Lady of the Floss

Overdue Update

2013-03-06T12:35:00.000+11:00

Wow, time flies indeed. And I missed updating my blog in February completely. To my excuse can be said that I'm just so very busy and often go for days without internet. Even my stitching time is reduced quite a bit. I'll explain that later. For the ones interested in stitching only here is the only update I have to show.
Stitching on this piece is rather addictive. I'm so in love with it:

A Parrot, A Leopard, A Lion

Designer: The Scarlet Letter

Fabric: 40ct Lakeside Linens "Vintage Maritime White"

AVAS silks

Now to the reasons for my absence. There are two major reasons for that.

One is that I started to sport daily. Right now I'm happy with it and also with the Weight Watchers program. I'm loosing weight rapidly and getting fitter same time. Feeling so much better.

The other reason is that we will work on a solution for the only problem we have in our otherwise very happy marriage. And that is ...how to say it nicely...his ~~shit~~ stuff that he carries inside, on the patio and everywhere else - and leaves it there. Until I get really mad, then I have may be couple of days of a clean area and a rather miffed husband. And we start again. It can be anything honestly. Tools, computer parts, small planes. What about a boat on the patio at times? Why can't he simply start stitching???

Don't ask me what the thing is in the picture. I don't know and really don't care. He explained it couple of times, but my brain somehow doesn't process that info. What I do care about is that he put it on the lounge table and it will stay there until I get a major mental break down. Same to the shelf seen in the background. Can't complain too much about those. He will hang those up next to my stitching chair...sooner or later.
And don't get me started on the trailer that gets pushed on the patio. And if it's not the trailer it's his boat. Or both. Or the other things that appear there magically:

To his defense - it's partly my fault. When we built this house I insisted that our large garage and the shed should be heaps. It's not. He has no room to store his tools and other stuff.

The solution is sort of easy - my husband needs his man cave. He really really does. So we decided to have a major change to our backyard and will have to get builders in to concrete a large area and put up a huge shed and additional garage. The new garage will be for the caravan, said trailer and boat. And the LARGE shed (will be for everything else. A work place. Storage Unit. There will be also an outside area just paved. And he keeps of course his original shed (which needs to be moved to the other side of the house).

Seen we are going in May again for couple of months to Europe to visit my mum and to travel through France and Austria, we have to do a lot of preparations before hand. First of all the rest of the back yard needs a revamp to suit the new plans. Then we have to move the shed to my vegetable garden which needs to be changed too. That all has to be done before the builders come in. And that is a LOT of work all by all. But it's fun too same time. :)

Here is a picture of what we did the last month. There are 2 dug up areas still to be done.

Wishing you all a nice time where ever you are in the world. Here it's too hot today to work outside.

Poinsettia Place and a new Start

2013-01-31T14:13:00.000+11:00

First of all my apologies. I'm a terrible blogger at times. It's Summer here and it's kinda busy. We're changing the garden and that takes quite some time. I also became member of Weight Watchers to loose the pounds I piled recently up. Thanks to my ~~chocolate addiction~~ thyroid problem.
Or even better, lets blame Santa. He brought way too many sweets. I'm totally innocent here!!!

Seen that Santa refuses to take away the pounds that have magically appeared, I'm back on track to walk almost every morning and started also a training program for running. But boy does running tire you out if you're not used to it. I fall asleep soon as I sit down it seems...lol.
I do stitch every evening a while though. I just need that. That's the most treasured moment of the day.

There is a little finish I have to show....

Poinsettia Place

Part 2 of Santa's Village by Country Cottage Needleworks

Fabric: 32ct Belfast Summer Khaki

Recommended Threads, minus the button

Part 1 and 2 together

And a new start:

A Parrot, A Leopard, A Lion

Designer: The Scarlet Letter

Fabric: 40ct Lakeside Linens "Vintage Maritime White"

AVAS silks

Two Happy Dances :)

2013-01-18T12:44:00.001+11:00

This week is going fantastic!! And not even speaking about the Australian Open, which makes me always happy to watch....

Emma Miles is finished!!!

Emma Miles

Designer: The Scarlet Letter

Fabric: 36ct Vintage Cornsilk by Lakeside Linens

Threads: AVAS silks

The second Happy Dance is because I have a brand new car - a Hyundai I30 Elite. So very very happy about that too. Gotta love that husband of mine :)

And because I think about safety a bit more, Lucy got a safe seat too and wears a harness that gets attached to her seat. She loves the new seat. Added plus, car keep cleaner because SOMEONE likes to run through puddles and mud - and that isn't me.

Happy New Year

2013-01-04T17:11:00.000+11:00

I hope everybody had a great time during Christmas and New Year and I wish you all a very happy New Year and may all your dreams come true. :)

The last bit of Christmas stitching, both finished off as Flatfolds .....

Songs of the Seasons by The Prairie Schooler

Fabric: 32ct Belfast by Picture This Plus in the color Fog

Recommended DMC

Then I started on Christmas Eve a new project. This years choice fell on "Santa's Village", the new series from Country Cottage Needlework. Part one is finished - minus the button over the tree. That has to wait until the end because the fabric is mounted on a scroll frame. Now I'm waiting impatiently for part two to arrive here.

Santa's House

Part 1 of Santa's Village by Country Cottage Needleworks

Fabric: 32ct Belfast Summer Khaki

Recommended Threads, minus the button

I hope you all have been good and gotten nice gifts from Santa. Santa was quite generous here. I got from my daughters the Feller Collection book, and from my husband a kit with silks. Plus fishing gear (not pictured).

To be honest the story was that the original gift wasn't available which we got to know only shortly before Christmas. My husband said then enthusiastically "What about some FISHING GEAR? Which got me in high speed to "help" him choosing the right gift. Thanks to the fantastic service of The Attic Needlework, a most beautiful sampler kit was laying under the tree in time. Oh, and he got me the fishing gear anyway. No complaint here....lol.

Not that I deserved any of that. Because I wasn't that good....
I crashed my car, and it's a total write off. All my fault.
And I'm just utterly thankful that I didn't harm the truck driver and made it out of the car in one piece.

Since I don't have a car to drive and there for not going anywhere, and it's too hot here right now to do anything anyway, I'm going to spend some quality time with Emma Miles - under the airco.

Wishing you all a fantastic New Year filled with wonderful stash and lots of gorgeous finishes :)

Advend Calender Blog Hop

2012-12-18T19:35:00.000+11:00

Welcome to the 18th day of the Advend Calendar Blog Hop and all thanks to Jo for arranging it. :)

Let me start with this years Christmas stitching:

Merry Christmas to Eve

Designer: With Thy Needle and Thread

Recommended WDW and Gentle Art threads

Linen: 36ct Lakeside Linen Vintage Sand Dune

instead of music paper I used fabric with a musical print

Noel Sampler

Designer: Primitive Needleworks

Linen: 36ct Lakeside Linen Vintage Sand Dune

Recommended DMC

Also started, but only one finished:

Prairie Schooler - Songs of the Season

32ct Belfast from PTP in the color Fog

recommended DMC

And then there arrived a Christmas Spider at my door, who resides now in the tree. Gracie sent this little friend and I'm delighted to welcome him in our tree. Isn't it a gorgeous little thing? Thank you so much Gracie.

The theme for this year's blog hop is "Stocking, Sack or Something else?"

Something else would be the answer for me.

As a child I wouldn't see the tree no earlier then Christmas Day. With the gifts under it. When my kids were little, we would set up the tree together on Christmas Eve but no gifts to be seen until Christmas Day.

These days we set the tree up up early December. And shortly after that I start adding the gifts under the tree. The presents give it a festive look, which I love. Somehow it's a bit of a pity that they will be unwrapped on Christmas.

When seeing today a picture of a beautiful sunset, a memory came alive that I would love to share with you. Every time when the sky was showing those beautiful orange colors, my mother would tell me: Look Gabi - the angels are baking cookies for Christmas. And I truly believed that and I LOVED those skys. I told my kids the same story. And they too stared in admiration to the sky. Cookies!!!!

Wishing you and your loved ones a very blessed Christmas

Susan Singleton and Emma Miles

2012-12-11T21:39:00.000+11:00

As most of you have already heard, Nicola is celebrating a for her special year with making it a Scarlet Letter year. What a fantastic project. Like lots of my fellow stitchers I couldn't resist and join the fun too.

And seen that I started with several friends Susan Singleton, it fits the bill quite well. Susan is just lovely, although I made some changes to her, by adding a pink for example. She is such a colorful girl - a pleasure to spend the evening hours with :)

The fellow stitchers for Susan are: Terri, Deb, Sandra, Marsha, Margaret Suzanne and Evelyne

Susan Singleton

Designer: Scarlet Letter

Fabric: 36ct Zweigart Linen Summer Khaki

Threads: Avas and NPI

I also worked a bit on Emma, before I tossed her to the side to start some other Christmas stitching.

Emma Miles

Designer: The Scarlet Letter

Fabric: 36ct Vintage Cornsilk by Lakeside Linens

Threads: AVAS silks

I'm busy with several Christmas pieces. Having a bit trouble to keep my concentration on one thing at the moment. Hopefully I will have to show more soon. :)

I want also to thank everybody who send me good wishes for our little dog Ashley. Sadly she lost her fight last month. She was happy until the last 2 days of her life. Which is a comforting thought.

Hopefully everybody has a great week and is good, so that Santa will bring a lot. I heard last week a song for the very first time, and can't get it out of my head anymore:

So you better be good. I'm giving it a try, hoping nobody snitched on me :)

Winners

2012-11-13T12:02:00.000+11:00

First things first...here are the winners of the give away

The North Wind: Krista

Home of a Needleworker: Kaisievic

Spring Quaker: Lisa V

Jingle Bell Xmas Farm: Margaret

There wasn't much stitching lately...only a bit progress on Emma Miles

The main reason for this lack of everything is me becoming a zombie. I NEED my sleep but not getting much lately. My little Ashley's heart is starting to fail her. Something we know would come sooner or later. And after years of happy sleeping under my bed, she doesn't want that no more. When things go haywire, it frightens her and she needs to be close, and will wake me up. And being worried, my sleep became that light that even a bit of snoring will wake me up to check on her. And believe me...lol...Cavalier King Charles Spaniels do know a thing or two about snoring. You could call them experts.

Here a picture how we spend our nights together these days. Excuse the blurry in it, but at 5.30 am I'm not able to concentrate on anything but to pop the first tablet into her. At least one of us is having a good night sleep :)

Having another give away

2012-10-27T12:04:00.000+11:00

I'm such a bad blogger lately. Feeling really guilty about that. The only apology I have is that life is rather busy these days.

But I did take the time to go through my pile of charts that I stitched already and some are ready to find a new good home.

Two of those charts I got as kits. If you want to, I can send the remaining threads as well. It won't be enough to stitch it again, but it will be helpful in case you want to substitute.
If you want to put your name down for any or all of the charts, just tell me which one(s) and I'll draw a name for each of the charts. Please make sure that I do have a way to contact you.

1. The North Wind by Little House Needleworks
2. Home of a Needleworker (Too) by Little House Needleworks
3. Spring Quaker by Rosewood Manor (with remaining Valdani Threads)
4. Jingle Bells Xmas Tree Farm by Victoria Sampler (with remaining silks)

I got some stitching in as well....

Finished the over one parts on Emma!!!

Emma Miles

Designer: The Scarlet Letter

Fabric: 36ct Vintage Cornsilk by Lakeside Linens

Threads: AVAS silks

And I took part in a Christmas ornament exchange at "Hooked on Exchanges" . The theme was this time "Hometown". I took Hometown a bit wider, and made it Australia. But the backing fabric was all Melbourne, which is really close by. Here is what I sent to Marie:

Designer: Carrol Nielssen

Fabric: 28ct Solo by Silkweaver

stitched over one with NPI silks

Lastly there is Susan Singleton. Can't show you any progress picture yet, that has to wait until December 1st. But I did make a picture of a floss toss. I started with Magnolia, then frogging that and using Summer Khaki, which came with the kit. Loving it so far. Except that the colors in the chart don't match with the picture on the chart. But changing it as I go and still in love with Susan. She's a very colorful girl.

Ellen, Emma and Susan

2012-09-08T12:10:00.000+10:00

Ellen, Emma and Susan - three lovely pieces, one is finished, one is started and one is going to be started...

Ellen Birdseye

Designer: The Goode Huswife

Fabric: 40ct PTP Plus in "Sand"

Fibers: Gentle Art

All colors of Ellen got changed. I got some inspirations on the internet from Siobhan, Lois and Melissa, but ended up doing my own thing. Ellen is charted for DMC but I replaced all with Gentle Art, added the red and mixed some up differently. All by all I'm pleased with the result.

DMC 611 - Old Hickory

DMC 612 - Chamomile

DMC 931 - Old Blue Paint

DMC 3012 - Grasshopper

DMC 3371 - Espresso Bean

Red - Mulberry

And then there is Emma - finally started. And with me not being able to resist, already a part of the satin stitch filled in. Shouldn't have done that, I might have to frog it at the end..lol

Emma Miles

Designer: The Scarlet Letter

Fabric: 36ct Vintage Cornsilk by Lakeside Linens

Threads: AVAS silks

Another thing I couldn't resist is taking part in the SAL for Susan Singleton by the Scarlet Letter. The SAL will be over 2 years with reporting back every 3 months. Begin September should be showing a floss toss. Because being a bit too late, I just ordered the supplies and have to wait until it arrives before I have something to show....

Fellow stitchers are Terri, Deb, Sandra, Marsha, Margaret and Suzanne

Finally framed is a finish from 2009. It took a while before I really wanted it to hang at the wall. When painful memories become fond memories, it's time to hang it up :)

This piece will always remind us for various reasons of my late FIL.

The Grand Marquoir

Designer: Isabelle Haccourt Vautier

stitched over one on 25ct Lugana ToiToi from Country Stitch

with Threadworx "Stepping Stones", DMC 310 and Rainbow Gallery Petite Gold

Speaking of loosing someone dear. I don't talk often about private stuff. But I have to tell you how thankful I am for our little Ashley. Most cavaliers get failing heart valves over time.

Ashley sadly has this badly and at too young age - since 1 1/2 years she is in the state of heart failure. The state of her heart gave her a maximum survival of 1 year - 18 months ago

BUT - you would not believe that when you see her. She RUNS, she jumps, she is quite active and very happy. Noone really believes it, until you put your hand on her breast. People normally fall quiet then and look at me with disbelief. Her heart doesn't feel like a heart beat at all.

Medication and in her case a daily 6km walk keeping her alive far above all expectations. Better said, I do the 6km - she does at least triple that amount. Running, chasing rabbits, chasing kangaroo's, chasing leaves, jumping, swimming, and what not. And after each walk her cough is gone. It slowly builds up again during the rest of the day, as water builds up in her chest...but the next morning....she'll runs it off somehow.

This girl has beaten all odds and is still continuing to do so. One day her luck will run out, but right now we enjoy every day and take it as a gift. We passed the stage of being sad, we are just very thankful that she is such a happy little girl and that she is still able to enjoy every day to the fullest.

Conversion for Wisdom Sampler

2012-09-01T11:28:00.002+10:00

As promised here is the conversion from DMC to Needpoint Inc Silk (NPI) for the Wisdom Sampler
The chart itself is no longer OOP. Vermillion Stitchery has decided to make it available again and it can be purchased and downloaded on their website

The Wisdom Sampler

Designer: The Vermillion Stitchery

Fabric: Lakeside Linens 36ct Magnolia

Fibers: my own conversion to NPI silk

The file above looks bad to read, but if you click it, it will open in new window and you can save the picture file. The picture file should have a good quality.

I also created a key legend which is basically an edited form of the original key legend. The DMC numbers are erased and replaced with the NPI numbers. I checked it with the designer, and am allowed to post the legend here.

If you're interested in downloading this file, click and safe to your computer :)

Wisdom Sampler finished :)

2012-08-27T13:42:00.000+10:00

It's finished already couple of days, but it was quite busy here and bad weather, so it took me a while to take pictures....

I'm so happy about this finish. Still busy with my happy dance. It's hanging on my floor frame - on display in the lounge and right now I'm mentally not ready to take it off there to put the next one on. :)
Please overlook any visible dog toys in the back. My Jack Russel pulls them faster out then I can store them away in the basket. She thinks it's our daily game.

The Wisdom Sampler

Designer: The Vermillion Stitchery

Fabric: Lakeside Linens 36ct Magnolia

Fibers: my own conversion to NPI silk

And now a lot of pictures of it.... which are clickable if needed :)

Emma Miles didn't get started yet because I'm rethinking the fabric I have for her and will probably dye it myself.

So I went to my basket and Ellen Birdseye jumped right into my arms. Changing her colors though. Stealing bits and pieces from others who had made their own conversions. Using some of their changes, added some salt of my own, and hopefully it will turn out well.
Time will show...

So close now...

2012-08-20T14:40:00.000+10:00

Oh so very close now to a finish. I can smell it. Almost there .....if only I could concentrate on it

The Wisdom Sampler

Designer: The Vermillion Stitchery

Fabric: Lakeside Linens 36ct Magnolia'

Fibers: my own conversion to NPI silk

See the problem is Emma. She's a bit of a trouble right now and tries to tempt me.

Floss Toss for Emma Miles by the Scarlet Letter

Avas silks on 36ct Lakeside Linen Vintage Cornsilk

That's how she will look like

Do you know the feeling? Very close to a finish and then loosing a bit of interest? The upcoming project grabs your attention? Or anything else BUT your recent project?

Sigh

If I would allow myself to start the project before I have finished the last one, I would have a house full of ALMOST finished ufo's.

And then there is also another project I started not long ago. This is the project I take with me when we're going away. I always need to have something to do...

Mothers Garden

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Fabric: Lakeside Linens 32ct Maritime White

Fibers: Recommended Gentle Art and Crescent Colours

Hope everybody had a great weekend and will have a lovely week ahead.

Wisdom Sampler and BBD ornament exchange

2012-08-16T23:09:00.002+10:00

End of the Olympics means sadly less stitching time. The Olympics were a fantastic excuse to sit down during the day in front of the tv and put in a stitch or two while cheering on the athletes. Boy, I wish I was that fit. Sigh.

What concerns my sampler, thanks to said Olympics, I'm a bit closer to the end....

The Wisdom Sampler

Designer: The Vermillion Stitchery

Fabric: Lakeside Linens 36ct Magnolia'

Fibers: NPI silk

I also took part in an exchange on "Hooked on Exchange" and received last week in the mail a darling ornament from Lynn. It's filled with crushed walnuts and is not only beautiful, but also has a lovely feel to it. Love it. Thank you so much Lynn.

Peace by Blackbird Desings

using the recommended threads

For my partner Karen (no blog as far as I know) I stitched one of the December Stockings

Merry Christmas from the December Stocking booklet "Merry December"

Fabric: 30ct Iced Cappuchino

Fibers: WDW, GA and CC

Hope everybody is having a great time and better weather then we had lately (which shouldn't be too difficult)

Couple of finishes and the lost emails.

2012-08-05T23:33:00.000+10:00

First things first. Don't ask me how I did it, but I lost quite some emails. Which wouldn't be too much of a problem if I hadn't made promises to two people.

If you're the one I promise to lend a chart, just drop me a line please and I get it on the way to you.

And the person, I promised to send my NPI conversions to for the Wisdom Sampler, please drop me a line too. I don't have your email anymore :(

Now to the more pleasant things :)
Several kitted up charts went with me to Europe. Some of them were in my basket for quite some time.
.

The North Wind
Designer: Little House Needleworks
Fabric: 32ct Picture This Plus color: Sterling
Threads: Crescent Colours

Jingle Bell Xmas Tree Farm
Designer: The Victoria Sampler
Fabric: 28ct Cashel Smokey Pearl
Threads: recommended silks

Home of a Needleworker (Too)
Designer: Little House Needleworks
Fabric: 32ct Picture This Plus color: Chime
Threads: Crescent Colours

Summer Basket
Designer: Blackbird Designs
Fabric: 32ct Silkweaver, color Parkland
Threads: Gentle Art and Weeks Dye
replaced green to Scuppermong
and blue to Old Blue Paint

Spring Quakers
Designer: Rosewood Manor
Fabric: 28ct Cashel by Picture This Pus color: Fog
Threads: Valdani

Hope everyone had a great weekend. :)

Back home after 3 months

2012-08-05T23:32:00.001+10:00

I'm finally back home!!!!
Not only visited I my mother - but in the middle of it Mike came over and we visited Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Vatican City and my brother in law in France. Mike flew then home and I went back to my mother.
At the end I was a bit homesick. 3 months is the longest I was ever away from home.

What is what Aussies look for in their Summer vacation?

Snow of course!!!

From frosty Switzerland

To melting hot Italy

Lovely France

And back to my Mum again :)

The winners are...

2012-05-07T19:53:00.001+10:00

The winners are:

Charlotte Clayton - NatalyK

Frederick - Cardygirl

Frederika - Jackie

The Stitching Chair - Patty C

Congratulations to all four and I'll try to get the charts out tomorrow before I leave to Europe. If I can't make it, my husband will get it out.

See you all back end of July / August, because I highly doubt I will have much access to internet.

Edit to add: for one of the charts I announced the wrong winner. I edited it to the right winner. (I put a name on a list for a chart that person wasn't interested in ) So sorry for the confusion. Above are the correct winners.

New blog layout

2012-05-04T23:04:00.002+10:00

Thanks to Margaret I got alerted to the fact that my blog layout was linked to an attack page. That was quite a bit of a shock. I changed the layout immediately and hope that now everyone can safely visit my blog.
My sincere apologies but I was totally unaware about that.

Please welcome to my home.... (and a give away)

2012-05-04T11:14:00.002+10:00

Please welcome to my home ....ELLEN BIRDSEYE and friends!!!

Finally - after several years of searching - this chart is part of my Goode Huswife collection. And I'm SO delighted about it.

And to make things even better, I was so very lucky to find 2 Blackbird Design charts that are out of print at Laraines on Capri, an Australian online shop. They still had a Quaker Garden chart and at least 2 Moonlit Gardens. Can you believe that??? I felt SO lucky. Bought them all. One Moonlit Garden was for a friend who later decided not to want it. But that doesn't matter. I might try to trade the second one for another OOP chart I'm after. Not sure yet. I'm way to happy right now to think about minor details like that. I'll think about that when I'm back from Europe

There are also some updates on the stitching front: Here is a snap of a piece that I stitched and framed for our friends daughter Josephine:

Letters from Nora - J

Designer: Nora Corbett

Fabric: 32ct Belfast linen Vintage Pink Whisper

Fibers: Crescent Colours, Kreinik Braid

plus recommended beads

Then there is an update on the Wisdom Sampler:

The Wisdom Sampler

Designer: The Vermillion Stitchery

Fabric: Lakeside Linens 36ct Magnolia'

Fibers: NPI silk

And lastly I have some charts to give away. I'm a bit late with that because I leave in couple of days until end of July. Which means the names will be drawn rather soon. If there is more then one interested.
There are 4 charts, Charlotte Clayton, Frederik, Frederika and the Stitching Chair. If you're interested in any of them, just state which one's you would like to have. Can be one, or all, up to you. I'll draw a name for each of them. Please make sure I have a way to reach you

That's it from here. Hope everyone has a great time where ever you are :)

Several finishes - Charlotte Clayton included - and an explanation.

2012-04-11T18:30:00.000+10:00

First of all I want to apologize about my long absence. I got several emails of people being worried. Thank you so very much for that. Actually I'm doing very well. Reason for my absence is a change in my live to beat the Insomnia I'm suffering from since being a teenager. Instead of spending my sleepless nights at the computer I'm sound asleep in bed - and am so very thankful for that.

My new lifestyle means however I have less hours per day. That's why I often don't touch the pc at all. Still stitching though. My stitching time is sacred for me. I need that to unwind and relax.

Every day I get up at 6 am - leave the house with the dogs at 6.30 to go with my Aunt for a brisk 2 hour walk. Weather or no weather - off we go. It works for me. Getting up every day early at the same time, combined with time outside and exercise, does the trick for me. That alone pinches 3 hours of my day. Adding to that is the phonecall to my mother in Germany for 1/2 hour to 1 hour every day. Plus 8 hours sleep instead of 4. During the days I'm busy, and in the evenings I'm toast. And loving it.

Hopefully I will be able to keep my sleeping pattern, when I'm going over to Europe for 2 1/2 months in May.

Now to the stitching front :)

Finished Charlotte. This sampler was such a delight to stitch.

Charlotte Clayton

Northwest Sampler Guild

36ct Lakeside Linen Vintage Sand Dune

recommended NPI silks

Took Christmas Garden on vacation to Tasmania, where I stitched most of it. Although I made one change to it. I replaced the recommended brown.

Christmas Garden

Designer: Blackbird Designs

Fabric: Belfast Light Mocha

Fibers: Crescent Colours and Gentle Art

Replaced GA Heirloom Gold with GA Tarnished Gold

Frederika finally got her man and is happy now:

Frederik

Designer: Carriage House Samplings

Fabric: Lakeside Linens 40ct. Pearled Barley

Fibers: recommended NPI

And here are both together...

The newest start is "The Wisdom Sampler" by Vermillion. Also it seems in the picture that the reds in the jacket are almost the same, in real life the difference is more visible. I converted the colors to NPI silks and tried to stay close to the choices the designer made.

The Wisdom Sampler

Designer: The Vermillion Stitchery

Fabric: Lakeside Linens 36ct Magnolia'

Fibers: NPI silk

Also....I "won" FINALLY Ellen Birdseye on Ebay. That was a happy day!!!

Oh...and I'm going through my stash and give some charts I don't have any use for anymore away in a couple of days. Charlotte will be one of them.

Hope everybody had a great Easter :)

Update on Charlotte

2012-01-17T23:01:00.000+11:00

Not much news here. Busy with all kind of things, packing, watching tennis...and Charlotte is still the one and only.

Charlotte Clayton

Northwest Sampler Guild

36ct Lakeside Linen Vintage Sand Dune

recommended NPI silks

Please excuse the folds, but I was lazy and just let it hang down . The fabric isn't that blotchy looking. It's a shadow. In all honesty, the shadow spot comes closer to the real color.

I have a thing with birds. Isn't he just gorgeous?

Under Charlottes spell

2012-01-11T19:28:00.000+11:00

Since I started this sampler, Charlotte Clayton is the one and only I'm working on. Although there is a bit of muttering coming from the craft room at the back of the house, where I think Frederick is complaining a bit about the lack of attention to his already finished partner Fredericka. But yeah, you know how men are, they always have something to mutter. I rather stay in the lounge with Charlotte and we're having some fun together.

Here she is. Glad that the over one stitching is over and done with.

For the rest there is not much new to tell. It's hot on some days, pouring rain on others. We're busy to get everything ready and done by the end of the month because on the 23rd of January we'll take the caravan and hit the ferry for a month of vacation in Tasmania. Really looking forward to that. Tasmania is new to me and I think it will be beautiful. A month of hiking.

Taking with me "Christmas Garden" by Blackbird Designs :) - if I don't change my mind...lol.

Anyway, gotta run. Charlotte is calling, and she can be rather impatient at times. So I better go and play a bit with her.

Do you do New Year Resolutions?

2012-01-04T18:43:00.000+11:00

Do you? I normally don't. And if...I normally fail in no time. I hate it to be restricted.

BUT...to give it at least a go, I had a look in my basket of (partly) kitted up projects, and I think I might own a tad more then I can finish.

Blackbird Design: – Loose Feathers Autumn, Summer, Winter (this one will be soon added!) – Christmas Garden, Winter Wonderland, Anniversaries of the heart , Summer Basket, Awake the Dawning Day

The Drawn Thread – The Marriage of Minds

Scarlet Letter – Emma Miles 1848

Plum Street Sampler – Turkey Love, Sergei, Boris Olga

With Thy Needle and Thread - Feather Thy Nest

Rosewood Manor – Spring Quakers

LHN – several 2010/2011 ornaments, The North Wind, Home of a Needleworker, Let Thy Heart be Merry, Neighborhood

Shakespears Peddler: Jenny Bean Christmas Sampler, Jenny Beans Friendship Sampler, Jenny Bean Halloween Sampler, Home Springs Eternal

The Sampler Company: Birds Sampler, Sweet Humility Sampler, Floral Sampler

Carriage House Samplings: Black Willow Farm, Her Sampler, Molly

Examplars of the Heart: Fancy Tulip

Victoria Sampler: Jingle Bell Tree Farm, Where Stitchers Gather

With My Needle: Pair of Pincushions

Sheepish Designs: Ewe Alone

Vermillion: Wisdom Sampler

Betsy Morgan: Tiny Treasures

Nora Corbett: Letter M and S

Goode Huswife: Elizabeth Easton, Bird Keeper, Ira Ray, Ida May, I the wed

La d da - lazy alphabet, oh birdy, and another small one which just fell back into the pile and I’m not gonna after it!!! Probably a bird of some sort

Couple of others, I don’t care at this point Somehow the pile got mixed up and I put all of them beauties back in the basket. My husband is wrong and I am NOT a hoarder!!!! I do COLLECT.

Oh, and and this doesn’t cover what’s all hidden in my cabinet. All the charts that happen not to be kitted up (yet). We won’t talk about these won’t we? We stay friends…right?

Which means my resolution for 2012 should be that ~~I should stop buying charts~~, ~~buy less charts and not kitting them up~~, be just a tad more sensible in my purchases!!!! Yeah, I can live with that - I think. I can be sensible (at times),

Insert a sigh of relief, and I found a New Years Resolution I can live with. The sun shines again.

Speaking of sun. It was SO hot here, wasn't funny anymore. Which meant I stayed under the airco and played with Charlotte

Raise a Glass of Cheer for 2012

2011-12-29T17:17:00.000+11:00

I hope everone had a very blessed Christmas and enjoyed time spent with family and loved ones. We had here a reasonable quite time, and that was rather enjoyful. :)

With the old year rushing to it's end, I would like to wish everyone now already a Very Happy New Year and hopefully the new year will bring only good things to you. Let it be a healthy year, and a year without worries. Let's all raise a glass of cheer on this wish shall we?

Raise a Glass of Cheer

Designer: Black Bird Designs

Fabric: 32ct Belfast "Country Cream"

Fibers: Gentle Art as recommended with one exeption

Replaced GA Old Red Paint with Threadworkx Cherry.

This design was laying was laying around in "almost finished" stage way too long. Trying to fool Santa into that I'm a good girl I quickly took the needle up (impressions are worth a lot after all).....

Alla Turca

Designer: Pelin Tezer

Stitched over one on 25ct Lugana White

with Threadworkx Bleeding Heart

It kinda worked. Got lots of stash for Christmas,. Lots of charts, but also.....ohhh sooooo happy.....

A color card of NPI silks. With real thread - finally I can mix and match to my hearts desire. SO happy with that.

And then there also the Kangaroo scissors!!!!

Enough of that, may I introduce you to my newest bestest friend ever - the lovely Miss Charlotte Clayton. We're inseparable at the moment.

Charlotte Clayton

Northwest Sampler Guild

36ct Lakeside Linen Vintage Sand Dune

recommended NPI silks

Lastly poor little Frederik is trying to get a bit stitching on him done too. But you know how it is when girls get chatty. Not much done here yet.

Frederick

Designer: Carriage House Samplings

Stitched on 40ct Lakeside Linens "Vintage Pearled Barley"

with NPI silks

Mary Allen 1818 and some other finishes

2011-12-23T21:50:00.000+11:00

It's amazing what one can achieve if one's computer is having problems and shuts down all the time. When not being able to sit much at the computer, miraculously stitching seems to speed up. No clue how that comes. Still baffles me...lol.

The good thing about it is though (Insert Happy Dance here): Just in time for Christmas, Mary Allen is finished. Here she is:

Village Square Sampler - Mary Allen 1818

By Samplers Remembered

Stitched on 36ct Edinburgh "Buttercream" from Silkweaver

with NPI silks

Also finished is:

With Affection

Part one of "A Petit Sampling Etui

Designer Louise Henderson by Cherished Stitches

Fabric: 36ct Silkweaver linen "Heritage"

Recommended Crescent Color Threads

And I finished 2 ornaments for my aunt and uncle who adore their schnauzer and cat.

Designer: Ladybug Lane Designs

Design: "Plaid Greetings"

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue2009

Fabric: 32ct opalescent Lugana from Silkweaver in the color "Forest"

Fibers: Gentle Art, Threadworx and Silk n Color

Designer: Bittercup Designs

Design: Get into the Spirit

Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue 2009

Fabric: 32ct Belfast from Silkweaver

Fibers: Weeks Dye, Crescent Colors and Gentle Art

On Christmas Eve I traditionally start something new. This year it will be the Charlotte Clayton Sampler from the North West Sampler Guild. I'm looking SO forward to stitch this beautiful sampler. I lost count of the times that I went to Margaret's blog to drool over her Charlotte Clayton.

And there is good news on the puppy front. Ashley sort of recovered. She will now need heart meds twice daily but all by all she is doing fine. Not that she got spoiled. Spoiled might really not be the right word....lol. It's something beyond that. Oh well, I'm just glad that she's better. Here she is with my aunt.

That's all from sunny warm Australia. I wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and leaving you with an impression of Christmas in sunny Australia :)

Couple of finishes and a sick puppy :(

2011-11-29T21:50:00.000+11:00

First of all, an ornament exchange I took part in.

This is the ornament Marie stitched for me. Isn't it gorgeous? I put a pair of scissors next to it to show how small it is.Such a delicate stitching, and perfect finishing.

Designer: Birds of a Feather

Peace Angel

stitched over one on 32ct linen

by Marie

The ornament I made for Carla:

Designer: Fancy Work

Design: Jingle all the Way

from 2009 JCS Christmas Ornament Issue

Fabric: 36ct linen from Silkweaver in the color "Purely Primitive"

Dinky Dyes Silk and Silk n Color

Frederika is finished... and waiting for me to start her man so that she won't be lonely.

Designer: Carriage House Samplings

Design: Frederika

Fabric: 40ct Lakeside Linens Vintage Pearled Barley
NPI silks

The vacation project got finished as well....

Dimension kit " Scenic Farm"

Artwork from Mildred Sands Kratz

Cotton floss on 18ct aida

After coming home from Germany, my husband and I took the dogs and went up the coast for some fishing and walking. Of course we treated both dogs with anti tick drops. Sadly that didn't work. Ashley got 3 ticks, and barely survived that. Because these ticks were paralysis ticks, and they do have a rather deadly result for dogs. Only an anti tick serum might save an infected dog. We had to rush Ashley to the vet were she got the serum and was hospitalized. Being back home for now, she is still sick, has still trouble breathing and walks as if drunk, but she will recover. Although it all has worsened her heart, because from now on she needs daily medication for her heart. :(
.

A very sick little cuddle bunny, with chopped hair to make sure there are no nasties left behind

Someone else also shaken by the events and missing her sister

Sadly my online time is still limited. Although I do enjoy reading all blogs on my bloglist, I mainly do that from my phone. But I plan to somehow find some more time to sit at the computer and leave some comments on the gorgeous work I drool daily over. :)