Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Drop by for another giveaway!

It's my 15th wedding annivesary tomorrow, so I'm having a giveaway to celebrate!

I've had a quick look through Jill Oxton's Cross Stitch & Bead Weaving magazine but the design I like the most is way too hard for me to stitch- I know my limits!  So I'm giving issue 79 away.  I think I bought it in November last year. It has some 'beading' designs that can be cross stitched instead, as well as a gorgeous Hardanger chart for a biscornu, scissor fob, needle book and thread bag.



And here's the Hardanger pic, I just love it, but it's way out of my league!!


Now, how to enter- just because you're here, post a comment and you'll be entered.
If you're a follower or become a follower, post a second comment.

Then if you post about my giveaway on your blog, come back and post a third comment.



I might actually attempt to use that random picker thingy this time cos it might be easier than writing all the entries down and then getting Nicholas to pick one out of a bowl.  Entries close on Tuesday 9th February around 6pm (Australian time), so post your comment(s) by Monday 8th February evening, cos' you're probably behind me timewise.



Good Luck and Happy Stitching!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

And the winner is...

Thanks to everyone who entered, I wish I could give everyone a prize, especially Becky, who I read the other day had a taser (well I thought it said that, turned out it was a 'teaser').

The winner of My Favorite Kitten pinkeep and the charts of Heartstrings, My pink bag & fabric & Childproof is





Congratulations Blu, email me your details & I'll get your goodies off  to you (just click on my 'about me' and it'll take you to my email addy). My Favorite Kitten has been stitched and just needs to be made into the pinkeep.

Lynda, Deb and Silverlotus- could you email me your details too please, I'd like to stitch 'My Favorite Kitten' pinkeep for you too.


Happy Stitching!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

You know it's time to shave your legs...

when your husband tells you that the hairs on the back of your thighs are longer than the hairs on his chest!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

My very 1st Blogoversary Giveaway and 2010 New Year's Resolutions

Well, 12 months came around quickly, and I didn't post as often as I had hoped.  Towards the end of 2009 I truly was in 'A Stitching Frenzy' trying to finish off my Christmas gifts in time to post overseas.  Two of my finishes I forgot to photograph I was in such a hurry to mail them, but later this month I'll post the 4 that I did remember to take pics of.

My very first post was about my New Year's resolutions for 2009 and they were-

1/To be more frugal with my time, and cut down on 'wasted' time, really spent doing nothing worthwhile. Hmm, not too successful there.


2/ Work toward acheiving my goals  - well I tried and did achieve finishing my 'gift' stitching. Started walking more often and read a heap of books for relaxation.

3/ To concentrate on the positive aspects of life. Maybe I had a premonition that 2009 would be a year of outside-my-home negative influences,  it took until June to rid our family of this person, and the next 6 months trying to deal with the after affects of her actions. However, within our home, my marriage and committment to Steve remains strong- 15 years of marriage this year, and my love and nuturing of Nicholas into tween-hood continues and my dear friends remain so.

4/To keep my stitching on task, and not be frantically stitching, trying to finish off gifts, at the last minute. Hmm, birthday gift stitching went okay, but Christmas stitching was waaaaay off track.

5/ To reduce waste and our carbon footprint. Well,I had a good bash at this. I've planned meals better & reduced food wastage. I've recycled the usual cans, paper, green waste etc, but also given away books to the local library, clothes to friends with younger boys and stopped buying so much unnecessary clutter. I've bought a  little shopping trolley and walked to the supermarket, and walked home from school with Nicholas instead of driving.


My 2010 resolutions, funnily enough, after reading through 2009's, are much the same. Stay on track, keep focus on my family and myself and my true friends and reduce wastage. I hope to be even more successful at achieving them than I was at achieving some of them last year.

Now, my blogoversary giveaway!!!

First - the prize!



One of these cute little pinkeeps  'My favorite kitten' pinkeep by primitivebettys to be stitched by me, just like this one.

As well as




the chart and fabric for 'The Pink Bag' by Dutch Treat Designs

and




'Heartstrings' by The Cat's Whiskers

and





 'Child Proof' by Glory Bee.

Now, how to enter- just because you're here, post a comment and you'll be entered.
If you're a follower or become a follower, post another comment. 
Then if you post about my giveaway on your blog, come back and post another comment.

I'll get my delightful tween to pick an entry on Tuesday 12th January around lunchtime, so post your comment(s)  by Monday  11th January lunchtime in the States as we're ahead of you timewise.

Good Luck and Happy Stitching!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Happy New Year to you, Happy Blogoversary to me!

Hope you have a safe, happy and healthy 2010!

And guess what? Yes, it's my 1 year blogoversary (did the title give it away?)

I'm rummaging through my stash for my 1st giveaway, so keep watching!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

TUSAL and a finish!

I've missed posting my TUSAL so many times, that I am embarrassed. Totally Useless SAL is such a fun stitch-a-long, and easy to participate, so don't let my laziness put you off joining!

Here's November's contribution- I've been frogging a lot lately!




And here's my finish. I have been frantically stitching this piece for Terry Lousie (Tazzy on 123), in between my Christmas stitching. It's by Jill Oxton, and is a Waratah, which is New South Wales's state floral emblem. This will go into a quilt that Terry Louise is making for the survivors of the Victorian Bushfires earlier this year (I think its going in a fundraising quilt- but my memory evades me). As pretty as it is, I hated stitching it because the chart is one of her earlier hand drawn ones, and lots of the symbols looked the same. Even though I highlighted the chart as I worked it, I still kept finding myself out of count at different parts. Similar symbols and similar colours- not my favourite!


Blogger, what's with the Picasa album now? Talk about 'confuse me'!  (Sorry for any spelling mistakes, I can't find spell check in draft mode- my spelling is okay, but my typing is not so good)

Happy Stitching everyone!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

I am scared of finishing my stitching but I still buy stash!

I love stitching- don't get me wrong. But what is it about finishing off a piece that makes me drag my feet? I procrastinate every time. I leave it to the very last moment to turn my stitching into a finished piece.

It could be the thought of ruining a piece that I've enjoyed stitching, maybe cutting the excess fabric away to much (hence my bulky seams). Could be the thought that my vision of the finished piece and it's reality will be completely different.

Now that I think about it (seeing something written helps me sort things out) I'm thinking it's my fear of cutting away too much of the fabric.

Take my Victorian Bushfire ornament finishes for example. They were due last Tuesday. Last Tuesday I hadn't even started finishing them off, well, I had finished Daffcat's reindeers but not the others. I had to rush through making them into ornaments and increased the chance of making a mistake! I mailed them Wednesday, so hopefully Nise received them Friday, but more likely on Monday. Only a week late, the shame, the shame.

Here they are anyway!





I stitched also some non-Christmas ornaments for those who don't celebrate Christmas.






Circle of love by Lizzie*Kate
Home is wherever my family gathers by Moi


And here is my beautiful son standing in front of Tira and Michael's family and friends, reading the poem they had chosen. I was so proud of him, he spoke clearly and confidently!

Some stash arrived too-sorry about the pic, it's too hot outsdie so had to take it inside in the dark with the curtains drawn





It's A TimeTo Reap by Plum Pudding NeedleArt. I love this design because it's a creative way to make something out of needlework, the design goes all the way around in sections, and it comes with the stem, wool and leaves to finish it off (now how did THAT get through customs?)

I also bought PS Blackwork Angels, but I'm gonna stitch them in pink! I won't blind your eyes by posting the pic I took of that chart lol!

Does the making part of finishing scare you? If it does, what part makes you procrastinate? If it doesn't, what is your secret to not worrying about 'spoiling' a piece (apart from having it professionally finished!)?