A sneek peek at new stash

This is all I'm showing you of some new stash I received in the mail today. You'll have to wait to see the rest. I wanted to at least show you something because I don't have any stitching progress pics to add. They were ordered from Stitching Bits and Bobs.

ERICA MICHAELS - Button Button (with silk thread and buttons), and COUNTRY COTTAGE NEEDLEWORKS - Rose (with threads)

Random Thoughts

I haven't done anymore stitching since I started back at work this week, so I thought I would show you a pic of my mother's latest finish. It's Random Thoughts by Drawn Threads. She has used her own fabric (it could be light mocha), and her choice of silk threads. She's basically gone by what the colour on the photograph looked like that came with the chart.

She really liked stitching this one up. Her favourite piece on it is the ladybug. The border she also enjoyed doing. It was a real pleasure for her to stitch though, because it's got so many different little pictures in it which keeps the mind interested.

Drawn Threads - Random Thoughts

eBay purchase

Look what arrived in the mail today! A package of charm squares from Blackbird Designs called Madeira. I purchased it on eBay and was really happy with the service of this seller. The squares could easily go as backing for a fob or something similar. Love the different designs in this selection.

How the package was wrapped

Blackbird Designs - Madeira
40 x 5" charm squares

with card from eBay seller

Madeira fabric purchased on eBay

Added 'Needlework'

Was able to get a little bit more stitching done today. Have completed 'Needlework' now. Can you see I'm avoiding the vine for the moment? :) Think I'll get back to that last.

My Needle's Work - 6 April 2008

Got the border done!

Thought I would do some of My Needle's Work last night. Decided to do the border but didn't think I would get all of it done. I did stay up until 1:30am though to do it. The reason why I kept at it was that I was enjoying it so much. It's an easy border to do and one you don't get bored with. I love how it looks a little bit like lace too.

LHN - My Needle's Work 5 April 2008

Flower And Garden Show

What a day I had yesterday. Left home about 9:45am and didn't get back until 10:30pm! Ended up going to the Melbourne Flower And Garden Show with my sister. Hadn't been to it before so it was really great to see. There were a lot of people wanting to sell their garden products. The main thing I wanted to look at were the garden displays. We must have walked everywhere else but couldn't find them until the last section we went to.

Some great ideas there that you would like in your own place, but would cost a lot of money too. What idea we both liked from the whole day was the display of synthetic grass funnily enough. Hate having to mow the lawn so to change it over to synthetic grass would be really low maintenance and tidy looking. Again it's not cheap to install.

Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton where Flower & Garden Show was held

Fountain

We left the garden show a bit after 5pm, then walked to the main shopping area of Melbourne, to the Bourke Street Mall. Still looking for shoes you see. Went to a few shops but didn't have any luck. Had some tea at the food court in the Crown Casino complex then walked back to where we had parked our car for the drive home. My legs are sore today. I've moved muscles that haven't been moved in a while.

I've put a few photos of the show in my Picasa photo album if you want to have a look at the garden displays.

Too tired

This will just be a quickie! I'm too tired to do a longer post after spending the whole day at the Garden Show and then shopping in Melbourne. Didn't get home until about 10:30pm. Will write more tomorrow.

Thanks for all your lovely comments lately too, I get great pleasure in reading them. Til tomorrow...

A day of shopping

What a full day I've had. First I went to try on the pair of shoes I had put aside for me. Big disappointment! They didn't fit, which is the usual case for me since I have small feet.

Oh well, on I went further towards Melbourne to East Malvern where The Needlepoint shop is. This shop used to be terrific. Not quite the same these days since it's changed owner. I asked the lady there if I could take some photos inside her shop to put on my blog, but she couldn't understand why I would want to, so I gave up on the idea (though I did take one of the outside). There wasn't much that grabbed me, as she didn't have a lot there but I did get a couple of things.

32ct Summer Khaki fabric, Fray Stop, and a wooden thread holder.

The Needlepoint shop

Next stop was down the road to Patchwork On Central Park to look at their fabrics. The last time I went there they had some beautiful fabrics, but again not much this time. Though I was able to pluck a few out that I liked.

Fabrics from Patchwork On Central Park

Then I thought I would go a bit further (about another half hour away) to a needlework shop called Lazy Daisy. Been here before also and remembered they had a bit more of a selection of linens than elsewhere. Another disappointment! They had some stock of which I got a few pieces of fabric, but there wasn't much in the way of other items. A lot of tapestry, which doesn't interest me.

Two pieces of felt, 32ct Permin Prairie Grain linen, 28ct Permin Sandstone linen, 30ct Semco no. 83 (green), 30ct linen (light tan), 35ct linen (rich creme/yellow), 32ct Latte linen, packet of Semco 30ct Natural linen, Anchor and DMC threads from Lazy Daisy

I spent most of the day out, but now I remember why I don't bother much with the needlework shops here. They're nothing like what you would see in the US. I can get more of a selection, at a better price shopping overseas. Plus there's not many shops around here these days. Think I'll just stick to the Internet :)

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Just a short note about my last post regarding the picture of my cat Charlotte. Alison was wondering if she was cross eyed. I had a laugh at this. She isn't, but I guess because I took the picture so close as she was on my knee, it's made her look a bit that way (I think?). Or perhaps it's the dark reflection of me in her eyes that's making them look as though they're going inwards.

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Tomorrow I may be going to the Flower and Garden Show, so my stitching is going to have to take a back seat for the moment. Can't stay home all the time and stitch, though as much as I would like to!

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.

Ribbons and fabric

Last week I went to a scrapbooking shop to see what they had. No, I'm not thinking of making scrapbooking another hobby of mine. Gosh! - I spend so much on my needlework, don't want to spend twice as much by having another 'passion'. I could easily get into scrapbooking though because it looks so beautiful and there are heaps of items to buy for every taste imaginable.

What I came across were some lovely ribbons. My eyes glanced over every one of the rolls they had there and I ended up picking out some that I liked. There was even one there that had Merry Christmas written on it (the red one).

Ribbons to use for my needlework

I'm keeping them in an old Whitman's chocolate box. Thought I may be able to use them for my needlework in the future. No immediate ideas but that doesn't matter. I like to get things when I see them and work out what to do with them later on.

Didn't get any stitching done today (though I do want to get back to LHN My Needle's Work and fix up the counting problem I have with it). The weather was so beautiful compared to what we've been having, so I thought I would get outside and do some things that needed my attention earlier in the day. I ended up mowing the lawn, a bit more pruning, and then I did a few jobs inside the house. After all that I was feeling quite tired in the afternoon and had a small nap for about 1/2 hour.

I did get a couple of packages delivered today though. Some material and patterns from quilting stores. I want to try patchworking, making bags, and cushions in the future and am collecting a few bits and pieces along the way.

Pieces of fabric from Quilt Fabric Delights in South Australia

Bought from Gentle Threads in Western Australia

Rosalie Quinlan - Miss Melly's Sewing Pocket pattern

Rosalie Quinlan - Oma's Project Bag pattern

Floba cross stitch fabric, and a couple of fat quarters

I do have a tendency to go for floral fabrics. They always jump out at me when looking.