Computer Crashing and Stitching, of course.

My computer crashed this week, so now all the websites that I had saved and favourite places are gone. DH didn't quite understand when I said that I needed a moment to grieve. Just thinking of all those hours gone, poof.

On the up side, a friend from Adelaide was up for a conference and so we got together Wednesday night and it was so much fun, a bit too much fun as I couldn't take DS2 to swimming at 4.30am the next morning. Sorry Coach.

I would also like to thank Mary, Terri, Leah and Babs for your continued support in leaving comments. I know there are others of you as well but these four ladies are my most frequent commentators and so I would just like to give you a special mention.

Now onto stitching, this first one is a freebie, I think...I have been trying to find the pattern as I did do it a while back. So if you are really interested keep popping back as I will edit the page and have a link to the designer. It is going to be made into a pin cushion and that is why there isn't much margin. The ornaments are a couple of my latest Halloween additions that I bought from the 'Nightmare before Christmas' range, they are just too cute, in a Halloween sort of way.

This is one of the Stacy Nash club stitches that I have managed to do while by the pool watching DS2 do his laps. I am now on the second one, but the third has already arrived...

I went to a small local craft and gift fair the other week and when I say small I mean small. After paying my entrance fee I spent around 15 minutes going to all the stalls and I was finished, that included the time buying these sweet bobbins. So I thought I had better go around again just incase I had missed something, but I hadn't! It was worth it though as I do love my bobbins.

DH is in the U.S. this week so I have sent him off with an empty suit case so that if he sees any good Halloween decorations he can squeeze them in...boogidy, boogied, wahhahha.

He gets back on our Wedding Anniversary and I have booked us, including the boys into the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' night at the cinema's. We won't dress up this year as it is the first time our boys will see the movie and experience the antics but hopefully they will enjoy it enough to go along next year and join in on the fun.

Have a safe week,

ABC

x

Mother in laws table cloth

This is one of my most prized possessions. It comes to me under sad circumstances, my mother in law had it with a lot of other stitchery and since the family knew that I was very much into my stitching they thought it was best it came to me. You see the family had to put her into a nursing home because she is suffering from Dementia and no-one could safely look after her any longer at home. With this piece also came a tapestry chair, firescreens, cross stitch table runners and napkins.

I don't know if it is from her days in nursing or it was her mothers or her sisters and unfortunately now that she can't really string a whole sentence together I will never know.

I love the names that can be found on it, like Gertrude, Ethel, Mabel and Constance. There are also male names on there too and the hand writing is beautiful and flowing. Most of them have been stitched in off white and they do look like they have used silk threads.

I thought there was a date on it but for the life of me can not find it now. My mother in law trained as a nurse in England and wonder if it is something that they use to do at the end of their training?

Anyway I thought I would share this with you today, I have also had a small finish but I will show you that next time.

ABC
x

Another square in VOHRH

These are the latest photo's of my progress on VOHRH. Can you tell the DH is back from OS and is taking my photo's for me again? I feel a touch of relief now that I am over half way through.

The wooden buildings that are in the photo's are actually South Australian buildings. We use to have them above our door frames when we lived in Adelaide but for some reason we haven't put them up in the new house. The new house is a minimalistic style house, one what I call a sugar cube house. Those in Queensland would know what I am talking about.

I would really love it if you could leave a comment, perhaps you could tell me where you live? Not the actual address of course but the country and town perhaps? I would like to know who does read my blog.

Cheers
ABC
x

WIP update and a finish

This is the latest photo of my VOHRH, I know the Mill looks like it is crooked but trust me it isn't. I try and work on this project in between other small ones just so that I keep going. My next HRH will be done on a smaller count and I will use silks instead as I love the look of silks with large projects. I do try and work the hardest blocks first so that the last blocks finish quickly.

This is my Just Nan, Bluebird Alphabet and was extremely quick to stitch. I wouldn't mind doing this again and change the greens to different shades of blue and the blue can be tan colours with even some charcoal.

This afternoon we are off to watch our DS #2 in the Queensland state swimming championships, we hope he does some personal best times, especially after the rotten year he has had with injuries and sickness, hopefully it is onward and upward for the rest of his school swimming.

For me personally I find out if I am diagnosed with Coeliac disease on monday. Now that will change my eating habits and I will have to buy a whole bunch of new cookbooks!

ABC

x

Long Absence...Sorry

I am sorry that it has been so long since I last blogged but once again life got in the way, oh and DH was OS so he couldn't take my photo's for me.

I could go on about swimming coaches, teenage boys, school years 11 and 12, husbands being away, blah, blah, no-one listens anyway!!!

I will have a little soap box moment though, I was quite disappointed with one of the shops on the internet that I order from quite regularly. Anyway, they forgot to enclose part of my order and had to send it on separately, now it was only a couple of packets of fancy pins, which if had been sent with the original order would not have cost me any more in postage, but did they apologise and pay for the postage themselves....no, they charged me over $8.00 for postage and not a sorry anywhere. You should have seen the size of the box that they came in, you would have thought I had ordered 100 packets! It isn't so much the cost of the postage, though it was their error and customer service and all but it was that there was no apology, plus they took over a month to get here? Things normally take around 10 days to get from the US to here in Australia.

I feel very naughty as I hadn't even checked my stitching email account until today, and whoah there were over 150 emails. I still haven't checked them all. Oh don't go and get excited, that isn't how many people send me comments (I wish) it is the emails that come through the groups that I am a member of.

Now for Stitching updates:-

This was Lizzie Kate's Merry Friends - Santa '03 but since we don't have cats I tried to change it into a dog! I am adding a bone button where the rabbit is meant to be or perhaps if I can find a dog house button just the right size that might work too. Once again I have worked it on a 7ct so that I can make it into a bit bigger cushion.

I just love this pattern and I haven't finished yet as I still have to make up the little Advent bags and stitch on the ribbon and buttons to hold the bags. You can get a better idea of what I am going to do by looking at All the beautiful things and have a look under her Christmas tag and you will find it in there.

I hope this post finds everyone in good health and cheer.

ABC

x

Family

These are a couple of photo's of my boys. I don't like to put family photo's on my blog but it was his formal. I can't believe he is almost finished senior school, where did the years go? The first picture is of him and his girlfriend, who came up from Adelaide to be with him and the second photo is with his brother, who just got his braces off and isn't quite use to smiling with his mouth open.

The photo isn't great as they don't have red hair but with the colour of the light that is the way it appears. We do call them Australia's version of Harry and Will, I know they don't look anything like them but their nature is very similar.

We had the pre-formal party at our house and had 3 limo's out the front waiting for them all to go to the formal. The younger children across the road thought it was great. Now DS2 wants the pre-formal party at our house next year but he would like the stretched 'Hummers'!

Now on the stitching front, do any of you get 'The gift of stitching' magazine? I was shocked when the latest one arrived to find that there was my 'Ort' jar. I showed DH as he was the one that took the photo, there is no way that it would have been published if I had taken the photo. It is surprising who reads my blog or perhaps they just googled the word 'Ort', I hope they read the blog!!!

ABC

x

All sewn up

I would really like to thank you all for the lovely comments from my last post. It is really nice to know that someone out there is reading my blog. You have made my week.

At long last I used my 'Be Merry' from Shepherds Bush and stitched it to the 'Christmas' wall wearable from Trail Creek Farm. I stitched it on Klostern 7ct so it is a bit bigger than intended. I also used Wisper 88 for the beard, I find using it on the 7ct is really easy as you can use a large eye needle for threading.

I have had a good stitching day today as both my boys are studying for their exams next week so DH and I sat and watched some tv and of course I can't sit and just watch tv so I got to stitch at the same time.

ABC

x

My Craft room

As promised before, here are two of the other walls in my craft room.

This is on the opposite side of the wall that has all the framed stitches on. This houses my cross stitch and patchwork magazines. The red boxes mainly contain linen in them and I keep my 14/28 counts in one box and my 16/32 counts in another and so on.

This cupboard is mainly to do with patchwork, and the the ladder shelving on the right has all my Liberty Hill collection on it, along with my spools.

This corner is my cross stitch leaflets in alphabetical order of course and some designers even get a folder of their own
This is just some shelving for those little bits and pieces.
Back to my box shelving but this time you can see my suitcase under and that has a lot of my flannel material in it, though not all of it! I have a built in wardrobe that is to the left of this cupboard and in it I keep most of my patchwork kits boxed up and my roll of wading and other craft things that don't look so neat out and about.
These next two photos are of some of my cotton fabrics on the shelves and how I like to keep all the colours together.

So now you have a little insight as to what keeps me going and inspired. I love my room but I can't stay in there once the family is home as I love them more and like being around them.

If you have read this latest post I would love that you leave a comment sometime, just to let me know that there is someone out there that does read it!

ABC

x

Latest finish and Happy Mothers Day

This is a Marie Suarez kit that I had bought a while back and I had finished the stitching some time ago but like normal, just hadn't quite finished it. I was tired of the spool sitting there by itself so I pulled my socks up and got on with it. Oh and can you tell DH is back to the photography? The Pattern is called 'My Dear Bobbin'.

I do hope all you Mum's out there are having a wonderful day. We went out for breakfast at our local organic cafe, the eggs always taste better and so does the milk in my coffee. We don't celebrate by giving presents but since our boys were born we have always made it that we trace around their hands on the card for both Mothers Day and Fathers Day and then we can look back as to how much they have grown over each year.

ABC

x

My Craft room wall

So much has happened since my last post. I was going to post my Easter cross stitch bunnies, but Easter came and went, so that didn't happen.

I like a couple of billion people watched the Royal Wedding and thought they both looked fantastic. The highlight for me was probably when they came out in the Aston Martin with the balloons on the back. This next generation of Royals appear to be a tad more light heated, probably a lot to do with Harry.

These next photo's are of my cross stitch wall in my study. As I may have said before we have now have such a modern house that to put all my cross stitches out just doesn't seem to go at the moment. I know they will eventually as I make the house my own but for the moment they are delegated to my craft room.

You can see the fine clear hanging system which we chose so as not to put a lot of holes in the wall. There is a main strip across the top of the wall which hides the hangers and the screws in which it is hung. It is the same system that they use in a lot of Art Galleries and it seems to work well. We have used this system also in our study where we have a lot of black and white photo's of our boys up and since that wall continues to grow it is easy to add another rung and more photo's.

Next time I should show you photo's of my cupboards in my craft room and then I hope to show you the project I am currently working on, it is so close to being finished. You know that feeling when you are about to finish one and you get all excited about starting another one, aghhh, patience, patience.

ABC

x

Happy Birthday Leslie

I can now show you the photo's of what I sent to my friend from my old stitching group in Adelaide. Since I got a phone call from her this morning thanking me, I thought it safe to add it to the blog. The pattern is actually a freebie that I found on a blog called Le Grenier de Zoe. I just added a few little bits to the box, just the sort of thing that may come in handy at some stage! I hope you had a wonderful day Leslie.

Oh can you tell that my husband isn't home at the moment, he had to do a few days in Victoria, so just for this post you are back to my horrible photo's.

ABC

x

Primitive Hare Giveaway

The Primitive Hare is giving away a Birthday Prize, please click here find out how to enter.

ABC

x

Weekend finish continued

I think DH is doing a great job on the photo front, much better and lighter than mine. I did this quick Shepherds Bush kit that my DH asked why I bothered as it wasn't a challenge, but dear stitchers isn't it sometimes just about the pattern?

ABC

x

My Ort Jar

These are photo's of my Ort jar. I was tired of my bad photo's so DH volunteered to take some for me since he wanted the practice before he buys his new camera. He has done such a great job I think he can have this job from now on. These threads are from the past 2 years. I am a little disappointed that we are not in our old house where the birds use to nest where I could reach it at the end of the season and they use to use the threads that I would spread for them. Oh well, I will just keep collecting.

ABC

x

My weekend finish

I had a productive Sunday as I managed to finish my Purple Snowman and another really quick one which I will post later but here is the picture of Purple Snowman by Shepherds Bush and yes I have already got the Pink Snowman ready to be started. Honest I do other stitcheries besides SB.

Umm, that doesn't look very neat now does it, I will have to iron it and then take another photo and add that one instead. I just felt that I had to add a post before you forgot about me!

ABCx

As promised

This following Heart Sampler I think is from Better Homes and Gardens Australia? If anyone knows for sure please let me know and then I can add a link to the site. I think the original was in a different colour but I was in a blueish mood at the time.

As you can tell again, these are more stitchings that I haven't managed to sew up. I would love to join a group that meets up just for this specific purpose, then I know I would get them done.

This is a freebie that I stitched from one of my favourite sites, Maryse. I have also joined her latest SAL which is just lovely. You will find the freebie on her blog Maryse

ABC

x

Valentine

Here is my heart collection of ornaments that I have seen in shops, usually around Christmas time. In the background are some stitchings that I will post in the next couple of days. I was tired of my camera and the bad shots (it is the user of the camera not the camera that is at fault) so I got DH to try with his but we ran out of time to shoot the other stitchery for Valentines Day.

Last Prairie Schooler

This is the last of the five that I tried to upload in one hit. There is a distinctive theme here don't you think, stitched up but not finished. I know, I know, I promise to do better. I should post all of my stitched works that haven't been put to some use just to humiliate myself into finishing them. Have a great weekend.

ABC

x

Prairie Schooler

These are two of the five photo's I tried to download yesterday. I will download the last one tomorrow. I have 4 more spaces on this material to do some more Santa's and once they are done it can then go on the pile of things that need to be finished, hee, hee.

I am a lot happier lately as I have finally found a stitching group that meets up each week and they are such a lovely bunch of ladies. I missed my Adelaide group so much that I wasn't enthused enough to pick up needle and thread but I am slowly getting back into the swing of things.

ABC

x

Prairie Schooler

I tried to upload 5 pictures today but Blogger won't let me, hum.

Anyway, we survived the floods. We are the second street from Brisbane River and the water didn't even make it to the first street thank goodness. We felt a little guilty since houses inland were inundated by water and yet here we are only the second street and not a drop. A big thank you to all those people that stopped and asked us if we needed any help sand bagging or moving furniture it was great to see human kindness. Our biggest thank you goes to our first stranger 'Duncan' who did help us do it all and we are now all friends and we were invited to his wife's 50th birthday and hope to spend more birthdays together.

Here are some photo's of the Prairie Schooler Santa's that I hope to make into ornaments by the end of the year. I stitched them a couple of years ago and still haven't sewn them together, you may be seeing a bit of a pattern here. Unless they get framed they spend a lot of time in my finished box and don't move. The colours have been changed as I wanted to use up some threads that I have in my old thread system.

ABC

x

It's a wonderful life

I finished stitching this last year, but as yet haven't sewn it together. This is nothing new for me. perhaps one day I should take a photo of all my finished but not finished projects I have. Actually if I finished them all my craft room would be quite neat. I have a tendency to leave them out thinking I will get to them quicker that way. Huh, just leaves a mess really. Anyway, this photo represents 'A Wonderful life' for me, chocolates, love (of my husband, children and dog) and of course stitching.

The blue material under the stitching is what I think I will use for the pillow, what do you think?

ABC

x