Voila! I used Rachel’s tutorial to make him his own stocking!

A stocking for Joel!

It turned out so well! I really like the dragon batik in the second row of green fabric from the top – it’s just so Joel!.

And here’s the back – the fabric is a border print from Michele Hill’s William Morris inspired fabric line.

Back of the Stocking – I love this fabric (I guess it’s a testament to our love that I actually cut into it!)

And the verdict – He Loves it! YAY!  Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

I’ve started some annual leave and so it seems that I finally have some time to update my long fallow blog. And do I have some news for you – I finally finished the Coat of Arms Band Sampler! It was a total pleasure to stitch – even during those times when I thought I’d never get to the end. Finished on the 9th December 2012. Started sometime in November 2011 (I think! – Now I understand why I should update the blog – I’d have more of an idea about the time it took to do!)

Via Flickr:
Stitched on White Newcastle Linen (40ct) one thread over two with Vikki Clayton silks. I used: the Etherial Blues Series, Icicle Blues Series, Denim Blues Series and Mermaid Blues Series with two unknown varigated blues (also by VC just unlabled) to create the colour scheme.

Design is by Stickideen von der Wiehenburg.

Coat of Arms Band Sampler / Stickideen von der Weihenburg

Anyway enough of the mopey talk, the purpose of this post is to share some progress pictures of my Band Sampler Coat of Arms by Stickideen von der Weihenburg.  I’m still a little behind the pace of the SAL (the last page released was page 44) I am about 4 pages behind.  I have five more bands to go! Two more pictorial and three “ribbon” bands.

Coat of Arms Band Sampler – detail of recent work.

Honestly, I love this sampler. Even the row that I don’t like as much as the others (the variegated row above the unicorns).  I think that mistake will probably end up working out as the row is pretty much in the centre and will sort of bring the theme of many blues together… (or look like a massive fail – if I really end up hating it I can still pull it out).

I think I am turning into a one-at-a-time stitcher… I don’t know what that means for my massive pile of works in progress.  We’ll have to see.

Chatelaine: Sampler Mystery II (in all its unironed glory)

This is a photo of the whole thing. It’s actually pretty big and I found it difficult to get a nice picture. It may have been easier if I had got the iron out (sometimes I just can’t do it, sorry).

The flowers that bloomed over the weekend.

And here is a detail shot of the flowers I planted in stitches over the weekend. The gold border is very boring to stitch and I haven’t got anything sufficiently mindless to watch whilst stitching it at the moment. But, wait! Mythbusters is on tonight and I can work on it whilst Joel is watching.  Confession: I’m not all that into it, but will happily stitch whilst it’s on.  Please don’t ask about the physics principles demonstrated tonight because I was probably concentrating on threading my needle at the crucial moment (always the way and those metallic threads can be buggers to thread properly).

We had a minor domestic disaster this weekend. This Christmas I bought a rather expensive but simply amazing smelling candle by Diptyque (it was a special edition Christmas candle scented like a pine tree).  This particular candle has been rather a household chore as well as a pleasure to smell because unfortunately I dropped it on our tiled floor just after Christmas – the clean up after this incident was rather traumatizing (I also got the wax on my favourite silk skirt) but we got through it (the skirt survived!!)

Loving this candle so much I actually ordered a second one for next year which I have packed away safely.  But what to do with the other, broken one? It was suggested by a family member who will not be outed on this blog that it would be ok to light it (but not display the poor shattered remains).  So, the other night, I was feeling the love and pulled the candle out and lit it before we retired to bed.  Just as I was drifting off to sleep I pulled myself out of the bed and went over to blow it out to be greeted by the sight below… arrrrgh.

A Minor Disaster Domesticus

And of course there was a puddle of wax on the carpet by the dresser.  I’ve scraped off all the wax from our dresser which thankfully did not leave any marks in the wood and did the same for the carpet. The bedroom has a lovely scent of pine about it at the moment!!  I still have to lift the wax out of the carpet with the iron and some paper towels but that will happen another day (hey, if I’m not ironing WIPs – I’m not ironing the carpet!!)

Well, another rather wordy update from me.  Sorry about that.  It does kind of help to share the domestic disasters (I get to see the funny side of them this way).

**The Theme-a-licious theme for February is Fangirl Febrary and I’m stitching my favourite designer (scientifically selected) Chatelaine.

The Prairie Schooler Garden Gate Sampler

I’m very pleased with how it turned out. 

And, with that finish, I recommitted to working on my blue band sampler and have a little progress to show off…

Coat of Arms Band Sampler - Stickideen von der Wiehenburg

As you might be able to see I ran into a little problem stitching on the large light blue band pictured in the centre- I ran out of thread with 127 stitches to go! Can’t see it? – The last plant pot thingy is missing a flourish, lucky for me a lady on the HDF board offered me some thread from the same dyelot. Stitchers are the loveliest people!

I picked a nice variegated thread for the next band – which I have now started along with the band below it (just wanted to see how the colours read together).  I’m not completely in love the variegate right now but I’ve put it on probation and will see how it pans out.  I really like the darker colour below so that is staying.

Regarding the Theme-a-licious SAL – Jardin January was a big success for me – I began and finished The Garden Gate Sampler.  Next month is Fangirl February – this is according to Heather,  an opportunity to:

Send a Valentine to your favorite designer…or at least work on his or her designs for the month!

I took the list I posted in January of all my current WIPs and totaled up the count for each designer.  Chatelaine was no 1 in the list followed by Mirabilia, Stickideen von der Wiehenburg, Bent Creek, Theresa Wenzler and Lizzie Kate.  Isn’t it funny but my heart sank at the idea of spending too much time with my Chatelaine WIPs. However, I will do it!! I will pick up Sampler Mystery Two from where-ever I stashed it away – it may take some finding! In order to perhaps see a finish in February, I will also be picking up Flora McSample by Lizzie Kate this is a very small piece, that I just keep putting down because it is on 28ct fabric – which means I have to use two strands of thread (something to which I have become a bit adverse) – the same could be said of the Chatelaine, but it has the advantage of being mostly silks (ahhhh, silks) and on a slightly tighter 32 count fabric and it has peacocks!

Dr K has pointed out of course that totaling up my WIP designers was probably not the best way to identify my favourite designer as really, it is at best a indicator of the designers capable of inducing me to start but not finish a piece (a conclusion I was rapidly approaching on my own).  I should re-catalogue my charts and kits to get a better sense of who my real favourite is (not a chance – there’s more than a thousand at the last count and that is time I could be spending stitching!) OR I could count my finished pieces that I have stashed around the house – this is actually more do-able as most are in a basket un-framed (I have a bit of a phobia of getting the framing choices wrong – this is utterly silly, I know). I might do this during February just for fun.

Well everyone, this has turned out to be rather a long post, sorry about that! When I fired up the wordpress editor I didn’t think I had that much to say!!  Wishing you all a very productive February.

PS: I actually have 3 Chatelaine finishes – Strawberry Shaker Box (and the fob, haven’t done the rest of the “toys”), Japanese Octagon Box and the Grape Threadkeeper – somehow I felt it was necessary to point out that out.

PPS: Dr K is in the kitchen cooking dinner and burbling on about metrics for measuring my exact favourite – one possible measure – the number of stitches completed to number of charts held (I’m afraid I’ve already forgotten his other suggestions).  I do love being married to a man of science.

Well, it’s very early on Australia Day and Dr K and I have very few plans other than to sit in our respective cubbies and do what we both like best. Him: programming or gaming (be it EVEonline, Uncharted, Skyrim). Me, watching DVDs (still have some Christmas gifts to watch) and hopefully finishing the Garden Gate Sampler. I’ll share my progress on that in a little bit, but first – the new moon has well and truly passed which means I am overdue sharing my Totally Useless Stitch-along (TUSAL) update, this is the fun stitch-along where bloggers share a photo of the Old Ragged Threads (ORTS) they’ve collected during the previous month.  I’ve been collecting them in this cute little storage caddy I bought at a department store kitchen department, not having any empty jars to hand.  I quite like the square shape (it also has a lid, which is being used as a coaster at the moment).

January 2012

You can see that all of the threads have come from The Garden Gate Sampler.  Sadly, not one stitch has gone into my beautiful blue band sampler.  This must be rectified next month – I am now 5 pages behind the action again. (I can catch up – I started work when page 10 was released, and I have no intention of letting this become a UFO).  I know why this has happened – I’m due to change blues again and this is always fraught with indecision and second guessing.  Once I commit to a blue I’ll stitch again happily.  I guess I should be happy that I am only working with one colour on this piece – imagine the pain of choosing from the full spectrum!

Racing towards the end - Garden Gate Sampler / The Prairie Schooler

And here’s a quick and frankly quite awful photo of where I left the Garden Gate Sampler after this weekend’s magnificent effort. I feel a happy dance coming on…

Till next time friends!

Well, here we are again with a little update on The Garden Gate Sampler by The Prairie Schooler (from book no.45 OOP).  I’m a little late making my Theme-a-licious check-in post as I have family visiting and they are taking up much of my time, not so much that I haven’t had time to obsessively stitch on The Garden Gate.  I think I sat down on Sunday with the intention of finishing the numbers and maybe the words, but once in the chair I had to finish the gazebo and add the flower motive to the right as well.  I had the last week of the Colbert Report and Daily Show to catch up on so I was in hogs heaven (my visitors were in a similar state playing with my nieces and nephews over in North Perth).  I think I am about a third of the way done on this piece now.  They look so small – but there is a lot of stitching!  To recap, this is on 40ct raw linen with the charted DMCs.

Garden Gate Sampler - The Prairie Schooler

With the visitors in tow, we went to see Tintin on Saturday – I’m always a bit leery of films made from my childhood favourites (look what they did to Asterix) but this was a pretty faithful reproduction and we all enjoyed it very much. We saw the non 3d version – I think that was just what they were showing at the time though I have to admit I was relieved I didn’t have to slip the silly glasses over my own.

The lovely Dr K and I are busy preparing a travel plan to go to Iceland, Scotland and England (maybe Paris if I am lucky and go on my own) in March / April.  Joel is wanting to attend the EVE online fan fest 22-24 March in Iceland (it’s an online computer game event) so I am going along to see what there is to see.  The Sisters of Eve (wives/partners) are hosting a day tour on the 23rd where I’ll get to go horse-riding, caving and ride around on a quad bike (I admit these are not things I’d do if left to myself, but might be fun for one day – or should I just take my portable OTT light and stitch? -  the date is also my birthday)  We also thought it would be nice to see Edinburgh and Glasgow (I’ve never been that far north in the UK).  We pretty much have to go to England as most of my relatives are in Essex (Southend on Sea, Rochford and Romford) -  my little branch of the family emigrated to Australia in 1982 when I was 8 years old.  Joel does not want to go to Paris at all, so I’d have to make that little pilgrimage on my own – I have already been once, but would love to see it again and Sacre Coeur which I missed last time around.

Well friends I’m going to leave it here, till we next meet.

Well the 2012 stitching year has started a little slowly for me (for example, that lovely blue sampler I’ve been working on has not progressed beyond one thread length since I last posted – I’m now 3 pages behind).

I do have a new start to share, which I mentioned in my previous post – The Prairie Schooler’s Garden Gate Sampler from their booklet Garden Samplers (long OOP sorry).  Here’s a picture of my progress so far…

Garden Gate Sampler / The Prairie Schooler

It’s looking quite pleasing already – I think the colour scheme is quite Little House Needleworks-y (though of course it is probably the other way round given that the chart was published in 1994).  I’m stitching it with the charted DMC cottons on 40ct natural linen – this linen is quite “hairy” – there are strange little filaments of the linen not quite woven in all the way that are a bit like when you catch your clothes on a nail – not that nice to stitch on unfortunately, but I will persevere!  This is what I have managed to achieve on an hour or so each day.

This is all I have achieved for the WIPocalypse SAL, so far.  I’m also using this SAL as an opportunity to review my (frankly massive) stash, this month it was the WIPS (including those looong-term WIPs), next month I’m thinking I’ll catalogue the fully kitted pieces – those ready to stitch.

What else have I been doing?

• Working – no holidays other than the prescribed public holidays for me this year.  Hardly anyone else was at work (and our cafe was closed argh!) It was very strange and I learned that I am not a happy worker when I am left on my own (my self talk is terrible – I convince myself that nothing I do at work is worthwhile – and yet I know deep down that I am actually very well thought of in my library).
• Skyrim – Dr K gave me this game just before Christmas and I’ve been spending a lot of time playing it instead of stitching – naughty (I ended up giving Dr K his own version because it is rather awesome).
• Preparing for invasion – My Dad and his partner, Karen are arriving in the wee hours tomorrow morning, so Dr K and I have been cleaning the heck out of our house – our kitten Tripitaka has taken it upon herself to re-muck it as quickly as possible (she lies in our mulched garden and brings in the straw attached to her fur).

It will be a quiet week for stitching, Skyrim and work this week as we’ll have Dad and his partner, Karen visiting till next Monday.  That means I’ll be going out and about more, taking a few days off from work to do so and not playing with the Xbox.

Wishing you all a great week!

1. Celtic Garden – Chatelaine Designs
2. Enchanted Mermaid – Mirabilia
3. And they Sinned – Exampler Dames
4. Puffin Ornament – Jemini Designs (JCS ornament issue)
5. Catherine’s armchair pinkeep – Indigo Rose
6. Christmas Tree 2009 – Mirabilia
7. Christmas Toybox – Cat’s Whiskers
8. Hanging by a Thread – C.A. Wells
9. Quaker Sampler – Stickideen von der Wiehenburg
10. Flora McSampler Stitch Lesson Sampler – Lizzie Kate
11. Living with Charm Double Flips – Lizzie Kate
12. ABC Calligraphie Rose – Laurence Roque
13. Quaker Garden – Blackbird Designs
14. Countdown to Christmas – Blue Ribbon Designs
15. Shores of Hawk Run Hollow – Carriage House Samplings
16. Eiffel Quaker – Jardin Prive
17. Snapperbets – Bent Creek
18. Celtic Sampler Wallace – The Needle’s Praise
19. Cowboy Dreams – Country Cottage Needleworks
20. Over the Top: Spooky witch hat – Just Nan
21. Peacock Garden: Mystery 2010 – Chatelaine Designs
22. Persian Iris Garden – Chatelaine Designs
23. Tuxedo Cat Eyes: Hawks – HAED
24. Heart Treat Bag – Shepherd’s Bush
25. Winter Snapperland – Bent Creek
26. A*B*C – Prairie Schooler
27. Chinese Garden Mandela – Chatelaine Designs
28. Antique Tassel – Victoria Sampler
29. Egyptian Mandala – Chatelaine Designs
30. Sampler Mystery II – Chatelaine Designs
31. Rose of Sharon – Mirabilia
32. Dragon’s Treasure – Cherry Tree
33. Celtic Heart – M Designs
34. Millennium – Teresa Wenzler
35. The Castle – Teresa Wenzler
36. Band Sampler Coat of Arms – Stickideen von der Wiehenburg
37. Holly and Ivy – Shepherd’s Bush
38. Beatrix Potter’s Quaker Sampler – Needleprint

There are a few pieces on this list that I have no intention of picking up this year – they should be more correctly called UFOs – one day I may go back to them but I don’t believe 2012 will be the year that I do.

Here’s a few pictures from today’s work. My study was in a bit of a state when I started but it is all ship-shape now. If only I could get the cats out of my stitching chair I’d be a happy girl!

Tonight, I am planning on kitting up a couple of Prairie Schooler’s that I have been meaning to stitch for a few years. Tall Oaks from Book no 40. Band Samplers and Garden Gate Sampler from Book no 45. Garden Samplers. Not that I am anxious to drive my WIP total higher – I just want to stitch these to participate in Theme-alicious 2012 (This month is Jardin January). Also I love them both and will enjoy working them (so there!)

Let the stitching year commence! Wishing you all many many happy stitches in 2012.

We spent our New Year’s Eve at my sister in law’s place which was just lovely, firstly playing with the kids and once they’d headed off to bed, chatting into the wee small hours with the adults. For the first time in many years we all made it to midnight and toasted the new year in with champagne (usually, Joel and I are on our own at this point, the lovely Jones’ having excused themselves to head off to bed). As we all toddled off to our beds at just after 1am, we got assurances that this will probably be the last year that they will manage to join us.  It was a very pleasant night – we sat out on the back patio, drinking assorted cocktails (the strawberry daiquiri was to die for, I also recommend Penny’s Black Russian) and enjoying their company. Breakfast today was a piece of Tiramisu meant for dessert last night, followed by lots of fresh bread with home-made butter (not the greatest start to a new diet year but delicious all the same!!) Here’s a pic we took last night with my phone just as we were all getting ready to retire for the night.

Me (left) and my wonderful sister in law, Penny.