I can't believe how long it has been

Oh boy, I can't believe how long it has been since I wrote something here. It is not that I have not been stitching and creating just that life and work got in the way a bit....again.

I have now joined a knitting group so knitting has taken up more of my time just lately.
I have taken some photos and will take some more of what I have been up to.
June is a very busy crafty month with knitting group meetings and a weekend away, I am also going to Brisbane for 11 days of  crafty workshops at the end of June, I will post more about that a little later. This post was just to warm up my posting muscle.

I took the photos to post on the WIPocalypse post and then forgot to actually POST.
Well as someone else said "better late than never.

I did not manage to do a lot of stitching this month. I did make a little progress on the dragon fly.
I  nearly kept up with the TAST weeks though, so that also counts I guess.

Here is my felted and embroidery handbag panel  !!!!!!! Yes I got all the materials out (several times) and then did not have the time to do the felting. Well, getting it out onto the table was a start of sorts, wasn't it?

This month also saw me adding an 'extra', a quick something that was not on my list but that I just felt like making. We have a little band of three friends who like to get together for a bit of food and a bit of wine. One friend bought us each beautiful matching wine glasses for christmas, for use when we go to each others places for a glass or two.

Here is me with mine, not a very flattering photo but still.

 I thought a nice padded coulourful bag for transporting the glasses to each others homes would be useful, I made one for each with the same flower fabric but with different background colours. The girls loved them. 

I did make a very small contribution to the cross stitch  'Day' but for some reason the photo will not download. so you will have to take my word for it.

So that is me for this month, happy stitching.

TAST 4

Stitching in North Queensland (Australia) this time of year is not easy. It is is summer here, and when I sit under my light at night to do some quiet stitching, I become the centre of a flying bug cloud. Little beatles and bugs landing on my work, walking up my arms, landing in my hair.... you get the picture. We have screens on all windows and doors so I don't know how they get in, but I wish they wouldn't. I am experimenting with leaving a bigger light on somewhere else in the room to encourage them to go there... not sure it is working so well.

Anyway, here is my play with Cretan stitch. I wasn't really that keen to do much with this stitch, but I did end up enjoying it and was surprised at what could be done. I even did a bit of research on the stitch and was amazed at the stitching designs from Crete I found.
Table clear ready for Tuesdays stitch. What could it be????

IHSW

Well i didn't get as much done as I had wanted to. Life always has a way of getting in the way.
Still I finished off my Bead Journal Project, and take a stitch Tuesday. I also did some work on the Dragonfly, one wing done and another nearly finished. My stitching time was nice while it lasted. I aim to do more next time around.

Teena

January's contribution

So here is my January beading piece. I feel a little embarrased, there are just so many amazing pieces that have been added on peoples sites. The photo does not really do justice to the colours in the background fabric, it is much prettier in the 'flesh' My problem was, that I wanted to sew on lots of nice beads, but I didn't want to cover the fabric too much. I am not too unhappy with it as a first instalment. The design includes family, new beginnings and changes for the new year.

TAST Feather stitch

So far so good, I am keeping up with the challenge, well I have only been back at work a week, so the worst is yet to come.  Here is a photo of my 'play' with feather stitch. I am really excited about the library of stitches I will have at the end of the year. I was having trouble doing anything creative with this stitch, I do like the second pattern along (the first light blue one) I will use that elsewhere.

TUSAL

Here is the January photo of my ORTs jar. There is something satisfying about looking at this jar with its slowly growing collection of little bits of 'stuff', it shows that I have actually managed to get time to sit and stitch. The content is really pretty there are lots of bits of metalic thread from the Dragonfly cross stitch and lots of beautiful silk threads from the needle case. Nice memories here.
That is Sam, holding on to my jar, he keeps me company in my stitching room. He is so cute and soft.

I found Sam during the christmas shopping rush, you know when you have just about had enough with shopping, people, preparing and getting ready? I live in the tropics, Christmas time is HOT. Millions of people go shopping just to get out of the heat. I was just about at that point, where I was ready to snap the head of the next person who looked at me the wrong way. Well I saw Sam, someone had picked him up in the department store and must  have then changed their mind about buying him, he was sitting on a shelf at the check-out line, with pens, magazines and lollies, looking lost and rejected....He made me smile, so I had to save him. He now sits in my room, looking at me as if he is waiting for me to tell him the meaning of life...(he will be waiting a while). I named him after my beautiful cat, Samuel who died a year ago today at the age of 19. Still love you Sam.

IHSW and BJP

OK so I have now signed up for the International Hermit and StitchWeekend. I have been back at work a week now and realise work is going to be even more hectic than I first thought for the next few months, so this might be my last chance for a while to get a good amount of stitching done. I am going to make the most of it. Stitching -check, wine - check, alone time- check. I am ready.

I have completed my January Bead journal project.

It features fireworks which to me signifies new-year, new beginnings, celebrating the start of something and hope for a good year. There are 7 little 'figures' on the left they signify my family, husband, sons and their girlfriends, the beads on the right signifies a crazy amount of 'stuff' turning into a clearn simple line of beads, this is to show that, this year I will be in control rather than flying along out of control. This will involve saying no.... I am practicing, and have warned my boss. I don't think he believes me... It is not as artistic as some of the entries I have browsed through, but it is OK for me, as a start. I started out with a piece of hand dyed silk velvet, which I cut into 12 equal pieces, the gold swirl beading will run through them all. I will then mount each individual piece and display as a whole with the 12 pieces together. Sounds like it might work.... we will see.

Buttonhole stitch

Here is my play with buttonhole stitch, complete with a buttonhole. The legs on the little spider/ant in the web, are also done with buttonhole stitch.

I also used buttonhole stitch, to secure the shapes on my 'stitching placemat'

Well it is back to work tomorrow and it is going to be a busy few months. I will have to make time for stitching though, it is what keeps me sane.... well my version of sane anyway.

TAST week 1

TAST week one.

I had a bit of fun with size thread and ribbon.

I had done Fly stitch before but had never really taken the time, to play with them.

I have prepared fabric strips, with 4 boxes for different stitches on each. I am not sure yet if I am going to make them into a stitch sample book or band sampler. 

Looking forward to see what stitch tomorrow brings. ; )

WIPocalypse

I did post a list of WIPocalypse projects but I don’t think it is complete. We still have a visitor in the room I normally use as a sewing room. I am fairly sure, there might be more UFOs in the cupboard in there..... I know I have ‘a few’ charts and kits, I might be adding more to my list yet.

I finished the first item on my list. The Colourstreams needle case is done. It is in use, filled with needles already.

I have also finished the Emerald dragon fly,  it is the second time I have completed this pattern the first one hangs in my sister’s house, I will be glad to have a set for myself.

I have made a start on the second dragonfly.

Extras.

I have decided to add a list of ‘extras’ these are small’ish, projects I decide to start, that are outside my list.

I was having trouble keeping track of my bits and pieces when stitching or beading at the dining room table at night. So I made a crafting “placemat”, only my bits and pieces are allowed on it. Hopefully that will help keep everything together. I have  button hole stitched around each bit,  I just need to decide how to finish the edges.

I found this really nice stone centre piece while browsing in a bead shop. I had to make a necklace out of it. It is a bit longer than I wanted it but that is easily fixed.

So that is me for this month. I will be back to work next week, so my future progress reports will not be as good, still.... if I didn't  work, I would have no money for more stash. ; )

Countdown to going back to work.

I only have a week and a half left of my holidays, then I am back to work with less time for stitching, I am back to study in February, then I will have even less time, oh well; I better enjoy it while I can.

I have loved having complete days, where I do little else but stitch, I have stitched so much, that I have a really sore finger, with multiple stab wounds.......  But I found a solution, I didn’t want to use a bandaid and end up with sticky stuff everywhere, so I cut a finger off a pair of rubber gloves and wear that, works a charm, back to stitching.  

I am off to a friend’s place tomorrow for a morning of stitching, tea and chat, life is good. If I go the long way, it will take me past a craft store, I can’t let a chance like that go by.