Last update of 2012

I've been working on QS Sapphire during the holiday. Here are some before and after shots :-)

QS Saphhire

QS Sapphire progress, the 16th of December

QS Sapphire progress as of today, the30th of December

So this is this year's final update. I hope to have a page finish on QS Sapphire soon to show off :-)

Happy stitchings
Cat.

A short video of my latest cross stitch project!

I collected all of the photos of "Beloved Child" and made this short video of my progress on this design. Enjoy :-)

Merry Christmas and Happy stitchings everyone! :-)
- Cat.

Finally a finish!

I finally got "Beloved Child" framed - it was given to our very good friends who are expecting a baby boy in January.

Framed

Our very good friends, Sofie & Jens

 I also managed to finish the first (partial) page on QS Sapphire - I felt like the confetti stitches took forever, and I had a hard time pulling myself together on this one. However, I do love the level of detail the confetti stitches have provided.

QS Sapphire as of the 16th of December 2012

I've already started on the page right above the one in the photo - hopefully I'll have some progress to show off soon.

Happy stitchings
- Cat.

Lots of updates - lots of pics!

And I have once again managed not to blog for almost a month! Well, it's not because I haven't been stitching. I've done quite a bit over the last few weeks actually. So here's an update (I apologize for the wrinkly fabric, I simply did not have the time to iron the fabric this morning):

Beloved Child:
It's finally finished!! I'm going to get it framed over the next week or so. It is so good to see the final result - and so good to return to my other projects. It took just about two months to finish for me (not counting the one month I spent in World of Warcraft):

"Beloved Child" at the last update

"Beloved Child" today - finished!

 

Envy:
After the finish I picked up on Envy once again:

"Envy" by Marta Dahlig

"Envy" at the last update in August 2012

"Envy" today - second page finish

Mini Citrine:
After the page finish on Envy, I picked up the Mini Citrine, which I have not worked on in ages! This is also my first full row finish on a HAED!

"Mini Citrine" by Rachel Anderson

"Mini Citrine" at the last update in June 2012

"Mini Citrine" last page in progress (partial page)

"Mini Citrine" full row finish!!

QS Sapphire - NEW START:
For my birthday (the 23rd of Nov.) I received materials from the hubby to start a new cross stitch design. I chose to start QS Sapphire by Rachel Anderson, simply because I think the colours are stunning!:

"QS Sapphire" by Rachel Anderson

"QS Sapphire" progress as of the 26th of November 2012, bottom left corner

That's it for this time around. I'll be working on QS Sapphire for a while now (until the first full page finish).

Happy Stitchings!
- Cat.

Another update - sooo close to the end!

I stitched quite a bit last week, and I am very pleased with my progress. I have to have the project done and framed by the 15th of december, and I think that should be doable :-)

However, this week is extremely busy due to the fact that I have to correct something around 90 essays, 30 tests and give grades to 100 students - that will be so much fun! Or something.

Here's my progress since my last update:

As of October the 30th

As of November the 5th

Right - so back to work for me!

Happy stitchings!
- Cat.

Long Time No Stitch...

Alright,
so I didn't exactly stick to my plan about stitching every week and making a weekly post. I've had an extremely busy month work-wise AND an expansion for World of Warcraft came out, so my time was spend on anything but stitching!

I picked up "Beloved Child" again last week, when I realized my friend is giving birth in no more than three months! So I better hurry.

Here are the before and after shots:

"Beloved Child" at my last update

"Beloved Child" as of October 30

 Hopefully I'll stitck to the weekly-update-thing - but you never know what might happen in real life :-)

Happy Stitching
Cat.

September IHSW update

I worked on Beloved Child (again) during this month's IHSW. I have to admit, I am getting just a tiny bit fed up with this picture now and its colours. Expeciallysince I bought a bunch of new Rachel Anderson charts my fingers have been itching to get started with one of those instead. They're so beautiful and colourful.

But I made a promise to myself: No more new starts before Beloved Child is finished. I need to get this picture done for my friend. She's over halfway in her pregnancy, so I need to finish soon.

Here is my progress over the last week (and weekend):

Beloved Child at my last update, September 10

Beloved Child before IHSW

Beloved Child after IHSW

I am almost done with the mother's hand, so I'm getting closer. I still have to stitch the mother's face and the fading in the background.

Until next week! :-)
- Cat.

HAED Appreciation Week (another picture heavy post!)

Soooooo, we have entered Heaven & Earth Designs Appreciation Week! For those of you who do not know; Heaven & Earth Designs make some of the most beautiful cross stich designs known to man (well, at I think so), and they're currently having financial issues. Apparently not enough people buy cross-stich charts. So if there's a chart you've had on your wishlist for some time, pop over there and buy it! :-)

As some of you might know, I was not much of a "stash'er". All of the charts I own are the ones I actually stitch, so I've never had any charts waiting to be started. Well, that has changed now! I think I might have enough charts for a lifetime now - lol!

And I can't really decide whether I buy all of these charts for charitable reasons ("HAED might be closing, I better help out") or for purely selfish reasons ("HAED might be closing, and I still need all of these charts!"). Nevertheless, I bought even more charts today, and as you can probably tell from the selection I am a huge fan of Rachel Anderson's work.

Mini Amethyst by Rachel Anderson

Mini Emerald by Rachel Anderson

Mini Garnet by Rachel Anderson

Blue Topaz (full design) by Rachel Anderson

Ruby (full design) by Rachel Anderson

Mystique by Rachel Anderson

Titania by Rachel Anderson

Seraphina by Rachel Anderson

Vanity by Marta Dahlig

Sloth by Marta Dahlig

 Happy Stitchings and remember to sign up for this month's IHSW here!
- Cat

Beloved Child and New Stash Tab! (Picture Heavy)

As I wrote in my earlier post, I did not have as much time to stitch this past week. But I did manage to put in a few stitches:

"Beloved Child" as of September 3

"Beloved Child" as of September 10

Since it is Heaven & Earth Appreciation Week I have also bought new charts. I bought these charts in advance of the appreciation week though. I intend to buy more charts by Rachel Anderson and Marta Dahlig this week.

I have made a new "Stash" tab at the top of my blog, which will be updated whenever I buy new charts.

Here are the new additions:

QS Aquamarine by Rachel Anderson

QS Sapphire by Rachel Anderson

QS Diamond by Rachel Anderson

QS Pearl by Rachel Anderson

QS Peridot by Rachel Anderson

QS Sapphire is by far my favorite. I love those blue and purple colours!

Since I've bought all of these new charts, I had to come up with rules to prevent myself from starting all of them at once. I will not be allowed to make a new start before I've finished "Beloved Child" (it needs to be finished in four months anyway - that's when my friend will give birth to her son!).

Happy Stitchings Everyone!
- Cat.

Beloved Child and New Stash!

I've spend the week stitching the Baby picture "Beloved Child":

"Beloved Child" August 27

"Beloved Child" September 3

I'm not sure how much I will stitch over the next weekend though ;-) Since I also play The Sims 3 and a new expansion for the game is coming out this Thursday.

I would also like to encourage my fellow stitchers to stash up some more. I am usually not one for stashing, since I don't like having tons of charts laying around and not work on them. I like buying the charts and start kitting up for them right away. However, with Heaven & Earth Designs in trouble financially, I figured that has to change.

I've therefore bought five new charts from Heaven & Earth Designs, artwork by Rachel Anderson - because she is one of my favourites. When I have received the charts I will make a new tab on my blog called "Stash", for all to see the ones I've bought.

Happy stitching!
- Cat.

Progress on the Baby!

So I've been a bit busy over the last week - starting work again and meeting all the new students I'm going to teach this year.

I did manage, however, to put a few stitches in the Baby Picture. Here are the before and after shots:

"Beloved Child" at the last update

"Beloved Child" today

I'm really excited that you can see the face now. Now I just need to decide whether to work on the mother's face (top left area) or her hand (bottom right area).

- Happy Stitchings!
Cat.

August IHSW!

Yay! Guess what I found in the mail last week! The cross-stitch kit I've been waiting for the last couple of weeks. As I wrote in my last post, I am stitching this for a friend of mine, who's expecting her first child (a baby boy!). The final piece will look like this:

And here is my progress over the weekend:

Before IHSW

After IHSW

You probably can't really tell what's what yet, but I can tell you, that I am working on the center of the piece, which is the baby's head. Hopefully the baby will have eyes soon, and not look as creepy as I think he does at the moment ;-)

Happy Stitchings!
Cat.

Finally an update!

And guess what? I don't have much to update... The last couple of weeks I've been gaming with the hubby - "The Secret World" is a really great game and quite addictive as well. I promise to try and update some more in the future.

So my summerholidays are finally over (sadly) and I started working today. I did not get as much stitching done as I would have liked over the summer, but at least I got some quality time gaming with the hubby :-)

I've been working on Envy since last update (yes, I'm STILL on the same page, and it's driving me mad to be honest - so much black and dark green).

Envy at my last update

Envy as of August 13

I've also been rather bad... ;) I'd sworn I would not buy another chart and start another cross-stitch project. But when some of our very good friends told they were pregnant I could not resist :-) They've been struggling with becoming pregnant for some time now, and now they are expecting a healthy baby boy! I am so happy for them, especially because they are among the kindest of people I know, and I know they will be great parents!

On a more personal note, I guess I've also been able to relate to them a lot, since the hubby and I have experienced some of the same problems. So when something like this happens it really gets my hopes up!

I have therefore ordered a cross-stitch kit (from a Scandinavian page called Ateljé Margaretha) and I intend to stitch it for them as a surprise. I cannot decide when to give it to them though ;-) I hope it'll be in the mail soon, as I would really like to work on this for the upcoming IHSW.

Happy stitching all!