A fun weekend

I am always looking for bits of fabric these days - so what a thrill I got on Friday when I found a HUGE (and I mean enormous) bag of scraps on my chair when I stepped into the office.  A friend cleaned out her sewing room and gave me all the off-cuts that she had thrown into a bucket while sewing.  It was such fun sorting it and then ironing it all neatly (yeah, yeah - it's the perfectionist in me I guess).  It will be a wonderful addition to the quilt I am planning.  Here is what the pile looked like when I was finished ironing and trimming . . .

This week was also very productive when it comes to my cross stitching.  I have made nice progress - her face is taking shape.  Not far to go and she will be able to see - only one eye to go . . . :)

The frame have pushed some of the stitches a little skew . . . Is there a way to straighten them again?  Maybe I should put some fabric between the stitches and the "snap" holding it in place?  I don't want anything to spoil this my first big project.

Still only Fairy Tales

I have stitched some more on Fairy Tales - she is the only one I am stitching on at the moment, the only one I want to stitch.  All the other patterns will just have to wait for a little while longer - I just love working on her.  I decided to take out the little patch on her forehead and I feel much happier with it at the moment - will have to see how I feel after the whole face is finished (hope that two froggings were enough!).

I have discovered a website called SWAP-BOT.  And I think I might be enjoying it for a while.  I have registered and have already signed up for some email swaps.  :)  I might even join some of the package swaps in the future.  :)

Happiness is finishing a page of a HAED design

Yes, that's right - I can hardly believe it myself . . . page 1 is finished!  I am so happy!  Last night I sat in hubby's office and stitched the last part.  He kept on asking "Can we go to sleep yet?"
"Only a few more stitches . . . " was all I said.  :)  I don't know which one of us was happier when the last stitches went in :)
I am still not happy with the little patch on her forehead but I am waiting till after I finish the right side of her face before I frog it again.  I am just going to blend it with the colours beside it.  If I don't, it will forever be jumping out at me.  Sometimes you just have to do things for peace of mind.

For some blog candy, go and visit Jenny here.  She is having a fabric give-away.  She is new to blogging, so let's make her feel welcome!  The give-away ends 21 October 2009.
EDIT:  Melissa was the lucky winner.

We are nearing the end of page 1

I finished the face of page 1 - I am so chuffed (is that a word that is used outside of our borders?).  I am very happy with the results except for a few stitches on her forehead. 
I have checked and checked and checked again to see if I used the right colour but it keeps on saying DMC 407 everytime I look. :) And that is what I used . . . but it seems to just jump off the face and hit you in the eye.  It looks out of place and much too dark for the rest of the face. 
Please help - should I change it and if so, to what colour?

Is that a face?

It could be . . . a little of the side of my Fairy Tales Maiden is slipping in there.  The photo is a little "washed out", so you can't really see the nice colours making the shadows of her face.  I am really satisfied with the way it is coming around.  :) When I at last learn to use a camera properly, I will take a nicer picture (hubby is much better than I am!).

And another weekend bites the dust.

It Sunday evening and I am trying to get my mind right so that I am not in a bad mood tomorrow when I have to get up for work. This week is only going to be four days long (yeahhh) and that is because Thursday is a public holiday. Hopefully that will mean that Friday will be a slow day . . . here's hoping! Last time I had that hope it turned out horribly (see a few posts back). It is still early, so I am positive.

I did do some stitching (off course) and here it is:

And let the confetti start falling . . . so far it is only red and black but hey, it's only page 1!! Still my favourite piece so far. MAMMA MIA is on the dish tonight, so I will be doing a little of the "good stuff" (as Nancy calls it) while watching.

Fairy Tales

This is what have been keeping me busy (and sane) in the evenings this past week. This is such an easy and very relaxing piece so far. It is the Aida that makes it easy and the colors just flows and flows which just relaxes me . . . (I am sure the confetti stitches is still coming. LOL)

Goodness HAED patterns have soooo many different colors!! I have been buying the colors in drips and drabs because floss is really expensive here. But I will be spending a little tomorrow to get some of the colors I still need (what a surprise, huh? I keep on spending my extra money on stitchy things!). Hopefully I will then be able to get a little past the background this weekend. :) Can't wait to get some of her face in the picture. . .

Half the week is past already.

Thank goodness! I seem to live from weekend to weekend at the moment. But it has to get better sometime, right. I just need to hang on long enough. Or I need to just get to the point where I don't allow it to bother me this much. But that might not be possible for me . . . I tend to take things a little too personally.

What a midweek today is . . . 090909 - just look at that! Now we just have to wait for 9 minutes past nine tonight 0909090909 . . . LOL

I have been stitching and I have a little bit of an update on the Gothic girl. She is coming around slowly but surely. :) I just enjoy her so much at the moment. :)


BEFORE:
TODAY:

Another weekend gone.

I can't believe that this weekend is gone already! How is that possible? Weekends just fly past and then it is back to that place . . . that place I hate . . . that place that pays my salary and drives my stress levels insane! Weekends are just too short - it is not right! Thank goodness for a little stitching.

I did some stitching on Girly Gothic - and here she is. I just love this pattern!! It is so much fun (can't really explain why). Can't wait to order some fabric and start on the big projects . . . but in the meantime, I just love these little Quick Stitch ones. But they are not really so quick . . . they are pages long . . . but still in comparison with 40 pages, I guess . . .

Here is a picture of the progress. :)

Don't know about this . . .

I tried stitching 1 over 1 on 28 count Jobelan last night - I don't know if I am going to be able to do this? The stitches are very small and very difficult to see especially since it is also black floss . . . I have only done one row (80 stitches) and think I give try another few lines before I make my final decision . . . but I have my doubts. If I do decide to go to Aida or a lower count fabric (or even over two) it is going to make this girl enormous!

I have decided that I can't decide

It is just too difficult for me to make a decision. I cannot choose between "Queen of Hearts" and "The Passing".
You have probably been thinking in those lines too, huh? Yes, you guessed it . . . I will have to do both (which will probably take years!!). I will put the first few stitches in the queen tonight. So many floss is needed for these three patterns that I will probably be doing it all in batches - just stitching on the one that I have the floss for at that time. :)
I really should stop looking at the patterns now, as a few more have caught my eye! I am really very, very bad at this.

Girly Gothic 2nd update

I am just loving this piece! I have stitched nothing else since last week Sunday. I just can't seem to get enough of it. :) It has been so relaxing to put the stitches in after the terrible workdays I have had. I should really start playing the LOTTO (our version of a lottery), so that I can "retire". Going to work is not fun!

Just look at this one

Isn't she just as beautiful? I am now in two minds - should I go with "Queen of Hearts" like I intended or should I try "The Passing" instead?

What do you think?

Girly Gothic

As you have seen by my erratic postings, I am very excited to be one of all the HAED stitching sisters!

Thanks to the wonderful RAK I received, I had a piece of fabric large enough to do this stitch and was able to get started on this cute little girl on Sunday evening. I have tried to stitch on her a little every evening.

I have only stitched some little blodges of colour and can't wait to get to the "good stuff". But progress is progress :)

Too many HAED's are running through my head

Okay, I have decided on two HAED designs. The one that I just can't seem to forget is "Queen of Hearts". Isn't she just beautiful? Unfortunately I don't have a piece of fabric that is large enough (she is huge!). I will just have to wait a bit before I get to start. I thought I had everything set and then I realized that I didn't take any seams into account, so the fabric is just a few centimeters too small :( I have a few of Rachel Anderson's other patterns too and they are all just WOW. Hopefully I will get to stitch them all.



And then I decided to try a little QS (Quick stitch) pattern by Caron Vinson called "Girly Gothic". I just love this little picture and I will be starting it tonight. Haven't stitched anything since Friday and I am actually feeling a little guilty . . . well some weekends just have to much packed into them!

HAED designs

I have been drooling over the HEAD patterns that is on the HEAVEN AND EARTH website. If you enjoy looking at their beautiful patterns, you will love the blog Our Friends' HEAD SAL. It is full of the SAL's of the HAED stitchers - amazing! Unfortunately the membership is full at the moment but we can still enjoy the posts :) Maybe one day . . . I am on the waiting list (hie-hie)
I was lucky enough to receive a few patterns from a fellow stitcher who already completed the projects and they are just WOW!! I also downloaded the freebies from the site and now I am trying to decide which ones to do first!! They have so many different colours that I just can't do them all at the same time . . . and I really shouldn't start a new project anyway. Shame on me . . . I am the next victim of "startaris", I think :) But they are just so pretty, how can we resist?

Heaven and Earth Designs (HAED)

Wow, I have been browsing the HAED website tonight and what amazing designs they have! This is definitely my kind of stitching. It is lots and lots of maidens, fairies, angels and other kinds of "make-believe" although some of the realistic ones are stunning too. Okay, I admit it, it is all beautiful but it is a little pricey for me, especially since it is just the charts. But still, maybe I should treat myself, someday . . .
I have applied to join the bulletin board as I am sure I will be able to "ooh and aaahhh" about some of the WIP or finishes that will be posted.

I downloaded one of their free charts (see in the border in my 2009 plans) - it's a beautiful maiden. But goodness, there is 90+ colours! I think this is the kind of project that will have to be done in stages . . . and with lots of patience.

EDIT: I have removed "the maiden" from my border. I am suddenly not so keen on working on her. I am going to put it at the back of my mind. Maybe I will get back to it somewhere in the future . . .