I've slowed down

Small progress is being made with Quaker Garden. I did a little more last night. I'm in no hurry to finish this one. I'm just enjoying each small step I make.

I have decided to stitch other pieces while still working on this. I started with Little Ballerinas and next is The Tea Room. I'm thinking that if I work on a larger piece (like this one), I'll stitch smaller ones along side. That way I won't get bogged down with the bigger one and have it end up being a chore to finish.

Quaker Garden - 1 August 2008

I'm hoping to start on my little project piece for Nicole tomorrow, if I get time. Unfortunately there won't be any progress pics for this one as it's a surprise. It shouldn't take too long to complete though.

Back to Quaker

I thought I'd pick up Quaker Garden last night and do a little more of it. I'm getting to half way done on this project.

Quaker Garden - 18 July 2008

My level of motivation has dropped off these past two weeks. A number of things I could say has caused this. The weather (too cold), been feeling tired when I get home from work, and been a bit busier.

Since I have plenty of time to finish Little Ballerinas I decided to continue with QG. Still loving this one:)))

A little night stitching

I was able to do a little more on QG Wednesday night. It's like when you read a book that has short chapters, this design. You can do little sections at a time. Here's where I'm up to...

Quaker Garden - 25 June 2008 scanned image

OK, so if you couldn't work out where I'd done my last mistake, I'll let you know. The pink motive top left of the urn I'd done the smyrna cross in pink (Red Pear). Later on I discovered it should have been stitched in Shaker White. Since it was such a small mistake, and I know I could have left it as it was, I decided to pull it out and do it in the right colour. It really wouldn't have mattered either way though.

I'm off work today as I have a cold. I went yesterday, and by the end of the day I felt worse than when I started. I had little energy left, so I thought I'd have today off to get my strength back. With the weekend also, I should be right by Monday to go back to work.

Sunday stitching

Still working on Quaker Garden and yesterday I was able to get some more done. Am I loving it still? Yes, I certainly am. It's an easy one to do, though you wouldn't think perhaps with the mistakes I'm making with it :). Found another little one which was rectified easily. I'll let you see if you can notice it. You'll need to look at my previous pics to compare though.

Quaker Garden - 22 June 2008

Not really sure how long it's going to take to complete this design. I'm very tempted to start on CCN Little Ballerinas but will still hold off for now.

A little more to show

I have some more progress on QG to show. I was stitching quite slowly tonight as I didn't want to make another mistake with this one, so not much progress was achieved.

Quaker Garden - 20 June 2008

I lodged my passport application yesterday for my trip in September to the Cook Islands. Since I haven't been overseas for 17 years a new one was called for. Must admit, I got a little excited. As time draws closer it becomes more and more real that I'm actually going. I'm looking forward to some lazy days amongst the sun, sand and sea.

Back on track and a little stash

Yay! I was able to get some more done on QG last night. Made sure I checked and checked again as I went along. No mistakes!:) I can't sing high enough praises on this one. I just love the design so much.

BBD Quaker Garden - 13 June 2008

Some fabric arrived in the mail yesterday too. It was part of an order I did a while ago with Handcrafts Online. I've been getting it bit by bit as they get the stock in. This fabric is a 40ct which I haven't had before. I've got it for the Blackbird Designs pattern from the Thank You Sarah Tobias book called Sarah Tobias. This is the main design on the front cover. Whether I keep it for it or decide to do another pattern with the fabric remains to be seen. Whatever I do, it will be a challenge using this count of fabric. I think I'll have to stitch on it during the Summer months when the light is better.

Included with my packet was a skein of thread which I hadn't ordered. This was a thank you gift for waiting so long to get the items I'd ordered. What a lovely surprise! I'm sure it will come in very handy. I also have a couple more pieces of fabric to come from this same order, both in R & R Antique Cotton.

40ct R & R Light Espresso and Carrie's Creation floss in Multi Grain

How delightful needlework is. I'm so glad I found it as my hobby!

I found the mistake!

After I'd posted last night I thought I would have another look at where I'd gone wrong with Quaker Garden. Since the design part looked ok, the bottom pattern was looking good, I then had a look at the left side border. I looked at the bottom left corner of it and there it was - I discovered I'd started in the wrong position with it. Damn! I began one (ONE mind you) thread lower than I should have.

When it comes to my needlework, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I try to do the best I can. So knowing this it probably doesn't come as quite a shock to know that I decided to pull the threads out from that section and will start again. I started taking some of them out last night, then did the rest tonight. I didn't want to start stitching again straight away but will hopefully do some tomorrow night after work.

Quaker Garden - 12 June 2008

QG after having to pull threads out from making a stitching error

Don't worry though, I haven't lost any enthusiasm for it. I still love this design and will get right back into it. I'll have to be more careful in the future with my counting. I should have learned my lesson with LHN's My Needle's Work after a similar mistake. I do tend to make the odd error like this with my stitching though.

Hope everyone's having better luck with their creations.

Things don't always go according to plan...

Well, yes I did do a little more of QG tonight but not very much. Here's what happened...

I started stitching then half an hour later thought I'd better phone Mum to ask her how her day went. You see, she had a lady visit her today whom she's never met before, to have a look at all her needlework. It's someone I've met at work who stitches also and I suggested she go round and look at what Mum's done. They both had a lovely day and the lady admired what Mum had to show her. She was particularly interested in the Shepherd's Bush designs and Come Tarry was a favourite since she hadn't seen it stitched up before.

So I finished speaking to Mum, then I did a bit more stitching and the phone rings. No, it wasn't Mum again, it was one of my sisters to have a chat.

After speaking to her for a short while I picked up my stitching again. Before my sister had phoned I suddenly realised that I'm one or two stitches out on QG! I'm talking to her and at the same time trying to work out where the mistake is. I know I've done something wrong, but for the life of me I can't work out how. I could probably fudge it and get away with it, then again it's going to bug me where I've gone wrong. I've looked over and over it. I discovered it wasn't right when doing the left border part. The letters are too close and I've had to do a couple extra crosses with the two vertical lines.

So after all that I didn't achieve much progress.

Quaker Garden - 11 June 2008

Just when I was enjoying this one too. Not to worry I'll figure it out.

A day of stitching

How lovely it is to spend all afternoon on my needlework. This is what I got done...

Quaker Garden - 8 June 2008

Quaker Garden is so enjoyable that if you love Blackbird Designs and you haven't done this one, then I would say try to get a hold of this chart and stitch it, because you'll love it. I was lucky to get this chart in Australia since it's now been retired and hard to get in the US. I thought I may have to bid for one on eBay (which aren't going cheaply), so I was happy when I found one here at a reasonable price.

This is such an easy one to do. I love, love, love it!!! I may just continue with it a bit more before starting on CCN Little Ballerinas, because it mightn't take me as long as I initially thought it would to complete. I thought I was going to have to spend a few months on it, but I can see me finishing it a lot sooner than that.

I've got the stitching bug!

I sat down tonight and worked some more on QG. This is such a delight to do and I'm liking the way there's little pictures within the whole design. Keeps the interest going - not that I've done enough to get bored with it yet.

Quaker Garden - 4 June 2008

I'm really happy with the fabric and thread colours too. They go so well together.

Last year I did hardly any stitching and wasn't in the mood for it really. This year though, and I think updating my blog more regularly and looking at other blogs has helped, I've got the stitching bug back and enjoying it so much. It's such a wonderful past time.

Thanks to everyone that has a stitching blog, because you are such an inspiration to all of us out there and an encouragement to get out our needles and stitch away.

Another blog and a little stitch

Since I'm getting a reputation as a 'stash queen' I've decided to create another blog with a list of all my stash. I've done separate entries for my favourite designers: Shepherd's Bush, LHN, CCN, and Blackbird Designs. Then I've made another list of all the other designers I have. Don't worry so much about the blog heading. It's supposed to be called Miss Jane's Stash, but I can't replace the name without taking away the top part of the blog (including the buttons - which I like - and background colour). I'll be updating it whenever I buy any stash. There's also a permanent link for it under my 'links' heading in my sidebar.

I also worked a little on QG last night. Didn't get much done (as per normal) but I'm happy whenever I get something done. This design is different to what I have stitched in the past, so it will an enjoyable one for me to do.

Quaker Garden - 2 June 2008

That's it for now - chat again with you later.

Edited to add:

Thanks to Nicole for helping me out with my stash blog heading. You're a gem!

Stitched a little

Did a little more stitching tonight after I got home from work. Wanted to at least finish the butterfly. It's so cute! Had to put up with my youngest cat, Charlotte, sitting on my knee at the same time though. Yes, I know I could have kicked her off, but I do love the times we share together. Even if it does hinder my stitching progress.

Quaker Garden - 27 May 2008

Not sure what part I'll work on next. I could go in any direction. Choices, choices...

A new start

Yesterday I started working on Blackbird Designs Quaker Garden. I didn't get a lot done, very minimal as a matter of fact. This is why...

One of my workmates was wanting to get into cross stitching. I told her I could help her out by showing her the basics to get her started. So yesterday she came over to my place. She had a little kit with her (a heart design by Dimensions) including cloth, threads and pattern. The cloth was more like a tablecloth linen but the design was printed on the fabric to show where the crosses were to go. So I showed her how to start off and away she went.

Meanwhile I'd already started on Quaker Garden, waiting for her to arrive at my place, earlier. So I continued with that. Well, instead of stitching, we ended up talking for most of the time! It was quite lovely but not very productive. I really didn't help her much either with finishing off threads, starting with a different colour or anything. So when she left I said to her that she'd have to come over another day, allowing more time than what we had yesterday, and I'd help her out a bit more.

So this is all I have to show of my start on QG.

BLACKBIRD DESIGNS - Quaker Garden started 25 May 2008

I've started in the centre, then I thought I'd stitch the butterfly, which I think is one of my favourite parts of the design. I'm liking the colours of this one.

Quaker Garden with threads - WDW Red Pear, Palomino, Dolphin, Caper, and GAS Shaker White

Til next time...

Oh no! Not more stash!!!

Oops, I did it again... as the song goes. Yes, I've got some more stash in the mail. Believe it or not, I just wanted to get some threads for Quaker Garden which I'm going to work on next. One insight about me though - I never end up getting just threads! This is what I got...

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BENT CREEK - The Big Tree kit

BLACKBIRD DESIGNS - Be Kind and True & Maude Eloise 1891 charts

THE SAMPLER COMPANY - Kind Fond Love & HOMESPUN ELEGANCE - Bee Watchers charts

CCN - Raspberry Patch

LHN - Plant Kindness, Nature's Beauty, Blackbird Inn, Rose Sampler, Schoolgirl Lessons, and ABC123 charts

Oh yes, and those threads I wanted, plus a few more! There's also a piece of Vintage Lentil Lakeside Linen 28ct underneath.

Needlecraft Corner had 25% off everything I ordered, and not being able to resist a sale, I had to make it worth my while.:) You'd think I'd have enough stash, but no, there's always more things you discover you want.

I'm looking forward to starting on Quaker Garden. The threads I received for it look terrific. Sometimes you get the recommended threads for a design and they turn out a different shade to what you're expecting, but these ones look pretty similar to what you see in the chart. There's only five different colours in the pattern too.

BLACKBIRD DESIGNS - Quaker Garden (kitted with 32ct Permin Linen Prairie Grain, along with WDW & GAS threads).

I'm hoping to get some stitching time in tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Quaker Garden

Lately I've been getting interested in Blackbird Designs' charts. The more I hunt the net looking at what they've released, the more I like them. Their Loose Feathers designs I like too, but they're only available for a certain time I've discovered, then they get retired and hard to find.

This is the case with the #19 pattern called Quaker Garden. I've checked out a few needlework shops in the US on the net and none of them have it anymore. So I Googled and came up with a place in Australia funnily enough, called The Home Patch, that had the chart on their site. So I went ahead and ordered it, and when more than a week had passed with no sign of the chart arriving in the mail, I gave them a call to find out what was going on. They said they were out of stock on it but were waiting for more to come in. Well, I told them I didn't like their chances of getting it as I thought it was an out of print design. I ended the call with them telling me they would let me know when it arrived (which I was assured wouldn't be too long). So the next day they left a message on my home phone telling me it had arrived and they were putting it in the mail that day (Friday 2 May).

BLACKBIRD DESIGNS - Quaker Garden

Today I got home and what should I see in my letter box? My Quaker Garden chart! I still can't believe it arrived. It's been selling on eBay for more than I paid for it here. I'm really happy with the pattern and have even got a piece of fabric just right for it. I bought it while I was on leave in March when I went out to a few needlework shops one day. It's a 32ct Permin Linen in the colour of Prairie Grain. Looks like a similar colour to what you see in the chart photo. Now all I have to do is get a few threads for it and it's ready to go.

Quaker Garden with 32ct Permin Linen Prairie Grain

There's so many patterns I have that I'm wanting to stitch, but can't do them all at once. This one though, I may start in the near future.

I love receiving stash in the mail, it just makes my day!