Creams stitched up

First, I want to say a big thank you to everyone for your comments... They really mean a lot to me! You keep spurring me on to do more and more projects.

Just a quick update before heading to bed... I've just finished stitching all the creams - light and brown - so you can now see the aida fabric spreading from under the kitty!

Creamy Crafty

Here's an update on Crafty Cat after this weekend's stitching. I've stitched some of the light cream (the one that many consider too dark in the DMC version), and most of what they call "dark cream" - although to me it looks more golden than "dark cream"... which is actually all for the better, in my humble opinion!

So... what do you think of the colours? I don't have the corresponding DMC threads so I can't compare them in real life... (In case you have them and would like to compare, the "light cream" is Anchor #387 / DMC #3033, and the "dark cream" is Anchor #388 / DMC #842.) But from what I can see on the Internet from others' finishes using DMC threads, I do tend to think that the Anchor colours are more convincing in rendering the cat's face and the aida fabric on which he's sitting.

Red Roses Outfit

Seb took a pic of me in the "red roses" outfit today. Sorry if I look a bit awkward... but well, you asked - so here goes!

I put a pin in the back to make the top slightly closer-fitting for the photo (but as you can see, it's still a bit loose!). I realized it would really be no big deal to take it in at the central back seam - I don't think it would ruin the balance with the front.

I also got some work done on Crafty Cat! But I plan to stitch some more tonight, so you'll get a pic of it tomorrow!

A Quick Pic

Here is Crafty, as of this morning... with all of the light grey stitched up. Not much... But I'll be stitching more soon. I've had some very busy days and was too tired to stitch in the evening.

Oh dear, I really need to move on with my current projects, there's so much I am planning to do for Xmas!

Oh, and the top is nearly finished... just need to put the facing onto the top edge. Should be cute! At least, I hope so...

Your Comments... Deserve an Entry!

Well, it's very nice to come home and see how you've been chatting here! Thank you so much everyone for stopping by and talking a bit, and also for encouraging me on Crafty Cat... I'm so happy to see you're enjoying the blog!

Hi Vash! Yes, I know what you mean... I really love the Purr-fick I stitched a while back, but I'm not too sure I'll readily go back to stitching the kits now that I've experienced how fun the magazine charts can be...

Oh Ann, I'm so excited to hear you're from Belgium! So we're really from all over the world!
As for cheering us, yes, you are doing a great job here! :o)

And now, guess who kindly gave me the heads up on Anchor vs. DMC threads for the M Sherry designs?? Well, San of course!!

As for the cream colour... The Anchor number is 387. It should turn out OK. Of course I'll keep you posted on that!

That's all for now... Had such a busy day today... but Crafty Cat is fun, and seems to be begging to come to life, so much so that I can't help putting a few stitches in whenever I have a few minutes to spare!

Boy, aren't we wishing all for a MS Calendar in the next Cross Stitcher...

Tiny Update

Thought it was time for an update, however small it may be... At least, I'm pretty sure Kim will be glad to see the navy blue hoop again!

Though it may be hard to see, there are two different shades of dark grey here (and I've just started on a lighter one). I am really enjoying this design.

That's all for now... Happy stitching!

Time flies

Life is going so fast... we're already at the end of the week and I sure could believe it's still Wednesday!
I've been so busy with my work that I haven't had much time for anything else... I'm far from complaining though, I love my work. It's precisely because I'm so wrapped up in it that the days are flying and over before I know it.

I did start on Margaret Sherry's Crafty Cat, though, and am enjoying very much the fun design as well as the smoothness of Anchor threads, which I'm using for the first time. As I've stitched only one colour so far, it really doesn't seem worth showing you a pic...

Oh, and a couple of days ago I wanted to check if I had enough leftover fabric from the skirt to make a matching top... and I did! I couldn't help cutting out the pattern straigth away. And you know what... even now that I have a top ready to sew, I still have a little fabric left!! I can make a scrunchie with it... For once, I realize that being a petite (154 cm, i.e. 5'1" for you friends over the Atlantic) can have great advantages: it means I will always need far less fabric than specified by the pattern, and there will always be enough left to make something that matches the garment.

SB's Question of the Week: Small or Large?

"Do you stitch small projects one at a time that you can finish quickly, have numerous large projects going at once that you rotate, or both? How does your current system work for you and have you thought about changing it?"

First, I wanna say that's a great question and I'm always wondering that about every stitcher, so it'll be really interesting to read what everyone'll be saying on the subject.

OK, I hate having more than one project on the go. Why is that? First I like to sew and do other things besides stitching (and I also have a really demanding job), so if I had several cross-stitch projects and several sewing projects I would simply be tearing my hair. Second I tend to get nervous and insecure very easily - stitching or sewing is actually a way for me to keep serene... I'm always worrying about the future (i.e. what I can't control)... if I had several projects at the same time I know I would be actually worrying myself about not finishing them, or not knowing when I can finish them, etc.

This also explains why I'm quite shy in front of big projects. I tend to go for quick projects because I feel, "oh I can handle that, I know where I'm going". I have tackled some medium-to-large projects in the past... But though there are some large projects I'd love to stitch, I'm much more often inclined to start on small-to-medium ones...

Red Roses Skirt

Success! After a good deal of practising on scraps and of tension-adjusting, I finally managed to make a nice satin stitch at the bottom of my skirt. What I did was a lettuce edge: since my fabric was cut on the bias, and as I pulled on the fabric while stitching, the hem "curled" up with the satin stitch.

(sorry, Seb wasn't here to take a pic of me in it)

If you click on the pic below, you'll get a closer view of the edge:

(The fabric isn't really that bright, but it's a rainy day and I had to use the flash)

I hope I don't sound too proud of myself... I'm usually not that enthusiast about a finished project - always think there's a flaw somewhere, or that it looks hand-made anyway. But I'm really happy about this one - and this is my first garment made on a sewing machine. I feel I will wear it, and not feel self-conscious. Besides, it's comfy, because there's an elastic at the waist and it's lined.I still need to check if there's leftover fabric to make a matching top... Hopefully there is!

Cuddly bear

So... I've been doing nothing as planned. I was supposed to finish my skirt and start stitching Margaret Sherry's Crafty Cat design... but what did I do instead? Stitched up one of the mini kits I'd bought a week ago. Seb liked the kit, so on starting it I decided this was to be for him. He had no idea I was stitching it for him though, and I made him the surprise only when it was all done!

Hi! I'm Cuddle the Teddy Bear. I'm a quickie, and I hope you'll find me a cutie too!

I'm going to simply cut out a small cardboard frame for it, so that Seb can post it on the wall next to his computer.

Skirt nearly finished...

... and I daresay it's turning out nicely! All I've got left to do is to hem the bottom edge, but I'm still thinking it over... I'm not sure I want a "plain" blind hem - I'd like to experiment with a satin stitch (= a very very narrow zigag stitch) to add an original finishing touch. Especially as the skirt is bell-shaped and swings at the bottom - a satin stitch should enhance the general movement!

Pics as soon as it's all done of course...

Next I'll give my sewing machine a - short - rest and start on a new cross-stitch project!

Busy, Busy Week

I hope everyone is having a happy week!
I haven't been posting for a few days... This has been such a busy week for us here, what with everything getting back into full rhythm. Not mentioning that it's been very hot in France! The Weather Pixie is telling you nonsense, it's been 30°C (upper eighties Fahrenheit) everyday since Saturday! I don't know where she got the notion that it's 14°C!

I do manage to squeeze in a little sewing in the evening, once I'm done with all the rest... I'm making a skirt (presumably for autumn, but then maybe I should get back into making summer things, seeing how the weather is!). This is not exactly easy as the skirt is cut on the bias... But I like challenges.
I also want to start stitching Crafty Cat... Need to find some TIME for that.

On another note, I want to thank you all for your kind words. Since Kim asked to see the purse I made for my little sister's birthday, here is a pic...

The pic is crappy, I took it quickly a couple of months ago just after I had finished the purse... It's hung on a curtain knob. Hopefully if you click for a larger view you can see the color and details better... I'm not sure you can see it's khaki though... (my sister wears a lot of khaki, it goes so well with her auburn hair)

I really need to get going... Of course I'll post a pic when the skirt is done.

A Great Weekend

Well it was a great weekend. We all had the best of times with my father's and sister's birthday celebrations. My Daddy was truly touched with the quilt and wanted to hear all about how it was made.
In the afternoon before the party I dug into my mother's closet and found a beautiful fabric that looked like it was tea-dyed. My mother said I could do whatever I wanted with it, it was so cheap! I also found some apple-green cording around the house, so I decided to make fabric bags to wrap my gifts! This was appreciated too. :)

My sister seems pleased with her little pillow, but especially likes the city bag I had made for her a couple of months ago. She paid me the best compliment ever when she told me it looked like a boutique bag!! I surely didn't think so before, but then when you are making something it's so hard to have a distanced opinion. At least that's how it is for me... Isn't it the same for you?

This weekend was also the time of the yearly big, big fair in the town where my parents live, the Lille braderie: it's basically a huge garage sale... on the scale of the whole city. We enjoyed going there when we were younger, but now it seems we're somewhat blasés...
But, the good thing is that some shops also enter into the fun and have HUGE sales. This is particularly the case for the main crafts shop over there, which is really expensive all year round (you can also see Angelsan's post about this shop!), but carries an incredible blowout sale every year during this particular weekend. Plenty of little - and bigger! - xstitch kits were priced at 0.5 or 1 euro! And these were for 5 euros!! I had long wanted to buy one... I think they are so cute. The dress is of aida fabric and in the kit you've got a booklet with a variety of designs to stitch on it - plus, all the assorted skeins. Their normal price is 20 euros! I bought two and intend to stitch one for each of my sisters for Christmas.

So that's another thing on my to-do list...

Pillow stitched up

My LNS reopened today after a month's vacation, so I could finally get a button to finish my sister's pillow. They had plenty of pretty buttons and it was hard to choose... I finally picked one that looked like a small flower:

Cute, non?

Here's the finished pillow:

(as usual, you can get a better view if you click on the pic)

I hope she'll like it. We'll be celebrating her and my father's birthdays on Saturday evening, so I'll be staying at my parents' in the North of France for the weekend.