Final finish for 2005 and its for Mark

This is what I have been busy stitching the last couple of days, whilst I have been off colour, it is of course for my DH Mark. I have just put the final finishing stitch in it about 5 minutes ago in the ribbon fastener, handed it to him and then ran off with it to photograph it to show you all. I have stitched both pieces in Vicki Clayton silk in Turkey Red, and stitched it on 28ct white linen. 1 over 1.
Amour is a freebie, by Danielle Gouriou Curie, and the Coeur Romantique, again is a freebie by reflets de Soie, I thought that the styles of them went really well together and so made a small cushioned drawer hanging. I was really pleased with how its come out and the charts were a delight to stitch.

Can I take this opportunity to wish everyone a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR and a wonderful 2006, I hope that its a healthy, wealthy one for all and that we get plenty of stitching and stashing achieved!!

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Small finishes for 2005

Well here are my last finishes for 2005, this is a small freebie called Carré Fleuri from Anne-les-petites-Croix website, I do love her freebies, I have finished this as a small scissor case, I've stitched it on 28ct gingham evenweave in lilac and white and stitched 2 small buttons to the front to close the case.
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2005 Accomplishments/2006 Intentions

I didn't think I had done so many finishes until I checked and I quite suprised myself, here is a list of accomplishments for 2005, if you would like to see any of them they are in my webshots album under (naturally) 2005 album http://community.webshots.com/user/susimac

1. Tap & Blackberries - Oehlenschlager (this won me a first at our local show in the linen/evenweave section)
2. Hummingbead Heaven - Just Nan
3. Sweet Rememberance - Just Nan (this won me a 2nd in our local show in the sampler section)
4. Pearl Orchid - Just Nan
5. Cats Meow -The Drawn Thread
6. 4 Seasonal birds - Waxing Moon freebies
7. Mystery Garden sampler - Anne les Petites croix freebie
8. ABC Samper - Anne les petites croix freebie
9. Lavender Mitten - Anne Les petites croix freebie
10. Spring Paw - Stitch Kitty
11. Farmers Prayer - Moira Blackburn (this won me a 2nd in our local show in the aida section)
12. Sweet Flowers - The Drawn Thread
13. Violet Sampler - Cedar Woods Designs
14. Homespun Heart - Lavender Wings
15. A Little House of my own - Elizabeths Designs
16. Stitchers prayer - Little House Needleworks
17. Wedding Sampler - cannot remember who the designer was
18. Angel Pie - Shepherds Bush
19. Snow Days - Shepherds Bush
20. Herb Pillow - Helen Phillips
21. Bless this house - Lizzie*Kate
22. Various small Just Nan designs
23. Various Xmas ornaments by different designers all done 1/1
24. Various other Xmas ornaments by different designers done 2/2 for gifts and exchanges
25. Mailart exchanges x 2
26. Mailart gifts x 3
27. Scissor Holder - Ellen Maurer Stroh freebie
28. Mini sampler - Anne les Petites croix freebie
29. Spring Heart - Anne les Petites croix freebie
30. Mermaid Heaven - Pinn (now this is not strictly a finish as I am only half way through it, but it is a WIP and will carry it over into 2006)
31. Les Dentelles - Keeping Tradition (again a WIP)

I seem to have had a year veering towards french designs when looking at them, there are some lovely ones out there in cyberland.

2006 intentions
Now this is a hard one for me, as I stitch what I like when I feel like it, but I will give it a startwith the definite things I know I will have definitley to do for the year

1. Complete Mermaid Heaven

2. Woodland Walk - DMC (this is for Mark)

3. My neighbourhood RR

4. Lizzie*Kate 2006 ornament SAL

5. Patchwork Sampler - Polstitches

6. Spade and Berries - Oehlenschlager

7. Winter Visitor - Crossed Wing Collection

8. Drawn Thread RR

9. Involved in various exchanges, mailart, Ornies etc

10. My favourite Things - Drawn Thread

11. Pheasant - Needlepoint Kit Cushion Bucilla (this is for Mark)

12. Les Dentelles - Keeping Tradition (WIP)

13. The Toy Gatherer - Shepherds Bush

14. Various Needlerolls - Shepherds Bush

Can't think of any other projects at the moment but will be adding to the list as the year goes by

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The Christmas house stitched by my mum 

The needlebook, pin cushion and tiny fob 

Normal service will be resumed

fairly soon, unfortunately we all (that includes one cat too), have been hit with bugs and viruses and have felt pretty rough over Christmas. But, I had to show you the beautiful stitching basket and stitching smalls my mum and sister made for me and also the lovely house that mum made. I feel very lucky as I had some wonderful gifts, these are just beautiful... Aren't I lucky

 

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Each year, you really get into the spirit of Christmas. Which is much more important to you than nifty presents.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I would just like to take this opportunity to wish everyone who visits my blog a Very Merry Christmas. I won't be blogging for a few days but I hope that everyone has a great festive time and gets lots of nice things for Crimbo, I hope to get a bit of stitching done, visitors and social life allowing LOL!!! But I'll be back next week sometime and hope to catch up with everyone then. I may have then got my 2006 stitching planning thought out and I can share it with you, but on the other hand I may not LOL!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!
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Small finish

I needed a quick stitchy fix as I have been surfing blogs since I finished my part of the DT RR, so I stitched the Quaker Hedgehog which is a really delightful freebie by The Workbasket. Its stitched on beige 28ct linen and I used Dragonfloss by Polstitches in a limited edition colour called Moss Brown, I was really pleased with the way its turned out, I have finished it with a cord that I had in my scrapbag and I thought the colours went really well with it. It was a fun thing to stitch and only took a couple of hours to stitch and finish. I have made it into a pinkeeper. 

Drawn Thread Round Robin

Well I have completed my part on Marie-Louise RR, This one is Real Roses that Marie has adapted to incorporate all 4 of us participants, so we can place our names at the bottom of each section we have sewn, My part I have sewn includes Smyrna crosses, and Queens stitch along with back-stitch and cross stitch she also hand-dyed one of the colours herself, (the darker mauve colour on the RR). Marie Louise also changed the colour scheme to and so it is really unique for her. It was fun to do, and I hope my work is OK for it, now I await the next one which will be Nelly's, this one although DT will be a bit of a mystery as I'm not aware that she has picked a particular design, I think we have to pick our own DT design to place on hers, though I will see when it arrives, then after that there will be one more and then mine will come home to me.

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Hardanger

Well I have finally decided that I would teach myself for the 3rd time Hardanger, I have found that its always been aptly named Hard and it makes me Angry, but my LNS has just got a few new books in one being the Anchor book of Hardanger stitches, which is really good when I had a look, as its got step by step pictures which is just what a blonde like me could do with.

The reason you may ask why I've decided to learn? Well I keep finding lovely Victoria Sampler designs that I love and want to do so I intend to do one of the VS freebies first, plus I like some of the Leesa Steele designs in the Ornament mags, so watch this space during next yearas to whether or not I achieve or give up the ghost again!!
Oh and whilst I was in the LNS I treated myself again to 2 more of the DMC jewels, this time I got a varigated green and gold colour and the other was reds and golds and blues mixed.
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Shouldn't visit the LNS

Fatal, just fatal, I went in today and they had finally got the new DMC pearl effects, jewel effects etc etc, so of course I had to treat myself I bought 3 precious metals, 2 pearl effects,1 glow in the dark, 1 jewel effect and 1 antique, the piece of fabric I already had courtesy of mum over the weekend, that's summer khaki 32ct linen.

Now to decide what to stitch using them, but I must before anything else finish the RR that arrived yesterday.
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Update on Les Dentelles

As you can see by the picture I haven't really done much this week, but at least it was a start, I have managed to complete another small piece of lace and I have done all the backstitch filling on the large piece above it.
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Round Robin

Today was a good post day, my friend Marie-Louise sent her RR on to me, and it came today. She has done a variation of Drawn Thread Real Roses and its so lovely, included with it was some thread that she had dyed herself its a beautiful deep plum colour, really lovely, I have already made a start on it tonight, we are a little behind as poor ML had a car accident a few weeks ago and hurt her neck and back and so of course had real difficulties stitching, so I want to get stitching and try and make up a little time as I expect the next part of the Drawn Thread RR we are in will be arriving before to long from ML.

The last few days when I have had time, as I didn't want to start on a new project as I knew this was on its way, I have been diligently stitching Les Dentelles, I have managed to fill in the lacy part of the large piece of lace and I have done another whole strip of lace below it, later when the camera is re-charged I will add a photo of my progress.

Also today I have been fiddling around with squares on the computer for the big Neighbourhood RR, although I have blocked it into 9 there are only 7 of us in it, so I was trying to think of a way to fill the extra squares without putting in extra houses and I think I have come up with a solution, I'm putting a river and a bridge in it, I have to admit it was mum who planted the idea last weekend, and I know that I will have to share the idea with her, so I was putting different variations together and will email them to my sister to show mum (wish mum had a computer, it would make life much easier sometimes for her).

Footnote: Re the lights saga
Tonight after they have been off all day, the lights are kind of working admittedly they are doing their own thing, not what they have been set too, but in a fashion they seem to be working, Mark has rang where we got them from today as he was off work until this evening and he is going to take them back tomorrow and put up the new ones - Way hay!!!
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Lights, camera, and whats supposed to come next???

Oh that's right ACTION!! What no action, please excuse me whilst I have a small vent.... ARRRRRGH!!!

We bought lights for the front of the house last year, nice icicle lights L.E.D ones too, what happens they stop working 3 days after it took 2 hours and lots of swearing from Mark to put up, what did we do, take them back to the shop Oh no that would be too easy, no we bin them (£40 Down and no, we don't have money to throw away) Mark couldn't be hassled to take them back etc etc, this year we buy some more from the same place, this time twinkling/chasing icicle lights, spent and hour this time putting them up, Mark learnt from last year, plus he had left the fixings in so it was easier, 2 days later, they stop twinkling/chasing they are just static, this time they cost a bit more, Mark (who was off work today on leave), doesn't take them down, no to my mind we paid more for twinkling lights, static ones were cheaper (by the way they are £10 cheaper than last year), so we should take them back, it doesn't help that the shop owners are good friends either.

THEN to top things off yesterday, my beautiful garland which had lights in, and took me a couple of hours to decorate decides to give up the ghost and stop working so we had to go and get some more, this time I got LED twinkling lights for this, now up to press they are working and it looks nice but as they are LED they are a different colour to bulb lights which give off a lovely gold hue, plus it took me 2 hours to re-do the garland with all its extra bits, which I could have spent stitching yesterday, still never mind, when I came in from work tonight, they at least are still working.

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How true is THIS:-

I was sent this today, and couldn't believe what I was reading its me to a T, no wonder I'm ill, I didn't know I was ill, but at least I do now, I have even enlisted a few weeks ago on the Chatelaine Mystery IX for next year now I know why I did LOL!!!

"Research Study

I have spent the better part of thirty years doing research and after thorough and exhaustive study I have finally gathered enough information to formulate and prove my theory. It can no longer be denied or disputed by physicians, Federal Government officials, or insurance companies. No, not even Blue Cross/Blue Shield!

Cross Stitching is a Disease!

Just as a drug user becomes addicted to his drugs so does the stitcher become addicted to her habit. Just as the drug addict requires more and more and specialized designer drugs so does the stitcher need more and more and specialized designs. And just as the drug addict will do anything for his next dose, a stitcher will indeed do anything for her next fix.
Point 1. When my research began, I started with Aida fabric and cotton floss. Simple basic x’s on simple basic designs. Then one day I was offered "evenweave" and then linen. Metallic thread was blended with the cotton threads and beads were added. Before I knew what was happening I was slipped "quarter stitches", "French knots", and the dreaded "lazy daisy". The progression was so slow that it was hardly noticeable until at present it is now hand-dyed fabric, silk threads, delica beads, specialty fibers, specialty stitches and quite challenging designs by ladies such as the Queen of the Blended Threads and the Chatelaine of the Gardens.
Point 2. When my research began, only those things were bought that were needed at the moment. But gradually things were purchased in advance of need. It was called "kitting" up a design. Then slowly one kit became two and three and more. Suddenly, without prior knowledge, the dresser filled and then the closet became full. Before long the spare bedroom became a stash room. Soon it became hiding packages from the spouse so he wouldn’t know just how much was spent. And now it is trying to see what can be sold to purchase more stash. My biggest concern is what will be next? Just like the drug addict, a stitcher must have her next fix!
Point 3. In order to relieve a stitcher from the burdens and stress of her addiction she must undergo extensive and exhaustive therapy. Usually this therapy is very expensive and not 100% effective. Like the drug addict, it is very easy to revert to old habits. And most stitchers feel that the treatment is worse than the problem.

Conclusions

1. I find that Cross Stitching is undeniably a disease and should be added to the Physicians Desk Reference as such.
2. There is no cure.
3. Although there is treatment for this disease, it is expensive and not often successful and therefore, most patients prefer to abstain.
4. Once diagnosed with this disease, employers, family members, and friends should be considerate of the stitcher’s needs and avoid confrontation and criticism.
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Here is a close up of the Ornie

I love this - Thankyou Angie xx
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My wonderful Christmas parcel from Angie

I just had to show you the wonderful Christmas parcel I received from my friend Angie, its lovely, I love it all, and she has madde me a lovely Ornie for the tree, its the Brittercup Kitty its lovely.
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Aren't I beautiful?!!

Well I finally managed to get a picture of Tash, she was very grumpy about it, and I had to entertain her with the camera handle first just so I could take a phot, she is a contrary creature but very beautiful, this time of year she always looks so much bigger than she is, and she loves being all fluffy and walks around very elegantly.
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Good weekend

Well I had a great weekend over at my parents, mum and I were extremely industrious and we have marked out our fabric for the Neighbourhood RR, Now I'm really getting excited about it, its a shame that there are now only 7 of us, but I know that we will all have fun with it. Mum and I have both been boring and marked it out as a 9 parter, we are both happy to do the extra 2 parts on it, but I am toying with the idea of placing a pathway along it and through it which could reduce the number of sectoins, so I'm still deciding what to do at the moment. We have also gone through mums charts to find houses and gardens and bits and bobs.

I received one stash parcel whilst we have been away, but as yet I've to take a picture, I also received a lovely parcel from my friend Angie in Cananda which was a lovely box of things, again I'll photograph it later.
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