A Bit of Cross Stitch

Pin Keeps

2012-01-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

Here are the pinkeeps that I had talked about in my last post. The Halloween one is a freebie from (stay tuned on this part and I will add it in when I find the pattern again). From this angle I love the colour of our dining table, anyway back to business.

This is a Stacy Nash Primitives Pinkeep and came as a kit. I put my name down to receive these pinkeeps as they arrive, and so far I have 3 I think. There is this one, another that I have finished stitching but haven't sewn up together yet, a familiar story of mine and I know it is getting tiresome. Perhaps this will give me enough pressure to get it sewn up for next time. And my favourite so far is the one I am working on at the moment, it is a little more detailed than these and a bit bigger too.
This isn't a great angle of the pin keep but you get the idea don't you?
Now I have also been thinking, yes, yes, I know that is a dangerous thing but...I was wondering if you like the blog just being about my stitching or would you like to hear more about what happens in my life with the family and things? I visit a lot of blogs, as you can tell by my list on the side and not one of them is just about stitching, they all add a little about their lives.

I don't have a lot of followers and I was wondering is it because I am completely boring, don't post enough or that I don't let people in to what happens in my life? So I would really like to know what you think, for better or worse, that is the roller coaster of a blog.

ABC

Happy New Year and Merry Christmas

2012-01-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

I know it has been over 2 months since I posted but that doesn't mean I haven't been stitching. This photo is of my finished advent calendar that I was working on earlier in the year, I posted a photo about it in August 2011. Unfortunately the pattern is no longer available and I have already passed on my copy to someone that wanted it. I am going to re-thread the loops for the hooks as they haven't all worked out the same length but I have a whole year to do that.....right?

While we have had a couple of relaxing days watching DVD's I have managed to sew up a couple of finished works, but that I will save for another post as I don't want to leave it so long before posting again.

I do hope you have all had a relaxing break and please stay safe on the roads.

Computer Crashing and Stitching, of course.

2011-10-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

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

Mother in laws table cloth

2011-10-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

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
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Another square in VOHRH

2011-09-24T00:44:00.000-07:00

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
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WIP update and a finish

2011-08-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

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

Long Absence...Sorry

2011-08-09T02:31:00.000-07:00

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 Al l 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

Family

2011-06-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

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

All sewn up

2011-05-29T01:29:00.000-07:00

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

My Craft room

2011-05-14T02:06:00.000-07:00

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

Latest finish and Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

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

My Craft room wall

2011-05-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

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

Happy Birthday Leslie

2011-04-13T22:12:00.001-07:00

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

Primitive Hare Giveaway

2011-04-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

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

ABC

Weekend finish continued

2011-03-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

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

My Ort Jar

2011-03-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

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

My weekend finish

2011-03-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

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

2011-02-21T21:35:00.000-08:00

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

Valentine

2011-02-14T13:09:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

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

Prairie Schooler

2011-01-27T17:53:00.000-08:00

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

Prairie Schooler

2011-01-26T22:42:00.000-08:00

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

It's a wonderful life

2011-01-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

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

Christmas ornaments

2010-12-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

I have been stitching these over the past few years, they are the ideal kit to have in your purse when you are waiting at the doctor's, sporting events etc. I generally leave the bead work until I am home though. This year I finally put the hats on the heads and backed them with some fabric- just so you can't see my bad stitching, ho, ho, ho.

My New Years Resolution may be to stitch lots of Christmas Ornaments this year so that I can have a cross stitch tree! I have seen some on some blogs and they are absolutely gorgeous.

If you have photo's of your stitching tree, I would love to see it, so please let me know and send me a link.

Now if I finally put them together this year, does that make it a finish for 2010 or is it the year you actually finish stitching them???

ABC

For the dog lovers

2010-12-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

I gave this or should I say our dog (Candy) gave this to our dear friends that looked after Candy while we were moving. It was a Christmas present from Candy just to say thank you, they have two dogs of their own so I know they will like it. I made it into a little hanging pillow and backed it with some Debbie Mumm dog fabric that I had from years ago. You never know when you are going to need that old bit of fabric!

ABC

Merry Christmas and a finish

2010-12-24T23:07:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have had a lovely Christmas. Ours was quite relaxed as usual, we don't go overboard with the cooking and since is just the four of us we only cook enough for the day. We don't even do a turkey since we all prefer chicken. Ours is really just a glorified Sunday dinner, I guess things will change when our children start to have families of their own but for now I will make the most of the relaxed time.

I had finished this earlier in the year but was just one of those projects I hadn't got around to putting together, these are photos of the front and back. The design is Folk Art Hornbook by Hillside Samplings and it will go with my other Liberty Hill things.

While the dinner was cooking I managed to sew together a finish that just needed to be put together. This is Christmas treat bag by Shepherds Bush.

ABC

Stash

2010-12-15T20:48:00.000-08:00

Oops, now how do I rotate??? Anyway, I made the most of the strong Australian dollar and the sale on at Down Sunshine Lane recently and this is what came in the mail today. I bought more than what I would have but one can never have too many patterns can they?

Down Sunshine Lane are having a draw at the moment where you can win a small stash for Christmas. So give it a try, you never know!

ABC

Christmas display

2010-12-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

I told myself I would never post unless it was stitching related but I wanted to show my display on the tv unit. Being in a new house, I haven't quite worked out where I am going to put things this year. Just a little Christmas post.

ABCx

Framed

2010-12-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

I was going through the photo's on my camera and realised I hadn't posted these two. They were framed back in Adelaide and I posted them on the blog earlier before the framing. Both are Shepherds Bush kits, the first one is My Garden and the second is Garden Gentle. Hopefully I am back into the swing of posting and it won't be so long between post's.

ABCx

Sorry for long time away

2010-04-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

I am posting to say that I haven't forgotten about you all.
I am in the middle of moving from one state to another. I have been busy selling this house and travelling up to Brisbane and looking at real estate, getting the boys into a new school and organising everything that goes with that.
So my stitching has been very quite.
I can't quite say when I will post again but I can say "I'll be back".

ABCx

More Framing

2009-10-19T00:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the kind words from my last post, it makes one feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Well here are some more with my terrible camera shots!

They are all Shepherds Bush and the Mat's are Jill Rensel. The Frames are from our local Framer.

A Shepherd's Bush exclusive called Halloween ABC.

This one is my husband's favourite, he really likes the colours and it is called Pumpkin Hill.

Little Witch.

This one is another of my favourites and it is called Fright.

I have also have Spooky Sheep to show you but that picture was worse than these - can you believe that they can get worse!

I still have more to show, so stay tuned.

ABC

Framing

2009-10-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

Would you believe the framer has dropped off 13 pieces to me this week! I have been trying to get some good photo's to show you. If any one has some good suggestions on how to take a good photo of a framed piece that has glass, please let me know.

This piece above is a Shepherds bush called Autumn Blessing and of course the mat is another Jill Rensel, where would I be without her!

This is Prairie Schooler - When Witches go Riding and again with a Jill Rensel mat. This is my son's favourite piece that came in this week and I must admit I love the darkness of it too.

We have just come back from a couple of weeks away in Queensland and I was so thrilled when I got home there were 4 parcels waiting for me and then on the next day another 2 came in. So now I will also have to take a photo of my new stash items won't I?

Cheers for now

ABC

Twilight

2009-09-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

I stitched this for DS1 to give to his girlfriend as it is their 1 year anniversary today. We are both Edward fans and she is such a lovely girl. This is a freebie from Plum Street Samplers and is really quick to stitch up.

ABCx

Christmas

2009-09-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

Post edited 19th September 2009

Cathy Livingston - Santa's Elves. I like the bells on the end of his shoes. I think he is rather cute but this is DH least favourite Christmas piece.

Michael Powell - Christmas Lights 1. I was very glad when this one was finished as I didn't really enjoy stitching it. I liked the finished project but you know how you enjoy some more than others, well this was just one of my least favourites. I still have the kits for Christmas lights 2 and Church Window to do but I don't think I will ever get around to stitching them as there are so many others that I am wanting to do.

Shepherds Bush - Merry and Bright, with a Jill Rensel Mat

This is Shepherds Bush - Winterberry Buttons with a Jill Rensel Mat.

2009-09-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

These are some of my finished and framed Christmas cross stitches. 1st is Ellen Stouffer - Merry Christmas. 2nd is of course Shepherds Bush - The Toy Gatherer, with a Jill Rensel mount. 3rd is Told In the Garden/Lavendar & Lace - Celtic Christmas, this is one of my favourite pieces as I just love the reds and how they are blended, it is a shame that my photography doesn't do it justice. Lastly for this post is another Shepherds Bush - Santa's Christmas, which is on the bottom and the top one escapes me for now so I will have to look and try and find the leaflet and let you know on this one. I love the 3D stockings hanging from the fire place in this one.

I have a lot more Christmas stitching to share so stay tuned.

ABCx

2009-09-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry that it is nearly a whole month since I last posted.

Today was the first time I have picked up my needle and actually popped it into my work. Thank you to my stitching group as I may have gone on longer if it hadn't been for them. I also promised them that I would put my recent stash on my blog so that they could see what came in the post yesterday. Now this isn't even the stash that I was going to post last time so I still have to get to that.

Since Stitching Bits and Bobs had a sale I bought some of the threads that were missing from my collection and I am quite partial to the dark grey almost black threads for samplers at the moment so I stocked up on a couple of those. I also didn't have a Needle minder so I bought them for the different hoops/frames with WIP. Another self indulgence was the Thread Keeps and the sissors. The charts for this stash builder were Prairie Schooler - Pink House, Boo To You, Christmas Eve, Holly Days, Santa 2009. The Stitching Parlor - Trick or Treat Lane, Fanny's Treasures. Country Cottage Needleworks - The Cafe. Erica Michaels - Toil & Trouble. JBW Designs - French Country Reineer. Blackbird designs - Summer Iris, June stocking, May stocking. Also from Blackbird Designs - Tis Halloween with the fabrics need for the stockings.

I am having stitching group at my house for a Halloween themed day in October so I had better start stitching.

Thank you for stopping by,

ABCx

2009-08-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is my latest 'Liberty Hill' purchase from Silver Needle. They had sent me the wrong Thread Keeper but were very quick to replace it and even gave me some threads because of the mistake. I must say my packages always come nicely wrapped and they are very quick with the turn around from ordering to arriving at my door.

In my next post I will show you the latest pattern purchases.

ABCx

2009-07-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is a Lizzie Kate that I will make up into a cushion. There is only so much wall space one has to hang all the stitching.

And here are two of my finished 'Be' series from Shepherds Bush that I am also going to make into cushions.

I ordered the Be Jolly buttons from a shop and they were meant to supply the pattern for free, but they didn't and now the shop has closed down so I am left with the buttons and no pattern!

I know I am an Ozzie but I just love the Halloween Holiday spirit. Ever since our first posting overseas I have decorated the house and got into the "spirit" of the night. I am just a big kid at heart really.

ABCx

2009-07-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

This is another of my WIP. Carriage House, VOHRH. I started with the graveyard first so that I got the biggest block over and done with first. Thank you for looking.

ABCx

2009-07-16T02:33:00.000-07:00

These are two of my WIP's. I have finished the outside of my 'Spook House' from Just Nan and have done one inside wall. The other is a Shakespeare's Peddler-I love the birds, which I am using NPS and am just loving the feel of the silk threads. Umm I wonder how much it would cost to get one of every colour???

I will post some recent finishes soon.

ABCx

2009-07-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

Ooo, look what came in the post for me yesterday.

I made the most of the Stitching Bits and Bobs sale. I will start with my linen purchase, I love the Weeks Dye Works Gingham so I bought a yard of the Straw/Natural and 1/2 a yard of the Gray/Straw. I also bought some WDW Onyx for a Halloween piece. Now for the charts - LaDDa's, Like Home, Love is Little, A Falling Star, Merry Sunshine, Miss Mary Mack and Mocking Bird. The Prairie Schooler's Rabbit Folk and Kitchen Table. Heart in Hand's Spring, Easter, Christmas, Autumn, Summer, Valentine, Halloween and Winter Bird. Drawn Thread's Halloween Spot. Dames of the Needle, N is for Noah. Finally Blackbird Designs, Trix or Treat.

I am so looking forward to stitching these.

I haven't posted for a while since my boys had used up all our broadband allocation last month and I had to wait for the new period to start. We have increased our download so now I hope not to have any problems. Until next time.

ABCx

2009-06-18T01:44:00.000-07:00

My how the time flies and it has been almost two weeks since my last post. I am sorry but these pictures are a bit dark, but doesn't that go with the Halloween theme? The bags were a really quick stitch. I turned the Amy Bruecken pattern into a little pillow, I wasn't happy with my finishing but I tried something different and have learnt a couple of lessons for next time.

RIP (SB) Brew (SB) & The Witch is in (Amy Bruecken)

eek (SB) RIP (SB) and Halloween (Pine Mountain)

showing some of my halloween collection.

Until next time.

ABCx

Shepherds Bush to be framed

2009-06-05T00:08:00.000-07:00

These next photo's are of the Shepherds Bush works that need framing. Yes it is only the one's that need framing I will show more of the finished works that I have planned for something else. I order the Matts from the US as I think they do really finish the work off nicely. Rensel Studios are so clever.

I am a little disappointed with myself for Little Witch as I stitched it with 2 threads over 2, I forgot I was only meant to use 1 thread. It doesn't have that nice fine finish but I wasn't going to unpick it all. Perhaps one day I can stitch it again when I have nothing else to stitch.....oh like that is ever going to happen.

Garden Gentle & My garden

Autumn Blessings

Fright

Halloween ABC

Little Witch, Pumpkin Hill & Spooky Sheep

Pumpkin Hill

Yuletide Sampler

Little Witch

Jingle & Fa La La

Fa La La

ABCx

Stash

2009-05-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday before I went to my stitching group the delivery man came to the door with my parcel from (I won't say yet as I have been overcharged for something and I would like them to fix up the problem first).

I have always wanted a Liberty Hill product and at long last have got one. Hopefully it will be the first of many to come.

This is the pride and joy of my stash. A Stitcher's Companion by Liberty Hill

And here is the rest of the stash that arrived. Prairie House Sampler and Pink Hare Sampler by Ewe & Eye & Friends. Easter Parade by Blackbird Designs. I Love the Birds by Shakespeare's Peddler, I also bought the fabric and threads for this pattern. Skeleton Shadow Box and Witch Shadow box by Prairie Moon. Last but not least I ordered a grab bag of threads.

Now all I have to find are the shadow boxes here in Australia!!!

ABCx

Shepherds Bush

2009-05-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here are the first three Shepherds Bush Kits I have that are framed. Beware there are quite a few more. I quite like the SB kits for when I am feeling a little lazy and just want to pick something up to stitch. I don't have to work out the material or threads I am going to use they are all perfect combinations.

Sunflower Sampler

The Potting Shed and below is

A Rosey Garden

My finished Lizzie Kate's

2009-05-22T00:39:00.000-07:00

Over the next couple of posts I will put up some of the previous stitchings that I done. I will try and keep them to either designers or subjects. Through these photo's hopefully you will get to know the sort of designs I like. Starting of with Lizzy Kate.

My Secret Garden - Lizzy Kate

stitched 2007

Praise your Children - Lizzy Kate

stitched 2002

Now that I am getting the hang of adding photo's I hope to add them before they are framed as I feel that gives a much better picture. ABCx

DMC kit

2009-05-21T21:28:00.000-07:00

I am trying to add some photo's to the blog. Fingers crossed that this works.

This is a kit that I bought some time ago and finished in 2006. This is the first ever kit I have bought from DMC. I am a leaflet sort of girl. I fell in love with the monochrome though and just had to do it. I am disappointed that some of the add on blocks are not quite square but that was just me not taking enough time to line it up properly.

ABCx

Surprise

2009-03-06T03:59:00.000-08:00

YeeHa, I have finally got back into my blog. Happy dance, happy dance.

It took me a little by surprise that I got back on so I am completely unprepared.

Next time it should be a whole lot more interesting with photo's.

Until then have a good weekend.

ABCx

My first post

2008-09-09T03:49:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome, As this is my first post I will tell you a little more about myself.

My two boys take up most of my time. DS1 is 14 and is quite the artist and he also rows for school. DS2 is 13 and lives, eats and breaths swimming. Needless to say I spend most of my time sitting by a pool with my cross stitch.

DH is an Engineer and because of this we have lived in quite a few places around Australia and a couple of countries thrown in for good measure. We have lived in Melbourne, Darwin, London, Aberdeen, Muscat, and Yuhzno.

Now that the boys are in Senior school years we intend to stay put until they have finished school.

We have a Neapolitan Mastiff named Mac, he is just over a year now.

Cross stitch is my first love but I also like to quilt. I go to a monthly quilting class for Thimbleberries Quilt/Block of the month.

I hope to post some photos of my finishes for the year in my next post.

ABC x