Where haberdashery and geekdom combine

WIP

Sat, 17 May 2008 23:13:58 GMT

I hate that my life is so busy that I can't finish a simple project in a decent amount of time. This should be done and framed by now...

April May

The wedding has already happened and I showed them my progress at that point but still much to do. I've never done beading before so I don't know what to expect.

Finally, some progress... then crisis!!

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:48:05 GMT

As promised, I finally have a progress pic of my current project. And I was all excited to work on it last night and get the cat part completely finished when disaster struck! I was tightening my hoop when it suddenly stopped tightening. Apparently the nut stripped itself on the screw! So now I'm at my mom's with no replacement hoops and thus no hope of working on this with all my spare time. Drat! That'll teach me to keep a couple spare hoops on me always! My mom has a spare, but it's one that doesn't work well for me, so I'll just have to wait to work on it until I go home tonight. Oh, well.

Progress pic under cut.

This is Barbara Baatz's "Egyptian Angel" and I've had it in progress for about two years now. It just keeps getting shunted aside when Christmas rolls around because I need all my spare time for gift making. Well, my goal is to finish it this summer, and hopefully with all the inspiration I'm finding on this community I can make that happen!

The legs were all that was done until about two weeks ago. Then I added what you see of the cat in about two nights of stitching.

I'm really anxious to finish it because it uses pearl blending filament which I've never used before. It'll make the skirt and the wings nice and shiny!

Edit: I also forgot to mention that I posted a few more works on my journal if anyone wants to come take a peek.

French Country Lark.

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:35:56 GMT

I've got the bird itself done. Now I just have the branch on which it sits and the word beneath it. I'm finally learning a few tricks with the macro setting and the optical zoom on my camera.

JBW Designs
Progress as of 7:15 p.m. 5/16/2008.

Cross-posted (again) to waya

Sat, 17 May 2008 12:21:55 GMT

Whoohoo, I'm finally back home and I can post some finished works.
Behind the cut are a lot of pictures, both cross stitches and other stitches since some people here told me they welcomed the inspiration of different stitches :)

Yasuko Abe's design "Apple tree branch", by DMC. Cross stitches, half cross stitches and French knots. One month of work.

Permin of Copenhagen's little sheep. Cross stitches and back stitches. 2 hours of work.

Kit from a weekly embroidery magazine. Cross stitches and back stitches. One day of work.

Kit from a weekly embroidery magazine. Cross stitches and back stitches. One day of work.

Kit from a weekly embroidery magazine. Cross stitches and back stitches. One day of work.

Kit from a weekly embroidery magazine. Cross stitches.

Needle case from an embroidery book. Cross stitches. Two days of work.

And now for other stitches!

Needle case kit from a weekly embroidery magazine. One day of work.

Kit from a weekly embroidery magazine. Satin stitches, Detached chain and chain stitches. Three days of work.

Kit from a weekly embroidery magazine. One day of work.

Kit from a weekly embroidery magazine. Satin stitches, blanket stitches, back stitches, French knots. Note that this one is badly done since I unfortunately tightened the satin stitches too much. More than 20 years of embroidery and I still managed to do that XD Oooops :P Two days of work.

Kit from a weekly embroidery magazine. Two days of work.

Pheeeeeeew!!! That was a long one! :) More to come soon.
And now I have to check all things posted during my being away :)

busy bunny

Sat, 17 May 2008 10:21:59 GMT

i bought a few little kits from hobbycraft to do at work
they were about 99p each which was cool

i have done 11 in 9 days
work has been very quite, they will be going into cards when i find the right cards

pics under cut

children's room ideas.

Sat, 17 May 2008 04:19:01 GMT

Hi everyone! Now that my camera is working, of course all my batteries are dead, so WIP pics of my M Designs letters are still on the way.

In the mean time, I have some questions! When I was pregnant with my son, now 21 months old, I cross stitched some things for his room, and did these ones....

Now I'm pregnant with baby number 2, I'd love to do something similar. there are more in this range that I didn't do for Roman that are sweet, as well as some Australian flora as well, but I think I might want something different. I was thinking maybe some vintage toys or something?

The ones I like are.....

But I'd stitch each tree separately

Again, I'd stitch each vege separately.

The only thing I don't like about the trees, is that with Roman's animals, I really like that he points to each one and can say what they are, so he's leart something from them, so I'd like this baby to have something similar. I like the veges idea, and would love one with fruit, and just do 5 or so of the ones we use the most of something.

I also love these:

And I was thinking the beatrix Potter books, which I have in patterns, but we've put that story up in stickers around Roman's room, and I'd like to make each room different. We also don't know if we're having a boy or a girl, so unisex is good, and I don't want anything toooo babyish because it'd be nice not to have to pack them away when they're no longer babies. I'd also like something in a series so they matched somewhat. lol, demanding much?!

Any ideas?

Sleeping beauty update week 1

Fri, 16 May 2008 14:01:22 GMT

So I started this last Saturdayand this is my first week of sewing

I wasn't sure about the colours but now that I have gotten this much done, i think they will work well. This is her skirt...

So how do people keep their kits or BAPs organised?

I have found these clip plastic folders that are about 2cm wide and comfortably hold the threads, and pattern pieces.

I have labelled all my threads with the corresponding symbols so i don't have to keep referring to the key/legend which is usually on another page and gets annoying to go back and forth between the key and the pattern.

I am in the habit of photocopying my pattern pieces for one reason:

I colour them in, and change colours each week, so I can see what I did when. Also lets me see where I am up to and if I make a mistake I have the good copy of the pattern to refer to...

Anwyay, just thought I would share my thoughts on organisation :D

Online Cross Stitch Project Management Tools?

Fri, 16 May 2008 01:55:16 GMT

I figure there must be some knitters in this community. Does anyone know if there are plans to expand ravelry to include fiber arts besides knitting and crochet? For instance (yes, I do have a vested interest), cross stitch and embroidery?

My larger question is: how do you keep track of your project queue? I'm so jealous of my knitting friends who have access to ravelry's awesome project queue tools. I can't find anything equivalent in the cross stitch community. Have I missed something?

Two WIP. Fish and fowl.

Fri, 16 May 2008 01:30:09 GMT

I finished up the I in "Fish" today and started in on one of the little projects I'm working on in the interim. It's "French Country Lark" by JBW designs. I'm doing it on a Silkweaver 28-count linen solo small cut. The floss is by Crescent Colors, hand-dyed cotton and the color is named Auntie Dee. I'm loving both fabric and floss. The color of the cloth didn't really survive the picture, but it gives a decent idea. The picture of the pattern doesn't give the best idea of all the adorable little shapes and motifs that make up the lark. I'm really having fun with it.

It's got two options for the caption. Either "Lark" or "L'alouette." I'm thinking the latter.

Finished I.
I'm always a little surprised at how much difference backstitching makes. 5/15/2008 around 4:00 p.m.

JBW Designs French Country Lark.
Progress as of 8:00 p.m. 5/15/2008

Cross-posted, some more, to waya

Finished!

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:58:10 GMT

I seldom post here, so hi! *waves*

Meanwhile, I share the accomplishment of finishing "Spring Queen," which has covered four years, two new godchildren, one massive surgery, one psych hospitalization, two familial deaths, one new cat, one stolen telephone pole, and one-half house remodel.

Face and head:

Progress pics and notes on pattern changes.

Now, I have to go figure out what I'm doing next. I think I'll wait awhile before starting the next Queen. Maybe do something different in the interim.

Sistene Chapel

Thu, 15 May 2008 23:54:24 GMT

Hmmm, I've seen BAP before, but this one takes the cake.

http://www.patternsonline.com/Patterns/Pat.aspx?P=7122

800 x 283 stitches. So 32" long if done over 1 on 25 count cloth.

Yikes!

My husband's comment when I showed him - "That's more difficult than it was to paint in the first place!"

Thu, 15 May 2008 20:06:13 GMT

So, I may have agreed to cross stitch a World of Warcraft hoard emblem for my boyfriend. I'm not sure what I was thinking, to be honest, because it's huge! He converted it to a pattern using something online. So, here starts yet another BAP!
By the way, I ordered some linen (thanks for all your help!) from ABCstitchtherapy.com, along with some black aida for the WoW cross stitch. I think I'll be busy for a while with these!

Current WIP

Thu, 15 May 2008 18:20:23 GMT

This is my first BAP that I'm actually excited to finish. I started one a while ago but got fed up with it. Then again it was a kit and I'm too afraid that I'll run out of thread and freak out. I'm really weird like that. Anyway, this one I'm working on is David Cook (of American Idol fame) and would really like to send it to him, but I know I won't have it finished in time for the finale so here's to hoping I find a way. I used the chart creator over at darklilac.com and I'm really happy in the way it's turning out.

Updated: Page 1 done!!!! Only 3 pages left.

x-posted at insanegolfur and davidcookai7

Needle Guardian, finished

Thu, 15 May 2008 13:23:55 GMT

Teresa Wentzler's Needle Guardian

Forget when I finished this, some time last year. Just realized that I hadn't taken a picture of it. I love the way this one turned out. I use it to keep my needles. Would like to do a mirror image, so that the name is on the front if you look at it like a book, but haven't figured out how yet.

Cross-posted to xinef

Musical Alphabet

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:43:48 GMT

After seeing the beautiful use of the musical alphabet from the Cross Stitcher Magazine posted on this community and knowing the my husband's choir group was having an auction in just a few weeks (it was April 12th), I decided to be overly ambitious and stitch up 4 canvas bags. Hindsight tells me that I once again bit off more than I should probably be chewing but they were all done with time to spare.

Soprano:

Alto:

Tenor:

Bass:

I made a decision that any symbol would not be duplicated in a given word, so I used the J symbol for the second S in bass as well as the S in soprano, I also used the E symbol for the R in soprano so it wouldn't copy the A and the Q symbol so it wouldn't copy the other O in soprano.

At first I tried using waste canvas but I was getting frustrated so I ended up using the (non-even weave) fabric as a grid, 2 threads vertical and 3 threads horizontal was almost a square, I only grumbled a little bit on the half stitches.

They earned $10 to $24 each. I am a little disappointed but oh well. Each letter took me 1.5 to 2 hours.

Even more "Fish".

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:33:39 GMT

After these pictures were taken, I put a fish-nose up in the corner of the I. The rest of the fish is in the S. I also started the backstitch of the letter and of the kelp. I think I'm going to be done with that tomorrow, then it's a break to do French Country Lark.

That way, folks won't get tired of fish pictures... I hope.

Wimplefish.
I was wrong about this being a Moorish Idol. It's apparently a wimple fish.

Progress as of about 4:30 p.m. 5/14/2008.

Cross-posted to waya.

Thu, 15 May 2008 01:09:38 GMT

I need some linen. I keep putting this off, because I don't know where to look online, and I can't find exactly what I want.
So...where do you buy your linen when it doesn't come with your kit??

Also, completely off that topic, I think I want to do a welcome sign for my...somewhat far in the future house.

Introduction, and WIP Picture

Wed, 14 May 2008 23:32:52 GMT

Hi, there.

I've been feeling lonely for cross stitcher company (seems like most of my friends are knitters), and found this community.

A babysitter taught me some basic embroidery when I was 6 years old, and I picked up cross stitching shortly afterwards. I never really had the discipline to finish anything until a few years ago. (I tend to gravitate towards the BAP's, which would pile up in a drawer.) My first finished and framed work was my wedding record which I completed for our third anniversary. I also did this Seaside Garden sampler for my Mother in Law. For the last couple years, I've been working on a series of Christmas stockings for my family from Better Homes and Gardens Heirloom Christmas Stockings in Cross-Stitch. I have a goal of completing one stocking a year for our 3-person family. I finished my son's stocking in time for last Christmas, and I'm approaching the half-way mark on my husband's stocking. They're in three plies of DMC floss over two threads of 25-count Lugana fabric.

Here's a work in progress shot of the current stocking:

It took me _forever_ to finish that tree. It's quite large, and has a ton of color-changing greenery in it. I finished the basic cross stitch on it today and I'm so thrilled. I'll still need to go back and add in the French knot popcorn garlands and backstitching, but I'm still so glad to have the basic outlines done.

Since the tree is so large, I'm actually approaching the half-way mark on the cross stitch for this stocking. I didn't start last year's stocking until June last year, so I should handily be done with this stocking for this year's celebration. In theory, anyway. Maybe I'll even get around to doing something other than the stocking this year.

I love stitching while watching British mini-series. Our current favorite is The Forsyte Saga. When do you get your best stitching done?

I live in San Jose, CA, and order most of my patterns and special floss from www.nordicneedle.com. Does anyone know of a good local needlework shop in the SF Bay Area? Everywhere I've looked at has only carried needlepoint.

SBQ

Wed, 14 May 2008 20:58:38 GMT

This week's SBQ is:

For seasoned stitchers: Define a stitching term or acronym for new
stitchers.
For newbies: What stitching term or acronym would you like defined?

The permalink to this post is:
http://blog.blondelibrarian.net/archives/2008/05/sbq-stitch-speak/

********************
My response. I guess I count as a seasoned stitcher, since I've been at this for over a year, and can't think of any terms I wanted defined!

So, one that I've seen questions about before:

BAP - big-assed project. What counts as a BAP is entirely up to you. To me, it is something that is going to take me more than 2-3 months. Others probably have different definitions.

Cross-posted to xinef

Stitchin' Olympics - Thoughts?

Wed, 14 May 2008 19:38:28 GMT

Hi all - OK I'll step up and help organize the Stitching Olympics 2008. I'm thinking that it would be a good idea to make a separate lj community for it. Maybe the mods here could link to it? I'm thinking a sticky post at the top with each team participant and their goals. We could even have "teams" if people would like to do something like that. So, chime in and let me know what your thoughts, hope and dreams are for this SAL. I'll aim to set up the project on people's feedback by the end of this month.

Is there a graphic designer type person who'd help with a nifty Olympic theme if we go with a separate community? I'm all bad at anything that doesn't involve Xs ;-).

NOTE: Graphics helper is found :-). Thanks catalinacisne!

Book of Ink Circles, WIP 20080514

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:51:33 GMT

Progress to date on Book of Ink Circles, started a couple of weeks ago. I don't want to do all of the careful counting necessary to finish the border, so will do it as I go. Flosses used are all Dinky Dyes silks. Fabric is 32 count evenweave, over 2.

On edit - if anyone is interested in the Dinky Dyes colours I chose, let me know.

Cross-posted to xinef

A few small finishes :D

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:32:54 GMT

I've been able to stitch some smaller things the past few months. They keep me sane that way. Does anybody else have to stitch on more than one project at a time? I have about 7 that I am working on, all different sizes and whatnot :) I get bored easily!

So, here's what I've done:

Little House Needleworks: Plant Kindness

Little House Needleworks: Pure in Heart

Carriage House Samplings: Flax Fields

Lizzie Kate: Be Mine

My bigger WIP at the moment is called Old McMary's by The Workbasket, it has a HUGE HUGE red barn, that has taken me forever to fill in, and I'm not even done yet :P It'll have a bunch of little animals and stuff below the barn... someday :D

And I'm working on one called Snapperville, by Bent Creek. It's super cute. I don't work on this one very often, but should!

Thanks for posting what you have been doing, you keep me motivated!!!

Hi! ^_^

Wed, 14 May 2008 08:07:35 GMT

Hello there all =)
Wee bit intro to myself, my name's Yuki and I hail from sunny Singapore. I've recently taken up cross stitching again after stopping for over 20 years, inspired and motivated by all the lovely works I've seen while lurking on this community for a while.

So, to warm up, I tried my hand at a practice piece from a free chart I kopped off cross-stitching.com. You can find the completed piece in this entry. Annnd feeling quite confident, I decided to sew something for a friend whose birthday is coming up in 2 weeks time.

The snag i've run into is, I don't really know any framers in Singapore, so I'd love it if any Singaporean cross-stitchers here can suggest a good reliable framer. Barring that, I'd accept any suggestions for framing it myself too. ^^;

Thank you so much and I'm looking forward to learning more new stuffs from everyone here ^-^

Wed, 14 May 2008 07:01:00 GMT

Has anyone bought from Misty Dreamz? They are having a buy 2 get 1 free sale until the end of May.

Also, anything happening with organising the Stitch Olympics? It is less than 90 days until the Summer Olympics start...

I heart The Rocking Horse

Tue, 13 May 2008 23:52:53 GMT

The Rocking Horse is my LNS. It is a *wonderful* store. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, service-oriented. They have so many models, I can’t tell you. Every wall is covered in models–floor to ceiling. There is no empty wall space. The shop has two large front windows, both of which are always filled with seasonally current models. They are always shifting models around. If you need inspiration, this is the place to find it.

Skeptical? The front page has a link to pictures inside the store. Take a gander. Models, models, models. New stuff, classic stuff. It’s mostly framed pieces, but there are pillows and stockings and fobs, too. It’s a cross-stitch addict’s visual paradise.

Still don’t believe in the inspirational power of this store? Today, I took my son to the store to get Magnificent Wizard framed. He’s tried cross-stitching a couple of times, but he finds it a tedious craft, and loses interest quickly. Still, after looking around, he saw a model of a Margaret Sherry pattern that I believe I have in my stash, and asked me to kit it for him and to alter the pattern so it’s a hamster, not a mouse, because after this afternoon he wants to try to stitch again. After talking with the clerk, he’s decided that if he has the patience to edit a video game, he might have what it takes to stitch.

Such is the power of The Rocking Horse.