Not 1 but now 2 finished - Diet Kitty 2 finished!

After having a marathon finish on Maggie the Mess Maker earlier this month I decided to pick up an easy project before concentrating on Taj Mahal Mandala Garden, as my main focus piece.

So I decided to work on Diet Kitty 2 seeing as I had him almost half done.

Before this month I was up to here on him 

And now, he is finished and awaiting framing with Diet kitty 1. 

The fabric looks white in the photo he is actually stitched on  28ct miracle mint Lugana which I swapped for the aida that came in the kit. 

Diet kitty 2 - Started January 2014 - Finished September 2014

So very happy to have not 1 but 2 happy dances of late it has been a long time between finished until this month. 

Happy Stitching everyone, 

Deb

Finally a finish for the year!

Phew finally I find five minutes to be able to share with you all that I finished Maggie!!!!!  Yes finished.  At 12.02 am on the 6th of September!

Life has been so hectic since I finished that I haven't had time to share the news until now. My first finish since 2012 and what a finish!  The photo is not the best I was very bleary eyed at 12 am lol.

Maggie the Mess Maker - Dimensions Kit

Started March 2011 - Finished September 2014

Happy Stitching everyone, 

Deb

August 2014 IHSW

Twisted Band Sampler was the WIP of choice for this weekends stitching.  While the weather was wet as predicted here in Brisbane over the weekend, with the very much needed rain. I didn't managed to get as much stitching time in as I was hoping.

Friday night I ended up crashing in bed at 8pm too tired to stitch,  so Saturday I had grand plans once the housework was done. I did managed to get a few hours done on and off during the afternoon. It is slow going stitching on 32ct black. Then around 5:45pm we lost power for a few hours due to a car hitting a power pole near us. Impossible to stitch on black by torch light. I did consider it quite a few times lol.

Sunday saw more progress and even though I did not get as much done as I had hoped I did managed to finish the 2nd band, completely stitch the 3rd band and start the 4th one.

Now back on to Maggie for the rest of the month. Inching closer and closer to a finish. 

Happy Stitching everyone, 

Deb

Marvelous Maggie update.

Welcome to my  new followers,  I hope you enjoy reading my updates and I always look forward to hearing from you all :)

Would you believe I have been sitting on a Maggie update from the beginning of the month. How slack of me! So a quick update just to show you the latest  progress photo as there will be another one at the end of the month.  I spent all of July working on Maggie and have kept going for this month too.

Last update Maggie looked like this

As of the first of August she now looks like this

I have made a heap more progress since this photo and I am hoping I get all the stitching finished this month. Fingers crossed!

Don't forget this weekend coming is IHSW. It is suppose to rain here in Brisbane all weekend so it is a perfect weekend to sit and stitch! I am planning on doing a bit more on Twisted band sampler this weekend. 

Until after the weekend

Happy stitching everyone, 

Deb

July 2014 IHSW - A new start

Can I hear a collective cheer from across the globe?  It seems we are back in hermit mode again for July :) Our fearless leader was MIA  last month.  I think many of us suffered withdrawals, while some attempted to hermit in spirit that weekend even if we didn't blog about it.  Let's face it any weekend spent stitching and not doing housework has my vote!

For those that do not know what I am talking about and think I have gone nuts, or nuttier depending on your point of view take a visit over to joysze's blog and she will explain what the IHSW is all about.

For July I have decided to honour this weekend with a.....   NEW START!

Yes yes.. I know for those that know me personally I said no new starts until I have had a finish!  But since when have you known any cross stitcher to keep their promises of  "no new starts", and "no more stash until I have used some". It takes an iron will to keep such  promises and besides,  when my pack of Rainbow silks arrived from Eileen over at Threadpickerz during the week,  I knew this weekend was the perfect time to start Twisted Band Sampler from Northern Expressions Needlework.  I decided not to use the recommended Au Ver a Soie's after I saw the Rainbow pack.  I'm also stitching it on Black to really make those colours pop.

Black I hear you gasp!  32 count at that.. oh my poor eyes, but there is method in my madness lol.  Eileen also have a pastel version to her rainbow pack called sparkling prism. Another 18 beautiful silks, the perfect number to stitch the now being designed sister design to Twisted Band Sampler called Twisted Rainbow which I will probably do on Black also as I'm crazy like that.

I just can't help myself I love anything rainbow. I think that is why I'm a stitcher we get to play with a rainbow of colours every day. Life would be so boring without such wonderful colours at my fingertips.

So here is everything all ready to go.

And here are my progress photos after the weekend - Stitching 1 strand over 2 threads.  

Almost 2 bands done. Two colours done and onto the 3rd. Let me just say those eyelets on 32 count black.. had me questioning my sanity for picking black! Might be time for another trip to the optometrist for stronger glasses! 

Now I'm off to check everyone else's weekend efforts.

Happy Stitching everyone, 

Deb

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