Winter Stitching Wrap up!

Hi stunners!!

Apologies for the long hiatus. 

This post is dedicated to the lovely Amanda our stunning Cross Stitch Angel. Amanda has been scolding encouraging me to put out a post. So here it is. Thanks for pushing me Amanda I really need it as you can see. Thanks so much for the support too stunner.

We have just finished Winter down Under and this is what I got up to.

Three appears to be my lucky number lately. I have two page three finishes. Firstly I have completed 3 pages on Alisha. So happy to see the end of all that blue and lookie that's her foot, well the bottom of her shoe anyway, so she has technically made an appearance. The next page is going to be so cool as it's Alisha's head. And I am really enjoying diagonal stitching.

Next is Carnival Moon, another HAED.  

I haven't worked on this since 2016 and I remembered how much I love it, so have made it a focus piece. I completed page 3 as well on this beauty. I love the colours, such a fun stitch. 

Also still getting some love is Theatre of the Absurd and I pray to the cross stitching Goddesses to help me get a September finish.  Just a partial page to go and some ninja stitches on the second last page. I've forgotten what it's like to actually finish something. So it would be wicked cool to get one under my belt to spur me on. 

I was cleaning out the craft room and let me tell you that was no mean feat. I found my old old old wip of Vanity, which I started in 2010!!!! My beautiful friend Jayne from NZ RAK'd me the Max Colours version of this which I am working on as a diamond painting so I actually had no intention of finishing this as a cross stitch. But when I picked it up to throw out I just couldn't do it. All those lush purples and the bright blue in the circles that just pops against them. My cross stitching soul just wept at the thought of  abandoning her. So I have decided to keep going and gift it or maybe just keep it as a solo feature in my bedroom...you know when I finish it. Ha ha. This is where I left her and as you can see I'm working across the entire row. 

So that's where I am at. I'm currently doing the Mini Million Marathon on the Ultimate cross stitching FB challenge so I will be a busy Princess over the rest of September as it's a team effort to get a Million stitches in 3 weeks. So can't let the team down. 

That's all for now stunners. Thanks for visiting and I promise on all my stash to be a better blogger and blogger friend. I have set aside Thursday for blog reading so I will catch up with you all and your adventures. 

Take care stunners and may life be magical. 

xoxo Alicia

The road stitched so far!

Hi Stunners!

It's time for the results of my January Jaunts & February Frolics. I'm a little behind on my goals to stitch between 100,000 to 200,000 stitches this year. But I'm hoping to giddy up and get alot done this month.

So for January I had a new start for the new year. 

It's Heaven on Earth by Mystic Stitch and it's worked on 18ct white Aida 2 over 1. 

1837 stitches

I also managed to complete 1000 stitches on my Gecko Rouge - Snow White in January. 

Start of the year

January progress 

And 2176 stitches more for February! How cool are my glittery needle-minders. The lipstick was my most recent acquisition, perfect for a Snow White wip. I'm really excited to finally reach one of the sexy dwarves. See that smoosh of fuzzy brown near her elbow, yep that is the top of his head. Rrrrrrrrr

February progress

The other wip I worked on was QS Theatre of the Absurd. This is from the 2013 Heaven and Earth designs BB Freebie SAL. And it isn't even my oldest wip!! I'm determined to finish this in March. And then I can re-start the 2011 Freebie SAL LOL. 

Start of the year

January Progress

February Progress

Also my new start of Rose Zircon by Maxine Gadd from Imaginarium got 600 stitches. 

My January stitch totals are 4588 as I am including my diamond painting as seen in my previous post.

February was a little less impressive at 3051.

I'm going to need a whopping 9237 to catch up and be back on track for a minimum stitch of 100,000 by the years end.

With the help of all the challenges from the Ultimate Cross Stitch group on FB and all the support I get from you wonderfully amazing and stunning followers, I know I will be able to achieve it. 

Good news is that I got my new computer all set up at home and now I can access my emails and reply to all your brilliant and hilarious comments. 

Happy stitching for March stunners, may this month be full of love and magical things.

Thank you so much for the visit.

xoxo Alicia

TOTA YOTA GG SAL #6

How's that for a total Acronym title! 

Hi Stunners!!! I'm so sorry for the hiatus, but as I was sooo late with my May updates that it was almost June so I decided to wait for the June posting.

And now I'm late with the June one *sigh*

But I got a lot of stitching done so that's good, right? 

First up my YOTA pieces 

YOTA

TOTA - still haven't quite managed that blasted page finish...I'm determined to have it done by July as I really really want to finish this one this year. Just 2 partial pages after this. Thank the gods!

Before

 

PRINCE RUPERT of  RUPPITSWOOD

Gecko Rouge SAL 2015

 

 





Before



After

I also love how Gecko Rouge are now offering needleminders that match the kit. It's great to have that inspiration right on the fabric as you stitch. Look at that little cute Froggie Prince

GIFTED GORGEOUSNESS SAL

Rose Zircon was chosen for both May and June's GG SAL. I would dearly love to get at least the top row completed by the end of the year. I'm really not enjoying this one at all, which is why it's taking so long to get any progress.

I'm glad it's a gift for my sister because once it's finished I never want to see her again. I know that sounds harsh but there are alot of problems with it.

The Mystic chart symbols are so hard to follow on this. I've never liked the use of letters as symbols on cross stitch charts. MS use all 26 letters in capitals and then another 26 in lower case and if the chart calls for more than 52 colours, then they use symbols. I'm sure there are stitchers that don't mind or prefer this but I'm not one of them. I kept mistaking the "c" for  "e" so many times ergggh! 

Plus the fabric is an ice dye hand dye and on the 20ct it has swelled the fabric so much that it's almost like working on a 25ct using 2 threads over 1, so it's very tight and makes the confetti so much harder to handle. I was thinking of re-starting on another fabby but I just couldn't bring myself to do Page 1 again. So I will struggle through. My sister saw the chart and the fabric that was dyed specifically for this chart and loved it so I don't have the heart to scrap it. 

Before

I don't know what's going on with me and page finishes lately...just can't quite get there LOL!

And speaking of Gifted Gorgeousness...my beautiful friend Helvi, RAK'd this stunning chart to me! It's a whopping 999 x 775. It's going to look breathtaking stitched with all that detail coming through. Thank you so much Helvi, you're so generous honey. 

Supersized - Past Present Future - Aimee Stewart

That's all for now stunners. My next post I have at least 3 page finishes on my wips...possibly even 4 with any luck and no distractions! Ha ha not likely. 

I've been reading blogs for the last 2 days and I've almost caught up. I still have a few to go though. There has been some amazing stitching going on out there stunners. 

I will post again next week or so. 

Take care lovely stunners - I'll leave you with the meme that was sent to me and made me smile! 

xxoxx Alicia

YOTA - March

Hi Stunners!

My first YOTA for the year as I joined in late and I'm proud to say it's only 3 days late, which is amazeballs for me! I'm getting better :D

 

In a bid to try and get the HAED SAL's that I have outstanding they will be my YOTA charts.

 

The one I worked on for March is HAED QS Theatre of the Absurd which was the 2013 BB Freebie SAL. I'm working on page 2 of 4 and it's now referred to as "The Absurdly Never-ending Page". I was hoping to get it finished....

Before

After

 

For next YOTA I may continue with this bad boy to try and get the finish or I may switch to my other YOTA project. QS Fragile Heart which is from the (gulp...and hangs head in shame) 2011 SAL.  I have the 3 partial pages on the second row to go on her. This is where I have left her:

 

 

Let me know if you have a preference of which you would like to see worked on. It will help me to decide too!

 

 

Rest in Peace - Neil Bray

 

Some of you will know that Neil Bray from Eclectic Blokes Design passed away on the 3rd March 2015, after losing his battle with cancer. I have only known him for a short time but we became instant buddies and have had loads of chats and laughs together.  I have been absolutely heartbroken and inconsolable over his death as I truly believed in my heart that he would beat it. In commemoration of this top bloke I am dedicating this month to him and will focus on his designs.

 

At the moment I'm working on "Room with a View" by Paul Richmond, as it's such a cheeky design - yep pun intended - and it reminds me so much of Neil's mischievous sense of humour. Love you mate , thank you for being an amazing friend and I hope you know how much you have touched people's hearts as well as introducing us to a myriad of brilliant artists that we would never have known if it weren't for you. R.I.P beautiful man!

 

 

 

I decided to start from the middle as I couldn't wait to stitch the tool man and I didn't want to have to wade through all that lime background to get to him. It's totally circumstantial that the middle was right on his butt!!! But not complaining either LOL!!! I bet Neil charted it this way on purpose. Told you he was cheeky. He will feature in my Gifted Gorgeousness SAL this week as Neil was a gift to me.

 

Take care my beautiful and stunning followers and guest stars.

 

Have a magical week and embrace life to the fullest. Try not to get bogged down with life's pettiness but love big, smile and laugh a lot!!

 

Big hugs xox Alicia

 



 

Wipocalypse and IHSW #4

Hi Stunners!!

Sorry for the lateness (again) but I have lots of pics so I hope that makes it up to you!

Wipocalypse 

Before

After

IHSW 

Before

After

Here is my new start "Lady Hatter" from Gecko Rouge. This is page 6 completed. I really love working on her, it's a very relaxing project with just enough confetti for detail but not so much that it drives you crazy. She is being worked on 18ct white Aida 2 over 1 full crosses.

I always forget to answer Measi's questions for the Wipocalypse. So I thought I would combine March and April's questions as they are kind of related in my case. 

March: Show us your favourite places to stitch.

My favourite place to stitch is in my Craft Room! It's nice and bright and as it faces north it gets the sun all day long. 

Here is my Rachel Anderson wall which helps keep me inspired and in a magical and creative mood.

The opposite wall has my Jasmine Becket-Griffith poster print and my 40" TV. Which I totally could not live without. Plus some random painting. I was watching Dr Who at the time of this pic and David Tennant is my favourite Dr. 

This is my "love" section. It's some of the gifts, cards and lil trinkets that my friends and family have given me. Plus my fairy calendar with all my important craft dates. So I always know how late I am with my updates at a glance.

And here is where the magic happens! Laugh.

I love my large chart holder. It allows me to attach all my fav magnets, needles, winning lottery tickets, girly tweezers, needle minders, threaders and have just enough space left over for the chart page that I'm currently working on.

My craft bed for wee naps when I get a little weary from all the stitching. That's my new chair, it's called The Bathurst Racer. So so comfortable and I love that it's red as it gives me a sense of speed to help me get through my ever growing stash!

April: How do you keep your stash organised?

Each project has it's own bag which contains a floss box with the chart pic on the front and all threads wound onto plastic bobbins, a re-seal-able plastic bag containing the skeins of colours that needed multiples, fabric, and a plastic folder containing the chart. I love storing the chart in a plastic sleeved folder because it's really cool to be able to just flip ahead and see what I have to look forward to without ruining the pages from too much handling.  I also try and match the box and folder to the main colour of the chart. 

All the charts that are in my focus rotation are stored in the bookshelf near my desk for easy access. Along with my fav DVD's (which I watch over and over again) and the Xbox games that I'm playing. 

My other wips are stored in 2 large nylon barrels - one is a HAED barrel but as the new starts kept increasing they kinda spilled over into the other barrel.

 The 2 plastic bags on top of my wooden bobbin chest is the full range of DMC threads (including the 16 new colours) which I ordered from 123 stitch. I intend to just work from this bobbin chest and not kit up each chart individually. I will only buy threads that need multiple quantities and put them on the bobbin ring to keep with each project. I have 16 new starts planned and as you can see those poor barrels are full to bursting, so storage has become an issue, something had to be done. I'm hoping this solves some of my storage dramas.

The only danger of having a full set of threads to work from is that it makes new starts a little too easy and for an new start addict like me, it could get feral. 

That's all from this Princess. Thank you for visting!

To those stitchers that are involved in the stitch-a-thon for Sophia, I'm looking forward to playing with you all over the next week. 

Take care stunners and I will see you for YOTA!

Alicia xo

March Mayhem

Hi stunners!

Well it's been an exhausting March and I'm very happy to see the end of it! I've had to drive 5000 kilometres to avoid fringe benefits tax on my leased motor vehicle. Now I love going for drives, but after 6 hours it can be a tad tiring. Anyway it's all done now but unfortunately as my days off was spent driving and doing other boring life necessities it left me very little time to stitch. I really really missed it. So this post is the March wipocalypse, IHSW and April YOTA all in one.

Wipocalypse

This is as far down the columns that I will go on the bookshelf. It's not quite a full page there is still 20 rows or so to go but it cuts too far into the second shelf and I want to stitch along one shelf at a time. So once I finish that little bit in the right corner I will start back up the top on page 2. 

IHSW

Managed to reach the end of the row at least, but not much else. 

YOTA

No change for my poor Angel. Sorry man will put in extra time on you this month.

Here is the fabric that I bought at the Stitches and Craft fair at Rose Hill. It's all from the lovely boys at Sew it All. I've no idea what I'm going to do with most of it but I will be starting Randal Spangler's "So many books so little time" on the 28ct cream Jobelan. It's such soft fabric and it's totally beautiful to stitch on. This little dragon is going in the library as my second love is books!!! Ok it's really shoes but books are cool too.

So many books so little time!

I also bought the new e-zine "New age Cross stitch". This is like a dream come true. All my favourite cross stitch designers in one collection. Woo Hoo! I plan on stitching the HAED Adventures in reading (also planned for the library) and maybe Deep in the Forest or Bluebell Fairy. 

That's all for now my lovelies. I will have more stitching to show next post which I believe is the April Wipocalypse. I have started 2 new projects and will have something substantial to post. 

May all your lives be filled with laughter, sunshine and rainbows. And to steal a line from Carly and Tresne who were contestants on My kitchen Rules

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are right!" 

Kisses and hugs

Alicia xo