Summer Arch update

Summer Archway is coming along quite nicely. Slowly..but nicely. A bit harder than I thought. Glad I started with this one and not the larger Big Ben piece!

And now a wonderful update for Celtic Christmas. I've finished the borderwork for the left hand side and have almost gotten back to the top. Will be putting an order in for beads within the next few days. I've found a few things that I wished I'd known about evenweave before I started her. But then I've been working on her for a couple of years now. I've done a couple of smaller pieces as well, I'll add them next time. I do have more Dragon Con photos, but my camera didn't like most of the lighting, so they didn't exactly come out. More like shadow people but with more substance.


If you've watched Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International you will recognize people in this photo and the one below.

Not a whole lot going on, just the normal day in day out type stuff. Work has really picked up. A couple of weeks ago I finished training the last of the Polish help for the summer. Not used to training two at a time. It was nice to see some nice days, not only for myself but for the 3 polish. Being stuck in a small effientcy can't be easy. And we're not exactly near anything much of interest. (hotel wise) They're looking into buying or renting bikes for the summer.

What I'm Reading: The Short Victorious War by David Webber
What I'm Listening to: Blutengel
What I'm working on: Summer Archway, Celtic Christmas, Triple Irish Chain squares (quilt)

Summer Arch update

I've found that this Summer Archway from a British Mag is part of a larger piece by John Clayton, called Spanish Archway. This piece looks better in this picture than it does when I'm stitching it. This piece is almost half done, I've found both top and bottom of the pattern and of course the left side as well.

The ever famous Celtic Christmas....Her ladyship is almost complete. Just the top of her head a bit of ribbon then on to the border.

More Dragon Con 2008

Here was one of the various Jack Sparrow's running about.

And who could ever forget....as if he'd let us....Pennywise...Anyone want a balloon? We all float down here....

Here is one of my favorite entertainers.... Voltaire! If you're easily offended I wouldn't suggest that you look him up. DH classifies him as a Dark Satirist with a very warped and perverted sense of humour.

The lovely Jessica and Sarah dancers and back up vocals for Cruxshadows,

in one of their many costume changes.

And here is the founder and lead singer/writer of Cruxshadows...Rogue.

Lili! Nice to hear from you again. Thanks so much for the hugs and concern.

Barbara! I too can't believe I've returned. (not in a negative way mind you) With everything going on, I'm surprised I remembered how to get here. Most of the stitching I did last year was supposed to be for a craft fair, but only me and one other Rolling Thunder member even did handcrafting and she did alot better than I did. (she made jewelery, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, sets etc) And the person I had framing some items didn't get them back to me in time, and still hasn't gotten them done. Makes me wish I was more easy in the idea of attempting it myself. As for the Cookie Monster slayer....DH and I followed her around for awhile before we were able to get a photo of her. She got alot of attention.

Yesterday evening Rolling Thunder had another one of it's now famous Buffet dinners. Went well as usual. Spent last weekend training a new girl and hope that she lasted this weekend. I'll find out tomorrow when I go back. (I'm crossing my fingers that no one has scared her off. She's proved to be a good worker so far. And we haven't had much luck in that department lately)

What I'm working on: Summer Arch, Celtic Christmas

What I'm Reading: In Honor of the Queen by David Webber

What I'm Listening to: Emilie Autumn

Summer Arch

Here is John Clayton's Summer Arch from World of Cross Stitching July 2006. I have his Big Ben pattern, but got a bit nervous when I saw a different type of half stitch. So when I finally noticed this pattern, I got excited.


Now some pictures from Dragon Con 2008!

Remember this guy?
Doctor Who fans will never look at stone angels the same way again.....

Who said that the Wicked Witch was dead?

The cookie monster became a vegetarian, fans went rabid

More pictures for another day.

What I'm Stitching: Celtic Christmas, Summer Archway

What I'm Reading: Asylum by Sage Sinclair

What I'm Listening To: Ego Likeness

Celtic Christmas Update

Haven't worked on Celtic Christmas in quite some time. I'm quite happy with the progress I've made since deciding to finish the Lady first before worrying over the border.

So far this year I have finished the following in no particular order (all of these were patterns I got from British Cross-Stitch mags):

Tatty Teddy builds a snowman. My first Tatty Teddy project. Doing the backstitching on this one darn near drove me bonkers.

Somebunny To Love. This guy was a cutie but a nerve wracking, piece. Probably was all me.

Tuscany. By all that's holy and unholy! I thought this piece was going to be easy....wrong! It's pretty straight forward, but all those endless lines of one colour! There is a companion piece to this one, but I am NOT going to stitch it. I don't have much sanity left and I'm just about sure that the companion piece would just about drain me of what's left. It got done, eventually, but it got done.

Oriental Cranes. I loved working on this piece and am quite proud of the outcome.

A quick stitch compared to the others and boy did I deserve an easier piece. And it's also a Companion piece to Oriental Cranes.

I know I haven't been on blogger for a long time. It all started with getting a new computer and realizing that I had relied to much on the computer remembering all my info for me. Then the proverbial S**T hit the fan and there was going to be nothing but horrid news from there on in. That being said. The major sad factors since I've been away are: my female cat Angel passed away 25 May 2008 after a brief illness. My MIL passed away 31 January 2009 of basically heart failure. There is alot more to her story from Christmas Eve till her passing, but since I didn't post as it was happening I'm not going to now. It was horrible, messy, trying, exhausting etc. The worst of it being that she was the first person I was there with as they passed. I've only recently gotten over most of it.

Good news: Went to a major Multi cultural convention this past september and had a blast. Went climbing all over battleships in Battleship Cove. One of my godsons took up the violin this year at school. (he has to give it back at the end of the year, since it's only a lender). Another godson sold the most items for his school's fundraiser and won the prize he wanted. But since none of the people he lives with or uncles knows anything about mp3 players, guess who has to make time to go down and show them? (this wouldn't have been a problem if they had let me know at the time he recieved it, it would've been done already) Even with the economy the way it is, I still have a job and still trying to play out guess the gm when I can.

I'll see if I can remember to do a few posts with some pictures from the last year or so. But don't count on regular posts. My days have been quite hectic.

What I'm Reading: Wicked By Gregory Maguire

What I'm Listening to: Blutengel

What I'm working on: Summer Archway by John Clayton

Last post before 2008

The much disliked Penguin stocking update. (only disliked because of issues with penguins (inside family joke)). I've almost completed the top half, basically only the spots on the hat and the rest of the sky and the snowflakes. (which look like snowballs to me)
I've found this amongst my WIPs, can't remember when I started it, sometime within the last two years I think. Almost positive I didn't post anything about it, I've put it in my webshots album as well in the hopes that it'll help me get this piece finished.
And last but not least...Grape Gatherer. I've found the right hand side of the piece and the white curving stitches that ends roughly about halfway down the page. Can we say that I'm getting a little tired of all this green? Haven't given up on her yet.

Okay, I'm going to make this somewhat brief since I'm heading out in a little bit for New Year's Eve, not sure where we're going (out with a friend) but I'm sure it'll be fun. I just wanted to try and get some last minute updates posted before the new year. Yes I know I have no new finishes to date, but I did this on purpose. I spent the last week or so working on the the stocking and GG in the small hopes of a major WIP post. I've also spent time sewing up the last seams of quilt blocks both for future quilts and for pillows, stuffing and fighting with little cherub dolls.

Thank-you to all that left comments about the holidays. The feeling and sentiments go back out to all of you. This year has been so hectic that I never ended up sending out my wishes via email, to those who usually get them...I'm so sorry.

Of course I love hearing how much people like my finishes, kudos to those who mentioned.

Wawanna, I'm owned by two cats and one is named Angel, and she's more of one than her brother (who is a big bully) Angelic happens more when their sleeping than awake, they're about senior citizens give or take a year so they sleep alot. Wouldn't give them up for anything.

What I'm reading: Pandora by Anne Rice
What I'm listening to: Sapphire Solace

Merry Christmas

First of all here is a very old freebie (2002) by Vermillion Stitchery. A Bombay Cat Angel. It was from her Cat and Puppy Angel series.
The last in the Bear quilt I promised Belinda for OECS. Her name is Lily by Gloria & Pat Inc.
I'm almost afraid and ashamed to be showing this one, but it counts as a completed project. Picked this particular design to "try" (big emphasis on try) to work on my lazy daisy's and french knots. I had more luck with the french knots.
And of course last but not least....Grape Gatherer by Solaria Gallery. Should be able to take another picture soon, if I can get my backside to the floor stand instead of other places. The confetti stitches are driving me up the wall. (and this coming from someone too lazy to go pixel by pixel on her homemade cross-stitch designs from photos ie: Legolas, Rickman and Padawan Obi Wan (no pic available for this one). I've no right to complain, but I am.

Hope everyone will have a safe and Happy Christmas and a wonderful start to the new year. God bless and keep you safe. (or who/whatever you believe in or not)

Hugs to you all.

What I'm reading: The Doom that Came to Sarnath and other stories by H.P. Lovecraft
What I'm listening to: No Redemption

Should've been clearer

I should have been a bit more clear on the reason for now washing our squares for OECS. There were four squares that had bled. We have no idea who stitched them (or name was with held not sure) and don't know what type of thread was used. Personally I haven't had any bleeding except if I forget to "set" Weeks, SSS, Caron or some of the others. This was asked to make sure of the blocks before they get sent in.