Showing posts with label Tiny Garden by Shepherd's Bush. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tiny Garden by Shepherd's Bush. Show all posts

Monday, March 12, 2012

Jane, a Bee and a Fairy

Hello my lovelies!!

The coffee's on and I'm sitting here with a warm blanket and looking out the window at the tree tops, which are all askew.  You guessed it! It's blustery here again! Not too chilly, just super windy! I went outside this morning to see the hubby off on his bike and nearly got blown over! March definitely has been acting like the royal lioness that she is!! I'm really hoping for some warmer weather.  It's been 6 long months of cold.  I'm done! Bring on the sun!! Although I'm sick of the cold, it's kinda nice sitting here by the heater with my blanket and cup of coffee...thinking about stitching...thinking about new charts I want yet can't have...thinking of new smalls to make...finishes to be completed.  I think I'll whip up two today!

So, I have actually finished 1 of the Rak's and I have to say, it's adorable!! Now, after I finished it, I just couldn't decide who to give it to because, well, everyone is so lovely and supportive and I want to give gifts to all!! However, I don't have 8 sets of arms--SHOCKING I KNOW!!--so, I put names into a bowl and pulled one out. That way I let chance choose. I'm keeping the rest of the names in the bowl for the future. If you haven't sent me your addy, please do!  Now all I have to do is find a small box to put it into and mail it off. The hunt is on!!

Onto Jane, the bee and the fairy.  I have been having a bit of stitching ADHD lately, not really sticking to one project.  I stitched a bit more on Jane but put her down to do some proper finishing.  I finally stitched up Shepherd's Bush's Tiny Garden "Fob".  It's a bit too big to be a fob for any of my three scissors, so I have it displayed instead.  I love the little bee pin from my hubby's grandma.  I think it's the sweetest thing!!

Since the silk ribbon is so tiny, I found that the loopy effect that I wanted didn't work as I had hoped.  Next time I get silk ribbon, I'll get the slightly larger kind.  Plus this was so fiddly and took an age to stitch around the pillow!

Here's some progress of Jane.  I finally got Adam stitched in.  He's a bit shorter than Eve! I double checked the counting and well, he is shorter than her by a few! My hubby loves the little lion under the tree.  We also had a laugh at the skin tone of A & E! It's very bright! Like they've been in the tanning bed for too long and came out looking like lobsters!!!

Hmm.  Seeing this photo makes me think I should recount again, just to be sure!! Although, that gap by Eve's calves is where the snake is going to go.  So maybe that's why Adam is short? Anyways, I will try and satin stitch the snake in after I finish the tree.  I've done satin stitching a LOOONG time ago in Grade 12 when I took a textiles course.  My mom is really proficient at satin stitching, so perhaps when she comes to visit in a couple of weeks, I'll have her around to help me out! I'm pretty excited for her to come!!! YAY FOR MOMS!!!!

The fairy.  Remember my Tea Bath Fairy?!! Well, it's been since November that I picked her up and put in a stitch! I've been feeling bad about having her stashed away in a box.  So I pulled her out two nights ago and set about filling in more teeny tiny stitches! I used a hoop since Jane is sitting in the Qsnaps...too lazy to take her out! I forgot how long it takes just to do a small area. This piece will take me awhile, that's for sure.

Oh Titus!! I had to get him off after I noticed he tried to get in the picture! He started playing with the thread that was attached to the fabric!! Luckily he was gentle and no damage was done.

Onto other news.  The strike action last week wasn't too bad.  I "demonstrated" up at a school I haven't been to before, but knew two of the teachers.  They were a lovely bunch! It was nice to see lots of people honking and showing their support.  Plus, we had the nurses union and other CUPE members join us because their contracts are up in 3 weeks and it looks like this government will mandate a "Net-Zero" for them too. 
We wanted to make our own signs but were given these ones to hold.  They were really heavy to hold when the wind started up!!!

And just for fun, here's a couple of photos of one of my favourite secret places in Gastown, Vancouver.
Titus helping me find interesting vegan recipes to make for Lent. He loves to help out!!

Okay, I need to go and start sewing and finishing some things and find that box! I will end my post here and thank you all for your support and kind words!! I have been really blown away by some of the amazing stitching going on!

I also want to send out my prayers to the people in the United States whose lives and homes have been affected by the terrible storms.

Hugs for all,

Anne

Monday, October 24, 2011

Fabric Shopping, Fibers, Finishes and Fall!!

Oooh, alliteration... I love it!

Sometimes I try and think of a clever title for my posts, and it never comes to me, so why not go with some alliteration and make it fun!

As the title says, I went fabric shopping with my friend at probably the worst possible time to shop...the Saturday before Halloween.  We had to squeeze through the shelves of bolted fabric, often toppling over each other and others! I was looking at fabric 5 inches from my face!! At least no one was testy.  Smiles all around, especially when we had to get very close to someone to look at some fabulous polka dotted fabric. After grappling my bolts of fabric, I  purchased 3 new pieces of fabric.I have to say my friend has a fabulous eye for fabrics.  I'll need to go back with her again cause she picks out fabrics that I would never even consider!!
Some great regal fabric for a project I'm making for my friend.
Onto the fibers bit.  My package from 123stitch.com came the other day.  My husband picked it up.  He didn't say anything....:D  Then about a week later, he said "So you got your strings?" Shoot...I thought he wouldn't notice!  Ah well, at least he seemed as though he didn't care!!  So yes, I got my strings and I am loving them.  I am a bit disappointed though with the Valdani spool of thread.  I was under the belief it was silk, but it isn't.  The spool also looks a lot larger than I thought...maybe I should ACTUALLY read the size of things, and not skim over the details.

Now to finishes!! I've got two to show you all, even though I finished 3.  I whipped up Shepherd's Bush's Tiny Garden fairly quickly, once I received my WDW threads.  The only thing left to get is some lovely silk ribbon...thinking about HDF silk ribbons.  Never ordered from them before so hopefully the ribbons are good.  Then I finished the Plum Street Sampler's Yuletide ornament.  Still trying to decide if I want to make it into a pinkeep, or a mini pillow ornament.  As for the third finish, I can't post the pictures of it until Valerie receives her package, which I mailed today!
I love this design!
Hubby's Grandma's bumblebee pin















I'll leave you with some more lovely fall photos. I can't believe how wonderful it has been this October.  Not too many rainy days, which is rare for the Lower Mainland!!  About to go on another autumn walk!

Lovely tree lined sidewalk
Chestnuts!! We fed one to a squirrel!
Gorgeous Japanese Maple
This scene evokes the feeling that fairies live here!!
Adorable fluff cat we met along the walk


Until next time,  take care and happy stitching!

PS Thank you all for your lovely comments and advice, I love receiving your warm encouraging words!!

Anne

Friday, September 30, 2011

BBD Finish, Shepherd's Bush Start, and a WIP

Hello my lovelies!!

Yay! I am back at home and reunited with my hubby!!!  Sitting on a pug was fun but I felt it was time to let him go.  Seriously though, everything went fine,the pug was fairly good, except the excessive snoring and the leaping up onto me giving me bruises!! I'm just really happy to be at home, with my own stuff, my own computer and of course my man. 
Hamish
Once I got home, I decided it was time to start Shepherd's Bush's Tiny Garden.  Teresa had sent me the chart and Joyce had given me some lovely light bluish grey 25 ct. lugana to use, and since my thread order came, I was more than eager to start.  It was such a PLEASURE to stitch on lower count after I have been peering over my HAED WIP stitching 1 over 1.  As I was close to finishing one side of the Tiny Garden, I realized I forgot to order 1 Weeks Dye Works thread!! URGH! How frustrating is that?!!! So I laid down my stitching and off I went to 123stitch.com to add that one thread. I then decided to look around at the other threads they have, particularly the Valdani Threads and Dinky Dyes silks. I spent a REALLY long time browsing through all their threads, until 1 am.  Oops! I haven't order anything YET, but when I do..hehe...I am going to be adding some Valdani and Dinky Dyes silks just for the heck of it!! I also ended up adding BBD A Schoolgirl's Work to my wishlist cause I am hoping that either my mom or my hubby will get that for me for Christmas. I hope my hubby doesn't read this post because he would state "You have enough threads! You don't need anymore!" This is always his response. Like he knows anything!!
Anywho, stash stalking aside, I ended up finishing BBD's freebie design "Now I know my ABC's".  A lovely quick stitch that I am thinking of either framing or finding some sort of box to put it on.
 Yesterday before I headed home, I purchased the new Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments Issue and am pretty excited about making a couple of their ornaments.  Though I really need to focus on what I have going on now, so I probably won't make anything until the end of October.  There is definitely not enough time in the day to make all the projects I want to make!!!
Here are some photos of the Queen all framed and another pretty blue glass object I found at a designer store closing out sale.

Don't forget about the giveaway draw tomorrow! I'm pretty excited to see who the winner will be and what colours I will be using!!!

With Hugs and Pugs!

Anne