A little gift for myself

I stitch in the hoop using one of these lap stands (below)  that comes with 3 different size hoops. I like the fact hoops seem to keep my work that little bit tighter than a scroll frame. I have used scroll frames in the past but prefer hoops. The lap style means I can still stitch two handed and not have to hold on to a hoop with one hand.

However I have a rather long list of designs on my to do list that require beading and hoops and beads don't really go that well together. I'm so very worried about crushing the beads so I decided after much consideration and google searches and going back and forth etc to buy myself something to hold a scroll frame. I ended up splashing out and buying myself the K Creations large adjustable lap frame base.

I have not had a chance to try it out yet but the first design to go on with will be Taj Mahal Garden Mandala this weekend coming can't wait!

Happy stitching everyone

Deb

May 2014 IHSW and recent stash enhancements

Another weekend of hermiting and stitching has passed. Boy they seem to go so fast and my best laid plans of not doing anything but stitching don't always go to plan.

Most of Saturday was a complete bust. I spent most of the day doing housework and de-cluttering. I seem to be spring cleaning in the wrong season seeing as it is Autumn here in Australia!

I did manage to pass away a few hours on Saturday night and Sunday day blissfully with needle and thread in hand and have made a good amount of progress on Maggie since my last up date. So here she now sits as of Sunday 18th May 2014.

I also started kitting up what could possibly be my next few starts .. once I finish at least 1 work in progress not before....but so tempting. 

I picked up my very first Just Nan chart recently off eBay -  Silver Needle http://www.justnan.com/jn024-silver-needle.html. I'm not normally a Just Nan fan, but this one speaks to me and I can see it hanging on the wall above my cross stitching chair. I'm planning to do the dmc version rather than kit it all out with the Soie d' Alger silks which would prove costly and I don't have many charts that call for these silks. 

I also purchased the digital chart for Passione Ricamo's Prosperity Fae, and ordered some hand dyed Jobelan fabric from Polstitches for this design. Can't wait to actually get a start on this one!

Happy stitching everyone, 

Deb

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