Frog-Free Finish - Finally!

WooHoo! I now have my 2nd finish of 2010. Was it worth all the effort? Um, no! Here it is, doesn't look like it should have caused so much drama does it?

Here's the details:

• Name of the design - medaillons vogels 5 - with some changes
• Chart - is a freebie from this website. The butterfly in the middle is one I created.
  
• Fabric is 28ct monaco fabric, called "Fairy Kisses - painted" from Enchanted Fabrics
  
• Thread is "Hibiscus" silk from Hand Dyed Fibers and a variegated pink cotton called "Cotton Candy", a limited edition floss from Carrie's Threads
  
• Stitch count is 34 x 34
  
• Completed in January 2010 for my cupcake stand
  

2010 - The year of the frog!

So last night I spent an hour or more stitching the "cupcake from hell" after my earlier frogging attempts. Was looking good, or so I thought. Then when I was more than half way through, I noticed that I was half a stitch out somewhere. Not even a full one!! That was a sign it was time to go to bed. Have a guess what I've been doing this morning? GRRRR.

^%#($ Frog!

I've spent the best part of the evening frogging my current project. I am trying to do a pink cupcake. I have the holder, some matching fabric and that's about it. I started a blackwork design in one strand of a silky thread I picked up at the LNS but it wasn't looking good, the thread was too thick for the fabric. Frogged that then I started said design with 2 strands of a slightly variegated pink thread from Six Strand Sweets. Just didn't look "right". Frogged again and tried the same design with one strand, still not what I had in mind. Then I tried a gorgeous silk but it blended too much into the fabric. So now I've frogged that and have jumped online and found an assisi design that I kind of like. Well I like the outside shape and some fancy backstitching around it, but I didn't take to the animal that was in the middle. I searched some more found a simple butterfly shape to make the centre piece.

Off to start AGAIN! Wish me luck!!

First finish of 2010!

My needle is smokin'! This was meant to be my last finish of 2009, a gift for my son's upcoming 8th birthday. However, he snuggled up to me on the couch last night as we watched the NYE fireworks so I stitched the cupcake project instead.

Here's the details:

• Name of the design - Karate bear
• Chart - is a design from the leaflet titled "101 bears with personality" by Lynn Busa for Leisure Arts
• Fabric is a unique piece of 28ct opalescent fabric
  
• Thread is DMC cotton
  
• Stitch count is 31 x 37
  
• Completed in January 2010 for my son's 8th birthday.

Final finishes of 2009

Here's the details:

• Name of the design - Aunts_attic_maart_0012_Esther
• Chart - a freebie from http://myauntsattic.web-log.nl/
• Fabric is a unique piece of 28ct hand dyed fabric
• Thread is a silk, "Golden Nectarine" by Vicki Clayton
  
• Stitch count is 33 x 35
  
• Completed in December 2009. Finished off with a matching brad
  

Here's the details:

• Name of the design - motif_10
• Chart - a freebie from this blog
  
• Fabric is a unique piece of 28ct opalescent fabric
  
• Thread is DMC S995
  
• Stitch count is 31 x 31
  
• Completed in December 2009. Finished off with pins
  

Happy New Year!!

It's the last day of 2009 here in Australia so:

I hope you had a great 2009 and that 2010 is a happy, healthy and successful year for you.

More cupcake finishes

I forgot I'd finished the pink one and started and finished the green one on Sunday. Unfortunately, I've gone through all my freebie cross stitch patterns and can't find the design for the pink one. I'm 99% sure it was a freebie too. GRR. Don't you hate that??

Here they are:


Here's the details of the green one:

• Name of the design - Elisa Coeur Noel 2003 - the bottom design
  
• Chart - a freebie from this site
  
• Fabric is a unique piece of 28ct opalescent green lugana from silkweavers
  
• Thread is DMC 913
  
• Stitch count is 31 x 33
  
• Completed in December 2009

Here's the details of the pink one:

• Name of the design - a freebie I can't find for the life of me
  
• Chart - it's out there somewhere!
  
• Fabric is called "Fairy kisses - painted" and is a 28 ct Monaco from Enchanted Fabrics
  
• Thread is a variegated pink from Anchor - #1320
  
• Stitch count is 31 x 31
  
• Completed in November 2009. I also added a hot pink glittery button for a bit of interest
  

Have a great Christmas!

Another finish

A quilt square for Scarlett at Coles Quilts this time. This design was on my wish list and I splurged and bought it with some money I got as a gift. I really like the look of these bright designs but unfortunately I didn't really enjoy stitching it. It was a colour chart which I find a little hard to read, and there were a lot of weird fractional stitches too. By the time I got to the background, I wasn't in the mood for the fiddly change of colours so made an executive decision and chose one colour to just stitch half stitches. I do like how it turned out though.

Here's the details:

• Name of the design - Roses & Butterflies #601
  
• Chart - From Cinnamon Cat Designs
  
• Fabric is white aida
  
• Thread is DMC cotton
• Stitch count is 79 x 79
  
• Completed in December 2009

Chess Board Finish!

Here's the chess board I have been working on, finished, framed and presented to DS's school teacher. He seemed to really appreciate it. I painted some cheap chess pieces black and white and put them into small white drawstring bags to go with it.



Here's the details:

• Name of the design - Kim's chess board I guess
• Chart is one I designed and can be found as a freebie on this blog
• Fabric is white evenweave
• Thread is DMC cotton
• Stitch count is 122 x 122
• Completed in December 2009
  

So many things, so little time

Whew, it's been a busy few weeks! Let's see....
First of all DS #1 was awarded the annual "Outstanding Student" award at his primary school this year, which was exciting. Last year he won the English one and the year before that the Maths one! Little Mr Brainiac :-) I'm not sure if any student has won 3 in a row, none that I can recall anyway.

Then, the very next day he won another academic award during the grade 6 graduation. The award was given by the Apex or Rotary club or something similar. He won a Coles voucher for his troubles. On the night he even got up and made a speech and gift presentation to his teacher too, in front of 90 odd kids and their families.

Both kids recently had their school concert and performed well. DS #1 even had a main part. His grade did songs from the production they performed earlier in the year, and he even had a solo singing part during it. I still can't believe he did it, and so confidently too!

DS #2 looks like trying out for the state karate team next year too. He is about to turn 8 and will be in the 9 years and under age group, so will be up against slightly older and more experienced kids. We'll see how he goes, it will be great experience and he should learn a lot from the process.

Oh, and I almost forgot!! DS #2 has broken his right arm too. He was outside and kicked his soccer ball over the neighbours fence. He climbed the 5 foot high fence to get it, and fell backwards from the top, ending on the wrong side of the fence. He broke the bone right near the wrist, and had a massive bruise on his left thigh. Thankfully we got treated at the hospital quickly and they x-rayed it straight away, showing the break. He is now sporting a bright blue cast for Christmas. This is my child who, by his current age of 7, has had several bad Christmases. He's spent one in a cast on his leg for another broken bone, had Chicken Pox for another, tripped while decorating the tree and cut his brow- just missing his eye, and lost his voice. I think he's had 2 "normal" Christmases in his life, whatever that is! Next year he's going in bubble wrap for the whole month of December!

I also finished the chess board cross stitch design for DS #1's teacher which went over well. I also gave DS #2's teacher a stitched hand towel and found out she is an ex stitcher! She seemed to appreciate the time and effort involved and we talked shop a little. It's nice to know someone who speaks cross stitch!

Free Blackwork Chess Board Design

I designed this to stitch for my DS's school teacher to give him at the end of the year. I'm going to backstitch "property of X Y" around the outside to make it personal and I have the perfect sized black frame to mount it in, and some chess pieces. I couldn't find any black and white pieces so will paint some brown and bone ones, hopefully they work out OK. I also have some black and white checkered fabric that would make a great drawstring bag for the pieces, too bad I don't actually sew! I think I'll get started on this tonight if I have the right sized fabric.

Feel free to save a copy for yourself. Please, if you do, leave me a comment to let me know! It's no good offering freebies if no-one wants them, LOL. If you have any trouble saving it and getting it to print at a stitch-able size, just email me with "free chess board design" in the subject line, and I'll email you a copy. jakt70 at gmail dot com

3 on 3 Karate Tournament

Posted better late than never! DS #2 had his club 3-on-3 team tournament at the end of October. He is 7 and was in the 6-7 year age group. There were 5 teams and his team won, yay!! From memory, (FYI - Mine is shocking!) I think his team got a bye in the first round and then won the next two to take first place. The points were accumulated each round, so every flag in kata or point in sparring helped his team to win. I'm pretty sure he won all his kata rounds, but maybe not his sparring. He is working on tactics with his sparring but sometimes he seems to forget that the name of the game is actually to score, LOL.
A few of the kids in the 8-9 year age group failed to show up so DS and his 2 team mates were asked to fill in, which he was rapt about. He held his own, winning his kata 3-0, losing his sparring, but coming out with more points than his opponent which was the aim. Unfortunately his team lost in the first round, but he got an encouragement medal for his efforts.
He also has another grading coming up soon and will be an orange striped belt. The grading after that he will have to spar all the rest of the kids, which will be funny to watch. Most of them going for their orange belt or higher are a bit older and much taller, he'll be lucky if he can reach their kneecaps! LOL

Calisthenics - End of another year!

It's hard to believe but we've had our annual concert, costume return and there's only the kids break up party and adults dinner to go before the whole year is done and dusted. This year we had the concert at a new venue with a bigger stage, proper stadium seating and better lighting. The only problem was the "professional" lighting technician didn't show up and we were left to fiddle around with the equipment trying to work out the mic, lights and music. Thankfully we were able to get the basics working and the show went on! It was a little hectic in the first half trying to get changed and help side stage whenever I could, but it was much quieter in the second half. Our revue was the last item of the day and was well received, we got a few laughs. We also did the presentation a little differently too, introducing all the pupils by name and getting them to come up and get their medals which was nice. Despite the problems (we also got locked into the car park for a brief moment!) I think it ran pretty smoothly. I got some lovely gifts for being the Masters coach and also the class secretary, will have to post pics of the flowers and hydrangea plant I got. Very pretty! Now to think ahead to music, costumes and choreography for 2010!

Bushfire Ornaments - Before & After

OK, so I finally got off my butt, with days to spare, and finished off my ornaments. I've said it a million times before, but I'll say it again - I'm not good at finishing. I don't really enjoy it (though I do like the finished results) and it's fiddly and I'm not very patient. The end result is some are better than others, LOL. Once I got into the rhythmn and had a plan of attack, they came together OK. They've been sent off to, and received by, Nise. It makes the total of over 500! Fantastic effort Nise, and to all the stitcher's involved.