New things...

First of all yesterday I had some good news from my cousin. She's pregnant and a new baby'll be born next April. I'm so happy!!! He/she will be the first baby in my family and we'll prepare for him/her so many things...I've already started planning what to stitch.

Then...I think I'm crazy about cross stitch. I've already joined a new SAL. On EMS forum Selina is organizing a SAL of the freebie of Passione Ricamo, the Topiaries. We're going to stitch one in two months. It should not be demanding...and I'll use fabrics of Silkweaver, so I'll be able to take part in the Showcase 2005, I hope. We'll start stitching the winter topiary next 15 October.

I've not finished yet. When I read blogs of cross stitch or patchwork I don't feel productive. I saw so many interesting things and every day I find new starting points and ideas. I would like to do everything! So I wondered why I don't feel productive. I think it's beacuse of my big projects. I usually stitch big projects and I have few finishes at home. Then I decided to start stitching something smaller than my usual patterns.
Here is it!



I started stitching a pattern of Margaret Sherry, the Little Kate of March/April. It's about 50w x 50H and I'll be able to finish it soon. To tell the truth it'll be a big project too. I'm going to stitch all the nine patterns of Little Kate and sew a quilt. It's an ambitious project but I think it'll give me so much satisfaction. And I'll have nine little finishes!!!




The new question of the SBQ is:

Have you ever just quit a project while in the midst of it? (We're notreferring to UFOs here, rather projects that you know that you'llnever work on again.) Why? What did you do with it - throw it out,give it away, put it away?

No, I haven't. I'm usually very obstinate. When I start stitching something I always finish it. Yes, I have a lot of UFOs but I'm going to stitch all of them. I don't like to leave unfinished things. I need a lot of time to finish everytihng but I finish them. For example I also read books I don't like if I've already started reading them.

Thank you, Carol!!!

I knew that Carol is very generous, but this time she has surpassed herself. She sent me a big gift for my birthday and I don't know how to thank her. You can see the gift in the picture...
She sent me two pieces of beautiful hand-dyed fabrics (I love them!), three patterns, one of Margaret Sherry (so cute!), one of Elizabeth's Designs who is one of my favourite designer and one of Mirabilia, this one is in my future projects!!! It's beautiful! Thank you again.


I have not big progresses to share. I stitched only last Friday.
Here is the stitches with the DMC 310 on my charity's project "Dalmatian".


We can't understand what is it, but I'm telling you: it's a dog.

I didn't stitch because it was a busy weekend.
On Saturday in Florence there was the first show about hobbies like patchwork and cross stitch. I went with my cousin, but to tell the truth the show disappointed me. I didn't find anything new. There were many things but I had already seen them online. Surely it was interesting to visit the show because finally in Florence there was something about patchwork and cross stitch!!!
Naturally I bought something.

















They are some fabrics I bought to prepare a postcard to exchange with an Italian lady. We decided to try sewing a postcard. I saw beautiful postcard made with fabrics and embellishments. I decided to buy some cute buttons, they're very little and you can't see them...
Sunday was the day of castles in Italy. There are so many castles those are not usually open. Once every year they are open and everyone can visit them. We decided to visit Castello da Verrazzano not far from Florence. It's a private castle where Verrazzano was born and lived before leaving for America. In America he discovered the bay of New York. In the castle a new family lives and produces oil and wine. They produce Chianti wine and at the end of the visit there was a free tasting. Good! Lore was very happy!!!

Here is
the country
near
the castle.

Here
I'm
in
the
vineyard
of
the
castle.

The castle.








The cellars of the castle











Finally we have another Italian blogger, my friend Chiara. Welcome!!!

I stitched my Celtic Summer. I'm till stitching the dress and I'm using two of the blues and a pink (DMC 151).



Finally I started my Christmas stocking. Yesterday I realized that Christmas is coming and I had not started stitching anything till this stocking. We can't see anything but here is the progress. I started stitching the dress of the woman with DMC 712. I'm using three strands because I decided not to use the perlè. I can't find them in my LNS.




What is the most challenging specialty stitch you have ever stitched?

I can't answer today. I have never stitched many different specialty stitches. I used few specialty stitches in some patterns, but I don't remember all of them and I couldn't say what is the most challenging.

Pictures again

A little happy dance! I finished my charity's project "Dramatic" by Margaret Sherry.



Now I have to stitch only one pattern for the charity's projects. Then I'd like to have a break with them because I've so many ideas and I want to realize some of them. I'm thinking to take part in the Silkweaver Showcase and I don't have enough time if I go on with other charity's projects.
So I started stitching "Dalmatian" and I'm going to finish it as soon as possible. Here is the first picture!



The daily quarter of "Once upon a time" is going good even if I still have a big work to do with the roses. Here is a picture about my Passione Ricamo.



And I sewed other four blocks for my Christmas quilt. The six bigger blocks are all ready, now I'm going to cut the fabrics to sew the little blocks.
Here are the bigger blocks.

A lot of pictures

My daily quarter of Terre de France works. Finally I finished the ninth block. I have to stitch other four blocks but I think I'll not be able to stitch all before the end of the month and the next block. So I'll go on with my daily quarter...



I took part in an International bookmarks exchange on EMS forum and my secret partner received my bookmark. So I can post the pictures. I used "The Orchard" to stitch the lady but I changed the colours because my secret partner's favourite colour is blue. I also stitched some flowers of Elizabeth's designs and here is the bookmark!





Yesterday we went to Impruneta, a little town not far from Florence where there was a wine tasting. We were with our friends and we really enjoyed ourselves.

This is the church of Impruneta.



And this is the cloister of the church, where there was the tasting.

I started!!!

The most important thing to tell is that I started stitching my Celtic Summer for the Celtic Ladies SAL. I decided to use a 32 ct Lugana from Silkweaver, Sand Lugana. I hope it'll turn out good...I had to choose one of the fabrics I had at home because I didn't want to wait for starting my pattern later.
Here is the first picture.



I decided to start stitching from the center of the pattern and I'm stitching the dress with DMC 312. The alternative colours are all DMC so I don't need any Needlepaint.

I stitched my little dog too, but I don't have a big progress. Here is it!



Then I started sewing the Christmas quilt. I sewed only two blocks, but I'm happy because I have already done something. Here is one of the sewed blocks.





Do you stitch for events like weddings, engagements, or other things
that might not last? If you have been unlucky and the two people broke
up, what happened to your stitched gift?

Sometimes I stitch for events like weddings and birthdays. But I've been lucky. Once I stitched for one of my friends' wedding, I prepared a little pillow for the wedding rings and she liked it very much. She usually hold it on their bed and I'm really happy about it!

Christmas and Summer

Finally she arrived!!! Yesterday I received my Celtic Summer pattern and I immediately decided what fabric I'll use. I hope it will be right...it's a 32ct lugana Sand from Silkweaver. I wanted to use one of the fabrics I had because I want to start stitching the Celtic as soon as possible and I couldn't wait for receiving another one. So I'm ready!!!

Some days ago I received also my Teresa Kogut fabrics. I'm going to sew a Christmas quilt and I've already prepared a few of the fabrics I need for the quilt. Here is the picture!



For Christmas I'd like to stitch also some gifts for my cousins and friends. The gifts should be 7 and I've already planned everything. Every year I usually sew also a charity's doll for Unicef, so I have to find enough time to do everything!!!

My little goal (a quarter of stitching for Once Upon a Time and TdF) is going good.....but it's a very little goal!

Planning

I'm working on my charity's project because I have to finish it before the end of September. I was really busy with charity's projects in the past months and I'm going not to be so busy in future because I have not been stitching many things for me for several days. I decided to continue stitching charity's projects but they will be less numerous. Well, here is the progress of the day. We can see that it's a dog!!!



I've not received my Celtic Summer pattern yet and I'm a bit worried...I have already received my fabrics' order that came from America and I had ordered these Teresa Kogut fabrics after my Celtic Summer pattern from Victoria Needle...
I can't wait for receiving the pattern because I have to pick the right fabric and to start stitching my Celtic lady for the Celtic Ladies SAL.

I would have liked to make a stitching rotation like many ladies but I think I'm not ready for a rotation. I tried stitching with a weekly rotation but it didn't work with me. At the moment I decided to stitch at least for a quarter every day my Terre de France Marquoir. I'm going to recovery all the blocks but I have a big work to do!!! They are 12 and I'm stitching only the ninth!
Then I decided to stitch my Passione Ricamo at least for a quarter every day till I finish all the roses. I'd like to stitch the face of the fairy or the prince but I want to finish the roses because they're so boring for me!
I'm starting today...will I be able to do so?

A lot of questions...

I stitched yesterday but I've not progresses because I decided to get out "Once upon a time". I think it has already become an UFO. I realized that I had made a mistake in the roses and I had to unstitch and stitch again...
By the way, we can download the new free of Passione Ricamo.

And I've not received my Celtic Summer pattern yet...So I wonder when I'll be able to start stitching it!

I've not been answering the sbq since I went to Ireland. I decided to recovery my answers.



This week's question is:

Which way do you stitch (/// and then \\\ or \\\ and then ///)? Can
you (or if you haven't done it before, do you think you could) change
the way that you stitch temporarily if it is asked of you?

I have been stitching /// and then \\\ since I started stitching even if I'm left-handed and I think that left-handed ladies usually stitch \\\ and then ///. But my grandmother taught me to stitch and I stitch like she stitched.
I could not stitch temporarily in another way, I'm usually of fixed habits and it's difficult to change for me.....

The other questions were:

What do you use to hold your fabric while you stitch? A hoop, a
Q-Snap, a scroll frame, something else, or do you stitch in hand? Have
you always used just the one thing or have you tried one or more of
the others? Which do you like best? Why?

The answer is easy. I thinK I'm one of the few stitchers who don't use any kind of hoop, Q-snap, scroll frame...I always stitch in hand!!! And I can't change!!! To tell the truth I tried using only a hoop but I didn't like it! Using a hoop takes me a long time and I stitch quickly without it.

What's the largest project you've ever done? What's the smallest?

The largest finished project I've ever done I think it's my first Mirabilia, if we count the stitches. But I'm stitching a larger one: the Terre de France marquoir. If we consider the measures it's a baby quilt I stitched some years ago. You can see it in this album. It's the first picture in the section "hobby". The smallest is surely the little sachet I stitched for Carol's birthday. I think it's the smallest one if we count the stitches and if we consider the measures.

How often do you wash your fabric for each project? Do you wait until
the very end until to wash it or do you wash it more than once?

I don't usually wash my fabrics. I wash them only if I have had an incident and I have to wash them. My fabrics are always clean and I prefer not to wash them if they don't need. If they need I usually wash them at the end.

What do you do with the framed stitching that you keep? Do you hang it
up and leave it in one place, never to move it? Or do you have a
rotation, where you have one place for stitched pieces and switch them
out according to mood or season? Maybe a mixture of both?

First of all I have to admit that I've not so many framed works but I've also not so many places to leave them because we have not completely furnished the house yet and I have to decide where to hang the works. So I use a rotation and I think I'll use it even if we furnish the house soon because the works will be more and more!!!

Have you hand-dyed your own fabric? Why or why not? Would you like to
try to do so?

No, I haven't but I'd like because I love hand-dyed fabrics. I haven't done so yet because I don't know how to hand-dye. It seems to be difficult!!!

Recovery

Finally I could post something!!!
I was so angry in the past days because my website didn't work and I couldn't upload on the blog my new pictures.

I have a little progress on my Margaret Sherry dog. It's going on... but not so far as I would like!



During the weekend I took a decision: I had to frame my first Mirabilia. Here is it! I can't beleive that it's framed!!! The picture is not good, but I couldn't do better...



Now I can upload the pictures of a gift I prepared some months ago. With other Italian stitchers we decided to prepare some gifts for the baby of our Italian leader for OTB in Italy. Here is my gift!
A little gift...





I should have other things to write and other pictures of Ireland to pubblish but now I'm going and stitching...

Little progress

I'm really busy again. We've some celebrations in our town during these days, so we usually go out in the evening.
But I stitched. Just the charity's project, Dramatic. It's funny and I'm going to finish it as soon as possible so I'll be able to start stitching also my Celtic Summer. I'm waiting for the pattern.
But I'll have to kit it and choose the right fabric, so I've a lot of work for the CS.

Well, here is the progress of the day.



I'm searching ohter good pictures of Ireland and I'm going to make a list of my future stitching goals and to update my wish list...so many things!!!