June and Wipocalypse

Two things have downed on me recently. When I was creating my brand new tab for Wipocalypse I have realised the following:

- I tend to pick one and stitch, with some projects still lying stored away.
- I only have 2 out of 18 complete. [next update marks half a year of stitching and this is a very sad number]

So something might have to change. Maybe a rotation (like I have noticed some of you bloggers do). And definitely more finishes are in order.

Thinking this, I have pulled more of them out and now have two finishes, two starts, and small progress on a few others ... so read on.

1) 'Handpicked by Fizzy' - I have provided some 14 count aida to aid my motivation. 

June 2012

... and then it went back in the box.

3) Lickle Ted with a daffodil is now done

before

June 2012

I have braved the hatred of backstitching and finished this little fella.

4) Xmas Chums: Remember my dilemma about this one? Probably not ... it was so long ago. Well, the stitching is 10 squares lower than needed.

before

after some frogging

I will remove the stitching and start again with this one. Almost ready to begin afresh. Then maybe gridding.

Last month I have bought some easy count gridding for my new HAED. So I went a little crazy with making my life easier with smaller projects ... which saw my first attempt at using the stuff for:

8) John Clayton: Venice

June 2012

and behold an entire colour complete already.


12) The Snowman Card - a little progress ...

before

June 2012

13) 'Meet Baby Newton' - my second finish that I am very proud of:

May 2012

June 2012

Notice ... all the backstitching done too


18) HAED This is a new addition to the wips. It will take a long time to stitch, so I thought it deserved to be added to this list. It is also something I am stitching for the Summer Extravaganza (with an update due tomorrow - I highly doubt there will be anything added to make a difference). Nonetheless here it is:

June 2012

I am stitching it on the 18 count aida ... I think I will not name the design for now.

Well that is it for now. I have a summer exchange to concentrate on, and go crazy with my HAED in the spare time, so I envision a shorter update next month. 

Until tomorrow,

Lija

Lack of Maths ...

I have now written my last ever exam, so that calls for the update on all the projects I have not listed here in the past two months.

That's almost true. Even though I have now completed my maths degree (I hope - still need to keep my little fingers crossed for the results which come out next month) I have an offer for a graduate 9 month course starting in September. If I get the grade [sigh]. Next lie was the total update of the last 2 months of cross stitch. I will exclude two finishes for now; they were on the Wipocalypse list, and the next update is in just over a week. So I might wait till then. But even so there is quite a bit to admire...

I have mentioned a few cards for friends' birthdays. The first up I haven't made up into a card yet ... it is the dreaded rose:

You can see where I have run out of yellow and green. After I have stitched it someone pointed out that the person I have stitched it for was colour blind. It is hard for him to see a clear difference between red and green. So I have put it in the box of completed embroidery (it bound to come in handy some time in the future) and made my friend a replacement: 

 One can't go wrong with a black and white image, right? The design was from the World of Cross Stitching issue 164, from a selection of the 'Blackwork Garden' by Liz Almond. For my two colleagues at work I have done another 2 quick stitches from there:

... and the second ...

They were surprisingly very fast to stitch. And for my other two friends, who's birthdays also came in the month of all birthdays I have made two cards from the World of Cross Stitching issue 189, 'Current Classics' designed by Rhona Norrie:

Rhona does beautiful designs, that appear in the current issues of cross stitching magazines, and also on her website. I have a few designs on my list of things to purchase. Her blog is Tangled Threads if you are intrigued.

Ok that's it ... me done on my little update on all but two finishes. What's next you'd ask. I have an entire summer before me. I'm still in the process of getting a list (and it is huge already). For starters I have a part time job, so that cuts the free time down. Then last year I have started my own little business of handmade bags and accessories. The plan is to sell online ... but my website is still at the design stage. So eBay it is for now. My latest project is this amazing (even if I say so myself) silk scarf covered in oranges:

Each orange was individually drawn out in gutta and then painted. I am now adding on bits of felt to make it even more special. It is almost done and I am already planning the next one. Do note one of my oil paintings in the background. Art has been neglected in the extreme in the past year or two, so sketching by the river, and painting in the studio, is definitely on the list. Speaking of art I need to start up the Life Drawing sessions again, which I lead here at Durham. Complete the long distance course for my certificate in Life Drawing, maybe dig up that long distance course on creative writing that has been hiding in the bottom draw. There is over 40 books I need to read and return to the library. Tax returns to fill, invoices to do... downgrade my belongings to two car loads before I need to move (at the moment there is a total of three!)...there is also that summer exchange to stitch for. I might stop listing now ... and actually do something... 

But before I go I have another announcement to make. The Summer Extravaganza. After some time in the blogging world I had come across something called HAED. It confused me to great deal. But with time I came to realise I want to stitch one of those. One of my motivators for typing 60 odd pages on the WKB approximation in April was to glance at a picture of my chosen design. And now it is almost reward time. The Summer Extravaganza, since it is summer, and the start is the 1st of June, will consist of my sister (who decided to join me on this little adventure) stitching our chosen designs, and posting each week to note the progress on our blogs. Still need to think of a prize ... since most SALs here have one available.

This is all the dmc thread that I will need for mine

In reality to make it a little more fair we have decided to stitch the same amount of stitches as each other, so my sister has 3 projects, and I one large, plus will need to make up a few thousand stitches somewhere else. Do check out Snoopy's blog. 

More updates on the excitement of a maths free life to follow.

Lija

P.S. Thank you for all those well wishes for my exams. They did help me in the motivation for the horrendous revision.

TUSAL or the lack of

May 'TUSAL' 2012

Proud to say there is little progress in the stitching world and therefore more in the maths world... or should be: 

So, a quick picture and back to the lovely numbers and the differential equations; I can't believe it ... there are actual numbers and letters in this module ... well exciting.

Until Friday when the big update of everything will happen or Thursday if I am less tired than I expect to be.

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

IHSW April 2012

Well unfortunately I should have signed up as I have done no stitching whatsoever this last weekend. A project due in Friday has taken over my life ... so needless to say I am going now back to computing, calculating, coding, and typing.

Till next post. [when I have more time to show off all my last months progress]

April TUSAL 2012

Quick picture of my April jar ... an entire month of stitching worth. I have managed to create some cards and do a lot on the John Clayton's 'Big Ben' I have been working on as of recent. I was going to post all the updates of images etc. But a) not all the cards have been given yet and b) I still have 40-60 pages to type in the next 4 days in Latex. My own fault for wasting time on Gnuplot making beautiful diagrams. I should have picked quantity over quality... oh and stayed away from cross stitch.

The colours in the bottom are mainly from cards and the top shows the completed sky and river of the 'Big Ben' ... IHSW is not looking hopeful at this stage ... it might have to be an empty post.

John Clayton Calla Lily finish...

An exciting Wipocalypse update for April 2012... 

I have a finish of one of the works in progress (and increased the leftover bobbins in my box of thread ... a picture of which I promise for the next update). It is the 'Calla Lily' by John Clayton, which was a Heritage kit I bought from eBay. It was a small distraction from when I was working on the Lickle Ted stitching a few months ago, but somehow it has got completed first. Unfortunately, there is no progress to report on the Lickle Ted and bunny stitching. This is how the work looked a moon ago:

March 2012

 And now this is how it looks complete:

April 2012

I absolutely adore the design for several reasons. For one there is almost no backstitching (only one stitch!) The colours are gorgeous, and the image begging to be displayed. But before that can be done I will need to complete the other 7 flowers in the series, as I personally feel they should all go together and I love all 8 of them. Not certain on how yet. Maybe 2 frames of 4 flowers per frame. Once I stitch a few more it will be clear.

As a reward to this completion, and while still on the hype of John Clayton's beautiful images (paintings) I have decided to start one of the other kits I had on the Wipocalypse to do list - John Clayton's 'Big Ben'.

April 2012

I did not get far with stitching when a realisation hit me ... it is almost April. A month of all birthdays it seems. Not only mine (that is the birthday of the least worries for a stitcher) but of three friends and 2 coworkers (stitched cards is a new thing for me and I have not yet introduced them to the work aspect of my life - but having been invited to attend a birthday meal and knowing that it is rude to show up empty handed ... it is the perfect time to start). So far I have created only 4 birthday cards and now I need 5 for one month ... to stitch in less than a month. I thought I was off on a good start when I have competed a beautiful one of a rose (which has taken me days!) only to be pointed out that the person I have made it for is colour blind. 

My progress on this to follow ... as a hint I am working on some designs in the current issue of the World of Cross Stitching magazine, one back issue of the same magazine, and have completed the unfortunately rose on the problem of which I am still pondering.

Till soon,

Lija