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Monday 31 October 2011

Question

I know that quite a lot of people have used hand dyed fabrics and I have a question about working with them.

I have the fabric from polstitches for my Winter Fairy but I am so scared of working with it. It says not guaranteed colourfast. I don't want to reach the end of the project and find that it's all dirty and then I can't actually wash it.

So a couple of questions

1. would you recommend washing it in a salt bath before starting just in case? To hold the colour? Or any other method anyone knows... I don't really want to lose the colour that is there because it is gorgeous.

2. How do you make sure your work stays clean?

3. If I did have to wash it some or all of it how would I go about it?

I think that is one of the reasons I haven't started the winter fairy yet, I just don't want to stuff up. I still need to make a QSnap cover that will fit the big size which will help keep it clean. That means being home with the sewing machine.

Caitlin



Sunday 30 October 2011

A penguin and a half, some boxers and a turtle

I've been kinda distracted recently. Mum introduced me to a series of books called Virgin River. They are great books and I've read 3 of them in the last week. I may have had some slightly sleepless nights!


Phill and Dad went away together to fraser island to fish and have lots of fun with 4WDing. When he came back he had a present for me.

Isn't she cute!!!!

Now some penguins. I haven't been as busy as I should have been. Though I have finished one.





I should have finished this penguin... but that is difficult when you are reading... I knew there was a reason why I haven't read many books in the last little while.


I did devote saturday night to boxers and managed to finish one and a bit paws on the farthest dog on the right.

I have put the book down this week and I should finish this penguin and do another one hopefully this week. Once I have the 6 made I can cut them up and make them.  It will be interesting to see how they work out I am thinking of making pillows that will fit on the tree.

Caitlin


Sunday 23 October 2011

Craft and Quilt Fair

So I went to the Brisbane craft and quilt fair with my mother today. It was a lovely day out, we got in about 10 and didn't leave until after 2! I could have kept going but my feet were falling off.

It was twice the size as the show we went to at the beginning of the year but the stall I wanted was there.

I got some more fabric some white 25ct evenweave for my HAED. They had run out of the antique white but  don't think it will make any difference.

There is enough here to make my lovely afternoon tea and the threads are winging their way here right at this moment.

I also went around the edge of all my fabrics this arvo with the overlocker to seal them off so I am one step closer to starting the Winter Fairy.

I also bought a white aida from this place as well. It is barely anything to buy the fabrics from this place. Nothing like the cost it is at spotlight. Sorry I don't have a picture of the aida it's still in the roll.

As we were wandering around I found a magnifying glass that was purple and hangs around your neck so I had to get it :D It is pretty and purple.

  I also bought a new kit called Beacon at Daybreak I've been eyeing this off for a while.

I love lighthouses and I had to choose between this and another one. There are lots and lots of french knots in this design for all the flowers at the front. Those white dots are french knots. Glad I enjoy them.

I found so many interesting and wonderful items I'm just glad that I limited the money I could take in. All in all it was a profitable and WONDERFUL day out.

Caitlin

Saturday 22 October 2011

Biscornu

Well I managed to finish the cross stitching last night. This pattern was so easy to work from it was a rotating pattern. Which did cause one little problem that I noticed when I had almost finished. I was rotating the stitching and also rotating the bottom cross without realising it. So some of the stitches are going in the wrong direction but since it's for me I don't care and it adds an interesting effect to the look.

Aren't the colours scrumptious?


and here is the back


I kept the back very simple it was the easiest thing to stitch together! I never expected it to be so simple. I always looked at them and went too hard. But not any more ... I'm addicted!

It is so cute only 6cm across so much tinier than I was thinking.

Carres do Printemps - Jardin Prive
 If you're wondering what design I used, I used the bottom left had corner. So I have 8 more designs to turn into biscornus :D just not yet... back to penguins.

Caitlin

Friday 21 October 2011

Latest penguin finish and a biscornu!

I am in love with these penguin designs! They are so easy to stitch and really don't take much effort at all. So far I've stitched two penguins from the woolly brights, one from the sports and now one from the woolly pastels. The colours are just scrumptious.


Yes I know the border isn't finished but I was deciding on colours. I think I like the green better because it's in the image.

I'm also part way through another pastels penguin. This one has a gorgeous scarf it's so jaunty!

Now onto the biscornu.....


I’ve never made a biscornu. My understanding is that they are very easy to make, but I have never made one. What is their purpose? Are they a fancy pin cushion? Or just for display?
The reason for all this speculation is that I am going to make one. Finally! I have picked one of the designs from the carres du printemp and I am going to make a biscornu! Now I have changed the colours, to something much brighter and more purple :D. 


 I have kept with the green but made it a much brighter colour. We shall see how it works out. This only took about an hour so it's stitching up really quickly. 


So I have a question for all those that have made or own biscornus what do you do with them??

Caitlin

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Jardin Prive

I found a new website a french designer called Jardin Prive which for those that don't read French means Private Garden. ( I had to look that up on the website)

I bought a couple of charts from there... I know I shouldn't have and I really really don't need any more projects but I couldn't resist the designs.


Sampler Aux Fleurs
This is the first time I've ever bought this kind of sampler but I could see it looking stunning on a gorgeous coloured fabric or on an antique white with a varigated thread. It is just so cute.

Carres Du Printemps
I love this collection of designs. It is shown on the website in various colours but also done as a biscornu with one of the little designs. They fit together so well but can be used seperately which interests me.

I will be adding these to my charts to do page and we shall see what happens with them!

Caitlin

Monday 17 October 2011

Giveaway :)

Kathy over at A Stitcher's Heirloom is having a lovely giveaway. She has some gorgeous work.

Caitlin

IHSW

Well It's monday for me and I've had a wonderful and very productive weekend!

Another boxer is finished, here is another picture of him. For a full picture look at my previous post.


I managed to finish this doggy by Saturday night. Which left all of Sunday to start and finish another penguin. I stitched on him all day long. I finished the last little bit of the back stitch this morning but I figured that can still count as yesterday :D

This little guy when he is totally finished will be for my grandpa. He is a big cricket fan and will always have it on to watch.

I am absolutely loving making these little penguins they are so quick to stitch up and they all look so cute! I can't resist them!


I also want to say hello to all my new followers! Wow I am at 41 followers! It is so exciting and I have so many new blogs to follow. I love having so many stitchy photos and stories to see and read.

Caitlin

Sunday 16 October 2011

Midway through IHSW update :D

I finished this little guy off.

And I've finished another DOG!!!!!


Isn't he cute! I think I do have about 10 stitches left in his paw but I count him as finished! So I'm halfway there on the cross stitch.

Here is the whole picture so far. You can see the start of the paws for the outside dogs. My mum is so excited about this one.

Caitlin

Thursday 13 October 2011

Organisation

I always wonder if I have some sort of problem. I have to have things just so!

I spent yesterday organising threads for my Winter Fairy. They are now all on Bobbins and sitting in their little tiny box which I bought specifically for this project. They are in numerical order from the bottom right corner as are all my boxes and the tags and all exactly the same way around. I couldn't start until they were organised.

I also need to overlock the edges of the fabric, Grid the fabric, make a  bigger Q snap cover before I will let myself start the actual fairy. Does anyone else do this?

I also have a little penguin update. He is almost finished just a little more backstitching and the border to do. He looks so cute.



Anyway I'm going shopping tonight for a new vacuum cleaner so not sure how much stitching I will get done tonight.

Caitlin

Question

Does anyone know how to people post links on their sidebar things? I want to post the IHSW crab up but I have absolutely no clue how to. please help!

Thank you!
Caitlin

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Lots of Pictures

To start with I will say I've signed up for IHSW! Hopefully I will be able to get some work done this weekend on boxers.


I think I've added one colour since I last showed him. At the very least not much has happened. I have been stitching though!

This little guy is finished stitching. Will need to still finish him as an ornament but he is good for the moment.

And I've started the next little guy. He's going a bit slower I think because there are more colours and more counting and less stitching time.

I worked out I might need 16 penguins! Not sure whether I can get them all done for christmas!

Caitlin

Monday 10 October 2011

Penguins :D

Well I have been stitching a bit this weekend. Actually I've been stitching every chance I got.

This is what the penguin looked like this morning. So I've been stitching this one since Saturday and he's ready for back stitch today. There may be another update later!

I love my new frame! It's so light and so easy to use! 

Caitlin

Saturday 8 October 2011

My Birthday :D

It's been a wonderful day :D

I worked all morning but it was intermittently so I had plenty of time to play the piano or stitch. Stitching came first!

I managed to finally finish Margaret Sherry's Christmas Kisses. I think it looks so cute.

  
Mum gave me 2 Q snap frames one 11" and one 17". It came still in the envelope that it was mailed in. 

Here is the 17"x11" wrapped up in a Frame cover that I finished today :D I started making it a week ago ... I had a clue what I was getting :D I finished it today so that I could stitch something on my lovely frame!


I also went to spotlight today because I had a $10 off voucher for my birthday and bought myself a pressie. They had a sale on Flat fat bundles so I got 2 in black and white to go on the back of the penguin ornaments. I also got the missing threads to do one of the penguins and some white aida.


I also have coming a subscription to World of Cross Stitch, and all the threads I need to do Afternoon tea. But they haven't arrived yet as they were ordered yesterday.

So I've had lots of fun today and there is much more to come! I'm going to sit and stitch a penguin on my new frame!

Caitlin

Friday 7 October 2011

A little update

His face is now appearing :D


This is what the dogs looked like a month ago. This really makes me realise that I've done quite a bit of work.


It's my birthday in less than 2 hrs and I'm going to get some sleep before I have to get up for work! I dislike working on Saturdays sometimes!

Caitlin

Thursday 6 October 2011

Goals and Plans

Well my September goals were pathetic!


  • I want to finish 4 Christmas things that is with the designs totally finished so I can use them immediately! - I FINISHED 1! I have another waiting for a card but I don't have any cards at the moment.
  • Get a page done on Boxers - I'm not sure whether I've done this or not. I've kinda been going over all three pages to get the dogs done rather than go page by page. It was too hard just to follow a page.
  • Start the JE (still need to get fabrics and threads they are winging their way here at the moment) - I have the fabrics and threads and will start it on Saturday when I get my Q snap frames for my birthday.
  • Post up my own charts as freebies. (almost there once I can work out how to get the chart to the internet!) - Still have program and printer problems so this hasn't happened
  • Design another Australian christmas design. - Nothing new designed this month too much work to do on Boxers!
  •  

October Goals:


  • Finish another Boxer
  • Start the JE
  • Buy the fabric and possibly the threads for the Afternoon Tea HAED (I'm going to a craft show at the end of October)
  • Finish Christmas Kisses just the back stitch to go
  • Start my christmas presents. (I have bought a whole pile of Rhona's penguins and I am going to make little christmas ornaments out of them.)

As I just said in my goals I bought a whole pile of penguin designs from Tangled Threads and here is her shop

They are so cute and with the ones I have from the christmas magazine I bought last year I have enough to pick from to make up ornaments. I'm really excited about it. It will be a fairly easy and fun present for my family without having to spend a tonne of money on people I rarely see!

Caitlin

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Giveaway and pictures

Crafty Rahenna - is having a lovely giveaway at her blog :D


As you can probably tell I have a love of boxers. My whole family does, we have collected many figurines over the years. 

boxer kit I've found this boxer kit and I'm tempted to buy it for my mother. Because the one I currently have she actually knows about and bought me to make for her. So this one could be a surprise! I'm being good and not buying it YET! but......

Caitlin

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Boxers

I've spent quite a bit of time on them in the last couple of days. He is all pretty the chest is all done just need to do the head and side. This dog is stitching up quickly I think because it has less brindle. 



Here is a close up of the unfinished dog.

I am so excited with these dogs! I should be able to finish them by christmas!

Caitlin

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