WIPocalypse Check-In – April 2012

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Heather

WIPs? What are those? All I want to do is start my new projects. Wheeeee!!

Okay, seriously, I have worked a little bit on Joan Elliott’s 12 Days of Christmas. See:

 

12 Days of Christmas by Joan Elliott (WIP)

I have, however, come to an important decision. I want to give my mom a cross stitched gift this year. I’d love for it to be 12 Days of Christmas, but there is no what that is going to be possible. I have obligation knitting and stitching to do, other big projects, and I’ve got to sleep once in a while. (Although, someone really needs to tell my insomnia that.) So, 12 Days will be hibernating until I can finish up all my obligations and stitch my mom something smaller. I may or may not share pictures, since my mom likes to peek.

My other important decision regarding 12 Days is that I am going to replace all the DMC metallic with PTB. I know I said I was going to tough it out since I didn’t want to spend any more money on this piece, but DMC metallic sucks. I just can’t torture myself with it any more. 😛

Now, onwards to small WIPs and new projects full of promise!

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TUSAL – April 2012

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Heather

Look at that! Only a day late with my TUSAL post. Wow! (I still need to do my WIPocalypse post though…)

TUSAL - April 2012

Lots of lovely blue and green yarn this month (I still need to share those projects!), and a little bit of floss too, mostly from 12 Days of Christmas and JBW’s Wedding Announcement.

I’d also like to write a little bit about a blog post written by Cynthia of The Drawn Thread earlier this week. She is very proactive in searching out designs that have been shared illegally and doing what she can to shut down the sites that host them. Sadly, she discovered that her design The Bra Band has been shared on one of these sites. What makes this doubly sad is that the design was created to raise money for breast cancer research. In response to numerous requests from stitchers (who respect copyrights), she has made the design available for digital download purchase on her website for $5, all of which will go to charity. So, if you’d like a copy of this lovely design, head on over and buy yourself one and help to offset, in a small way, the damage done by people who steal cross stitch charts.

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Shoppin’ at the Marketplace

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Heather

I may have been at the Needleworker’s Marketplace to work in the Enchanting Lair room, but I still found time to shop.

I think my favourite purchase was the kit for a lovely beaded strawberry emery bag from Black Tulip Designs. (It was a class at last year’s marketplace/retreat, but I wasn’t able to take it due to conflicts.) The designer is Naomi Smith, a First Nations artisan who practices traditional beadwork. These strawberries are delightful, and the other samples she had in her room were stunning.

Strawberry Emery Pincushion from Black Tulip Designs

I also popped into Jeanette Douglas’ room to look at all her new designs. Being able to see models in person is such a treat! I ordered My Storybook since she had sold out.

Brenda Franklin had lots of beads and needlefelting kits (how I wish I could make her dragon!). We had a lovely chat about our kids, and I bought the pattern for her pocket dragon, which can be either beaded or cross stitched.

Pocket Dragon from Brenda Franklin Designs

In the Northern Pine room I finally bought the kit for Linda Lachance’s Chocolate Humbug Bag. I’ve wanted it since the moment I first saw it, and now I finally feel confident enough in my canvaswork skills to attempt it. I just need to wait for Linda to mail me the canvas. lol!

Chocolate Humbug Bag from Northern Pine Designs

From the Gitta’s Charted Petit-Point room, I picked up a little kit for a petit-point tea cup. I figure it is about darn time I actually try some petit-point, and I think this design might make a nice cover for a tea wallet.

Tea Time from Gitta's Charted Petit-Point

Last but not least is my haul from Enchanting Lair. I mean, I was looking at all this wonderful stuff for three days, how could I not get something? I ended up with 10 skeins of Dinky Dyes silks (including a few of the newest colours), two pieces of fabric, one grab bag of ornament cuts, and four charts.

Charts, fabric and silks from Enchanting Lair

Can you believe I’m actually really sad I won’t be able to go to the spring Creativ Festival in a couple of weeks. All this new stash should keep me very happy, but there is yarn and fabric at the Creativ Festival. lol!

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Workin’ at the Marketplace

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Heather

What a busy weekend! I spent the last couple of days helping out at the Enchanting Lair room at the Needleworker’s Marketplace up here in Mississauga. I had a nice time working with all of Laura’s lovely hand-dyed fabrics. I got to talk to stitchers about their projects and offer the occasional suggestion about the perfect fabric. Retail is hard work, but thankfully all of the customers were just lovely.

Fabulous hand-dyed fabric from Enchanting Lair

The Needleworker’s Marketplace is a retail show that is put on in conjunction with the retreat run by my LNS. This year there were nine vendors who showed their products in their hotel rooms. It might sound a bit weird to those of you used to the convention centre-type of set up of most shows, but it actually works out really well.

Dinky Dyes Silks and Enchanting Lair models

Among this years vendors were Brenda Franklin, X’s and O’s and Jeanette Douglas. And really, they are all just as nice as you expect them to be. Being able to see their models in person is just fabulous. Nothing ever looks right in a photo. (I ended up ordering Jeanette’s My Storybook. When I saw the picture the other week I wasn’t interested, but the actual model was just stunning in person.)

As a bit of an aside, it is sure nice to be able to come in and help someone out. I was there to work the cash, offer the occasional suggestion, and be a body in the room if Laura needed to run out somewhere. I appreciate the fact that she trusted me with being part of the public face of her business at this event, and also trusted me enough to know what my limits were. I did what I knew, and passed off any major decisions regarding order pricing, etc. to her. Everything went smoothly, and I think we both had an enjoyable weekend. I hope she invites me to help out again next year.

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Freddie

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Heather

Monday afternoon I finished what has become my most favourite project ever: Freddie the teddy bear.

Freddie the Bear

I really enjoyed working on him. And, surprisingly, he isn’t as difficult as he looks. The kit I purchased had the fur pieces cut out already, and the instructions were quite good. I did learn, though, that you need a lot of pins when working with faux fur, and that getting a 1/4″ seam can be difficult. (Occasionally my seams were too scant, and since the fur is trimmed from them, Freddie has a few spots were he is a touch bald.)

The little man and Freddie

I will most definitely be making another teddy bear. I have my fingers crossed that Bears and Bedtime will be running another class at the fall Creativ Festival (I wish I had taken last year’s!), or at the very least that they have a booth. I do have one more kit (which I have to put out the pieces for myself), but I know that I want lots more bears, and cats, and bunnies. 😀 There is nothing like creating an heirloom toy to make you want to make many, many more.

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A Menagerie of Crochet

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Heather

There is nothing like avoiding a project to make you productive. I’ve spent the last week avoid the gaze of the half-finished teddy bear sitting in the dining room, and have chosen instead to pick up my crochet hook.

Sad Little Bunny

This first guy is Amigurumi Dusty Bunny by Kate E. Hancock and it is available as a free download from Ravelry. I made mine from some leftover white acrylic (did I ever share my Grand Palais Shawl?). The eyes are 18mm hand-painted safety eyes from SunCatcher Eyes. You might be able to tell from the picture that they are two different colours. I could say I did it on purpose so the poor thing looked even sadder, but what actually happened is that I split one of their sample packs with three other ladies, and somehow I was sent two eyes that didn’t match. Of course, I didn’t notice until the eyes were already locked into place. 🙁 Still, I think he is pretty cute.

Daffodil (PlanetJune)

Next up is PlanetJune’s Daffodil, one of her donationware patterns. I finished it a day late for her March Easter CAL. That’s me, always late. Still, I like it. It is crocheted from Bernat Satin in colour Sunrise.

Tiny Whale (PlanetJune)

Last up is PlanetJune’s Tiny Whale, another donationware pattern. He is knit from Berroco Weekend in colour Starry Night. His eyes are yellow 6mm hand-painted eyes from that same sampler pack. I think he is just adorable.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, it is time to finish some socks!

No, seriously, I think it is finally time to finish up Freddie the bear. His stares are starting to unnerve me. lol!

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Happy Easter!

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Heather

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