AnnaMaarit

2009-03-29T12:15:00.013+02:00

a few more pics that I didn't put last night:

Little House Neighbourhood, this one I did in October-November, only the text is missing. I'd like to put something in Finnish rather than the original English text.

This is the first pin keep of my life:) the stitching is old and it's not very symmetrical but it's the first one:)

this one needs a few more stars in the sky and it's done

And finally this "Summer Garden" by Country Cottage Needleworks I started a few days ago, I don't have all the DMC threads needed for it but I just replace what I don't have with something else.

2009-03-28T17:10:00.019+01:00

No update for ages....
Here is a pile of pics to show that I have been stitching. Just that first I was on a long holiday, then working, then on holiday, at some point very lazy, in November found out I'm pregnant, in December that the baby is due already in March and not early summer like I first thought and now I'm already on maternity leave, the baby was due a few days ago but since she doesn't want to come out, I have a max of one more week of time to full time stitch:)

But here are pics:

Long Dogs Bois le Duc is aaalmost finished:)

Then something for my daughter, good night-afgan although the colours are not as in the chart, the frame I got with 1 or 2 € from Carrefour and painted it with the same blue as the babycrib.

then a pinkeep:) My second one, the stitching I had done long time ago but never used it.

then something quick, I had lots of pink linen and I bought some Vikki Clayton silks and wanted to try them. The chart is "Bouncing Annie" by Marie-Anne Réthoret-Mélin from Creative Poppy
Then at some point Yuko at http://yuks-behappy.blogspot.com/ was selling charts that she
didn't need so I bought these two, Just Nans had been on my wish list for a long timeAnd this I intend to do at some point, it's from the fil en aiguille magazine, little box made into a room, some stitching, some dollhouse furniture, very cute:)
And some fabric I bought from the US, don't know yet what I'll do but as they are mostly quite childish, they obviously are for my daughter:)
This I did for my brother at Christmas (without knowing that he was gonna get a dog a few months later...), it's by All our yesterdays.
This is a free chart from Sof http://swappons.kazeo.com/, I did it over the Christmas with the thread and fabric I had as the shops were closed.

More presents

2008-09-12T16:38:00.004+02:00

Via Stitching Bloggers Birthday club I got this wonderful gift from Julianne ( http://juliannep.blogspot.com/ ).

A pretty bag and inside it... two pieces of Silkweaver fabric, three skeins of silk (I don't have any Belle Soie from before), a self stick note-book (or what ever you call it in English: ) and a wooden thread keep! AND on top of that she said she will send me later something self stitched...and ON TOP OF THAT she's ordered me a chart from my wishlist together with the fabric, thread and embellishments!!!!Thank you so much, I'm truly grateful, this really is a wonderful gift!!
I like birthdays:))

pics

2008-09-10T22:16:00.009+02:00

Here, this is what I got for my birthday from Marika ( http://loviisa95.vuodatus.net/), fabric (I don't have any fabric with squares from before, just plain aida and linen), ribbons, thread and a lovely notebook, she had sown(sewn? it's getting too late to think about verb conjugations...) a cover and stitched over it. I really like it, ISO KIITOS!!!

And here below are a few almost finished pieces that I thought I would make into Christmas tree ornaments.
And finally, a new start, it will be a birthday gift for a friend of mine, it's a design by Just Nan, that's all I'm gonna say:) Originally I had planned to stitch her a sampler by Gigi (picture full of her first names first letters) but then I realized it would be really big and take for ever. So I found this among my stash. I like the colours of the thread and the fabric, it's a piece of 28 count Silkweavers Stirling silver that I got in trade from http://litlaskvis.wordpress.com/ (I love her work and also her choice of fabrics for her stitching).

2008-09-10T14:41:00.001+02:00

pikku korjaus...kuvat synttärilahjasta laitankin sivulle vasta illalla sillä kamerani muistikortti ei käy työpaikan koneeseen/kortinlukijaan...

2008-09-07T17:31:00.008+02:00

It's been - once again - ages since my last post but here are a few pics of a few of my works. I've finished Mary Queen of Scots and I've managed to do a bit more for Opus II.

I've also done a few Christmas tree ornaments and finally received my order from Stitching bits and bobs, they had a sale several months ago. Some Bent Creek charts, small ones, one Little house Needlework, some thread and a few cheap pieces of linen.

Then it's my birthday on Tuesday!:) This year I'm with one Finnish and one international birthday exchange so I should receive a total of 4 stitching related gifts (and I'm also responsible for sending four to others). And one of them has arrived already! This parcel from Marika in Oulu arrived on Thursday and I've managed NOT to open it yet, I have no idea how:) Two more nights.... the picture in the parcel is a painting by a Finnish artist Albert Edefelt. Thank you!!

2008-07-13T20:50:00.006+02:00

The past few weeks I've had some days that I really haven't felt like stitching at all but then on some days, luckily I have:)
I've mainly done my wonderful Chatelaine, I'm still in love with the design:) Although I can't continue it as much as I would like to, it seems that when I ordered the thread, I didn't get one Needlepoint silk and also instead of one pale blue/turquoise dinky dyes silk I got a completely wrong one, a light pink one...Why didn't I check the colours before?.... I've placed an order at the Stitching bits and bobs but as the order once again has something they are out of stock, it will take a while to get here...

Then I've also done one small childish thing, a "Nintje", it was a kit I got from the fleamarket. A cutie!
The third pic is a new Wip, it's a double Dutch sampler by Sampler Cove designs featured in the the Gift of Cross Stitching magazine last summer. I've had the fabric (36 count) and the thread (Gloriana silks) for a long time. AS it's 36 count, it's going really slowly.

That's it for now:)
(While writing this I'm listening the new cd "Terra" by the portuguese fado singer Mariza, it has some beautiful songs on it...)

Holland

2008-07-04T19:48:00.004+02:00

The past few days I've concentrated on my Chatelaine, my lovely lovely Chatelaine...I really love the design and I love stitching it... I'm doing parts two and three, I've done most of the parts one and two, just the special stitches and the beads are missing.
And I love the flowers, after I stitched them I even thought I should just stop and frame it as it is:)

Last day of June

2008-06-30T22:10:00.007+02:00

A short update before going to sleep.

The past weeks I haven't touched Mary Queen of Scots. Instead I have finished the first part of Chatelaines Holland sampler (except for the beads), the pic doesn't show the sparkly threads but at least gives some idea. My only worry is that piece of fabric that I've got isn't big enough...

Then I finished a second Cat apron for my aunt but forgot to take a picture before I gave it to her.

Then I've done a Christmas ornament by Little House needlework, just need to make it into a pin cushion now. I stitched it on aida called "Pewter" and I think if I would ever do another one, I would use a darker fabric.

I've also done a bit more of House of a needleworker too. But now I've lost the key or the instructions telling which sign corresponds which thread so I can't finish it before I find the key...

Also I've started two new pieces, one of them is Long Dogs Bois le Duc which is now my travel piece on the train. I'm stitching it with DMC 221 but I've forgotten the name of the fabric, I think it was 28 count.. Or maybe 32...Anyway I started on the upper left corner.

The other one is a childish thing, DMC's Felicity Wishes "Reach for the Stars"

Now to sleep, I was just watching the Spanish tv, los campeones (Winners of the Euro Cup) returned to Madrid. What a huge amount of people welcoming them...I don't care for sports but I've been in love with Spain for about 15 years so obviously I wanted to see their return.

2008-05-19T22:21:00.004+02:00

I forgot!!!!

I’ve also started Cowboy dreams by Country cottage kids (the third and the fourth row of the riddle were supposed to be blue but I didn't noticed the symbol changed in the chart...)

I've got some more thread too and I bought some fabric from http://litlaskvis.wordpress.com/ (sent her thread and chocolate as an exchange ) but pics of those things later, now I need to go to sleep:)

2008-05-19T21:30:00.018+02:00

Once again) It’s been ages since my last update but I have been stitching!

Here’s what I’ve done:

-I’ve finished Saint George and the dragon and I’m very happy with itJ

-I’ve finished Home sweet home and made it into my very first pillow! A slightly asymmetrical pillow but a pillow nevertheless.
-I’ve started Home of a needleworker too by Little House needleworks. I really like it, at the end of the week I should get a few colours of Crescent colours that I’m still missing. The linen is 28 count hand-dyed jobelan "Sand castle", I first thought it might be a bit reddish but now I like it.

-I’ve started Winter welcome, Holly&Ivy sampler, Blueberries and Strawberries, all either by Little house needleworks or Country Cottage needleworks

(I know, a lot of new Wips but small ones and “almost finished”…)

And….

-I’ve signed up for my very first Chatelaine!!!!! Holland Springtime landscape, I really like the look of it. http://chatelaine-design.de/newweb/cgi-bin/detail.pl?online22 And I’ve started it, the NPI silks should arrive this week so I can continue the first part. So far I’m lovin’ it!! I just hope the piece of fabric that I got is wide enough. The fabric is called Mercedes and is by Picture this, it’s the first time that I’m using their fabrics.

What else, what else….

I’ve also started a new cat apron, it’s for my aunt and compared with the first one I did, this is a much better work, much more carefully done, I would almost like to take the first one back from my boyfriends mother and re-stitch it...

Yesterday I stitched a bit of Mary Queen of Scots, I finished the hawk/eagle and the castle on the left corner and did the letter “M”.

Now my priorities are to finish the Cat apron, Mary QofS, Home of a needleworker too, continue my wonderful beautiful Chatelaine and then I want to start Bois le Duc by Long Dog Samplers and their new blue design, Words alone.
Then I've also promised to stitch some Christmas tree ornaments for a magazine that my aunt is editing. I haven't done any yet and I'll see her in June so I better hurry...

Long time no see

2008-02-24T13:27:00.009+01:00

First, here is something I finished a couple of weeks ago. It's from de Fil en aiguille magazine. Last year my boyfriends mother asked me to stitch something for her, something cat or flower related. When I saw this model, I thought it was perfect for her as she's a very good cook. I decided to give it to her as a Christmas present and make another one for one of my aunts as that aunt has a white cat and has published a cooking book. Well, deadlines come and go, but a few weeks ago I saw the mother so I had to finish it (I haven't even started the one for my aunt yet). Stitchingwise, it's not among my best work, but I think it's cute. Only that a few days after I gave it away, I realized I had forgotten to stitch the cats whiskers!!....Still, it's cute:) I think...

This past week my train project has been DHC Dessins Saint George and the dragon, I needed a break from Opus 2. An online shop had a sale and they had 6 skeins of Needlepoint inc silk 226 left so I bought it all. It's the same one that I used for Mouline Rouge last year. I'll probably need only 3 skeins for the George.This should be quite quick to finish.

I made some progress with Opus2 before I started Saint George.
And also some progress with Bo beep, I haven't touched it for about three weeks now.

Stitching bits and bobs had a sale a few weeks back so I went and bought a few pieces from the Little house of needlework/Country cottage needlework: Winter welcome, Holly and Ivy sampler, a Stichers home too and a cowboy picture + all the thread needed for those charts. I'm hoping to receive it all next week.

last finishes for January

2008-01-31T22:34:00.001+01:00

update

2008-01-29T22:06:00.001+01:00

Time goes on, January has almost come to an end... Here's one finished piece for January, I really like it! I think it was called Daisy Lane Cottage by Little House needleworks. I'd like to start Home sweet home by Country Cottage needleworks soon but I need Crescent colours and Gentle art for that and my LNS didn't have them (the biggest shop in Brussels doesn't have that good selection I think, mostly DMC fabric, kits and threads, then some specialty threads like Atalie, Soie d'Alger and Gloriana. But not my fav, Vikki Clayton...

And here's what I've managed to stitch so far with Opus 2. I stitched it last week mostly on the train, I didn't get to do much stitching during on the evenings.It's also my first work where the backside will look fairly decent (I hope...), I try not to use any knots.

And here are two closeups of the Vikki Clayton silk I'm using. I ordered some more from Bricolart (luckily they have a sale...), I ordered only 5 skeins a few weeks ago because that's all they had. Now I ordered 6 and thanks to my order, they are again out of stock with Dragon Claw:)

Then finally another start, La~D~Das Bo Beep, I like it cause it's a bit different from anything I've done before. And it progresses very swiftly, only the tree is still missing. I'm using DMC threads and the linen is bought from the flea market in Finland, I think its 28 count.

On Thursday a few more pics of my last finishes for January, at least two pieces, hopefully three!

a few (very dark) photos

2008-01-17T11:00:00.000+01:00

First, Opus 2, so far. The colour of the silk isn't as dark as in the photo.

Then even a darker picture, Papillons Mary queen of Scots, I haven't done this for a few weeks now. then 2 pictures done in half stitching that I bought over the holidays in Finland. They are not that beautiful, but they are very Nordic. And I wanted them because of the subject: the other one has a woman and a landscape from Lapland and the other one has birch trees and a violin player.

Then finally long overdue: three skeins of thread that my Secret cross stitching pal sent me for Christmas, Dinky dyes, Crescent coulours and Gentle Art, thanks! I've only tried Dinky Dyes before, never the other two brands. In the picture are also the two books I bought right before Christmas.The other one has 4oo different kind of stitches, I think it will be quite useful as I've never really done any specialty stitches.The other one has some nice designs for linen, I mostly like the monogram-designs.

2008-01-16T10:32:00.000+01:00

Hi, this time without pictures, I promise promise promise pictures tomorrow... Here's a short update:
+I have a second finish for 2008, DHC's Red Monogram, done with DMC 815 and a bit of gold
+ I have completed (almost...) the outer border for the Wayward garden
+ no progress with the supposed-to-be-Christmas presents...
+ I've been a very bad girl... I've started yet another piece despite of all the WIPS around my house: Long Dog Samplers Opus 2... I started it a few days ago and it's going quite well. I'm using a variegated blue/green Vikki Clayton silk called Dragon Claw, I love VC silks:) Originally I thought I would start Long dogs Bois le Duc before Opus but I'm not yet sure about which thread to use for the BlD. I ordered some Clayton silks a few days ago from http://www.bricolart.be to try a few (and at the same time the DMC thread needed for La D Da's Bo Beep), though I promise I won't start Bois le duc before I have at least two big finishes/atleast two of last years Christmas presents done.
(PS Last evening was a nice evening for stitching, outside it was really windy and raining, so I made myself a cup of hot chocolate, some pan cakes and stitched:)) )

Happy New Year!

2008-01-07T14:10:00.000+01:00

The holidays are over but I think I got a lot of stitching done:)
Let me proudly present to you: the first work of 2008, "My angel", a Finnish design done in half stitch. I got it from a friend of mine (Kiitos Satu! http://hitaus.blogspot.com/ ) just before the New Year and it was quite quick to make. I like it and sent the finished piece already back to her (note: in my case a "finished" work always means finished stitching, not framed or anything...). I added a little bit of gold thread though it doesn't show very well in the picture.

And here is my last finished piece of 2007, by Little House Needleworks if I remember correctly. I've wanted to make it for a long time and it was very quick to stitch, I'll probably make it into a pin cushion or some sort of an ornament (Sorry for the bad picture quality)

And all of this below I bought over the holidays, Daisy Lane Cottage by Little House Needleworks (which I've almost finished already) and Home sweet home by Country Cottage Needleworks, some frames and a lot of fabric. The big pile of white linen I bought at the fleamarket, 5 rolls of it, one really big piece and the others were something like 40cm x 80cm, the price was11€.

I also bought the 2007 Christmas Ornaments magazine and the latest World of Cross stitching. I think the latter didn't have very interesting charts in it , but with it came All of our Yesterdays Alphabets. I used to dislike AoY immensily, but now I've kind of grown accostumed to it... The Christmas Ornaments magazine I bought because I fell in love with the Christmas Lace Snowflake by Rosewood Manor that I saw on Leena's page (http://lennuntekeleet.blogspot.com/2007/12/ornaments-cadeaux-joulukuusi.html). It's utterly gorgeous!

I spent a lot of time during my holidays stitching Mary Queen of Scots and almost finished DHC's Red Monogram. In fact, my father asked me on one occasion "don't you have any other hobbies?"....I guess I don't:)

And then a few old pics.
This one, Cote Coeur Ouest, I gave to my mother for Mothers Day last May, she had it framed and I think it looks nice! Though it bothers me I didn't do a very good job with the backside: you can see lots of loose threads through the white aida...

This one I stitched a few years back, it was a pre-stamped table cloth that I bouth from Linea Broderier

And this last one I also got from Linea broderier, I gave it to my father a year or two ago (he loves fishing, has a beard and occasionally smokes a cigar).

For Christmas I got 3 shades of brown thread from my Secret Stitch friend (Gentle Art, Crescent colours, Dinky Dyes) so I'll try to get a photo of them tomorrow, as well as a picture of the two charts she sent me last year.

PS I think the January issue of the Gift of Stitching wasn't very interesting...I have to read it again, maybe I missed something.

Menu for Hope

2007-12-14T11:05:00.000+01:00

I take back what I said about Creative Poppy. I sent a third e-mail yesterday and got a reply and a new password and now George and Dragon opens fine, they even gave me a small discount for my next visit at their shop. By the way, the George &Dragon sampler is meant to be stitched with.........DMC 815!!!

One thing, if you're obsessed about food, or just generous otherwise, how about taking part in this years Menu for Hope?
It's a raffle with great prizes (all food-related), each ticket costs 10$ and what's most important, the money goes to charity, to nourish school kids in Lesotho.
All the info you'll find here
http://www.chezpim.com/blogs/2007/12/menu-for-hope-4.html

2007-12-13T10:51:00.000+01:00

Let's begin!!!!!!!

So, I guess I'll start with some pics of my most important Wips and of a small finish.

The finished work first, it's Bouncing Annie by Marie-Anne Réthoret-Mélin that I bought from the internet shop Creative Poppy. I think it's a simple but pretty design, was very quick to make and a little girl in Seinäjoki, (somewhere in Finland) has already reserved the finished product for herself. I used DMC 815.

This was by the way my first bought item from Creative Poppy, I bought 4 charts and instead of sending them by snail mail, they send you the chart files to download and passwords to open the files. My only problem is that I can't open one of the files, a nice sampler called Saint George and the Dragon. I get repeatedly the message "your password is incorrect" and the shop won't answer my e-mails...

Then next we have another chart from creative Poppy, a red Monogram, also stitched with DMC 815. Though I was thinking about mixing it with one strand of gold. The monogram will be probably for myself as I did early on a small mistake that causes the borders to be a bit unsymmetrical...

Then follows one of my favourites, Papillons Mary Queen of Scots, also stitched with -surprise surprise- DMC 815! I've had it on the shelf for a few weeks now as I got a bit fed up -due to two mistakes that I've done: the lowest outer border should have the same ornament in the middle than the upper border. I'm not yet sure if I'll redo it. Then the stitching just above the text, on the left has a mistake that requires a lot of unstitching...

Another one that I like a lot is de Fil en aiguilles apron with a cute cat design on it. I was meant to do two of these, one for my aunt and the other for my boyfriends' mother. This one was supposed to be ready by tomorrow as it travels to Sweden but I guess it'll be a New Years present. The other one I haven't even started yet. But the design is very cute.

One of my favourites is Drawn Threads Wayward Garden, sooooo beautiful, stitched with one strand of Needlepoint Inc silk so very slow to do...But I have patience!

Next one, Papillons Blossom Time. This I'm stitching with Vikki Clayton's silks, two shades of Jadeite. I ordered earlier this year her silks to try them, in seven or eight colours altogether and when I got them, I though the Jadeite was the least attractive. But it ended up being the first one I used... But the silk I had wasn't enough so now the Blossom Time is resting on my shelf until I by some more.

And Fuji, the bird pic was supposed to be a Christmas present for my grandmother but as you can see, will be more likely a birthday present for February...

Then finally a really great childish design, Rainbow Ride. I started it last year I think, and then didn't do it for months until last week I picked it up and continued. I can't wait to get it ready and give it to some kid!

Quite a list, I guess "my most important Wips" covers nearly all of my Wips...

(P.S I'm sorry but I haven't quite figured out yet how to post first text and then a picture, then text and another picture instead of all the pictures one after another... And sorry for the bad quality of the photos, I've never tried Photoshop or anything similar)