Hardanger finally finished up!

After three attempts at getting the zip in today, I eventually managed it this evening. The first time I had the edges too far apart, the second time too far over the actual fastening part and the third time I finally had the good sense to set it very carefully! Anyway, however and whatever, here it is with better photo quality today than originally posted, although the thread colours still don't show!=( I've realised that it's not the original photo that was the problem, it was using the HTML editor to enlarge it -it made it blurred! Odd as the original was easily big enough, but I guess it doesn't work well trying to do this with counted thread fabrics. Also, using the 'centre' justification for photos leaves them unclickable on to see the full size version, so a change of tack is needed for counted thread finishes, methinks!

I've done quite a bit more on 'Spring' and just have the flower pots and label to put on now. I thought that these L*K designs would be quick and fun to stitch, but I've found them to be quite long-winded and rather boring, if I'm honest. I will finish the series as I've had them for years and have gone to the trouble of doing almost two so far, and I do love 'four seasons' collections. I hope they can eventually go in Sir's new study when we go home. we may find a way of displaying them here in the meantime.

We bought a set of the most beautiful lilac rose bedding this week, (which I'd been hoping for for a few weeks!) and that made me really want to pretty up our bedroom. Once I get the rest of the housework up to date (ha-ha-ha!) then I want to make a start on getting things in there looking good. This is the fabric:

And this is a Brazilian embroidery kit that I want to work up to go on the wall. The actual thread colours match the bedding really well.

Still alive!=)

Long time no post, huh? Sorry for the long silence on here, but I’ve had little or nothing to show stitching wise. I know some have been looking at my life in Taiwan blog, so they know I’m still alive, but judging by the drop in subscriptions on Google Reader, some have given up on me! Well, I’m still here and still stitching!


I’ve finally got the hardanger cushion cover done and am now just waiting to wash it out (there’s a light brown mark just outside the border on one edge) and then get it made up. I’m really cross that, no matter how I try, I just CANNOT get the colour to show up in the threads. It looks virtually white on white, but it’s actually a lovely baby pink and mid lilac shade of thread used. Complete washout when it comes to photography though! And no, you can’t see the shade on the enlargement either – not even a small fraction of it. Why it just won’t show up I can’t imagine! But anyway, the stitching is done and I just need some pins so I can get it all finished up and then sent on to my friend. Sadly, although I saw her the 2nd day I was over here, I can’t remember where I had her write her new address down for me, but I can send it c/o someone else, so all is not lost.=)

I started 2 new pieces, a Lizzie*Kate cross stitch, the Winter Button-Up design and a DMC stumpwork kit – a bee design. Haven’t done much of that as you can see and, anyone who knows the design will see that I’ve de-Christmassed the Winter design so far by omitting the stocking and the star on the evergreen. I won’t be putting the red French knot baubles on the tree either!!


The last photo above is my thread drawer! I brought my complete set of Anchor stranded cottons, some pearl cottons I needed for certain designs I brought (one I thought I’d brought then realised I hadn’t – after specially buying fabric for it too! So, I got another copy on E-bay last week!) and a couple of bags of selected metallics and beads. I’m missing my workboxes though and have wanted my Marlitt (rayons) once or twice. Still, I’ve found a couple of stitching shops – here’s the one nearest to my school, and they seem to do DMC Satin, which I want to collect along with their linen threads, so I might console myself with those!


More soon – it won’t be another month before I post – promise!

Too busy for much stitching

So, I haven't got too much further on the hardanger cushion cover as yet as I've just been too busy of late with being more or less away all weekend and also dealing with all the E-bay auction stuff. I've just listed a few more cosmetic items and the first of a whole load of stitching magazines, the rest of which will go up on Thursday, all being well. Link to the listings is here. There have also been quite a number of threads re-listed, including a few dozen Gentle Arts Sampler Threads, so if you're building up your collection, please do buy some from me! I sold 79 items recently and have been dealing with sending those out today, but still have a lot more to go, so I hope......

Anyway, still haven't got the band sampler finished up as, there I was, happily stitching away on the edging and then realised that I'd got the whole thing the wrong way around and will need to unpick it and start again. No, it can't be avoided.=( I also still can't get the colours to show well on the hardanger piece. Last time they showed a little on the full sized photo, as Wanda found out, but not true to the real thing at all! The photo showed them much more peach than they really are and a good deal paler. DH knows a lot about photography, so I'll ask his help in taking the final shot, but I got a bit more to show by taking it at this odd angle!!

Wanda mentioned about our prep for the move etc and that we must be doing more than I'm letting on here. Well, DH is working hard to get enough money in to last us at least a year (maybe a good bit longer, we'll see), the flights, storage room and trip to London to get the visas are booked and paid for. We're also in the process of getting any medical stuff that needs doing taken care of, ie dental work and I must get my eyes tested etc too. Other than that and trying to sell stuff, there's not much more we can do at this point. Most things are just enquiries and research ie what flats/apartments are like and how much they are, how we can send some of our stuff on by carrier etc.

Hope I'll have time for more soon, but I can't think when....

Hardanger WIP

Here's the latest WIP, another hardanger cushion cover. I'm really disappointed with the photo as I had to increase the contrast as far as I could without making the picture quality keel over and die, but the colour in the thread still hardly shows! I remember trying to take a photo of the threads themselves and having the same problem, but what you see a very poor representation of here is Caron's Watercolors in 'Iced Lavendar' which I chose to replace the suggested 'Dawn' shade in the pattern (which is Mary Hickmott's 'Soft as Snow' from 'New Stitches' issue 55.) I was also really very disappointed with the photos in the last posting as every one, although I used 'medium' and this normally only happens with the 'large' sized ones, did not click through to the full sized pic. Some of them really lent themselves well to larger images and so that was a shame! Anyway, larger sizes are available on my Webshots as always.

I've begun to list an enormous quantity of stuff on E-bay. So far there are 117 listings - 2 of which have bids thus far, so I will at least sell something!! What I've got up so far are most of the threads I'm selling - lots of WDW and GAST in 'sets' of two for a starting price of 99p for the set. Actually, pretty much everything is 99p, including the sets of 7 Six Strand Sweets and so on and some patterns that I'll either never stitch or already have, (the 'Oriental Dress', 'Chinese Junk', 'Bluetits', 'Goldfinches' and the last hardanger cushion are up for grabs - all for 99p!), so please take a look and, preferably buy something - or several somethings!! I'm not sure if the listings show up as available outside of the UK, but I am willing to ship anywhere in the world for the extra postage costs, so please take some of these things off my hands, no matter where you're based! There'll be books, ladies' clothes and more stitching things to come (XS mags mostly as well as some more threads etc), so do keep checking back. I'll include the link in every post until it's all gone so that those reading on reader software can click through and visit.=)

I've also cut all the posts (not many) from my other language blogs and inserted those sections on here. I wasn't using them much and I realised that it was just taking up room on Picassa, which would, in time, mean that I had much less lifespan for this blog etc than I might want, esp with so many travels coming up. So, from time to time, when I'm feeling diligent, I'll post a summary in German and/or Chinese and any other language that takes my fancy - I'm using the Japanese freebie at Rocket at the mo and DH is enjoying taking his first steps in Spanish with the on-line course I bought him as part of his anniverary gift!