Thanks Be for Public Holidays

If it wasn't for public holidays I wouldn't have a weekend this week and that would make me sad.

Hullo hullo everyone hope you've all been having good weeks - far more productive weeks that me. I'm going to apologize now for any grammatical errors - for once I'm not using the key board of doom, but the Man does have me watching "The Man from Earth" and I must admit it is holding my attention quite a bit more that television or movies usually do. But I've also never been one for just doing one thing at a time.

It is nice to just be at peace with the Man for once, sitting with drink in hand and watching a movie - especially a movie that is more my pace that his. I am all for the thematic - I think it's the reader in me - and he is more for the indy artsy type thing. With life going the way it is, it's just nice (okay I may also be beyond my first wine right now too ), but it's nice to just sit. I think I mentioned I my last post that we were losing some staff at work. My personal underling has only just been hired and doesn't start for another few days so since having my week off a fortnight ago I have been doing two people's jobs and pretty much will be for another two to three weeks while I train up the underling to do my evil bidding (or at least do the job I want them to do semi competently). That makes for a whole lot of over time and not a lot of free time where I'm not absolutely exhausted. That's probably why I've held off on writing this. I wanted some thing to actually show you - but now that I've actually started writing this and thinking about all I want to say, Ive realised that I have done more than I thought.

Firstly I finished my mosaic. While I know that this is not cross stitch, it is still a finished project. I have absolutely no idea with what I am going to do with it, and I must admit I am a little dissapointed by it. But it was cheap. And you don't know if you don't try do you?

While there was something strangely cathartic about sticking tiny resin tiles on to a sticky canvas, it just didn't turn out entirely how advertised. But that's life, and like I said, it was cheap. I got it off Aliexpress for only a few dollars, so what right did I have to expect grand things really.

And that's about where my previously stated plans ended. While waiting for my Stitching Bits and Bob's order (curse those back orders - but that's not the lovely Bobbies fault), I pulled The Reader back out. My aim is to have another two big finishes this year; this and Eleni.

To recap, this Joan Elliot pattern is being done on 32 count ivory even weave with all the recommended supplies. It's become my new weekend project - or at least in so much that the word weekend applies at present. This week I got a whole two days on it, thank you Labour Day.

During the weeks however, I have deviated away from the reading that I was doing. I discovered that I have missed some Downton Abbey somewhere and since there was a dvd sale on at a local store I am now the proud owner of the first five seasons plus the Christmas specials and have proceeded to re watch  them all right from the beginning. I had forgotten how much I love Downton. But being engrossed in a mini marathon doesn't make reading particularly possible so I've been picking up some small cross stitch patterns. 

First I started, and then finished my first ever go at black work - a freebie from Papillion Creations called Hearts and Flowers.

It's not prefect. I'm a little off centre somewhere on the boarder. But it's not bad for a first attempt. And while I didn't seem to find the great zen that a lot of people seem to find with black work, I didn't dislike it. I don't think I will be doing Save the Stitches anytime soon, but I could see me doing more smalls definatly.

While I stuck with good old DMC 310,MI did change up the beads a little. The pattern called for gold but I had some of these red petite laying round - and let's face it, you can take the girl out of Canterbury, but you can never take the Canterbury out of the girl - red and black are always going to be my colours. For those of you over seas - that is a regional rugby reference. Here's a slightly better shot of the beads anywhoo.

Finally I started in on another freebie - this time another Chatelaine. Debi's Roses.

My plan is to make this, along with the sunflower one I did not long ago, into no sew cubes for mothers day next year. One for my mum and one for my nana. Was thinking of giving one to the mother in law, but the Man doesn't think it's really her thing. Whatever. Mum and Nana will appreciate them. Like the sunflowers, this one is being worked on 28 count antique white Monaco and I'm going to change the beads slightly so they both match in that regard.

I think I will leave it there for now. With any luck I won't be as behind in future.

Till next time.

All The Finishes

Okay, okay, maybe not ALL the fiishes, but three is a good effort right?

Hope this latest out burst sees everyone well. As I think I mentioned last time, I took some much needed time off work. It was my first day back today and already it was naturally a day of outting out fires and cleaning up messes which only makes the time off I had so much more meaningful. 

And I got three finishes so even better.

First of all I finished this little bad boy...

Just as a recap. He is the free Mirabilla christmas cherub from 2012. Stitched him up on 28 count antique white monaco with all the recomende whats its and do dads. the beading on this little guy was my first time using a tacky bob and I have to say I am in LOVE. Don't know how I every survived with out one. If you don't have one, and you bead, drop everything right know and go buy one. I'll wait.....

...thats how much I love the tacky BOB. And for those of you oaying atention, if it was my first time using a tacky bob, that must mean I went shopping and broke my buying ban. And I did. More on that later.

After the cherub, I carried on with the christmas theme and finished off my monochrome christmas sampler.

Its done on 16 count white aida (slowly getting rid of my aida stash, the stuff just doesn't do it for me anymore) with DMC 115. Ithought I would try it with a slght varigation to the thread. Kind of give varigated threads a real chance, you know? I see everyone with all these beautiful hand dyed threads and while I know I've said before that they are not my thing, I cant deny that they are lovely. So I gave it go. And I think I was getting the hang of it by the end. You can probably see that I had a few iffy moments nearer the top.

Then I went on an organising binge and found a little magazine freebie kit that I hadn't done yet. So I did it.

Its from Cross Stitcher I believe, with the horrible horrible threads. Don't know why I insist on doing them really. The threads make me angry every time.

Ah well.

The reason why I went on the organising streak is that I bought, as part of my shopping, the X Stitch app since it is now available on android. And I have to admit that it, so far, is living up to all the hype. It will be nice to have all my stash in once place again after losing my spread sheets when I ost my laptop. So far I've loaded all my patterns onto it and sorted out all my floss in preperation for inputting. I decided that I would put the floss from my UFO's back in the with bulk of my collection since I doubt that I will be going back to the full coverage peices any time soon.

Theres something very soothing to me about sorting thread bobbins. The side of my brain that likes order and lists and what not gets a kick of seeing all the neat little plastic spools lined up just so.

Happiness is well ordered floss.

Plus I want to get everything put into the cross stitch app before my latest order from Stitching Bits and Bobs gets here. I ordered with both them and 123 Stitch and I'm not even sorry about it.

I was doing my christmas shopping you see. Yes I realise that it is only October but I would just like to say that  for the first time ever, I am pretty much done wiith my christmas shopping. So as a reward, I bought some stuff for me. 123 was just some fabric to justify the shipping cost of the tacky bob. Stitching Bits and Bobs though I went a little more crazy. I will fill you in more when it actually arrives, but I at least got the stuff I need to finish Eleni.

Now you could easily be sitting there thinking, 'so Dana, I'm guessing all you did with your time off was cross stitch and internet shop.'

Well you would be wrong my friends.

I painted my living room.

It went from this....

...a big disgusting pile of mess. To this....

a not so messy nice looking room. I still need to get the tv hung on teh wall and we are going to build some shelves it the two alcoves on either side of teh fire. The tv is teh mans ONEJOB that he so far has failed to do and the shelves are waiting till next month since I am trying to get it all done without touching the VISA card. But it is progress. Finally.

And progress is a big thing for me right now when it comes to the house. Its a very small house. And the man has lived here or 10 years now. So it is this horrible combination of the amount of crap that one person can gather in a decade, with it having been a bachelor pad for nine of those ten year. Plus I think he may have the tendancies towarsd compulsive hoarding. I've been doing some research about it and it is looking like it. I would love to hear from anyone thats dealt with that sort of thing before - its starting to wear on my patience a little.

But thats enough of the doom and gloom here. Once again I don't know wha this week will bring stitchy wise. I am hoping to get my mosaic finished, but beyond that have not made any plans. I really don't know how tired the over time is going to make me so I will play it by ear.

Hope the next week sees you all productive and well.

Till next time.