Blackwork Noel is started - and finished

This was a quickie I worked on at karate class. It was so quick I didn't even get to post a pic of it prior to starting - and finishing. I didn't intend it to be, but it fits the theme of "free choice" for the Christmas ornament challenge blog I am participating in, so it will be posted on that blog too. A pleasant co-incidence that it fit, as I had no real time to whip anything else up this month. Here it is:

• Name of the design is "Blackwork Noel"
• Chart is a freebie from Glory Bee Stitch
• Fabric is a remnant of white opalescent evenweave
• Threads are black DMC cotton and red sulky thread
• Stitch count is 39 x 39
• Started on March 27th 2013
• Completed on March 29th 2013

My eggs are all tucked in!

My eggs are all done and delivered. This is quite the international project, with the tuck ornaments coming from the USA, the designer is Turkish I believe, I found the design on the site "Ant of Sweden", the fabrics have come from the USA and the UK, and the threads from Australia, Wales and the USA. A truly international project! Here's a collage of the completed ones:

• Name of the design - they all came from the design "refl-egg-tions"
• Chart, well they are from a freebie from Pelin Tezer, and the pattern can be found at Ant of Sweden. It's very hard to track down again, so bookmark it, print it, save it, whatever if you have any interest in stitching it. 
• Fabric is assorted leftovers from past projects. The blue is 28 count monaco in "sea swirls" from Enchanted Fabrics. The yellow is a random off cut. The pink is 28 count monaco in "bubblegum" from Enchanted Fabrics, and the green is another random piece.
• Thread is varied: the blue is DMC rayon (S995), the green is "sea change" from Cottage Garden Threads, the yellow is "golden nectarine" silk from Vicky Clayton at Hand Dyed Fibers and the pink is "love & laughter" cotton from  Polstitches Designs
• Stitch count is approximately 22 x 28 
• Started on February 26th 2013
• Completed on March 26th 2013

Stash acquisition

Just a quickie - I wanted to share some pretty monaco fabric that found its way home to me recently. The large orange/pink piece is a facebook "daily deal" from Youthful Hands Needle Crafts. The 2 shades of purple are from Joni at Fabtastic Hand Dyed Fabrics. The lighter one was a solo piece and the darker one is called "The King's Threads".

Just a quick note re: blogoversary contest....

I will be away over the end of March/start of April so I will have to pick a March winner when I get back. Keep commenting during March and April - it seems most followers have gone quiet so you have a better chance of winning, but PLEASE make sure I can easily contact you. Thanks.

My eggs are done.

I've completed 10 Easter eggs, all from "refl-egg-tions" by Pelin Tezer, the recent pattern I stitched in its entirety. These eggs just so happened to fit the tuck ornaments perfectly. They were started on February 26th and completed on March 20th. Now I just need to stick them in the tucks and they'll be ready for Easter, which is only a week away! There's one I'm not happy with at all, can you guess which? ;-)

Sorry Joanie R - we have a new winner

It's now the 15th of March and I haven't been able to contact Joanie, nor has she contacted me. Therefore I've randomly chosen another winner for the February prize, and that is Wilma Boer! I am attempting to contact you through google plus Wilma - it's new to me - so feel free to contact me instead.

Reindeer is finally "finished"

OK, so I missed the big reveal at the end of February. I'm getting pretty good at that :-(. They do say the first step is admitting your problems/faults, right? Anyway, here's my reindeer that I stitched in February for the "Christmas all year long" blog challenge. I finished way back on February 4th, but only managed to add the finishing touches today - March 11th. Oops! It was the first time I used cording like this around the edge, and also the first time I tied it together at the bottom and made a tassel. I'm happy, all things considered.

And a close up of my tassel, I think I will have to weigh down the silver beading for a while so it hangs straight:

• Name of the design is, well, I'm calling it "Reindeer". Inspiring, I know
• Chart is a freebie from this blog
• Fabric is a 25 count mushroom pink lugana evenweave from "Embroidery Essentials"
• Thread is variegated & regular DMC cotton and red sulky thread
• Stitch count is 47 x 63
• Started on February 1st 2013 - I think
• Completed on February 4th 2013.  I added a white pom pom to the tail, red bows in the corner, changed the snowflakes a little, gave him a special eye, and tied threads to his shoes to look like shoe laces.

February freebie challenge reveal

OK, so this was stitched way back in early February but I am the great procrastinator when it comes to finishing designs. I'm only about a week late for the big reveal over at 123stitch. Here's what I turned the pattern into:

• Name of the design is "Spring"
• Chart is a freebie from The Stitcherhood
• Fabric is a random offcut of yellow and green opalescent 28 count fabric
• Thread is a yellow and green variegated thread that came from a friend who had a business at one stage, can't recall the name of the thread or business right now. I've had it for years. I used the thread to make a cord to hang the pillow. I also added scrapbooking brads, sequins, seed beads and bugle beads
• Stitch count is 66 x 27
• Started February 3rd 2013
• Completed February 7th-ish 2013

Joanie R - where are you?

Joanie - you need to email me if you want your prize, otherwise I will have to re-draw it. It shouldn't be this hard to give away stash :-(

Blogoversary prize pics - year long and January

Both Carissa and Kat have received their prizes so I can show you pics of them. This is what I sent the year long winner, Carissa:

There's a free chart I picked up at Spotlight, 2 tri-fold cards, 2 skiens of hand dyed thread and a doily bag thingy.

Here's the prize I sent the January winner Kat:

There's another free chart, some lemon fabric, a hand dyed green/blue and yellow thread, a thread holder and a booklet of motifs.

I hope you liked them ladies. Joanie R - I wasn't able to find a way through your blogs to contact you. Please get in touch or else I'll have to do another re-draw.

Victorian State Karate Championships roll around again

Just for something other than stitching stuff..... Excuse me while I be a bragging mum for a moment. Go take a toilet break, or grab a coffee, and we'll be back to the scheduled stitching news in no time.

Yesterday was the "Vic's" - a compulsory event for state team selection. My son does both kata (choreographed fighting blocks, strikes and kicks against an invisible opponent) and kumite (points sparring), the two disciplines on offer. This is his 4th year since he became old enough to compete. Kata is his stronger section and he won the first 2 years, but was sick last year and wasn't able to compete. He was hoping to make it as state champion for the 3rd time but wasn't quite able to do it. He did have a tough draw - the biggest division of the day with 25 entrants - and lost the 4th round which was to make it into the final. There are 3 judges and each round bar this, he won 3-0. It was the first time that boy has beaten him, although he has been on his tail all last year. He ended up with a bronze medal to go with his 2 gold from previous years.

Kumite was the 2nd biggest division of the day with 16 competitors. Again not the best draw, with the national champion 2nd round if he made it that far. He did, with a nice 3-1 win. As anticipated, he fought the national champion 2nd round and put up a great aggressive fight, but was outclassed 5-0. As this boy went on to make the final, it gave DS a chance to try and come back for a bronze. He had 2 fights to get through, with another impressive win in the first one. Not sure of the score as I was also attempting to be a table official at the same time as filming it, cheering for him, and getting his gear changed each round. Then came his final fight for the medal, against a boy who was also on the state team last year. They are fairly evenly matched, although this time DS wasn't able to get the win, losing by 1 or 2 points so no medal to show for it. In the past I think he has managed a bronze or two at this event.

So, now we go to state team training every Saturday and work hard to gain one of the 6 places on offer in each event. Wish us luck! If he is successful, which I feel he will be for kata - not so sure about kumite - we are off to Tasmania in August for nationals!

February blogoversary contest winner is...

OMG! Where did February go? If someone has found it can they please return it safely? My life seems to be just whizzing by in a blur of work, housework, running errands, school pick up, after school activities etc, etc. Aren't I supposed to have some down time in there somewhere? And yes, I know you are all thinking that I MUST get free time as I keep posting WIP pics and finishes, but they are usually done at karate class. I stay and watch, just so I can sit and get out of going home to find more "stuff" that needs doing! So it's not complete down time, where I can slouch on the couch, take my shoes off, and just be myself. I'll take what I can get though! Anyway, I digress......

We have a new monthly winner of the blogoversary contest. It is Joanie R, who I'm in the process of trying to contact, if I can find a way through your various blogs. Please leave your email in the comments section, or you can contact me with your full name and mailing details. Thanks for commenting everyone, and don't forget it's a new month, so keep doing so for your chance to win in March.