Finally a new Taj Mahal Mandala Garden update!

Yep the title above says it all,  finally I have a Taj Mahal update!   June pretty much became work on Taj month as it has been neglected since March :(  Having Taj now mounted on a scroll frame on my new lap base made things so much easier and quicker.
On the 11th June Taj looked like this. Top outside border and flower border almost half done.

Then on the 20th June 

Then as of tonight the top outside border is finished and the right side started and almost finished the top flower border. 

I so love this design, and can't believe I put off starting it for a few years as I found it a bit daunting. It is my first Chatelaine but I doubt it will be my last.. truly beautiful to look at and it is not even finished yet. 

Now to get Maggie back out and get that little bit closer to a finish this year.

Happy stitching everyone

Deb

Maggie the Mess Maker update

It's time for a Maggie update.  I have been working steadily on Maggie for well over a month and not following my normal rotation, this caused me to kind of hit a wall on Friday last week. I found I kept getting "lost" in a particular part of the chart and knew it was time for a change.
 I love many of the designs that come in the Dimensions range but I loath working with their charts.  In fact I have done two of their wizards in the past and took great delight in destroying the charts once I finished them as there was never a chance I would stitch them again!

I am now just under 3/4's of the way through Maggie and am hoping after some time this month on Taj Mahal I can get my Maggie mojo back as I would love to finish it this year.

On the weekend I put Taj Mahal Mandala Garden on a scroll frame and loaded it on my new K Creations large lap base.  Love it love it love it! It did take a little while to get used to after working with my hoop seat stand but it didn't take long at all to get back into using a scroll.  Now I have the perfect setup for all those many designs requiring beads. 

Happy Stitching everyone
Deb

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

Diet Kitty 2 - WIP a bit more progress

A few weekends ago I managed to get out of the house and gather together with some like minded stitchy friends for a fun day of stitching, lunching and general laughter and good company.
I haven't seen this wonderful group of ladies in oh so long and it was such a blessing to be in their company again.
While there I decided to work on my small WIP of Diet Kitty 2 as it really is awkward to work on a large design like Maggie, so progress was made on the little kitty. I enjoyed spending time on a simple project on the day so much so I decided to make it a weekend of progress and kitty went from looking like this...

To looking like this...

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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My very late April 2014 IHSW update

It is so amazing some times how time gets away from you given I'm a week late with Aprils IHSW report.

So here goes a quick update. IHSW fell on a great weekend. Easter weekend which meant I did manage to find heaps of time to stitch. I certainly hope everyone had a good Easter with their families and got to hermit some what during the weekend.

All of April I have been working on Maggie the Mess Maker and below is my progress as of 23rd April

I have seen heaps of progress and enjoying a stitching groove on this piece at the moment so I am sticking with it and dropping my normal rotation on to Taj Mahal Garden Mandala until I either get sick of looking at Maggie or finish her which ever comes first. 

Just about to sign off for the night and do some stitching and remembered I saw this on face book tonight. Anyone know where you can get them from I so need this! 

Happy Stitching everyone, 

Deb

March 2014 IHSW

I just realised I am a few days late with my IHSW report for the weekend.

Some stitching got done not as much as I wanted though. Mostly on Friday night and Saturday. Sunday I spent the day doing things with hubby, going out to breakfast, shopping and just spending time which was nice.

I did manage to get part 3 of my Taj Mahal Garden Mandala finished and start part 4. No update photo this week though as it doesn't show a lot of advancement compared to the last photo I posted just before the weekend.

Looking forward to next months one which I believes falls over the Easter weekend... Joyze please correct me if I am wrong. That means lots of time for stitching as we Aussies get a 4 day holiday weekend that weekend whoohoo!

Happy Stitching everyone
Deb