A quick update before I'm off on vacation

I had planned to have a nice blog update posted.  Since I'm slightly (that's a lie) stressed I doubt that I'm sucessful with that.We're in the middle of the last bit of packing. Tomorrow morning we have to bring the dogs to our aunt and uncle, then we're taking the train to Melbourne and flying out to New Zealand...for 6 weeks.  We're really looking forward to that. Lots of hiking is planned.

We're trying to get phonecards and internet there, but I am not sure how much time there will be to surf the internet. I will try to follow all your blogs, but no clue if I will have the time for that. Mike and I will share one laptop. I will also try if I can update my blog ....but again...not sure.

Of course there will be some stitchy stuff following me to New Zealand. Taking 3 LHN ornaments to stitch and a kit I have around since ages. Name just slipped.Plus some wool.

 Let me see what are the updates ...(insert here picture of stressed woman who tries to remember what she did the last week and can't get it together easily. Ha...now I remember. I made couple of ornaments.

Christmas Robin

Designer: The Victoria Sampler (Cathy Jean)

JCS ornament issue 2010

Fabric: self dyed Cashel Crystal linen

Fibers: DMC, WDW, Threadgather Silk n Color,

Stitched byfor Lisette

 

Peace on Earth

Designer Blue Ribbon Designs

JCS ornament issue 2010

Fabric: Belfast Country Cream

Fibers: recommended Weeks Dye Work

Stitched for Carol

Falala

Designer LHN

Fabric Belfast Light Mocha

Fibers DMC

Stitched for myself :)

Planning to stitch all the LHN ornaments from 2010 and 2011 and hopefully 2 per month. One of the serie I won't stitch because Kathy did stitch one for me already, which is now proudly hanging on my ornament tree. But there was a second skater in this years ornament issue which brings the amount again to 12.
Made a start at "Red House in Winter" . Although the red is very very dark. But lovely. This one will have a nice vacation too in New Zealand. :)

And lastly I also did a couple of stitches into "Amsterdam" Sadly I cannot take this one with me :(

Hopefully I didn't forget anything. I will miss you all dearly. Waving you all a good bye and if you don't hear a thing from me...I'm probably climbing a mountain, or glacier...or somewhere stuck in the middle of nowhere...lol. But whatever it will be...it will be lovely!!!

Their Song

 First reason for a Happy Dance is finishing "Their Song". A chart I admired quite some while and got forwarded to my by Sadie. This chart is traveling around in stitching world ever since Vonna sent it on its merry way. It stayed for a while in the US, flew then to the United Kingdom, from where it took the plane to Australia where it stayed for a while. Right now it's on its way back to the US to its new owner Kathy . I'm very grateful that I was able to stitch such a wonderful chart that is hard to get your hands on. There are several BBD I would LOVE to stitch, but sadly can't get hold on unless I'm willing to pay a ridiculous price on Ebay.

Stitched with the recommended fibers (Weeks Dye)

on self dyed 30ct linen

And then the door bell rang and my Aunt and Uncle came with a fantastic gift  Feast your eyes ......

 My uncle is a fantastic artist with wood. Because I wanted to have a tree for my ornaments I asked him if he could make one for me. Just a simple one will do. Pretty please with a cherry on top. Yesterday he turned up and brought the tree. Wasn't a simple one. Barry doesn't do simple...ever. When you look at this picture you have to realize that everything is made out of a lump of wood. He doesn't buy dowels, he makes them. That took him lots of hours to create and  I will cherish this forever.

 And because watching tennis and stitching ornaments are a very good combination, there are 3 ornaments . Two of them are for exchanges and haven't arrived at their new home. So I can't show pictures of these  yet.
From that set shown below I finished the Santa with the Noel tree. Still have one to go in that series and then will ornamentify them.

Did sew 2 more foot warmers (one is a gift and one is for the oldest daughter)  and also finished a pair of gloves which is shown by my daughter. :)

Got another gift as well....although that little gift looked suspiciously like my little Lucy. I think Lucy was trying (successfully) to get another cookie out of me by playing cute She takes desperate measures when it comes to cookies. No clue why some people start to call her a sausage dog. 

Because I'm a huge tennis fan, and the Australia Open just began there is a chance that I might get a tad more stitching done. Watching tennis and working on ornaments is a great combination. I have now a tree that must be filled (that's my excuse for my husband....lol....in reality I just want to watch tennis)

Talk to you soon :)

Blessings be Thine

It's a happy time right now....

 Blessings be Thine by Blackbird Desings

stitched on 32ct Belfast Light Mocha

using the recommended threads (GA and WDW)

My first finish 2011 - and I loved every moment of stitching it.

The next happy thing is that I "fixed" the botched R&R fabric. As told in my last post washing an R&R fabric turned out a tad less well then expected and I had to order another piece of apple brown bindi which arrived yesterday. And so I thought, what the heck can I loose here...and mixed up some strong loose leave tea together with some vinegar and salt and put the fabric in the hot solution. Washed it and repeated that. And it turned out so nice that I decided to use my self dyed fabric.


Before and after:

Amsterdam grew also a bit (still in love with this one)

Amsterdam by Thea Gouverneur

And lastly....do you know what one does in the scorching Australian Summer heat? No? Sewing couple of foot warmers of course. What else??? (insert head shake here)

While thinking what to give my Aunt for her birthday, I came across some foot warmers on the internet here . But then of course had to change everything to my likings. The idea is the same though. I often have cold feet when sitting in my comfy chair stitching away. And so does my Aunt.  First Imade  one for myself to see if this is really nice, filled it with wheat, and ab-so-lu-te-ly love it. You pop the thing in the microwave for 2 minutes and put it then in front of you, insert feet...and life is beautiful. If it's cold that is. Which it is not right now. It's HOT here. And I stay under the airco.
But anyway, bag has a zipper at the end so that the bag with the wheat can be removed without hassle. Something that will be on the floor quite often must be washable after all. Plus if it's not washable I BET that one of my cats would throw up on it. They love to do this kind of things. Making it washable prevents this kind of "accidents".

The left one is the birthday present for my Aunt (who is not a blog reader) and loves blue. So does my daughter who gets the one on the right. And the middle one is for myself.

Next in the planning is starting "Their Song" by Blackbird Designs, stitching an ornament, and knitting some gloves.

Happy New Year!!!

Wishing all my online friends a blessed Happy New Year and the wish that 2011 will only bring good things to you.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with lots of gifts.Mike spoiled me by upgrading my computer Next to that, we booked our next vacation. End of January we're stepping on the plane and travel 6 weeks in New Zealand.

But there is more good news. One of the most important things....my stitching mojo returned to me after been on a long vacation!!!!
Mike got me a kit from Thea Gouverneur (Amsterdam) 2 years ago for Christmas I thought I "should" give it a go. At first I wasn't very enthusiastic at all.  The linen was too hard, 125 colors on these color cards that kits ship with (and I detest). But after washing the fabric (TWICE) it became the most beautiful soft fabric that one can wish for. It's gorgeous quality of 35ct linen and feels simply delicious.  It JUST fits on my biggest scroll rods, which are a noticeable 40" wide.  After winding all colors on floss cards I started....and couldn't really stop anymore. I LOVE it. And I am throwing all plans of rotating out of the window. For now I will stitch this one and some smaller things on the side.

Oh, another thing I did. Because I had so much success with washing the linen for Amsterdam I thought I give it a go and wash the R&R fabric I bought for "Their Song" from BBD. Which is a bit too hard for my likings. That went a tad wrong...lol Instead of Apple Brown Bindy I have now a  beige linen which is still not soft, but lost all it's special effect. Ordered a new one and will give it a try tea dye the ruined one. Can't get any worse after all. Can only go up from here....lol.
Note to myself...do NOT wash R&R hand dyed linens (which they tell you also not to do...but for the ones like me who have troubles following directions...it's really not a good idea to do so)

Blessings be Thine grew also a bit.

Next in the planning are to finally finish the stitching on couple Prairie Schooler ornaments I started in 2009 and 2010 and never finished.  And start finally "Their Song" by Blackbird Designs. The chart is meant to be a traveling chart and I feel rather guilty that it's still here. Next in line will be Kathy who is  waiting for it way longer then she should have been. (SO sorry Kathy!!)