Big stash haul and stitchy update

I've been mostly working on various crochet projects lately but I did try to work a bit on Sweet Pea.
Then on Thursday I went to the Knitting & Stitching show and came home with this lovely stash pile:

Lots of little odds and ends, some gorgeous fabrics from Sparklies, an embroidery kit, beads, floss, scissors, scroll frame, but most important of all, an amazing daylight floor lamp that has completely changed my stitchy life and gave my mojo a good kick in the butt. I've been stitching almost non stop since I set it up two nights ago, so here is a progress update on Sweet Pea:

Beautiful Things

I was very lucky, a lot of beauty entered my life this week...

This is the result of my first week of rotation: a new HAED start, Mini Lady of the Flowers by Michele Lee Phelan

Just because those lilacs are so lovely and smell so good:

And last but not least some stashy goodness:

My April Fabric of the Month from Sparklies, Pisces in 32 count Murano:

Assorted beads and Kreiniks for a few upcoming Mirabilia starts:

I have some more postman-stalking to do, a few more lovelies are coming my way :)

New Fabric Stash

My Paypal account has taken a beating and these two beauties arrived in the post the other day:

This one is Shimmering Pools, from Steph´s Fabbys, in 32 count opal linen

And this one is Enchanted Forest, also a 32 count opal linen, the March limited edition from Polstitches.

More Stash!

Drool-worthy Dinky Dyes silks arrived today, so Plum Pudding is now almost fully kitted. Yum!

Stash!

Ebay Strikes Again...

Beginning to kit Chatelaine's Sleeping Beauty Castle:

Happy days!

Stash and Mystery Sampler Sal

Hi all,

I've spent most of the week working on the ''secret'' project for hubby, which I will be able to show you after I give it to him on Father's Day, but I also have a small update to show you, the second part of the Mystery SAL organized by By the Bay Needleart:

Funny how things are sometimes, this is not something that I would have chosen to stitch on my own, but now that I am doing it I am really enjoying it. It is quick, cheerful and thoroughly enjoyable :)

I also got some new fabrics in this week, here is some stashy porn:

These are the goodies I won in a game on crossstitchforum.com (thanks again Sam!):

And this is the result of Melanie's giveaway:

She is such a sweetheart, she enclosed some extra goodies to help my rebuild my stash. Make sure to visit her blog here, she has some gorgeous projects going on.

And finally, I won two ebay auctions, where I got a piece of hardanger fabric and a smallish cut of beautiful purple mottled jobelan for dirt cheap. Obviously the photo doesn't do it justice, 'cuz that would too much to ask, right?

Oh, and this weekend is time to hermit!!! Don't forget to sign up for IHSW here.

Keep on stitching, peeps!

Maud

Stash and HAED update

As promised, here is a photo of the goodies that came in the mail this week. Can't wait to start playing with it :)

And a quick update on Celtic Fire: page 1 is finished and I've moved on to page 2. Since it is not a full coverage piece I am doing a mix of parking and cross country stitching, it just seems to make more sense like that.
(Sorry for the lousy pictures, I can't seem to get the lighting right)

I am so looking forward to this weekend, the sun has finally come out to play, so lots of outside fun with my little Peanut. We already spent a good hour last night blowing bubbles and running to catch them, I had forgotten how much fun that is :)
Then Sunday is going to be an awesome day with the monthly meeting of the Emerald Isle group; a whole afternoon of stitching, with no husbands, no kids, and no intrusion from real life.

Happy stitching everyone!
Maud

Mystery SAL & New Stash!

Hi everybody!

First of all, thank you for following/reading my blog, and thank you for your lovely comments.

I just signed up for a small mystery sampler SAL and I thought I would share the love. Donna from By The Bay Needleart is organizing it, and it is the perfect Summer format: not a huge commitment at 56x84 stitches over 4 weeks, and free!

All necessary information is on Donna's blog, here, including this little preview into the final design:

Also I am very excited to report that I have received the stash I ordered from 1-2-3 Stitch, so you will soon see happy dances for a couple WIPs that have been patiently waiting for missing threads or beads. 

Happy stitching!

Maud

Stash Attack Part 2

Better late than never as they say... It took 6 long weeks, but finally my pretties have arrived, all 447 of them :)
Here's some eye candy for you:

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go play...

Stash Attack Part 1

It's here!
Well, at least some of it. The lovely Donna at Cross Stitch Heaven knows how stashaholics can be and didn't wait to have my full order put together to start sending me some of the goodies.


The deceivingly small package contained 5 pieces of fabric for which I already have plans:

• The 25ct ice blue lugana will be for Celtic Fire, probably 2x1 full cross, while the 28ct antique white lugana will be for Story Keeper, 2x1 tent. 
• The fat quarter of 25ct white lugana will be cut up as needed for various projects, starting with a couple baby samplers I need to do for a good friend due in June and my cousin due in August.
• Although I have recently decided that I don't like stitching on Aida (3/4 stitches arghh!), I still got a piece as it will be a little stiffer for the bookmarks I plan on making as Christmas presents this year if i can get my act together in time (who am I kidding?).
• A 13x19 piece of Summer Sky marbled Jobelan. For the life of me I can't remember what project I had in mind when I ordered this, but I have no regrets. It's the first time I see/feel Jobelan in real life and I love the feeling and softness of it.

Other goodies in the package:

• A mouse pad in which you can insert a photo or stitched piece - I'll use that for Darth Vader cookies.
• A key chain, because I don't have one for my house keys, so it might as well be a pretty stitched one.
• Some PTP10 and a few extra skeins of DMC for Story Keeper and Celtic Fire.
• 3 skeins of Color Variations which will most likely go towards a needlebook for...
• ... size 28 piecemaker needles. I read that they are awesome to stitch with, but man they are so small and thin they make my fingers feel like bratwurst. This will take some getting used to.

I've already fray-checked the fabrics and everything is now put away nicely in expectation of Stash Attack Part 2, when the Q-Snaps and full DMC set are supposed to arrive (hopefully soon).


In other sweet news, today is my mom's birthday. Joyeux anniversaire maman, petite fleur de printemps!

Waiting for stash

I. Can. Not. Wait.
I had a decent amount of DMC, Aida, scroll frames, bobbins, etc... before I moved and then tragedy struck and it all got lost in the shuffle!
Fast forward one year, and I've been stitching this growth chart kit which, although cute, comes with a gazillion partial stitches on the stiffest Aida ever (I've already bent or broken 4 needles trying to get through the middle of the square) and some low quality thread which keeps tangling, wearing thin and breaking.
Luckily, at the beginning of the month I received a payment I wasn't expecting so like all good addicts would, I spent it on stash instead of saving it (bad me!) (wait, no, good me!).


So, I ran to Donna's site and placed the mother of all orders: full DMC set already bobbinated in boxes, various fat quarters of evenweave, some PTB, Qsnaps with a cover, piecemaker needles, Sulky Sliver, Thread Heaven, and other things that I have already forgotten but will make a nice surprise. Poor Donna has been winding bobbins for ages because of me!
I finally got an email advising me of partial shipment on Thursday, I can't wait to get my hands on my pretties :)


Once they get there, I'll finally be able to get started on my first HAED! I think it will be one these two:

Celtic Fire, by Cari Buziak

Story Keeper, by Selena Fenech