I love my Bothys...

Hello fabulous readers,

Today is Pirate Wednesday so I have an update on Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Pirate Ship.  I was rudely interrupted whilst stitching on it last night by the sirens of fire and police vehicles and the roar of a water-bombing helicopter,  so I didn't do as much stitching as I would have liked.  There was a small bushfire one kilometre away from our home. It was 40 degrees celsius yesterday (which is very hot in farenheit) and with strong winds we were nervous and kept a close eye on it.  We live in an Aussie bush setting so fire is a possibility. Luckily the emergency response was fast and it was doused fairly quickly.  Some homes were only metres away so they had a lucky escape.

In regards to the pirate ship I  have started stitching the pirate the ginger-beared pirate is duelling against.  Only done his feet so far. Next week I should have his body, clothes and face stitched.

I have been working hard on the Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Castle also.  I finally stitched the little man on a ladder at the side of the castle after frogging him and then the ladder!  I have also worked on the body of the dragon in his lair and the start of the dungeon. This is my fifth page out of nine so it is progressing well.

An Aussie summer always includes a camping trip which we returned from yesterday.  We got down and dirty with Australian wildlife and local convict history.  Tom loved sleeping in the tent. He was definitely the most comfortable as the rest of us had lilos that deflated. He cried when we had to pack the tent away!

Thanks for wandering through my garden…

                                                            Jan x

Grow Your Blog...

Welcome to my blog post for the 2014 Grow Your Blog! This is an blog party event organised by Vicki from  2 Bags Full.  One can visit lots of fellow bloggers and make new friends by clicking on the links at the sign up.  I am also hosting a giveaway so make sure you leave a comment on this post to be entered.

A hearty welcome to new readers at my blog. 

About me:

My name is Jan and I am a married mother of three children (15,13 and 3 - yes a massive gap there) in my mid-40s.  I live on an island called Tasmania (where Tassie the cartoon devil reigns from) which is part of Australia.  I love being Australian especially the freedom it allows me. Many of my ancestors came at the request of the UK government so I have interesting convict links.  Anyone who knows me would be very surprised about this as I am very law abiding!

I adore stitching.  I stitch in the evenings mostly sitting on the couch with the TV on. I find it is relaxing. I have a very active mind and body so need to stitch to keep busy. I hate sitting still.

I am guilty of starting many cross stitch projects called WIPs (Works in Progress) but I put this down to making my blog more interesting for the reader.  I figure my readers like a variety of projects to read about so I have started a lot just for them. Aren't I kind?

I have many other hobbies which include scrapbooking, quilting, sewing, reading, gardening and home decorating. 

I love cats and own a blue British shorthair called Bob who is the nicest bloke I know!

My Blogs:

This blog, thread garden is mostly devoted to stitching, particularly cross stitch.  I post a little about my life and family also.  Initially thread garden started out as a quilting blog but then I discovered the cross stitching community and just "clicked" with them so my blog evolved with it.  I also  have a craft blog called Crafternoon Garden and a scrapbooking blog called Paper Garden so I can devote thread garden to predominantly stitching related topics.

I also have a YouTube Channel called thread garden which is primarily about cross stitching and my projects.

Why  I blog:

I am celebrating my 5th Blogaversary in March. I cannot believe how quickly those 5 years have gone. My blog has evolved over time particularly becoming more cross stitched focussed.  But here is why I blog:

I blog to record my progress on my projects. I blog to make friends internationally. I blog to share my hobby with others. I blog to keep me inspired me. I blog just because I love it.

Where it all began:

I have had a needle in my hand since I was five. The photo below is proof! I half-finished this little zebra when I was five.  I didn't finish it as I was frustrated at the mistakes I made. I am a bit of a perfectionist. I am thrilled I kept this zebra as it is a reminder of my lifelong love of stitching.

I progressed to cross stitch as an older child and finished my first counted cross stitch of a flower basket at 12 years, which is pictured below.

A Giveaway:

As part of this blog party I am hosting a giveaway to one lucky reader who leaves a comment. This will be drawn on February 15th. The prize will be Tasmanian treats.  I can send it internationally.  No need to be a follower or to own a blog to enter.  Just make sure I can contact you.
My email is dandjgartlan@bigpond.com if you want to enter by sending me an email instead of leaving a comment.

If you have like my blog why not become a follower. Buttons are along the sidebar on the right!

Happy Blog Reading!!!

Jan x

Cut Thru' updates...

I have not had as much stitching time as I would like over the last three days.  I am on holidays from work so have been decluttering the garage and house getting ready for a market. It's a horrible, dusty job but will be so satisfying at the end of it.

Ahoy there me hearties! Last night was Pirate Wednesday so I stitched my ginger-bearded pirate some boots and gave him some deck to fight on.

Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Pirate Ship
16ct light blue Aida

I have tried to finish off the fourth page of my Cut Thru' castle but have had to frog the little man on the ladder twice! Let's hope I can finish it soon. I am very keen to start the fifth page.

Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Castle
16 ct light blue Aida

Until next time, happy stitching…
                                              Jan x

A Start and a Finish...

I am happy to write that L is for Leaves by The Prairie Schooler is finished.  It is great to get a finish in so early into 2014.  It is stitched on 32ct antique white linen 2x2. I stitched this in the company of friends on a fortnightly to three week basis after reintroducing them to cross stitch. I love this deer frolicking in the forest. I think I will frame it.

L is for Leaves by Prairie Schooler
32ct linen stitched 2 over 2

Part of my great news, is that one of the friends and I will start stitching this alphabet as a whole on a large piece of fabric.  I am part of the SAL, Prairie Schooler ABC Stitching Bee which is inspiring and full of lots of helpful hints.  There are lots of decisions to make about letter configuration and fabric count. We both know this is a big undertaking but we are in no rush and will enjoy the process and stitching time together.

Nothing is better than starting a new cross stitch especially if you have finished one! This week the lovely Justine and I started our very own SAL called Pirate Wednesday. We both have little boys and have decided to stitch them The Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Pirate Ship. Ahoy there me hearties!

Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Pirate Ship
16 count light blue Aida

 Thanks for stopping by. Happy stitching!
                                                          Jan x

WIPoclaypse January Introduction...

I am excited to join in with the 2014 WIPocalypse that Measi is hosting at Measi's Musings. I last did WIPocalypse in 2012 and it motivated me to finish a large sampler. 

Measi wants us to introduce ourselves also. I guess most of my readers know me and my style but if you don't here is a little detail. I am mid-40s and live on an island, Tasmania in Australia. I am married to David, a newly qualified obstetrician and gynaecologist about to start private private in 2 weeks. So exciting and scary but yes, this means he is moving back home permanently with us (he has been working and living 4 hours away from us over the last 12 months). I am also a doctor who works part-time in general practice seeing a wide range of patients. My favourite thing about GPLand is following a patient through a pregnancy, then meeting their new addition and watching the baby grow and thrive over time. 

To balance my work life I have a creative side. I have been cross stitching since I was twelve. It was something I always went back to as I found it relaxing and easy to do in the evenings. I have become much more serious about it since 2009 when I joined Blog Land. I found bloggers who cross stitch were so friendly and inspiring that my craft/quilting blog has become pretty much all about CROSS STITCH!

Back to WIPoclaypse now.  Here are the projects I want to work on and hopefully finish. during 2014.  I will post progress at every full moon.  I have two largish projects that are my WIPocalypse stitches.  I only have two as I know that plenty of stitching time is needed on both of them this year in order to finish them. Cross stitch is slower than it looks (in my experience). I probably only get to stitch for 1-2 hours per day.

Project 1

Promises Kept by Dimensions The Gold Collection.  

For those of you interested in buying the kit you can purchase it here. 

I have been stitching this Noah's Ark project since 2009 when a friend gave it to me. She had stitched half of the ark and lost interest. I think she started the project in 2000 so it is an oldie but a goodie. I have picked it up from time to time until more recently when I have been working on it more regularly. 

Finally I am working on the lower half of the ark.  The project looks deceivingly close to a finish but alas it has a vine border with lots of little animals surrounding it. There is a lot of mixing of colours too which makes this project slower.  Admittedly, when I stitched the giraffe this week I totally eliminated a mixing colour.  I couldn't find the second colour to blend with the yellow as it wasn't labelled well, so I just used the yellow as a double strand. 

Before photo:

After photo:

Project 2

Cut Thru' Castle Bothy Threads

I started the Cut Thru' Castle mid-2013.  In January, I have almost finished stitching the fourth room which is the Royal Bathroom and the Dragon's Lair.  There is just a little man climbing a ladder to stitch on the right of the sampler to finish off before I move stitching the 5th page.  There are 9 pages in total so I am almost halfway there.  Over January I have done more backstitching in the King's Chamber.

Before photo:

After photos:

 You need a medal if you have read all of this post!  Happy WIPocalypsing…

                                                                 Jan x

Stash fun...

I couldn't resist a little stash building lately. I bought another Bothy Threads Cut Thru' kit. This time it is the Pirate Ship.  The lovely Justine and I thought it would be fun to stitch it together on different sides of the world.  We will make a start very soon and stitch it as a SAL.  I couldn't resist buying it as I have a three year old boy and what better to adorn his wall than a castle and a pirate ship.

Bothy Threads Cut Thru' Pirate Ship kit
16ct Aida 

I also had trouble passing over this sweet pattern from The Prairie Schooler.  This is called In the Woods.  I think it will be the perfect pattern to stitch in my fortnightly cross stitch group when I finish L is for Leaves.

The Prairie Schooler L is for Leaves

I will be back on the full moon to reveal progress on my WIPocalypse projects . There has been quite a bit of progress on Noah's Ark and the Cut Thru' Castle. Lots to show you!

See you then…Jan x

Turtle Trot 2014

BAP Attack is hosting Turtle Trot 2014 and I have signed up.  Since January 1st I have made progress on seven out of ten projects out of my list of 10.  I will get busy over the next few days and work on the other three.

1. Shores of Hawk Run Hollow by CHS
Before:

After:

2. I Love London
Before:

After:

3. Shepherd's Bush 2007 Christmas stocking
Before:

After:

4. Annet Eriksson's Passion for Stitching Chateau
Before:

After:

5.  Christmas House by Bucilla
Before:

After:

6. Designers Forum Needlepoint Rug
Before:

After:

7. The Prairie Schooler Alphabet L is for Leaves
Before:

After:

8. Country House Needleworks Santa's House

No progress

9.  Bucilla Touch of Gold

No progress

10. The Prairie Schooler Pumpkin Patch

No progress

This Turtle Trot has been motivating me to stitch on those other projects which haven't been on a regular rotation.  How's your Turtle Trot going if you have signed up for it?

Happy stitching…

                        Jan x

WIP January Challenge Day 6

I have had less stitching time this week compared with last week, but managed to add more leaves on L is for Leaves by The Prairie Schooler as part of my WIP January Challenge.  I happy danced around the letter box this week as was I received several other leaflets in this series so I can stitch the whole alphabet. All that is missing is G*H*I* but I have a lead (thanks to Sarah in Stitches!)

Thanks for stopping by…
                               Jan x

WIP January Challenge Day 5

Eighteen years ago today I was in my bridal gown kicking up my antique ivory heels at my Wedding reception. Although my husband and I aren't physically in the same city today (as he is working away for only another 2 weeks), we were able to spend a lovely weekend together reminiscing over our marriage. How life is so different than that day 18 years ago - mostly because of the arrival of 3x little beings.  I wouldn't change anything for the world! A friend did this montage below today and posted it on my Facebook page. Isn't it sweet?

Day 5 saw me busy stitching a new project - Anett Eriksson's Passion for Stitching "Chateau" cushion cover.  I stitched "T" in the word chateau.  I have never stitched on hessian before but it wasn't too hard although I have to just accept that the stitches will never be even. This sampler is meant to just be stitched in half cross stitch but I couldn't get the stitches to cover the hessian enough so I am doing it in normal cross stitch.

I have loved reading your comments during my WIP January Challenge. They inspire me to keep going!

Happy January Stitching!

                                    Jan x

WIP January Challenge Day 4

Day 4 saw me stitching on the Shepherds Bush 2007 Christmas stocking. I added the words and adapted them. The pattern had "We Three". I felt it was incomplete so added "Kings". I also started stitching the lower border onto the stocking. It should be done by next Christmas easily.

Happy January Stitching!
Jan x

WIP January Challenge Day 3

The delightful Jo from Serendipitous Stitching bequeathed me this cute pattern after I admired her finish. It is called Christmas House by Bucilla. I have finally got back to stitching on it and almost completed the attic room on my 3rd WIP January Challenge Day. I have even managed to back stitch part of it too which brings out the sweet room items- a chest, chamber pot and slippers.

Happy January stitching
Jan x

WIP January Challenge Day 2

Happy Friday all. I have stitched the navy "N" on I Love London. What are you stitching on this weekend?

Jan x

WIP January Challenge Day 1

Last night I stitched away like a beaver on the rocks at the bottom left of Block 1, Shores of Hawk Run Hollow.

Here is the before shot:

Here is the after shot. A seagull has appeared on the rocks. Now to find my white thread to fill him in. Not sure where it went. I have stitched the lowest row on that block now too which is a milestone.

Tonight I will stitch on "I Love London".  You can see my list of projects for WIP January Challenge here.

Happy Stitching!
                   Jan x

2014 Cross Stitching Goals...

Happy 2014!!! I am inspired to join a few SALs to help me push ahead with my projects. I had few finishes in 2013, partly because my projects are mostly BAPs and partly time-related. I am sure that with the progress I have made during 2013, I will have quite a few finishes during 2014.

2014 WIPocalypse

My name is now on the 2014 WIPocalypse sign-up list run by Measi's Musings. I was part of this in 2012 which helped me finish my Marjolein Bastin Four Seasons sampler.

Here are the two WIPocalypse projects I will work on during 2014:

1. Bothy Threads "Cut Thru' Castle"

Stitched on 16ct Zweigart AIDA

2.  Dimensions The Gold Collection "Promises Kept"

2014 Turtle Trot

This is my first attempt at doing the Turtle Trot. I have to choose 10 projects to work on and document progress monthly for 2014.  I have 10 unfinished or kitted up cross stitches (and thankfully no more) that deserve to be in this SAL.

1. Carriage House Samplings "Shores of Hawk Run Hollow"

2. Historical Sampler Company "I Love London"

3. Shepherd's Bush 2007 stocking

4. Anett Eriksson "Chateau" cushion cover (new start)

5. Bucilla Gallery of Stitches "Christmas House"

6. Designers Forum "Holland Park" Needlepoint Rug

7.  The Prairie Schooler alphabet series

L is for Leaves

8. Country House Needleworks "Santa's House" from Santa's Village series (new start)

9. Bucilla Heirloom Collection "Touch of Gold"

10.  The Prairie Schooler "Pumpkin Patch"(new start)

My aim from January 1st to January 10th is to stitch on one of the Turtle Trot projects each day.  

Wow what a big post! I have never done one so picture heavy.

May 2014 be full of lots of stitching time for you…

                                                                            Jan x