My weekends stitching!

I've actually been really busy stitching this weekend.

I've been stitching this little penguin as a surprise for my mum all week

He's a little softball player as my whole family plays softball every year. I think mum will love this, these are the colours of the softball shirts we wear too.

On Saturday I couldn't work on this penguin because I was at mum and dads so I worked out how to get the printer going and I printed out one of my own designs.

He's a little bear if you hadn't guessed! I designed him to use to teach kids to cross stitch as I'm exempt from the copyright for my own designs. There is only a little bit of back stitch for the mouth the rest is all crosses.

I also made a little koala design but I need to buy the right greys to stitch it up.

When I went to coochimudlo island on Sunday I couldn't take my cross stitch penguin, and the boxers are too big to carry around like that so I started Carres du Printemp because my grandma didn't know what a biscornu was. I did add another colour into the mix at my mother's suggestion I put a bit of pink into it. It really makes it gorgeous.

Sorry that the close up is out of focus I still haven't quite worked out how to take photos with Phill's camera properly. If I used the flash it washed it out but if I didn't it didn't quite focus properly! I want my camera back!

The top photo has three squares on it the two left ones are for the one biscornu and the right one is for the next biscornu once I work out what design I'm doing next :D too many to choose from!

It was great at coochie, there was a craft market over there with some local crafts. I bought a pendant necklace for my sister for Christmas. I don't have photos of it.

After visiting the craft market I spent the rest of the time in a chair talking and stitching. I wasn't the only one either. One of the other ladies was doing tapestry and another was making cards. it's great :D My mum had a ball too so it was an awesome day!

 Until next time,
Caitlin

Twilight - Breaking Dawn Part 1

Well tonight I actually went to the movies to see something. I had a free evening with Phill off sailing and mum and dad off at a party so I called up my friend and organised to see Breaking Dawn.

Now I will be one of the first to say that as much as I love the twilight books, the writing is awful!Despite all that my favourite book out of the four is the last one because Bella is less needy and able to actually assert herself. She is a bit pathetic over Edward, particularly in the second book.

Honestly though what has gone wrong with the make up for the guys! They look really weird in this movie, extremely pasty. Particularly Emmett, I don't know what happened with him. I know that Edward is meant to have this amazing draw and pull all the girls in, its part of being a vampire. But Jacob is soooo much hotter! Edward (Robert Pattinson) looks just wrong next to him.

Jacob Photos

As has been said many times by some of my friends the only reason to go to twilight is to see Jacob with his shirt off AGAIN!

Seeing the twilight movie was a great excuse to see my friend and enjoy a great night out, the fact that we both enjoy twilight just makes it even better. I will be waiting for the next movie to come out with baited breath.

I will hopefully have lots of photo tomorrow as I'm heading over to Coochiemudlo island with the scouts for our end of year break up, which will hopefully be a great day out.

Caitlin

my camera :D

just a quick update before I have to leave for work!

Well my camera is definately broken BUT I can get it fixed or replaced under insurance. So I won't have to pay a whole lot of money.Which is a bit of a relief!

Caitlin

IHSW updates :D

I did manage to finish this little guy and he's hidden at home where Phill can't see him until Christmas hopefully he likes him :D

I also have some photos of my work on Sunday I spent quite a bit of the morning stitching the last seven up as ornaments.

Here are all the ornaments sitting on the sewing machine ready to be stitched into pillows.

Here are the stages of the pillow. The left is the pillow stitched and the opening ironed into place ready to be stuffed. In the middle they are turned around the right way but the opening isn't stitched. And on the right it is stitched but still inside out.

Here is the pile of little pillow packets waiting to be stitched. Don't they look so cute?

I have also stitched on boxers this weekend though not much :D But anything goes with my November goals! I think I made about 30 stitches! I can't post a picture because I don't have a working camera here so I will show pictures later this week with another camera hanging around (there are enough in my family if I'm in the right place)

Oh and just to add insult to injury I managed to open the car door onto my lip and I've managed to put a hole in my lip and it's all bruised. It's not my time!

Caitlin

My Poor Camera!

So I managed to drop my camera today and this in now the quality of photo I'm getting out of it!

See how badly out of focus it is? It now won't focus around the edges of a photo at all! But then the centre doesn't look great either.

A minute before the awful photo I took this photo

Then in trying to get the scene set for the second photo I manage to funble the camera and drop it straight down onto concrete! With the lens open! I am so annoyed with myself. I have no clue whether I will be able to get it fixed or even if it's worth it! I love this little camera my parents gave it to me and it's done everything I've asked of it :(

Now I will explain those two photos, I decided while shopping for my black thread that I really liked the DMC colour 4030 it's one of the variegated ones. So I bought a couple of matching type colours with no real clue as to what I wanted to use them for.

When I took them downstairs this morning I came across this greyish blue aida and when I put them on it I fell in love with the colours. I then glanced left and saw the pattern and I knew what I wanted to stitch with these colours. Though I still don't know whether I will make a tonne of biscornus or one big piece as there are 13 squares in this pattern!


The first photo (the very out of focus one) is of the colours for the other Jardin prive pattern that I had bought. It is the Sampler aux fleurs and I have a cream coloured aida and a purple variegated thread DMC 52. The fabric was from a whole pile my grandma gave me and it's a good excuse to use it and the colours look great.

I do also have some penguins to show you which I took photos of before I dropped my camera but I will do a big IHSW post tomorrow with those in it. I keep hoping that I will turn around and my camera has started working I don't think that will be the case though.

Caitlin

I RAN OUT OF BLACK!!!!

I was all set to start and finish this little guy on Friday and I was so excited but nooooooo I had to go and run out of black! I knew I was running low but not this low....

Oh well after work which I have to go to now ... I have an excuse to go to the shop.

Caitlin

IHSW time again and 2 penguins :D

It's hard to believe a month has gone by since the last IHSW! I want to do a little bit on boxers so I can say i've worked on them this month and another penguin hopefully!

So I've managed to finish two penguins. Making my total 12 :D I just need to work out what my next penguin is now! 4 to go to reach my christmas goal but I may keep going so I can give them to other people as well.... I'm loving making them!

Caitlin

nothing really new but lots of photos

This post will be picture heavy, I got my dad to use his big fancy camera and take pictures of my cross stitch on a tree that I bought yesterday. I spent $5 and got a tiny tree that will be perfect for showing off my ornaments :D I do like the prices Kmart charges but I don't know how they do it!

Finished ornaments on the tree

Now I do have some more penguins finished with stitching but I need to get my camera onto them and it's already back on the frame to stitch the next one. So I will make sure I take a photo tonight so that I can show it off tomorrow.

Rhona you can use these images for your website, they are so cute and easy to stitch!

Caitlin

More Penguins 10 stitched!

Heyya Everyone!

have you had a lovely weekend?  I spent it camping at a place called Canungra with the Landrover club. My family is Landrover crazy. We have 11 cars at home and 5 of them are landrovers. I didn't actually get any photos of any of the cars this weekend but next time. Since my dad has essentially retired he spends his time fixing up landrovers because he can.

While I was there I managed to finish the skating penguin.

And start and finish a blue and red penguin!

I'm also partway through another penguin it's shirt is finished now.

So I've had a very very very busy weekend!

I need to make 16 penguins at least if I manage to make more I can extend who I can give them to. So I need to make 5 1/2 more penguins before christmas! I think I'm going to make it :D

Caitlin

Woohoo! 6 Finished finished!

So here are 6 fully finished ornaments! I could give them to the recipients today that's how finished they are :D They have all been stitched, sewn, turned around the right way, then stuffed and the cord glued around the edge. Using the tutorial from Lynn to make up the ornaments and the cross stitch pattern from Tangled Threads.

Here are the backs just to tease you :D

I bought a couple of flat fats from spotlight in black and white to back the penguins in so it gives a nice effect.

This guy is for my grandpa who really likes cricket and always watches it.

This is the first penguin I stitched :D

I tried Green and yellow round this guy then I found the orange!

Two very pastelly girly designs.

The first pillow I made :D

A few things I learned when making these penguins.

1. When sewing words on fabric make sure that the tension on the machine is right. It makes an extreme difference to whether the words look good. 
2. Turning cross stitch inside out isn't like quilting because the cross stitch is quite heavy. It takes some effort and does wrinkle the fabric!
3. Make sure you leave the opening on the bottom as it's easier to put the cord in the top when you cut the machine sewn threads not hand sewn ones. 
4. When stuffing stuff it till you think it's full and then shove a whole pile more in. They fit a lot more stuffing than you think they should.
5. A good pointy, sharp pair of scissors is worth a thousand pounds

Oh and Rhona I want to take some better pictures with Dad's good camera which I will send to you to put up on your website :D

Aren't they wonderful creatures? I'm so excited to give these little guys away. I think I may have to go shopping for a tiny tree to hang these on 'til christmas!

Caitlin

Half Penguin and new stash

Well I bought a couple of new magazines and my grandpa gave me a new book.

The book on the left my grandpa gave me one of the ladies at his church was giving away books that she doesn't need/want anymore. So he got it for me.

I also got the latest cross stitch collection for Australia and Embroidery and Cross Stitch.

There are so many lovely projects! a new mermaid from Joan Elliott and a fun biscornu. Also there is the lovely book covers, one from Jenni at Tapestry Moon and the other is a Lickle ted one. I don't have enough time!

 And here is my latest penguin. He is half finished. Just 3 more colours to add!

Caitlin

My First Pillow

I've made my first pillow.

The wording says Xmas 2011 and i used my sewing machine to put the words on.

I need to put the cording around it but it was really easy to do. I followed Lynn's instructions on how to make a pillow and as soon as I visit spotlight for some fabric glue I will be adding the cording to this lovely pillow. It really didn't take long at all to make.

The only problem I seem to have when stuffing things is not putting enough stuffing in and realising after the fact!

I have also finished the 8th penguin. They're pumping out at the moment!

Caitlin

Giveaway

There is a lovely giveaway of Joan Elliott's Fairy Enchantment which is a book a really want to buy.

Penguin Crazy

Well I've finished another penguin.

This little guy is from the Enjoy Cross Stitch at Christmas magazine last year. I'm doing all the set of six from this magazine.

They're very different from the other penguins, much rounder and some grey. But they're still by Rhona.

I'm also 3/4 of the way through the next penguin.

He just needs the black and the backstitch, which is all in black as well.

I think I now have penguins on the brains. I have an urge to watch Happy Feet today.


Thank you to all my wonderful followers! It is great to read all your lovely blogs and to see what you are making.

Caitlin

November Goals

October Goals

• Finish another Boxer - done and dusted :D
• Start the JE - no... scared to touch the fabric...
• Buy the fabric and possibly the threads for the Afternoon Tea HAED (I'm going to a craft show at the end of October) done :d I have the threads and fabric ready to go
• Finish Christmas Kisses just the back stitch to go - Done
• 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.) - six designed stitched many to go :D

November Goals

• Work on Boxers
• Grid and Start the JE
• Grid up Afternoon Tea
• Finish as many penguins as possible
• Make the penguins into pillows.

6 Finished!

6 finished now :D They're all cut out and ready to be made into ornaments. I've also already started the next one.

isn't he cute?

And all 6 together!

I haven't taken photos of the  next one yet but it isn't from Rhona's site. It's still her design from the Enjoy Cross Stitch at Christmas magazine that I bought last year. There are 6 penguins in that magazine so lots to do.

Caitlin