Category Archives: Memes

25 Questions: 16-20

Posted on June 23, 2005 | 5 comments

But first… eye candy! Here’s a photoshop mockup of the Lilly conversion I have planned (see the original here). I have chosen some candidate floss colours – it was really tricky finding dress colours as dark as I would like. I’ve included a very dark burgundy Weeks floss, DMC just didn’t go there. When I finally manage to dye myself some fabric, and finish WFS, I’ll start her, and we’ll see how it goes.

And now, to the questions…

16. What is your favorite time of day to stitch?
I really really like to stitch in the middle of the day, when light is the best. Or in the morning. Or the afternoon. Or the evening. Or the middle of the night. Heck, you get the idea – anytime I can get it! But I think I like the middle of the day the most. While I’m not studying, I try and stitch for a while when Finn sleeps in the afternoon, if the housework is not screaming too loudly.

17. How many pieces have you stitched in your lifetime?
Around 50, I would guesstimate. Over 30 of those are ornaments completed in 2004/05. I would love to have more larger pieces finished.

18. Do you give your stitched pieces away?
A few. One that I designed, I gave to my best friend as a wedding gift (sadly, I don’t have a photograph of it… it’s in storage at the moment, as she’s in the UK). I’ve given my father one for a birthday, and I’ve finished and framed a small kit for my stepsister, when she was frustrated by the poor instructions. I also participated in the TWBB Ornament exchange last Christmas. Two of my current WIPs are for gifts (three, if you count the one for Finn). I pick my giftees though, that’s for sure… stitching is a gift that needs to be appreciated.

19. How many different fibers do you have in stock at this time?
DMC, Anchor, Gumnut, Dinky Dyes, Weeks Dye Works, Needlework Necessities, Kreinik, Rainbow Gallery, Needlepaints, Rajmahal, Gentle Arts, Madeira, Olde Willow, The Dye is Cast, Windy Hill Designs. With the exception of DMC (I have the entire line excepting variegateds) and Kreinik, I have only a limited number of each, mostly acquired when I bought a couple of the Dyers’ Collaboration Packs last year.

20. How many pairs of scissors do you own?
Erm. One. Sad, I know, but true. What’s worse, they’re cheapies. I would love a pair of Dovos or Ginghers someday.

{watch this space…}

5 Comments

Posted in Counted Stitchwork, Memes

Tagged conversion, cross-stitch, meme

25 Questions: 11-15

Posted on June 22, 2005 | 2 comments

No preamble today. Tired :blank:

11. How many Works In Progress do you have at this time?
A nice round 10. I don’t intend to let it get any higher. A bit lower would be nice, but given my penchant for starting things, I’ll be happy if I can keep it at 10 or less.

12. How many UFOs do you have at this time?
Ok, well, perhaps I could amend the above answer to 9, and answer 1, here. Mirabilia’s Winter Queen is the thorn in my side. I haven’t officially put her in the UFO pile yet, but deep in my heart, I know I probably will end up doing so. I’ll explain the problems with WQ some other day.

13. How many cross stitch charts/kits/mags do you own?
I did a rough count earlier today. It looks like about 175 charts/kits (less than 12 of that number would be kits… I just don’t like them). I only have a handful of magazines – 8, that I could see. Designs in magazines rarely appeal to me. I also have 5 books – three Best of TW books, one Joan Elliott book, and a book of children’s story characters. While doing the tally, I decided I really must do a bit of a cull. There are probably 15-20 charts I could happily sell or trade, maybe in order to part-fund my leap off the wagon in January!

14. How much fabric do you have in stock at this time?
About 60 pieces. About half are standard fabrics (largely neutral colours), the rest are hand-dyed. About half are Fat Quarters, the rest are smaller pieces. Why is it that I have so much fabric, and never the right piece for a new project?

15. Where is your favorite place to stitch?
At the moment, I do all my stitching in an armchair beside the piano in our loungeroom. There’s an unused DVD shelving unit behind me, where I plonk my stitching paraphenalia, cups of coffee, sour Altoids, etc. And I have my big red box… which, like Winter Queen, deserves a post of its very own, but essentially, it holds my WIPs.

{more tomorrow…}

2 Comments

Posted in Counted Stitchwork, Memes

Tagged cross-stitch, meme

25 Questions: 6-10

Posted on June 21, 2005 | 2 comments

Before I get to the next set of questions… the exam went well. It was a satisfying exam, in that it was solid and comprehensive, and I think I performed well on all the sections. I am so pleased to be on a break now though. With any luck, next semester should be less horrible than this.

In other business, for Cathy, here’s a pic of my Storyteller. I’ve done a little bit more since this picture was taken – backstitching the top border – which gives it wonderful definition. After the Annual stitchalong (this weekend), I’ll take another picture.

And now to the next batch…

6. What is your favourite stitched piece?
Um er… well, I described WFS as my favourite WIP recently, and that will probably be my favourite when finished. But for the time being, my favourite finished piece would probably be Celtic Christmas. I don’t have a good deal of finished pieces yet 🙁 … soon.

7. What is your favorite fabric?
Quaker cloth. It’s 55% linen, 45% cotton, has the appearance of 100% linen, but is a fraction cheaper, and in my opinion, nicer to stitch on (a softer handfeel). It’s also what I’ve been doing my hand-dyeing on, and I’m very happy with the results – a little more subtle than 100% linen.

8. What is your favorite fiber?
I’m not sure I really have a favourite fiber. I love to stitch with silks, but the designs I stitch don’t call for silks much, which I’m fine with, due to the extra cost. Variegated cottons are fun, I like trying to predict how the variegations are going to fall. And although metallics are sometimes a pain to stitch with, I love the result. Of the metallics, Rainbow gallery petite treasure braid is my all time favourite, it is simply lovely to stitch with, and has a beautiful shine to it.

9. What is your favorite needle?
According to my records from the last 2 times I bought needles, Piecemaker Needles tapestry #26! I do have some #28s, but they’re mostly too fine for my liking. I think I also have some John James needles hanging around. I use Beading Needles (size #10) for beading, the ones I have are blunt-ended, not sharp. They go through delicas, and most Mill Hill beads. I hate the really fine, supersharp beading needles, that’s just a recipe for disaster in this house!

10. Do you prefer black & white or colored charts?
Black and white, hands-down. Colour charts, ick, ack, euw :yuk:

{still to be continued…}

2 Comments

Posted in Counted Stitchwork, Memes, Postgrad Study

Tagged cross-stitch, exam, meme

25 Questions: 1-5

Posted on June 20, 2005 | 1 comment

At the exact time this blog entry is posted, I will have just started reading time for the Intelligent Web Systems exam. How is this so? I love this tricky little feature – just alter the timestamp of the post, Publish, and the post will show up after the given time. Nifty!

Anyway, I’m pinching the 25 Questions about Stitching from Belinda’s blog (among other places). I don’t plan to fill my blog with memes, but I think since it’s primarily a stitching blog, these questions are probably worth answering, just so you know. But I’m not going to do them all at once, oh no. Five at a time… you’ll just have to come back to read the rest of the answers later :giggle:

1. How old were you when you started cross stitching?
When I was 12 or 13, my Aunt gave me a stamped cross stitch kit (I know – :yuk:). It was a daisy pattern, to be made up into a cushion. That was also my first colour conversion – I’m not that crazy about oranges and yellows, so I changed them for pink and purple. Amazingly enough, I believe I finished that project… I’ve no idea what happened to it since though.

2. Who taught you to cross stitch?
I did! Well, I guess the instructions did, but nobody specifically showed me how to make an x.

3. What inspired you to begin cross stitching?
After that stamped kit, I was an on-again-off-again stitcher until about 4 years ago. Mainly because I picked too-hard charts. I bought Teresa Wentzler’s Spring Carousel Horse, and later, Mirabilia’s Garden Verses and Winter Queen. None really qualify as beginner designs, and while I had big ambitions, I just didn’t have the patience for these big designs. Finally, at 25, stressed-out by work, I found some freebies on the ‘net (Ellen Maurer-Stroh) , and took it up as relaxation. I found TW’s freebie Stretch around the same time, and subsequently the TWBB, and ebay, and… well, you get the idea. My stash came into being, and I have never looked back.

4. What has been your most difficult cross stitch piece?
So far, I would have to say Stretch. I know he’s only small, but for me it was the first time doing loads of fractionals, and blends. My most difficult in progress is TWs Storyteller, for the same reasons, but on a much bigger scale.

5. Do you have friends that stitch?
I introduced Mum to cross-stitching after she became interested in surface embroidery. Her fabric stash is a great resource! I have 2 friends who stitch – but one is in the UK now, and the other doesn’t get a lot of stitching time, so no SAL-ing for me (other than with online friends).

{to be continued…}

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