Start And Finish

I know, I know, it's been far too long since I've last blogged. For some reason I have found the process of getting pictures off of my Cannon DSL on to the computer, editing them and blogging from my laptop such a burden. Lately I've been thinking about blogging again, I don't know why I just have.  So I'm going to try this on my iPad with not as great quality pictures, but it should be easier and faster and hopefully I'll blog regularly again. 

I've been busy stitching that's for sure, but not to be overwhelmed with a massive catchup post I'm just going to start with NOW. 

At the moment I'm in the middle of several good-sized projects, two are over one, two are over two and one is on 40 count. Lately I've not been committed or "feeling" any one piece, I've just been going with what I have the energy for or what's closest to hand. 

Despite quite a few projects on the go I've had the urge for a new start! On Saturday I was rather impulsive and kitted up yet another project!  For some reason I've been thinking about Just Nan's Peacock Alphabet... So I dive into the stash, pulled all the necessary threads and started it Saturday afternoon!

By Sunday night I started the beading, but my eyes were done and I put it away, not quote finished! The horror, I know! Monday I had a stitchy date with my good friend Janice so I was able to celebrate my happy dance with a good friend!

Peacock Alphabet by Just Nan

32ct Opalescent Lugana, GAST, DMC & Mill Hill Beads

I'm just in love with the blues and greens in this, the fabric, of course sparkly, the beads lovely and the button gorgeous!!!!!  This was an enjoyable, fast stitch. 

WIP Wednesday, Summer Holiday Edition

Thank you everyone for the comments wishing me a speedy recovery from my dreaded summer cold.  I'm almost over it which is a relief I was feeling pretty awful for awhile!  While battling this cold we've been dealing with quite the heat wave.  I'm so grateful we have central air conditioning!  I could just imagine how awful I'd feel not only battling a cold, but the extreme heat as well.

Stitching-wise I feel like I've had a pretty productive week, when I wasn't sleeping!

Bluebird Tweet

Just Nan

Stitched on: 32ct Linen from Silkweavers

Stitched with: DMC & Mill Hill Beads

I started and finished another Just Nan critter.  I now have two stitched up for the JN Critter finishing day Kathy and I are going to have in the fall.  This time at the top of the pile was Bluebird Tweet which I picked up at The Attic back in March.  I have pulled out and kitted up a third Critter but I've not started it yet.

Instead I started this Lizzie*Kate, Be Naughty.  I kitted this one up in early June and its been in my basket waiting to be started.  I've been stitching up one or two letters each day before I pick up Fortunate Traveler.  Except for yesterday, I didn't touch it at all.  When I first posted my start on this on Instagram, I thought it would be best not to hashtag the name of the chart like I usually do.  Imagine the traffic I'd get with the hashtag "benaughty"!!??  Though I do have some fun coming up with some creative hastags!!! (don't forget you can follow me @tkd_chick and see stitching almost daily!)

I finally hit a milestone with The Fortunate Traveler by Teresa Wentzler!  Last night I finally finished the cross stitching on the border!  Of course as you can see there are miles of backstitching to be done now.  I like to get areas completely done on TW's before I move onto the next.  There's always a lot of BS on her pieces, and leaving it to the end could be overwhelming!

As you can see from this close up of the corner I've got a start on the BS, there will be a lot of work putting in the netting you can see started here as well.  It took quite a few hours last night and today to get the outermost line of stitching on the borer and the inner most line backstitched.  I'm not sure what section I'll tackle next, probably all the writing both the "Fortunate Traveller" which I will spell correctly with the Queen's English and the story before I get to the fun part... the dragon!!!

Calabogie Lake

 Water's Edge at Calabogie

Drgonfly On The Rocks

I managed to get out for a bit on Monday with my brother and Dad, I have to admit half a day out left me pretty drained by the time I got home.  My brother and I went in his sports car and my Dad followed on his motorcycle.  We drove out to Calabogie, through White Lake, a stop for lunch in Arnprior, and a final stop in Packenham before heading home.  It was SO nice to get out!

 5 Span Stone Bridge over the Mississippi River in Packenham

Wimpy WIP Wednesday

Greetings readers.

Remember last week how I had said I was hoping to finish the cross stitching on Fortunate Treaveller's border?  Murphy's Law came for a nice, long visit.  Initially I had a quiet weekend planned, just a baby shower to pop into.  Lots of stitching time right?  Well I was pretty run down by the latter half of last week, so Thursday and Friday night were both nights where I sat and played mindless games on my iPad and went to bed early.  I didn't touch my stitching.  My quiet weekend turned into being out and about with my friend Christin Friday night, Saturday I went to that baby shower for about an hour, then drove to Montreal (2hrs each way) for a birthday party, spent the night, drove back at lunchtime Sunday, picked up my friend Claire visiting from out of town, spent a few hours teaching her finishing techniques then took her back into the city in time for dinner.  I felt like I never had a weekend!  I had also taken Monday off of work to spend with Claire and her son who were visiting from out of town.  Today I was off sick with a bad headache and sore throat... totally run down.  Surprised?  Me either.

After last week's Wednesday post, I didn't pick my stitching back up until Monday night.  Really that was just a token effort to stitch, not much got done.  I finally really got some stitching done last night!

 Jingles - Cheer

Lizzie Kate

stitched on: 32ct lugana

stitched with: Weeks Dye Works

I decided working on a TW wasn't a good idea with how I was feeling so I pulled out the Jingles ornament I started last week.  I managed it to finish it last night as well.

Strawberry Bunny

Just Nan

stitched on: 32ct Desert Sunset Belfast by Zwiegart

stitched with: DMC & Mill Hill Beads

With a nice long nap, today I was able to stat and finish the stitching on this little Just Nan critter.  I'm holding off on finishing it until the fall.  Kathy and I are planning on doing a critter finishing frenzy in the fall.  I've got more to stitch before the fall!

Hopefully next week you'll find I've been more productive.

WIP Wednesday and Finishing

Its been a busy and exhausting couple of weeks, thus no blogging!!!

During mid November for the last five years I've been one of the organizers of a Live & Silent Auction, Wine & Cheese event to raise money for the school we support in the Dominican Republic.  Our project was recently featured in a local magazine called Faces you can read it here if you'd like.  Running this event just takes everything out of me, from the weeks leading up to it getting my students to get in donations for the auction, to the shopping, to all the behind the scene things that need to be done.  The night itself is a very long one!  This year I didn't get home until 12:45am!  I was rather frustrated this year because I didn't get to go to the Timberhouse Retreat I've been attending every November for years.  Now the reason I didn't get to go was because of when we scheduled the auction on the same date, but because the Timberhouse messed up our booking , it was supposed to be the week before.  Though we booked that date before we left last year it wasn't put in the system right and they booked someone else instead.  Needless to say I was quite bitter that I couldn't be there.  I've been going to that retreat since almost the beginning, when it was first held at the Butler Creek B&B before it closed.

So since November 14th if I wasn't sleeping I've been stitching.  All I've wanted to do lately is be a hermit.  Winter setting in and the darkness hasn't helped.  I think this is going to be a rough winter for me, psychologically.

When  I last posted, The Accolade has been moving along nicely, I finished page 8 (of 12) and started page 9!  It would be nice to Happy Dance this piece next year.

Snow Business

Just Nan

Stitched on 28ct mystery fabric

Stitched with DMC & using Mill Hill Snowflake charm

I took a bit of a break from The Accolade last week and stitched up and finished this adorable group of snowmen by Just Nan!

Tall Snowman - The Trilogy

My finishative came out to play, and I finally turned these two ornaments I had stitched earlier in the year into on the tree finished ornaments.  These two show the comparison between over two on 32ct and 40ct. I must say more and more I like my ornaments to be on the small side!

I'm working on another ornament this week, the picture didn't turn out and I couldn't be bothered to get up and take another.  Again its on 40ct and if you follow me on Instagram (@tkd_chick) you'll see it in progress there!  I'm sure I'll be happy dancing it for you next Wednesday!

Belated WIP Wednesday

For some strange reason this week my days were just all mixed up!  Its not as if I've been on vacation or doing anything so awesome that I've lost track of time.  When I realized yesterday was Wednesday, not Tuesday it was pretty late in the evening, and I was quite engrossed in my stitching.

Since last week's post I've done the finishing on one piece, happy danced another piece, and I've been working on my BAP!  So here we go...

Batty Boris

Just Nan

Stitched on: 32ct Natural Linen

Stitched with: DMC, Kreinik #4 braid

Batty Boris was finished up just in time for Halloween, he took his place next to Miss Witchy Mouse.  They were a charming couple on Halloween!

Hats Off To Halloween 2

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on: 28ct Burnt Papyrus from Sugar Maple Fabrics

Stitched with: DMC & WDW

Next I started Lizzie*Kate's Hats Off To Halloween 2 and it stitched up super quick!  I really enjoyed the colours on this piece which is what made me buy it.  I also adore the fabric I've used, its too bad the company is out of business because I'd sure buy more in a heartbeat!

The rest of my stitching week has been spent working on The Accolade, I'm getting close to the bottom of my current page!

WIP Wednesday

If you were looking forward to my WIP Wednesday post last week, I'm sorry it didn't happen.  Due to some fairly tragic events (it made International news) in the city I live in, Ottawa I just wasn't in the mood to blog. 

So let's get caught up!

First up I had a visitor for the weekend of October 17th!  Bonnie and her husband came for the weekend.  We had hoped to do this in the summer, but life got in the way and it just never happened.  Bonnie and her husband are HUGE Ottawa Senators Fans, my local NHL hockey team.  Its become an annual tradition for them to come up for a visit and the first home game of the season.  This year since the first home game was on Thrusday followed by another game on Saturday they stayed for the weekend, and we made plans for all of us to go to Saturday's game.  We had a blast!

 Blackwork Monthly Blocks

San Man Originals

That weekend I had a week Happy Dance!  Last time I blogged I showed you my start on Kathy's SanMan RR.  I managed to finish that up, and even passed it onto Bonnie to do a block!

For the next week I was quite disciplined and I pulled out and exclusively worked on The Accolade.  With something this big its always so hard to see what progress has been made.

Miss Witchy Mouse

Just Nan

Stitched on 32ct Natural Linen

Stitched with DMC & Mill Hill Beads

Since Halloween was just around the corner I next pulled out one of those adorable Just Nan critter ornament kits.  Miss Witchy Mouse has just was begging to be stitched, which I did last week and I managed to do the finishing on Sunday.  I love her!

This led to me deciding Boris the Bat also needs to be done in time for this Halloween!  I wrapped up the stitching on him yesterday.  My plan was to do the finishing tonight, but blogging needed to be done!

Since I still had some time before bed last night I had another new start!  I know this isn't going to be finished in time for this Halloween, but I started Lizzie*Kate's Hats Off to Halloween 2.  I figure this way I'm done with this chart and its not going to sit and collect dust until I feel like Halloween stitching again.

Catching Up Post - Smalls SAL

I'm horribly behind on posting updates for a few of my SALs, I'll get them taken care of over the next few days.  Why did I get behind, because I've just been so engrossed in my stitching the last little while that I haven't wanted to take time away from it for blogging.  Things are also fairly busy because I'm getting ready to head out on my annual Dominican Experience trip (we take off on February 21st).

For the month of January I stitched quite a few smalls!  Nothing new you haven't seen before but here they all are.

 Lizzie*Kate

A Little Christmas

 Prarie Schooler

Christmas Favorites

  Prarie Schooler

Christmas Favorites

  Prarie Schooler

Christmas Favorites

 Heart In Hand

Tall Snowman

Just Nan

Cardinal Tweet

January Crazy Challenge Day 3

I must say I've had very good third day of the January Crazy Challenge.  Actually I had a very productive day!

 Cardinal Tweet

c2013 Just Nan

I had a bad case of insomnia so I had my first finish of 2014, not only a finish but a finished finish! If I had realized I had so little left to do, I would of finished this cutie sooner!

Wear a Smile

Lizzie*Kate

Stitched on 28ct African Daisy Joblean

Stitched with: Carrie's Creation Wildberry Breeze and Sassy & GAST Mediterranean Sea

Today's start also turned into my second finish of 2014!  Though I actually stitched this on the recommended fabric, I totally changed the floss 100% and added some beads from my Mum's stash that I inherited.  The colours in this picture are not quite true due to the light I took it under.

Somehow today my finishative mojo kicked in and I did the finishing on quite a few ornamehts I had waiting to be ornamentified.

Bent Creek's Glad Tidings

Daffycat's Reindeer

Rudolph Cross Stitcher Magazine Feebie

Crazy Challenge Day Two

January 2nd and day two of the Crazy Challenge (15 new projects in 15 days!).  I was undecided on what I wanted to start when I got out of bed this morning.  So I had a sit, had a think with a cup of tea and decided what to start today.

I had a few projects lined up in my head before the Christmas Break started and decided to work on Michael Powell's Mini River Cottage.  My reasoning was that River Cottage was one of the bigger projects I had lined up so I could make significant progress since I wasn't working or going anywhere today.  Also was the simple reason that its a kit and was all ready to go... I didn't have to pull anything, think of fabrics or fibers.  It easy to just pick up and go.

I also want to share with you a new start from the days between Christmas and New Year's.  I wasn't really able to focus on stitching those few days so I decided I needed to start something small and colourful.  I pulled out Just Nan's Cardinal Tweet... I love how the reds pop on the Natural 32ct Linen I'm using.

Late Ornament SAL Post

I'm a couple of days late with my Ornament SAL update post!  I should of posted on Wednesday... but I didn't.  I don't have a lot of ornaments to report this month, but something is better than nothing right?

First up is Glad Tidings by Bent Creek, Sally was kind enough to pass the chart onto me, it was a lovely stitch!

Finally of course there is my adorable Just Nan Barnabee in Bloom!

Some of you were a little confused by my last PhotoHunt entry and the meaning of the word "Quaggy".  I didn't look it up, but I since have due to the confusion.  Quaggy means marshy/swamp, the waterlily in my photo was in a swampy area.

Cute! Cute! Cute!

Have I mentioned before how much I've enjoyed the stitching/finishing of the little ornament critters Just Nan has been putting out since late last year?  Well I certainly do!  Each one has been a joy to stitch and the finishing has been almost downright easy, a little fiddly at times but the instructions have been fantastic.

This weekend I started and finished up Just Nan's latest critter, Barnabee in Bloom.  He's the cutest bee I've ever seen!

Barnabee in Bloom

c2013 Just Nan

Stitched on 32ct Natural Linen

I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Since I finished up Barnabee I picked up ABC Christmas Sampler again and I'm making good progress on "T" for Tree.

Just a word to those of you out there who love to stitch but are afraid of finishing... don't be!  Don't make that stop you from stitching some of the adorable, and creatively finished pieces out there.  Yeah its scary, but if something has good instructions its really not that hard!  Go ahead and try it, you have to start somewhere and the more finishing you do the better you'll get at it.  I can assure you if I show you some of my early ornament finishing pictures... downright scary at times!  So don't be afraid to try a new finishing technique!

WIPocacalypse, Ornament SAL and Stitchy Stuff!

I have been a woefully poor SAL participant lately.  Actually I'm going to blame it on the calendar on my phone because it didn't alert me appropriately, and well it was a busy week between my birthday and Easter weekend.  So lets get all caught up on all the SALs and wonderful stitchyness that's been going on Chez Dani!

Let's start with WIPocalypse and since I have ornaments to share as well this will be about my bigger WIPs and non-ornamenty stitchery.

The Accolade as of the February WIPocalypse

The Accolade as of March 19th

ABC Christmas Sampler as of the February WIPocalypse

ABC Christmas Sampler as of March 31st

Just Nan's Honey Bunny - Limited Edition Kit

finished this almost two weeks ago

 Tartan Thistle Scissor Keep - Kit

stitching finished on Saturday finishing done on Sunday

This has been my travel project for the last little while

Now for the Ornaments

 Just Nan's Gingerbread Mouse - Limited Edition Kit

Dove of Birds - JBW Designs

 Freebie

Gift tags from Cross Stitcher

Issue 260 December 2012

Well that's about it!  I'm all caught up on sharing my stitching with you!