Wipocalypse - post #9 and a CALLOUT for anyone in MOSCOW

Dear all,

another belated, last month's post. Normally I am better than this... at least a post twice a month with these regular updates. But September just got me by surprise.

I only have one photo to share for September's update, as I have spent most of the time working on an exchange piece that is currently in transit.

So the only item for sharing is a finish:

A kit 'Boats' of the Twilights series by Heritage Crafts.

Now onto more urgent matter (to me anyhow). I have been attempting to contact a few ladies I follow who are from Moscow, but no success so far. So hoping, someone will hear this plea.

My mum is currently studying for a BA in Creative Art (distance learning) and for her second year's final assignment she decided to look at valenki. There is a museum in Moscow that has some on display. So I was wandering if anyone who lives there wouldn't mind taking a few photos and getting some info about the museum and what is displayed. There seems to be next to nothing online. The only link I found to this museum, including the address is:

click here

She is on a bit of a tight schedule, and would need the information within a week or two. So if you live, or know someone who lives there please help.

I can offer a small crafty reward to whoever helps.

Till soon,

Wipocalypse - post #5 and exciting new projects ...

Hello all,

Thank you for your good luck wishes and support. I have now completed 3 exams, and only have another 3 to go. I do feel a lot lighter, and with the sunshine outside as if summer is coming (a very rare occurrence in the North East). So for this update I have 2 new starts/projects, and this months progress report. Also, now that I am approaching 100 followers I can let you know that I will have my 1st ever blog giveaway once I hit the said number (and obviously after my exams were this event to happen before 3rd of June).

Exciting New Projects: 

I recently got the following kit 'Field of poppies' by Yiota's XStitch :

chart and pre-wound threads

Isn't it beautiful? It is based on one of the Van Gogh's paintings. It is my new addition to this year's Wipocalypse list (I'll be changing the list slightly ... after exams). You have probably saw the amazing pre-wound threads phenomenon across several bogs. I love it! I have several Anchor kits that have the threads on a card ... and the numbers are not aligned properly. I might have mentioned some maia kits of peonies/poppies I bought on sale in my local craft store which is generally limited and overpriced (those will be future living room cushions) around January. I have wanted to start them for some time ... but that would mean winding all the threads onto bobbins first. The 'Kiongozi - Dance Leader' had the same annoying unaligned threads issue that drove me insane. What is even worse is when the threads are all tied together and you have to guess which colour is which. I am not very good at that task.

I have almost finished 'Kiongozi - Dance Leader' and thought I'd use that mini box for storing bobbings. They did not fit. I hate that box! The only bobbins that ever fit there are the ones that came with it, I have forgotten this little detail - silly me the current bobbins there are all placed at an angle. But I do have 2 bigger boxes for storing threads on bobbins (3 times bigger), one that has all leftovers from kits/projects once they're done, and the second I got for the HAED I am currently working on and wound/prepared less than a fifth of those (the rest are still in wallets or loose in my draw). Shame to leave a box half empty, so this is where my new project threads went:

and now they are all in a box

You can see them all sideways fitting perfectly. I have a feeling the card they are on is a lot better quality than what I normally wind threads onto.

closeup- all wound up and numbered!

They would have been such a perfect fit into my smaller box, all separate if only the box was a little deeper. I have no idea why that company produces perfectly good big ones, and annoying little ones.

The chart in my new kit is printed on good quality thick paper. And the symbols/squares are rather large (will be great for stitching in the evenings while watching films). Four A3 pages in total.

part of chart

 And finally the fabric (slightly cut unevenly but a minor detail):

evenweave

There is an option to get either 14, 16, or 28. I requested evenweave (count 28). After all thats what cool kids stitch on ... and I am a sheep that likes to follow (well sometimes).

about to grid

I was about to grid when I realised that I have never stitched on evenweave before (you'd think I'd realise that sooner) and what if I don't like it? or I won't be any good and ruin it? So I set it aside for another smaller project (also addition to Wipocalypse list to follow), to see how I'll do with evenweave. It came just before my 2nd exam (very quick delivery) in a sturdy envelope ... that even my favourite postman with his inability to read 'please do not bend' was unable to ruin. 

Yiota's XStitch is UK based, but ship internationally and also do downloadable charts (they have several free ones on the website that one can try - I have the one of the cat). Their website is http://www.yiotas-xstitch.com and you can find the easy count guideline I use from http://www.rseasycount.com/

And now the other new project I mentioned (it is in fact not new per se as I have signed up to do this awhile back). It is for this year's Margaret Sherry's SAL I am going to take part in, for more info click:

Margaret Sherry Lovers - Group Blog

It is the SAL #4 Puppy Love.

And my progress on one of them is:

Fabric is evenweave dyed with fennel by my lovely mum (featured in previous post). This is my first attempt at using evenweave, and I am yet uncertain. It is definitely better for half stitches (if one is stitching over 2 threads); and with projects like these, one would be able to see the background and eveneweave is a lot more appealing than having massive squares. Downside: it is taking me longer to stitch on it as I am not yet accustomed to it. I am increasing speed gradually; I bet it is a pain to grid.

That was the 2 new projects/additions, and now onto the current wips' progress ...

Wipocalypse - post #5:

'Kiongozi - Dance Leader:

April 2013

May 2013

It is all stitched up, and ready for backstitching (oh how I hate the backstitching).

QS Literate Dragon:

February 2013

I can't believe how fast time flies, and that this was untouched for so long.

May 2013

closeup of the worked bit

Till soon,

TUSAL/Wipocalypse updates, a finish, and some starts...

It seems I have vanished from the blogging world ... which would be a good thing if I had done lots and lots of stitching, but sadly that is not the case. I have taken a picture of my jar last month and only now am getting round to posting it, and since then the jar has not seen any additions to it.

A little pathetic. Right? Anyhow to redeem myself in the lack of posts department I am posting a picture of a card I have completed last month:

It was a free kit that came with the May 2012/issue 163 of Cross Stitch Crazy.

Also I have started a few others ...

the I have ran out of thread for this one ... the free kit said do either one of the designs ... but I guess I picked the wrong one of the two as one colour was missing and one ran out.

Since I took this picture I have completed all the cross stitching ... apart from light green as guess what I have ran out of it. It was the most silly kit I have seen in a while. There was less dark green on the chart than light ... yet there was too much dark green thread and not enough of light. 

Wipocalypse update is squashed at the bottom due to serious lackness of it:

 This is how I have left my summer extravaganza:

August 2012 - part 2

And after a little work this is how the current page I am working on looks now:

October 2012

And as a whole picture:

October 2012

And sadly that's it ... but I do promise to be better next month. Will catch up on people's blogs tomorrow ... better go and fulfil my duties of baby sitting my little brother. 

Until (I hope) soon,

                           

TUSAL march update and a Margaret Sherry card finish ...

To start off with this is February's finish ...

for which I have finally managed to get a picture.  I was in a bit of a rush to finish it and present it to a friend on his birthday that in my haste I have forgotten to take a digital imprint. Well he was so nice as to message it to me.

This card is of 'Cute kitty cat!', a kit by Margaret Sherry, that came free with the CrossStitch Card Shop issue 82.

And now to the jar ...

Not sure if it is a a very good picture, the amount of ends look more impressive in real life than in this parody. And one can definitely guess that I have been working on the lily from the shades. I do hope to get it finished by the next month.

Till later,

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

Lickle Ted further progress, a finish, and a new start ...

A quick note on the progress on the Wipocalypse:

(brief as I am a little busy)

The finish is the card I haven't mentioned before. It was done for my sister - a get well after her trip to hospital for an operation. 

 The progress on the Lickle Ted ... 

before ...

 I have finished the bear and the rabbit and have started on the green. I think it is shaping to be very pretty!

now ...

A new start to give me a bit of diversity in the stitching, but I have got slightly carried away with it... 

So till next time,

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