Monday, February 28, 2011

What's the secret?

Well the weekend flew by without any stitching happening on The Mighty Samurai. It's funny because when I pick him up I really don't feel like stitching him, but if I work on something else I want to be working on him! Honestly, there's just no pleasing me at the moment!

As for the title of this post, I am constantly amazed at all the beautiful work I see when reading everyones blogs. What I really need to know is how everyone manages to get so much stitching done - I seem to spend hours gazing at all the wonderful work and end up neglecting my own stitching. I'm sure there must be a secret to doing it all - anyone care to let me in on it? Please?!! Pretty please?!!!

I have been stitching some samples for Tangled Threads and now have to make them in to cards which should be fun. It will, of course, involve a trip to JoAnn's or Michel's for some crafting supplies that I just HAVE to have, and who knows what else might end up in my shopping basket?!!!

Until next time...happy stitching!

Rhona

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Making progress.

Just a quick update (my daughter informs me that I write too much!) on the Mighty Samurai.

I feel like I have made some progress!

Just taking it off the frame to take a picture made me realize just how much I have done! I think sometimes we get so engrossed in the part that we are working on that we forget to look at the whole thing. I still have lots of stitching to do to complete it - and the dreaded back stitch (can't  you hear the complaints already?!!)

Here's what it looks like today.



So all in all, feeling lots better about this project and, finally, itching to stitch!!

Thanks for visiting my blog and a big thank you to those of you who leave comments - much appreciated!

Until next time...happy stitching.

Rhona

Monday, February 21, 2011

Hot off the needle!


 
So I left you last week with a tease of what I was stitching for Tangled Threads. This was what you saw last week.


This is the same part finished.


And this is the finished stitching.


Tee hee!

Wouldn’t  this piece be great for in the kitchen when the family is moaning about whatever it is they seem to think you have (or haven’t) done? Or what about at work or in the office? It would be great there too. I’m sure this will bring a chuckle to anyone when they are complaining and you just smile sweetly and point to your little cross stitch sign. Enough said!

So now I just have to decide on how to finish off the piece - wall hanging, frame etc - any suggestions?

Until next time…happy stitching

Rhona

Thursday, February 17, 2011

To tell or not to tell?


That is the question! Whether tis more fun to keep you in suspense or to reveal all…….ok, enough of murdering Shakespeare - I’ll do both. I’ll let you know what I’m working on without giving too much away…what a tease I am!!!

Following on from my ‘blah’ feeling with the Mighty Samurai, I decided to take a bit of a break from him and concentrate on stitching up some pieces for my website. I have been a busy little bee working on new designs and deciding on how to finish them for pictures for the website. I have also been trying to do little write-ups about each design. Oh how I wish I had taken a typing class at school. These two fingers just don’t work as quickly as the old brain does – which in my case isn’t usually that quick either!! lol

So, here’s the tease…..


This is what I’m working on. Doesn’t look like much just now, but this is one that when finished will definitely be hanging up in my house for all to see and take note of! I have to let you know that I don’t normally put my own design up at home (don’t ask me why, it’s just one of my little quirks!) so this one is special. I will reveal all at a later date…so do check back!

Until next time…happy stitching.

Rhona

Monday, February 14, 2011

Missing In Action - or maybe it should be inaction?

No posts for a whole week! My computer was being temperamental again….absolutely nothing to do with me shaking it and saying bad things to it for being so slow. After our little disagreement the keyboard decided not to work, so I couldn’t even check emails or read blogs.  I haven’t been blogging for long, but boy, did I miss reading what everyone has been up to!

Now, with there being no computer, no emails, no blog hopping, you would think that there would be lots of my stitching to show you. Sadly it’s not the case. Truly, if I don’t get some stitching done I will be in serious contention for the ‘Least Filled ORT Jar’ award! 

I have been stitching The Mighty Samurai, but it really doesn’t seem to be growing – even I think that, not just dear old hubby who never sees any progress until something's actually finished! I have been working on the purple at the bottom of the ‘whatever it is’ Samurai warriors wear. (Anyone know?!!) I was working from left to right and seemed to be progressing well.


Then I realized that I had made a mistake somewhere and as the colours are all blended and the shading is so subtle there is just absolutely no way to frog it. Normally being one or two squares out doesn’t make too much of a difference, and in the end no-one notices, but for this I have to have the dragon fly pattern look right. I decided to then work from the opposite side and see if I can get it to work out. (also known as sticking one’s head in the sand and hoping the problem will miraculously right itself! lol) Anyway, I have lost a bit of enthusiasm for this at the moment and am trying to decide if I should have a break from it and start something new. Maybe some new stash would help… someone hide my credit card…123stitch.com here I come!!!

Hope your stitching is progressing better than mine.

Until next time…happy stitching.

Rhona




Monday, February 7, 2011

Drum roll please...

Ta-da! Here we have (finally!) the finished piece of our German Shepherd Aquila.


I have to admit that this was the first time I had finished off some stitching and not just stick it in a frame. I was rather nervous about doing this as I kept worrying about ruining the stitching and having to start all over again. Anyway, I went slowly and thought it all through before starting – which is soooo unlike me (maybe some wisdom is coming with age!!) So here’s a brief outline of what I did. The base was a pre-made 7” x 9” plaque from JoAnn’s. I sanded down the rough edges then painted it with Acrylic paint called ‘English Ivy Green’. The hard part for me was waiting for it to dry as I was so eager to get on and complete it. I was really good and even gave it two coats of paint. While the paint was drying I decided what size that I wanted the stitching to be and this was where I ran in to problems! When I had decided to stitch this piece it was originally going to be for a card so I used a piece of aida the size that the magazine recommended, which was square shaped to fit the aperture of the card. I of course, decided to make the design in to a rectangular piece. I cut a piece of cardboard to the size I wanted and added a layer of batting but when I came to wrap the aida round the cardboard,  there was barely enough material on the sides! I did struggle trying to fold over the edges and keep it looking neat, but I think it worked out fine. (moral of the story is to always use more aida than needed!)  I also have to confess to be half way through glueing the aida to the backing board when I remembered that I hadn’t added the missing tail to the U on the dog’s name (see earlier post). My dilemma - do I leave it with the missing stitch (these things really bug me) or do I take it off and add the missing stitch. As you can see, I decided to add the stitch, not the easiest thing to do when half of it is attached to the backing board. Ah well, we live and learn…. next time, check stitching before starting to finish it off.  Once I had glued the stitching to the plaque, all that was left was to edge it with a piece of gold cording. Any suggestions on how to neatly join the cord edges would be much appreciated! I cheated in the first picture and hid the edge with a little bird ornament! As you can see it's not too neat at the join, but as it's my first attempt at doing this, I'm not going to worry too much about it. I remember reading somewhere that there are certain spots where the eye doesn't notice imperfections like this. I seem to remember that it was the bottom left, but I've got to say, that my eye is drawn straight there!!! lol

Voila! Aquila is now immortalized in stitches.

Here’s a breakdown on what it cost.

7” x 9” plaque $3
Acrylic paint $1
Batting $6 (half price with lots left for other projects)
Cording $1.50

On a personal note, I’m going to do the proud mama thing and show you a picture of my daughter. Yesterday she entered a martial arts tournament, the first one she’s done in over a year. She was rather nervous as she hasn’t competed for such a long time and also because (gulp! she's only seventeen) she was moved into the adult division! She came home with a silver in weapons and gold in traditional forms. She then won the champion plaque for traditional forms which qualified her for the Grand Championships. She came in third, but best of all….she had fun!







Until next time...happy stitching.

Rhona

Thursday, February 3, 2011

February TUSAL


I don't feel as though I have done an awful lot of stitching this month, but there is quite a little collection of threads in my jar!


I had intended finding a slightly larger jar to add each months threads to so I could have a years worth of threads to look at, but, in true Rhona fashion, I forgot!

So here's the way last month's threads are being stored just now....in a good old fashioned sandwich bag! Yup, no expense spared here!!! lol


Until next time...happy stitching.

Rhona

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

More snow...

...as if we didn’t have enough already! Just as we have discovered our driveway underneath all the snow and ice and finally get it cleared, we get more snow – typical. The weather forecasters have said that we will get about 4 - 6 inches today (sorry Mr. Weatherman but there’s that on the ground already and it’s only 9am) and that tonight/tomorrow will bring a rather large storm with at least a foot of snow. YUK. The only good thing about the snowstorm is that the kids (ok, I’ve only got one at school now and she’s technically not a kid, she’s a teenager) should get a snow day tomorrow and we can cuddle up and watch a movie and I can stitch. 

I spent yesterday faffing around with the stitching of the German Shepherd. I decided not to make it in to a card as it was a rather large piece for a card so instead I made a wall plaque ‘thingy’! Having never done this before it was rather challenging, but actually very enjoyable!


 The only trouble was that because I hadn’t thought this out beforehand, the fabric was actually just a tad shorter than it should have been – moral of the story, always think things through thoroughly, or maybe just use more fabric than necessary, just in case! Anyway, I was really pleased with the result. The only thing I need now is some cording to edge the stitching. My plan was to go to Michael's or JoAnn’s today, but there is no way I’m driving a twenty mile round trip in this snow for a $5 spool of cord.  So, unfortunately, you won’t see the finished piece for another few days!

Well, I’m off to grab a snow shovel and see if I can find my driveway!

Until next time…happy stitching.

Rhona