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!!!

First pictures

I started stitching yesterday.
I'm working on some projects and I decided some goals for September. First of all I'm going to take part in the Celtic Ladies SAL organized by Carol. We're some ladies who're stitching different Celtic ladies by L&L. I picked the Summer one but with alternative colours. I've to decide what fabric I want to use. I can't wait for starting the SAL.
Then I'm stitching a bookmark for an International exchange on EMS forum and Isabelle... you're right! I think I should stitch something for me next time!!! I can't upload my progress because of my secret partner. I don't want her to see what I'm stitching for her.

And I started stitching another charity's project. It's a Margaret Sherry dog, Dramatic. Here is my little progress!!!



And few stitches on my Terre de France. It's the first pattern I stitched since I came back home. Few stitches. So I decided to upload the picture of the fabric and not of the block I'm working on. The picture is not good...but we can see as the fabric is turning out.



About Ireland Lore is chosing the most beautiful pictures. We have more than 2500 pictures. I decided to keep the ones I made on my computer and I picked two of them to start and pubblish something of our holidays.

Here is the Blarney castle in the south of Ireland.




Here is the country in south of Ireland, near Mizen Head.

I'm back!!!

Yesterday we came back home.
We spent beautiful days in Ireland: we loved it!!! To tell the truth I missed Florence and Italy during our days in Dublin but I was also sad to leave Ireland.
I'm going to upload some pictures in the next days.
I had a cross stitch project in Ireland but I couldn't stitch anything: we travelled all around the island and I had not enough time to stitch...I've just finished "The Da Vinci code" because I should have returned it to my library last week.
I'm going to talk about Ireland again when I pubblish some pictures.

Now I'm uploading some pictures of cross stitch projects.
Before holidays I had stitched some little sachets, one for Carol's birthday and two for my French partner in an International sachet exchange on EMS forum.



I had also finished my second envelope for the Italian mail art exchange. My partner has already received it and I can upload the pictures: the right and the back sides.





Thank you for all your posts!!!

Little Happy Dance!!!

I should have finished my Margaret Sherry cat for charity before going on holidays and here is it!!!



It was hard to finish it. It took me a very long time and I don't think I'll stitch another Margaret Sherry cat on Aida!!! This is my last one!
I'm not really happy how it turned out...but it's done!

Now I'm going on holidays to Ireland. I'll be off from today till 25 August. I hope to write again as soon as possible, but I don't know when.

Happy holidays!

Mail art

Finally I could upload some pictures.
My first Italian partner in a mail art exchange told me she had received my envelope. I received mine by the other lady. So I'm going to show the pictures.

The first one is the envelope that Francesca stitched for me. I like country themes and she stitched something by JJ.
Here is it! It's really nice!



The second one is the envelope that I stitched for Vittoria. She likes Aida and tulips. I was happy to use Aida because I have some many pieces of Aida but I don't like using them for my projects. I will be able to finish all my Aida!!!

I used a FREE SanMan pattern but I changed colours because I've not all those SSS.

The right side:



and the back side:

Two questions

The first question is the weekly one.



What is your most unique/interesting stitching quirk? (This could besomething concerning the way you stitch, how you organize your stash,etc.)

It was hard to find an answer. I couldn't answer this question till I read some ladies' answers.
Probably my unique stitching quirk is about threads. I usually keep my DMC threads in their boxes, the Gold Concept ones. So they're in numerical order. But I've other boxes!!! When I used a colour and I cut a remnant I keep it in another box. I made a lot of little cards and I signed on them every DMC number. So when I have the remnants I wrap them up these little cards. And the cards are in numerical order. Well, I think this is a quirk and I don't know anyone else who use a remnants' box.

The second question is for you.
This morning I saw in the EMS gallery a picture of a sampler. I'm going to write the lady who uploaded the picture because I would like to know how I could find this chart. I fell in love whit this pattern! If you know something about this sampler, please let me know it!

I've not any progress to upload because I worked on my sachet exchange and my mail art exchange.

I'm ready!

I'm ready to take part in the Silkweaver's contest. I'm going to post my Summer Fun picture on their forum. I waited for having the button. I was looking for a rectangular pink button. The one I attached is the most similar to the one I wanted to attach. Unforunately in my LNS they don't have so many things. I can find everything only by Internet.
This is my Summer Fun with the button.



I stitched yesterday but I worked on a sachet for an International exchange on EMS forum. I can't post my progress because my partner must not see anything till she receives her sachet.

Little progress...

Yesterday I didn't stitch a lot, but I went on with the charity's project. I have to send this block before the end of July but it's taking me a long time because there're so many 3/4 stitches and I don't like them on Aida!!!

I think you can't see the progress. I worked on tha cat's head but the colours are bright.



Yesterday Lore called an Irish Bed&Brakfast to book a double room in Dublin.
You can see it here. It looks so English!!! I like it very much!!!

Sometimes they come back!

I came back. I've not been writing for some days but I was busy. We celebrated two birthdays outside Florence. But I could stitch few stitches.

And my Terre de France came back. Here is my eighth block. It took me more hours then the other blocks because there're big figures. But I love it because it speaks about Paris that is one of my favourite cities.

What Italian girl!

Today I decided to take part in a quiz that I saw on Carol's blog. Thank you, Carol, your quiz is funny! Well, I turned out to be a really Italian girl...LOL!!!

You Belong in Rome You're a big city girl with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian men - could life get any better? What City Do You Belong in? Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

Have you ever done a color conversion? If so, what did you think about
your results and would you do it again? If not, would you like to try
someday?

Yes, I have. Sometimes I did some colours conversion. My first conversion is for a little pillow for one of my friends wedding. She wanted me to change the colours of some roses...I was happy about the results, but it was difficult to change them. I had been stitching for few months. My last conversion is the one for L'atelier de broduese. You can see the picture on my blog. I'm really happy about the results even if in the picture you can't see clearly how it turned out.

WOW!!! I've just realized that I can add some pics by blogspot.
I'm going to upload something!!! Well, I have an old pic... Here I was in Assisi (Italy). But you can't see Assisi...just me!!!

Again stitches!

I'm happy because I'm stitching during these days. I'm thinking about my Ireland's pattern too. I have to take with me a pattern to stitch during the holidays. I need an easy pattern with few colours... I don't know if I stitch in Ireland but I want to have something with me...
Yesterday I stitched my second envelope for the Italian mail art exchange. Big progress! But I can't upload it, I don't want my partner to see it.
So I'm uploading a little progress of the last charity's project of the month. This Margaret Sherry' cat is so cute, but it's difficult to stitch 3/4 stitches on Aida!!! I don't like working so!!! I hope to finish it as soon as possible.

Another little happy dance

Here is my finish.



This is a block for a quilt that will be sewed by an Italian quiter and that will be for OTB.
About quilts, I had finished a pattern for charity several weeks ago. Now the quilter finished her work and you can see the quilt here. My block is the one at the bottom of the quilt on the left. On my website there is the story of this block.

About links I want to let you know that some Italian girls uploaded on a website a sort of Terre de France for Italy. I don't like so much, but if you want to take a look at it you can see here.

Space

I have an Italian blog but I'm not using the space...I have the space but I have not the pictures. All my pictures are on Lore's computer and I'm waiting for them. He should send me some pics by mail to put them on my computer but he has not sent them yet!!!
I decided to upload few pictures I have on my computer.
Here is the first.
This is my city, Florence. I made this picture last May during a "white night" as we call it. During a "white night" all the shops are open in the city, there are many lights and concerts. In the picture there is Ponte Vecchio, in English "Old Bridge". On the bridge there are only jewellers! A lot of jewellers!



I didn't stitch yesterday. I was so tired!!! I hope to go on with some patterns this night!

A little happy dance!!!

I have a little happy dance! Yesterday I finished my L'atelier de brodeuse. The picture is not good...On my website it's better (but not so good!)
Well, one of my July's goals is caught up but I have still a lot of goals.
I love how my Atelier turned out even if I have to attach the button and sew it!

Two questions and progress

First of all I'm working hard on my L'atelier de brodeuse because I like it very much and I want to post my entry on Silkweaver forum before going on holidays.
Yesterday I was proud of my progress. Here is it!



The stitcher's dress colour is darker than the original one but I must use the GAST Limited Edition Red Violet that is my Summer Fun pack and I had to substitute the original colour. But I like how it's turning out. Well, I saw the pillow sewed by Katrina on her blog and I love it. I'd like to make one too!!!

And now I have two questions...



What do you do when you have some sort of obligation stitching to do,but don't want to do it?

I don't like to have obligation stitching because I like stitching what I feel up to stitch in that moment. But I have sometimes this kind of obligation, for example during a RR. When I have it I usually try to stitch and finish the pattern as soon as possible.

Do you think that you stitch neater on Evenweave than you do on Aidacloth? If so, why?

Well, I think that I stitch neater on Evenweave because I rarely stitch on Aida and I worked a lot on Evenweave, so I surely stitch neater on Evenweave. I think Evenweave is better of Aida for 1/4 and 3/4 stitches too.

Little works

On Sunday we had a pic nic with our friends so I couldn't stitch anything during the weekend. But I have a framed work and I'm so happy. You know that I have a lot of works unframed!



I bought the frame not for this pattern but it seems to be the right frame for my Sings of Spring!

Yesterday I started stitching using my Summer Fun pack from Silkweaver. Here is it!



It's a very little progress, but I started stitching it and this is important.
During this month I have to finish two projects for charity, a sachet for an International exchange and two mail art envelopes. After July I'll be in Ireland and I'll not stitch, I suppose. When I come back to Italy I'll start some little works because I realized that I'm stitching all big projects, such as my Once upon a time or other patterns and they're all bigger than about 70x100 stitches.....

Stash

I received some orders last days.
I have had the Summer Fun pack from Silweaver. It's nice! I've already decided what I'll stitch with it. I'm going to start as soon as possible. Today, I hope.






















I had ordered some Expressions small cuts too. They're beautiful. I love Silkweaver's fabrics and I'm thinking how I could use them.






















I received my Paw Print order too. I had chosen a Witchel Linen 18ct Light Natural to stitch my Shepherd's Bush stockings. I don't know if the colour of the fabric is right: I'll try to bring it near to the colurs I've to use for Teri's Stocking.

Another little progress

I stitch enough. But I don't stitch as I'd like. I'm "busy" with TV and cinema. On TV there are some programs I love during these days. Yesterday I watched the final episode of Friends. I'm so sad! I really love Friends! I can't beleive that we'll not watch other episodes. Fortunately on TV there are the new episodes of Charmed too.

Here is my progress! When I don't watch TV I stitch!

About UFOs

There is a little happy dance. The project was not big but it was an UFO. It's an apron for the kitchen and I called it WIP, but there was an UFO, I'm sure. I have not been stitching it for several months (since November 2004).
During the weekend I decided to finish it. And here is it!



I have other pictures of it.





I'm really happy because I finished something for me. I finished a lot of projects this year but they are all for charity. I decided to stitch something else for me in the next days, but it must not be big because I'm stitching many big patterns.