June 25: A Photo A Day & WIPocalypse

A Photo A Day June 25: Something Cute

I think this stitch counts as something cute. Also it is WIPocalypse time!!! I am nearly across the line with the Marjolein Bastin Four Seasons sampler.

The outer border has been completed and I have stitched boxes around the ladybugs, spotty eggs, and nuts (that one is almost done).

I have a one stitch wide border left to stitch around the inside and outside of the main border.

The biggest decision was choosing what colour to stitch that as the kit suggested a yellow border. Anyway who knows me knows that yellow ain't my colour so I am going with DMC 644.

Thanks for walking in my garden...

                                                        Jan x

June 24: A Photo A Day and Theme-alicious

A Photo A Day June 24: "On My Mind"

July has arrived (I am behind updating my Photo A Day posts but I don't care) and updating Theme-alicious has been on my mind.

My Marjolein Bastin sampler fitted perfectly with the Jumangi Jungle theme as there have been many animals and birds to stitch. It am so close to the two borders joining up. I have counted perfectly as well so I am one happy girl.  Tonight will be the night they will meet me thinks.  I then have two one-stitch wide lines to stitch on the inside and outside of the main border and it will be completed.

Happy stitchy week.  Thank you for stopping by...

                                                                        Jan x

June 23: A Photo A Day

A Photo A Day June 23: "Movement"

In our household "movement" is equated to my daughter constantly moving which is usually in the form of dance. So what is more appropriate than taking a photo of my daughter dancing!  I have recently got the urge to scrapbook again after putting it aside for 5 or so years.  One of my first "return to scrapbooking" layouts is this one using photos from a Russian jazz group in 2004 when my daughter was only tiny and 5.

Happy stitchy weekend...
                                      Jan x

June 22: A Photo A Day

A Photo A Day June 22: "From A High Angle"

I didn't want to get my tootsies cold this morning so photographed this heavy frost on my veggie patch from my balcony. Brrr... perfect stitching weather.

Wherever you are in the world, happy stitching.
                                                                        Jan x

June 21: A Photo A Day

A Photo A Day June 21: "Where You Slept"

In keeping with my stitchy theme for a photo a day, I am sharing a special present which is in my son's bedroom. My darling sister stitched this gorgeous teddy bears' picnic 11 years ago for my then baby boy, Jack.  I don't know the name of the designer or pattern. The cross stitch is now positioned over toddler Tom's cot. I took this photo just after he woke up from an afternoon sleep.  He pointed to it and said "Charley" which is his favourite TV bear.

Happy stitchy day...
                            Jan x

June 20: A Photo A Day

A Photo A Day June 20: "Fave Photo"
January 6th 1996 - Our Wedding Day

Thank your for visiting my garden...
                                                       Jan x

June 19: A Photo A Day

A Photo A Day June 19: "Imperfect"

My heart sings when I see this photo of my teenager "cugging" my baby son even though it appears she has wings sprouting from her head he he...

Sure the photo is imperfect but to a mother it is just perfect (especially as it is quite a fete to even get Tom still long enough to look into the camera).

PS. "Cugging" is Tom's combination word for hug and cuddle)

Happy stitchy week...

                                 Jan x

June 18: A Photo A Day

A Photo A Day June 18: "Something We Don't Know About You"

My secret is now out.  I adore alphabets, texts, words and numbers as art.  Hence I couldn't resist joining The Prairie Schooler Stitching Bee and started stitching  my first letter "L for Leaves". I am stitching it as an individual letter. Even more fun - I have organised friends who want to stitch this alphabet so we can meet together fortnightly and stitch it together.

Enjoy a stitchy weekend...
                                        Jan x

June 17: A Photo A Day & TUSAL...

A Photo A Day June 17: "In Your Bag"

Dear Readers,

A big Aussie wave to my new followers. I have hit the magic "100" followers so I hope you can imagine me doing heel clicks in my happy dance.

Like most women there is always a pencil/pen in my handbag and usually more than one.  Stitching this pencil on the Marjolein Bastin sampler fitted in perfectly with today's photo theme organised by Fat Mum Slim. This post shows where I have progressed from.

Such a small area left to stitch!!! Just two little sides of the border. Watch my blog for a finish very soon.

My TUSAL...lots of orts this month.

I hope you enjoy lots of stitching this weekend and if you can't stitch may you have time to daydream about it...

                     Jan x

June 16: A Photo A Day...And IHSW

A Photo A Day June 16: "Out And About"
A warm hello to you all,

The "Out And About" for A Photo A Day (run by Fat Mum Slim blog) allowed me to stitch the lower border of the Marjolein Bastin cross stitch as I have been so focused on the bowl of pumpkins.

So here is both the bowl of pumpkins, which will be completed tonight and the lower border of the Marjolein Bastin cross stitch. Compared with my usual weekends filled with my children's sport and dancing practice during IHSW, I achieved so much. 

I also worked on Noah's Ark cross stitch (see the previous post about this here).

Thank you for dancing in the rain with me...
                                                                Jan x

June 15: A Photo A Day

A Photo A Day June 15: "Yellow"

Good morning, afternoon or evening...

My first "yellow" thought was a lion so I stitched on the lion in the Noah's Ark cross stitch.  This creature has a special spot in my heart and that is because I am a Leo.

As you can see there is still a bit of stitching to go because I had to frog a bit. The Noah's Ark chart has confusing symbols so I used the wrong colour.  For example, severeal symbols are an "n" - a black "n" symbol stands for one colour, then a green "n" means another, a red "n" another etc.  I think charts are easier if the symbols are all the same printed colour as my brain just simply reads the symbol and not the printed symbol colour.

If you aren't a big fan of lions then watch this amazing You tube clip. It might change your mine. I remember when I first viewed the video, it brought tingles to my skin.

Finally, if you love the Noah's Ark theme then here is a comedic piece on '10 things Noah would have tweeted from the ark'.

Enjoy basking in the sun today if you have it...

                                                                        Jan x

Theme-alicous update and Blog Clean-up...

Hello fabulous readers,

Mid-June equals a Theme-alicious update. It is Jumangi June, so some of my stitching time has been devoted to stitching animals.  I have stitched the outline of these camels and their background on this Noah's Ark cross stitch. The cow outlines are next. Stitching this is uplifting like dancing a jig (and yes, I can do an Irish jig).

A before picture of Noah's Ark.

A current close-up photo of Noah's Ark:

My MB English sampler cross stitch has the addition of 2/3 a bowl of pumpkins. The colours have the richness of Autumn.

It is school holidays in Tassie which means more home time. I stumbled across a practical blog that gave tips for female bloggers on how to give a blog a facelift. It hit me that my blog was looking like my sewing room: m e s s y. I feel guilty now that I didn't actually spend the time cleaning my sewing room but at least I cleaned something (even if it was just virtual). 

Women Get Social  made me contemplate my blogposts are tagged. So gone are my two hundred different tag titles in a jumbled cloud.

How do you tag your posts? Do you have a tagging system?

There are also some new pages on my blog. An About Me page and a Links page to fun, blogging things like Theme-alicious and WIPocalypse.

Do you surf the net on how to improve your blog and blogposts?

Enjoy your time picking the bluebells in my garden...

                                                                                      Jan x

June 14: A Photo A Day

A Photo A Day June 14: "Time"

It was about "time" I worked in this stitchery again.  The colours pop on this navy linen.

It is not easy fabric to stitch on. I trust the overall effect with the bright threads will compensate for the stitches are not perfectly even.

Again, apologies for the "not so clear" photo but still having to use my iPhone until my laptop is repaired.

Enjoy walking down my garden path...

                                                          Jan x

June 13: A Photo A Day

A Photo A Day June 13: "Art"

What does my 13yo daughter do with herself when she stayed at home while I worked? You might say sleep in or stay on the computer all day.

Well she is not your typical teenager.

Instead her busy imagination and fingers created this cheerful piece of "ART" for me complete with an "I love you" message.

She inspires me.

Thank you for popping on by....
                                                Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 11

June 11 A Photo A Day: "Door"

I knew straight away what I had to stitch for the theme "door" in the Fat Mum Slim blog's A Photo A Day.

Presenting Noah and Emzara standing in front of their newly stitched door to their ark.  This pattern is called "Promises Kept" by Designs with Scissors. Aren't they a handsome couple! It is stitched on 32 count raw Aida using kit threads.

Thank you for throwing bread to the ducks...

                                                                   Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 10

June 10 A Photo A Day: "Best bit of your weekend"

Thanks for stopping by...
                                      Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 9 - A Dark Alphabet stitch

June 9 A Photo A Day: "My View Today"

Today's theme for June's A Photo A Day inspired me to start a NEW project. Hey, I needed a new view. Hooray I hear you all say!!! My view today is the stitch pattern called A Dark Alphabet which is a freebie project available here and designed by the talented A Note of Friendship blogteam.

This is the letter "A is for Apple" block. I am stitching it 1 strand over 25 count Evenweave using my own DMC conversion.

I was first introduced to this pattern by the wonderful Jo from Serendiptious Stitching. I hope she is proud that I started!

Excuse the terrible photo but my laptop isn't working so I am having to take photos on my iPhone.

Thank you for picking an apple in my garden..
                                                                          Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 8

June 8 A Photo a Day: "Six o'clock"

My DD has been dancing her heart out over the last week in a dancing Eisteddfod. This is where I was at 6 o'clock on June 8.

Thanks for wandering through my blog garden...
                                                Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 7

June 7 A Photo A Day: "Drink"

Need I say more...

Cheers...  Jan x

June WIPocalypse update...

It's time for the June WIPocalypse check in!!! I am thrilled to be able to show you...wait for it.......

a pumpkin.

This pumpkin is one in a bowl of pumpkins near the lower border of the English garden sampler designed by Marjolein Bastin. I feel I am progressing much faster having finished the squirrel.

Happy WIPocalypse!!!

Thank you for wandering through my veggie patch...

                                                                               Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 6

June 6 A Photo A Day: "Hat"

Aren't witches hats the coolest shape?

This stitch is called "Hallow's Sampler" by The Primitive Needle. This post is for A Photo A Day organised by Fat Mum Slim.

Thanks for walking through my garden...

                                         Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 5

June 5  A Photo A Day: "Sign"

This sign I cross stitched today, features Toddler Tom's favourite phrase for us all to remember

"oh no!" 

I am waiting for the day he becomes an "oh yes!" man.

I might be waiting a while he he.

Thanks for sitting inside on this rainy afternoon...

                                                                            Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 4

June 4 A Photo A Day: "Close-Up"

The "Close-up" theme for A Photo A Day run by Fat Mum Slim reminded me of faces. And what is unique to faces? Moustaches.

I was inspired by MaMagasin and stitched my own moustache button.

Want to see more quirky cross stitch moustaches?  Check out these sites:

1. Moustache cushion
2. Framed cross stitch moustache plus many more
3. Free moustache pattern Mr.Distinguished\

Thanks for helping with the weeding...

                                                           Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 3

June 3 A Photo A Day:  "ON YOUR PLATE"

Today's A Photo A Day theme reminded me of what I wished was on my plate - cherries. Wrong time of year darn it.

But I stitched a cherry for a lolly jar instead and filled it with raspberry and black berry lollies and had them on my plate. Quite yummy if I don't say so myself. They are fruit right?

The cherry cross stitch pattern is of course from Sweet Treats stitched in DMC threads.

Thanks for having a cuppa in my teahouse...

                                                                      Jan x

Theme-alicious...from May to June

I made the Theme-alicious May Memories theme fit so I could keep stitching the Marjolein Bastin sampler.  I want to remember May as the month I finished the squirrel! It was so relaxing to be able to wind down by working on the squirrel after a busy day at work or sorting dancing costumes for the big dancing eisteddfod which starts today!!! Here is progress on the bowl of pumpkins and the lower border of the MB sampler.

Theme-alicious has a new theme for June of course:

"Jumanji June "
Is it a jungle out there in your stash? Give some love to the projects with animals or birds.

I have the perfect project to fit this as I have stitched all of the animals and birds in the MB sampler. It is The "L" in the Prairie Schooler Alphabet featuring a gorgoeus deer. I am kitting in up and stitching it in a SAL. 

I also have a UFO that a friend gave me called Promises Kept by Designs with Scissors. 

It will be perfect on Toddler Tom's bedroom wall. It fits in perfectly with this theme so I will work on that too. Here is the progress so far:

                                                         

Thanks for visiting my flower beds...

                                    Jan x

A Photo A Day: June 2

June 2 A Photo A Day: EMPTY

You can tell when the local dancing Eisteddfod is on as my kitchen cupboards are EMPTY!!! Only a cross stitch cupcake to eat.

This cupcake is stitched from the delicious craft book Sweet Treats.

You can check out my "morning themed" June 1 A Photo A Day here.

Thanks for sitting under the umbrella in my garden...

                                                                                  Jan x

A Photo A Day - June

A unique way to remember June is to participate in A Photo A Day. A photo theme is suggested for each day. My cross stitchy blog will be inspired by these photo themes.

June 1: morning

To honour "morning", I designed and stitched a sunrise on 32 count evenweave using 2 strands of DMC thread.

Since moving to my new house 18 months ago I marvel at sunrises almost every day. I have never had this luxury of a house with a view and blindly ignored sunrises most days. Magical.

The sunrise from today is extra important. It's the first sunrise for Winter.

Thank you for crunching the frosty grass...

                                                                      Jan x

Help! How to wash my cross stitch...

Hello to all in Blogland and a royal wave to my new followers. Thank you for your "squirrelly " comments. It seems that my blog readers like squirrels! And no, sadly there are no squirrels in Australia; just wallabies and lots of rabbits!

As I near the end of the Marjolein Bastin sampler my mind wanders to how I will handwash it.  It is a large cross stitch (see previous post) and as such it has some light dirty marks from fingers and the hoop.  So to you my trusted cross stitch friends I have some questions:

What is your favourite method of handwashing cross stitch?

Do you leave your cross stitch in to soak and if so for how long?

What water temperature do you use?

What do you wash it with?

Any other tips?

 Photo sourced from Old Picture of the Day

Thank you in advance of your fabulous tips!

So I have left the red squirrel to stitch on  a bowl of scrummy pumpkins and the lower border...

Don't you just love finding new cross stitching blogs? Check out this adorable German blog called Kissy Cross with some freebie cross stitch designs.

Thank you for soaking up the sun in my garden...

                                                                             Jan x

All about squirrels....oh yeah and IHSW..and mustn't forget my TUSAL

IHSW provided some much needed stitching time to finally finish the squirrel.  Hooray I hear you say!!! Finally Jan will have new pictures on thread garden that don't feature a squirrel.

So close to finishing...watch this space over the next month (yes I will allow you to blogstalk)

Well I have learnt something whilst surfing for cross stitched squirrels.  There are squirrel haters. One blogger at Beware the Squirrel, even blogs about her love/hate relationship with them. Can you believe there is a whole blog dedicated to this?  I admit I don't live amongst squirrels (living in Asutralia would have something to do with that) but when I visited the UK I couldn't believe how utterly adorable they were with their little nose twitches and acorns between their tiny paws. 

So in the interests of the cross stitched squirrel let your mouse do some blog hopping:

1. Another Marjolein Bastin squirrel stitched by June King
2. The Victoria Sampler Winter Squirrel stitched by For The Love of Cross Stitch
3. A darling squirrel at pieKnits which is a freeie (link on the blog)
4. A cross stitch squirrel purse
5. A 3D embroidery squirrel at The Floss Box. I know it's not cross stitched but it is seriously impressive.

Finally...stitching means orts. So here's my TUSAL.  It was irresistable to little fingers.

Thanking for singing in the rain in my garden...

                                                                       Jan x

Theme-alicious update and GIANT cross stitch

My "May Memories" Theme-alicious involved working more on my Marjolein Bastin design. It doesn't fit perfectly into the theme but I figured why stop stitching when I am on a roll. That squirrel scene is almost done!

I plan to get back to the Christmas House (as Christmas evokes so many cute memories) so will hopefully post progress on that on the next update.
I've had busy fingers decorating these black tutus with feathers. I hope the costumes will evoke happy memories for the dancers wearing them at the Southern Tasmanian Dancing Eistedffod in June. My DD is so excited for the competition which runs over 9 days. She will be dancing in 11 items and that means 11 costumes (lucky me)! Did I tell you she was excited?  Dancing is about 90% of her conversation so I take it she adores it. As she put it "dancing is my life".
                                                        

Have you seen GIANT cross stitch used as wall decor?  Take a look at these links here , here and here. I think it looks pretty cool. Tell me what you think?

                                                                     "Make it Rain" by Jessica Decker

And by the way the IHSW (International Hermit and Stitching Weekend) is on this weekend and I'm trying to finish that jolly little squirrel picture. There will also be some dancing costume sewing thrown in (if that counts).

Enjoy beavering away on your stitching!
Thank you for dropping by...
                                             Jan x

An Australian Mother's Day...

Hi to all and especially a warm welcome to my new followers,

I had a day that made me feel loved and that is all any mum could ask for. It started with my daughter making me yummy pancakes using a Gary Mehigan recipe.  For those not in the know, he is one of the Australian Masterchef judges). Yummo! Then hubby and eldest son cooked eggs and bacon. Topped with two beautiful schoolmade cards, a bunch of flowers, chocolates and the 3am "mummy" call from toddler Tom it was a day that memories are made of.  SShhh... I also managed to do a sneaky coffee with a friend and listened to live jazz.

Being Mother's Day I had less after dinner duties so I started stitching much earlier than usual. I have so nearly finished the squirrel on the scrubbing brush.  Drats - I have run out of thread in one colour so will hopefully match it tomorrow. As there is no number or brand on the thread I will match it with DMC thread.

Thanks to those with advice about my HAED from my previous post. It's all food for thought...

Surfing can bring the most amazing discoveries.  Can you believe a little house like this exists? Isn't it dreamy? It would make the most perfect stitching place.  Where would you put it?  Somewhere in the hills near a river is where I would locate it.

Thank you for playing hopscotch on the stepping stones...

                                                                                      Jan x

It's "Super Moon" Wipocalypse Time...

Did you have the buzz talk about the "Super Moon" last weekend? Maybe this phenomena only happened in Australia. I had never heard this term before and suddenly I heard this term used the media 20 times in the one day! Well I wish this Super Moon had had some gravitational effect on my quickness with this squirrel picture, but alas it hasn't. It's just plodding along. The scrubbing brush is slowly appearing...I want to start on the pumpkins already! Yes I am being impatient.

Well I have come to a realisation.  I don't like stitching my HAED ("LOVE"by Marta Dahlig). Here are some reasons:
* it is really hard to get neat stitches 2 over 1 on 25 count (I am a perfectionist)
* my DMC thread gets very worn and breaks
* I cannot stitch it sitting on the sofa
* it is really hard to end the thread into the back of the tiny, tiny stitches

I think I will not continue it...convince me otherwise HAED lovers or offer any suggestions to get me back on track. I have done about 1/2 of the first page.

On a brighter note I have bought some patterns I have admired for a while -The Prairie Schooler Alphabet and have joined a blog site, The Prairie Schooler ABC Stitching Bee with fellow stitchers. I think I will stitch some of the letters individually especially the "L" featuring a deer - I am so into deers at the moment like the rest of the world. I also think I need to stitch a mermaid so "M" is on my list too. I don't have all of the letters but I am sure I will accumulate them over time.

Thank you for dropping on by and sitting in my garden...

                                                     Jan x