Zoe's Sampler is Finished

Zoe's Sampler
Fabric - 32ct Pampas Lugana PTP
Threads - HDF silks
Designer - Le Grenier de Zoe

This was done through the Sticklounge group which sadly is closing soon.
Sorry about the photo, it is raining here today.



Another finish - just waiting for the button to arrive in the mail.

This chart will go in my 'to be given away at a later date' pile.



Now, I'm back working on Herz Yin Yang.
Here is my small start on part 7.

I'll see if I can finish parts 7 and 8 this weekend. 

The kids start back at school early next week so this will be my last free weekend for a while.

DH has gone car racing this morning (Friday) and will be back Sunday night briefly before flying overseas Monday morning.  He has to go to Sydney for a few days on his way home so he won't be back until the 24th.  He will be away for our wedding anniversary on the 16th - 18 years.  Now I feel old!  We met at uni when we were 17 and have been together since we were 18. 

Ok, looks like the rain showers aren't going to clear anytime soon so I'm going out to the shops to buy supplies for the weekend, then I can stitch the rest of the afternoon and tonight. 

Don't forget my giveaway in the post below this one.

A Winner, and Update, Froggy Visit

First, the winner of the He's A Flake chart is

Stress Less

Congrats.  Can you send me your snail mail address.


Froggy Visit
Arrived home late Friday night after picking up DS and saw this beside the front door.

Dainty Tree Frog

I googled the species name as it is different to the tree frogs I am used to. It is a Dainty Tree Frog, but this one should be called Fearless as it was very curious and jumped onto my hand and climbed up my phone while I was trying to take photos! Didn't pee on me or my phone thank goodness!
Does that mean good fortune with stitching for the next year for me?

Started stitching again a few days ago.  Here's progress photos.

Herz Yin Yang part 6

Zoe's Sampler part 4 - blurry photo, sorry

 



That Kind of Stitcher - nearly finshed

Well, DD comes home from Canberra tonight.  She left early Monday morning and we had a quick trip to the Dr on Saturday to get some antibiotics for her (bronchitis).  I hope she has been taking them!   The house is quieter without her and is staying strangely tidy.
Camp seems to be a bit different now days.  The teachers set up a twitter account and sent dozens of tweets each day with lots of photos.  I know what she did before she gets home and I've seen photos of her with the Governor-Gerneral of Australia, and the Australian Treasurer, and at parliament house, museums, rock climbing, breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc, etc.  She was going to go on a scout camp this weekend, but there are no female leaders going and she was the only girl, so she can't go.  I couldn't go as a helper as DH is away in Singapore and gets back on Saturday.  He has managed to get out of going to the US next week. Yes!

DH and I were both sick last week.  Not badly, just a weird virus that seemed exactly like a cold without the sneezing and running nose.  We both had a sore throat, mild fevers, and a  'fuzzy head' was how DH best described it.  I had a week of not doing much at all except resting, so caught up on my blog reading while I couldn't stitch.  I was better on Monday.

Just heard that Google Reader is closing in a few months.  This is how I read the blogs I follow so I'll have to find something else.  Any suggestions?

Feb IHSW

At last I've managed to join the IHSW this month.  See here for the details.
Here's what I managed to do.

1. Finished Pinapple Sampler.  I only had the last quarter to go.

Pineapple Sampler

2. Started and finished part 5 of Herz Yin Yang.  Most of my stitching was on this over the weekend.
Ready for part 6 later in the week.


Herz Yin Yang part 5

3. Finished knitting a dishcloth - Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth. I used Sugar'n Cream cotton yarn in Country Sage Ombre.   Didn't take long to finish, I had done more than half before the weekend.  An easy pattern but next time I'll use a solid colour yarn.
Yes, I've started knitting again and next I want to make a scarf.



4. A new start. Zoe's Sampler through the sticklounge group.
Designer - Le Grenier de Zoe.
I got the first part on Friday and started it Sunday afternoon, after deciding on fabric and threads.
I'm using HDF silk on 32ct Pampas Lugana by Picture This Plus.
I love working with this silk, it goes through the fabric so nicely.
I'm playing with different colours this time.



Floss toss

This shows the green fabric better.  I have to admit I added the blue this morning (Monday) - wanted to see how it looks.  I'm hoping to finish this first part in the next few days.
I think this is my new favorite project.

Zoe's Sampler

Wow, I can't believe how much I've gotten done.  Lots of happy dancing going on here!
I hope you all had a great weekend.

2013 First Finish and New Start

Ok, I'm back blogging after a very busy end of 2012. 
First, I'll do the stitching news, then all the rest below.

I have finished my Many Years Ago sampler on January 5. Designed by Gudi Kolden and done through the Sticklounge yahoo group.  I used a custom HDF silk on a pale violet Jobelan from Stitches and Spice.



Many Years Ago Sampler

I have a new start, also on January 5 - Herz Yin Yang designed by Jean Louis Grandsire, also through Sticklounge.  I am using mauve and gold DMC on 32ct Fog Lugana from PTP.  The inner hearts are a slightly lighter shade.



Herz Yin Yang - part 2

While I'm waiting for part 3, I've pulled out a UFO from last year - Good Things by LK.
I hate the fabric I'm doing this on - 32 ct Tumbleweed linen from Wichelt, but I'm going to finish.



Good Things  - LK

Well, on to other news.  We had the usual end of school year chaos in November.  DS got a chess award at his schools annual awards night.  DD and I weren't well but DH was overseas so we both had to go.  A few days later DD came down with gastro and ended up missing over a week of school - seemed like every second person knew someone who had that nasty virus which started as a sore throat.  DD missed a lot of her specialist lessons exams which she was happy about.

DH and I had a weekend up at Coolum with the car club for our Christmas party.  We went up on Friday night this year and had two nights away.  We stayed at the same place as last year - lovely and relaxing.

Twin Waters Resort

The next weekend DS finished school and had a venturer (scout) camp at Noosa. DD and I ended up taking a car load of teenagers up there on the Friday night - 10 minutes notice for a 3 1/2 hour round trip.  I did stop at home on the way to grab some water for DD and I.  DD was sick with a fever the next day and ended up missing 3 days of her last week of school.  I got her on antibiotics quickly because she had a nasty cough. 

DD had a scout camp which started the Friday night she finished school.  She wasn't 100% well but she needed to get more nights camping before the scout Jamboree in January.  We picked her up at 8am on the Sunday morning and she had time to shower at home before we had to leave for the airport and our flight to Tasmania.

Our 10 days in Tasmania was so good I'm going to make a separate blog entry.

Just before we left, DH's grandfather had a serious health scare.  He is in a nursing home and on a pureed diet, but he was accidently given the wrong meal and choked on some meat.  The doctors in the hospital prepared the family for the worst, but he pulled through. Now, however, he has a damaged lung and is on oxygen fulltime.  He is around 95.

We got back from Tasmania on the Wednesday night before Christmas and my dad arrived on the Thursday to stay for a week.  DH and I did all the Christmas present shopping on the weekend before Christmas, the tree went up on the Sunday afternoon, the only cooking done was a fruit cake and the pavlova I took to the Christmas family lunch.  On Christmas day we drove down to DH's brother's place on the Gold Coast.  Had the big family lunch with cold meat, prawns, salads and pavlova, cheesecake and fresh fruit for desert.  Here is the view out their apartment looking over the broadwater. They have glass windows all along the front.

After Christmas I was busy getting thing ready for DD to go to Jamboree.  It's just a few hours up the road at Maryborough this year.  We were waiting for the bus at 6.30am on New Years Day!  She comes back this Sunday (13th) after 12 night camping in a tent.  I've seen a few photos of her on facebook which has been great, and photos of the things she will be doing.  She is one of 11,500 scouts taking part.   I was worried the weather would be wet but it has been hot and dry, but at least not the heatwave conditions they are getting in the southern states.

When she gets back she has 2 more weeks of holidays before school starts again.  Time for the dentist, eye check, haircut, etc.
DS turns 16 on the 16th (!) and will be able to get his learner's licence and start driving.
DH has been home since late November but goes away again in 2 weeks and will be gone for nearly 3 weeks overseas. 

I've been relaxing this year - sleeping in, reading and stitching.  A few more easy weeks, then back into the usual grind.
Ok, the next post will be up soon with lots of Tassie photos to make you all jealous!