Merry Christmas!

Wishing all my loyal followers a very Merry Christmas for 2013.   May you have a lovely time with family and friends.  I hope 2014 brings peace and happiness to everyone.  Take care and happy holidays!  

I'm Still Here!

Hi all, just thought I'd touch base to let you know that I am still alive and well. My life is still quite busy and unfortunately no stitching is getting done. I haven't even purchased any needlework for a very long time.

My love life is blossoming though and have been with my boyfriend for over two years now. He's amazing and such a wonderful person.

Since I don't have any stitching to show, I thought I would show you my adorable cats. They are both well and are great company for each other.

Charlotte ~ 6 years old

Sophie ~ 12 years old

I'm not sure when I will post again but I wish everyone lots of happiness and good health. One day I will get back to my stitching and I plan to share my journey with you all again. Til then, please enjoy your own stitching and sharing it amongst one another.

The happiest of stitching to all!

What's New Pussy Cat?

A few people lately have been wanting to know when I was going to do another edition of my famous 'Pussy Magazine'. Well, wait no more! Here it is...

(Remember this is supposed to be light hearted and meant to give you a laugh. I don't intend to offend anyone.)

So this cover has my youngest Birman, Charlotte on it. She's gazing out the window wondering where the sun has gone. Since we are still in Winter here, this edition has articles relating to the season. Pity you only get the chance to view the front cover because you'll be amazed what's inside! Good luck finding yourself a copy.

Just dropping by!

I'm sorry that my blog's been very quiet lately but my lack of stitching has led to a lack of enthusiasm for blogging. I still haven't started anything new but I do have something to show you. It's the latest Girl Club Stacy Nash kit for which I'm a member through Country Sampler. It arrived recently and I thought I would share some pictures with you.

It's called the Country Sampler Liberty 1776 Sewing Pouch. It includes lovely pieces of fabrics as always, so you're never disappointed. There's some 32ct Dirty linen, reproduction cotton print fabric in natural with a red flower dotted throughout, a piece each of natural and olive silk matka, and your thread along with a mother-of-pearl button. Stacy has been raving lately about the silk matka and now I can see why. It's really lovely and quite rustic looking with its uneven weave. I don't know whether you would cross stitch on it but you could probably try if you like a challenge. I think it's purpose is more of a fabric than a linen if you know what I mean. So using it as a backing or applique would serve it better.

I see a few others are going through a bit of a lull with their needlework so I'm in good company. We all have highs and lows with whatever we do in life. I don't want to force the issue with my stitching because then it will feel like a chore, which it shouldn't. I will get the enthusiasm back again in time so please stay with me and look out for a future post update. Thanks to those who have emailed or commented on how I am. Everything is fine, though it's still dam cold here where I live. Maybe when the warmer weather comes and there is more light I will want to pick up my needle again. Thank you all for the time you take to comment and read my blog.

Just before I go I will leave you with a picture of my adorable cats. I love them to bits and they are both keeping warm during this cold weather we're having. They get along so well and are truly great friends for each other. They keep each other company while Mum spends long days at work. This photo was taken while they were on their cat house. They both just squeeze themselves on the top of it and sometimes have a battle of the wills to see who can push the other off so they can have it all to themselves. This day though, they were happy to share.

Til next time...

Country Stitches Stash

Not much happening here so I thought I'd post some pictures of some stash I got from Country Stitches at their Valentines Sale in February.

First up are some patterns by Brenda of Country Stitches and her design name of With Thy Needle & Thread.

Sewing Bird Pinkeep, Miss Lapin, and Mary's Best Handework

Then a couple of sampler patterns.

Pineberry Lane - A Faithful Friend Sampler

Heartstring Primitives - Grapevines At The Old Homestead

A bit of Stacy Nash.

Letters Scissor Pouch Pattern, and Basket Of Flowers Pinkeep

A lot more of Stacy Nash! A few of her booklets all freshly sealed in plastic.

From Hollyhock Farm, Merry Hallowe'en, and Goode Tidings

I got some prim accessories also, keys and rusty old pins. I also wanted to get a piece of Platinum Belfast to see what the colour was like. Brenda uses it in so many of her patterns and I was curious. It is a little like Weeks Dye Works Linen in comparison.

There was a chart that was out of stock but was arriving in a week or so of my order, so Brenda kindly held back on sending my other items so they could be shipped together. When she told me she had sent my package after this slight delay, she mentioned I'd be busy. I had forgotten most of what I'd bought so by the time I received the parcel in the mail, I can understand what she meant! Perhaps I went a bit overboard but what a delight to receive all these goodies in the mail.

Now, I have a little cat story to tell. On the weekend I was out in my front yard, pottering around in the garden. I allow my two cats out for a romp whenever I go out the front (as they're normally indoor cats) and they love it. This day I was keeping an eye on them and noticed they were hovering around the front gate. The gate has a gap at the bottom, big enough for them to fit through. My youngest, Charlotte, thought she'd pop under and have a look at what's on the other side of the gate. I saw this and quickly called her back in, and she immediately came back. Then I got into some weeding and forgot about them for a few minutes. When I looked around to see where they both were, I could see Sophie but Charlotte was nowhere to be seen. I walked around the front yard, nothing, then went around the back yard, nothing, had another look round the front, called out her name and gave a whistle or two, but still nothing. Then I gave it one more try with calling her name and then I heard this little meow. Have a guess where she was... in the next door neighbour's yard! I went to the front, opened the gate and started walking to the neighbour's, then all of a sudden out she comes scurrying like she couldn't wait to get back to familiar surroundings. What a cheeky thing she was. This is the first (and hopefully the last) time she's been out of my property. Birmans are an indoor breed so you have to be careful if you let them outside. My girls usually love to wander in the front yard for a short time, but I guess Charlotte was feeling a bit more adventurous on this day.

My cheeky Charlotte - 3 year old Birman cat

A Funny Cat Story

Not a lot more to show but I thought you might like some new photos to gaze at. I only stitched for an hour or so last night, so I didn't get much done.

Summer Iris - 6 January 2010

I wasn't even going to post tonight but for this...

Here's a funny story which may make you giggle. I was taking down my Christmas tree and decorations last Sunday. I had bags lying about the floor to put things in, which included some large paper ones with handles. My cat Charlotte, decided to hop in one of these paper bags and rummage around in it. Next thing I hear is this noise and the paper bag flying off at a great speed! The bag went up over my lounge, down on to the floor, through the dining room, to the kitchen, down the hall, then all the way back to the lounge room, and started the journey over again! When I'd realised that a cat was inside this bag, with her caught in the handles, I started to laugh. Then I panicked because I thought she was going to damage or break something while she was flying around the house. So up I jumped to rescue her. She wouldn't stop though because she was scared out of her wits trying to get this bag offf her. Eventually I caught her and removed said bag! No major damage done, though poor pussy hid who knows where, for the next 10 or so minutes. She eventually came out and I gave her a big hug to calm her down. Where's the video camera when you need it? Funniest Home Videos would have had another entry!

Charlotte

Too Much Christmas Pudding!

My fur babies after Christmas celebrations...

Sophie

Charlotte

I've made a start!

Yes, albeit small, I've started on The Rain Fell. I didn't stitch for long last night but managed to get the scrolling done on the bottom of the design. The fabric I'm using is the recommended Americana Blend, but mine is 32ct instead of 30ct which was used in the chart model.

The Rain Fell - 22 June 2009

Since there's not much to show on my WIP, I thought I would show you a couple of photos I took of my furbabies, Sophie and Charlotte. I just love them both to bits!

Sophie - 16 May 2009

Charlotte - 23 May 2009

I was too tired to stitch tonight, but hopefully I'll get some more done during the rest of the week. Keep stitching!

Progressing along

My Moonlit Garden is slowly taking shape. Just stars, moon, and words to work on now.

Moonlit Garden - 30 May 2009

I hope to get some more done today. I just have a little housework to do, then I'm into my stitching for the rest of the day.

In response to your comments about my lounge room... Tammy ~ I'm not sure whether it looks like it should be in a magazine, but you're very kind for saying. Thanks! Chrissie ~ I do work on my stitching in the lounge room. I sit in the sofa on the left of the picture, in the seat closest in shot. Now that I have the ottoman as well, I bring it over to the sofa and put my feet up while I'm stitching. How relaxing is that? Melissa ~ yes I know, there's lots of wall room for my needlework. I get a bit unsure as to what ones to put where, then I end up doing nothing about it. It's tragic I know. :) Prime real estate going to waste! Thanks to everyone else for commenting. I wanted to achieve that cosy feel and to create my little haven of peace. Just right for a stitcher. If only I could invite you all over for a cuppa.

Melissa also mentioned about my cats not being in the photo on the lounge or rug. It was quite funny when the rug went on the floor. They walked on it and couldn't wait to get off it! I think it felt unsteady for them. They're a bit more used to it now but they aren't to the stage where they want to lay or sleep on it. I do have a photo I took of the two of them on one of the sofas. They're lying on my new mohair throw. Gosh, do they live the life of luxury!

Sophie and Charlotte

Second edition is out!

Some of you may remember my first edition of Pussy Magazine with my gorgeous Birman cat, Sophie on the cover. Well not to be outdone, my youngest cat, Charlotte had to have a cover shot of her own. I managed to get a suitable picture of her the other day. She was just in the right mood. Here's the long awaited follow up to the first issue...

I managed to come up with a few more article headings. Hope you have a chuckle reading them! Remember, it's just a bit of fun. :)

Another thing I did recently was watch a dvd called Miss Potter. It was so 'delightful'. That's the perfect word for it. I just loved it! It stars Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. Based of the life of Beatrix Potter who was an amazing woman with such talent. It's the type of movie you could watch over and over again. Delightful!

Do you want a laugh?

I was going through my photos on the computer yesterday and saw one I'd done of my oldest cat, Sophie. It was when I'd recently purchased my digital camera. I took this photo of her and was playing around with the camera's software. I thought she looked like a cover girl in the photo and the brain started ticking away, and this is what I came up with...

Sophie's a Birman (as is my other cat, Charlotte) and the article headings relate to their lifestyle. They're indoor cats as Birmans can't defend themselves (it's not their nature), they have no road sense, and people would probably steal them if they were wandering the streets.

With their long hair coat, the odd furball does appear. Usually at night when you're fast asleep you suddenly hear this regurgitation sound that wakes you up. You then leap out of bed to grab the one that's ready to cough up a furball and take them to a tiled area of the house. Otherwise, they will always choose the carpet to do it on.

What's your vet like? The vet I take my girls to has this really gorgeous guy there. He is soooo hot! He helped me with my last cat, Sasha, before she passed away. He's quite young and has a girlfriend, but you can still look. :)

Sophie also likes to have chicken necks occasionally to help clean her teeth (Charlotte won't have anything to do with them). They will leave her breath smelling nice too.

So this was the inspiration behind the article headings. It's the first edition, and as you can see in the top right corner I did it back in July 2007. I was going to do another one with Charlotte on the cover but had to come up with more material for the articles. I'd used all the good ones on the first copy with Sophie on it.

Anyway, not to be forgotten, here's a funny picture of Charlotte. She hasn't been doing it so much lately but she used to hop into my front load washing machine and just sit there. One day I saw her do this and got the camera. This is the result...

Don't worry! The door is ajar. I wouldn't dare hurt my little girl. It looks as though it's closed and she's ready for a wash. Lucky for her, cats clean themselves! You can see these photos and more in my Pets album if you're interested.

Well, I hope you got a bit of a laugh from these pictures. I always like to see the funnier side of things in life and love to have a laugh myself.

On the stitching side of things, thank you all so much for supporting my last stash buy. It's good to know I'm not the only mad one out there that can't help herself when it comes to more needlework. I'd rather go without other things than forgo my needlework.

Outer border done

Got some stitching done last night, and I'm in the mood to get some more in tonight! A lot of progress was made as I was able to get the entire outer border completed on French Heart. Next I'll start on the inner border.

French Heart - 7 January 2009

It's my youngest cat's birthday today also. She's turned two! Here's a picture of her in my bathroom sitting on a bath towel. She's got into the habit lately of pulling it down off the towel rail and getting cosy on it. :)

Charlotte - two today

Now I'm off, as I want to have some tea then get onto French Heart. Until the next update... happy stitching!

Sophie turns eight

Today is my eldest cat's birthday, Sophie. She is eight years old and she just wanted to drop by and say hi and show a photo of her taken this morning.

Sophie - 8 December 2008

Offline and cats

Hi all! Over the weekend I've had no connection to the Internet. It's not until you don't have it that you realise how much you use it. So I haven't been overly thrilled by the situation. The problem was my modem wasn't connecting properly. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I managed to get it back online this morning somehow (don't ask me how), without even having to rely on a technician from my service provider to work on it. Mind you, I did speak to someone from them on Saturday to try to fix the problem and even they couldn't tell me what was wrong. Hence they were going to get a proper technician to look at it. Perhaps there were gremlins in the system...

So over the weekend I have taken some pictures of my two cats. I love them dearly and any opportunity to get a photo of them I take. My eldest, Sophie, was in an angelic mood sitting on some towels I had on the table ready to be put away. Charlotte was not in such a placid mood and therefore harder to get some good photos. Here's the results.

Sophie

Charlotte

My stitching is still on a go slow at the moment. Sorry I haven't got anything to report on there. Hopefully my next stash order will be here soon.

Going backwards to go forwards

This is my progress on My Needle's Work if you'd call it that, as I seem to be going backwards. I've pulled out most of the vine apart from a leaf and the start of it down the bottom right. That's all I could salvage from my mistake of being one thread out. It took me nearly two hours to unpick it so I'm giving myself a break before I start to stitch some more on it now. I may do the border next - give me a frame to work within.

LHN My Needle's Work 2 April 2008

Thought I'd show you a picture of my youngest cat, Charlotte. I was on the computer this morning and she decided to sit on my knee. I ended up grabbing the camera (which was within arms length) and took a photo of her. Maybe not her most angelic look but I still think she's cute.

Charlotte sitting on my knee while I'm at the computer - 2 April 2008

I have to go to the shops tomorrow and get a pair of shoes for work I've had put aside for me, so while I'm out I may go and check out this needlework shop I went to years ago which has changed hands a couple of times since. I don't know whether I'll buy much because the shops out here don't carry a lot of things, plus I can usually get it cheaper ordering it from the US. I'd like to get some linen if they have anything interesting. We'll see how we go.

Charlotte turns one!

Today is my youngest cat's first birthday. Celebrations all round is happening tonight, with a pussy party going on. The little treasure has no idea she's come of age (well, the first year is a milestone), and all I'm hoping is that she'll have many more to come.

She's only got one sister, Kara, who went to sunny Queensland as a show cat. Charlotte's markings weren't as good as Kara's, so since all I wanted was a pet, Charlotte was able to come and live with me.

There were five in her litter originally. It was a complicated birth for mother, and the breeder was sound asleep since it was night time, unaware what was happening. Three of them ended up not making it, but Charlotte and Kara were survivors.

Here's Charlotte taken today on her first birthday...

As you can see, it was a slow start getting out of bed!













But once out of bed and breakfast was had, it was time to relax in the cat house.



















Then she had to watch Mum getting ready for work.


What a busy day for a one year old.











Happy birthday Charlotte!

Cats and holidays

I'm really not that good at this blog thing as I don't seem to update it very often. Perhaps that's because I'm still not stitching and haven't the urge to write anything.
My kitten Charlotte has grown up and she's nearly one year old now. She and my other cat Sophie are getting along well and becoming good friends. It's interesting to see the changing colours of her fur, as this is typical of Birman cats the older they get. How cute is she? She's changed a lot since the last photo I posted.

I'm planning an overseas trip for next September at the moment. Going away with my sister probably to the Cook Islands for about two weeks. A tropical relaxing holiday lying by the beach. We would have to go via Auckland NZ from Melbourne since there's no direct flights there. It's supposed to be popular with New Zealanders, like Fiji is to Australians. There's an island north of Rarotonga (the capital) called Aitutaki which looks like heaven. We'll probably stay five nights at two resorts on Rarotonga and five nights at Aitutaki. There's plenty to do: like day trips, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, sunbathing, walking, cycling and exploring the islands. September is the start of Spring here but still quite cool, so it will be lovely to go somewhere warmer. Still have to book the holiday and work out the finer details yet but hope to do that next month some time. This is a beach on the Cook Islands... and a picture of Aitutaki lagoon.

How gorgeous does it look? Makes you want to fly there now. This would have to be my favourite style of holiday. A warm tropical island. I've been to Hawaii for three weeks about sixteen years ago, but that's so much more fast pace than what this will be.

Still would love to get to the USA but I guess that will have to wait a bit longer.