Marjolein Bastin's Cross Stitch - The Four Seasons...

Happy weekending everyone...

This reveal post has been a long time coming.  I have finally framed and hung Marjolein Bastin's cross stitch, The Four Seasons.

It is framed in a deep pine with no matt which is simple and suits our modern home. I am deeply in love with the design and would stitch another Marjolein Bastin in a heartbeat.  It came as a kit and is stitched on 32 count evenweave. A similar design can be purchased here.

I have been absent over the last week due to my daughter's dancing eisteddfod which finishes tomorrow night.  So far she has placed 3rd in a tap solo (pictured), 2nd in a ballet group and 3rd in a song and dance group.  Four dances are left to perform over two days.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Thanks for wandering through my flower garden...
                                                                    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

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

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

Sequins...

This week has seen me help organise some ballet tutus for one of the groups my DD dances in.  The end of year concert is fast approaching so I've been cutting and sequinning. 

My HAED is slowly but surely growing. The black is a large part of top left of the project. Luckily it's the only colour so far as I haven't looked at the DMC list. Steady she goes...

I'm working on the left side border of the MJ English sampler. Progress appears slow when working the borders.

Doing a Highland fling...

I have just returned from taking DD to compete at a Highland (Scottish) dancing competition on the weekend.  This is not a new thing to me as I grew up Highland dancing myself. I can proudly saw I even particpated in a highland swordathon (doing the well-known sword dance) last week to raise money for the Australasian Championships which will be held in Hobart next year at Easter.  And yes I was a bit stiff the next day.

My DD's kilt is blue Stewart of Appin. It was my sister's kilt so it's lovely that DD fits into it!

Whoo hoo! My Molly Makes mobile phone kit that I won on Sarah's blog arrived.  I love it and can't wait to stitch it. It's my first blog win so even better"!

I am doing a Highland fling today (figuretively speaking) as I have nearly finished stitching the toadstool. What part of the sampler will I do next? The hedgehog? The squirrel? I guess you will have to wait and see...