Thanks for laughing

I'm so glad you liked my cat photos in the last post. I wasn't sure whether to put them on in case people didn't see the funny side. I had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs when I did the 'Pussy Magazine' cover. You've given me some new ideas for the second edition (story headings), and now all I have to do is get a lovely photo of Charlotte. Easier said than done!

I've been madly stitching away on Potting Shed and have got quite a bit further with it. It will look even better once the beads and charms go on it, but you'll have to wait until it's finished for that. There were some French Knots in one row I did yesterday. I'm always apprehensive about doing these. I think I've done pretty well with them though.

The Potting Shed - 14 March 2009

I was on the net last night prowling around, and discovered that CCN are releasing new patterns called Summer Retreats. How gorgeous are these? They are so cute, cute, cute!!! LHN have also got something new called Sunflower Inn. This I love also. Be True is quite lovely as well. It's never ending, there's always something to capture your eye!

Hope everyone's having an enjoyable weekend with lots of stitching to while your time away!

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.

Was that Kermit?

If it wasn't, it must have been that darn stitching frog! I would have got more done with this but I had to pull some out. They were mistakes that couldn't be hidden unfortunately. The last row I've done, which is called Hungarian Ground (done in Moss and Creme), I'd started it off in the wrong position and had to start that about three times! Then there was what they call Spratshead Baskets. They're quite interesting, and I'll be filling them with beads and other stitches in the end, but they were sooooooo finicky to do. Much pulling out was done with those. :) Anyway, I've got past that and I hope that was the worst of it. The rest of the decorative stitching left to come looks fairly simple so I'm hoping it's smooth sailing from here on.

I was able to stitch yesterday afternoon and into the evening on it.

The Potting Shed - 12 March 2009

If you wanted to see how wild I went with my last stash buy and couldn't find it in your hunt, then I will give you some links. I got this, that and the other. All LHN and CCN designs. Which reminds me, I must do some more of their patterns soon. They are so fun!

I really must control myself

OK, even I admit I went way too overboard with my last stash buy. It's my order from Needlecraft Corner for my birthday month (February). I'm not even going to show you all I got because it's too embarrassing (though if you hunt around a bit you may find some pictures in my albums). Anyway, it arrived yesterday and here's some of what I got.


I finally got Mirabilia's Ring Around The Rose Tree kitted. Such a pretty design but I'm not sure when I'll start it. I've also seen lately on Dovile and Loreta's blogs their finishes of Prairie Moon's The Queen Of Hearts. This has inspired me to get it, all kitted up too. Still deciding about the fabric colour though. There's also some charts from LA D DA and Homespun Elegance.

What you're not seeing are charts by LHN and CCN which I ordered as well. I love these designers and I did get quite a few of their patterns. I also got some bits of fabric for the JCS 2008 Ornaments magazine to make up various ornaments from it.

I didn't get a chance to stitch yesterday so today I'm feeling like getting into it. I'll work some more on Potting Shed and see how I go. I'm really enjoying working on it and I like the different stitching techniques it has throughout it too.

Bees and Skeps

I'm moving along with The Potting Shed. I worked some more last night and this afternoon on it. The herbs are now hanging and I was able to complete the bees and skeps which are quite cute. Here in Australia we call skeps, hives as in bee hives. I didn't think of changing the wording because it's an American design and I like to keep the authenticity of it. Of course it would be quite easy to change if you wanted to.

The Potting Shed - 10 March 2009

I love stitching these narrow samplers because you can work through them and feel like you're getting somewhere quickly. This one was designed by Tina Richards Herman of Shepherd's Bush in 1995, and there's a lot of her earlier samplers like this one that I love. Probably most of them I have too! :)

Another sampler I'd started in 2004 which I adore is called Saint Peter's Fair. After working on it I'd realised that I was out with my thread count on the sides. I continued on, trying to work with it, but ended up losing interest. I tend to do that. If I know there's a mistake, the enthusiasm seems to go. I would love to get back to this one some day. I've got a few unfinished designs sitting there that need to be completed. It's funny how some you just love and can't wait to finish, then others seem like a chore. Needlework shouldn't be a chore, that's why I end up putting them away for a while. Though a while always seems to be a long time. :)

Herbs To Hang

Although I haven't yet done the herbs hanging, the wording has been finished. I've also done the potting stand where all the pots are sitting on shelves. There's the odd bead to go here and there but I'll put those on last along with the charms once my sampler is completely finished.

The Potting Shed - 8 March 2009

Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments about my Strawberry Emery. It was quick to do and I really love it! I'm wanting to get some more pieces of different coloured wool and make a few others. Wool is such a beautiful fabric to stitch with - soft and flexible. I didn't age mine, but that is another technique you could use.

I've also been given another award. Debs has been so kind to send one my way. Thanks Debs! I really just do my blog as a reference to look back on, and to share with others what I'm stitching. Hoping that a few people may be interested in what I have to show along the way. It allows me to indulge in the activities I like - stitching and photography - and it's a great means to be a little creative. It's certainly a way to encourage me to do as much stitching as I can. As I've mentioned before, I think all stitching blogs are wonderful in their own way, so I am not listing individual ones, plus I think most people have already been given this award by now. The award is much appreciated Debs, and through all of our blogs different types of friendships are created.

A Strawberry Emery

Since completing my Stacy Nash Heart Pinkeep from the 2009 Group last month, I've been wanting to get the little Strawberry Emery finished as well. I thought, surely it can't be any more difficult, and I was right. I got myself sorted out yesterday with the idea to compete this little project. How fun it was to do. Not difficult at all, and I even added my own adaptation to the finishing. I'm quite pleased with how it's turned out.

Stacy Nash 2009 Group - Strawberry Emery

The extra something I added was not in the instructions but it was done on the heart pinkeep. I did very primitive looking crosses down the back of the emery. I thought it would tie in with the crosses on the outside edges of the heart.

I now have my first Stacy Nash 2009 Group project completed.

Now I'm just wondering what the next one will be. It would have to be something to do with Easter, don't you think? I know she's done patterns for bunnies before, so maybe it will be similar. I should be getting it in another month's time. We'll just have to wait til then.

Before I go, I just wanted to mention what happened last night. No, the power didn't go off again. :) We had an earth tremor. About 8:55pm I was sitting there watching The Wedding Singer (love this movie) on TV and all of a sudden I felt movement. In the first second I thought it was a wind gust but then it got more intense and then I realised it was a tremor. The floor started to shake from under me. In all it probably lasted about five seconds and it wasn't too bad - nothing damaged. It was recorded at 4.6 on the Richter scale. I rang my sister who lives in the same town as me to see if she felt it, and she had. We were both amazed by it all. Luckily it wasn't anything serious.

A Pudgie

This is what I'd started to work on the night before when the power went out. It's the little male pudgie with his rake. I'm so pleased I was able to compete him last night. I started stitching late afternoon and continued into the night, with no power interruptions. It's amazing what you can get done when you have some light to work with. I really don't know how women did their needlework before proper electricity came about. Maybe they only did it during daytime.

The Potting Shed - 5 March 2009

I'm not really in the cleaning mood today, so I may stitch a little more.

Just when you're wanting to stitch...

... then the power goes out! I was cruising along last night, starting work on the pudgie, then all of a sudden - no power! It was just after 7:30pm and I was using my Ott-lite to work with. Well, that put a stop to my stitching. This is where I got to...

The Potting Shed - 4 March 2009

The weather had turned cooler, and there were strong winds late yesterday. The winds may have had something to do with the blackout. After the power went off I was kind of hoping it wasn't going to be for long (so I could get back to my stitching), but I wasn't so lucky. I phoned the power company to check there was a problem in my area and not just at my place, and they said about 140 houses were without power in my area and they were looking into it. They had no idea when it would be back on. Great! What's a girl to do without any power at night time? Takes you back to the olden days. :) After a while of just sitting there, I decided to light a candle, grab a magazine, and read by candlelight. That took up some time, but by 11pm I'd had enough. Still no power, I went to bed. It came back on at 1:30am because my front sensor light went on and woke me up.

So back to my stitching... I wasn't too impressed. I was ready to get a bit done last night. I'll just have to do some more today, won't I?

I love reading all your comments and thank you so much for taking the time to leave them. I'd just like to answer a few of your recent questions. Jean wanted to know whether I would get the mat for Potting Shed. Yes, I would love to. It certainly compliments the design but have not definitely decided on that one. She also wanted to know what a pudgie is. (I forget everyone's not into Shepherd's Bush as much as I am.) It's a term used in Shepherd's Bush designs. They have these little people found in their patterns who are fondly known as Pudgies. The man I'm working on in The Potting Shed at the moment would be classified as one. Chrissie, yes, I am enjoying my leave from work. It's nice to get up of a morning when you want to, not when you have to. :)

In my last post about my stash I forgot to do a link for The Rocking Horse which is where I bought it from. Someone had asked whether it was the one in Michigan. Yes, that's the one. I've ordered from Barb there a few times over the years. They will put on a sale which is usually 20% off but you have to subscribe to their newsletter in order to hear about it. They don't mention the sale on their website at the time and I usually make a note about the discount when I put my order through to them. It's one place I know I can get my Shepherd's Bush items for a reduced price.

Well, I hope that's all questions answered. Just one more thing before I go. Yuko sent me a beautiful award recently. She was so kind to do that and I'm pleased to be able to bring some happiness to her part of the world. It's called the 'Makes My Heart Smile' award. I think I'm supposed to pick 10 blogs that make me smile but I always find it hard to pick some people and not others, so everyone in my blog list gets an award. You all make my heart smile. I think anyone that goes to the effort of doing a blog deserves some sort of award. People's stitching blogs certainly make my heart smile because it's my passion in life and I love to see what other people are doing, whether I comment or not. It's a nice community to be a part of where we can share a common interest. So a big thanks to all of you stitching bloggers out there!

Stash 'n stitching

The package I picked up yesterday was from The Rocking Horse. I managed to get 20% off what I ordered and some were recent Nashville releases.

SB A Winter's Tale kit, SB ST Nicholas Roll kit, SB Snow Scissor Fob kit, HOMESPUN ELEGANCE The Stitching Lady chart, SB The Goblins kit (with mat included).

BBD My Heart Is True booklet, CCN She Sells Seashells chart, CCN Beach Cottage chart, BBD Small Token mini chart, LHN Traveling Stitcher threadpack, CCN Bayside Bungalows threadpack.

All the Shepherd's Bush kits are older ones, and the rest of what I got are all new releases. The Blackbird Designs book was smaller than I thought it would be, but there's some interesting, primitive style patterns that appeal to me. CCN and LHN are always bringing out lovely designs. You're never disappointed with theirs.

I did a little tidying up this morning and then I thought I better try to make a start on Potting Shed. I didn't stitch for too long but I just wanted to show you in this post that I have at least made a start. This is what they call the cobblestone path. If you use your imagination you can picture it being that style of pathway. I'll hopefully do some more tonight, and work on the pudgie.

SB The Potting Shed - started 4 March 2009

Til next time... happy stitching!