Black Forest Pixies · cross stitch · Fabric · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · Pixie

What I Am Up To


It’s been a busy summer so far, but I have still managed to fit in the things I love to do.  Over the weekend I picked up this little beauty from my local needlework shop,  Stitches N Things, where I had her framed by Juanita, at Way Cool Mats:

Blossom Collector framed

I love her!  The frame is perfect for her. She is Blossom Collector by Nora Corbett.  I stitched her on a One of A Kind fabric from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics, 16ct Aida.  And she is even up on the wall in my craft room, along with Queen Anne’s Lace.

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I can’t wait to see what Pixie I will do next…I have lots of wall space.  I have been purchasing fabrics from Fantasy Dyed Fabrics for all of the pixies I want to do.  Just look at all the beauties:

wheel of FDF fabrics

I have 2 more that arrived since this photo and 3 more on the way.  All but 2 of the fabrics have plans to have something stitched on them.  Just love her fabrics and can’t wait to see what pixie will get my attention next.  But it won’t be before I finish Aphrodite. Here is my progress on her:

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The shell seems to be taking me forever!  I did some major stitching on it yesterday but it still seems far from finishing.  But I am determined to finish her before switching to another project or starting a new one.  Once I get past the shell, I am hoping going upwards will be much faster.

And since a few of you have asked to see some of my stamped creations, here is one of the make N take cards I had at my Stampin’ Up! Open House a couple of weekends ago.

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So that is what I have been up to lately.  What is taking up your time these days?

Black Forest Pixies · cross stitch · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · New stash! · Nora Corbett · Pixie

A Pixie Finish and More Fabric


Blossom Collector finished

Isn’t she a sweetie? I finished her Sunday night.  She was a pretty quick stitch, taking me only 19 days! I just love her and can’t wait to get her framed.  She is Blossom Collector by Nora Corbett.  She is one of the Black Forest Pixie’s and my first Black Forest finish.  I stitched her on 16ct Aida one of a kind by Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. Here are a few more pictures of her:

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Blossom Collector 1

Speaking of Fantasy Dyed Fabrics, I picked up a few more of her beautiful fabrics:

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This one is a beauty! 16ct Aida in  Blues and purples with a hint of brown and cream.  Love it!  I have plans to stitch Nora Corbett’s Sweet Pea Pixie on this one.  I also picked up this one:

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This one is 28ct Monaco,  beautiful blue and white with a hint of purple.  I do love the colors, but this fabric looks like linen to me and not sure I would ever stitch on it.  I do not like linen  at all.

I also special ordered this one:

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I think that this has to be my most favorite color combination; pink, blue, green all in pastels.  I do keep coming back to this combination.  This 16ct Aida piece was  a bit small for what I wanted, so I have re-ordered a 2nd piece 🙂 And I am keeping this one. I just couldn’t send it back!  I LOVE it too much.   This one I plan on using for 2 of Nora’s beautiful Pixies:  Lily and Rose. The other larger piece that I will receive is for a Joan Elliott mermaid. If you haven’t checked out Fantasy Dyed Fabrics, or haven’t visited this week, check it out!  She is always adding more beautiful fabrics and this week she added some gorgeous Opals!

So now I am back to stitching on Aphrodite mermaid  and still loving her and her colors.  I will post an update photo of her this week.  So what project are you working today?

Black Forest Pixies · cross stitch · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · Pixie · Uncategorized

Pixie and Mermaid Progress


So last week I told you I put down Aphrodite to start stitching on Blossom Collector.  I was going to switch back and forth, stitching on them both.  But I have been smitten with Blossom Collector and have stitched solely on her for the last week.  Here is where I am with her:

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She is going rather quickly.  After just one week, I am about halfway done with her.  I just love the Magenta hues.  The strands of what I think are the blossoms she is collecting, are stitched with Caron Waterlilies and I just LOVE stitching with them.  So soft and silky and the strands just glide through the fabric so smoothly!  I think it would be fun to stitch with them all the time.  If they just weren’t so pricey.  Oh well, I will enjoy stitching them when I can 🙂

And here is how I left Aphrodite a week ago:

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She is another sweet stitch that was going quite quickly.  I can’t wait to get back to her and her gorgeous colors.  I was just starting on the shell when I put her down.  She won’t be abandoned for long. I miss stitching on her.  Wouldn’t it be cool to stitch on 2 things at one time?

So what are you stitching on these days or what can’t you wait to get back to stitching on?

Black Forest Pixies · cross stitch · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Nora Corbett · Pixie

A New Fabric Dyer Has Emerged!


My very best stitchy friend has decided to give dying fabrics a try.  She knows what we all want in a hand dyed fabric; We want what we see and we want it quickly.  She sells one of a kind fabrics on her Facebook page and Etsy shop.  You can find her on Facebook at Fantasy Dyed Fabrics. And she will ship to you within 3 days! Now that is service!  So go check her out and join her group so that you will see when she adds new fabrics to her page and check back often as she will post photos of new fabrics as she dyes them.

I received one of her fabrics in the mail yesterday and couldn’t resist stitching on it right away. So this is my new start on her fabulous fabric.

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This is a 16ct Aida pale blue fabric with gray and magenta.  I thought it would be perfect for Nora Corbett’s Blossom Collector. She is another one of Nora’s sweet Pixies from the Black Forest Pixies.

So go and check out Fantasy Dyed Fabrics and let me know what you think.

cross stitch · Cross Stitch Patterns · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · Romanitc · Uncategorized · WIP

There’s A New Mermaid on the Beach


Mirabilia came out with a new pattern on the 15th, and Nora did not disappoint!

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Introducing Aphrodite Mermaid.  I just love her!  And while I wanted her, I was going to refrain from purchasing her until I completed something.  But my wonderful hubby went and ordered her, the bead pack and the specialty threads and she arrived in my mailbox on Friday.  And while I tried to continue on with the Mira Mystery, Aphrodite was singing her Siren song and I couldn’t resist!

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Now we all know that I am weak when it comes to mermaids, so a new start it is! I started stitching her Monday night.  I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Kaleidoscope by Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie.  Just love all the colors in the fabric and knew it would be perfect for Aphrodite.

So this is how I left the Mira Mystery:

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I spent so much time frogging this one the last few days I worked on it.  So it was time to put it down for a rest.  I am thinking I should put all of my WIP’s into a rotation so that I can get some finishes in.  I probably have 8 or 9 cross stitch projects going now.  Eeeek. I will tell you, working with DMC again is wonderful!!  The coverage is so much better than the Weeks Dye Works.

So, how many projects do you have going right now?  And does it bother you to have more than one project going at a time?

Afghans · Crochet · cross stitch · knitted scarves · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · Romanitc · Uncategorized · yarn

Lots of Stitching Going On


I have been so busy this week and getting quite a bit done, too.  Yesterday I put together all of my tax stuff for my home business so that Hubby can start on the taxes this weekend.  What a job.  I promise not to wait until the last minute for this years taxes (fingers crossed I can stick to this one) I have also been getting in some stitching.

First, I finished this over the weekend:

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The colors remind me of cotton candy!  Love it.  I have so many balls of scarf yarn, and my goal is to get them all stitched up by the end of the year.  I have already stitched several and gave them away.  But not a big dent in my pile yet.

I am still stitching on the Mira Mystery.  I picked up section 3 over the weekend.  I am still on section 1, so I had better get moving on this one.  Here is where I left it last night:

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I also picked up my back ordered Weeks Dye Works Threads so I am trying to fill in the blanks.  Mostly the green vines and the darker green leaves.

While out shopping this weekend, hubby bought me these:

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I’m not sure I would be any good at knitting and crocheting little things and turning them into something, but I love a lot of the items in each of the books.  The items on both covers are really interesting and pretty.  I’d like to give them both a go sometime.

And while out shopping, I picked up some yarn and a pattern for a baby blanket.  I have a baby shower coming up in a few weeks and I wanted to make the Mama to be a blanket for her baby boy that will be here soon.  Her nursery colors are Turquoise, purple and brown.  I had quite the time trying to find those colors in a baby yarn or sport yarn.  I spent so much time looking for patterns and then yarns to match. So I ended up picking worsted weight Red Heart Yarn.  This is what I ended up with:

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I already love the pattern and it was quite easy to memorize.  So I will be able to take it on the go if I need to.  Just hope I can finish before the shower. Oh and I am the photographer at that shower!  No, I am not a photographer.  I just love to take pictures.  So the mother of the Mom to be asked if I would come and photograph the shower.  I am really nervous about doing it.  Not something I have done before.  I have so many “what if’s” in my head, but now I am telling myself to just do what I would do at any family function.  So I will try. Then I will teach the Mom to scrapbook the pictures so that she can make a scrapbook to give to her daughter when the baby is born.

So, that is all my stitching news for now.  What projects are you working on?

cross stitch · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Nora Corbett · Pixie · Uncategorized

Pixie Anne All Framed Up


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I picked this sweet thing up from the framer this last weekend. I was really surprised at how small she is.  I think it is the smallest thing I have ever had framed!   I think the frame is awesome!  A little different than what I have chosen in the past, but I think it really sets Pixie Anne off beautifully.  I can’t wait for hubby to hang her in my craft room tonight.  I am having a problem picking exactly where I want to hang her. I have so much empty wall space to choose from 😉

In case this is your first time seeing her, she is Queen Anne’s Lace by Nora Corbett.  This pattern was in the April issue of Just Cross Stitching Magazine.  I stitched her on 16ct Aida Carmel Macchiato from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie.

Believe it or not, Queen Anne’s Lace was my very first Nora Corbett Pixie that I have stitched.  I don’t know why.  I have just about all of her Pixie patterns, but haven’t stitched any until now.  At one point I was going to stitch 9 of the flower pixies on an afghan.  I have since abandoned that idea since the beads would not be a good idea on a blanket and I just couldn’t stitch a pixie without all the beautiful beads and metallic threads.  I wonder which Nora Corbett Pixie I will stitch next???

Who is your favorite cross stitch designer or what is your favorite subject to stitch?  If you are a knitter or crocheter, what do you most like to stitch?

cross stitch · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · WIP

My Mira Mystery Start


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So this is my Mira Mystery start.  Not much, but still a start.  I have mixed feelings about this one.  I am stitching this on 16ct Aida Pink Impatiens by Silkweaver.  The color is actually a little darker than my photo, but the stitching colors are pretty accurate.  I am using the called for Specialty threads (Weeks Dye Works and Classic Colorworks)  I am thinking that they may be thinner than DMC because I am not getting good fabric coverage. Any thoughts on this?  Since I have so much $$ invested in this one, I will keep going with it.

So, what are you stitching on today?

cross stitch · Elegant Ladies · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Nora Corbett · Pixie · Romanitc · Uncategorized

She is Pink and She is Finished!


Queen Annes Lace 1

Isn’t she a beauty!  I finished her last night and couldn’t be more happier with her.  She is Queen Anne’s Lace by Nora Corbett.  She is featured in the current issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine and is a FREE download on their site.  I stitched her on 16ct Aida Carmel Macchiato from Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie.  And while the stitching above is more true to the colors, the fabric is a bit washed out.  Below is a better picture of the fabric.

Queen Annes Lace finish

This picture was taken last night after I finished her.  The first photo I took this morning in natural light.  What a difference.  But I am so excited to have her finished and can’t wait to get her in to be framed.  I am thinking something silver, to match my new craft room (which I love, by the way).  So I stitched a little bit more on Ella last night after finishing Pixie Anne, and here is where I am with her:

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She is coming along, but I am afraid that something else has caught my eye (as if we didn’t think that would happen, sheesh!)

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I was going to wait until this Stitch Along was finished before investing in all the materials and the patterns, but I saw someone on the Wherefore Art Thou Facebook Group stitching it in pink, and that was all she wrote!  The colors looked so lovely on her fabric.  And I knew I had some kind of pink fabric in my stash.  So while out last weekend, I just happen to run into the patterns and couldn’t resist!  And I am going to stitch it in all the specialty hand dyed threads instead of DMC.  As you can see, I picked up sections 1 and 2.  Section 3 will be released on March 31, in Italy, where Nora Corbett will be attending the Casa Cenina shop.  They are probably having a big party to celebrate the beauty who will come to life when the stitching is finished.  Can you guess who it will be?  Once I returned home with pattern and threads, I began the search for the perfect pink fabric.  I had only one that I thought would compliment the lovely floss colors.  Here is my floss toss.  What do you think?

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The fabric is 16ct Aida Pink Impatiens by Silkweaver.  The recommended fabrics are Chocolate Milk and a Gray linen.  With all the rich dark colors, I think it needs a lighter, prettier color fabric.  I am so excited.  I think I may be starting it this weekend if not tonight.  I will be sure to post photos of my start.  What new project are you looking forward to starting or what project are you enjoying at the moment?

Craft Room · cross stitch · Nora Corbett · Pixie · Uncategorized

My New Craft Room, Injured Back and Pixie Anne


So my new Craft Room is pretty much finished.  I still have things to move in and some organizing to do, but I have a new room!  Here is a before picture of my sons room before we had it painted:

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And here it is after the walls were prepped and patched and painted:

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My husband worked very hard putting all of my furniture together and set up.  My first desk went in on move in day on Feb 7.  And then the rest of the furniture arrived and started going in.  My space kept getting smaller and smaller and I realized that everything I wanted to put in this room was not going to fit.  But that’s ok.  It’s going to be wonderful.

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My other desk went in but when we opened the carton with the corner piece, it was shattered, so we had to wait for a replacement.  And it came rather quickly and the decorating began!

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I just love it!  I have even created in it already.  It is not finished.  I am still waiting on some organizational shelving and I still have drawers and cubby’s to fill.  But last week I injured my back-first last Monday night and then again Tuesday, bringing in boxes of furniture the UPS guy delivered. It was the worst back pain I have ever had and I have had a few.  It’s still not 100%, but getting better a little bit everyday.  I am hoping to get back in my new room tomorrow and fill up a few drawers 😉

I couldn’t even stitch last week, but in the last few nights I have put a few stitches into Nora Corbett’s Queen Anne’s Lace.  She is so sweet and will be the first thing I hang in my new craft room when I get her finished and framed. I am stitching her on 16ct Aida Carmel Macchiato, a hand dyed fabric by Stephanie.  Here is my progress on her:

Queen Annes Lace

Once I get the metallic pink portion of the right wings finished, I will have to put her down until the rest of the supplies I have ordered for her come in.  I have had the silk thread and the rest of the beads on order for 2 weeks or so.  She must be a very popular design.  She is so sweet and I cannot wait to get her finished.

I worked on some knitting while my back was hurting, but I guess I couldn’t concentrate as I had to rip out many times and re-work.  I hope to work on it a bit more this week and then I will post a picture.

So, while I was moving into a new craft room and nursing a hurt back, what have you been up to?