Mystery XI stitching part finished!

Yes, this afternoon I finished all the stitching on Mystery XI. All I have to do now is the beading, but I think that is still quite a job ;) Anyhow, I'm happy I am this far. I am a little behind on it, it was supposed to be a year's project, and I started with the group on 2008, January 1st.

These last days, all of a sudden Spring arrived! So I have been working on our terrace, cleaning the cobblestones, washing the windows in- and outside, the garden furniture taken out of the shed and putting in some new geraniums in the hanging baskets. Today I had a lovely afternoon, enjoying the fresh green on my terrace (the little tree is bringing me such pleasure every year!) and doing the last stitches on Mystery XI.

Again: Mystery XI and a new start

From last Friday on I have been stitchting mainly on Mystery XI, and I still have some hope I can finish this before the (self chosen) deadline of May 1st. I don't want to concentrate on this one only, because when I get home from work, tired, the HAED stitching is much more comfortable to me. Stitching the Mystery XI means I have to keep concentrated, and after a day's work I sometimes find it hard to do.

So, apart from the Mystery, there is also some progress on Vibrant Vista, and this afternoon I decided to make a fresh start on a brand new design by Ink Circles, Cirque des Carreaux. I will stitch this on Sudden Storm, 32ct Belfast, by Silkweaver, using Carrie's Threads, Epiphany. The chart indicated this threads, and I think it is stunning, so I decided not to look for any other, but to order the chart, including the threads.

Mystery XI and HAED's

Due to the blog of Our Friends' HAED SAL I have been stitching like crazy this week on Vibrant Vista and, a little bit, Call of the Raven. This blog is really stimulating me to finish both works end of the year LOL. And whenever I see someone's beautiful new start my fingers are itching to start another one. I printed two of them last week, shown below, and I think I wil start both of them end this week.
Starting now with showing some progress on Chatelaine's Mystery XI. I still have faith in myself, being able to finish it end of april, still a month to go, but in that case I'll have to stitch on this one all month, so I might set it on June 1st...

I looks like it is almost finished, but not only the stitching , but also all the beading has to be done. And that's quite some job! On Vibrant Vista I finished page 1, page 6 was already done, so now I move on to page 5, stitching from right to left, as I prefer.

On Call of the Raven I also stitch from right to left, working over pages, just following the colors. For me it's the best way to count. It seems I don't have to pay attention to stitching too much, and can watch television during stitching.

I plan to start on the following two, as I said I printed them out, and I have most DMC in my stash. Both designs are not too big. Sleeping Elf is a QS, and I Know I Can Do This (it's the title that drew my attention, even more than the chart LOL) is half as long as Vibrant vista. So I figured out I can do all works on the same piece of fabric, so I have them at hand all three at the same time.

Catching up, tagged and an award

Time to catch up with something.
First: to answer Fatema's question which HAED I finished: it is only one, Celtic Butterfly, you can find it here
Second: I have been tagged some time ago (was it really in February? Time flies) by Wendy Jo, and she challenged me to tell eight random things about myself. So here we go, I have been tagged before, so maybe I tell you something you already know. I think I'll look over my days and tell you what's coming up.
1. I am not the loving mother and wife who gets up first, to make breakfast and then call for her family members to rise. My DH gets up first, makes breakfast and wakes the other familymembers.
2. I'm not a happy girl, looking great at breakfast. I just want my cereals and a cup of coffee. No talking, no playing around, just get up, get ready and leave for work.
3. Arriving at work, please don't ask for my attention for at least half an hour. Let me get started, do my own stuff, and after that I'll be prepared to answer all questions, help everybody and be polite.
4. I am hooked to my lunchbreak. I only have 25 minutes a day, so please don't disturb that break, let me get a cup of soup and a sandwich and LEAVE ME ALONE!!! (Unless it's my choice to have a conversation)
5. Coming home from work I want to take a short rest. Watching some tv with DD, small talk with DS about his day.
6. Time for my computer is important, catching up on blogs, social talk by mail, looking for stash. So just before and after dinner I take some time to do that, in the luxury of my own room.
7. At weekends I like to stay in my pyjamas all day, unless I expect company or have to go somewhere. I clean the bathroom in my pyjamas, do the laundry in them, and get dressed far after lunch :)
8. Yeah, I managed to tell eight things about myself, and the main thing to tell is: I'm just a normal ME, not special, no particular things, just like anyone else who reads this post :) And the best part of that is: I like it this way, and so does my family!



I have been awarded twice! Janaina and Mia both awarded me with the Kreativ Blogger Award. It brought a big smile om my face, so thank you girls!
The rules for this award are :

Copy the logo of the Kreativ Blogger Award in to your blog Make a link to the person's blog who nominated you Nominate 8 other blogs Add their links to your blog Leave a comment on the blogs, that they have been awarded.

I hope you don't blame me, not following this rule this time. I love all blogs I read, and I've seen this award on many of them. So I only award four other blogs, and in them all other creative stitchers, whose blog I didn't discover yet!

Cindy F.
Mylene
Edda
Lynn

Quilting/Stitching Bee

Today something happened were I've been looking forward to for quite some time. We had a quilting/stitching bee with some members of the Crazy Exchange Group. Marne was visiting the Netherlands for some weeks, and that was a perfect reason to meet the Dutch groupmembers Simone, Bianca, Jacqueline, Caroline, and me.
The come-together was at Simone's place, and, like it should be, it was spring! We spent all morning in the garden, and talked, laughed and admired each other's works. I for sure had a great time and it was lovely to see the other 'girls' . Marne brought us all a lovely pincushion with special pins (two-in-one), used for quilting (so now I am obliged to learn how to quilt, at least a little bit) and some nice fabrics.

Those who couldn't join us today, enjoy our pictures and be sure we talked about you LOL


The American princess-of-the-day ;)




Only tall gils can show such a beautiful quilt and yet be seen ;)


Do you see the magnificent hare?


The lovely package Marne gave us


From left to tight: Joke, Caroline, Bianca, Marne, Simone and Jacqueline. As you can see we had a wonderful time!

Insane or addicted?

At first I want to thank you all for leaving such nice comments on my blog! Your compasson is meaning a lot to me, I feel surrounded by stitching friends :)

This week I took a look at my purchase history on HAED and I have been buying charts since april 2007. I have 26 orders done, and most of them are orders of two or three charts. That makes 49 charts, and I also bought two printed versions, so in total I own 51 charts (not to mention the non-HAED charts I have in my stash)! How come I only finished one, and started two??? Yesterday I received a new chart, according to the new program on finishes, and at this moment I have added two beautiful designs added to my shopping cart. Am I insane or just addicted? Who can tell???
Well, I actually did stitch quite some bit this last week. I use to stitch from right to left, and on Vibrant Vista I started in the left corner. So this morning I decided to count, recount and re-recount and start in the right corner as well. I am going to work on both sides and hope both sides will meet somewhere in between LOL. Some stitchers tell me I am risking a lot, others think I must be confident and brave!
I think it will come along quite well, can't imagine this is like building a bridge from both sides and NOT meet in the middle. So Yesterday I stitched on the right corner, and I managed to do almost 500 stitches.

In fact I am thinking of starting another QS HAED on the same piece of fabric. That way I can keep floss of both pieces in one box, and I can take two pieces in one, deciding on which I want to stitch the moment I feel like it. Summer is approaching, and we will be off to our 'summer residence' quite often. That way I always can bring variety in my stitching, without taking too much stuff. Also uploading pictures will be 'two-in-one', which must be really convenient LOL

Maybe I'll start next week, I just received QS Elfland sleeping Fairy, and I hardly can't wait stitching her!

Sadness and stitching

The past week has been quite difficult for me. We had to say farewell to a beloved familymember, my uncle. He was even closer to me than my own father, and I'm going to miss him. He passed away after been taken care of in a nursery home, and my DH and I visited him regularly. I know he suffered a lot, knowing he couldn't take care of himself anymore, after a severe stroke, and not being able to walk, to get dressed himself, being dependent on other people who took care of him. That is what he suffered the most, I think, not to be independent. So last Sunday we drove to the other side of the country, to say goodbye to him. Monday I had to go to work, Tuesday we went to the funeral, and the rest of the week I had to go to work again. So last Friday I was really tired, and what kept me on my feet? Yes, stitching!
I always take something to stitch with me when DH and I go on a car ride. On our trips to the western part of the Netherlands I started a new LHN, Reading.

The evenings, I spent stitching, nothing unusual, but I even took some more time to stitch, and less time to surf the internet, read blogs and take part in groups, I just didn't feel like it. So I can show some progress on my Family Village, it already starts to look like a small village. Remember this is just the top of the piece, there is going to be a lot more. I have plans, but they can change on the way, and I don't think this will be finished next year LOL

My Mystery XI also got some progress, I finished the right border, except the beading, that is still waiting till I finished all the stitching. I think that will take a month too, so I hope to start the next Chatelaine, Holland Spring, the 1st of May.

And some progress on Vibrant Vista, I just joined Our Friends' HAED SAL and I am planning to stitch on Vibrant Vista every Thursday evening.