TUSAL and some exciting updates to the gallery

Dear all, I have been falling back in the blogging world it seems ... lots of images and progress still to post and so little time.

Quick update to the last if the year TUSAL:

December 2012

December 2012/ &upto of 2012

Year 2012

Also, my mum has finally made up the pillows from the Fizzy Moon stitchings I gave her in the past year or so:

Till soon,

                

Fizzy Moon and Summer Extravaganza

First of all there is an apology for the lack of the first post of Summer Extravaganza. I ended being a little more than snowed under with things to do. There weren't that much extra done to it from Monday, so for the last Tuesday update I think I will stick to that image ... which was:

part 1

I also have a finish from before to show off. I have completed this one a long while ago ... but was unable to post until I gave it as a Birthday present to mum. It is Fizzy Moon:

I need to look up from which magazine I got the chart...

But otherwise that's all for now,

Lija

John Clayton and meet baby Newton progress...

The current moon's progress on Wipocalypse

The progress since last moon:

John Clayton: Big Ben:

before

May 2012

Quite a bit of progress can be observed since the last time this was posted... all the sky/blues are finished now! But there is an error which stopped me stitching ... I just hate the unpicking. The dark colour in the water reflection should not be there, and have light beige instead. The two colours have almost an identical symbol for them ... hence the error of judgement.

So this project was cast aside for something more exciting ...

Meet Baby Newton:

There was little progress on the stitching in general before now. It was begun during the summer just after a finish. A little stitching of one colour, but was quickly cast aside ... at the time I had only one or two shades required for the project. Since then I have bought the needed skeins of thread, but did not pick the stitching up until last month.

before...

Now the cat and Newton are almost done, and hopefully I will finish this one in the next two months (next moon might be a bit of wishful thinking).

May 2012

There are still some small finished cards to post ... but with shortage of time and possibly one of the most busiest 3 weeks of revision coming up ... the stitching needs to be packed up into boxes.

Lija

WIPocalypse March 2012 update

There is not much progress to report this month. Mainly due to several deadlines, and me forbidding myself to cross stitch.

Firstly a finish:

This is one of the two cards I have made this month in relation to birthdays. Surprisingly it took much longer than expected to do. But it is done and posted ... slightly belated.

A new start ... so I guess a new WIP since it will take a while to do this one. This is the Dimension's project I was unable to resist buying and starting ...

The progress on current projects:

First the lilies. You can see a tiny bit of progress in the bottom part:

before

after

The Lickle Ted has very small progress on the grass:

before

after

 Well I hope I will do better for next month. No distracting with knitting ...

Till then,

Lija

Oh dear ... I have missed some out

I have been tidying up ... and managed to find more unfinished projects .... how is it possible that they keep appearing in the most unlikeliest places.

So the updated list:

1) Handpicked by Fizzy

2) Country Trio

3) Lickle Ted with a daffodil - I have found the unfinished project

4) Xmas Chums

5) Good Heavens

6) Making Lickle Wishes

7) John Clayton: Big Ben

8) John Clayton: Venice

9) John Clayton: Calla Lily

10) does my bum look big in this?

11) A "secret" card

12) The Snowman Card

[and now the added ones]:

13) 'Meet Baby Newton' from The World of Cross Stitching issue 128. I have definitely forgotten this one.

14) Fizzy Moon card kit. Again my backstitching is lacking.

15) 'Tending the Flock' from Cherished Teddies and Friends. A matching pillow hopefully to one in my earlier posts.

16) 'Picture of elegance'. I have started Sara Moon from The World of Cross Stitching issue 181. 

Oh well, I now have a 16 instead of a 12 list ... I guess there is a bigger choice for me to crack on with.

Thank you for the lovely comments on the previous post. Yes, I tend to stitch an entire colour before going onto next, unless they are broken up. Start in the middle and unless there is a massive gap continue with one colour. I guess it will be different with huge pieces that require many many chart pages. That way I can see progress, and will not get annoyed with finding more and more missed crosses of colour.

Progress on the Lickle Ted project

My progress on one of the project for Wipocalypse has ended up being more that I expected. The cross stitch I have been doing for the past week colour by colour is looking more and more like the final picture. One can even guess what the shapes emerging are.

4th January 2012

I have completed 3 colours and half way through the fourth. I would say I am almost 1/6 of the way through this project. I can't wait to do the greens - they look so energetic, and definitely not looking forward to the white (there seems to be so much of it).

9th January 2012

9th January 2012

So overall, the beginning of the year is looking promising for cross stitch. Maybe it will be possible to complete the 12 projects in the 12 months of the year, although I will definitely not be able to dedicate the same amount of time this bear got from me in the last week.

Until the next post,

Lija

My New Year Stitching Resolutions for 2012

Well, one of my resolutions should be to stitch less ... after all I have thousands of things that need to be done apart from my lovely projects. 

But even so I want to mark some progress in this year. So my 12 projects - one for each month. This is a rough guide, as they are all different sizes, and would take various lengths of time. Also again my availability to stitch would vary from month to month. So in no order of preference:

1) 'Handpicked by Fizzy'. This is from a Calendar that came with World of Cross Stitching magazine. I have not begun the project yet. But it was in my list to do last year. I have stitched one other design from the 4 in the magazine last November - December. If I were to be honest I'd put all the Fizzy Moon designs I could find on the list to stitch. They are so lovely! I have done one 3 so far. One small card with a rose and another Christmassy were both given to my mum as presents. The third is yet to go up to the blog in March after it will be given as a present.

2) 'Country Trio'. One of three flowers is left to complete. 2 of them have been stitched and given as cards. I do not yet know who will receive this third one. 

The one to do!

3) Lickle Ted with a daffodil. I do not have a picture of this little project ... as I still need to locate it amongst my many belongings. It has been begun half a year ago ... and only needs half the backstitching to do. It is so tiny - I do not know why I haven't managed to complete it yet.

4) 'Xmas chums'. Fizzy Moon again! I have begun it as a present for christmas during summer ... managed to stitch the entire face before realising I have stitched it 10 squares lower than the centre. How silly! I then did not know whether to continue and have the design lower than the centre or unpick everything! I know it is not much ... but I hate unpicking so much. So I have stitched a different project instead.

5) 'Good Heavens'. An Anchor kit I bought on sale. Begun after finishing the walking home women, just to abandon to do the Fizzy Moon for Christmas present rush. I haven't yet managed to talk myself into picking it up again.

6) 'Making Lickle Wishes'. Maybe one of my more ambitious projects. It just seems so huge and scary. I begun it last March or April ... just to put aside to do smaller projects. Starting projects is so fun, yet the novelty always disappears fast, and all is left is annoyance at a blank canvas with its lack of stitches to count by. One has to change threads, and I do like completing colour by colour ... progress that way could be seen more clearly. Oh well ... believe it or not but I have done an entire colour in it - Ecru, and begun another. And this is the progress after quite a bit of work. 

7) John Clayton: 'Big Ben'. This I haven't yet begun, yet have contemplated. So I want to be hopeful that I'd get some time to start it this year.  There are several John Clayton kits I have acquired from eBay ... but decided to only aim to do 14-count. Scared for the others at the moment as they are even-weave, and I haven't yet done any on this type of fabric before. And probably want to buy some equipment to enlarge the fabric ... and not ruin my eyes further.

8) John Clayton: 'Venice". Again yet to begin.

9) John Clayton: 'Calla Lily'. Same as before. The last of John Clayton kits I want to attempt this coming year.

10) 'does my bum look big in this?' I saw this in a shop and just had to have it. Such an amazing morale boost ... I just keep telling myself that I am not fat ... I just look fat in the clothes I might be wearing. Sort of optimistic view of life. As you can probably see I have finished cross stitching it ... only need to backstitch it. The thing I hate most after unpicking! Anyhow hopefully this year it will be done.

11) A card kit that came along with one of the back copies of a magazine I have especially ordered for this card. I only have french knots to do. But again since it is a present it will only be pictured here once it is given - which should be by the end of the month I hope!

12) The Snowman card. I have begun this around last January ... hoping it would be done for the end of year festivities ... but it got put aside due to other more exciting projects. Stitching white on white is one of the things that put me off ... there seems to be no progress with this sort of stitching.

So the entire list is done ... good luck to me. I set off on this adventure intending to complete all of them ... yet as always this might be too hopeful. Fingers cross for success.

Till 9th of January then,

Lija

The last of 2011

Well, 2011 is almost over and there is a New Year on the horizon. So, I think it is appropriate for one last post before the year collapses into regrets, hopes, and expectations.

It has been one long 2011 with so many changes. I lost my job, boyfriend, some sort of stability. Redeployed to a 10 hour contract now, self-employed (with the business somewhere flying overhead and web designer behind the schedule by about 6 months at least), a degree that seems to be in ruins, no time at hand, no job secure for next September or house for that matter, and a passport that is about to expire I have to admit that I am looking forward to a new start, new year, and all that jazz. 

The last post will be of the Fizzy Moon that I was in a rush to make (including Christmas Eve believe it or not) ...

It is called 'A Winter Wonderland' and was in the 16-month Calendar September 2011 - December 2012 by the World of Cross Stitching. It came as a free gift with the issue 182. It was a Christmas gift for my mum. And she is planning on turning it into a pillow ... so await an update from me in the New Year about the progress. 

Wish you all to enjoy the celebrations and till next year,

Lija

New everything

Well, I have now moved into my new place ... it's nice central and yet near nature. I even managed to make friend's with a local squirrel ...

Constant internet access when needed and not needed is great ... but there as always there is a lot to do with not enough time. Application for jobs amongst others. The need to decide on the future is quite pressing ... oh dear. Aw well and to cross stitch ...

I love Newton bear .. this is my first of the set yet to come ... I have done it during summer. An Anchor kit ... enough thread, but which wasn't very strong unfortunately, it kept pulling apart and ripping. I don't think I have the same problem with DMC though. So whether the other one is just stronger ... or it was me being aggressive I don't know.

Till soon,

When I  have an exciting new project to share,

Lija

A tiny little bear

Going back to the roots of things... this tiny little bear has been stitched by me when I was much younger. As you can probably guess (neglecting all the shades and colours - parents don't tend to go for 'lets buy all new set of dmc numbers' ... more like 'look in the box, you are bound to find some browns or yellows'). 

It was from a book of collectable teddies ... 12 for all months. I my memory does not deceive me this might be November.

Till next week,

Lija

Another Present

These last two weeks marked a bit of excitement in my cross stitch world. My shopping trip for thread ended up with me buying 3 new kits (not only were they all on a sale, but also on a buy 2 get one free offer). So I have decided not to judge the amount I spent but to marvel at my new projects to be yet begun. After I smashed my desk lamp (a rather exciting switch on (3 settings)/off by touch), I had to get a new one ... and although my new desk lamp is not as exciting as the previous one it does have a special daylight bulb that will help me not go blind.

This week's project post is one of Fizzy Moon. A free kit that came with the World of Cross Stitching magazine issue 173. It was meant to be a card ... which I gave to my mum for her birthday without glueing in or writing a message as I wasn't sure she wanted it as a card. A good thing too, she has decided it is too pretty to be on a card and will think of what to do with it. Her fancy for Fizzy Moon means my next year's presents are sorted ... just need to begin stitching. Two designs are almost finished (just the backstitching and french knots left). Which ones wait and see ... I aim to complete all available designs for her at some stage in the future.

So,
       till next week,
                                 Lija

Continued

The cross stitch pattern was 'He Loves Me' from 'Cherished Teddies: for All Occasions' book 81 by Priscilla Hillman.

My new blog

This is my first ever blog ... and I am quite excited about it.

I have been crafty since I can remember. I was cross stitching small projects by the age of 7. But unfortunately although other type of projects and discoveries of knitting and painting followed, the past is where the cross stitch has remained for me. I have picked it up from time to time over the years but projects remained unfinished and only cards appeared.

This is a new spell of excitement for me ...

Last summer I have completed a teddy bear project I begun a few years back ... it stayed packed away until my mum made it up into a beautiful cushion ...

I have now proceeded to do cards, small, medium, and large projects. And by aiming to publish 1 post per week I hope not to give up this new found hobby.

So till next Wednesday.

Lija