Back again

No I did not die and go to stitcher heaven, I just cut my hand ... couldn't stitch couldn't type, couldn't much of anything because it is my right hand. You know how you'll run the cloth around the top of a cup or glass to really get at that lipstick? Well don't! The glass just cracked and my hand slipped right down on the sharp edge and left me with almost a one inch slice through the web between the thumb and forefinger, eight stitches and more blood than I ever want to see again, ugh.

Not stitching yet, my thumb is still a bit numb, not completely. Doc says there is a branch of the Median Nerve very close, it was not cut but is probably bruised by the impact. Anyway, pretty difficult to hold a needle, I lost two in trying to thread one yesterday. Found 'em -- then couldn't pick them up (LOL). Typing seems to be ok now but not yet for very long as my hand begins to hurt....do you realize how much you use the forefinger in typing? A lot!

Got a lot of reading done though. Hubby had a fit, I went through about 4 books the first week and began begging for a trip to the book store. I'm a very fast reader, especially if I find the book interesting. Very few books take me very long, but I did get one in this group. It is almost too boring to read. But my other problem is I hate to pay for a book and then not read it so I keep going back to it. I'll get through it eventually. Can't even remember the name of it now, it's so boring.

Then, since I had to go into the city for the doctor I also ran by the LNS. I found two pieces of material that would be good for my Stitch Pink project, now just need to choose one. One piece I got for only $2 as it was the last little scrap she had left, perfect for a bell pull or a couple of bookmarks, but the owner said she has a hard time selling scraps that small. I wonder why, I save scraps until they really are too small to stitch anything on, but with biscornu and ornies you can get away with a very small piece. This 'scrap' she couldn't sell is at least 8 inches wide and about 16 inches long, bell pull ready in my mind! Wouldn't you buy that?

Did you notice Heaven and Earth Designs had a sale at the beginning of the month? I was being soooooo good and not even thinking about buying anything, then I saw this:

Little Drummer Boy Stocking
by Donna Gelsinger

I saw this little guy somewhere two years ago and have been looking for him ever since. I never thought to check if he might be a HAED chart. I probably won't be able to do him this year, but I'm not going to put him off too long.

Anybody know what's up with The Gift of Stitching? They closed their blog, completely removed it from the web and their Shop is closing....please don't tell me they are closing the magazine, I love that magazine!


Hope you take time to stitch a bit today!!!!

Happy Stitching

Moonlander

WIPs more every day

Well I guess they aren't all WIPs, this one is finally(!) done. I spent all day Saturday making the box. I love boxes but sometimes they really are a pain. I made this box for DH for his desk. But he decided he'd rather have it on the end table by his chair. It now holds crossword puzzle pencils and erasers, tv remotes, toothpicks(?) post-it notes, and just a lot of little stuff! I'm glad he likes it, it's no business of mine what he uses it for.

Part of Stationery Set from
one of the British magazines

Then DH went fishing Sunday so I had all day to stitch both Sunday and Monday (oh happy days, LOL). I worked on my very own Christmas Stocking, I've never had one of my own and this will be about the 6th one I've done, I guess it's about time I get one.

'Dragon by the Fire' by Black Swan Designs
on 28ct Silver Lame Lugana

I suppose I spelled "Lame" wrong but that just means the fabric is shot with silver threads and just glitters like crazy, it's really beautiful. The design is made for copper and gold metallics and since I only had a silver fabric I changed that to silver which looks fine with the copper. I am just going to love love love this stocking! Isn't he just darling?

Close up of his cute little head

Over the 4th of July weekend Heaven & Earth Designs had a sale, hope you got in on that. I purchased 3 Storykeeps (bookmarks). I know I'm going to regret getting only three, but I just could not bring myself to get HAED's for the younger boys yet. Maybe when they are older there will be more designs suitable for boys, besides they only had three with dragons on them. I have this really dumb idea that if I put all three designs on one piece of fabric and sort of work them simultaneously they'll all get done and be ready for individual birthday gifts next year.

Here is the layout
Confabulation: Forest Walk: Magical Arrival

After all that planning I didn't even look at my layout, I started Forest Walk first, urg! But I don't think that will make any difference the measurements will still be the same. I love each one of these. I hope the Christmas stocking guy is not "too young" feeling for a 10 yr old. It will matter now, but I think as he gets older then it won't matter so much. So after a couple of hours work, here is the WIP:

Forest Walk - HAED

After I get that white bit filled in I think this is as far as I'll go on the first one. Then I'll start the second one and go about as far, and so on. We'll see how it goes. The fabric is plain 25ct cream Lugana. I haven't put in a grid and on this one that seemed to be ok, but it's not always a good idea, even with a bookmark with HAED. I hope I don't have to add a grid later, that can be a pain.

Monday I worked on a little birdie and sent it as a greeting card to say thank you to a neighbor for flowers she brought me from her garden. I guess this is another Happy Dance, I didn't realize I had two whole finishes this week, yahoo! This was a free design included in Cross Stitcher with a frame which I used for framing the greeting card but I forgot to take the picture of the finished card and it's gone now.

Blue Tit

I wish I hadn't forgotten that picture. The frame had more of the branch and those cute little pink flowers all around, it was really pretty when finished.

And finally Monday evening, I got two more people on "Hamelen" offered as a free online SAL by Anita at Stitch-Creations last year. There were five parts to the design and I think they are still online in the blog if you are interested.

'Hamelen' by Stitch-Creations

This is just about half of the design. Stitched on Babbling Brook 28 ct linen over 1 using a Weeks color but I've put it away so will have to give you the color next update.

All these WIPs are making me antsy to stitch some more. And yikes! I still have to find a fabric for my In the Pink project. Take a stitch or two yourself today, it will make you smile.


Happy Stitching

Moonlander

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Testing Flicker

Just testing to see if I can figure out how to post a photo from flicker to blogger.  Ok, here goes:


Did it work?

Way cool! Ok, it's here so I'll just tell you this cool knarly tree is in California at one of the old Spanish Missions. When I took this picture I was not in to blogging or flicker or any of that so I have no way of remembering which mission, how sad. I'm much more in to labeling my photos lately. Thank goodness for iPhoto.

Ok, so the test was a success. See ya later

Happy Stitching
Moonlander

Outstanding stitching

So, you think your work is large?  Here is one that tops us all.  The Battle of Grunwald took place in 1410 (near Grundwald, Tannenberg and Breslau -- now Poland).  This was a major battle of the "Great War" of time which involved Russians, Ukraininans, Czechs, Turks. Moldovns, the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.  This great battle was depicted in oils by Jan Matejko sometime in the early to mid 15th century:

In 2008 polish artists Adam Panek and Grzegorz Zochovsky took to transferring this magnificent work to cross stitch -- not part of it -- all of it, in extreme detail.  Rather like our Heaven and Earth Designs projects -- only bigger. The result is a cross stitch chart of 4,304 stitches by 1, 835 stitches (total stitches: over 7 million!!).  The design consists of 50 parts: 40 full sized pieces and 10 smaller pieces (around the edges), and comes in 50 books.  The smallest book is 20 pages and the longest is 77.  Total pages for the project: 3,270, and that is chart-only pages it doesn't count any instructions or materials list pages  (and you thought HAED had a lot of pages, LOL).  The finished design will measure approximately 32 1/3 Feet by 14 Feet.  You think I'm kidding, yes?  Well, here is the progress to date:

Sadly, the report I read did not identify the stitching group other than to say they are a group of dedicated stitchers in Poland.  I hope when they get this finished that somebody reports on it again, I would love to see the finished work (but I don't receive any Polish newspaper).

And on the home front, today we mourn the passing of Betty Ford.  Born in 1918, Mrs. Ford was one of the most out spoken first ladies of our time.  Her opinions may not always have been right, but she said what she believed and she said it publicly -- Bravo Mrs. Ford.

Sorry kiddies, my son hasn't showed up yet to fix my camera, hopefully this afternoon. Hope you take time to stitch a bit today!!!!

Happy Stitching

Moonlander

Joined a group

I was going to show off some of hubby's good work for my craftiness but the camera futzed up, so maybe later on that.  But I will tell you about it.  Somewhere on the web I saw a picture of a lap frame that looked like it was made from PVC piping.  I showed it to hubby and he started measuring and futzzing around and today, Voila!, I have a terrific new lap frame.  PVC is designed to be glued at the joints so with too much movement the entire frame still falls apart because I want it to be collapsible for storage and I made him not glue anything.  Eventually I will glue some of the joints, but I just have to decide which ones.  Anyway, for large pieces this is going to be sooooooooo nice.  I have had a very expensive floor frame for years but never used it much because I can never get really comfortable at it.....besides it's always in the way no matter where I put it so I just don't drag it out unless it's a really really special piece I'm working on... like Teresa Wentzler, now her pieces deserve a little discomfort and inconvenience!

Today while blog hopping I found another brand new blog, "In the Pink".  I am very in to stitching Breast Cancer Awareness pieces and this new blog will be all about stitching pink for friends or family.  I sent off my e-mail to see if I can join and right now I'm betting there are spaces because so far there are only 4 or 5 followers, so pop on over if you want support for your Stitching Pink project.  I'm going to stitch the "Courage Bellpull" a freebie design from Donna Bayliss at By the Bay Needleart.  I think this was from a couple of years ago but the design is probably still available on the blog.  This is Donna's picture I don't know yet what fabric I'll use or even if I'll finish it as a bell pull.  This is one of my favorite free BCA designs and I would have stitched it sooner but, thankfully, have only recently found a need for it.

I hope everybody had a lovely holiday weekend, being an 'empty nest' and both of us retired, one day is pretty much like the next around here.  In fact I just got a phone call to remind me that I'm supposed to be on a conference call tonight and I had to admit it was a good thing D thought to call me because I was not even aware today is Wednesday much less that it's been a whole month since the last conference!  Boy, time sure does fly when you're having fun (LOL).  Sorry my 4th of July post is late, but that's what happens when old folks don't pay particular attention to the calendar.

Hubby is nattering about dinner on the table so I'm off.  Hope you find time to stitch today.

Happy Stitching,
Moonlander

Iris Opulence

BH&G A Cross-Stitch Christmas (2011) arrived in the mail Monday and I fell in love with the last design in the book so sat down and stitched it immediately, but, this little thing has been a nightmare! It was designed for mono canvas, which I don't have and don't have easy access to either.  So I decided to see if it could go on 18 ct Aida instead.  Sometimes canvas designs will and sometimes some stitches just do not do well on aida or linen-type fabrics.  Well, apparently this one works pretty well on regular fabric, but it wasn't all that easy.  The outside row definitely needs a couple of compensating stitches and until you figure out where, there is a lot of frogging, grrrrrrrrr.  There are a couple other places with compensating stitches, and of course, you stitch from the center out -- and I would not advise anyone do that any other way! -- so that last miserable row at least leads you to a nice finish.

Here is what the original from the book, stitched on canvas looks like:

The book design is done with some specialty fibers: Rainbow Gallery Velvet, which is a flat ribbon type and some metalics too, so then their description of the piece says it shows a lot of "texture" and "glitter".  I hate working with RG Velvet, unless it's a really special piece I just don't like using a laying tool and since I knew this was a 'practice' piece I also skipped the metallics.  So I'm not 'textured and glittery' but it's a decent piece anyway, I think.

The original is also done as a flat fold but I think with this aida one I'm going to make it a pillow.  One reason I fell in love with this design is that I like the flat fold because it makes a nice gift piece.  I will do this again, probably in reds to give to my neighbor as a Christmas gift.  I'll do her's as a flat fold and give it in a special made box so that she can display it or not as and when she pleases and have it's own storage box.  I don't mind that you don't display my gifts all day every day, but I do get antsy if I think you're just throwing them in the box with the other ornaments, so I always try to add a box that fits the piece when I give gifts to friends.  I know, that's kinda anal, but hey, most people really like having a good box with their 'special' decorations.

Ok, I said I'd show a couple of my WIPs, so here goes:

Noah's Ark from a fairly recent issue of Just Cross Stitch, I'll have to look up the issue info I don't have it right here.  This needs only an elephant and a palm tree in the upper right corner to be complete.  This will be a sofa pillow for DD, she actually has the piece right now so she can shop for her backing fabric.


I finished "Stretch" by Teresa Wentzler recently, gift for a friend.  This is 32 count coffee-dyed linen and I didn't use any metallics, it's a bookmark and will be handled a lot!

Michael Powell is one of my favorite designers and I finally got someone to get me one of his designs for my birthday this year.  I'm about 1/4 of the way through English Village I (and hoping to receive EV II for Christmas LOL).

I can't decide if I want to do the backstitch as I go or wait until the end, there is sooooo much backstitch in his designs!  I'll probably do more stitching before I decide.  But MP tends to use a lot of long stitch rather than plain backstitch and since I'm doing this in a hoop, I don't I want to distort the long stitch so I may just have to wait.  (Hubby is supposed to be working on a really cool lap frame that would allow me to use a larger Q-snap frame, waiting, hoping, sigh...)

Ok, that's it for now.  I hope you find time to take a stitch or two today.  I'm off to read some of your blogs to see what you are working on.

Happy Stitching
Moonlander

Moonlander

This is my new blog.  Daffycat says one must have a distinctive avatar and since I chose Moonlander as my blog I figured the space suit photo would make a 'memorable' avatar, he he he he he. What do you think?  I know, silly, but that's what a blog is for, to play with!
Some background info for you.  I'm 64, married to Mr. Perfect (meaning he's the perfect guy for me not that he is actually perfect himself!) and together we have 6 grandchildren, whom we do not see enough of!  I stitch and he goes fishing, we're both retired so we have lots of time, just not enough money to fill it all up.  I have a back and hip problem which confines me to two canes or a walker for longer distances so I do not get 'out' much but stitching can be done anywhere so that's my thing, as they say.  Hubby and our two children take lots of photos for me and I play with the photos making them 'look good' or 'cute' or 'funny', it gives me the impression that I was involved.

Here are a couple of my most recent finishes....that does not always mean framed and finished either.  Finished just means the stitching is done, when some money comes in I might squeeze out enough to 'finish the finish'.  I have recently learned to save cereal boxes and things like that so I can make flat folds, ornies magnets and such out of things that I used to frame -- but you all must know how expensive framing has gotten, my goodness!  I've also got my kids searching out garage sales and antique stores for older cheap frames.  My daughter in law is really really good at it, too, she gets lots of nice little frames for fifty cents!  So, the work.....

That kind of stitcher by Cherry Wood Design Studios.  18 ct white aida.

Heartfelt Harvey

I don't remember the designer but it was a freebie, 28 ct cream pearled linen. This is top of a round box, but I haven't finished the inside of the box yet.

'Homespun' first published in a very old BH&G

This was recently presented as SAL on one of the French blogs.I don't speak French but I did manage to get one of the English speakers to send me the charts.  Lots of fun to stitch this one, I'm thinking of making a pillow out of it if I can find a good backing. 18 ct white aida.

Venice Bridge by Michael Powell

I guess it's 14 ct aida I think that's what his kits have.  If you have the patience to do all the backstitching Powell's charts are a lot of fun. This one will be finished as the front of a Journal for my son --- at his request, which I thought was kinda cool.

And last but not least is Pere Noel from Isabelle Vautier.  I finished this in March but I really want to get a nice frame and have it professionally framed so it's still sitting here.  I'm hoping the kids will give mom a couple bucks for her birthday (LOL).

Pere Noel by Isabelle Vautier

Pere Noel is on 28ct perle linen over 1 and stitched with a Gentle Arts overdyed thread that I can't remember the name of, possibly Cranberry. I really loved stitching this one. Toward the end I found I had an error which mis-aligned the upper right quadrant, but I couldn't find the original error so I compensated instead-- oh, that's makes mine 'one of a kind' (LOL).

I have some photos of current work but I'll hold them for the next time.  I have a ton of WIPs and several UFOs so I hope you're looking forward to what's coming.  Now that I have a blog and an ID I can start leaving comments on those blogs I've been visiting, so if I pop up, don't hesitate to say hi.


Happy Stitching
Moonlander