martedì, novembre 29, 2005

..... happy dance!!!

It has already been announced. Here is my new finish.


I stitched the free chart by Passione Ricamo "Winter Topiary" as a SAL organized on EMS forum. Now we'll stitch the Spring Topiary. I've to choose the fabric, but I'm not going to start stitching it soon. I stitched the Winter Topiary on a Lemon Sparkle Lugana by Silkweaver and I liked the result. So I've two entries for the Showcase.

I stitched a bit The Christmas Elf Fairy by Mirabilia too. For the skirt I'm using Cupid and Pink Champagne. I love the Pink Champagne!



Last day I forgot to post the first picture of my new small project. An Italian friend gave "Lavender Hill" by LHN as a present. I couldn't wait for starting it. I had decided to stitch "Coffee Menu" as first LHN pattern but I'm waiting for the fabric and during these days I need a very small project. This is right for me! I finished the Topiary and the Felicity Wishes, so I have only medium or large projects.

I stitched the sheeps with DMC 3865.

lunedì, novembre 28, 2005

Happy dance!

During this weekend we went shopping but we didn't buy anything. I bought only the ribbon to sew my Christmas stocking. Then we stayed at home because it rained and I thought it was not a good idea to go and see Harry Potter and the globe of fire during his first weekend. There were a lot of persons.
So I stitched a bit and I finished my Felicity Wishes.
I'm very happy about the result. She's nice and the fabric is lovely. I stitched this design on Blue Fusion lugana 28ct. Now I'm ready to take part in the Silkweaver Showcase.



By the way I'm waiting for the second Medium Treat Bag from Silkweaver. Well, I was really lucky with my first bag but the second one seems to be lost. They sent it last 8 November and it has not arrived yet. :(

Yesterday I was finishing my Winter Topiary by Passione Ricamo when I noticed that I needed DMC 3706 and I have not it! Besides I didn't order it. So I want to go and buy it at my LNS today. This is because I have to stitch only 9 stitches to finish the topiary!

venerdì, novembre 25, 2005

Charity quilt

The quilt is ready and open. Last June I took part in a charity project with other 48 Italian stitchers. We stitched a block with a flower and a quilter sewed a quilt. Now we can buy the quilt here. The quilt can be shipped to worldwide. If you're interested you may read more at the link.



I've not pictures today because I've quite finished my Felicity Wishes and I'll post it when I finished the backstitch too.

It was funny. It seemed to snow worldwide. I read your blogs and you talk about snow. Last night it snowed in Florence too. This is strange because it doesn't usually snow here. Now it's raining.

I want to post this lovely test I saw in some blogs.

HASH(0x8c46a6c)
The Romantic Princess

You are absolutely in love with love! Charming,
romantic, and feminine are all words that
describe you. You are a huge flirt and know how
to use your feminine wiles to get your way. You
are always on the lookout for the guy who will
sweep you off your feet.

Role Models: Isolde, Juliet

You are most likely to: Free a cursed prince from a
terrible spell with a single kiss.


What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)
brought to you by Quizilla

giovedì, novembre 24, 2005

New works

First of all I want to thank everyone for your comments. I have to catch up with reading your blogs and writing some comments because I spent another day without Internet access and telephone.

Now I'm here and I hope I'll not have other problems.

As I told last day I started stitching a new stocking. It's Christian's Stocking by Shepherd's Bush. These are my first stitches.


I have a long work to do with it but I'll try to finish it before Christmas.

I couldn't wait for starting The Christmas Elf Fairy too. I stitched a bit. I'm stitching the skirt.




Last week I forgot to answer and today I've two questions.



Do you always sign your projects? If not, why? If so, do you use your first name, initials or what?

No, I don't. I can't tell why but it depends on the kind of pattern. Sometimes I think a sign will turn out good, sometimes I don't like to sign a pattern. To tell the truth I would like to leave a sign on every works I do but it seems to "ruin" the design. I always sign a sampler because of the kind of pattern. A sampler can't be without a sign.

How do you feel about staying totally true to a pattern? Do you feel that you have to rip out stitches to fix a mistake or do you feel it's acceptable to incorporate a mistake into the design?

I think it's not acceptable to incorporate a mistake into the design. Even if the mistake is insignificant and I can't see it I know that there is a mistake and I can't put up with it. If it is possible, I usually unstitch and stitch again. Yes, I'm a fussy person.

martedì, novembre 22, 2005

Grrr!

I'm back. Yesterday my Internet access and my phone didn't work so I couldn't post and I'm going to blog what I should have posted yesterday.

I decided that I've another happy dance. I finished my Teri's Stocking. To tell the truth it is not finished because I've to attach the embellishment and the ribbon and I'm waiting for the Rainbow Gallery Alpaca to do the french knots. Then I've to sew it. But I finished all the stitches and the backstitch, so I decided that there's another happy dance. I've already start stitching Christian's Stocking that will be for Lore. Later I'll prepare other pictures and I'll post them tonight or tomorrow.



Yesterday I sewed the Christmas Ornament for the EMS exchange but I'll share it when my secret partner receive it. I start sewing my charity doll for Unicef as well. I noticed that Christmas is really coming quickly. They'll sell the charity dolls during the weekend of the 8th of December. Before that weekend we'll go to Solden (Austria) to ski so there is no time to lose...

giovedì, novembre 17, 2005

Finally...happy dance!

Finally I have a finished work.
It took me a long time but it turned out lovely. It's my last charity project. I decided to take some time off. During this year I stitched for charity a lot of patterns. Now I want to stitch something for me, I've some patterns I'm going to start stitching and two SAL with Carol during next year. I'll not stop stitching for charity but I'll reduce the projects.



The stocking is my main pattern during these days. I've quite finished the stitches. Then I'll have to attach some embellishments and I'm waiting for an Alpaca thread to stitch the hair. I want to finish it as soon as possible because I'm going to start the other one and I noticed these stockings are not so quick to stitch.



I received something during the past days.
I fell in love with Victoria Calyton silks when they arrived last week so I had to purchase something else. I decided to start using her silks and stitching a pattern of Carriage House Sampling that has a good conversion to her silks. So I ordered new silks and I've already received them.




















Finally yesterday my LHN patterns arrived. I'm so happy! I'm looking for the fabrics because I absolutely love "Coffe Menu" and I want to start stitching it soon. I received the GAST and Crescent Colours fibers I need for "Coffee Menu" and other future works.

lunedì, novembre 14, 2005

Weekend

I have not many things to tell.
During this weekend we stayed at home but I didn't stitch anything Saturday. We went out with our friends, we came back to our usual pizzeria. It's the oldest pizzeria in my town and we used to go there when we were about 14-15 years old. We really enjoyed because we met other friends and we recalled the past.

Yesterday I stitched all the day and I'm satisfied with my Felicity Wishes. She's going on and I think she'll be ready for the Silkweaver's Showcase. Good!



I've a progress for my stocking as well. Finally Lore noticed it and I think he's happy that I'm going to stitch another one for him.

venerdì, novembre 11, 2005

New poll

I changed my poll because I have already decided that my first LHN pattern will be "Coffee Menu". I'm waiting for the pattern and the threads, I have to choose the fabric. I puchased "The Bookshelf" too and surely I'm going to stitch "Daisy Lane Cottage" sooner or later because I fell in love when I saw it first time.

I'm writing the poll's votes:

Coffee Menu 7
The Friendship Tree 2
Peace and Plenty 1
The Bookshelf 7
Peach Tree Cottage 0
Daisy Lane Cottage 9


My new poll is about my WIPs. Which wip do you prefer?

I didn't enclose Dalmatian pattern because I'm finishing it.

By the way, during these days I worked a lot on it and it's quite finished. We can't see the progress because I stitched white (a lot of white!) on white aida. Finally I finished the white stitches.




My stocking is going on good but it's taking me more time than I thought. And I had planned to stitch another one... I finished the dress of the girl with DMC 712.



I received the Victoria Clayton silks. They're gorgeous. I don't know what I could stitch with them, but they're lovely and I'll stitch something.








When comparing large projects versus small projects, which do you get more excited about finishing?

I think I get equally excited even if I have different feelings. If I finish a small-medium project I'm excited because I think that I can stitch such patterns by the hundred. And I immediately start stitching a new one. If I finish a large project like a Mirabilia or a L&L I'm excited because I worked on that pattern a lot and I can't beleive to have finished it! I think that finishing is always wonderful!

mercoledì, novembre 09, 2005

No finish...

I seem not to be able to finish a pattern. I've a lot of WIPs and they look still. I don't remember when I finished my last work...now I'm stitching a bit one and a bit another...so I've some pictures but any finish.

A very little progress on the dress of my Felicity Wishes.



And another little progress for my winter topiary. By the way, Laura showed us on her website something more of her nexts designs. The design on the right seems to be beautiful.




And a strange thing happened...an UFO arrived! Together with other Italian stitchers we decided to pull out one of our UFOs and to stitch it almost for a quarter every week. I've been stitching it again for three weeks and now I've a picture to share.

The UFO before:



And the UFO after:

I'm pretty happy!

And I received a kit of Le Bonheur des Dames. I've been wanting to purchase one for a long time. I couldn't decide what I'd like to stitch first. I like all the designs of the months. Finally I decided to purchase the June's one because I think I'll be able to stitch and finish it before next June.


domenica, novembre 06, 2005

They arrived!!!

Yesterday there was the baptism of Lore's nephew so we were really busy. I couldn't stitch because we were out for all the day. I only stitched a bit when we came back home, but I have not a big progress. I stitched some green and gold stitches on my Winter Topiary.




But yesterday was a great day for stash. Finally they arrived. The Mirabilia's kit arrived and it has gorgeous Crescent Colours fibers. The pattern is not big and I'm thinking to start stitching it soon. Surely before starting it I'm going to finish something...



And my Medium Treat Bag from Silkweaver arrived! I was so happy about it that I decided to purchase another one. It seemed to be really cheap and interesting.




















I received:

28 ct Shimmering Aqua Opalescent Lugana 9x13
32 ct Bo-Peep Pink Belfast Linen from Zweigart about 11x11
32 ct Romantic Interlude Lugana 13x18
32 ct Jubilation Belfast Linen 18x26
28 ct Taupe Cashel Linen from Zweigart about 11x11

I think I was lucky...I received some fabrics I can use for my next projects. I think that the Taupe Linen could be right for The Bookshelf of Little House Needlework.

Now I want to go and stitch!!!

venerdì, novembre 04, 2005

Wait...

I'm waiting for some parcels. I've not received anything yet and I'm a bit worried. I'm waiting for my Medium Treat Bag from Silkweaver, the new kit of Mirabilia and "Coffee Menu" from Stitching Bits Bobs. I hoped to receive my treat bag this morning, I've been waiting for it for several days...it didn't arrive...so I wanted to console myself with other shopping. Finally I decided to purchase some hand-dyed fibers. I've been wanted to purchase them on Victoria Clayton's website for a long time but I had never done before today. I purchased two different assortments of fibers and a silk ribbon to use in my Shepherd's Bush stotcking.

I've a little progress on the skirt of the Felicity Wishes' lady. I've quite finished the stitches with the DMC 347. Well done! I'm happy about this progess but I really need an happy dance. I don't remember my last finish...



Two questions and two answers.



Have you ever stitched something as a gift and later realized that receiver doesn't respect your stitched gift a bit (for example it's never on show, or you have other reason to suspect that it may even be nonexistent or at least placed in some dark storage room corner)? If so, what have you done? If you've been lucky enough to avoid such people what would you do if it'd happen to you?

I've been lucky enough because my friends were always happy to receive my gifts. This is what they said, but I beleive it. I usually prepare gifts for the friends those will be happy to receive them. Once I prepared a little quilt for the baby of a friend and she was so happy! She has always used and showed it. All my friends remember that quilt! If this sometimes doesn't happen I'll decide to prepare nothing else for this person.

If you have stitched for a while, can you usually pick out the DMC colors you need from memory when you go to your LNS? (For example, you know that 610 is a brown.)

oh, yes! I remember almost all the colours.

mercoledì, novembre 02, 2005

Yesterday we stayed at home so I stitched a bit and I have some progresses to share.

I decided to go on with my Halloween project even if Halloween went away. As you told me I'll be ready for the next year! I hope my witches will not become an UFO...I stitched them but there are not many new stitches. I stitched the faces and the hands.



Finally I stitched again my Felicity Wishes pattern. It should be ready as soon as possible because I want to take part in the Silkweaver showcase.
Here is a good progress on the skirt of the lady.



And Christmas is the next important day so I went on with my Christmas stocking. I stitched the name on the stocking (mine!) and some flowers. I can't wait for seeing the stocking finished. I'm going to stitch another one for Lore...