentration to work on it than I usually have in the evening after the kiddos are asleep, so it’s slow going at the moment.
So, I started, and then finished, Teenie Hardanger I by The Sweetheart Tree, instead. Pretty, no? The chart for this was a gift from my Secret Stitcher last year, Allie. She sent me II and III as well (among other wonderful things).
I’m much happier with my cutting this time. Well. Except for that one bit. That bit where I snipped one thread too many. Whoops! I ended up having to reweave a piece of linen so that I could do the woven bar properly. But all’s well that ends well, hey?
Hardanger-y goodness part two is this:
Haze stitched me this lovely candle wrap and mat for the Hardanger exchange on the Rotation BB. It’s taken a little while to arrive, it’s been on a bit of a world cruise, actually Thanks Haze, I love it!
April 24 2007 | Counted Stitchwork and Finished and In Progress | 9 Comments »
Many moons ago, I made the Big List, coming clean about my WIPs. I also planned to start a Rotation in order to get my number of WIPs under 10. Ha! Every time the word ‘rotation’ is mentioned, I seem to run screaming. In fact, I’m convinced it’s what causes stitching slumps (for me)!
Nevertheless, I have managed to finish three from the list since then - Kaitlin, Bumblebee, and just yesterday I put the final stitches in the November Sampler Accent by Periwinkle Promises. See… Fridays the 13th aren’t all bad
Annette gifted me with this design in a Seasonal Exchange a while back. I’m so glad I’ve got around to finishing it, it’s lovely. I plan to finish this as described in the instructions - as a little tasselled cushion.
In a little bit of a departure for me, I actually stitched the personalisation details. I changed it a little bit, as I didn’t like the way the year was originally split. I think my way works nicely.
Now… would anybody out there like to have this chart and the leftover silk threads it came with? (The threads are probably not enough to finish the design a second time). Just say the word and I’ll drop it in the mail for you
Hmmm… what to stitch on next…?
April 14 2007 | Counted Stitchwork and Finished | 13 Comments »
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