Mel's Sunday Update

I've been a quiet on the stitching front, well I've been a bit quiet all around I guess.  I've picked up some additional hours at work what with it coming into the holiday season so I've been working flat out and mostly too tired to stitch when I get home.  Part 11 of Vienna Ball was also a lot larger than I expected (never make assumptions).

So for a few weeks there I gave up on Vienna Ball entirely and stitched two smalls.  Jewel by Moonflower Needleart and Morale by Sue Hillis.  Both are in my finished album.

Then back to Vienna Ball.  I finally, last night, finished Part 11.  Pics in the Vienna Ball album.

Now to make dinner and then settle in to start Part 12 (the last Part!!!!!!) of Vienna Ball.

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  ....

Second Present Finished

Stitched on Picture This "Echo" 28ct Cashel linen.

Stitched using recommended Crescent Colours threads.

Chart is from Moonflower Designs

Third present to be continued.

This one can wait until next pay day.  First and Third presents need to go to the framer on Friday.

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 ......

Back from the Framers

Well it was an extremely busy morning with seeing HR for my exit interview from this organisation, then getting Karen's RAK in the mail (thank you) and then finally picking up two small pieces from the framers on the way home.

Stellar is by Patti of Moonflower Designs and is in my finished album.

Cat Lover was a present stitched by my mum and is in my presents album.

Mel's Easter Update

Morning all,

Welcome to Easter Monday.  Had a fantastic few days visiting mum.  Did some Spring Cleaning (well its Spring somewhere in the world) and did some librarian type work with mum's books (she should be able to find most of them now ...maybe).

We also planted the two roses I gave mum as Easter presents and we've stitched.  And stitched.  And stitched.

I started worked on and completed Stellar the newest colourscape from Patti at Moonflower designs.  I also did little scattered bits on Singularity by FireWing Designs and FireFlower by Needlemania designs but not enough to take pictures.

I also received a gift from mum.  She finished the little cat piece she was working on and presented it to me.

Have about another 20 hours here before heading home, so more relaxation today.  I'm loving this !!!!!

Gothic completed

Well I did *no* stitching over the weekend, then a blitz Monday night and then nothing since - poor FireFlower is feeling neglected .....

However the stitching I blitzed on Moonflower Monday night was to finish Gothic. Pics here:

She's finished, washed, ironed and ready to go to the framer's on Friday. I was thinking of a thin but intricately carved dark blue or black wooden frame. Paul suggests with a thin line of silver on the inside edge. Any thoughts?

Mel's Late Monday update

Well I was hoping to report a finish today - but it was not to be. Had Paul around all weekend and spent my usual sunday morning stitching time, finishing book one of the Dresden Files! Gotta hunt down book 2 now ..... Teegs thanks for the heads up -I am loving this series! Liked episode one of the TV series too .. I love the way they've altered Bob for the TV series - Harry himself looks too grungy for my taste, but I love Bob - can I take Bob home ?????

Anyway I'm loving stitching this design and I've been playing with my stitching technique to get a better look from the variegated. I altered the direction of my stitching from horizontal to vertical to diagonal to try and keep the mottled shading moving smoothly around the design - and try to minimise the stripy look. Pics here!

Please guys - honest feedback - was taking this extra time worth it in the outcome? Does it look any better for me taking the extra time to change the flow of the stitches?

Anyway will hope to finish this next Monday!

Froggies !!!!!!

Ever stitched the same line of stitching four times and each time it wont line up and then you realise that the line you are comparing it against is the one with the mistake ????

Anyway its after midnight but I've finally finished the outline for this piece - having stitched the equivalent of the whole thing at least twice :)

Now just to fill in the middle - no thinking required and then attach the charm and we are finished.

The froggies didn't worry me - cause I still have broadband !!! YAYYYY !!!!!

WIP - Gothic

Over on the PTP yahoo group they've decided to do a FireWing Friday so we can all stitch on Eva's designs as a SAL.  I half-jokingly added "well then, lets do a Moonflower Monday too!"

So last night being Monday, I pulled out an old Moonflower WIP and started working on it.  I started Patty's Gothic last year, but made a mistake right at the
beginning and put it down without frogging!  So last night I pulled
this back out of my UFO pile.  I finally found my mistake and frogged
and re-stitched.  Phone calls then interrupted me and I got no further
for the evening.  But I just wanted you to know that I did stitch on a
Moonflower project on a Monday :)

Moonflower Designs

Moonflower designs, the designer of the Best Friends chart I completed this year, now has online ordering.  Although her postage rates are for US, she will sell overseas too.

www.moonflowerneedleart.com 

I ordered two more designs from her this morning.

Gothic: 
http://www.moonflowerneedleart.com/html/smallscapes_7.html

Love Creates Magic:
http://www.moonflowerneedleart.com/html/charts_5.html

Hugs
Mel. 

Finished pieces

My very first ever cross stitch done in 1991. Bought this and the bluebells as kits and done them both up at the same time. Mum had these in storage and showed me today 13 May 2007.

Cross stitched pieces I have finished over the years (and remembered to take photographs of).

From 1993 onwards. Current calendar year's finishes are in its own album.