I did a little finishing with "Party Girl"

This is how I finished my little "Party Girl" (a Jean Walter design), something between an ATC (artistic trading card) and a postcard as it is a little bigger in size than your regular ATC (which is the size of a playing card as a rule).
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I stitched a little border around the picture, put some padding and a rigid piece of stiffener (can't recall the name of it). It is rather rigid and can be used to make fabric bowls, and then stitched the back with the front.
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A while back now, my best friend Terry who lives in England, had her bag stolen while doing grocery shopping and she lost some embroidered pieces that I had made for her which she was carrying in her handbag and having fun showing them around. Her bag was never found by the police and I knew that she was very sad about it, so I made up my mind that I would slowly restart making more fun little pieces again and sending them her way as little surprises, rebuilding her little collection with some new pieces. They will all be sizes that she can easily carry around with her. They say lightning rarely strike twice at the same place, so hopefully they won't get stolen this time around.
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I recall those pieces that I had made for her which were stolen: Gardian Angel, Halloween ID card, Fabric envelope so that she could carry them in it. I thought there was something else too, but can't recall.
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I can now post this blog entry as Terry has just received her little surprise this morning and can't stop laughing. Her husband is there looking at her and wondering what is the matter with her. She has not told him yet, keeping him in suspense a bit longer before she shows it to him :-)
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Yesterday I ended up not stitching at all, so Angelina is still headless and armless, but should resume my stitching today.
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Pierrette =^..^=

Angelina's dress stitched ....... but still headless :-(

Angelina has now a nice looking dress. I almost wish that I had that exact same dress in my wardrobe as I find it rather cute, don't you?

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Moving up now to her head-scarf, so see you all in a bit :-)

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Pierrette =^..^=

Angelina: 4 patterns done on her dress

Angelina is progressing nicely. Stitched the last pattern on her dress today. Tomorrow I will do the outline and it should look much nicer, have a more finished look to it. Then, will work on her hat, face, neck and hair. After that her hand, needle and thread. I like it when I am getting close to the competion of a project, mostly when I have tons of other work that needs my attention :-)

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Will be back tomorrow with a bit more done.

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Pierrette =^..^=

Angelina: a little more done

I don't know about any of you, but I am now ready to put the Christmas season behind me and move to some other projects, so I have taken out my Angelina blackwork project and done a little bit more on it this morning.
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This photo shows the top section of her dress/jumper. When I was looking for the photo that came with the project, I was surprised to see that it went back to August of last year. I guess I have a hard time realizing how quickly time goes by. Anyway for those of you who can't just quite remember what this project will look like when completed, here is the link to my first post about her. If you wish to see the successive posts about her, just go to section called "Blackwork" on the right side of my posts and you will find them all :-)

This second photo here is to show what I have completed so far.

I will be doing the outline of Angelina's dress when all sections have been stitched. That will really make her dress stand out :-)

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I will now go work on the bottom section. Forgot to mention that for her dress I am using the same DMC cotton floss, but it has a different feel to it depending on the stitches used in each little section.

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My husband really likes this project so I will try to finish it as fast as I possibly can so that we can have it framed.

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See you all soon!

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Pierrette =^..^=

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

I was busy stitching and then I came upon this "party girl" and thought to myself "Hum, she is exactly what I need to celebrate the new year 2009", so I stopped everything that I was working on and stitched her.
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She is nothing like me, as I am more the quiet type, so she will have fun for me while I peacefully sleep, all warm and cozy in my big bed, dreaming about her dancing the night away. I am so glad that I won't have her hang over afterwards. Nope! On January 1st I will be feeling all refreshed after a long night sleep and roaring to go to stitch the day away :-)
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To all of you who will be reading my blog, I am wishing you the best year ever, filled with laughter, good health, love, enough money to add to your stash and everything else that your heart desires :-)
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Pierrette =^..^=

Cross Stitch Horrors

[Cross stitch project that I am working on]


I came across this some time ago and thought it was just so funny until it happens to you that is, that I wanted to share it with you all. I have no idea who the author is, so here it goes:

CROSS STITCH HORRORS

Today I joined a cross stitch class

And though it may sound dumb

Where once my fingers used to be

I now possessed a thumb

I couldn't thread the needle

And this creates a 'hitch'

For without a threaded needle

You can't create a stitch

The instructor had to thread it

And though it sounds kind hearted

She muttered lots of muffled words

And hastily departed

She showed us how to make a stitch

And where we should begin

But the first stitch ended painfully

Beneath my tender skin

Well, I've never been heroic

And I believe one lady said

The screams that issued from my mouth

Would surely wake the dead

The class was in an uproar

As they crammed to take a peek

For my face was now a deathly white

And my legs were feeling weak

My finger was in tatters

I tried hard not to cry

But the gash looked like a canyon

There was a good chance that I'd die

The teacher yelled impatiently

What she said I'll never know

For I fainted in an instant

When the blood began to flow

The teacher phoned the ambulance

For the wound was very deep

But she said the blood-drenched patterns

Could now be mine to keep

As they placed me in the ambulance

She let out such a shriek

When I tried to reassure her

That I'd be back next week!

Lovely Christmas poem by an unknown author

'Twas the night before Christmas, and, oh, I was weary.
My stitching unfinished, my eyes getting bleary.
The stockings weren't finished, the chimney was bare.
And I knew that morning soon would be there.

My children and husband were tucked in their beds,
But visions of backstitches ran through my head.
I'd stitched ornaments and presents and gifts by the ton,
And now, I was finally, almost, almost done.

As I poised my needle for one more backstitch,
I heard something outside that made my hand twitch.
I jumped up from my stitching, and flew to the door,
Pressed my eye to the peephole, tip-toed off the floor.

My stitching forgotten, I peered into the night.
When suddenly, I got a terrible fright.
On my porch appeared Santa, holding his sack.
He knocked softly, and I took a giant step back.

I unlocked the deadbolt, and let Santa in,
He entered and gave a mischievous grin.
"Hope you don't mind if I come in the door?"
"Coming down the chimney can be quite a chore."

He said, "You're up late. Still working I see."
"Do you know how tired you're going to be?"
"I know, Santa," I said, with a sigh,
"But I'm still backstitching the stars in the sky,"

"And the fields on that stocking look blobby you know,
I need to backstitch the drifts in the snow.
I've been stitching and stitching and stitching, no rest.
I just tried to finish stitching too much, I guess."

"I know what you mean," he said with a smile.
"This is my busiest time of the year, by a mile."
He stooped down by the tree, and he opened his sack,
And began to pull presents out of his pack.

"I've got some things here I think you might like,
An oak stitching frame, and a brand new Ott-Light.
A bundle of floss, and a great big mat cutter,"
I smiled and felt my heart go a-flutter.

He put down gifts for us all, then he waved his right hand.
"Go to bed," he said, glancing at my floor stand.
He gave me a wink, and stepped out the door.
I just stood there a moment, glued to the floor.

After he'd left, I turned back to my chair,
Picked up the stockings, and started to stare.
The backstitching was done! The stars lit the sky!
And on my son's stocking angels sung on high.

I ran to thank Santa for this final gift,
And watched as his sleigh started to lift.
I heard him exclaim as he pulled out of sight,
"Merry stitching to all, and to all a good night!"

Author Unknown

MERRY CHRISTMAS: Christmas Projects slideshow

Jim Wurth's Dodecagon Ornament Series completed (all 12 of them)

Fabulous Finale: Dodecagon Ornament Series

Lately, I am always surprised when I go to my blog to post a new entry and see how long ago was the last one. I have been feeling relatively tired lately and just did not feel much like stitching at all and have been spending a relatively good amount of time reading. The book I am reading now is called "The Enchanted April" written by Elizabeth Von Arnim. I have seen the movie twice and I must say it is so much fun to be actually reading the book as it gives me a much better understanding of the plot and I can picture the different charactors acting the parts. I am having a ball :-)

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To get back to Jim Wurth's Dodecagon Ornament Series I had every intention to have all the ornaments all stitched way before Christmas and brought to the framer with the hope that I would get it back for Christmas. Well that won't happen and will now wait until the beginning of next year to bring her all this work. Fit all 12 of them into one or two frames, not decided yet. Will see how she see things first.

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By the way for those of you who are reading this and thinking I would love to stitch that series, you will get another crack at it starting this coming January. These ornaments are not sold individually but as a series and you can find all the necessary information as to whom to contact by checking the files of the group indicated in my previous paragraph.

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I have many Christmas projects which were stitched but unfortunately not finished and a few more that I have started stitching but not finished. I am not going to stress myself over them as they obviously won't be ready for this Christmas.

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Pierrette =^..^=