For Lynn -- Michael Powell

Lynn sent me a comment and asked me if she could see my Michael Powell I mentioned in an earlier post this week as she wasn't familiar with him.

Well Lynn you're in for a treat! His stuff is just wonderful, colourful, and fun! Here's a link to his website for you to take look at all his stuff. Michael Powell is a Welsh artist and in the last few years a lot of his hart has been turned into cross stitch! Oh yeah when you're at his website be sure to become a member he has some nice little freebies. Also every now and again one of his designs tends to show up in UK magazines.

Some of you may wonder where do I buy my Michael Powell kits/charts from... well from one of my favourite shops : Knowledge and Needles

Here are the MP's I've stitched so far :

Mini Cottages 1-4

Mini Cottages 8

And My current MP WIP Mini Cottages 5

SBQ, A Question and A Photo Hunt

Well I have nothing near as exciting to tell you about after this past weekend's retreat! So I'll give you a mish-mash of things tonight.

First an old SBQ for you this one from September 6th

Q : Would you ever stitch one of your BAPs a second time? (This does not include starting over because of mistakes, bad fabric, etc., rather stitching something from the first stitch for a second time.)

A : Hmmm no. If I ever did, it would be because of one of three reasons. Either one of my pieces was damaged beyond repair and I have a strong sentimental connection with it. Someone I really cared for deserved to have it stitched for them and its just the perfect piece. Or someone offered me a disgusting amount of money for it.

Now for a question from Judy

Q : The Legend of Sleepy Hallow piece from The Cricket Collection sure is a cool looking design. Do you think you'll stitch it up the same way as their model is done?

A : For sure! I think that's a huge part of its charm!

Finally, Photo Hunt #75 Plastic :

This plastic and feather tiara was given to my nephew Nick on his birthday as a joke by one of his buddies.

Oh and a stitching update ... I really, really, really want to work on my class pieces form Jeannette. Alas, I must be disciplined... I only worked on my needle case a little bit! I've got the center panel all stitched up. When I got home from work today I pulled all the floss that I'm going to need for Heather's neighbourhood RR. She has a farm theme. I've chosen to stitch for her the center panel from Dragon Dreams Of Farm and Field. I think its just perfect! I've got a small start on that tonight. I did need a bit of a nap on the couch this evening.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Finally I'm having some stitchers come out to my place! If you're one of my regular readers you know I'm quite the road warrior, its often easier for me to go to someones then for them to come out to me (life is much easier when you don't have kiddies to take care of). So coming out this weekend are : Christin, Chrisanne, Lynn, and Rebecca. If you're a stitcher that lives in the national capital region and would like to come out and stitch with us on Saturday. Drop me a line.

Stash Arrived!

A few weeks ago, I ordered some goodies from Stitching Bits & Bobs when the Canadian dollar was at par with the American. Well my order finally arrived!

I got some more piecemaker needles, a mesh bag pencil case sized, a skein of Waterlillies, Cross Eyed Cricket's Sleepy Hollow, and Homespun Samplar's The Hunt. Oh and my copy of JCS's Ornament issue.

I made okay progress on my model tonight. I dawdled a bit.... I think I was just avoiding the DMC metallic thread that I've been dreading to work with. That stuff is just evil.

Judy wanted to know how long it took for me to stitch TW's Peacock Tapestry ... Judy it took me about a year. She's also wondering if I was enjoying my model... actually yes I have been, its not too complicated of a stitch for me... except for the mentioned DMC metallic. That stuff should be outlawed!

Joanne, you wanted to know if I can share pictures of my model stitching? Not yet, at least not until its published. The design I'm working on will be published in November, it will be in the Festive 2007 issue of the Canadian magazine, A Needle Pulling Thread. Once I see the magazine is out I'll post a picture here.

I want to say thank you for all the fantastic comments about my new look. I didn't realized that you folks found it a challenge to read my old template or I would of done something sooner. I'm still getting used to it... I miss that black cat!

Gail, loosely translated the saying on my old template translated to "Come my beautiful cat. You leave footprints on my heart. Let me stare into your beautiful eyes of metal and agate"

Well I'm starting to get excited! On Friday after work I'm on my way back to Ganenoque and the Ganenoque Inn! This time without Todd, I'm going to be at the Cross Stitch Cupboard's fall retreat. This will be my third time going to the retreat, my reason for going this year... Jeannette Douglas is one of the teachers and she is such a great teacher... and person. So I couldn't resist going! Jeannette will be teaching a piece called Pomegranates and Pears (scroll down to see the model) it looks yummy! This year I'll be rooming with Lynn who I met for the first time this summer... she jumped at the chance to go when she heard that there were still spaces available. This will be her first retreat, and boy she's in for a treat!

Q & A Time!

Tonight I finally got a real start on Von's Neighbourhood RR! Its a small start, since I got home and pretty much passed out on the couch for 2-3 hours! Seeing as I have no amazing stitching progress to really share with you I'll play a little Q&A tonight with the questions you folks have asked me over the last little while!

This first questions come from Karen I got this one while nearing the end of Noah's Sub :

Q : I know it's huge, but has it been a fun stitch or one you're just wanting to finish up as quick as possible?

A : I think I just really wanted the project done! I have to say I enjoyed the challenge of stitching such a huge piece but was it fun... at times yes (the animals) at times no (the large blocks of yellow/blue/green)

Q: Do you have a favourite animal/section on this one?

A : I have to say the porthole full of bunnies! (not the best photo!)

The next one is from Ann who as far as I'm aware doesn't blog but she always leaves me wonderful anonymous comments!

Q : Haven't you stitched this piece already once? (referring to Tour de Marques)

A : No I haven't, I have stitched a Silver Lining lighthouse a few years ago, Bandon Light as a model for the designer. (Also done over one)

Dawn is a frequent visitor and made me that lovely Dragon Dreams tin that I shared with you a few weeks ago. Her question is also in reference to TdM.

Q : Are you using both DMC and Anchor floss?

A : Yes I am, the design calls for both, Marc the designer often uses both DMC and Anchor in his designs and you can't substitute one for the other as they are both used to extend the colour pallate. Marc's sense of shading and detail is just amazing!

Another TdM question this time from Lauren whose blog I don't know her address for (Lauren if you can share that with me I'd be happy to link to you in this post!).

Q : Is it on blue fabric?

A : Yes its on Wichelt's hand dyed joblean line, 28 ct. Bluebell. Gives it a nice, light, summery feel.

Lynn is a wonderful woman and stitcher I got to meet earlier this summer. I look forward to when we can find time to get together and stitch again! She's going to be my roomie in October at the Cross Stitch Cupboard's Retreat where Jeannette Douglas is teaching!

Q : Your framing jobs are awesome! Does it take much time to do all the stretching?

A : Yes and no... it really depends on what type of fabric the piece is stitched on. Sometimes I lace, sometimes I pin. Also it comes down to how straight I get it onto the foam core the first time. Sometimes it has to come off and I have to start over. I rarely stretch a piece in one sitting, I like to put it down and pick it back up over several days. I find if you pick a piece up with fresh eyes you see what you missed the last time. You can also ask my close friends I'm very picky! I want things straight!!!

Ort Jar

Well I forgot about a few inquiries I got about my ort jar when I mentioned it in the last SBQ I answered.

Louanne wondered "When you go looking through the jar, how do you know for sure the floss you pick is the right color?"

and...

Judy SC (sorry no link) came up with this fantastic image ""Ort jar diving" - I love the phrase and my mind's eye conjures up a tiny dragon swimming through a pile of orts lookin' for just the right one... "

Well, I have cats... that's one reason for having an ort jar... it keeps them out of the paws and mouths of little furry beasts. Also I used to pile them up on the back of the couch and they'd end up in interesting places... in my quilt... on the floor... on someone's behind. So I grabbed a large mason jar and I put all of my orts in there. Its neat to see throughout the year how the layers of floss develop. If you look at my ort jar right now there's a lovely layer of blues and blue-greens from the water and hull of Noah's Sub.

As for "ort jar diving" I don't actually do it very often and I really don't bother for DMC... I keep a full set plus extras on hand. It comes in handy for specialty fibres and they're often easier to pick out and I tell you I can't afford to keep extra of those on hand! I also don't dive too deep, if I need a little extra of something its often at the top.

I have a lovely little ritural on New Year's Eve... I empty out my jar and start out new.

Someone Put the Fire Out!

Can you smell the smoke coming off of my needles? This is my pre-weekend progress update. I took Friday off so my weekend has started and I put in mega hours this evening!

Now, I've had a few questions piling up in my inbox (I have my comments e-mailed to me so I don't miss a single one!)

Karin and Margaret asked if the flower from one of my recent posts was from my garden.

-- Yes it is. I have a narrow bed (which we're expanding) along the side of my house that's pretty much all daylillies.

Louanne asked if I plan on stitching Fish City someday... its by the same artist.

-- No. I was excited to hear about Fish City before it came out and when I did see it, I was disappointed to find it had no appeal to me at all.

Post No. 800!

Wow! This is my 800th post! I've been blogging since September of 2003 so I'll be hitting my 4th blogaversary this year! Wow four years of keeping this up... who wudda thunk it!



I didn't really stitch much tonight. I wanted to but Todd took control of the TV... I don't like watching UFC fights I've seen before... I mean c'mon I know who knocked who out! (he was watching Hughes vs. Gracie tonight) Then he put on the show I just can't stand! He's taken to watching re-runs of "The Man Show" Its not funny... its just not funny, it makes me leave the room! So off I went to my crafting room (formerly the computer room... but now that I'm wireless its not a computer room anymore). I finished up my first flat fold! I used Judy O'Dell's book and as usual it was wonderful! I had a hard time photographing it this evening. I'll try and get something better tomorrow during daylight hours. The fabric in the background is what I used for backing fabric on my flat fold. The cord I made with Todd's usual assistance... which equates to me going "here hold this" and laughing while Hunter jumps up in the air to try and get the thread we're turning into cord!

First Snow

cDrawn Trhead

I can also share with you some finishing I did a few weeks ago. When it was time to send out my Neighbourhood RR I wasn't really paying attention... I assumed I sent it to the person below me on the address list. Not! So Debbie was kind enough to send my RR onto Margaret. Sooooo she deservied a giftie!

Emblem of Friendship

2006 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Edition

I've gotten a couple of more questions over the last 24 hours...


Dawn wanted to know how my foot's doing? Well Dawn its doing much better I have to say the physio is really helping, am I active again no. I'm not walking (for exercise) or doing any TKD until September. I have gotten out on my bike and if this damned hot humid weather would break I'd go out on it more often! I'm not pain free but the pain is better.


Joanne asked me what is the stitch count for Noah's Sub ... Noah's Sub is 320 stitches x 220
stitches. So on the 28ct jubilee I'm stitching it on the design size is a whopping 23" x 16". I really wish I had worked on it more tonight but I just couldn't be in the room with that crap on the TV.


Now onto some FUN stuff! Seeing as this is my 800th post and its going to be awhile before I hit the big 1K... lets offer up a prize! What's the prize, I don't know. A little something stitched... some a little stash, fibers, fabric, ribbon, cording... who knows! Sooo... leave me a comment and I'll enter you in the SUPER FANTASTIC 800TH POST DRAW! The draw will be made next Tuesday July 17th!

SBQ from June 22nd & A Question Answered

As you've probably noticed, I don't necessarily rush to answer SBQ's. I have a simple reason for that... I like to save them for days I don't have stitching progress or any news of merit to share with you.

So, here we go....

Q : When you start a new work do you look for something small, do you look for another huge project or do you consider your UFOs?

A : I really don't like to have too many projects sitting around... so when I finish a large project if I have another one I may have started when I had a serous case of start-itis.... or as I'm likely to do start a SAL then get hit by another project that has to get done . I'll pick that up as my next project. Of course that doesn't mean I'll go a little crazy on small designs for awhile! Which you'll definitely see me do when Noah's Sub is done. My next project to finish after Noah's Sub (which Kathy wanted to know) will be The Castle. I started this as a SAL back in January and due to my desire to get Noah's Sub finished I've kinda abandoned that. I'd say I'm close to 1/2 done on The Castle.

I got a question via the comments today from Margaret, she wanted to know when did I start Noah's Sub. Well I've gone back into my progress pictures the earliest one I can find is from July 3, 2002... that's when I finished page one. So I must of started it in 2002... and its now 2007 five years... wow the longest I've ever had a WIP! You know what, I'm going to finish it this year... this summer! The drive is on and I feel that urgency I often get when a project is finally taking shape and the end is in sight.

I did work on the Sub again tonight... I finished the waves, and started the water below the surface, even the outlines of the portholes! I'm looking forward to working on it tomorrow when I get home from work.

Tonight I also started my first flat fold while Todd was watching a show on TV... he likes it, it makes me leave the room. So I started the flat fold process. Will I finish it tomorrow, I don't know, we'll see what the day brings (besides physio... yuck!).

Oh... and Jenna, yes I did get highlights done in late May... I've never had so many compliments on my hair in my life!

Photo : Sunset at Black Lake (outside Perth, Ont.) this is an oldie... from my files in 2002!

Reversing Images

I'm just going through all my comments for the last while...

I do read them as I get them however I like to keep them in my inbox so I can give all of you a return visit.

Sue asked me (and I know someone else has as well) how did I reverse the chart I used in Chrisanne's RR? Well it wasn't really that hard, I used my scanner to scan the chart onto my computer. That automatically opened the HP software (HP Phtosmart Essential) and I just told it I wanted a mirror image... and whoila! I had a reverse of the chart... and I printed it out.

So if you have a scanner take a good look at the software that came with it you may be able to do the same!

Photo : Irises that were in the garden when I bought the house!