Hardanger Progress

Here's what the hardanger needlecase looks like at the moment. I decided to work on it as a 'Sunday project', but won't this coming week, I shouldn't think - unless I think of something else to do on the 9 or so hour bus ride to and from Kaohsiung the weekend after, that is! Needs to be counted thread and preferably not too big or too complex. Hardanger is perfect really. I'll do all the cutting out before we go as I certainly wouldn't risk that en route!

Haven't really had time or umph for any more stitching since this work on Sunday, I've been trying to get up to date with housework, laundry and preparing for a test tomorrow, (which I feel anything but prepared for, if I'm honest), but I hope to get back to more creative stuff just as soon as I can. I have a lot of catching up to do school-wise after being off with a cold and so on.

Still reading 'Sylvia's Lovers', but have really got going on it now - when I have chance to just sit and read for pleasure, that is. Not through with the Chinese version of 'Anne of Green Gables' yet either. I don't understand every word of it by a long shot, but I can make out about 2/3 I think and, as I know it well, it's no real strain. Next up will be 'The Secret Garden', which I haven't read for decades, (although I've seen the film of within the last few years a couple of times), so that will be a bit harder. Make language learning fun - read kids' books!!

We had friends 'round for dinner last night and I showed them the bee. I was right in thinking that the Taiwanese would be blown away by stumpwork. He asked me if I hadn't bought something and stuck it on and she said I ought to put it in the museum!!!! I could sell stumpwork pieces here, I think!!!

Not as much progress as I'd hoped

Well, to be honest, I rarely get as much stitching done as I'd hoped. The trouble is I think I still judge the length of time needed by how much I could get done when I was home with CFS/ME and could, basically, stitch most of the day, every day. Completely different now, but I still underestimate time needed. Actually, I do that with a lot of things, don't you? Anyway, here's how far I've got and I can see pretty clearly that it won't be done in time for next Thursday evening, but there's always a postal service, or we can go and visit.=)

Nic asked which thread I was using for the hardanger piece I showed you last post (which I haven't done any more of yet), and it's Caron Watercolor and Wildflower thread in 'Blossom'. Bit pricey, but worth it for something you especially want to stitch.

The weather seems to be mad everywhere, if what I hear on the on-line news is true, so I hope all are coping well. I have a cold at the mo and am afraid I'm going to have a nasty cough for a while, but I can't get what I need to deal with it out here....=( I usually chase a cough away with home-made fruit juices, but I've no juicer here and the stuff you buy won't do. Besides, there are very few pure juices here. Oh, but there are some pure fruit smoothies to be had, so maybe those might help. I'm eating a bowl of fresh pineapple, papaya and grapes as I type.=)

Travel Stitching

I got a decent start made on my hardanger needlecase, but didn't get as much done as I'd hoped or planned. With about 5 hours of stitchable in-transit time, I'd hoped to get much of the outlining done, but thanks to the lack of light on board the coach at times, (the driver left the main cabin in darkness when it got dark and didn't even give us access to our own reading lights for a goodly while!) and the fact that I dropped off to sleep a bit on the way back, I just got this far. On the outward journey I did almost all the outer border, save 3 'boxes' and just completed that small bit and started the inner border on the way home once I realised that we could use the reading lights! Working with thick threads, tapestry needles and counted thread fabrics is quite possible in-transit, but I doubt I'd attempt much in the way of fine work with its sharp needles on the move!

Now it's back to the cross stitch as I only have less than 2 weeks to get that stitched and finished up. Hoping to find some sort of hanger on Friday afternoon when I plan to take a trip to the craft shop area. I hope the quilting section has something that will do. They do a lot of things like bag handles, so I'm hopeful....

Last Posting of 2009

As you see from this photo, I chose to start on the cross stitch and I've also thought of someone to give it to. My local friend, Meishan, who's really helped and taken an interest in us since we've been here is moving next month, so I thought I'd give her this cute pic as a little something to put in her new room over in Ilan. I must try to find some sort of hanging mechanism here, like a bell-pull end or something so I can give here a complete piece ready to display. I know where I can get handbag handles and that sort of thing, so there may be what I need in that craft shop. Anyway, I've already applied a bit of unintentional artistic license to this piece - got the 2 pink shades in the rose bloom the wrong way around. Numpty! Anyway, I got quite a bit done owing to having taken last night and this morning off.

I forgot last time to thank everyone for the kind comments on the bee finish. He isn't really that realistic though as DH and I had a look at some real bees on-line and found that mine was really rather too fat and also the wings are incorrectly proportioned and placed. Still, it was only a simple kit and done mostly to get to grips with the technique. I've thought of someone to give that to as well - a local busy bee who always looks stressed out! Just need a small, round frame of some sort now.

I'm planning to take the hardanger away with me this weekend as it will be easier to work in transit being just 2 threads, ie none of the constant colour changes you get with cross stitch etc. Should have something to show there early next week, all being well.

I've never celebrated new year, never saw anything in it really, but I still wish everyone all the best for the future. Thanks a lot for all your interest in and support for my blog and stitching projects and may we all get lots of needlework done this coming year!=)

2009 Stitching Review and 2010 Plans

Many stitching bloggers do a review of their needlecraft year, so here's mine for this year about to end:

Finished projects can be seen in the sidebar on the left of my blog, under the Feedjit thingy. Altogether, there seem to have been 11, of which 4 were started the year before (2 C&G samples and 2 WIPs that took a bit of a long time!!) and 1 was stitched in early 2008, but just finished up into the casket this summer gone. So, there have been a grand total of 6 pure 2009 finishes. Not really a very productive year, but it's been a busy one with the international move and dealing with the boomerang 'flu in the spring and repeated viruses out here since October.

My goals set for this year at this time last year were:

* Finish all WIPs, including C&G stuff - I pretty much managed this as far as it went.
* Get my C&G work done in time, (mid-May for this year's work) - I didn't succeed here thanks to lousy health from January-May and then moving away. Might well come back to C&G in 2011.
* Do a hardanger cushion for my Taiwanese friend - yes, I did this, only I haven't given it to her yet!!
* Stitch something for my 2nd sister before she goes abroad for a year, preferably something with practical use. - I didn't get to this, I was just not up to it at the time, but she doesn't live too far from me at the mo and I have chance to do something special for her soon.
* Take several kits with me when we go back to Taiwan in late August/early September, should all go according to plan, that is!!! - Yes, all this went to plan and I've even worked one of the kits - the stumpwork bee and flowers from the last post.
* DH's 10th anniversary card - probably a CQ heart. - I did a strawberry heart in silks instead.
* Do some small pieces that I want to do. No more obligation stitching! - Ha! No, this didn't happen, I was just just busy or too unwell. Actually, I've decided that obligation stitching isn't such a bad thing after all. It gets stuff done and the 'need' for a gift gets my creative juices flowing, frankly, when I stitch something for the sake of it, I then have it hanging around whilst I think of something to do with it!

I also stitched 2 Lizzie*Kate seasonal thingies and that Anchor Creative Embroidery kit with the dragonfly and waterlily and was featured on Mary Corbet's listing in the summer, which caused an enormous increase in site traffic for 3 days!! Many thanks to Mary and to all the others who've listed me in one way or another over the past year. My blog made it onto Sharon B's 'S' list too, but that was in December 2008 and also created a fair amount of fresh traffic over a few days.

So much for 2009, what about next year? Well, mostly I'll be carrying on working through the kits and designs I've brought with me, but there are a couple of openings for some more design work. I have the Brazilian kit I posted about recently out to do soon, but I've realised that the fabric is really too yellow for my needs. It doesn't match the threads anything like as well as white will, so I need to organise another piece of fabric for that, (there are some pieces of silk in other kits I have with me that I don't think I'll want to do on silk, so one of those will probably do) and get the design re-traced. I also need to source some tracing paper.... There's also a goldwork string instrument kit out ready which also needs tracing and, as I neglected to bring the photo with me, an image sourcing as well!!

Whilst waiting for those to get going, I've set up a hardanger needlecase, a green version of this one (scroll down past the chaffinches cross stitch), and a cross stitch which you can see the floss tosses for below as well as a small pic of what the XS will be - a couple of cute field mice with some blackberries.



The only question now is which to start on first?? We're away this weekend, so I want to take one of them to work on whilst we're sat on the coach for 5 hours.

Stumpwork Bee

I've finally completed the DMC stumpwork bee kit. Sadly, these kits (there were about 6 in the series) are no longer on the market, which I think is a shame given the helpfulness of kits when learning a new technique. You have all you need to complete the project as well as detailed instructions and diagrams that walk you through the process without the need to go and buy a number of specialist items.

Anyway, here's the creation of the bee itself in turkey stitch/ghiordes knots.

Here's the turkey stitch trimmed and combed out (with an old toothbrush)

Below I've added in the legs in DMC black metallic stranded thread and eyes using one black seed bead each:

One of the wings in progress (wire secured to a double thickness of calico, then wing worked in DMC white stranded metallic. Cut it free from calico pad by snipping between the calico layers.):

Wings attatched from various angles

And the completed piece in its entirety

© Elizabeth Braun 2009

Finished 'Spring'

Here it is, TA-DA->

I've given up on enlarging the photo via the 'Edit Html' tab as it always ends up blurred, no matter what I do, so I've done it right aligned so it can be clicked on for a larger size. Whenever I centre a photo, it can't be clicked on, although I've been able to click on centred photos on others' blogs. Pah! Anyway, good to have another WIP completed.=) I hope the bottom bit straightens up when framed, which won't be done until we go home, I shouldn't think. Hoping to get on with the bee next.

I've decided to get a rental viola very soon, probably early in the new year. I do rather miss playing and it would be a waste to have brought so much sheet music etc with me and not to use it. I plan to shop around for the best deal over the next couple of weeks and take up the most attractive one as and when. There are no public holidays here, (except 1 Jan, I think), so nothing to be interrupted by!!

Anyone whose been on blog 'for real' lately will have seen that I've added photos of all my pieces from this year down the sidebar under the Feedjit thingy, and also a nice, cheery 'welcome' in cross stitch at the top. So, lots of extra pictures on regular display now.

Hardanger finally finished up!

After three attempts at getting the zip in today, I eventually managed it this evening. The first time I had the edges too far apart, the second time too far over the actual fastening part and the third time I finally had the good sense to set it very carefully! Anyway, however and whatever, here it is with better photo quality today than originally posted, although the thread colours still don't show!=( I've realised that it's not the original photo that was the problem, it was using the HTML editor to enlarge it -it made it blurred! Odd as the original was easily big enough, but I guess it doesn't work well trying to do this with counted thread fabrics. Also, using the 'centre' justification for photos leaves them unclickable on to see the full size version, so a change of tack is needed for counted thread finishes, methinks!

I've done quite a bit more on 'Spring' and just have the flower pots and label to put on now. I thought that these L*K designs would be quick and fun to stitch, but I've found them to be quite long-winded and rather boring, if I'm honest. I will finish the series as I've had them for years and have gone to the trouble of doing almost two so far, and I do love 'four seasons' collections. I hope they can eventually go in Sir's new study when we go home. we may find a way of displaying them here in the meantime.

We bought a set of the most beautiful lilac rose bedding this week, (which I'd been hoping for for a few weeks!) and that made me really want to pretty up our bedroom. Once I get the rest of the housework up to date (ha-ha-ha!) then I want to make a start on getting things in there looking good. This is the fabric:

And this is a Brazilian embroidery kit that I want to work up to go on the wall. The actual thread colours match the bedding really well.

Not going to meet my target.....

...but I've been doing the best I can. I've been really quite low in strength with virus after virus after virus of late and have, basically, just lost most of the school holidays/vacation to being laid flat with another one. Anyway, I'm still alive and am determined to go to the doctor on Tuesday even if I feel pounds better (although it won't do much good, as I got no help from UK docs for essentially the same problem), and see if s/he has anything of actual use to suggest.

I've done some of the cross stitch as you can see here:

And here is the first of the 4 wired bee's wings for the stumpwork, shown rather larger than life:

I've also cut the backing fabric to size for the hardanger cushion/pillow and pressed all that ready to be tacked and sewn together and we went to Costco for the first time on Monday night where I got some watercolour pencils. They're only the kids' version, but it's a good brand nonetheless and will do to get going with the medium - if I can ever sit up long enough to draw!!!! It's a good thing I'm not the moaning, whining type, I'll tell you!


So, I think there's no danger of my having even one of these pieces finished by the time we get back to language classes on Wednesday, but I will at least have made some progress. Oh, and I'm reading Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Sylvia's Lovers', which I'm not finding myself getting on with so far. I've only read the first 5 chapters, but I find the regional dialects hard going and the subject hasn't hit the spot yet. Early days yet though.

Change of look

So, I've just given my blog a bit of a new look in terms of a new colour scheme in aqua blues and 4 new header photos, mostly of my work from the last year, (the fish is from summer '08). Those following along on reader software will need to click through to have a look, if you so desire! Some of the older posts won't look so good anymore as I chose the text colours on each post to co-ordinate with both the photos and the blog colour scheme. I think I'll now just use the default text colour that I've created for the blog for most postings.

Went to the fabric market today, but didn't get anything as, although there were lots of terrific things, I wasn't really in a buying mood and what's there is stuff I would need a sewing machine to put to good use, so not much point in going mad there just yet. I will at some point though, I feel certain of that!