A New Fabric Dyer Has Emerged!
Black Forest Pixies · cross stitch · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Nora Corbett · Pixie

A New Fabric Dyer Has Emerged!

My Time Stitching16 Comments

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.

There’s A New Mermaid on the Beach
cross stitch · Cross Stitch Patterns · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Mermaids · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · Romanitc · Uncategorized · WIP

There’s A New Mermaid on the Beach

My Time Stitching42 Comments

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?

Stitching Update
Afghans · Crochet · cross stitch · Mirabilia · Romanitc · Stitchy Gifts

Stitching Update

My Time Stitching25 Comments

Hi!  I’m still stitching along with a ton of other things; stamping, scrapbooking, putting pages in albums, and reading.  But let me show you how my stitching is going on the Mira Mystery.  I am finished section 1!  Finally!  Took me about a month, but I finally can move onto section 2.  Here is how it looked last night:

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While the above picture shows the stitching colors better, the photo below shows how the fabric actually looks:

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I have seen the mystery stitched in full by other stitchers on the facebook group, and she is a beauty!  Just wait until you see that sweet face!

I also finished this yesterday:

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The baby shower is on Saturday, so I finished in great time.  I really love how this turned out!  The pattern is beautiful and while I didn’t think the colors would be great together when I started, I am loving them now.

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So it is all ready to be packaged up.  Just have to add a tag and washing instructions.  I also made a card to match.

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The nursery theme is owls in these colors, so this card is perfect.

So that is what I have been working on this week.  What have you been creating?

Uncategorized

An Awesome Giveaway On A Great Blog!

My Time Stitching2 Comments

Hannah over at Not Your Average Crochet is having an awesome giveaway on her blog to celebrate Spring! She is a fantastic crocheter and has created some of her own patterns.  She is very knowledgeable in crochet, so if you ever have a question, she could probably help you out.   Head on over and see how you can win this fantastic prize package! You can click on the link here.

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Lots of fantastic goodies here!  Tell Hannah I sent you 🙂

Lots of Stitching Going On
Afghans · Crochet · cross stitch · knitted scarves · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · Romanitc · Uncategorized · yarn

Lots of Stitching Going On

My Time Stitching14 Comments

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?

Pixie Anne All Framed Up
cross stitch · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Nora Corbett · Pixie · Uncategorized

Pixie Anne All Framed Up

My Time Stitching36 Comments

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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?

My Mira Mystery Start
cross stitch · Mirabilia · Nora Corbett · WIP

My Mira Mystery Start

My Time Stitching20 Comments

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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?

She is Pink and She is Finished!
cross stitch · Elegant Ladies · Fabric · Hand Dyed Fabrics · Nora Corbett · Pixie · Romanitc · Uncategorized

She is Pink and She is Finished!

My Time Stitching29 Comments

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.

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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?

Knit, Frog, Knit, Frog…
cross stitch · Elegant Ladies · Knitted Shawl · Knitting · Mirabilia · Uncategorized

Knit, Frog, Knit, Frog…

My Time Stitching24 Comments

So, over the last couple of weeks, I have started this shawl about 12 times now and knitted back I don’t know how many rows.  I am at the end of my last nerve with this pattern.  Here is what I have knitted back on the needles and have completed row 17.

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It is such a cute shawl, featured in the Creative Knitting magazine Wraps, Capelets & Cowls.  Looking at my knitting and the pattern, I don’t think I am doing it right, but can’t for the life of me, figure out what I am doing wrong.  It is just a bunch of yarn overs and K2tog and Make 1 stitches.  And I am afraid to go any further for fear of not coming up with the correct number of stitches at the end of the row…again.  The pattern is Roman Stripe, which I have never done before, but doesn’t seem to be difficult.  In fact, the pattern says it is for “A Confident Beginner” giving it a ease 2 rating out of 6.  I have been knitting for about 30 years, so I think I am beyond a confident beginner, but just can’t figure this one out. If anyone knows this pattern and can tell what I am doing wrong, I would greatly appreciate it.  On a side note…I LOVE the Addi Turbo needles!!  They glide so nicely and may just be my new favorite needles.  I give them an A+ rating.

In between knitting on this and waiting for threads and beads for Pixie Anne, I have picked Ella up again.  Here is where I left off last night:

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She still has a lot of yellow, but it is so much more relaxing than knitting on that shawl!  I am also still working on my craft room; adding things and organizing my supplies.  Having fun 🙂

So, have you ever just scrapped a project because it wasn’t coming out like you wanted or had been working on it too long and decided enough was enough?  I have done it once, and am seriously thinking about doing it again with this knitting project.

My New Craft Room, Injured Back and Pixie Anne
Craft Room · cross stitch · Nora Corbett · Pixie · Uncategorized

My New Craft Room, Injured Back and Pixie Anne

My Time Stitching37 Comments

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?