Mel's Sunday Update

Not much stitching at all done this week I'm afraid.  Busy at work, Christmas things, power outage and migraines all conspired against me :)

The only stitching I did this week was this cute little small.  After all of the gift stitching I thought I'd add one tiny piece in for myself.  I actually stitched just about all of this on Thursday afternoon/evening sitting in my front garden waiting for the electricity to come back on.

Good?  Is in my 2008 Finished Album.

Also in there are the framed versions of Coffin Buzz and Verdi.

Zoom in on Coffin Buzz - I am quite pleased how this monster came out.  It is huge by the way - 20" x 24".  I had no idea this little piece would frame up so big.

The framer was fast - he framed all four pieces within a week - but I left the other two pieces there until next payday so I can finish paying for them:)

Only other news is I'm now subscribed to this and Debbie so very kindly RAKed me with the kit minus the fabric.  Mariann - want to SAL with us on this one? 

This week I'm back to BoInk trying to stay ahead of the pack while getting through a full workweek, preparing the house for visitors and doing the last of the Christmas shopping .... arrrrgh!

Now back to your regularly scheduled serenity ....

Logistics - yer doin it wrong

The picture on the left is Verdi for my Dad.  Framed it comes in at around 8"x11".  Standard size for a gift.

The picture on the right is Coffin Buzz, a present for Jane.  This comes in at 5 times the size of a normal present.  Now I know I know I went overboard with framing but Jane is a coffee-addicted 18 year old Goth Girl and I deliberately went over the top with the frame and keeping the colours somber.

But this thing is HUGE!  Its 50cm x 63cm.  Or 19.5" x 24".  I took it to Australia Post and their response was to back away with admin speak for "no fucking way".

I think I'm going to need to courier this thing.

Now the framing of this little present did turn out to be one of only two expensive presents I bought this year ... but it just seems to get more expensive every time I think about it.

I think I need to think presents through more in future .....


Oh PS, better pictures are in Finished 2008 folder and are zoomable.

Mel's Snday Update

I can't remember the last time I did one of these :)

Well in the past few weeks I've stitched four Christmas presents, finished one WIP and started another :)

Three of the Christmas finishes are Witches as Friends, Coffin Buzz and Giuseppe Verdi.  The WIP I finished was Is it My Eyes.  Pics of all of these are in my 2008 Finishes folder.

I discussed Is it my Eyes in the BAPXS Wednesday Wobble so it screamed at me until I finished it ...also has its own folder where you can see the progress towards the finish. Folder here.

The new start is Inkcircles Croakworth but I have no photos of this yet. I started it while interstate last weekend but I've only stitched two small motifs so far.  I'd call this my travel project but I don;t travel anymore :)

Cutrrently I'm stitching on an RR for Laura and hope to have my section finished by next week so she can receive it back before the end of the year.

After that I have one more Christmas present to stitch, my engagement stitching to finish, another few parts on BoInk to modelstitch, and the first section of my RR for next year.

Work?  Christmas? Sleep?  Who needs any of those things ....

Not mention hoping no other projects start screaming for attention ....

On and I'm not mentioning a certain pre-arranged swarm of spiders either  ....

First Present Finished

Stitched on Silkweavers "Boo" 28ct Cashel linen.

Lettering: Caron Wildflowers 074 "Storm Clouds"
Tombstone header and footer: Caron Waterlilies 011 "Pebbles"
Large Motifs: Kreinik #4 Very Fine Braid 001V Antique Silver
Small Motifs: Kreinik #4 Very Fine Braid 4002 Pixie Dust

Chart is a freebie from Plum Street Samplers:
http://plumstreetsamplers.typepad.com/plum_street_samplers/2008/07/index.html  {Scroll down to 25 July posting}

Threads and fabric were all my own choices. Click the Zoom In to see the sparklies :)

Second present waiting on one thread.
Third present started last night.

Christmas Stitching

From a series of Composers charted in early Cross Stitch Australia magazine.

Finished 19 November 2008.

Christmas Presents this year. Works in progress.

Deadline = Motivation

On Wednesday for some insane reason I decided to stitch some presents for Christmas for some friends whom I had no idea what else to get for them.

Some panicking, raiding of stash, quickly repurchasing a missing   chart, not quite to quickly purchasing missing threads .... and I've made a start.

I'm doing Witches as Friends by Moonflower Designs for my Alison my real life best friend, and yes she is a Pagan and proud of it.

As this is a small stitch I have it mostly finished.  Just waiting for one skein of Crescent Colours Finley Gold to arrive in my mail box to finish off the broomstick's bristles.  Then this little one is done.

I'm doing Coffin Buzz by Plum Street Samplers for her daughter Jane.  Jane is an 18 year old Goth Girl who has a passion for high quality coffee.

This is the Halloween freebie by Plum Street Samplers and although it is a monochromatic piece, I've been having a play.  I'm stitching it on Silkweaver's Boo linen.  Using Caron wildflowers Storm Clouds for the lettering.  Using Caron Waterlillies Pebbles for the headstone header and footer and then probably two Kreinik #4 braids for the other bits and bobs.

Then I'm going to start another composer for my Dad, in the same series as the Mozart piece I did a few years ago....

Both of these are still WIPs and Dad's isn't even started - but I will get there.....

Just as long as they finished in time to find a framer NEXT SATURDAY there wont be any problems ......