Learning Curve

I have been on a steep learning curve for the last couple of months......I would love to say it was a piece of cake...but that would be a lie...lol. In fact, learning how to stitch hardanger has been one of the hardest things I have done since I took up stitching!!

Not sure why, but it nearly beat me. Just could not get my head around it at first, then having to take a pair of scissors to my masterpiece, well lets say it was not easy....

But I did it, and although my first piece is not as perfect as I would have liked, it IS finished...yay....and will definitely not be my last!!

Many, many thanks to Rene and Kelly for their support, encouragement........ and keeping those pesky froggies home when I needed it most.

Simon and Garfunkle Concert

On Saturday night we went to the Simon and Garfunkle concert held in Sydney. We had excellent seats only 7 rows from the front of the stage. It was a night of nostalgia not to be missed. We laughed and sighed over long forgotten favourites - could not believe how OLD the audience was.....and we were old with them.....felt 16 again.

Paul Simon still knows how to rock a crowd, he was amazing. Artie has lost his voice a little, but he still thrilled us with old favourites.

Am soooo glad we went, it felt like we were stepping back in time. Wonderful, wonderful night.

UFO's no more........

I was inspired by finishing 'Life's a Stitch' for my SIL to have another go at several 'Listen Honey' patterns I had started but, for one reason or another, not finished.

I love the Listen Honey series, her sense of humor suits me to a "t".


'I'm a woman of few words' just needed beads and backstitching so didnt take long at all to finish once I got started on it. This is one of my first attempts at evenweave, I think I gave up cos I could not get the counting right for the wording. 18mths later and it was a piece of cake....lol.

I had barely started 'If the shoe fits' before leaving it to start stitching something else. Just have to stitch her hat and flower, add some beads and she is done.

Am really pleased that I have almost completed 2 UFO's, especially as it was so easy. I only have 1 UFO left, Little Snapdragon which I love and have absolutely no excuse not to stitch. At the time I started it I think it was a bit beyond my skill, but that is longer the case and I am planning to put it on a rotation and finish it.

Ryan Lukas James

My little grandson Ryan had his naming ceremony in our garden at the weekend. Surrounded by family and close friends only, it was a very special day. His mother, my daughter Jemma, put up silver and white balloons, festooned the backyard with blue and silver streamers, it looked delightful.

Young Ryan (now 6mths old) looked absolutely delicious in his little tuxedo and sneakers, unfortunately he did not have enough hair to spike....even tho both his Gran and Godmother Les used HEAPS of gel in an attempt to get the desired effect...lol. My other grandson Xander (10mths) kept trying to help Ryan out of his bow tie....hey cousie what the heck are you wearing......:))

A Winne the Pooh cake and a lavish afternoon tea finished off the ceremony nicely. Jemma provided a treasure chest which was filled with messages of love and encouragement for Ryan to read when he is older.

It truely was a lovely lovely day. Soooo different from the formal, impersonal ceremonies I remember my babies having.

Finding Floss and Stuff....:))

Had a wonderful week hanging out with my friends from NZ, always so sad to see them go. The dollshouse show was superb as per usual. A very dear friend stayed with us for a few days afterwards so we went stash shopping!! It was enormous fun, we even spent one day poking around CBD before taking a ferry to Manly for lunch and a paddle in the sea, buying an icecream and training back home again. Exhausting....we didnt buy much stash....but we had a ball!!

I am really struggling to find RL needlecraft stores with FRIENDLY knowledgable staff, LOTS and LOTS of yummy floss and fabric to fondle, and eye candy galore. I am specifically looking for perle cotton/Caron's Waterlillies at the moment but its as scarce as hens teeth. Soooooo frustrating cos it is difficult to get exactly the right colour when buying sight unseen over the internet.

And it is mega expensive to repeatedly buy the wrong floss (complete with postage downunder) cos you got the colour wrong....mmm.....less gold, more dark caramel.......is that pale yellow or peach?? lol

On a positive note, at least getting it wrong increases the size of my stash.........

A Finish!!

I put the last stitches in 'Lifes a Stitch' by Twisted Threads last night. I changed it around a little to suit myself, adding red beads instead of french knots (hate those dratted things!) and changed the border a little.

Am pleased with the way it has turned out. My SIL chose the pattern and I offered to stitch it for her.

Sydney Mini Show

Wooohooo this weekend is the Sydney Mini Show. Only happens once a year and is a time for all miniaturists to get together and shop til they drop!! lol

Mini friends come from NZ and all over Oz. There are classes and stalls, clubs showcase their latest projects, online groups meet in RL, we all laugh too much, spend tooo much and generally have a ball.

I have some special friends from NZ who come over each year. It is so great to catch up with them properly and try and fit a years worth of laughter into just a few days.

I am not displaying this year, have just not had the time to create something special enough mini-wise, all off my creative energies have been going into my cross-stitching instead. But I have promised my daughter that I will make her a modern day kitchen roombox so I will be hunting out treasures for that at the show.

Did I mention its the Sydney Mini Show on this weekend.......lol

For Xander and Ryan

I am dying to learn how to stitch hardanger so I can kit up some designs I have from Victorias Sampler.

My daughter chose Heirloom Birth Sampler for my grandsons birth sampler. Needless to say Ryan is now 6mths old and I have not even started kitting it yet. I stitched him a couple of Tigger designs instead to adorn his nursery until such time as I found the courage to tackle hardanger. Jemma could have picked an easier pattern...lol

I am currently stitching Summer Dragon by Dragon Dreams for my other grandson Xander who is now 9mths old. I am hoping it will be finished in time for his 1st birthday. NO hardanger is sight with this design!

Wish List

Online Needlecraft Show

I really enjoyed checking out the various designers at the recent online needlecraft show.

Spent ages just browsing and adding a few new patterns to my wishlist. I tend to go back to the same designers when looking for something new to stitch. Was thrilled therefore to find another couple of designers who inpired me and have happily added The Cat's Whiskers and Twisted Oak Designs to my favourites list.

Now I just have to persuade my darling Blair that I NEED to buy more patterns to add to my already large pile of stash.....

T'is Official:))

I have read, and enjoyed, so many blogs from fellow stitchers that I decided to bite the bullet and create one of my own...lol

Have not had much time lately to stitch unfortunately. Am looking forward to getting a couple of projects finished - Lifes a Stitch by Twisted Threads is almost done, just need to do the back stitching. Summer Magic by Dragon Dreams also just needs the backstitching done....can you tell I HATE backstitching....love the effect but struggle to make it lie flat and reasonably taut.

I have started kitting together Lavendar Path by Patricia Ann Designs which is my next project. This one is for me so I am really looking forward to stitching it.