Happy New Year

Well, after the great renovations of 2013 I am back stitching.
Our new carpet was laid 2 weeks before Christmas.  I'm used to the colour now - the first week I thought I'd made a horrible mistake. It's a bit darker than the old carpet, but that is good because the cat has already vomited on it twice!  We are still unpacking boxes and will be for a while yet.  We still have no window coverings in any bedrooms, but I'm getting plantation shutters in my bedroom and the sewing room which will arrive early Feb.  The kids curtains will be organized around then as will their new beds. Photos below were taken with my phone.

dining area

lounge room

Great grandmother's travelling chest - initials on top

library nook

Stitching Plans for 2014

I've decided to join a few groups this year.  In no particular order they are:

Stitch from Stash 2014 

TUSAL

Turtle Trot 

Wipocalypse 2014

My stitching projects are listed below.

1. Summer Splendor - this is a travelling pattern I received in October and put in a safe place before the painters started.  Just found it again the other day!  Need to get cracking on this one.

2. Hypnotic

3. Romantic Rose Garden Mandala

4. Fall Mandala 

5. Snowy Pines LHN

6. Red House in Winter LHN

7. Winter Sheep LHN

8.Pear Tree LHN

9. Frosty Flakes LHN

10. Pirates Creed

Holidays

Kids are on school holidays until late January.  DD finished her last year of primary school last year and is going to a new school this year for grade 8.  She is 12 but is taller than me now (I'm 5'5")
DS is about to start his final year of high school and wants to do Mechanical Engineering at uni next year. He will be 17 in a few weeks.
We are going to Canada in 2 weeks for some skiing at Whistler again.  We were there 3 years ago.  DH has to go over to the US for work before so we are meeting him at Vancouver. We are due to get back home the day before the kids start school so the jet lag will be fun for them that first week!

I wouldn't mind some cooler weather right now.  Brisbane is forecast to reach 41C today. That's not much fun with no airconditioning, but we usually only get a few weeks of the really hot temps each year.  However, not much stitching happening with the heat.

I've been reorganizing in the sewing room - photos next post.
I'm off to peel some prawns for lunch - I picked up a frozen kilo from the parents in law on Christmas day and forgot about them until yesterday. Yum!

Stay warm/cool wherever you are.

Renovations

We started major renovations to our house at the end of June.
Tiles were ripped up and replaced, kitchen, laundry and 3 bathrooms were gutted and rebuilt.  Internal brick walls were removed/rebuilt in various rooms. Most of the contents were boxed up and stored in the garage. 
Every room has had some work done so far.  My bedroom has had the least work, but is used as a storage room. Luckily it is quite big as it currently contains the TV cabinet, oil heater, ironing board, sofa, old bathroom cabinet drawers, stepladder and vacuum cleaner, some boxes, bookcase, etc as well as the bed.
I sent the kids to their grandparents for the first 4 weeks until the new tiles were down.  The cat had to go to the cattery for this long as well. 

First day - discovered 2 layers of tiles

The builders split the work in 2 stages so we could continue living here.  Part 1 was the kitchen, laundry and main bathroom.  Part 2 was the remaining bathrooms.  The painting will be done when the renovations are complete and last will be the new carpet.

I've had some problems - the granite for the kitchen benchtop was cut 10mm too big for the sink but we've made do.  The oven didn't work and needed to be fixed.  The glass splashback had the holes for the rangehood cut incorrectly and needed to be redone, but looks fantastic now.

There is dust everywhere so my stitching is packed away.  There is no point getting it out until the painters have finished. 

Old kitchen, no tiles

 The 30yo old kitchen didn't look too bad but the benchtop was narrow, the cooktop was squeezed into a corner, the oven and dishwasher were on their last legs.  The tiles were getting drummy so we decided to replace them and discovered another layer of tiles underneath.

No kitchen, new tiles

New pantry

New kitchen

New kitchen

The new rangehood will be installed on Monday and electrical work should also be finished.  Still some more work to be done in the last 2 bathrooms.

DH has been travelling a lot during the renovations.  He has been home 1week out of the last 4, and is now half way into a 2 week trip to North America.  Two weeks ago he was in Taiwan/Singapore.  Kids have another week of school before the end of term break. 

I'm still reading blogs, just not managing to comment very often. 
I'm waiting impatiently until I can stitch again.

3 Little Finishes

Happy Easter

DH is away but family came over here for dinner last night.  Pizza and chocolate cake from the cheesecake shop.  Leftovers for lunch today!


These three were started last year, then not touched until recently.

1.  That Kind of Stitcher

That Kind of Stitcher

That Kind of Stitcher - CherryWood Design Studios
32ct Calypso Linen
WDW - Chestnut, Watermelon Punch
GAST - Kiwi, Orange Marmalade


2.  Peppermint Twist

Peppermint Twist

 

Peppermint Twist - LHN

30ct Natural Linen

Recommended threads

 

 

3. The Merry Skater

 

The Merry Skater

The Merry Skater - LHN

32ct Tumbleweed Linen

Recommended threads



It doesn't feel like I've done much stitching since my last post.  I missed the March IHSW - Saturday was kids sport, DS's last cricket game in the morning and DD's first netball game of the 'winter' season in the afternoon.  It was a rare hot sunny day (no rain) and I got too much sun and didn't drink enough water so ended up dehydrated and not good for much on the sunday.  Yes, I do know better and I was careless so I belonged in the naughty corner.  Especially as during DD's netball game they had a drinks break half way through every 15min quarter and we were using water spray bottles to help keep them cool. 

Renovations

I've been talking about getting my kitchen redone for years and kept putting it off.  It's about 30 years old and DH has fixed the oven, the dishwasher leaks, the built in microwave is dying, benches are narrow and the gas cooktop is crowded in a corner, etc, etc.  But, last year DH pointed out that the tiles are cracked and lifed in places and loose in others and we needed to retile.  Well, that's a huge job, the kitchen is open plan and the tiles go from the entrance hallway, kitchen, meals, laundry, main bathroom, another hallway.  Did I mention all these tiles are marble? So, recently I got a friend (award winning kitchen designer) to come and do up some plans.  If I'm going to renovate I'm going to go the whole hog!  So, we are doing kitchen, laundry, all three bathrooms (the bathrooms are in original condition so the renovation is overdue).  Also, knocking out some internal brick walls and changing doorways.  The only rooms untouched in the plans are the kids bedrooms.  We might have to move out for a few weeks!
My friend is coming back soon with the plans and samples (and costs -gulp).


It's school holiday for the next 2 weeks, so more stitching time.  I've finished 5 of last years starts so I've added a new chart to my WIP list - Purrrrr Like You Mean It.  First, I'm trying to finish Zoe's Sampler.

I'll draw a winner from my Easter draw tomorrow but now it's back to the chocolate and some stitching later.