A Stitching Love Affair

The few WIPs I have been working on needed an update, so here they are! Afternoon in Provence by Dimensions  I have nearly finished the first picture, just some back stitching to do Next is Parisian Street Scene by Maria Diaz This also is nearly finished, just a few more stitches to put in and back stitching to complete Pattini d' Argento by Cuore e Batticuore I love this one, simple and fast to stitch up! Also their other patterns are divine! And lastly Italian View Before: After: There is quite a bit of confetti stitching on the outside of this which does drive me a bit mad but I will get there eventually! Daylight savings has started here in New Zealand so now I can go for run/walks and cycling after working which makes me very very happy! Bring on Summer!!! Happy stitching! Michelle

A long overdue update but I have been away for 5 weeks on my holiday :) Firstly I went to Italy to see the last 11 days of the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy cycle race) which was very exciting and a lot of fun! Passo dello Stelvio, Italy Lots of biking up some really big mountains! the Passo dello Stelvio is 2770 m and even though it's really high it is a nice ride up there Next I went to Spain and spent a week with my friend in Barcelona before heading of to Madrid for the start of my bus tour.  Madrid Toledo  Bull fighting ring in Madrid The Alhambra (Which I now have a cross stitch pattern from Chatelaine designs to do!)  The Medina (markets) in Morocco Morocco  Seville  Plaza de Espana, Seville  Lisbon, Portugal  Portugal Overall I have a wonderful trip and I am already planning my next one! When I left Madrid it was 34 degrees, I got home to snow and 0 degrees, needless to say I was no...

It has been a while since my last update, so this has been what has been happening since January. Yes the Cricket World Cup started in New Zealand and Australia in February we went to the opening ceremony. It was great evening with lots of entertainment and fireworks! Christchurch has certainly done well to be able to host the opening ceremony and a couple of games 4 years on from the earthquakes. The main sports stadium with used to have rugby and cricket grounds was badly damaged after the earthquake, so now the new cricket ground is in the lovely Hagley Park and it has become very much a boutique type ground where kids can play out the back and you can sit on a grass embankment, much better than the massive concrete stadiums of today. Unfortunately New Zealand who were in the final with Australia lost (we don't like to lose to Australia lol) Anyway on to the stitching! I have finished Roses of Paris! I also entered it in the local A & P show and won first priz...

Hi everyone I hope you had a nice Christmas and New Year. My Christmas day was lovely and it was a nice warm summer day so we get to sit outside in the sun with a few drinks. I finished work on the 23rd December so I could do any last minute Christmas shopping and get everything prepared for the big day. Christmas day was lovey and quite hot, so it's always a bit of a struggle to eat a traditional hot Christmas dinner! I have also been doing a bit of biking which I really need to train for the bike trip I have coming up in May/June to Italy I quite often go out in the evening when it's a bit cooler and no wind! On the stitching front I have been quite busy. I have done a bit more on Lake Como Before- After- I have also picked up Angels Proclamation again, not sure when I even started this one! Venice is now finished I am trying not to start anything new as I have plenty to finish, I'm sure many of you are in the same situat...

Yes summer is on it's way! Daylight savings has started so that means I can go out cycling after work! Hooray!!! Still, it doesn't that it's going to be warm.... I haven't done a lot on Roses of Paris since my last post, instead I have been stitching Venice. Now I really don't like stitching on aida, it feels like cardboard, BUT this had a pattern on the fabric, so no choice there, and for all it's stiff scratchy feeling, it stitches up really fast! Most of it is done except for some half stitching on the bottom left corner. Roses of Paris Before- After- It's getting there! Next up is Italian View Before- After- I haven't been doing a lot of stitching with daylight savings started now, I'm usually out walking/running up the hill or cycling, I can't wait for summer! I couldn't resist a Ginga Ninja picture to finish :) Thanks for looking! Michelle

It has been a while since my last post...oops, ok so I have been watching the Tour de France Anyway I have done heaps on Rose of Paris Before: After: I have also picked up Lake Como again, I really need to do more on this Before: After:  July is also Tour de France month, so no guesses what I do at the weekends! Watching the tour and cross stitch! My favourite rider is riding for Astana and was doing very well, unfortunately he crashed and lost heaps  of time :(  I look forward to going back to France next year to watch. The lovely Jakob Fuglsang :) And last but not least I got Tuscany Town mandala framed, and it is huge! Happy stitching! Michelle

Well I seem to be a bit late with the Merry Christmas and Happy New year, but better late than never! I spend 10 days over Christmas and New Year in Sydney with some friends which was really nice and relaxing. I even managed to do quite a bit of stitching then too! We even had a very friendly kookaburra that comes to visit and you can get so close to him and just about feed him by hand. I went back to work on the 6th January, but I will have a longer break in April while my boss is away, and I will be kitty sitting for my parents when they go away. Its a great excuse to sit around and stitch all day and catch up on all the TV programmes I miss! Anyway here is my progress: Multiplication Sampler- Before After It's nearly there! I think last time I forgot to post a photo of my finish of the Beatrix Potter Alphabet, so here it is- Lastly I was reading a fabulous blog called My French Country Home  by Sharon Santoni, full of all thi...