Over for Another Year

Hullo hullo, happy post-Christmas everyone. Hope the holiday saw you all well fed and we’ll looked after. We just got home this afternoon after a grueling drive. There truly are some crazy people on the roads at this time of year. Kind of always make me want to stop and start screaming “I’m sorry for driving according to the road laws”.

Anyways. I know I haven’t been the best at keep up with updates in the last few months and once again I am very sorry for that. As I’ve mentioned before, work has been brutal. But now that christmas is over I am sincerly that I can start reclaiming my life. I have this week off so that will be a good start.  

As a nice little start to the holidays, my long awaited Stitching Bits and Bob’s order finally arrived so with any luck, the now three projects that were waiting on it might just get finished before the end of 2015. The three being Eleni of Troy by Cross Stitch Art, Debi’s Roses by Chatelaine and Joan Elliots The Reader which despite my lack of blogging, I have been faithfully plodding away at.

I got as far as I could with her but I needed more of that gold (kreinik 028) so I had to put her in the waiting pile with the others.

I picked up Love Birds for a day or so. And then remembered why progress is so slow with this one. It’s one of those infamous Chinese kits that I got off Aliexpress.  And while I do still think that the pattern is cute as pie, it actually physically hurts me to stitch. The pain adds to the all round disappointment really. The threads are coarse and in a far more muted pallet than the picture would have had you believe and the aida is so stiff that it even though it’s 11 count, pulling the three strands of floss through the holes not only makes that horrible near ripping sound, it makes bruises on may finger tip from the force of the needle.

But I finished a page at least.

I will finish this one. I’m not relegating it to the UFO pile yet. But I think it will have to be a bit of a slow and steady type of thing.

To give my poor finger a break I thought I’d treat myself to something new. While I have been trying my best to avoid the dreaded fear of missing out plague, I have notice the Plum Street Sampler 12 Days of Christmas that so many are doing and decided I had to do it too.

The red is good old 115 and while I am stitching it all on one big piece of 28 count white lugana, I am planning to do them all as individual ornaments. One day. Don’t know when but that’s the plan.

Finally, since my parcel finally arrived, I had some smaller things to pop in my bag to take with me to mums to potter with over Christmas. I had ordered all three of Mill Hills Medieval Santa ornaments so I started with Canterbury Santa on Christmas day, since I was in Canterbury after all.

I was going with the theory that beading would be easier when there wasn’t a small fluff ball of a dog sitting on me so this week will end up being a bit of a bead-a-paloza I think.

Luckily I took all three of the kits with me so I moved on to Avignon Santa since he was similar colours to Canterbury.

And because boxing day is the best day for being lazy (not that I ever need an excuse), Saxony Santa.

It’s entirely possibly that I miss judged how many beads were on these things. I have a feeling it’s going to take a lot longer than the stitching. But that’s okay, I have very few plans for my week off.

On that note I might leave it there for today - I want to unpack and get the washing on while the man goes gets pizza for dinner - Harry Potter marathon tonight I think since I got the complete set for Christmas - and back to the Santa's. 

Hope every one enjoys the last days of holidays - till next time :)

Merry Christmas Times

Just a quick little note to wish every one all the best for the holiday season - whether it be christmas or Hanukkah or just a Friday off work I hope it sees you happy and well and all that good stuff. For those of you  that like me are having to travel - stay safe out there - people on the roads seem to go crazy at this time of year.

Merry Christmas every one :)

An Update at Last

Hullo again everyone - hope this Monday sees everyone well. It's December tomorrow and I cannot believe that - like I said a couple of days ago - what a month. There isn't a part of me that doesn't either ache,  burn or both right now. I swear the Christmas rush at work starts earlier every year, it's absolutely insane. And it starting mid November hasn't made training the newling any easier. He is good, and he is picking it up - slowly but certainly faster that previous minions have. And I am starting from complete scratch with him so I will give him credit where it's due. It's just taking longer than I had initially thought. But he can be left by himself on Saturdays now so for the first time since September,  my pay slip last week was for under 100 hours - YIPPEE!!!

I guess that's me trying to make excuses for being a awol.  I get home and pretty much collapse into bed most days and hide from the world for the rest of the afternoon. I really did mean what I said about being nice to your servers - we take a lot and I mean ALOT of crap from customers who think they know better - especially at this time of year.

Stitching is good therapy for that of course - when else can you stab something thousands of times and not get locked away?

I did spread the love amongst a few projects this month. I did the little freebie kit that came with a magazine I bought to cheer myself up...

And then carried on with the little freebie Chatelaine - Debbie's Roses.

I did as much as I could here. I need to wait for the kreinik to arrive. It's in that Stitching Bits and Bob's order that I made way way back at the beginning of October when I had my time off (a looooong distant memory now), and that still hasn't arrived. Waiting on a pattern arriving at that end apparently. I understand,  and I'm not really in a huge rush for it but two projects are waiting on it to be finished now - this and Eleni. It would be nice to have them both done by the end of the year, but I guess it doesn't really matter one way or the other.

By this point in the month my work addled brain needed solid blocks of colour, so I worked on the border of Book of Ink Circles for a while.

Half way there

Not much to say on this really. It's on 28 count antique white Monaco and I'm sure it will be great once I start to fill it in. But borders bore me.

So to break up the monotony of the border I picked up my Earth Dragon to see if he could be finished. Turns out I had made a mistake that would have meant frogging at least half of the entire design.... so it got thrown in the trash. Luckily I found some more of the random scrap fabric that I was stitching the set on, so I shall restart that one some time in the new year to round out the collection.

Since that ended up a fail, I picked up a Mill Hill Ornament kit that I had sitting around.

This is Dandy Duo and it got made into a plant spike. I love these little kits. They are always so bright and colourful and happy and easy. It's what I needed this month when  I had a week from the absolute pits, which included (but was not limited to) the death of my beloved 8 year old gold fish. We planted him in a pot plant and the plant spike can be a commemoration of sorts.

And now I am back to the Reader. I really do think it's possible for me to get this one finished this year.... presuming I have some more of the gold kreinik I am using. I should probably check that. For anyone thinking of doing this design - the spool I need to hunt for will be the third. Some thing to keep in mind. 

Pictures not great, she's what I'm stitching on right this minute...

I am really happy with how she's turning out. I'm not as sold on the Joan Elliot pattern quite as much as I am on the Cross Stitching Art or on  Mirabila but I certainly could see me doing some more of hers in the future.

All I all pretty good progress given the month I think. I don't expect it to calm down any in the near future, but if I can keep this up I will be a happy camper. Not holding my breath though, nor will I get dissapointed. I know what I looking at in the build up to christmas crazy. The car goes into the panel beaters for four days next week (see above mentioned horrible week - drunk students, dented up car and profanity etched into my windsheild), then it's my birthday (29, yikes) and since we didn't get a chance to properly celebrate either the Man's birthday nor our anniversary (4 years) last month due to both of us working over time, hopefully this will be a chance to make up for that. I've also got the Christmas and birthday presents to package up and sent to my dad's family (not visiting them, still a sore spot there for me), work out what we are all going to get my bosses for Christmas,  survive the previous christmas work-fest craziness and drive up to my mums on Christmas eve with all the mad holiday motorists.

Good news is that if I survive all that I get 10 days off since we decided to shut the shop for a week between all the holidays. I look forward to that time off so very very much.

I better leave it there, before I get too much more ramble that I already have. I would say that I would call it an early night, but with the Man on over time that's not likely to do me much good - a bakery manager and a postal worker - that's a winning combo at this time of year, I can tell you...

But anyway, I sincerely hope that you all enjoy your week. I shall endeavor to not leave it an entire moth this time before I return. So until next time....

What a Month

Hullo hullo lovely Internet people's,  hope you've all been keeping well over the last month since I last wrote anything. Time seemed to get away from me over the last few weeks. Not really surprising I guess. The Christmas season has hit us - and since I work in a job that encompasses both retail and hospitality, I'm sure you can imagine the carnage the Christmas brings with it.

On that note, please remember over the holiday period that sales staff are humans too. Be nice to them, they feel the stress of the period ten times more than they are showing, and yelling at them because they are sold out of something is not going to make it magically appear....

But anyway, getting off that soap box, I was informed that the links to follow the blog we not working (Thanks again :)). I am really sorry about that have just now tried reinstalling them, hopefully that works?  I will also accept any suggestions on how to fix it if it hasn't.  Turns out editing this things template isn't quite so easy on a tablet as it was on my now dead laptop. Go figure.

I'm not going to do an update just yet, I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive and I am trying to fix the problems. I'll work on my update over the weekend - which I get now. Yay for finally having the minion trained up... kinda...

Bye for now, talk to you in a couple of days.

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. 

Unexpected Visitors

Hullo Everyone. I'm back again. Hope everyones weeks are going as well as can be expected. Daylight savings has started here so the air has a decidedly springlike feel to it make the week just that little bit brighter. The longer days certainly help with the brightness too. It never fails to amaze me, every year, just how much of a difference that little shift of an hour makes.

As the title of this post would dictate, I had a surprise visitor this weekend. My kid sister was in town at the South Island short course swim champs. I got to watch her race, and though she wasn't happy with her results (no medals, just a 4th placing) I thought she swam really well - especially since it was her first meet of this level and her first time really away from home by herself (shes 13 and I'm not counting school camps here).

It was a bit of a bitter sweet visit though. It was wonderful to see her, but the whole debacle (because thats whatt surprises always turn into) seems to have cememnted the shift/rift in mine and my fathers relationship. I wont get into all the ins and outs of the split, but it really has left me feeling like there has been a death, or like I am re living my parents divorce twenty years after the fact. 

But life goes on I suppose, and I really am happy with the stitching I got done this week. For the most part I am still sticking with my read during the week/work faithfully on one project at the weekend plan. There was just one little deviation from that this time round. Like I said above, daylight savings hearlds the start of spring in my little world, so when I got home from work on Friday morning I thought I would take advantage of both the sun and having the house to my self and work on my Chatelaine for a little. 

The little tree to the right there got done, plus the very start of the monogram. Retrospectivly, I may have bitten off a little more than I could chew when I started this one. While I am loving how it all looks on the black fabric - I always love how these things look on black - black 32 count linen for a peice that has a fair bit of one over one stitching may not have been my wisest decsion. It is death on my eyes. It has to be bright sunshine for me to be able to see it. Hopefully we will get a bright sunshiney summer and we can see more progress on this one. I really do love the design. 

Once my eyes got to sore for that - which admitably didn't take that long since I had early work starts over the weekend - I went back and did what I said I was going to last time. I started working on one of the Mirabila freebie cherubs. The Garland Cherub to be presise.

The Man has dubbed this one the naked fat man. Usually I would protest, but this is the first time since we started living together than he has come up with a name that is something other than 'the "insert colour here" blob', so we are just going to go with it really. Plus he is kinda naked I guess.

I'm not entirly sure about the green in the cloths at the bottom, but I'm following what the pattern says so I'll stick with it. Hopefully it will all work out in the end. Its also being done on (a far larger piece than I was originally expect) the 28 count antique white monacco that I have a few peices on at the moment. I got a heap of it cheap when I last did a 123 Stitch order to bump up the order postage wise. I am actually quite liking the monacco fabric I have to admit. Just wish I had bought it in pure white instead.

Ah well.

I think I shall leave it there for today. Not sure what the next week or so will bring. I have taken next week off work (nine whole days, I am so excited), so with any luck I will have more stitching time, or at least mtivation to stitch when I am no bone dead tired. That being said there is also a fair bit that I would like to get done around the house. Hopefully I can balance the two.

Until next time. xxx